by Kristin Underwood, San Diego, CA on 09. 9.08
Science & Technology (solar)
LaMar Alexander, is one eco-friendly-building-machine and he's ready to share a few things he's learned along the way in his new ebook, Simple Solar Homesteading. This book is not for just anybody, as the house is small, the appliances are few and while you can get creative in the interior design and layout, there isn't much room for furnishings. Still, for those of you looking to build a vacation home or who don't need a ton of "house," then this guide is a great start in helping you visualize what it would take to build your off-grid dream home in the woods.
At least 12 different projects are included in the book, complete with pictures, step by step instructions, a resource/materials list and costs. Lamar did each of these projects himself on the cheap and if he can do it, you can do it. DIY'ers beware: while all of these projects sound quaint, there is a lot of work to install them and even more involved in maintenance once they are up and running. Even if you aren't planning on building a new home, the tips on building a rainwater catchment system or a solar oven are helpful and could be constructed without building permits or major construction.
While his house is only 400 sq.ft., the pictures make it look cozy and spacious. It took only two weeks to make and roughly 80 to 100 hours for one person. Clearly if you need more space, you could take his basic plans and modify the concept to create more rooms or a slightly larger structure if you need it. Before you get started you will need land and LaMar offers advice on how to purchase homestead land, including how he's purchased several properties from Ebay.
The Book is Full of DIY Advice
He is very honest throughout the book. He offers tips of when to spring for the more expensive items like windows and doors to keep from losing heat and offers tips of when its fine to purchase used items. Other tips include where/how to get items for free, as well as, how to find the best recycled items and ways you can plan ahead to maximize passive solar to heat and cool your new home. It's probably best that you read the book several times, and consult neighbors for advice before beginning as some of the explanations make sense the second or third time around but are not always obvious the first time you read them.
LaMar also suggests you build the home in stages in order to stay out of debt and build only what you need. Its "easy" to add on additions, especially if you plan ahead. His solar panels system, for example, is fairly small and if you have more appliances that you want to use at the same time, there is no reason you couldn't upgrade and add a few more to your array. When designing your home, one interesting point is to remember that some rooms you only use for a few minutes a day, so don't devote all of your space to your kitchen if you're not much for cooking, etc.
What the Book Left Out
Instructions on solar installation, for example, are a little skimpy and probably not optimal though he does offer good advice to try and live with a smaller system and add on at a later time as you upgrade (or purchase that electric car). Also, for many of the items you will need land and you will need approval from local building and planning offices before you can get started. While you can read the book and fumble your way through it, you will more than likely need someone who at least has a little experience building homes.
Not all of these suggestions are good for everyone, such as the solar composter, which involves carrying your waste across the yard to the composter and is good to know before building as not everyone is going to want to go to this length. LaMar doesn't offer suggestions for what might go wrong, or better yet what to do when it does - in this case you are on your own.
Building Your Own Home Brings You Closer to Nature
One nice thing about almost all of these projects are they force you to get closer to the land by caring for your rooster tractor, watch less tv because it wastes electricity generated by your solar panels, or take shorter showers because you have limited hot water. But, to do all of these projects takes a lot of time and responsibility so definitely best to start with one or two projects and get other family members involved.
What do you Learn from Simple Solar Homesteading?
LaMar teaches you step by step how to build a simple cabin, size a solar system for your house, build a solar composting toilet, make a solar batch water heater, make a rainwater and greywater recycling system. Other projects include a solar air food dehydrator, a solar oven, a garden cart (wheelbarrow), a garden compost tumbler, a portable chicken tractor, a root/storm shelter, and drilling a water well all of which are under $50USD to construct.
LaMar's located in Utah so he does have the issue of cold winters and takes this into account when instructing on what to watch out for with batteries and water heaters, for example. Its good to know that a home you build for less than $2000 can withstand cold Utah winters. For the DIY enthusiasts, this guide requires and harnesses a willingness to get creative, reuse materials and live with an "imperfect" house.
Cost of the book: $5USD. Cost of a simple, solar homestead: $2000 USD. Cost of saving the planet: priceless.
Take that $99K House!
More on Home Construction
99K House Begins Construction
Home Grown Home: A Straw Bale Off-Grid Double Wide
How to Green Your House Hunting
A Picture is Worth...Construction of a Straw Bale House, Part 1
Monday, September 15, 2008
To slow global warming, install white roofs
Such roofs and reflective pavement in the world's 100 largest cities would have a massive cooling effect, according to data released at California's annual Climate Change Research Conference.
By Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 10, 2008
Builders have known for decades that white roofs reflect the sun's rays and lower the cost of air conditioning. But now scientists say they have quantified a new benefit: slowing global warming.
If the 100 biggest cities in the world installed white roofs and changed their pavement to more reflective materials -- say, concrete instead of asphalt-based material -- the global cooling effect would be massive, according to data released Tuesday at California's annual Climate Change Research Conference in Sacramento.
Since 2005, the Golden State has required that flat commercial structures have white roofs. Next year, new and retrofitted residential and commercial buildings, with both flat and sloped roofs, will have to install heat-reflecting roofing, as part of an energy-efficient building code.
But the state has yet to pass any rules to encourage cooler pavement on its roads, which are largely coated with heat-absorbing asphalt, a cheap byproduct of oil refining.
According to Hashem Akbari, a physicist with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a 1,000-square-foot roof -- the average size on an American home -- offsets 10 metric tons of planet-heating carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere if dark-colored shingles or coatings are replaced with white material.
Globally, roofs account for 25% of the surface of most cities, and pavement accounts for about 35%. If all were switched to reflective material in 100 major urban areas, it would offset 44 metric gigatons of greenhouse gases, which have been trapping heat in the atmosphere and altering the climate on a potentially dangerous scale.
That is more than all the countries on Earth emit in a single year. And, with global climate negotiators focused on limiting a rapid increase in emissions, installing cool roofs and pavements would offset more than 10 years of emissions growth, even without slashing industrial pollution.
Akbari's paper, "Global Cooling: Increasing Worldwide Urban Albedos to Offset CO2," to be published in the journal Climatic Change, was written with his colleague Surabi Menon and UC Berkeley physicist Arthur Rosenfeld, a member of the California Energy Commission. All three have been associated with the laboratory's Heat Island Group, which has published extensive research on how roofs and pavement raise urban temperatures.
Akbari and Rosenfeld said they will mount an effort to persuade the United Nations to organize major cities to alter their roofing and pavement.
"I call it win-win-win," Akbari said. "First, a cooler environment not only saves energy but improves comfort. Second, cooling a city by a few degrees dramatically reduces smog. And the third win is offsetting global warming."
By Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 10, 2008
Builders have known for decades that white roofs reflect the sun's rays and lower the cost of air conditioning. But now scientists say they have quantified a new benefit: slowing global warming.
If the 100 biggest cities in the world installed white roofs and changed their pavement to more reflective materials -- say, concrete instead of asphalt-based material -- the global cooling effect would be massive, according to data released Tuesday at California's annual Climate Change Research Conference in Sacramento.
Since 2005, the Golden State has required that flat commercial structures have white roofs. Next year, new and retrofitted residential and commercial buildings, with both flat and sloped roofs, will have to install heat-reflecting roofing, as part of an energy-efficient building code.
But the state has yet to pass any rules to encourage cooler pavement on its roads, which are largely coated with heat-absorbing asphalt, a cheap byproduct of oil refining.
According to Hashem Akbari, a physicist with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a 1,000-square-foot roof -- the average size on an American home -- offsets 10 metric tons of planet-heating carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere if dark-colored shingles or coatings are replaced with white material.
Globally, roofs account for 25% of the surface of most cities, and pavement accounts for about 35%. If all were switched to reflective material in 100 major urban areas, it would offset 44 metric gigatons of greenhouse gases, which have been trapping heat in the atmosphere and altering the climate on a potentially dangerous scale.
That is more than all the countries on Earth emit in a single year. And, with global climate negotiators focused on limiting a rapid increase in emissions, installing cool roofs and pavements would offset more than 10 years of emissions growth, even without slashing industrial pollution.
Akbari's paper, "Global Cooling: Increasing Worldwide Urban Albedos to Offset CO2," to be published in the journal Climatic Change, was written with his colleague Surabi Menon and UC Berkeley physicist Arthur Rosenfeld, a member of the California Energy Commission. All three have been associated with the laboratory's Heat Island Group, which has published extensive research on how roofs and pavement raise urban temperatures.
Akbari and Rosenfeld said they will mount an effort to persuade the United Nations to organize major cities to alter their roofing and pavement.
"I call it win-win-win," Akbari said. "First, a cooler environment not only saves energy but improves comfort. Second, cooling a city by a few degrees dramatically reduces smog. And the third win is offsetting global warming."
Political Action to Government
Think Global, Act Local
What is your local council doing to make your suburb ecologically sustainable? A pipe dream? Check out Mosman Council and then go and get your local Council on board.
Join other Voices
* Environment Victoria organises campaigns to help you get your voice heard
* Sign the Channel 7 Sunrise Petition to support Solar Subsidy Rebates
* Join the Climatez campaign to share your thoughts with your politicians.
Think of others such as Talkback radio and letters to the newspapers.
For political and legislative decisions
These are among the most important aspects of a viable national greenhouse strategy.
* Establish a carbon price to support immediate emission reductions.
* Supplant coal with gas, solar, wind, geothermal, agricultural biomass and ocean tides.
* Encourage local manufacture of electricity to reduce transmission costs.
* Cut subsidies for dirty and uneconomic energy use.
* Tax environmentally irresponsible behaviour .
* End logging of old-growth forests and wood chipping, and rationalise the industry.
* Encourage the invention, manufacture and use of efficient technologies .
* School education that supports ecological awareness and environmental efficiency.
* Mandate best performance standards for buildings, vehicles and appliances.
* Encourage recycling and reduce packaging.
* Retro-fit efficient motors into household and commercial appliances.
* Disconnect stand-by equipment in homes and offices.
* Eliminate wastage in commercial power use and air conditioning.
* Encourage people to work from home or from suburban commercial modules.
* Reduce road construction and replace vehicular traffic with public transport.
* Support hybrid cars and trucks for local as well as long-distance driving.
* Campaign for consumer awareness and changing attitudes.
* Develop a national resilience to the adverse affects of a changing climate.
Though it may take some time to put into place many of these goals could be implemented at once. It is the will of the people armed by the urgency of the situation that will overcome the inevitable resistance.
Scientists and industry groups (including insurance companies and major banks) have been urging the Federal and State Governments to plan for climate change. Labor governments in the Australian States have made some small moves. The Federal Liberal government remains adamant that little needs to be done.
Though the Kyoto agreement has been producing results - by committing 34 countries to reduce greenhouse emissions by 5.2% - this is only delaying the inevitable. Sadly, it is a compromise game to keep the peace - not a solution.
Kyoto is not enough, not by any means.
We have to cut emissions very rapidly by 80% over the next ten to fifteen years!
and even then there will be consequences.
Heat-trapping emissions take time to build up their full effect as the cooler oceans are slow to catch up with the atmosphere. The vertical lines in the graph show the difference between earth temperatures and sea. The best estimate is that there is a 25- to 30-year time lag between greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere and their full heat-trapping potential taking effect. That wipes out any feeling of comfort. It means that most of the increase of 0.8˚C during the last century is not caused by current level of carbon dioxide but by what was in the atmosphere at the end of the 1970s.
Worse, in the last three decades the rate of emissions have increased dramatically with the largest increase in industrial activity, vehicular traffic and mass destruction of rainforests in history. So - on top of the extra heat we are already experiencing there is another 30 years of ever-accelerating warming built into the climate system.
This is why action is now so urgent.
Only governments - Municipal, State and Federal - can take the actions that are required. Only you and I will compel them to do so. Here is how to contact politicians.
The GOOD news is that we can make a difference if we do so NOW.
The BAD news is that we have only a few years to do so.
Lets look at what can be done. In a report to a number of Australia’s leading Companies in 2003 the Allen Consulting Group concluded in Deep Cuts in Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts for Australia that by early action there would be no loss in GDP with the creation of over 3½ million jobs, and that within 40 years Australia would be about three times wealthier than it is today.
This assumed that within a few years government would encourage business - through subsidies, incentives and penalties - to invest in a wide range of low and zero emission technologies, that would lead to reduced running costs and use of electricity.
Were we to delay for even ten years and then try to reach the same target the economy would be disrupted as electricity prices would have to rise three times to meet the demands of a more urgent situation.
We are now at the moment of greatest "unstable equilibrium" at the top of the curve. Business as usual (the lower blue line) shows how quickly we destroy ourselves. The Current Kyoto strategy leads to the same place, only a little less quickly.
If we act NOW by reducing emissions by 90% over 5 years with draconian legislation we could follow the survival pathway, level off our emissions and the begin to gradually reduce them. Acting now we could reduce emissions while retaining a strong economy.
Each country that can mobilise its politicians should cut emissions to its uttermost. At least then that country will remain prepared and more able to deal with the worst even if the rest sink and fight themselves out of existence.
Before we list the major recommendations prepared from studies in many countries look at Australia's enormous natural advantages. Australia has more natural sources for renewable power than any other country on earth - and most are virtually zero carbon emitters.
Compare electricity costs
* The highest solar radiation.
* the sugar industry could provide 5% of our energy needs. Farming waste could treble that.
* Geothermal sources could supply 800 years of current power use.
* Our extensive coastline is ideal for wave and tidal power.
* Exceptional wind resources.
* Salt-ridden lands can grow plants to regenerate the soil while being used for bio fuels.
Source: Powering Australia’s Future by Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy.
The ABCSE strategy for a soft landing with deep cuts in carbon emissions is available here. It and the rest of their report may be downloaded from their site. All we have to do is get the Federal Government to implement these ideas. What is surprising is that a sensible program that is being supported by leaders in banking, insurance and industry is opposed only by those making gross profits at this time, being principally the coal, oil and aluminium producers. Do we have to pay them off to get them on side??
Dealing with the short-term problems coming from global warming must be addressed immediately. These cannot wait. Long-term there are a myriad of issues including hunger, poverty, restoration of the lands, water and so on. For the moment saving the planet takes precedence over all of these.
We can do this, and we MUST, if only for the sake of our children.
Click here for what we can do in our personal lives.
Compare electricity costs
Clean coal is far more costly than dirty coal. Wind is also twice the cost. But when we factor in green-house costs from black coal the differences disappear. It is more instructive to examine the previous graph that compares cost of generation against greenhouse emissions for black coal (left) to renewable's (olive) and nuclear (right).
What is your local council doing to make your suburb ecologically sustainable? A pipe dream? Check out Mosman Council and then go and get your local Council on board.
Join other Voices
* Environment Victoria organises campaigns to help you get your voice heard
* Sign the Channel 7 Sunrise Petition to support Solar Subsidy Rebates
* Join the Climatez campaign to share your thoughts with your politicians.
Think of others such as Talkback radio and letters to the newspapers.
For political and legislative decisions
These are among the most important aspects of a viable national greenhouse strategy.
* Establish a carbon price to support immediate emission reductions.
* Supplant coal with gas, solar, wind, geothermal, agricultural biomass and ocean tides.
* Encourage local manufacture of electricity to reduce transmission costs.
* Cut subsidies for dirty and uneconomic energy use.
* Tax environmentally irresponsible behaviour .
* End logging of old-growth forests and wood chipping, and rationalise the industry.
* Encourage the invention, manufacture and use of efficient technologies .
* School education that supports ecological awareness and environmental efficiency.
* Mandate best performance standards for buildings, vehicles and appliances.
* Encourage recycling and reduce packaging.
* Retro-fit efficient motors into household and commercial appliances.
* Disconnect stand-by equipment in homes and offices.
* Eliminate wastage in commercial power use and air conditioning.
* Encourage people to work from home or from suburban commercial modules.
* Reduce road construction and replace vehicular traffic with public transport.
* Support hybrid cars and trucks for local as well as long-distance driving.
* Campaign for consumer awareness and changing attitudes.
* Develop a national resilience to the adverse affects of a changing climate.
Though it may take some time to put into place many of these goals could be implemented at once. It is the will of the people armed by the urgency of the situation that will overcome the inevitable resistance.
Scientists and industry groups (including insurance companies and major banks) have been urging the Federal and State Governments to plan for climate change. Labor governments in the Australian States have made some small moves. The Federal Liberal government remains adamant that little needs to be done.
Though the Kyoto agreement has been producing results - by committing 34 countries to reduce greenhouse emissions by 5.2% - this is only delaying the inevitable. Sadly, it is a compromise game to keep the peace - not a solution.
Kyoto is not enough, not by any means.
We have to cut emissions very rapidly by 80% over the next ten to fifteen years!
and even then there will be consequences.
Heat-trapping emissions take time to build up their full effect as the cooler oceans are slow to catch up with the atmosphere. The vertical lines in the graph show the difference between earth temperatures and sea. The best estimate is that there is a 25- to 30-year time lag between greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere and their full heat-trapping potential taking effect. That wipes out any feeling of comfort. It means that most of the increase of 0.8˚C during the last century is not caused by current level of carbon dioxide but by what was in the atmosphere at the end of the 1970s.
Worse, in the last three decades the rate of emissions have increased dramatically with the largest increase in industrial activity, vehicular traffic and mass destruction of rainforests in history. So - on top of the extra heat we are already experiencing there is another 30 years of ever-accelerating warming built into the climate system.
This is why action is now so urgent.
Only governments - Municipal, State and Federal - can take the actions that are required. Only you and I will compel them to do so. Here is how to contact politicians.
The GOOD news is that we can make a difference if we do so NOW.
The BAD news is that we have only a few years to do so.
Lets look at what can be done. In a report to a number of Australia’s leading Companies in 2003 the Allen Consulting Group concluded in Deep Cuts in Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts for Australia that by early action there would be no loss in GDP with the creation of over 3½ million jobs, and that within 40 years Australia would be about three times wealthier than it is today.
This assumed that within a few years government would encourage business - through subsidies, incentives and penalties - to invest in a wide range of low and zero emission technologies, that would lead to reduced running costs and use of electricity.
Were we to delay for even ten years and then try to reach the same target the economy would be disrupted as electricity prices would have to rise three times to meet the demands of a more urgent situation.
We are now at the moment of greatest "unstable equilibrium" at the top of the curve. Business as usual (the lower blue line) shows how quickly we destroy ourselves. The Current Kyoto strategy leads to the same place, only a little less quickly.
If we act NOW by reducing emissions by 90% over 5 years with draconian legislation we could follow the survival pathway, level off our emissions and the begin to gradually reduce them. Acting now we could reduce emissions while retaining a strong economy.
Each country that can mobilise its politicians should cut emissions to its uttermost. At least then that country will remain prepared and more able to deal with the worst even if the rest sink and fight themselves out of existence.
Before we list the major recommendations prepared from studies in many countries look at Australia's enormous natural advantages. Australia has more natural sources for renewable power than any other country on earth - and most are virtually zero carbon emitters.
Compare electricity costs
* The highest solar radiation.
* the sugar industry could provide 5% of our energy needs. Farming waste could treble that.
* Geothermal sources could supply 800 years of current power use.
* Our extensive coastline is ideal for wave and tidal power.
* Exceptional wind resources.
* Salt-ridden lands can grow plants to regenerate the soil while being used for bio fuels.
Source: Powering Australia’s Future by Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy.
The ABCSE strategy for a soft landing with deep cuts in carbon emissions is available here. It and the rest of their report may be downloaded from their site. All we have to do is get the Federal Government to implement these ideas. What is surprising is that a sensible program that is being supported by leaders in banking, insurance and industry is opposed only by those making gross profits at this time, being principally the coal, oil and aluminium producers. Do we have to pay them off to get them on side??
Dealing with the short-term problems coming from global warming must be addressed immediately. These cannot wait. Long-term there are a myriad of issues including hunger, poverty, restoration of the lands, water and so on. For the moment saving the planet takes precedence over all of these.
We can do this, and we MUST, if only for the sake of our children.
Click here for what we can do in our personal lives.
Compare electricity costs
Clean coal is far more costly than dirty coal. Wind is also twice the cost. But when we factor in green-house costs from black coal the differences disappear. It is more instructive to examine the previous graph that compares cost of generation against greenhouse emissions for black coal (left) to renewable's (olive) and nuclear (right).
Personal Actions to stop Global Warming
These are the some of the steps that you CAN take to reduce your personal global warming footprint. They may appear small, but when you share them with your friends and workmates you will, together, make a huge difference. The figures on the left are the approximate kilograms of greenhouse gasses saved per year for each action. Not only will these save tons of pollutants, but you will save also $3,000 a year, minimum!
Below this list we discuss how to get green energy, organisations to join and other actions.
5300
Shift to Green-Power. For answers to questions see below.
3800
Change from your SUV to a hybrid car. Visit the Green Vehicle Guide
2500
Install solar power, and sell your surplus back to the grid. To support rebates.
2000
Replace electric hot water heating with solar, even with electric booster.
1500
Switching off your computer when not in use, especially big ones.
1080
Recycling just half of your household waste
1000
Plant a native tree, long-term potential as it grows. Here is one way to do this.
900
Adjust you winter thermostat down by 2 degrees, and wear a singlet
860
Insulate your roof space and under the floor, minimum 100mm batts`
720
Carpooling for only 2 days a week
700
Walk your kids to school - healthy for both of you.
700
If you have more than one car, drive the one with the smaller engine.
700
Walk, bike and bus or train instead of car. Information at TravelSmart website
700
Use a fan or evaporative coolers in summer, not air conditioning
640
Use a clothesline instead of a dryer, savings less if it is a new dryer.
600
Double-glaze windows.
600
Weather-strip windows and doors to prevent air leaks
600
All machines to be high efficiency, check out the Energy Rating website
500
Wrap an insulation blanket around your water heater, adjust its temperature
500
Turn off the second drinks frig
400
Put fish tank pump on a timer. Experiment and test water result at pool shop
500
Using less hot water by taking 5 minute showers rather than ten minutes.
455
Reduce rubbish 25% (less packaging, reusables, not disposables, recycling)
450
Don’t use your dishwasher at all, wash up by hand.
450
Turn off appliances at the wall so they are not on ‘stand-by’. Check here.
350
Keep the air filter in your car clean – check monthly
300
Turn off 5 lights in hallways and rooms when you’re not in them.
400
Placing air conditioning unit out of the sun and in the shade
450
For ten CFL fluorescent globes instead of incandescent, see more here..
300
Wash clothes in warm or cold water, not hot
160
Regularly clean the air filter in your air conditioner
100
Run your dishwasher or washing machine only with a full load
10
Each appliance left on stand-by, especially TV
10+
Turn off or fix dripping taps - water costs money
8
Recycle a dozen aluminium cans. Alcoa etc use 20% of total Australian power
8
Turn off your mobile phone charger when it isn’t charging
8
Use a reusable bag every time you go shopping
6
Let hot food cool down before putting it into the fridge
3
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth
These lifestyle decisions would save about 32 tonnes a year for each person.
If every Australian did these things we would (as a country) be
saving 640 million tons each year.
Get Green Energy:
Every one of us CAN actually do something to help stop global warming.
And it’s SO EASY. Here is a real-life account of how one person helped
Flick the Switch to Green – A Personal Account
Over 100,000 Australian households and businesses have already MADE A DIFFERENCE and chosen to switch to Green Energy sources, ie those sources which do not add to greenhouse gas emissions, such as wind, hydro, solar and biomass generated power. YOU CAN too. Here’s how to DO IT…
Check out the types of green energy available in your area.
Pick up the phone and call your Green Energy provider of choice. You can either switch immediately or arrange to receive a quote.
An example of HOW TO SWITCH TO GREEN ENERGY is given for Energy Australia.
Examples of HOW TO OBTAIN A QUOTE FOR GREEN ENERGY: click for Origin Energy and TruEnergy.
Some people have misconceptions: Click below for answers
Does Green power really come from a true green energy source?
Do we have to install solar cells on our roof to apply? - and other misconceptions.
Reduce Transport Emissions:
By choosing a greener vehicle, you can make a real difference.
The Federal government’s Green Vehicle Guide helps you by rating new vehicles based on greenhouse and air pollution emissions.
Can’t get a new car right away? Neutralise Your Carbon Emissions
Sign up with Greenfleet to have the equivalent number of trees planted for the CO2 you emit. Sign your business up, or get your employer to do so.
Change over to LPG that provides about 8% more energy than petrol (as well as lower cost). However, you will attain better fuel consumption only if the engine is optimized for LPG fuel. Reason: LPG has a lower density, intakes less air and thus there is a decrease of power. If all Australians swapped to a hybrid car it would save 76 million tons of CO2 pa.
If everyone keeps idling their cars for 10 minutes a day, it will cost 44,000 kg of carbon.
At the office:
See that lights are turned off when you go home, and ask cleaners to do the same, or install automatic switching to avoid lighting empty spaces for much of the night.
Turn off computers, photocopiers and printers at the wall at the end of the day.
Organisations to Join:
Here follows a list of groups that work across Australia:
Australian Conservation Foundation works towards a society which protects, sustains and restores the environment, and provides healthy air, land, water, and biological diversity; sustainable cities and industries; a nuclear-free Australia; and action to protect the global environment.
The Australian Rainforest Conservation Foundation was founded in 1982, as a national, non-government organisation with headquarters in Brisbane. Its goal, through research, lobbying, public education and grass-roots support, is to protect, repair and restore the rainforests of Australia and to maximise the protection of forest biodiversity.
Bush Heritage is a national, independent, non-profit organisation committed to preserving Australia's biodiversity by protecting the bush. It is Australia's most widely supported national organisation dedicated to protecting species and habitats through the creation of reserves on private land.
Climate Action Network Australia has the aim of globally tackling the planet’s most challenging environmental problems.
Critical Mass organises on the last Friday of every month, in hundreds of cities worldwide, cyclists, bladers and boarders for a rolling celebration of non-motorised transport
Conservation Volunteers Australia involves the community in conservation projects in urban, regional and remote Australia ranging from tree planting; seed collection; endangered species protection; weed control; flora and fauna surveys; walking trail construction; fencing and environmental monitoring.
Earthwatch Australia helps you to go to amazing places while helping scientists understand the effect our behaviour is having on the planet.
Ecosphere aims to provide an affordable, high quality design resource for small business and non-profit organisations. 10% of proceeds go to an environmental organisation of the customer's choice. Ecosphere also offer a substantial discount on website design for environmental organisations.
The Environment Portal provides access to online services and information provided by Australian, State and Local Governments. Information is organised by seven broad environmental themes - Atmosphere, Biodiversity, Coasts and Oceans, Environment Protection, Heritage, Inland Waters, and Land categories.
Environment Online is the initiative of some 20 major environmental advocacy organisations. They are known as the Mittagong Forum enabling communication and information for people with a passion for environmental conservation and sustainability.
Environment Defenders Office in each State and Territory are dedicated to protecting the environment in the public interest. They provide legal representation and advice, take an active role in environmental law reform and policy formulation, and offer a significant education program designed to facilitate public participation.
Environs Australia is the Local Government Environment Network that aims to advance, support and strengthen the participation of Australian Local Governments in the worldwide movement of councils towards local sustainability.
Friends of the Earth is a community-based activist organisation which works towards an ecologically sustainable and socially equitable society.
Global Energy Network works to bring a global strategy for energy production and to aid world peace and sustainable development.
Greenpeace campaigns for national environmental issues.
Native Forest Network is a global, autonomous collective of forest activists, indigenous peoples, conservation biologists, and non-governmental organizations. It functions on a consensus basis and is non-violent, non-hierarchical, and non-patriarchal.
The National River Health Program was established in 1993 to improve the management of Australia's rivers and floodplains for their long-term health and ecological sustainability.
The Wilderness Society is a national, community-based, environmental organisation whose mission is to protect, promote and secure the future of wilderness and other high conservation areas.
Woodchip Boycott is a campaign that relies on the consumer and investment power of ordinary people to take change to the "marketplace".
World Wide Fund for Nature Australia is working with communities, governments, individuals and businesses to conserve the biological diversity of Australia and the Oceania region.
Below this list we discuss how to get green energy, organisations to join and other actions.
5300
Shift to Green-Power. For answers to questions see below.
3800
Change from your SUV to a hybrid car. Visit the Green Vehicle Guide
2500
Install solar power, and sell your surplus back to the grid. To support rebates.
2000
Replace electric hot water heating with solar, even with electric booster.
1500
Switching off your computer when not in use, especially big ones.
1080
Recycling just half of your household waste
1000
Plant a native tree, long-term potential as it grows. Here is one way to do this.
900
Adjust you winter thermostat down by 2 degrees, and wear a singlet
860
Insulate your roof space and under the floor, minimum 100mm batts`
720
Carpooling for only 2 days a week
700
Walk your kids to school - healthy for both of you.
700
If you have more than one car, drive the one with the smaller engine.
700
Walk, bike and bus or train instead of car. Information at TravelSmart website
700
Use a fan or evaporative coolers in summer, not air conditioning
640
Use a clothesline instead of a dryer, savings less if it is a new dryer.
600
Double-glaze windows.
600
Weather-strip windows and doors to prevent air leaks
600
All machines to be high efficiency, check out the Energy Rating website
500
Wrap an insulation blanket around your water heater, adjust its temperature
500
Turn off the second drinks frig
400
Put fish tank pump on a timer. Experiment and test water result at pool shop
500
Using less hot water by taking 5 minute showers rather than ten minutes.
455
Reduce rubbish 25% (less packaging, reusables, not disposables, recycling)
450
Don’t use your dishwasher at all, wash up by hand.
450
Turn off appliances at the wall so they are not on ‘stand-by’. Check here.
350
Keep the air filter in your car clean – check monthly
300
Turn off 5 lights in hallways and rooms when you’re not in them.
400
Placing air conditioning unit out of the sun and in the shade
450
For ten CFL fluorescent globes instead of incandescent, see more here..
300
Wash clothes in warm or cold water, not hot
160
Regularly clean the air filter in your air conditioner
100
Run your dishwasher or washing machine only with a full load
10
Each appliance left on stand-by, especially TV
10+
Turn off or fix dripping taps - water costs money
8
Recycle a dozen aluminium cans. Alcoa etc use 20% of total Australian power
8
Turn off your mobile phone charger when it isn’t charging
8
Use a reusable bag every time you go shopping
6
Let hot food cool down before putting it into the fridge
3
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth
These lifestyle decisions would save about 32 tonnes a year for each person.
If every Australian did these things we would (as a country) be
saving 640 million tons each year.
Get Green Energy:
Every one of us CAN actually do something to help stop global warming.
And it’s SO EASY. Here is a real-life account of how one person helped
Flick the Switch to Green – A Personal Account
Over 100,000 Australian households and businesses have already MADE A DIFFERENCE and chosen to switch to Green Energy sources, ie those sources which do not add to greenhouse gas emissions, such as wind, hydro, solar and biomass generated power. YOU CAN too. Here’s how to DO IT…
Check out the types of green energy available in your area.
Pick up the phone and call your Green Energy provider of choice. You can either switch immediately or arrange to receive a quote.
An example of HOW TO SWITCH TO GREEN ENERGY is given for Energy Australia.
Examples of HOW TO OBTAIN A QUOTE FOR GREEN ENERGY: click for Origin Energy and TruEnergy.
Some people have misconceptions: Click below for answers
Does Green power really come from a true green energy source?
Do we have to install solar cells on our roof to apply? - and other misconceptions.
Reduce Transport Emissions:
By choosing a greener vehicle, you can make a real difference.
The Federal government’s Green Vehicle Guide helps you by rating new vehicles based on greenhouse and air pollution emissions.
Can’t get a new car right away? Neutralise Your Carbon Emissions
Sign up with Greenfleet to have the equivalent number of trees planted for the CO2 you emit. Sign your business up, or get your employer to do so.
Change over to LPG that provides about 8% more energy than petrol (as well as lower cost). However, you will attain better fuel consumption only if the engine is optimized for LPG fuel. Reason: LPG has a lower density, intakes less air and thus there is a decrease of power. If all Australians swapped to a hybrid car it would save 76 million tons of CO2 pa.
If everyone keeps idling their cars for 10 minutes a day, it will cost 44,000 kg of carbon.
At the office:
See that lights are turned off when you go home, and ask cleaners to do the same, or install automatic switching to avoid lighting empty spaces for much of the night.
Turn off computers, photocopiers and printers at the wall at the end of the day.
Organisations to Join:
Here follows a list of groups that work across Australia:
Australian Conservation Foundation works towards a society which protects, sustains and restores the environment, and provides healthy air, land, water, and biological diversity; sustainable cities and industries; a nuclear-free Australia; and action to protect the global environment.
The Australian Rainforest Conservation Foundation was founded in 1982, as a national, non-government organisation with headquarters in Brisbane. Its goal, through research, lobbying, public education and grass-roots support, is to protect, repair and restore the rainforests of Australia and to maximise the protection of forest biodiversity.
Bush Heritage is a national, independent, non-profit organisation committed to preserving Australia's biodiversity by protecting the bush. It is Australia's most widely supported national organisation dedicated to protecting species and habitats through the creation of reserves on private land.
Climate Action Network Australia has the aim of globally tackling the planet’s most challenging environmental problems.
Critical Mass organises on the last Friday of every month, in hundreds of cities worldwide, cyclists, bladers and boarders for a rolling celebration of non-motorised transport
Conservation Volunteers Australia involves the community in conservation projects in urban, regional and remote Australia ranging from tree planting; seed collection; endangered species protection; weed control; flora and fauna surveys; walking trail construction; fencing and environmental monitoring.
Earthwatch Australia helps you to go to amazing places while helping scientists understand the effect our behaviour is having on the planet.
Ecosphere aims to provide an affordable, high quality design resource for small business and non-profit organisations. 10% of proceeds go to an environmental organisation of the customer's choice. Ecosphere also offer a substantial discount on website design for environmental organisations.
The Environment Portal provides access to online services and information provided by Australian, State and Local Governments. Information is organised by seven broad environmental themes - Atmosphere, Biodiversity, Coasts and Oceans, Environment Protection, Heritage, Inland Waters, and Land categories.
Environment Online is the initiative of some 20 major environmental advocacy organisations. They are known as the Mittagong Forum enabling communication and information for people with a passion for environmental conservation and sustainability.
Environment Defenders Office in each State and Territory are dedicated to protecting the environment in the public interest. They provide legal representation and advice, take an active role in environmental law reform and policy formulation, and offer a significant education program designed to facilitate public participation.
Environs Australia is the Local Government Environment Network that aims to advance, support and strengthen the participation of Australian Local Governments in the worldwide movement of councils towards local sustainability.
Friends of the Earth is a community-based activist organisation which works towards an ecologically sustainable and socially equitable society.
Global Energy Network works to bring a global strategy for energy production and to aid world peace and sustainable development.
Greenpeace campaigns for national environmental issues.
Native Forest Network is a global, autonomous collective of forest activists, indigenous peoples, conservation biologists, and non-governmental organizations. It functions on a consensus basis and is non-violent, non-hierarchical, and non-patriarchal.
The National River Health Program was established in 1993 to improve the management of Australia's rivers and floodplains for their long-term health and ecological sustainability.
The Wilderness Society is a national, community-based, environmental organisation whose mission is to protect, promote and secure the future of wilderness and other high conservation areas.
Woodchip Boycott is a campaign that relies on the consumer and investment power of ordinary people to take change to the "marketplace".
World Wide Fund for Nature Australia is working with communities, governments, individuals and businesses to conserve the biological diversity of Australia and the Oceania region.
Gulf Stream Collapse
Extinction is OUR choice, unless...
.... within the next 8 years we have STOPPED using fossil fuels, PLANTED millions of trees, ended logging,
and PREPARED our cities and agriculture for the inevitable sea rise.
OTHERWISE OUR CHILDREN MAY NOT SURVIVE
The Gulf Stream has slowed by 6 million tonnes of water per second over the past 30 years. Many scientists are worried that this portends a collapse and have applied computer models to work out the alternatives. These show there is a 50% chance the current will collapse totally when global temperatures rise by 3°C.
The waters that flow from the Antarctic to the north on the surface of the Atlantic are warm and lose water by evaporating, and therefore get saltier. Salt water is heavier than fresh water and when it reaches the north Atlantic it would sink were it not that the cold water from the arctic is denser still. The arctic water sinks under the warm and provides the force that drives the conveyor and creates the Gulf Stream.
One scenario presented recently to the Pentagon posits that a Gulf Stream collapse could begin in a few years. That massive current of warm water would no longer reach far into the North Atlantic. This would seriously disrupt the temperate climate of Europe and the east coast of North America. The probable outcome would be that the climate of the UK that is now 8°C warmer than the same latitudes in other parts of the world would become closer to that in Russia.
The lesser impact would be a 500mm ocean rise as water heats up.
It is not clear what type of weather would follow a collapse. Some forecasters believe the globe would continue to heat, others predict a new ice age or a global drought. The best models suggest there would be a 5°F drop over Asia and North America and up to 6°F in Europe. On the other hand there would be an increase by up to 4°F in Australia, South America, and south Africa.
Winter storms and cyclonic winds would intensify, amplifying the impact of the changes. Average annual rainfall in Europe and China could decrease by nearly 30%. Europe’s climate would then become more like Siberia’s bringing harsh conditions for agriculture.
No chance then for a reduction in heating loads, and so
CO2 emissions would increase further.
YOU can prevent further warming NOW
Personally and Politically (Click below)
PERSONALLY
POLITICALLY
.... within the next 8 years we have STOPPED using fossil fuels, PLANTED millions of trees, ended logging,
and PREPARED our cities and agriculture for the inevitable sea rise.
OTHERWISE OUR CHILDREN MAY NOT SURVIVE
The Gulf Stream has slowed by 6 million tonnes of water per second over the past 30 years. Many scientists are worried that this portends a collapse and have applied computer models to work out the alternatives. These show there is a 50% chance the current will collapse totally when global temperatures rise by 3°C.
The waters that flow from the Antarctic to the north on the surface of the Atlantic are warm and lose water by evaporating, and therefore get saltier. Salt water is heavier than fresh water and when it reaches the north Atlantic it would sink were it not that the cold water from the arctic is denser still. The arctic water sinks under the warm and provides the force that drives the conveyor and creates the Gulf Stream.
One scenario presented recently to the Pentagon posits that a Gulf Stream collapse could begin in a few years. That massive current of warm water would no longer reach far into the North Atlantic. This would seriously disrupt the temperate climate of Europe and the east coast of North America. The probable outcome would be that the climate of the UK that is now 8°C warmer than the same latitudes in other parts of the world would become closer to that in Russia.
The lesser impact would be a 500mm ocean rise as water heats up.
It is not clear what type of weather would follow a collapse. Some forecasters believe the globe would continue to heat, others predict a new ice age or a global drought. The best models suggest there would be a 5°F drop over Asia and North America and up to 6°F in Europe. On the other hand there would be an increase by up to 4°F in Australia, South America, and south Africa.
Winter storms and cyclonic winds would intensify, amplifying the impact of the changes. Average annual rainfall in Europe and China could decrease by nearly 30%. Europe’s climate would then become more like Siberia’s bringing harsh conditions for agriculture.
No chance then for a reduction in heating loads, and so
CO2 emissions would increase further.
YOU can prevent further warming NOW
Personally and Politically (Click below)
PERSONALLY
POLITICALLY
The Atlantic heat conveyor
The ocean helps shape climate around the world. Ocean currents transport heat from equator towards the poles, releasing heat to the atmosphere and influencing regional rainfall patterns.
The ocean circulation - a global system of surface and deep currents - is powered by two different 'engines'. Movement in the top few hundred to a thousand metres is driven mainly by the prevailing winds. Vertical circulation is driven by cold, salty water sinking at high latitudes, returning towards the equator at depth and being replaced by warm water moving towards the poles at the surface. This is known as the thermohaline circulation (or THC) from the combination of temperature (~thermo) and saltiness (~haline) that controls high-latitude sinking. The flow we can measure is a combination both systems - the wind-driven circulation and the THC.
It is not possible to measure the THC directly. Instead we can get an idea of its strength by measuring what is known as the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) - the flow at different depths, for the full width of the Atlantic. One of the most important aims of RAPID is to monitor this flow.
Why the Atlantic is special
The Atlantic is the only ocean where heat is transported north across the equator. Here warm surface water from the tropics reaches further north than in anywhere else. The relatively warm, salty water of the Gulf Stream system remains at the ocean surface west of Svalbard to a latitude of about 80 degrees before it dips underneath the much fresher and less dense polar water. The heat released by this warm water makes the climate in regions bordering the eastern North Atlantic warmer than at similar latitudes elsewhere. The results of this warm flow can also be seen in the extent of Arctic Sea ice, which differs markedly from that in the Pacific region of the Arctic. The effect of this Atlantic heat conveyor is most noticeable in winter.
The relative warmth of the northern North Atlantic is due to the unique role this ocean plays in the thermohaline circulation. Cold, dense water sinking in the northern North Atlantic drives the Northern Hemisphere loop of the THC. In the Pacific there is no such area where salty subtropical water can travel far enough north and cool down sufficiently to sink. A slow-down in of the North Atlantic loop of the thermohaline circulation may therefore have consequences not just for the North Atlantic region, but for the entire global heat conveyor.
How could the THC slow down?
The North Atlantic loop of the THC is controlled by the sinking of dense (cold and salty) water at high latitudes. The density of seawater is a result of both temperature and salinity (salty water is denser than fresh water, and cold water denser than warm water). Although the Gulf Stream water is saltier than the deep water below, it is much warmer, so its density is lower, and it remains on the surface. On its journey north, the water releases heat to the atmosphere, and cools gradually, until it is cold enough for its density to match that of the deep layer. Sinking can begin.
At this stage the surface water is still warmer than the deep water, but it also saltier, so its density matches that of the deeper water, allowing the two layers to mix. Should the surface water freshen for some reasons, it would have to cool further before it can sink. Sufficient freshwater input might reduce salinity to the extent that the surface water could not possibly sink, even at sub-zero temperatures.
Paradoxically global warming could create precisely this effect. Increased rainfall, melting of sea ice, glaciers and the Greenland ice sheet are all possible consequences of higher temperatures, and could reduce North Atlantic surface salinity sufficiently to slow down or even stop the formation of deep water. If this happens, the THC may shut down. Once stopped, the heat conveyor may take time to recover, and the consequences would be a cooling of northwest Europe.
The ocean circulation - a global system of surface and deep currents - is powered by two different 'engines'. Movement in the top few hundred to a thousand metres is driven mainly by the prevailing winds. Vertical circulation is driven by cold, salty water sinking at high latitudes, returning towards the equator at depth and being replaced by warm water moving towards the poles at the surface. This is known as the thermohaline circulation (or THC) from the combination of temperature (~thermo) and saltiness (~haline) that controls high-latitude sinking. The flow we can measure is a combination both systems - the wind-driven circulation and the THC.
It is not possible to measure the THC directly. Instead we can get an idea of its strength by measuring what is known as the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) - the flow at different depths, for the full width of the Atlantic. One of the most important aims of RAPID is to monitor this flow.
Why the Atlantic is special
The Atlantic is the only ocean where heat is transported north across the equator. Here warm surface water from the tropics reaches further north than in anywhere else. The relatively warm, salty water of the Gulf Stream system remains at the ocean surface west of Svalbard to a latitude of about 80 degrees before it dips underneath the much fresher and less dense polar water. The heat released by this warm water makes the climate in regions bordering the eastern North Atlantic warmer than at similar latitudes elsewhere. The results of this warm flow can also be seen in the extent of Arctic Sea ice, which differs markedly from that in the Pacific region of the Arctic. The effect of this Atlantic heat conveyor is most noticeable in winter.
The relative warmth of the northern North Atlantic is due to the unique role this ocean plays in the thermohaline circulation. Cold, dense water sinking in the northern North Atlantic drives the Northern Hemisphere loop of the THC. In the Pacific there is no such area where salty subtropical water can travel far enough north and cool down sufficiently to sink. A slow-down in of the North Atlantic loop of the thermohaline circulation may therefore have consequences not just for the North Atlantic region, but for the entire global heat conveyor.
How could the THC slow down?
The North Atlantic loop of the THC is controlled by the sinking of dense (cold and salty) water at high latitudes. The density of seawater is a result of both temperature and salinity (salty water is denser than fresh water, and cold water denser than warm water). Although the Gulf Stream water is saltier than the deep water below, it is much warmer, so its density is lower, and it remains on the surface. On its journey north, the water releases heat to the atmosphere, and cools gradually, until it is cold enough for its density to match that of the deep layer. Sinking can begin.
At this stage the surface water is still warmer than the deep water, but it also saltier, so its density matches that of the deeper water, allowing the two layers to mix. Should the surface water freshen for some reasons, it would have to cool further before it can sink. Sufficient freshwater input might reduce salinity to the extent that the surface water could not possibly sink, even at sub-zero temperatures.
Paradoxically global warming could create precisely this effect. Increased rainfall, melting of sea ice, glaciers and the Greenland ice sheet are all possible consequences of higher temperatures, and could reduce North Atlantic surface salinity sufficiently to slow down or even stop the formation of deep water. If this happens, the THC may shut down. Once stopped, the heat conveyor may take time to recover, and the consequences would be a cooling of northwest Europe.
Abrupt Climate Change
Peter Schwartz, Doug Randall
February 2004
"The purpose of this report is to imagine the unthinkable—to push the boundaries of current research on climate change so we may better understand the potential implications on United States national security.
We have interviewed leading climate change scientists, conducted additional research, and reviewed several iterations of the scenario with these experts. The scientists support this project, but caution that the scenario depicted is extreme in two fundamental ways. First, they suggest the occurrences we outline would most likely happen in a few regions, rather than globally. Second, they say the magnitude of the event may be considerably smaller.
We have created a climate change scenario that although not the most likely, is plausible, and would challenge United States national security in ways that should be considered immediately."
This public report, prepared by GBN for the Department of Defense, has been the subject of several news stories. Fortune magazine excerpted the report in its Feb. 9, 2004, issue ("The Pentagon's Weather Nightmare," by David Stipp). The actual report, titled "An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and Its Implications for United States National Security," was written by Peter Schwartz (GBN chairman) and Doug Randall (co-head of GBN's consulting practice) and is ahttp://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifttached here in its PDF version. Contrary to some recent media coverage, the report was not secret, suppressed, or predictive.
DOWNLOAD PDF FILE:
Abrupt Climate Change (22 page Public Report)
February 2004
"The purpose of this report is to imagine the unthinkable—to push the boundaries of current research on climate change so we may better understand the potential implications on United States national security.
We have interviewed leading climate change scientists, conducted additional research, and reviewed several iterations of the scenario with these experts. The scientists support this project, but caution that the scenario depicted is extreme in two fundamental ways. First, they suggest the occurrences we outline would most likely happen in a few regions, rather than globally. Second, they say the magnitude of the event may be considerably smaller.
We have created a climate change scenario that although not the most likely, is plausible, and would challenge United States national security in ways that should be considered immediately."
This public report, prepared by GBN for the Department of Defense, has been the subject of several news stories. Fortune magazine excerpted the report in its Feb. 9, 2004, issue ("The Pentagon's Weather Nightmare," by David Stipp). The actual report, titled "An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and Its Implications for United States National Security," was written by Peter Schwartz (GBN chairman) and Doug Randall (co-head of GBN's consulting practice) and is ahttp://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifttached here in its PDF version. Contrary to some recent media coverage, the report was not secret, suppressed, or predictive.
DOWNLOAD PDF FILE:
Abrupt Climate Change (22 page Public Report)
Ocean Circulation Shut Down by Melting Glaciers After Last Ice Age
Goddard Space Flight Center
November 19, 2001 - (date of web publication)
At the end of the last Ice Age 13 to 11.5 thousand years ago, the North Atlantic Deep Water circulation system that drives the Gulf Stream may have shut down because of melting glaciers that added freshwater into the North Atlantic Ocean over several hundred years, NASA and university researchers confirm. Since the Gulf Stream brings warm tropical waters north, Western Europe cooled.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded study also finds that if a shutdown persisted for a long enough time, the entire Northern Hemisphere would eventually cool.
The computer model simulations of ocean and atmosphere processes used in this study imply a similar phenomenon has the potential to occur in the future due to freshwater additions from increased rain and snow caused by global climate change.
"For the first time, it is shown that realistic additions of glacial meltwater into the North Atlantic would have shutdown North Atlantic Deep Water production over a period of a few hundred years if the initial ocean circulation was somewhat weaker than that of today," said David Rind, lead author of the study and a senior climate researcher at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, NY. The study appears in the November 16 issue of Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres.
When Rind and his colleagues entered realistic estimates of freshwater from melting glaciers into their model, they found the North Atlantic circulation stopped completely after some 300 years. When the model was adjusted to make the circulation weaker than it is today, cessation of the Gulf Stream took only 150-200 years, matching current estimates based on paleo-climate records .
Freshwater additions into the ocean through the St. Lawrence River have a profound effect on the ocean circulation.
"The more freshwater you add, and the longer you add it, the greater reduction in the North Atlantic circulation," Rind said. "According to our model, this is a linear response."
When the Gulf Stream moves warm surface water from the equator north through the Atlantic, the water cools, gets saltier due to evaporation and becomes very dense. By the time it approaches the coast of Newfoundland, or further northeast in the Norwegian Sea, it becomes dense enough to sink. This process is called overturning. The dense water then slowly travels through the deep water southward into the Southern Hemisphere, with the return flow to the north occurring at the surface.
But when freshwater gets mixed with the salty water in the North Atlantic, it makes the water less dense and slows the overturning process and the ocean circulation.
While the study finds that freshwater input could slow and stop overturning, this would not stop the Gulf Stream entirely. That's because the stream is partially pushed by winds. As a result, the model shows the reduced Gulf Stream would only transport about half as much heat northward, thereby cooling Western Europe. Were this to occur in a global warming scenario, it would act to partly counter the effects of projected greenhouse warming in parts of Western Europe.
Many scientists suspect more rainfall in parts of the Northern Hemisphere during this century as a result of greenhouse warming. That's because warmer temperatures increase the atmosphere's capacity to carry water. "The North Atlantic circulation may already be weakening due to freshwater rainfall additions associated with global warming," Rind said.
But the model shows a number of inconsistencies with previous studies on the last ice age. Those studies speculate that once freshwater stopped flowing, the ocean circulation would return within only a few decades, matching a rapid warming seen in the climate record. The model finds that deepwater circulation does not return for at least hundreds of years when the freshwater additions end. Also contrary to observations, the model showed cooling throughout the Northern Hemisphere; during the last ice age, the majority of the United States land mass did not appear to cool.
"It's hard to understand how parts of the Northern Hemisphere might have cooled to the magnitude suggested, but not North America," Rind said. "That seems to imply that either the paleo-records are being misinterpreted, or something else went on, something major that is not being accounted for. This isn't necessarily the end of the story."
North Atlantic Ocean Circulation System
The North Atlantic Ocean circulation system is very sensitive to freshwater inputs. That's because the Gulf Stream moves warm surface water from the equator north through the Atlantic, where the water cools, gets saltier due to evaporation and becomes very dense. By the time it approaches the coast of Newfoundland, or further northeast in the Norwegian Sea, it becomes dense enough to sink. This process is called overturning. The dense water then slowly travels through the deep water southward into the Southern hemisphere, with the return flow to the North occurring at the surface. Today, the climate of Western Europe is much warmer than equivalent latitudes of North America, because the Gulf Stream provides a lot of warmth to those parts of Europe.
But when freshwater gets mixed into the salty water in the North Atlantic, it makes the water less dense and slows the overturning process and the ocean's circulation. The study finds that freshwater from melting glaciers on land that drained into the North Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence River at the end of the last Ice Age, would have shut down the North Atlantic Deep Water circulation system in several hundred years. This is the circulation that drives the Gulf Stream. Also, the research indicates North Atlantic Deep Water circulation appears to respond linearly to freshwater additions-which means the more freshwater you add, and the longer you add it, the greater reduction in the North Atlantic circulation.
While the study finds that freshwater input could slow and stop overturning, this would not stop the Gulf Stream entirely. That's because the stream is partially pushed by winds. As a result, the computer model used by NASA's David Rind in his study shows the reduced Gulf Stream would only transport about half as much heat northward, thereby cooling Western Europe. Were this to occur in a global warming scenario, where rainfall increases in the Northern Hemisphere due to higher temperatures over the next century, it would act to partly counter the effects of projected greenhouse warming in parts of Western Europe. Credit: Deborah McLean, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Multimedia Design Studio
November 19, 2001 - (date of web publication)
At the end of the last Ice Age 13 to 11.5 thousand years ago, the North Atlantic Deep Water circulation system that drives the Gulf Stream may have shut down because of melting glaciers that added freshwater into the North Atlantic Ocean over several hundred years, NASA and university researchers confirm. Since the Gulf Stream brings warm tropical waters north, Western Europe cooled.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded study also finds that if a shutdown persisted for a long enough time, the entire Northern Hemisphere would eventually cool.
The computer model simulations of ocean and atmosphere processes used in this study imply a similar phenomenon has the potential to occur in the future due to freshwater additions from increased rain and snow caused by global climate change.
"For the first time, it is shown that realistic additions of glacial meltwater into the North Atlantic would have shutdown North Atlantic Deep Water production over a period of a few hundred years if the initial ocean circulation was somewhat weaker than that of today," said David Rind, lead author of the study and a senior climate researcher at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, NY. The study appears in the November 16 issue of Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres.
When Rind and his colleagues entered realistic estimates of freshwater from melting glaciers into their model, they found the North Atlantic circulation stopped completely after some 300 years. When the model was adjusted to make the circulation weaker than it is today, cessation of the Gulf Stream took only 150-200 years, matching current estimates based on paleo-climate records .
Freshwater additions into the ocean through the St. Lawrence River have a profound effect on the ocean circulation.
"The more freshwater you add, and the longer you add it, the greater reduction in the North Atlantic circulation," Rind said. "According to our model, this is a linear response."
When the Gulf Stream moves warm surface water from the equator north through the Atlantic, the water cools, gets saltier due to evaporation and becomes very dense. By the time it approaches the coast of Newfoundland, or further northeast in the Norwegian Sea, it becomes dense enough to sink. This process is called overturning. The dense water then slowly travels through the deep water southward into the Southern Hemisphere, with the return flow to the north occurring at the surface.
But when freshwater gets mixed with the salty water in the North Atlantic, it makes the water less dense and slows the overturning process and the ocean circulation.
While the study finds that freshwater input could slow and stop overturning, this would not stop the Gulf Stream entirely. That's because the stream is partially pushed by winds. As a result, the model shows the reduced Gulf Stream would only transport about half as much heat northward, thereby cooling Western Europe. Were this to occur in a global warming scenario, it would act to partly counter the effects of projected greenhouse warming in parts of Western Europe.
Many scientists suspect more rainfall in parts of the Northern Hemisphere during this century as a result of greenhouse warming. That's because warmer temperatures increase the atmosphere's capacity to carry water. "The North Atlantic circulation may already be weakening due to freshwater rainfall additions associated with global warming," Rind said.
But the model shows a number of inconsistencies with previous studies on the last ice age. Those studies speculate that once freshwater stopped flowing, the ocean circulation would return within only a few decades, matching a rapid warming seen in the climate record. The model finds that deepwater circulation does not return for at least hundreds of years when the freshwater additions end. Also contrary to observations, the model showed cooling throughout the Northern Hemisphere; during the last ice age, the majority of the United States land mass did not appear to cool.
"It's hard to understand how parts of the Northern Hemisphere might have cooled to the magnitude suggested, but not North America," Rind said. "That seems to imply that either the paleo-records are being misinterpreted, or something else went on, something major that is not being accounted for. This isn't necessarily the end of the story."
North Atlantic Ocean Circulation System
The North Atlantic Ocean circulation system is very sensitive to freshwater inputs. That's because the Gulf Stream moves warm surface water from the equator north through the Atlantic, where the water cools, gets saltier due to evaporation and becomes very dense. By the time it approaches the coast of Newfoundland, or further northeast in the Norwegian Sea, it becomes dense enough to sink. This process is called overturning. The dense water then slowly travels through the deep water southward into the Southern hemisphere, with the return flow to the North occurring at the surface. Today, the climate of Western Europe is much warmer than equivalent latitudes of North America, because the Gulf Stream provides a lot of warmth to those parts of Europe.
But when freshwater gets mixed into the salty water in the North Atlantic, it makes the water less dense and slows the overturning process and the ocean's circulation. The study finds that freshwater from melting glaciers on land that drained into the North Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence River at the end of the last Ice Age, would have shut down the North Atlantic Deep Water circulation system in several hundred years. This is the circulation that drives the Gulf Stream. Also, the research indicates North Atlantic Deep Water circulation appears to respond linearly to freshwater additions-which means the more freshwater you add, and the longer you add it, the greater reduction in the North Atlantic circulation.
While the study finds that freshwater input could slow and stop overturning, this would not stop the Gulf Stream entirely. That's because the stream is partially pushed by winds. As a result, the computer model used by NASA's David Rind in his study shows the reduced Gulf Stream would only transport about half as much heat northward, thereby cooling Western Europe. Were this to occur in a global warming scenario, where rainfall increases in the Northern Hemisphere due to higher temperatures over the next century, it would act to partly counter the effects of projected greenhouse warming in parts of Western Europe. Credit: Deborah McLean, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Multimedia Design Studio
The Gulf Stream (Conveyor Belt)
www.bbc.co.uk
The world's oceans move constantly. Ocean currents flow in complex patterns and are affected by the wind, the water's salinity and temperature, the shape of the ocean floor, and the earth's rotation.
How does it work?
The gulf stream is one of the strongest ocean currents in the world. It is driven by surface wind patterns and differences in water density. Surface water in the north Atlantic is cooled by winds from the Arctic. It becomes more salty and more dense and sinks to the ocean floor. The cold water then moves towards the equator where it will warm slowly. To replace the cold equator-bound water, the gulf stream moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico north into the Atlantic.
The gulf stream brings warmth to the UK and north-west Europe and is the reason we have mild winters. The average annual temperature of north-west Europe is about 9C above the average for our latitude.
The past
At the end of the last Ice Age, when the ice sheet covering North America melted, the sudden increase in fresh water reduced the salinity of the north Atlantic surface water and therefore less 'dense water' sank and moved towards the equator. This reduced, or even shut-down completely, the warm gulf stream. Temperatures in north-west Europe fell by 5C in just a few decades
The present
Recent observations have shown that since 1950 there has been a decrease of 20% in the flow of cold water in the Faeroe Bank channel between Greenland and Scotland. This is one source of cold dense water that drives the density-based component of the gulf stream. There may be an increase in flow from other cold water sources, but, if not, it could be the start of the slow down of the gulf stream.
The future
Today, the Greenland ice sheet is more stable, but an increase in global temperatures (and therefore melting sea ice) and precipitation may add more fresh water to the north Atlantic, similar to what happened at the end of the last Ice Age.
Current climate models predict that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, the component of the gulf stream driven by the differences in water density is likely to decrease by 25% in the next 100 years. As the gulf stream becomes weaker, it may become less stable and therefore be more likely to shut down completely in the future.
Implications
A reduced gulf stream would mean that less heat is brought to north-west Europe and therefore harsher winters. However, current climate model predictions are confident that the increase in temperatures resulting from an increase in greenhouse gas emissions is much greater than the potential cooling effect, so a cooling of the UK climate is unlikely this century.
Water:
Sea level rises
Glaciers and ice sheets
Flooding
http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/impact/gulf_stream.shtml
The world's oceans move constantly. Ocean currents flow in complex patterns and are affected by the wind, the water's salinity and temperature, the shape of the ocean floor, and the earth's rotation.
How does it work?
The gulf stream is one of the strongest ocean currents in the world. It is driven by surface wind patterns and differences in water density. Surface water in the north Atlantic is cooled by winds from the Arctic. It becomes more salty and more dense and sinks to the ocean floor. The cold water then moves towards the equator where it will warm slowly. To replace the cold equator-bound water, the gulf stream moves warm water from the Gulf of Mexico north into the Atlantic.
The gulf stream brings warmth to the UK and north-west Europe and is the reason we have mild winters. The average annual temperature of north-west Europe is about 9C above the average for our latitude.
The past
At the end of the last Ice Age, when the ice sheet covering North America melted, the sudden increase in fresh water reduced the salinity of the north Atlantic surface water and therefore less 'dense water' sank and moved towards the equator. This reduced, or even shut-down completely, the warm gulf stream. Temperatures in north-west Europe fell by 5C in just a few decades
The present
Recent observations have shown that since 1950 there has been a decrease of 20% in the flow of cold water in the Faeroe Bank channel between Greenland and Scotland. This is one source of cold dense water that drives the density-based component of the gulf stream. There may be an increase in flow from other cold water sources, but, if not, it could be the start of the slow down of the gulf stream.
The future
Today, the Greenland ice sheet is more stable, but an increase in global temperatures (and therefore melting sea ice) and precipitation may add more fresh water to the north Atlantic, similar to what happened at the end of the last Ice Age.
Current climate models predict that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, the component of the gulf stream driven by the differences in water density is likely to decrease by 25% in the next 100 years. As the gulf stream becomes weaker, it may become less stable and therefore be more likely to shut down completely in the future.
Implications
A reduced gulf stream would mean that less heat is brought to north-west Europe and therefore harsher winters. However, current climate model predictions are confident that the increase in temperatures resulting from an increase in greenhouse gas emissions is much greater than the potential cooling effect, so a cooling of the UK climate is unlikely this century.
Water:
Sea level rises
Glaciers and ice sheets
Flooding
http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/impact/gulf_stream.shtml
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