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Some 2.5 billion gallons of water are used to frack oil or gas wells in the U.S. Every day. Nearly all of that water is lost, either in the fracking or by disposing it down a borehole. And industry's water consumption is dwarfed by agriculture, responsible for more than 80 percent of this country's enormous water use.
With climate change beginning to affect water supplies, what can be done?
A panel at the recent Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy summit attempted to answer that question. In agriculture, it will take both better breeding-for more water efficient crops-and smarter irrigation. Our power plants could send less steam into the sky with hybrid air-and-water cooling systems. And local, state and federal governments could begin to reform an often hidebound water rights system. Not to mention that we'd all better get comfortable with the idea of reusing water over and over again.
On the other hand, as a new $1 billion facility rising on the California coast may prove, maybe we just need to increase the water supply. The Poseidon desalination plant aims to turn seawater into hundreds of thousands of gallons of freshwater annually. The only problem is: it's expensive and it requires a lot of energy. And producing energy requires water, which requires energy to clean, which, well, lather, rinse, repeat.
-David Biello
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Sunday, March 3, 2013
Honduran cardinal presents complex figure
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) - To many, Honduran Cardinal Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga embodies the activist wing of the Roman Catholic Church as an outspoken campaigner of human rights, a watchdog on climate change and advocate of international debt relief for poor nations.
Others, however, see him as a reactionary in the other direction: Described as sympathetic to a coup in his homeland and stirring accusations of anti-Semitism for remarks that some believe suggested Jewish interests encouraged extra media attention on church sex abuse scandals.
Both images will follow him into the Sistine Chapel conclave along with other cardinals named as possible successors to Pope Benedict XVI.
___
EDITOR'S NOTE: As the Roman Catholic Church prepares to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, The Associated Press is profiling key cardinals seen as 'papabili' - contenders to the throne. In the secretive world of the Vatican, there is no way to know who is in the running, and history has yielded plenty of surprises. But these are the names that have come up time and again in speculation. Today: Rodriguez Maradiaga.
___
Maradiaga, the archbishop of Tegucigalpa, is among a handful of Latin American prelates considered to have a credible shot at the papacy if fellow cardinals turn, for the first time, to a region with about 40 percent of the world's Catholics and a growing roster of dynamic church leaders.
'Of course, the day will come for a pope from the south, as it came for one from the east,' Maradiaga was quoted as saying in a 2008 interview with the Milan-based newspaper Il Giornale in reference to Polish-born Pope John Paul II. 'At no time have I thought of myself as papabile,' the Italian word for papal candidates.
Perhaps more than the other Latin American papal contenders, however, the 70-year-old Maradiaga carries a complicated and, at times, contradictory resume. That could worry some papal electors looking to tone down controversies after wrenching abuse cases around the world and turmoil inside the Vatican walls over embarrassing leaked documents on finances and internal power plays.
Maradiaga, who was named as cardinal in 2001, was mentioned among the possible papal successors in 2005 following the death of John Paul II. A lot has happened since to both raise his profile and possibly dim his papal chances.
In 2007, Maradiaga was elected president of Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church's largest aid network. At Caritas, however, he felt the sting of the Vatican after accusations of working in tandem with relief agencies that may veer from Catholic teachings such as bans on birth control. The Vatican later issued a document outlining how all church-affiliated charity groups must not mix with others that could contradict Catholic tenets.
Still, the Caritas post further enhanced his credentials as a powerful Catholic voice for aid and economic justice, including years as the Vatican's spokesman with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank on the issue of developing world debt.
At a speech in 2006 in Cincinnati, he urged the United States to more to ease illegal immigration by fostering economic development 'instead of trying to build walls or putting the National Guard on the border.'
He also has linked climate change to 'irresponsible attitudes' on environmental protection and called on governments to view employment as a 'human right.' He once said that 'neoliberal capitalism carries injustice and inequality in its genetic code.'
Maradiaga even was part of diplomatic flap with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez - which could win the cardinal backers in Latin America as well as tarnish him. Chavez called the Honduran cardinal an 'imperialist clown' in 2007 after Maradiaga was quoted as saying that Chavez 'thinks he's God and can trample upon other people.'
'His ecclesiastical career has been rising, unstoppable and flawless for nearly three decades,' said Honduran Jesuit priest Ismael Moreno.
But others see his reputation as indelibly stained by his apparent support for a coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya in 2009 when he ignored court orders to drop plans for a referendum on constitutional changes.
A few days after Zelaya's overthrow, Maradiaga read a pastoral letter signed by 11 bishops in which the Honduran church sided with the coup. It echoed claims by Honduran businessmen and media outlets that Zelaya's liberal administration was aligned with Chavez and posed a threat to democracy.
The Organization of American States expelled Honduras and the international community sanctions approved sanctions and refused to recognize the de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti. Maradiaga argued that Honduran 'democratic institutions are in place.' That brought a split in the Honduran church.
Regional leaders of the order of the Dominicans made a letter public in which they urged church followers to categorically reject 'the blow inflicted' by the coup.' Central American Jesuits said 'the coup imposes an authoritarian and repressive regime on the country through unconstitutional means.'
Maradiaga responded by drawing an analogy to Pope John Paul II's opposition to radical church movements in Latin America, which also polarized worshippers and Catholic leaders in the region. Maradiaga, who supported the pope, called it a 'sad episode' of divisions that weakened the church.
For more than a decade, meanwhile, Maradiaga has faced questions over comments made to the Italy-based Catholic publication '30 Giorni' in which he apparently claimed Jewish interests in the media pushed for expansive coverage of the church's sex scandals as a way to divert attention from Israel's disputes with Palestinians.
Maradiaga quickly tried to clarify his remarks, saying they he never intended to suggest Jewish-led conspiracies played a role in media coverage of Vatican affairs. But last month, in a letter to The Miami Herald, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz described Maradiaga as an 'unrepentant sinner' whose selection as pontiff could severely damage decades of efforts to build better ties between Catholics and Jews.
Others, however, see him as a reactionary in the other direction: Described as sympathetic to a coup in his homeland and stirring accusations of anti-Semitism for remarks that some believe suggested Jewish interests encouraged extra media attention on church sex abuse scandals.
Both images will follow him into the Sistine Chapel conclave along with other cardinals named as possible successors to Pope Benedict XVI.
___
EDITOR'S NOTE: As the Roman Catholic Church prepares to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, The Associated Press is profiling key cardinals seen as 'papabili' - contenders to the throne. In the secretive world of the Vatican, there is no way to know who is in the running, and history has yielded plenty of surprises. But these are the names that have come up time and again in speculation. Today: Rodriguez Maradiaga.
___
Maradiaga, the archbishop of Tegucigalpa, is among a handful of Latin American prelates considered to have a credible shot at the papacy if fellow cardinals turn, for the first time, to a region with about 40 percent of the world's Catholics and a growing roster of dynamic church leaders.
'Of course, the day will come for a pope from the south, as it came for one from the east,' Maradiaga was quoted as saying in a 2008 interview with the Milan-based newspaper Il Giornale in reference to Polish-born Pope John Paul II. 'At no time have I thought of myself as papabile,' the Italian word for papal candidates.
Perhaps more than the other Latin American papal contenders, however, the 70-year-old Maradiaga carries a complicated and, at times, contradictory resume. That could worry some papal electors looking to tone down controversies after wrenching abuse cases around the world and turmoil inside the Vatican walls over embarrassing leaked documents on finances and internal power plays.
Maradiaga, who was named as cardinal in 2001, was mentioned among the possible papal successors in 2005 following the death of John Paul II. A lot has happened since to both raise his profile and possibly dim his papal chances.
In 2007, Maradiaga was elected president of Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church's largest aid network. At Caritas, however, he felt the sting of the Vatican after accusations of working in tandem with relief agencies that may veer from Catholic teachings such as bans on birth control. The Vatican later issued a document outlining how all church-affiliated charity groups must not mix with others that could contradict Catholic tenets.
Still, the Caritas post further enhanced his credentials as a powerful Catholic voice for aid and economic justice, including years as the Vatican's spokesman with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank on the issue of developing world debt.
At a speech in 2006 in Cincinnati, he urged the United States to more to ease illegal immigration by fostering economic development 'instead of trying to build walls or putting the National Guard on the border.'
He also has linked climate change to 'irresponsible attitudes' on environmental protection and called on governments to view employment as a 'human right.' He once said that 'neoliberal capitalism carries injustice and inequality in its genetic code.'
Maradiaga even was part of diplomatic flap with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez - which could win the cardinal backers in Latin America as well as tarnish him. Chavez called the Honduran cardinal an 'imperialist clown' in 2007 after Maradiaga was quoted as saying that Chavez 'thinks he's God and can trample upon other people.'
'His ecclesiastical career has been rising, unstoppable and flawless for nearly three decades,' said Honduran Jesuit priest Ismael Moreno.
But others see his reputation as indelibly stained by his apparent support for a coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya in 2009 when he ignored court orders to drop plans for a referendum on constitutional changes.
A few days after Zelaya's overthrow, Maradiaga read a pastoral letter signed by 11 bishops in which the Honduran church sided with the coup. It echoed claims by Honduran businessmen and media outlets that Zelaya's liberal administration was aligned with Chavez and posed a threat to democracy.
The Organization of American States expelled Honduras and the international community sanctions approved sanctions and refused to recognize the de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti. Maradiaga argued that Honduran 'democratic institutions are in place.' That brought a split in the Honduran church.
Regional leaders of the order of the Dominicans made a letter public in which they urged church followers to categorically reject 'the blow inflicted' by the coup.' Central American Jesuits said 'the coup imposes an authoritarian and repressive regime on the country through unconstitutional means.'
Maradiaga responded by drawing an analogy to Pope John Paul II's opposition to radical church movements in Latin America, which also polarized worshippers and Catholic leaders in the region. Maradiaga, who supported the pope, called it a 'sad episode' of divisions that weakened the church.
For more than a decade, meanwhile, Maradiaga has faced questions over comments made to the Italy-based Catholic publication '30 Giorni' in which he apparently claimed Jewish interests in the media pushed for expansive coverage of the church's sex scandals as a way to divert attention from Israel's disputes with Palestinians.
Maradiaga quickly tried to clarify his remarks, saying they he never intended to suggest Jewish-led conspiracies played a role in media coverage of Vatican affairs. But last month, in a letter to The Miami Herald, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz described Maradiaga as an 'unrepentant sinner' whose selection as pontiff could severely damage decades of efforts to build better ties between Catholics and Jews.
Friday, March 1, 2013
State Dept: No major objections to Canada pipeline
WASHINGTON (AP) - The State Department on Friday raised no major objections to the Keystone XL oil pipeline and said other options to get the oil from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries are worse for climate change.
But the latest environmental review stops short of recommending whether the project should be approved. State Department approval of the 1,700-mile pipeline is needed because it crosses a U.S. border.
The lengthy report says Canadian tar sands are likely to be developed, regardless of whether the U.S. approves Keystone XL, which would carry oil from western Canada to refineries in Texas. The pipeline would also travel through Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
The report acknowledges that development of tar sands in Alberta would create greenhouse gases but makes clear that other methods to transport the oil - including rail, trucks and barges - also pose a risk to the environment.
The State Department analysis for the first time evaluated two options using rail: shipping the oil on trains to existing pipelines or to oil tankers. The report shows that those other methods would release more greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming than the pipeline. The Keystone XL pipeline, according to the report, would release annually the same amount of global warming pollution as 626,000 passenger cars.
A scenario that would move the oil on trains to mostly existing pipelines would release 8 percent more greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide than Keystone XL. That scenario would not require State Department approval because any new pipelines would not cross the U.S border.
Another alternative that relies mostly on rail to move the oil to the Canadian west coast, where it would be loaded onto oil tankers to the U.S. Gulf Coast, would result in 17 percent more greenhouse gas emissions, the report said.
In both alternatives, the oil would be shipped in rail cars as bitumen, a thick, tar-like substance, rather than as a liquid.
The State Department was required to conduct a new environmental analysis after the pipeline's operator, Calgary-based TransCanada, changed the project's route though Nebraska. The Obama administration blocked the project last year because of concerns that the original route would have jeopardized environmentally sensitive land in the Sand Hills region.
The administration later approved a southern section of the pipeline, from Cushing, Okla., to the Texas coast, as part of what President Barack Obama has called an 'all of the above' energy policy that embraces a wide range of sources, from oil and gas to renewables such as wind and solar.
The pipeline plan has become a flashpoint in the U.S. debate over climate change. Republicans and business and labor groups have urged the Obama administration to approve the pipeline as a source of much-needed jobs and a step toward North American energy independence.
Environmental groups have been pressuring the president to reject the pipeline, saying it would carry 'dirty oil' that contributes to global warming. They also worry about a spill.
Industry groups and Republicans hailed the report, saying the Obama administration was moving closer to approving Keystone XL, which has been under consideration since 2008.
'No matter how many times KXL is reviewed, the result is the same: no significant environmental impact,' said Marty Durbin, executive vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest lobbying group for the oil and gas industry.
The report 'puts this important, job-creating project one step closer to reality,' Durbin said.
Environmentalists blasted the report.
'This analysis fails in its review of climate impacts, threats to endangered wildlife like whooping cranes and woodland caribou, and the concerns of tribal communities,' said Jim Lyon, vice president of the National Wildlife Federation.
If Keystone XL would not speed tar sands development, 'why are oil companies pouring millions into lobbying and political contributions to build it?' Lyon asked. 'By rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, President Obama can keep billions of tons of climate-disrupting carbon pollution locked safely in the ground.'
The draft report begins a 45-day comment period, after which the State Department will issue a final environmental report before Secretary of State John Kerry makes a recommendation about whether the pipeline is in the national interest.
Kerry has promised a 'fair and transparent' review of the plan and said he hopes to decide on the project in the 'near term.' Most observers do not expect a decision until summer at the earliest.
Canadian Natural Resource Minister Joe Oliver said Friday that Canada will respect the U.S. review process and noted the importance of the pipeline to the Canadian economy. 'Canada's continued prosperity will be determined by our ability to diversify markets for our energy products,' Oliver said.
Obama's initial rejection of the pipeline last year went over badly in Canada, which relies on the United States for 97 percent of its energy exports.
Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
__
Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC
Follow Dina Cappiello on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dinacappiello
But the latest environmental review stops short of recommending whether the project should be approved. State Department approval of the 1,700-mile pipeline is needed because it crosses a U.S. border.
The lengthy report says Canadian tar sands are likely to be developed, regardless of whether the U.S. approves Keystone XL, which would carry oil from western Canada to refineries in Texas. The pipeline would also travel through Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
The report acknowledges that development of tar sands in Alberta would create greenhouse gases but makes clear that other methods to transport the oil - including rail, trucks and barges - also pose a risk to the environment.
The State Department analysis for the first time evaluated two options using rail: shipping the oil on trains to existing pipelines or to oil tankers. The report shows that those other methods would release more greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming than the pipeline. The Keystone XL pipeline, according to the report, would release annually the same amount of global warming pollution as 626,000 passenger cars.
A scenario that would move the oil on trains to mostly existing pipelines would release 8 percent more greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide than Keystone XL. That scenario would not require State Department approval because any new pipelines would not cross the U.S border.
Another alternative that relies mostly on rail to move the oil to the Canadian west coast, where it would be loaded onto oil tankers to the U.S. Gulf Coast, would result in 17 percent more greenhouse gas emissions, the report said.
In both alternatives, the oil would be shipped in rail cars as bitumen, a thick, tar-like substance, rather than as a liquid.
The State Department was required to conduct a new environmental analysis after the pipeline's operator, Calgary-based TransCanada, changed the project's route though Nebraska. The Obama administration blocked the project last year because of concerns that the original route would have jeopardized environmentally sensitive land in the Sand Hills region.
The administration later approved a southern section of the pipeline, from Cushing, Okla., to the Texas coast, as part of what President Barack Obama has called an 'all of the above' energy policy that embraces a wide range of sources, from oil and gas to renewables such as wind and solar.
The pipeline plan has become a flashpoint in the U.S. debate over climate change. Republicans and business and labor groups have urged the Obama administration to approve the pipeline as a source of much-needed jobs and a step toward North American energy independence.
Environmental groups have been pressuring the president to reject the pipeline, saying it would carry 'dirty oil' that contributes to global warming. They also worry about a spill.
Industry groups and Republicans hailed the report, saying the Obama administration was moving closer to approving Keystone XL, which has been under consideration since 2008.
'No matter how many times KXL is reviewed, the result is the same: no significant environmental impact,' said Marty Durbin, executive vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest lobbying group for the oil and gas industry.
The report 'puts this important, job-creating project one step closer to reality,' Durbin said.
Environmentalists blasted the report.
'This analysis fails in its review of climate impacts, threats to endangered wildlife like whooping cranes and woodland caribou, and the concerns of tribal communities,' said Jim Lyon, vice president of the National Wildlife Federation.
If Keystone XL would not speed tar sands development, 'why are oil companies pouring millions into lobbying and political contributions to build it?' Lyon asked. 'By rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, President Obama can keep billions of tons of climate-disrupting carbon pollution locked safely in the ground.'
The draft report begins a 45-day comment period, after which the State Department will issue a final environmental report before Secretary of State John Kerry makes a recommendation about whether the pipeline is in the national interest.
Kerry has promised a 'fair and transparent' review of the plan and said he hopes to decide on the project in the 'near term.' Most observers do not expect a decision until summer at the earliest.
Canadian Natural Resource Minister Joe Oliver said Friday that Canada will respect the U.S. review process and noted the importance of the pipeline to the Canadian economy. 'Canada's continued prosperity will be determined by our ability to diversify markets for our energy products,' Oliver said.
Obama's initial rejection of the pipeline last year went over badly in Canada, which relies on the United States for 97 percent of its energy exports.
Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
__
Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC
Follow Dina Cappiello on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dinacappiello
Canada February auto sales slip; Big Three still robust
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian auto sales dropped a moderate 3.3 percent in February in a third straight monthly decline, according to industry data released on Friday, as a hardy appetite for Detroit's Big Three brands helped offset a setback for Japanese makers.
Chrysler Canada was the top seller last month, pipping Ford of Canada by a few hundred units, although Ford posted a higher overall sales increase at 5 percent, compared with Chrysler's 2 percent.
Carlos Gomes, an auto sector analyst at Scotiabank, said severe winter weather in part may have been responsible for the overall weakness.
'It's not terribly out of line with what we are forecasting for the year as a whole,' he said.
Excluding weak sales of Japanese and Korean vehicles, sales have been up nearly 2 percent this year, Gomes said.
Industry sales totaled 103,226 vehicles in February, down from 106,712 a year ago, according to analyst firm DesRosiers Automotive. The drop comes after January sales fell modestly following a sturdy 5.7 percent sales rise in 2012.
'It still remains relatively robust given the slowing economy and drop in consumer confidence that was seen during the month,' independent industry analyst Dennis DesRosier said in a research note.
Looking ahead to the rest of 2013, DesRosier said the spring selling season starting in March will provide a better gauge of the industry's direction for this year.
CHRYSLER TOP SELLER
Chrysler sold the most vehicles in any February since 2000 and extended its streak of year-over-year gains to 39 consecutive months.
Chrysler, whose Ram pickup truck is the second best-selling vehicle in Canada, sold 16,832 vehicles in February, up from 16,536 for the same period a year before. Car sales were up 16 percent from February 2012, while trucks were down 0.6 percent.
Chrysler, majority-owned by Fiat SpA, said the Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, Fiat 500 and Dodge Dart helped fuel gains in car sales.
Ford Motor Co of Canada's 5 percent rise in February sales marked its best performance for that month in seven years.
Ford sold 16,301 vehicles in February, up from 15,461 for the same period a year ago. Car sales climbed 13 percent, while truck sales were up a little over 3 percent.
Total sales of General Motors of Canada Ltd fell 1.9 percent compared to a year earlier, but were up 2.2 percent when adjusted for selling days. It sold 13,987 vehicles compared with 14,258 in February of last year.
GM, maker of the Cadillac ATS, said car sales rose 8.8 percent, but truck sales fell 6.5 percent.
In the United States, pent-up demand for new cars and trucks boosted monthly auto sales, with February figures showing automakers beat analysts estimates.
Among the Japanese automakers, Toyota Motor Corp's Canadian sales fell nearly 14 percent, while Honda Motor Co Ltd recorded a 13 percent decrease in Canada, excluding their respective luxury brands, Lexus and Acura.
Nissan Motor Co Ltd sales fell 15 percent compared with February 2012, excluding the Infiniti line, which was up 27 percent.
Korean brands Hyundai and Kia were also down nearly 6 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
(Reporting by Solarina Ho; editing by Matthew Lewis and Leslie Adler)
Chrysler Canada was the top seller last month, pipping Ford of Canada by a few hundred units, although Ford posted a higher overall sales increase at 5 percent, compared with Chrysler's 2 percent.
Carlos Gomes, an auto sector analyst at Scotiabank, said severe winter weather in part may have been responsible for the overall weakness.
'It's not terribly out of line with what we are forecasting for the year as a whole,' he said.
Excluding weak sales of Japanese and Korean vehicles, sales have been up nearly 2 percent this year, Gomes said.
Industry sales totaled 103,226 vehicles in February, down from 106,712 a year ago, according to analyst firm DesRosiers Automotive. The drop comes after January sales fell modestly following a sturdy 5.7 percent sales rise in 2012.
'It still remains relatively robust given the slowing economy and drop in consumer confidence that was seen during the month,' independent industry analyst Dennis DesRosier said in a research note.
Looking ahead to the rest of 2013, DesRosier said the spring selling season starting in March will provide a better gauge of the industry's direction for this year.
CHRYSLER TOP SELLER
Chrysler sold the most vehicles in any February since 2000 and extended its streak of year-over-year gains to 39 consecutive months.
Chrysler, whose Ram pickup truck is the second best-selling vehicle in Canada, sold 16,832 vehicles in February, up from 16,536 for the same period a year before. Car sales were up 16 percent from February 2012, while trucks were down 0.6 percent.
Chrysler, majority-owned by Fiat SpA
Ford Motor Co of Canada's
Ford sold 16,301 vehicles in February, up from 15,461 for the same period a year ago. Car sales climbed 13 percent, while truck sales were up a little over 3 percent.
Total sales of General Motors of Canada Ltd
GM, maker of the Cadillac ATS, said car sales rose 8.8 percent, but truck sales fell 6.5 percent.
In the United States, pent-up demand for new cars and trucks boosted monthly auto sales, with February figures showing automakers beat analysts estimates.
Among the Japanese automakers, Toyota Motor Corp's Canadian sales fell nearly 14 percent, while Honda Motor Co Ltd recorded a 13 percent decrease in Canada, excluding their respective luxury brands, Lexus and Acura.
Nissan Motor Co Ltd sales fell 15 percent compared with February 2012, excluding the Infiniti line, which was up 27 percent.
Korean brands Hyundai and Kia were also down nearly 6 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
(Reporting by Solarina Ho; editing by Matthew Lewis and Leslie Adler)
Even Modest Volcanic Eruptions May Mask Global Warming Effects
Volcanic eruptions, even small and moderate ones, might counter some of the effects of global warming, new research suggests.
The planet didn't heat up as much as scientists expected it to from 2000 to 2010 (though it was still the warmest decade on record), and a new study finds that chemical compounds spewed during modest eruptions around the globe could be behind the trend.
When sulfur dioxide emitted by a volcano rises up to the stratospheric aerosol layer of the atmosphere, it undergoes chemical reactions, forming particles that reflect sunlight back into space instead of letting it get to the surface of the planet. This has a cooling effect on Earth that can help mitigate the impacts of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses.
Scientists observed an increase in these sun-scattering aerosols in the atmosphere from 2000 to 2010. Some studies suggested that emissions from rapidly developing countries in Asia could be largely to blame - India and China, for example, are thought to have ramped up their sulfur dioxide output by about 60 percent over the decade through coal burning. But other studies pointed to volcanoes, which are also an important source of sulfur dioxide.
The authors of the new study used computer simulations to see which changes in the stratospheric aerosol layer could be attributed to coal burning in Asia and worldwide volcanic emissions from 2000 to 2010. The results suggested that moderate volcanic eruptions were behind the increases of aerosols in the atmosphere.
'This new study indicates it is emissions from small to moderate volcanoes that have been slowing the warming of the planet,' Ryan Neely, who led the research as part of his doctoral thesis at the University of Colorado, Boulder, said in a statement.
The findings imply scientists should pay more attention to these types of eruptions when studying changes in Earth's climate, said study researcher Brian Toon, a professor at CU-Boulder, though he cautioned that in the long run, volcanoes won't be able to counterbalance global warming.
'Overall these eruptions are not going to counter the greenhouse effect,' Toon said in a statement. 'Emissions of volcanic gases go up and down, helping to cool or heat the planet, while greenhouse gas emissions from human activity just continue to go up.'
Toon added that larger volcanoes can have a much bigger effect. For example, Mount Pinatubo, a volcano in the Philippines that erupted in 1991, ejected so much sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere that the planet cooled by 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.55 degrees Celsius) and stayed slightly cooler for more than two years.
The new research was detailed online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The planet didn't heat up as much as scientists expected it to from 2000 to 2010 (though it was still the warmest decade on record), and a new study finds that chemical compounds spewed during modest eruptions around the globe could be behind the trend.
When sulfur dioxide emitted by a volcano rises up to the stratospheric aerosol layer of the atmosphere, it undergoes chemical reactions, forming particles that reflect sunlight back into space instead of letting it get to the surface of the planet. This has a cooling effect on Earth that can help mitigate the impacts of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses.
Scientists observed an increase in these sun-scattering aerosols in the atmosphere from 2000 to 2010. Some studies suggested that emissions from rapidly developing countries in Asia could be largely to blame - India and China, for example, are thought to have ramped up their sulfur dioxide output by about 60 percent over the decade through coal burning. But other studies pointed to volcanoes, which are also an important source of sulfur dioxide.
The authors of the new study used computer simulations to see which changes in the stratospheric aerosol layer could be attributed to coal burning in Asia and worldwide volcanic emissions from 2000 to 2010. The results suggested that moderate volcanic eruptions were behind the increases of aerosols in the atmosphere.
'This new study indicates it is emissions from small to moderate volcanoes that have been slowing the warming of the planet,' Ryan Neely, who led the research as part of his doctoral thesis at the University of Colorado, Boulder, said in a statement.
The findings imply scientists should pay more attention to these types of eruptions when studying changes in Earth's climate, said study researcher Brian Toon, a professor at CU-Boulder, though he cautioned that in the long run, volcanoes won't be able to counterbalance global warming.
'Overall these eruptions are not going to counter the greenhouse effect,' Toon said in a statement. 'Emissions of volcanic gases go up and down, helping to cool or heat the planet, while greenhouse gas emissions from human activity just continue to go up.'
Toon added that larger volcanoes can have a much bigger effect. For example, Mount Pinatubo, a volcano in the Philippines that erupted in 1991, ejected so much sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere that the planet cooled by 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.55 degrees Celsius) and stayed slightly cooler for more than two years.
The new research was detailed online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
March is make-or-break month for Colorado drought
DENVER (AP) -- March is a make-or-break month for relieving drought conditions in Colorado.
State climatologist Nolan Doesken says a series of snow storms or one monster blizzard, like the one in 2003, would go a long way to improve conditions along the Front Range and Eastern Plains.
The month is traditionally a wet one. But last year the state dried out during an extremely dry and warm March, which also marked the start of a deadly wildfire season.
April and May often bring rain and snow too. Doesken says March precipitation is key because the normally cooler weather helps moisture penetrate the ground and slows evaporation.
Doesken said this week's series of storms benefited any areas that got at least 7 inches of snow, the equivalent of about a ½ inch of water.
Pentagon says to resume F-35 flights
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Thursday it would resume flights of its F-35 fighter jets following a week-long precautionary grounding imposed after a crack was found on an engine blade on a test plane in California.
'F-35 flight operations have been cleared to resume,' Pentagon spokeswoman Kyra Hawn said in a statement. She said flights could begin as early as Friday, depending on weather conditions.
No additional cracks were found during inspections of engines on the remaining 50 planes in the Pentagon's fleet, or any spare engines, Hawn said.
The order allowing flights to resume is good news for the $396 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon's biggest weapons program which is bracing for big cutbacks when automatic across-the-board budget cuts take effect on Friday.
It comes two days after the Pentagon's F-35 program chief blasted enginemaker Pratt & Whitney and prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp for trying to 'squeeze every nickel' out of the Pentagon and not shouldering enough risk on the program.
The order ends the program's second engine-related flight ban in less than two months. The Marines Corps version of the plane was grounded for nearly a month from mid-January because of a faulty hose in the engine, later blamed on manufacturing errors.
Matthew Bates, a spokesman for Pratt & Whitney, which supplies the engines for the planes, said the Pentagon's F-35 program office had decided to rescind the grounding order after extensive tests and analysis of the cracked turbine blade, which was discovered on February 19 during a routine inspection conducted after every 50 hours of flight time.
Bates said Pratt engineers had been working around the clock with Pentagon experts to determine the cause of the crack in the engine blade, including a 'destructive' test that cracked open the blade.
The tests showed that the crack resulted from the 'unique operating environment' in flight tests -- many of which tested the engine's powerful after burners -- rather than a high-cycle fatigue crack, which would have required a design change.
Bates said the engine in question had operated at high temperatures for more than four times longer than a typical F-35 flight, which led to a separation of the 'grain boundary' of this particular blade.
The Navy order rescinding the flight ban, or so-called 'red stripe,' said that engine had experienced the most 'hot engine time exposure' of all the engines in the developmental program. It said it would now require reports to monitor and limit similar damage after every 25 flight hours.
Pratt recommended the resumption of flights and ground operations of the engine earlier on Thursday after its engineers ruled out a high-cycle fatigue crack.
The Pentagon said the investigation concluded that the 0.6-inch long crack was caused by 'prolonged exposure to high levels of heat and other operational stressors.'
Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corp, supplies the engine for the single-engine, single-seat fighter plane, which is built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Stacey Joyce and Richard Pullin)
'F-35 flight operations have been cleared to resume,' Pentagon spokeswoman Kyra Hawn said in a statement. She said flights could begin as early as Friday, depending on weather conditions.
No additional cracks were found during inspections of engines on the remaining 50 planes in the Pentagon's fleet, or any spare engines, Hawn said.
The order allowing flights to resume is good news for the $396 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon's biggest weapons program which is bracing for big cutbacks when automatic across-the-board budget cuts take effect on Friday.
It comes two days after the Pentagon's F-35 program chief blasted enginemaker Pratt & Whitney and prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp for trying to 'squeeze every nickel' out of the Pentagon and not shouldering enough risk on the program.
The order ends the program's second engine-related flight ban in less than two months. The Marines Corps version of the plane was grounded for nearly a month from mid-January because of a faulty hose in the engine, later blamed on manufacturing errors.
Matthew Bates, a spokesman for Pratt & Whitney, which supplies the engines for the planes, said the Pentagon's F-35 program office had decided to rescind the grounding order after extensive tests and analysis of the cracked turbine blade, which was discovered on February 19 during a routine inspection conducted after every 50 hours of flight time.
Bates said Pratt engineers had been working around the clock with Pentagon experts to determine the cause of the crack in the engine blade, including a 'destructive' test that cracked open the blade.
The tests showed that the crack resulted from the 'unique operating environment' in flight tests -- many of which tested the engine's powerful after burners -- rather than a high-cycle fatigue crack, which would have required a design change.
Bates said the engine in question had operated at high temperatures for more than four times longer than a typical F-35 flight, which led to a separation of the 'grain boundary' of this particular blade.
The Navy order rescinding the flight ban, or so-called 'red stripe,' said that engine had experienced the most 'hot engine time exposure' of all the engines in the developmental program. It said it would now require reports to monitor and limit similar damage after every 25 flight hours.
Pratt recommended the resumption of flights and ground operations of the engine earlier on Thursday after its engineers ruled out a high-cycle fatigue crack.
The Pentagon said the investigation concluded that the 0.6-inch long crack was caused by 'prolonged exposure to high levels of heat and other operational stressors.'
Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corp, supplies the engine for the single-engine, single-seat fighter plane, which is built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Stacey Joyce and Richard Pullin)
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