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Climate, Air Quality, and Weather Stories July 25, 2002 New AIRMAP exhibit at UNH Library You know what's in the food you eat. But do you know what's in the air you breathe? Our air does not come with an ingredient label until now. Stop by the Dimond Library lobby and you'll see it in bright scrolling lights on the wall. AIRMAP has set up a new exhibit on air quality that includes real-time measurements taken from our monitoring stations around New England. Find out how much carbon monoxide, ozone and sulfur dioxide you're filling your lungs with and what it means for your health. There's no link yet for this story, so let your feet - instead of the computer - do the walking to this site. New Hampshire air not as clean as one might think New Hampshire, known for its rural countryside, granite peaks and sandy beaches is not a place with a reputation for smog. Certainly not like Los Angeles or Houston. But the air here is dirtier than you might think. Reporter Beth Daly recently spoke with AIRMAP's own Cameron Wake and other climate researchers about air quality and climate change in New England for a Boston Globe story. "Here in New Hampshire, we think we have pristine air," said Wake. "But we don't." Study finds air pollution exacerbates common cold Air pollution is bad for everyone. But taking a breath of polluted air can be twice as miserable when you have a cold. That's according a new study that finds air pollution can affect cells in a similar way that cold viruses do -compounding that yucky feeling you get when you're sick. The Associated Press has a story about the study, first published in the journal of Environmental Perspectives. Massachusetts company fined for air quality violations A Clinton, Massachusetts company has paid a fine for failing to properly maintain air pollution control equipment. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection reports that Polymer Concentrates, Inc. paid a $6,000 fine for that violation and others related to hazardous waste records and storm water management. Details are in this DEP news release. Flexible turbine blades could lower cost of wind power A major roadblock to the popularity of wind power has been the cost to produce it. But a new innovation -lighter, more flexible turbine blades - might help reduce that price tag and make this clean, renewable energy source more competitive with fossil fuels. MSNBC has a story by Peter Fairley of Technology Review about the prototype windmill. California carbon dioxide bill signed into law This month, over the objections of the auto industry, California became the first state to pass a law to curb carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles. MSNBC reports that other states, including New York, could follow California's lead. The law will effectively improve gas mileage by seeking the "the maximum feasible reduction" in greenhouse gas emissions from cars and sport utility vehicles. Pollution a factor in African famine in 70s and 80s? Researchers using computer models say air pollution from industrial nations might be one of the causes of drought that led to widespread famine in Africa between 1970 and 1985. The scientists, from Canada and Australia, say sulfur dioxide from Europe, North America and Asia impacts cloud formation and could have reduced rainfall in parts of Africa. Others say the study is flawed because the model results do not correlate well with observed rainfall. MSNBC has the story. Measurements show Alaskan glaciers receding Glaciers in Alaska are shrinking rapidly, according to researchers who have been using airborne lasers to measure the size glaciers across the state. Some glaciers are shrinking at a rate of 6 feet a year, while others are receding much more. Overall, the pace is quickening. The story is on the Washington Post Web site. NASA plans new missions to focus on carbon cycle NASA has announced plans to move ahead with two satellite missions that will help researchers better understand the Earth's carbon cycle. One of the satellites, the Global Carbon Observatory, will take measurements of carbon dioxide globally, helping scientists better track its sources and sinks. The other, Aquarius, will map salt concentrations in the ocean, which will help researchers better understand ocean circulation -a key component of climate. You can read more about the missions in this NASA Earth Observatory story. |
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