Heh heh heh.

Labels: action, climate change, global warming, humor

Friday, October 23, 2009, CE Forum
12 noon - 1pm

"Community-Based Environmental Action"

Chris Bright, President and Co-Founder of the Earth Sangha, a non-profit environmental group

The Earth Sangha is a Buddhist environmental group based in Fairfax County co-founded by Chris and his wife, Lisa Bright, to work with volunteers on ecologically significant restoration projects in natural areas. Every year over 500 volunteers donate more than 10,000 hours of their time to the Sangha's restoration projects throughout northern Virginia. Volunteers have built the Sangha's Wild Plant Nursery, DC region's most comprehensive local-ecotype native-plant propagation center. (Local ecotypes are local, wild native-plant populations; the use of local ecotypes is a standard best practice in restoration because that helps to conserve the genetic diversity and local adaptation in the species planted.) The Earth Sangha is also a kind of low-tech innovator in the control of invasive alien plants; such plants are a major threat to local natural areas. In 2006, the Sangha transplanted a version of its community-nursery approach to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The Sangha's Tree Bank / Hispaniola program works along a portion of the Dominican Republic - Haiti border, where it helps impoverished farmers improve their incomes and restore patches of native forest on their lands.

Chris Bright will describe the Earth Sangha's work, the rationale behind it, and its implications for the conservation agenda. Before founding the Earth Sangha, Chris was a Senior Researcher at the Worldwatch Institute, a think tank that tracks global environmental and social trends. He is the author of numerous articles and one book, Life Out of Bounds: Bioinvasion in a Borderless World, the first global, interdisciplinary study of biological invasion written for a general audience.

Labels: action, environmental, meetings, nova

Kim makes an elegant pitch for a bunch of cool projects on DonorsChoose.org. Wow! There's so much cool stuff up there. If you have ten extra bucks, please go send it to a needy Earth science teacher so they can get their students excited about geology. Thanks!

Labels: action, teaching

Passing on some excitement:

For the filming of a TV pilot, there will be a simulated explosion on Wednesday, March 25 between 9:30 a.m. (tomorrow morning) and noon near Key Bridge in the District.

The explosion will produce a 20 to 30' fireball that will last for approximately 2 minutes.

Please pass along this information to others appropriate. The Department of Homeland Security and D.C. Police and Fire departments have been notified, along with the Washington Airports Authority. The Virginia State Patrol and Arlington Police Department will be contacted. If you have additional questions, contact Kathy Hollinger or Burt Warner with the DC Film Office at 202-727-6608.

The explosion will take place on the Potomac River just north of the Key Bridge and Jack's Boathouse (K / Water Street, NW under the Whitehurst Freeway). In the scene to be filmed, there will be six (6) sculling boats on the Potomac River and one of them blows up. CBS Paramount television is filming a pilot titled "Washington Field." This is a new television series about the elite Washington field office of the FBI and a team of agents with exceptional and diverse skills who are called together for only the most critical cases.

Labels: action, dc, news

For those of you who missed it, here's video of Mike Tidwell's talk at NOVA last Thursday.

Labels: action, climate change, global warming, maryland, nova, podcasts and vodcasts, politics, virginia

Because he's coming to campus tomorrow (Thursday), last weekend I watched Mike Tidwell's movie We are all Smith Islanders. It's a 35-minute long documentary about how climate change is effecting the states of Maryland and Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Though it is a political document (and not a scientific documentary), I think it's a worthwhile enterprise because it connects the global to the local. We hear a lot about climate change, but when someone actually walks through Ocean City, Maryland, pointing out what three feet of sea level rise would look like, it fosters a connection based on shared landmarks.

Thanks to archive.org, you can actually watch the movie in low resolution on the Internet. Google video also keeps a copy available.

Or, if you'd prefer it in higher resolution (on DVD), you can find it at the NOVA library.

Labels: action, climate change, dc, global warming, maryland, movies, nova, politics, virginia

My mom recently had her attic renovated, which meant that I had to go up there and remove all the stuff I'd stashed up there when it was just free storage. Rummaging through that memorobilia this week, I found my old boy scout merit badge sash.

It's pictured here, both front and back.

The merit badges are the little circular patches on the front side. As you can see, I earned 28 of those puppies before I got my Eagle Scout award and retired from scouting. They are: swimming, cooking, leatherwork, canoing, mammal study, citizenship in the community, lifesaving, rowing, reptile study, basketry, nature study, environmental awareness (now apparently called environmental science), pioneering, citizenship in the nation, fire safety, first aid, wilderness survival, camping, art, pottery, citizenship in the world, personal management, communications, orienteering, woodworking, soil and water conservation, personal management, and forestry. (Notice that geology is missing...)

On the back of the sash, you can see patches from the Goshen Scout Camps in Virginia, the Philmont axe, the Arrow of Light (the only cub scout award that can be worn on the boy scout uniform), a patch showing that I swam a mile, an Order of the Arrow lodge patch, another commemorative patch from Philmont Scout Ranch, and my Boy Scouts of America Lifeguard patch.

Scouting was really good to me. It gave me a lot of confidence in my skills as an outdoorsman, and gave me a lot of great experiences in nature and in society. I doubt I'd be who I am today without thos formative experiences. Though I don't agree with everything that the BSA stands for today, I think that on the balance they do a great service for our communities and our boys.

Any other scouts out there? Any of you earn the geology merit badge?

Labels: action, art, gear

A special request from my fellow GSW member Nora Noffke (Old Dominion University), about a site in South Africa that Chris Rowan blogged about in May of this year:

The scenic Wit Mfolozi River Gorge in South Africa displays unique and spectacularly preserved sedimentary structures caused by microbial mats that colonized a sandy coastal area that are 3 billion years old. A comparison with modern microbial mats in a similar setting today suggests that the mat-constructing microbiota may have been cyanobacteria, possibly the oldest known in Earth history (GSA Today, October 2008).

In collaboration with the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), the Geological Society of America (GSA) and as part of the Year of the Planet Earth (IYPE), the Geological Society of South Africa (GSSA) is establishing the "Wit Mfolozi River Area" as a Geoheritage Site. This Geoheritage Site will serve visiting scientists, students and the interested public in leaning more about the Archean world and Earth's earliest life.

With the support of funds raised around the world, GSSA will set up the logistical and administrative infrastructure necessary to preserve and make this site available to all. This includes, for example, the construction of secure access to the site, installment of signs explaining the details of biogenic sedimentary structures at different spots in the outcrop and also measures to protect the site from damaging flooding by the river.

For further information about the site contact Roger Price (Geosite Conservation Committee, GSSA - rprice@geoscience.org.za), Nora Nofke (Old Dominion University and GSA Division of Geobiology and Geomicrobiology - nnofke@odu.edu) or Wesley Hill (GSA - hill@geosociety.org).

For donations to the fund for the site please contact Theresa Scott (SEPM - tscott@sepm.org).

Thank you very much,
Nora Noffke

Labels: action, africa, blogs, field trips, gsw

DC-area residents:

The fall "Walkingtown DC" schedule is now online: see if your schedule permits you to join one of these many excellent walking tours of our fair city. (I'm leading the History Before History one.) Free and open to the public.

NOVA's Alexandria campus is hosting a National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day event on Saturday, September 20th, from 11am-3pm. The Alexandria campus is at 3001 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311. The flyer I got today on this event says, "Come Speak with Experts and See for Yourself Alternative Fuel & Advanced Technology Vehicles." Free and open to the public.

A reminder that this Friday afternoon, I'll be leading a public geology hike along the Billy Goat Trail, starting from the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center (C&O Canal NHP) at 12:30pm, going til 4:30pm or so. Maybe 5pm. Free and open to the public.

Also, the first GSW meeting of the academic year is next Wednesday evening...

Labels: action, geology, gsw, oil, prius

An article in today's Washington Post explores the constant feedback that Prius drivers get about their fuel consumption -- and how that may be one of the main reasons that Prii* get lower gas mileage than other vehicles. I've noted this phenomenon before, so I thought I'd pass along a link to the article.

* "Prii" = plural of "Prius," at least in my world.

Labels: action, environmental, oil, prius, tech

In an article in Newsweek, the hosts of NPR's "Car Talk" talk about the car of the future.

Turns out that the Tappet Brothers, one of whom doesn't even own a car (!), are lobbying Congress for increased automobile fuel efficiency. They're also starring in a new episode of the PBS series Nova. And they have some advice for you, the consumer: "Get a Prius."

FYI, since we're talking about it -- a quick update on my "Pious" seems in order. Its current fuel efficiency (running average since I bought the car in December) is:

Labels: action, climate change, global warming, oil, petroleum, prius, tech, tv

Later this month, I'm leading a tour for "Walkingtown, DC" a twice-annual event sponsored by Cultural Tourism DC, a nonprofit organization. My tour is called "History Before History: the geologic saga of Washington, DC." I'll be leading the tour on both Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, from 1-4pm. If you're in the area, consider coming along. We'll be discussing the deposition of sediments in the Iapetus Ocean, generation of an accretionary wedge, the Taconian Orogeny, the Rock Creek Shear Zone, emplacement of the Georgetown Intrusive suite, and finally the erosion of the young Appalachian mountains and the deposition of dinosaur-fossil-bearing river gravels atop the unconformity: the Potomac Group. As a bonus, we'll even visit a thrust fault which ruptures the unconformity at the intersection of Adams Mill Road and Clydesdale Place, NW. It's a nice little jaunt through prehistory. However, this hike was extremely popular last year: we had ~300 people show up! So I've asked Cultural Tourism DC to institute a reservation system this time around: I'm limiting participation to 30 people per day. Act now to reserve your place by calling or e-mailing Cultural Tourism DC.

Here's two pictures of the mad crowds last spring. I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it:

Labels: action, dc, dinosaurs, geology, granite, metamorphism, sediment, unconformities

Here's a few photos from last Friday's Climate Change Symposium here at Northern Virginia Community College's Annandale campus:


Panelist Scott Sklar answers an audience question.
(Also pictured, left to right, are Jill Caporale, me, Ken Rasmussen, Daria Amato,
Steve Fetter, Craig Jensen, Ralph Eckerlin, and Paul Burman.)


NOVA biologist Jill Caporale delivers a climate change 'call to action.'


Here's one of me, discussing changes to Arctic sea ice cover.


NOVA geologist Ken Rasmussen discusses the geologic record of ancient climate change.

Fellow geoblogger Tuff Cookie (not her given name) gave us a thumbs-up in her recent report on attending the symposium. I'm glad she was able to attend, and glad it was thought-provoking!

Labels: action, climate change, global warming, nova

In today's issue of the Washington Post, an article by David Fahrenthold reviews the mixed bag of results that the House of Representatives has achieved in making their half of Capitol Hill carbon neutral. In November, they spent about $89,000 to offset their unavoidable carbon emissions by paying for agricultural acts that sequestered an equal amount of carbon elsewhere. All well and good, at least in theory, but carbon offsetting is a new and weird commodity. It doesn't always work that well. Some of the money went to farmers in North Dakota, to pay them to practice a certain soil conservation technique they were already doing. Some other funds went to a power plant in Iowa that was supposed to produce cleaner energy -- during a trial run that ended a year before the money got there.

Driving around town, I see a decent minority of cars sporting a bumper sticker that says "This car's CO2 offset by TerraPass" or something similar. Despite my strong concern over climate change and the clear connection between CO2 emissions and global warming, I have yet to invest in one of these balancing schemes. I think it's just that it's an unproven system. Mainly through my own ignorance of their practices, I'm not convinced that companies like TerraPass aren't just taking people for a ride. I think that if the U.S. government had some sort of verification procedure whereby carbon offsetting companies could be certified, then I would be more inclined to trust them and get on board. But, as the Post article elucidates, we don't really regulate this business yet in America. They regulate the heck out of it in Europe, but also with mixed results.

It should be noted that despite these examples of offsetting "flubs," the House achieved some real progress with some simple acts that conserve energy: they switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs and ordered the Capitol Power Plant to burn natural gas instead of coal.

Labels: action, global warming, politics

Plans are coming together for the big NOVA Climate Change Teach-In, scheduled for the week after next. Each of the six different campuses of Northern Virginia Community College are participating in one form or another. Starting on Wednesday night (Jan. 30), there are opportunities to learn about climate change and its implications for our society. Webcasts, lectures, and in-class teach-ins on Thursday the 31st will lead up to the biggest event, held at my own Annandale campus. This will take the form of a series of short lectures and a panel discussion from 12pm to 3pm on Friday, February 1. Plus we're going to serve cookies! Under the leadership of the College-wide Green Committee, on which I serve, NOVA's events are part of a larger nation-wide teach-in involving over 1400 schools.

More information about the multiple events can be found at the Green Committee's website.

If you're in the DC Metro area, you are invited to attend any of these events. They are free and open to the public. Also, for the Manassas lectures and the big Annandale event, surface parking regulations will be waived. There's no excuse not to attend. Of course, if you're one of my students, then I expect to see you there!

Labels: action, global warming, nova

An update on my Prius: I've driven about 250 miles since I got it last week, and over that period I'm getting an average of 46.7 miles per gallon. I am pleased. Merry Christmas!

Labels: action, global warming, prius

So... I've been talking to my students for years about the science of climate change. I've stated as plainly as I can that I'm convinced that emissions of greenhouse gases, in particular CO2, are warming up our planet. To my long-term, whole-planet style of thinking, this is a MUCH bigger issue than something like the war in Iraq. Iraq is "merely" a conflict between two (or a half-dozen) countries. On the other hand, climate change is BIG -- it affects all of the planet's surface (albeit to differing degrees) and it's going to last an unimaginably long time (if all continues along the present trend). The rates at which geologic processes extract CO2 from the atmosphere are way too slow to compensate for the breakneck pace we're generating atmospheric CO2 through the burning of fossil fuels (and forest biomass).

But besides educating students, what am I doing about it? Two days ago, I took a big step towards putting my money where my mouth is. I bought a Toyota Prius, one of the current generation of hybrid vehicles that are much more fuel efficient and produce less greenhouse gases. The Prius is ranked by the EPA as getting 45 miles per gallon in the city and 48 m.p.g. on the highway. It's classified as a partial-zero emissions vehicle.

Here's a comparison for several cars from the EPA's data. Hopefully you can see why I opted for the Prius. Maybe in another five years, there will be a mass-market electric vehicle. That's what I really want for Christmas!

Make and model	Engine	Fuel	Drive	Air pollution score	Fuel-economy (MPG) City/Highway	Greenhouse gas emissions score
Toyota Prius	1.5L 4 cyl	Gasoline	2WD		48 / 45
Honda Civic Hybrid	1.3L 4 cyl	Gasoline	2WD		40 / 45
Honda Insight	1.3L 4 cyl	Gasoline	2WD		45 / 49
Mazda Tribute Hybrid	2.3L 4 cyl	Gasoline	2WD		29 / 27
Lexus LS 600 HL	5L 8 cyl	Gasoline	4WD		20 / 22
Jeep Grand Cherokee	3L 6 cyl	Diesel	4WD		17 / 22
Jeep Grand Cherokee ("flex-fuel")	4.7L 8 cyl	Ethanol Gasoline	4WD		9 / 12 ethanol 14 / 19 gasoline
Hummer H3	3.7L 5 cyl	Gasoline	4WD		14 / 18
Bentley Continental GTC	6L 12 cyl	Gasoline	4WD		10 / 17

Labels: action, global warming, prius, teaching