Today's Climate More Sensitive to Carbon Dioxide Than in Past 12 Million Years

Geologic record shows evolution in Earth's climate system

Until now, studies of Earth's climate have documented a strong correlation between global climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide; that is, during warm periods, high concentrations of CO2 persist, while colder times correspond to relatively low levels.

However, in this week's issue of the journal Nature, paleoclimate researchers reveal that about 12-5 million years ago climate was decoupled from atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. New evidence of this comes from deep-sea sediment cores dated to the late Miocene period of Earth's history.

During that time, temperatures across a broad swath of the North Pacific were 9-14 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than today, while atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations remained low--near values prior to the Industrial Revolution.

The research shows that, in the last five million years, changes in ocean circulation allowed Earth's climate to become more closely coupled to changes in carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere.

The findings also demonstrate that the climate of modern times more readily responds to changing carbon dioxide levels than it has during the past 12 million years.

"This work represents an important advance in understanding how Earth's past climate may be used to predict future climate trends," says Jamie Allan, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the research.

The research team, led by Jonathan LaRiviere and Christina Ravelo of the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), generated the first continuous reconstructions of open-ocean Pacific temperatures during the late Miocene epoch.

It was a time of nearly ice-free conditions in the Northern Hemisphere and warmer-than-modern conditions across the continents.

The research relies on evidence of ancient climate preserved in microscopic plankton skeletons--called microfossils--that long-ago sank to the sea-floor and ultimately were buried beneath it in sediments.

Samples of those sediments were recently brought to the surface in cores drilled into the ocean bottom.  The cores were retrieved by marine scientists working aboard the drillship JOIDES Resolution.

The microfossils, the scientists discovered, contain clues to a time when the Earth's climate system functioned much differently than it does today.

"It's a surprising finding, given our understanding that climate and carbon dioxide are strongly coupled to each other," LaRiviere says.

"In the late Miocene, there must have been some other way for the world to be warm. One possibility is that large-scale patterns in ocean circulation, determined by the very different shape of the ocean basins at the time, allowed warm temperatures to persist despite low levels of carbon dioxide."

The Pacific Ocean in the late Miocene was very warm, and the thermocline, the boundary that separates warmer surface waters from cooler underlying waters, was much deeper than in the present.

The scientists suggest that this deep thermocline resulted in a distribution of atmospheric water vapor and clouds that could have maintained the warm global climate.

"The results explain the seeming paradox of the warm--but low greenhouse gas--world of the Miocene," says Candace Major, program director in NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences.

Several major differences in the world's waterways could have contributed to the deep thermocline and the warm temperatures of the late Miocene.

For example, the Central American Seaway remained open, the Indonesian Seaway was much wider than it is now, and the Bering Strait was closed.

These differences in the boundaries of the world's largest ocean, the Pacific, would have resulted in very different circulation patterns than those observed today.

By the onset of the Pliocene epoch, about five million years ago, the waterways and continents of the world had shifted into roughly the positions they occupy now.

That also coincides with a drop in average global temperatures, a shoaling of the thermocline, and the appearance of large ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere--in short, the climate humans have known throughout recorded history.

"This study highlights the importance of ocean circulation in determining climate conditions," says Ravelo. "It tells us that the Earth's climate system has evolved, and that climate sensitivity is possibly at an all-time high."

Other co-authors of the paper are Allison Crimmins of UCSC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Petra Dekens of UCSC and San Francisco State University; Heather Ford of UCSC; Mitch Lyle of Texas A&M University; and Michael Wara of UCSC and Stanford University.

 -NSF-

Energy Actions Speak Louder Than Words, or Blame

By Gregory Parker

If there is one thing that is certain it is that we have come to not only expect but we require the existence of a “Boogey-Man.” On April 20, 2011 President Obama speaking to community college students and others in Virginia delivered on expectations and informed us that the villain behind our current energy woes was the boogey-man known as the dreaded “SPECULATOR.” He (they collectively) were responsible for driving gasoline prices higher. So what is a speculator you ask? A speculator is one that takes large and unusual business risk to gain financially from anticipating future price movements.

As a professor of government and understanding public policy and the economy as I do, I know that federal reserve policy, foreign affairs and speculation do play a part but can we definitively link the current spike in the price of a gallon of gas only to speculators or is this yet another example of baiting and switching the American public. Speculators operate their business based on anticipating what will influence the price, they have no real control over world events. Speculators didn’t fire up their weather machines to create storms nor are they responsible for the tensions in the Middle East and most importantly speculators don’t possess the bully pulpit.

President Obama has only himself to blame for creating an atmosphere of anti energy (oil, gas and coal specifically), which in turn leads speculators to see future risks. We all remember the famous declaration by candidate Obama when he declared that he was going to “Fundamentally change America” and the statements made during the campaign that in order for his green agenda to be realized “the price of energy would necessarily have to skyrocket.” Some of his rhetoric could be attributed to bloviated campaign exuberance but as we have witnessed this is less about rhetoric and more about action. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu was quoted as saying “Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” This statement was made in September of 2008 and if you were an oil speculator what would you be thinking?

In order to make a real case when it comes to responsibility we need more than just words, we need examples of action as well. According to the Institute for Energy Research some, but not all, of the clearest examples of action to stop energy production are as follows: The administration withdrew 77 oil and gas leases in Utah, this could represent a loss to American taxpayers of millions in lost production royalties and more importantly new jobs. The administration delayed oil shale research that would help advance American technology and create high-tech jobs. The administration supported cap-and-trade legislation that could cost American families more than $3,100 a year in higher energy cost. The administration ordered the cancellation of the Navajo Nation power plant that prevented the Navajo nation from creating new jobs and reducing its 42% percent unemployment rate. The administration revoked an already issued permit to a West Virginia coalmine operation that cost 250 American jobs. These are just a few of the examples.

Speaking of American jobs; President Obama visited Brazil and issued a promise to be a great trading partner and vowed to assist their county in creating jobs all the while killing an estimated 13,000 jobs in the gulf region and 19,000 nationally by imposing a moratorium on drilling in US water. Yes lets be clear the moratorium on shallow and deep water drilling was lifted by a federal court, yet the administration’s slow permitting has effectively continued the moratorium on offshore deep water drilling, placing the entire Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf and parts of Alaska essentially off limits to energy production. All the while a CNN polls shows the US public supports offshore drilling by 69% and the support for global warming is in free fall.

So now we can revisit the “Speculators” and their role in the spike of oil, the path America finds herself on in relation to its energy future. Is it the guys whose job it is to guess where the price of oil will be in the future or is it the guy who set our country’s energy policy or dare I say anti oil, gas and coal policy? The guy who can suspend oil exploration with the flick of a pen? The guy who sends his minions out to tell Americans we need to see prices at the pump that resemble those in Europe? The guy who has stated that in order for his green agenda to be realized energy prices would have to skyrocket? I guess in the end I don’t have to ask, it’s abundantly clear.

In the end this issue isn’t all that different from any other facing this nation, there are two competing sides and in politics as it is in life there always has to be a winner and a loser, a right side and a wrong side and the challenge is as it has always been, informing yourself and choosing correctly. The Congressional Research Service as stated that the USA has by far more energy resources in reserve than any other country in the world. In fact we are the only country in the world that seriously restricts access to such resources. It is my humble opinion that the real goal should be to balance and blend the responsible utilization of this nation’s energy resources while maintaining a strong vibrant economy. This means doing things that create jobs and opportunities for Americans first. The fact is any comprehensive energy plan must utilize all of the tools in Americas energy toolbox, wind, solar, nuclear, domestic oil, natural gas, and yes, even clean COAL.

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Gregory Parker, Ph.D.(ABD), MPA is County Commissioner in Texas, an adjunct professor at Concordia University and the author of the book “Global Warming…Really?” which was chosen “book of the week” by the Conservative Monitor. He is a member of the International Association for Energy Economics, the United States Association for Energy Economics, the American Society for Public Administration, Section on Environmental and Natural Resource Administration and the Texas Oil & Gas Association.

2011 Resolutions for a Better You, a Better World

By Jeanethe Falvey

I realize that it’s past Thanksgiving, but I’m still thankful, thankful for the New Year holiday and the recent New England weather that’s forcing us to chill out. With the increasing pace of modern life, would we find time otherwise for a self check-in?

When planning your New Year, consider that healthy resolutions easily partner with helping the environment. If we all make one change in 2011, it should be to simply think about the impacts our choices have.

Get Inspired: Get outside and find your environment; a place to help protect for the future, just like someone did for you.

Decide to Act: Simply thinking about your purchases and where they came from is the right start. Our actions and our choices generate a domino effect beyond what we see, so make choices for a positive one.

Share and Maintain: Talk to friends and family, learn from others and keep it up! Simply talking about the environment spreads awareness; you never know who else you’ll inspire!

5 Simple Ideas to Improve Your Day, Your Environment

•Think about your water and where your drain drains! Water Choices #2 & #3 Keep water clean by using biodegradable products, and remember don’t flush medications!

•Learn about local food and produce, challenge yourself to a weekly recipe with a locally grown or organic ingredient. Air Choice #4 Buy locally, or grow your own. Reduce air pollution caused by food and goods transport.

•Exercise goals can cut back on car exhaust. Go car-free or consolidate errands with friends. Air Choice #1 Use human power to get from A to B!

•Lift at the gym, and keep our landfills slim and trim. Waste Choices #3 & #6 Cut back on your trash by recycling and buying items in less packaging to begin with. Learn about your recycling options in your city or town. If we counted our garbage like we count calories, would things be different? Label your trash bin “landfill” if you need a reminder!

•Most importantly, talk to others. Compare ideas and involve kids, there’s no better way to get inspired. Advocacy Choice #9.

About the author: Jeanethe Falvey works on the Pick 5 International program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from Boston, Massachusetts.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

Science Wednesday: From Policeman to Risk Assessor to Innovator: Sustainability at EPA

By Dr. Alan D. Hecht

On November 30, 2010 EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that on the occasion of EPA’s 40th anniversary the Agency was asking the National Research Council to conduct a study on how to make the concept of sustainability operational at EPA.

The Administrator’s briefing was an historic event aimed at laying the groundwork for a new approach to environmental management aimed at better addressing problems of the 21st century.

Listening to the Administrator’s announcement, I thought of EPA’s history and how its role has evolved from policeman, to risk assessor and potentially now to environmental innovator.

After EPA was first created in 1970 it quickly became the federal government’s chief watchdog against environmental pollution. In those early days the nation’s major environmental challenges – largely related to poor industrial practices and inadequate occupational safety – were highly visible and often not difficult to understand. Federal legislation addressed obvious causes of pollution and water contamination, enacting specific laws to achieve cleaner land, air and water.

Complementing and moving beyond its role as a watchdog, EPA soon began to use risk assessment and risk management as an overall framework for Agency decisions.    The value of risk assessment and management was given a big boost in 1983 when the National Research Council published Risk Assessment in the Federal Government: Managing the Process. The report helped advance risk assessment and management in EPA programs.

Today however, the scientific and environmental communities are recognizing that risk assessment and risk management must be complemented by an emphasis on sustainable approaches and solutions to environmental problems.

Sustainability science takes into account that no problem the Agency faces narrowly affects only air or water or land. It tells us that we need a far more integrated approach using new tools and metrics to implement EPA actions and to achieve our mission. It also underlines that we must attract a new generation of scientists and scholars who can be innovative in addressing complex problems.

Administrator Jackson is mandating each of us to address, under new conditions, the challenge that former Administrator Bill Reilly clearly articulated in 1995: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is at its best when it views its role as not just custodial but as cutting-edge, providing leadership and prescribing answers to key environmental problems.”

Sustainability science can help us and the Agency be at our best.

About the Author: Dr. Alan D. Hecht is Director for Sustainable Development in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

Science Wednesday: Season’s Greetings for the Eclipse

By Aaron Ferster

While yesterday was the solstice and the “official” start of winter, it’s been feeling like the season got an early start around the Washington, DC area this year. It’s been cold.

I don’t think it got much above 25 degree the night before last in my neighborhood. So naturally, sometime just before 2:00 a.m., my wife and I roused our two daughters out from beneath their covers and marched them outside into the frigid night air.

Time to watch the moon disappear.

No one complained. We watched wide-awake as the stunning bright yellow of a giant full moon slowly gave way. First just a small slice of the Cheshire-cat-like moon slipped away. Then, as the sliver of darkness advanced, a brownish red hue spread across what was left of the moon. A holiday light show in the night sky. Slowly and steadily, light gave way to shadow.

As we stood outside all bundled up, we chatted about the spectacle that was unfolding, and how long it’s been since there was a full lunar eclipse this close to the winter solstice. (1638 was the last time, according to an expert cited in The Washington Post.)

There were more than a few bleary-eyed people on the train platform the next morning, and my daughter reports that nearly every kid in her class rose their hand when the teacher asked who woke up to watch the moon disappear.

There is something universally appealing about watching such a natural spectacle. I like to believe that the lunar eclipse is, in essence, a science story. It was another opportunity to get outside and note how science and the environment unite us by peaking our interest and giving us a common story to share with our kids, neighbors, and coworkers.

Were you one of the many people watching the lunar eclipse the other night? What other science and environmental stories do you think you’ll remember from 2010?

Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.

And happy holidays!

About the author: A dedicated night-owl, Aaron Ferster is the lead science writer in EPA’s Office of Research and Development and the editor or Science Wednesday.

Science Wednesday: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; It’s for Everyone

By Caitlin Haworth

Dr. Kevin Teichman, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science in EPA’s Office of Research and Development, was part of the Nifty Fifty Program [editor’s note: The Nifty Fifty Program was part of the USA Science & Engineering Festival events] that brought top scientists to DC-area schools to get students interested and concerned about the future of engineering and science.

During Dr. Teichman’s visit to J.E.B. Stuart High School, not many students knew what to expect. Within the first few moments of the speech, however, he had everyone’s attention. The way he compared his high school years to those of students now was truly amazing.

Between 1966 and 1970 (Dr. Teichman’s high school years), a 1963 Ford Galaxy consumed leaded gas at about 28 cents per gallon. Now, the average cost of unleaded gas in the U.S. is $2.73, almost 10 times the price 47 years ago. On average, a 1963 Ford Galaxy got about 10 miles per gallon (mpg). Today, Dr. Teichman’s gas-electric hybrid car gets about 57 mpg, which far surpasses the average U.S. mpg at 22.6 mpg.

All of this just goes to show how much the world is growing year by year, generation by generation.

In Dr. Teichman’s generation, discoveries made in the science community led to many laws and regulations that changed the world. In 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency was created. In the same year the Clean Air Act was passed, setting boundaries on air pollutants. Two years later, EPA removed lead from gas. This one task decreased lead counts in the air by 98%.

Finally, in 1993 EPA concluded that secondhand-smoke can cause cancer and respiratory problems in children and the elderly. As Dr. Teichman mentioned, in the early 90’s, secondhand-smoke was the cause for approximately 3,000 deaths per year.

As the previous generations continue to change the world, they leave behind more challenges for the generation of today’s students. Among these challenges are global climate change, environmental justice, rises in autism, green chemistry and renewable energy. Currently the science world is facing challenges with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Many people are coming together to clean up the mess and ensure that it will not happen again.

As Dr. Teichman concluded, “you don’t succeed overnight.” Everyone can work together to change the world and that is just what the science community does daily.

About the author: Caitlin Haworth is a student at J.E.B. Stuart High School.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

NVLAP Recognized by ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR, a program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) to promote energy efficiency, has recognized the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) as an accrediting body. This recognition enables NVLAP to accredit independent labs as having the technical capability necessary to test products to determine whether they meet ENERGY STAR requirements.

NVLAP accreditation will be a necessary first step for a laboratory’s test data to be accepted under the enhanced ENERGY STAR program.

NVLAP already accredits laboratories that test for energy efficiency in lighting products, electromagnetic compatibility in telecommunications and other equipment, and the performance of thermal insulation products. NVLAP officials anticipate that many of these testing laboratories will be eligible for recognition under new EPA requirements.

The EPA introduced ENERGY STAR in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Beginning with computers and monitors, the ENERGY STAR label now includes more than 60 product categories, such as major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics, and more. It is used by millions of Americans to identify efficient products and reduce energy costs—saving them an estimated $17 billion in 2009 alone. EPA has also extended the label to cover new homes and commercial and industrial buildings.

To ensure that ENERGY STAR remains a trusted symbol for environmental protection and superior energy efficiency, all businesses and other organizations seeking an ENERGY STAR label will be required to follow a new set of third-party certification procedures, starting Jan. 1, 2011. The enhanced program will require products testing and certification at an accredited laboratory, which necessitates evaluating laboratories for conformance with ENERGY STAR criteria.

Details of the program can be found on the ENERGY STAR website.

Visit NVLAP at nist.gov/pml/nvlap for more information about the accreditation program.

Science Wednesday: Cleaner Cookstoves, Countless Benefits

By Becky Fried

Imagine a technology that can help mitigate the fourth leading cause of death in the world.

Now, imagine that that same technology can also reduce green house gas emissions globally, reduce the risk of violence and abuse of women in developing countries, slow the rate of deforestation, improve respiratory and lung health, and stimulate local economies. Imagine that the technology can reduce tribal conflicts and increase the ability of young girls to go to school.

Finally, imagine that it is cheap and easy to use.

The technology is a clean cookstove—a replacement for the traditional fuel wood, kerosene, or charcoal burning stoves that millions of women and girls in developing nations use every day in poorly ventilated homes.

In September of this year, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton announced the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a public-private partnership aimed at bringing cleaner, more efficient stoves to 100 million homes in the developing world by 2020.

Last week, I traveled to Ethiopia with Paul Anastas, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Research and Development at EPA to get an on-the-ground understanding of the importance of the cookstoves issue and to talk with the people whose lives are being impacted the most.

Some homes we visited had traditional wood-burning stoves. Others had cleaner stoves that ran on alternative fuels like ethanol. The differences were stark.

One mother, whose small one-room home housed a traditional fuel wood-burning stove complained that it was difficult to breathe. She lives there with her three children, under constant exposure to soot and smoke in a poorly ventilated room. The scene was typical of most households that rely on a fuel-wood burning stove for daily cooking needs.

We stopped to chat with another local woman whose small condominium contains a cleaner, stove that runs on ethanol. She admitted that since using the newer technology, her breathing has improved, her eyes have stopped stinging, and she has experienced significantly reduced symptoms of her primary health burden:HIV.

A cleaner cookstove is a sustainable solution to an integrated problem. It’s a simple, elegant way to make significant improvements across many sectors simultaneously: social, economic, environmental, and health. After witnessing cleaner cookstoves in action last week, the effort to implement sustainable appropriate technologies seems more important than ever.

About the Author: Becky Fried is a science writer in EPA’s Office of Research and Development

Science Wednesday: The Future is Sustainability

By Paul Anastas

Wow! November 30th was an amazing day for the EPA. Not only are we in the midst of commemorating four decades of accomplishments in protecting the health and the environment, but Administrator Jackson also made a landmark speech at the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Science on the future of the EPA. That future is sustainability. The Administrator laid out her vision to a packed house of luminaries from across the spectrum, from academia to industry, to environmental groups.

The speech launched a study being conducted by the National Research Council (NRC) to provide an operational framework for EPA to incorporate sustainability into all the work we do; all of our decisions and all of our actions. While the Administrator was clear to emphasize that dramatic change like this doesn’t occur overnight, she also made it clear that just as the risk paradigm before it, a sustainability framework can have impact everyday even as it is continually refined and honed. In the summer of next year (2011) the NRC report with all of its recommendations will be completed and ready for review by the Agency. What this means is that we will continue to move forward and progress beyond the problem-by-problem approach to environmental protection and recognize that all environmental issues are linked; climate to energy; energy to water; water to agriculture, etc. We know that systems problems call for systems solutions and this sustainability framework will help us more effectively and more potently accomplish our mission in the future.

The body of excellent work on sustainability science has been rapidly growing for over two decades. There is widespread recognition across the scientific community that sustainability, holistic thinking, and a systems approach to environmental protection are the only way forward. The study launched yesterday is the critical step that so many sustainability scientists have been waiting for.

So what does this mean for the work of EPA? It means that the excellent work that is already being done—the science, the research, the innovative thinking and technology development—will of course continue. But, our work will be revitalized by taking advantage of the new tools, perspectives and enhanced effectiveness that goes along with sustainability.

The response to the Administrator’s announcement was uniformly positive and enthusiastic. This positive energy will continue to grow as the power and potential of sustainability science is realized.

Yesterday was a tremendous day for sustainability. But what’s most exciting is that it was just the beginning.

About the Author: Paul Anastas is the Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development, and is widely knows as “The Father of Green Chemistry.”

Science Wednesday: Swapping Stories

By Aaron Ferster

Last week science communication colleagues from across the Agency gathered together at a conference center outside of Washington, DC to talk shop and finalize a strategic communication plan for effectively sharing EPA research results and outcomes.

Paul Anastas, the assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Research and Development, the science arm of the Agency, has placed a premium on science communication. “Great work, done invisibly, cannot have impact,” he says. “Communication is essential in the design, definition, conduct, transfer, and implementation of the work we do if we are to have an impact.”

Dr. Anastas was not just talking to the members of the science communication team, but to everyone involved in research and development at EPA. Never the less, as you could imagine, as those on the front lines of communication we all found his words rather energizing.

While at our meeting, we reviewed communication plans and consulted with one another to identify best practices across EPA’s various research labs centers, and offices. We spent time discussing ways to quantify and track our work so we can make sure we set appropriate goals, effectively reach and serve intended audiences, and work efficiently.

As the science writer on the team, my favorite part of these meetings is always listening to stories about EPA research. This meeting was a good one for identifying great science stories. Just a few examples include:

EPA researchers working to build a computer model that simulates embryonic development, a “virtual embryo” that will serve as a screening tool for testing the toxicity of chemicals on the developing embryo.

n a research project already underway, an interdisciplinary team of EPA researchers and their partners are studying the effects of near-roadway pollution on human health.

Across the country, EPA ecologists and other experts are exploring ways to better understand and quantify “ecosystem services,” the myriad ways that natural ecosystems benefit human society.

One research project still in the planning stages will involve tapping advanced environmental monitoring technologies placed on commercial aircraft to gather data for analysis into important environmental such as tracking climate change and air pollution globally.

And these are just the first examples on my list of notes from the gathering. My colleagues and I will be working to share all of them through this blog, our Science Matters newsletter, EPA’s Web site, and other places over the coming weeks and months. Please stay tuned!

About the author: Aaron Fester is the lead science writer-editor in EPA’s Office of Research and Development, and the editor for Science Wednesday.

Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.