The first blog : Environmental Base

Tropical Storms, Hurricanes and Global Weather: Meteorology & Weather Map Sites

2008-09-25T05:37:23Z

Some sites on meteorology, weather maps and related conditions, if
anyone is interested in keeping track of extreme weather � tropical
storms, hurricanes, or just general weather patterns, as they develop�

> World Weather Meteo, WWM Model, Current situation and forecast

> National Hurricane Center

> Geo-Earth.com - Climate, Earthquakes, Forums, Weather, Volcanoes, and more

ORIGINAL POST ON "GEO ENERGY NETWORK":

http://geoenergy.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/tropical-storms-hurricanes-and-global-weather-meteorology-weather-map-sites/

A Distinct Urban Biogeochemistry?

2008-09-25T04:45:16Z

A paper on applying biophysical process and functioning to urban ecology.

Kaye, J.P., Groffman, P.M., Grimm, N.B., Baker, L.A. & Pouyat, R.V. 2006. A Distinct Urban Biogeochemistry? Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 21 (4): 192-199.

Link: http://kayelab.psu.edu/pdf/kaye_trends2006.pdf

ABSTRACT

Most
of the human population lives in urban areas where biogeochemical
cycles are controlled by complex interactions between society and the
environment. Urban ecology is an emerging discipline that seeks to
understand these interactions, and one of the grand challenges for
urban ecologists is to develop models that encompass the myriad of
influences of people on biogeochemistry. We suggest here that existing
models, developed primarily in unmanaged and agricultural ecosystems,
work poorly in urban ecosystems because they do not include human
biogeochemical controls such as impervious surface proliferation,
engineered aqueous flow paths, landscape choices, and human demographic
trends. Incorporating these human controls into biogeochemical models
will advance urban ecology and will require collaborations with
engineers and social scientists.

READ FULL ARTICLE POSTED ON "INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY WEB JOURNAL" HERE:

http://industrialecologyweb.blogspot.com/2008/08/distinct-urban-biogeochemistry.html

Magma Energy � Feasible since 1982 !?

2008-08-14T02:06:20Z

MAGMA ENERGY

This is a report that was published in 1982, representing research
from the late 1970�s � i.e. during the previous �energy crisis� when
the elevated oil prices had created much interest in the field of
alternative / renewable energy (like in the present). This is one of
the many initiatives that seems to have been forgotten when the oil
prices crashed in the mid-80�s, but it is very interesting to read from
the perspective of our present circumstances�

READ FULL ARTICLE POSTED ON "GEO ENERGY NETWORK" HERE:

http://geoenergy.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/magma-energy-%e2%80%93-feasible-since-1982/

Biomass Energy � Sustainable Solution to Livestock Wastes?

2008-08-12T22:57:09Z

Livestock production is an important food supply and economic
activity, the primary goal of which is to supply high-quality protein
(meat, eggs, dairy products, etc) for the needs of human populations.
The animals serve as concentrated sources of typically dispersed
nutrients. Subsidiary products may include leather, fertilizers, inputs
to animal feeds, and energy sources (biofuels). The challenge of
sustainable livestock production systems is to promote food security in
a manner which is economically viable and socially acceptable without
causing land degradation or irreversibly affecting ecological
resilience. As such, sustainability must promote a favourable cost �
benefit ratio, and as far as possible avoid reducing the set of options
available to future generations. This has very significant social
considerations, as seemingly obvious solutions may be difficult to
implement, as they may be biologically but not economically sustainable.

The recycling of materials, and thus minimizing the generation of
wastes is a basic process which must be implemented to meet the demands
of sustainability in developed and developing countries alike. Systems
which utilize energy produced from biomass are examples of
energy-recycling systems. All biomass originates through carbon dioxide
fixation by photosynthesis. Consequently, biomass utilization may be
regarded as a critical component of the global carbon cycle of the
biosphere...

READ FULL ARTICLE POSTED ON "GEO ENERGY NETWORK" HERE:

http://geoenergy.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/biomass-energy-%e2%80%93-sustainable-solution-to-livestock-wastes/

The Role of Innate Properties of Soils in Sustainable Agriculture Land Management Strategies: Dominance of Soil Organic Matter

2008-08-12T00:45:17Z

The Role of Innate Properties of Soils in Sustainable Agriculture Land Management Strategies: Dominance of Soil Organic Matter

INTRODUCTION

Soil
formation results from a number of dynamic processes at the interface
of the atmosphere and the earth. This involves several factors,
including: parent material, climate, biota, topography and time.
Interactions between these features (largely inter-dependent) are the
fundamental determinants of the properties, and hence the type of soil,
which develops at a particular location. In turn, the type of soil is a
major forcing function in determining the nature of ecosystems (natural
or man-made) which can be supported. In any ecosystem, soils have a
number of crucial ecological roles, including:

� Supporting plant growth,

� Regulating water supply,

� Recycling raw materials,

� Habitat for soil organisms, and

� Engineering medium

The
soil, in association with the large number and diversity of organisms
supported and the functions thus established, can be regarded as an
ecosystem. Activities of organisms in the soil enhance organic matter
accumulation, profile mixing, nutrient cycling, and structural
stability. These factors contribute to the ecological character of any
given soil type. Monitoring and managing potentially adverse changes in
the ecological character of a soil are a useful tool in an overall
management plan for any land use system, particularly agriculture.

The
purpose of this article is to discuss the role of innate properties of
soils, and the particularly dominant effect of soil organic matter in
influencing the development of sustainable strategies for agricultural
land...

READ FULL ARTICLE POSTED BY THE "TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT CENTER":

http://tropicalenv.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=landuse01&action=display&num=1218483973

AGRO-ECOSYSTEMS: ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER AND MANAGEMENT

2008-08-11T21:57:23Z

AGRO-ECOSYSTEMS: ECOLOGICAL CHARACTER AND MANAGEMENT OF RICE, SUGAR CANE & CITRUS PRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this article is to:

� Define agro-ecosystems in the context of man-made environmental management units;

�
Describe the ecological character of some typical agro-ecosystems of
the former Caroni (1975) Ltd (rice, sugar cane and citrus);

� Establish and describe how these agro-ecosystems differ from natural ecosystems.

From
an ecosystem perspective, agricultural production systems may be
regarded as restructured and simplified natural environments, as they
rely on plant-based biomass productivity through photosynthesis,
nutrient recycling via microbial activity, etc. However, their
functioning requires subsidised ecological processes, and their habitat
structure and complexity (as well as spatial arrangement of biota) are
intentionally simplified and controlled, to focus on the productivity
of a small number of targeted elements. Agricultural ecosystems are
land-use units comprising soil, crop, tree, weed, livestock, pathogen
and insect sub-systems that continuously interact to transform solar
energy, water, nutrients, labour and other (e.g., agro-chemical) inputs
into biomass yields as food, feed, fuel, fibre and pharmaceuticals. In
this context, agro-ecosystem management requires a significant amount
of human intervention, as compared to natural or semi-natural
ecosystems...

READ FULL ARTICLE POSTED BY THE "TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT CENTER":

http://tropicalenv.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=manmade03&action=display&num=1218399006

Spatial - Ecological Assessment of Land-use / Land-cover: Caparo River Valley, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago

2008-08-08T08:30:09Z

Spatial - Ecological Assessment ofLand-use / Land-cover: Agriculturally-disturbed "Tropical Moist Forest(Cool Dry Transition)" in the Caparo River Valley, Republic of Trinidad& Tobago

Authors: Karl Ramjohn, Floyd B. Lucas, Carol L. Ramjohn & Winston Johnson, Tropical Environment Research & Management Center, Trinidad & Tobago. January 2006

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ECOSYSTEMCLASSIFICATION & FUNCTIONAL DYNAMICS

Beard(1946) classified the study area as being predominantly Seasonal Evergreen Forest (mixed Crappo-Guatecare). Beard�s study (which remains as the onlycomprehensive ground-based island-wide assessment of flora) focussed on classificationsbased on dominants within the community, mainly from an economic timber andForestry management perspective. Those classifications represent conditions ~60years ago, and several of the species assemblages described by Beard (1946) areno longer recognizable, having undergone significant alterations, fragmentationand conversion into secondary forest and other land-uses (Ramjohn et al.2001, Joseph 1999, Nelson 1999).

A more recent study by Nelson(2004), which attempted classification of indigenous forests based on alandscape-ecology and ecosystem-management perspective, delineated Trinidad into two majorterrestrial eco-regions � Dry Forest and Moist Forest. According to thatstudy, the project site (confluence of the Caparo andMamoral Rivers) is locatedapproximately on the boundary between the two eco-regions; thus it may beregarded as being within a transition zone between two significant moistureregimes. Based on maps prepared by Nelson (2004), the middle and upper reachesof the Caparo Basin would be in thewetter region supporting �Tropical Moist Forest�, with the lower catchment in the drier region classified as �Tropical Moist Forest, Cool DryTransition�.

The long history of agriculturalactivity in the Caparo Valley has resulted insignificant alterations to the native vegetation and forests. In general,higher-quality closed-canopy forest remains only as a few patches in this area(Nelson 2004). These forested remnants largely persist on the higher slopes ofthe occasional spurs and ridges, such as the area immediately north of theproject site. The higher-integrity forest remnants persist as patches embeddedin a wider (macro-habitat) matrix of cultivated areas, grassland/lastro and secondary forest. As a result of the traditionalland-use patterns, much of the vegetation resources in the immediate vicinityof the confluence are of agricultural origin. Therefore, while natural andsemi-natural vegetation exists in the surrounding area, the agronomic aspectsof the biological environment will have a more dominant role in defining thesite�s ecological character.

READ FULL ARTICLE (AND VIEW IMAGES) IN "HYDRO TERRESTRIAL JOURNAL" HERE:

http://hydroterrestrial.pulseblog.net/The-first-blog-b1/Spatial-Ecological-Assessment-of-Land-use-Land-cover-Caparo-River-Valley-Republic-of-Trinidad-Tobago-b1-p2.htm

�

Algae - The Solution to Energy Crisis & Climate Change?

2008-08-02T09:47:01Z

As the world mulls over the conundrum of how to
satisfy a seemingly endless appetite for energy and still slash
greenhouse gas emissions, researchers have stumbled upon an unexpected
hero: algae. So-called microalgae hold enormous
potential when it comes to reining in both climate change, since they
naturally absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, as well as energy
production, since they can easily be converted to a range of different
fuel types.

�This is certainly one of the most promising and revolutionary leads
in the fight against climate change and the quest to satisfy energy
needs,� Frederic Hauge, who heads up the Norwegian environmental group
Bellona, told AFP. The idea is to divert exhaust spewed from carbon
burning plants and other factories into so-called �photobioreactors�,
or large transparent tubes filled with algae. When the gas is mixed
with water and injected into the tubes, the algae soak up much of the
carbon dioxide, or CO2, in accordance with the principle of
photosynthesis. The pioneering technique, called solar biofuels, is one
of a panoply of novel methods aiming to crack the problem of providing
energy but without the carbon pollution of costly fossil fuels � with
oil pushing 140 dollars a barrel and supplies dwindling � or the waste
and danger of nuclear power...

READ FULL POST ON "GEO ENERGY NETWORK" HERE:

http://geoenergy.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/algae-%e2%80%93-the-solution-to-energy-crisis-climate-change/

�

http://www.worldofrenewables.com/showthread.php?t=16547

http://axxyc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=204&t=2109

Some Terminology & Definitions: Sustainability, Land Use & Impact Assessment

2008-08-02T09:32:05Z

Adverse Effects

Any
reduction in environmental quality of a system, or other depletion of
the environmental resource capital. Defined in terms of, and measured
by, environmental impacts.

Alternatives

A possible course of action, in place of another, that would meet the same purpose and need (of the proposal).

Aquifer

A
subsurface geological rock formation that has a high-to-moderate
permeability and can yield an economically significant amount of water.

Biodiversity

The variability among living organisms from all sources including inter alia,
terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems. Generally considered
at three levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity.

.....

READ FULL POST ON "SUSTAINABLE LAND USE & IMPACT ASSESSMENT" HERE:

http://sustainablelanduse.wordpress.com/2008/07/23/some-terminology-definitions-sustainability-land-use-impact-assessment/

http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum/sustainability-discussion/2842-sustainability-tipping-points-realisation-benefits.html

http://environmentalbase.faunaboard.com/view-forum-posts-f1/a-definition-of-sustainability-t14.htm

Integrated Food - Energy Systems (IFES)

2008-08-02T08:58:47Z

Our life on Earth depends on a dynamic complex of linkages,
synergies and interactions among the processes, components and
sub-systems of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
The ecological view of sustainability focuses on the stability of
biological and physical systems. Of particular importance is the
viability of sub-systems that are crucial to the global stability of
the overall ecosystem. Protection of biodiversity is a key aspect.
Furthermore �natural� ecosystems may be interpreted to include all
aspects of the biosphere, including man-made environments like
intensive agriculture, cities and industrial estates. The emphasis is
on preserving the resilience and dynamic ability of the totality of
systems to adapt to change, rather than conservation of some �ideal�
static state of the environment. Therefore, expansion of renewable
bio-energy will require not only advances in technology, but also
tangible economic accounting of their environmental and social
benefits, compared to fossil fuels.

The development of sustainable, multi-purpose, integrated biomass
conversion systems, is based on highly efficient photosynthesis and
microbial processes, generating a number of products including energy
resources (biofuels). Such systems have the potential for reducing the
adverse impacts of agriculture and forestry, while providing food,
fibre, pharmaceuticals and supplementary biofuels, to enhance the
requirements for an acceptable standard of living. Energy production
via biomass conversion of agricultural wastes reduces the environmental
costs of food production systems, and provides economic benefit for the
farmer, as well as reducing social impacts. As such, it provides a
platform for integrating food and energy production in a sustainable
manner...

READ FULL BLOG POST ON "GEO ENERGY NETWORK" HERE:

http://geoenergy.wordpress.com/2008/07/27/integrated-food%e2%80%93energy-systems-ifes/

http://tropicalenv.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=energy03&action=display&num=1217141112

http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum/sustainable-energy/2034-integrated-food-energy-systems-ifes.html

Further Definitions of Sustainability Issues in Environmental Management

2008-08-02T08:03:08Z

INTRODUCTION

Goal: Ideal or desirable value or state of environmental quality, identified by scientists and policy makers.

Target: Value or
state of environmental quality considered to be attainable in the short
or medium term (in the interest of long-term environmental management goals).

From this perspective, the goal of environmental management is to
promote national development in the various sectors, in an economically
viable and socially acceptable manner, without causing environmental
degradation. This long-term goal may be approached by establishing
targets, to be attained in the short to medium-term. In the context of
environmental management, the primary target of all proposed
developments, is to promote a favourable cost-benefit ratio, by
undertaking tangible accounting of goods, services and attributes of
the natural resource capital.

One of the major challenges to implementation of sustainable
development legislation in developing countries is that frequently,
where feasible engineering solutions (or other techniques) exist for
ecological compatibility, concern of a loss of economic efficiency are
cited as a perceived outcome (e.g., the so-called �environment vs jobs�
trade-off). There are also frequent socio-cultural barriers to
effective implementation...

READ FULL BLOG POST ON "SUSTAINABLE LAND USE & IMPACT ASSESSMENT" HERE:

http://sustainablelanduse.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/further-definitions-of-sustainability-issues-in-environmental-management/

https://www.xing.com/app/forum?op=showarticles;id=12100206

http://environmentalbase.faunaboard.com/view-forum-posts-f1/a-definition-of-sustainability-t14.htm

"Spatial Footprint" Challenges of Solar Energy Use

2008-08-02T07:09:39Z

Solar energy can be utilized in either passive or active systems.
Passive systems do not contain any internal energy sources, and can be
used for direct heating (e.g. solar dryers, water heaters, etc.) or
day-time lighting (e.g. �green� office buildings). Photovoltaic devices
are an example of active systems based on semiconductor technology,
often using silicon (an indirect semiconductor).

The advantages of using solar radiation are well established and often
cited � such as their ability (with proper design) to lower energy
costs, reduce emissions and other environmental pollution, thereby
initiating the process of competitively replacing hydrocarbon use, and
thus contributing to sustainable development...

READ FULL BLOG POST ON "GEO ENERGY NETWORK" HERE:

http://geoenergy.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/spatial-footprint-challenges-of-solar-energy-use/

http://tropicalenv.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=energy03&action=display&num=1216161621

http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum/sustainable-energy/2032-spatial-footprint-challenges-solar-energy-use.html

Interactions Between Climate Change & Sustainable Development

2008-08-02T07:00:13Z

A technical paper by Mohan Munasinghe on the interactions between �Climate Change� and �Sustainable Development��

Munasinghe, M. 2001. Interactions between climate change and sustainable development � an introduction. Int. J. Global Environmental Issues, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp.123�129.

Article Link: http://www.sdnpbd.org/sdi/events/cop�_2004/art1.pdf

Content:

�Introduction

�Sustainable development � basic concepts

�Interactions with climate change

�Overview of papers

References

Introduction

National leaders are looking for new solutions to many critical
problems including traditional development issues (such as economic
stagnation, persistent poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and illness), as
well as newer challenges (like, worsening environmental degradation and
accelerating globalisation). One key approach that has received growing
attention is based on the concept of sustainable development or
�development which lasts�. Following the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro
and the adoption of the United Nations� Agenda 21, sustainable
development has become well accepted worldwide. At the same time,
global climate change poses an unprecedented challenge to humanity. The
wide-ranging potential impacts of climate change on sustainable
development suggest that linkages between these two topics need to be
critically analysed. Accordingly this special issue of the journal is
devoted to several papers, which seek to explore the critical issues
within the nexus of sustainable development and climate change�

Keywords: Sustainable development; sustainomics; environmental domain; social domain; climate change.

http://sustainablelanduse.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/interactions-between-climate-change-sustainable-development/

http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum/climate-change/2717-interactions-between-climate-change-sustainable-development.html

Reclaiming the Definition of Sustainability

2008-07-20T07:58:39Z

An interesting paper on the definition of sustainability, and how the meaning, scope etc. has gradually changed over the past 20 yr�

Johnston, P., Everard, M.,Santillo, D. & Robert, K.H. 2007. Reclaiming the Definition of Sustainability. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 14(1): 60-66.

READ FULL BLOG POST ON "SUSTAINABLE LAND USE & IMPACT ASSESSMENT" HERE:

http://sustainablelanduse.wordpress.com/2008/07/13/reclaiming-the-definition-of-sustainability/

Related Discussions:

http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum/sustainability-discussion/2689-reclaiming-definition-sustainability.html

http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum/sustainability-discussion/2814-looking-definition-sustainability.html

Non-Turbine Wind Generator

2008-07-20T07:51:33Z

From: Green Tech Gazette � June 23, 2008

An interesting article (with video) on a
non-traditional form of Wind Energy:

Non-Turbine Wind Generator | Green Tech Gazette

According to that article, instead of generating
electricity using a turbine based on the traditional two- or three-blade
design, the non-turbine wind generator is based upon the flutter of long
strands of kite material spanning a gap and connected to button magnets on the ends
that produce electrical current. The design was conceived to provide an
inexpensive solution to micro-wind energy, but has the option to be scaled up
to meet larger power generation needs.

Recent discussions related to the topic of this post:

http://www.grinzo.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=761

http://www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum/sustainable-energy/2681-non-turbine-wind-generator.html

http://www.theenvironmentsite.org/forum/wind-energy-forum/12612-non-turbine-wind-generator.html

http://www.envirolink.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8147

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ab-environment&tid=2444

http://www.its2hot.in/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=228

http://www.oilgae.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=41

http://www.environmenthub.com/posts/3375/non-turbine-wind-generator.aspx

http://discuss.greenoptions.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=571

http://debateclimatechange.talk-forums.com/off-topic-f7/non-turbine-wind-generator-article-t26.htm

https://www.xing.com/app/forum?op=showarticles;id=10641744;articleid=10641744