Continuing with my recent focus on global warming and in light of the fact that it is prime maple sugar season (as evidenced by a recent Boston.com travel special), it is time to delve a little deeper into how climate change could impact this New England tradition.
With warmer temperatures and more erratic weather, the ideal maple syrup harvesting climate is slowly shifting northward into Canada according to a Christian Science Monitor article.
The story sights a rather striking statistic: in the 1950’s 80 percent of the world’s maple syrup production came from the United States with the remaining 20 percent coming from Canada. But, by 2005 (when the story was published), those percentages were reversed.
So, what caused this spike? As this story explains (and I have learned first hand through research for another course I am taking at Northeastern this semester – the Environment in 2090), if a projected 6 to 10 degree Fahrenheit rise in temperature by the end of the century holds true, maple trees will have slowly migrated north, leaving oak and hickory trees as the predominant species.
The maples simply will not be able to adapt to different levels of pests, air pollution and other stress factors caused by the warmer temperatures. Meanwhile, oak and hickory trees will be much less affected, leading to their predominance.
Of course it is not only the disappearance of maples that is hurting syrup production. When the temperature drops below freezing, the sap is pulled out of the tree branches and into its roots. Then, when the mercury rises above 32 degrees Fahrenheit, that sap is expelled through the tree’s wounds (such as a hole dug by a syrup harvester).
So, with less dips below freezing, there are less opportunities to for the syrup to be expelled and, therefore, a worse season. For an alternative explanation of this, take a look at the Christian Science Monitor story. Although it is a few years old, it does a great job explaining the phenomena. And, for a graphic representation, check out Boston.com’s feature linked to in the first paragraph of this post. It also has discussion forums and a map of maple sugar farms throughout New England.
Showing posts with label climate change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label climate change. Show all posts
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Iceberg Collapse
In contrast to my last post about climate change, CNN.com is providing fairly in-depth coverage of another global warming indicator about as far away from New England as one can get and still be on Earth– the collapse of an Antarctic ice chunk.
The collapse covered 220 square miles of ice and leaves another massive ice shelf approximately seven times the size of Manhattan in danger of collapsing, according to the article. While this is a story worth discussing in itself, I want to devote this entry to examining how CNN.com is covering the collapse, as it is one of the better environmental online packages I have seen.
In addition to two print stories (here and here), the Web site provides a link to raw video of aerial shots from the British Antarctic Survey. This video gives a great perspective of the volume of ice impacted and presents tangible evidence of climate change that readers can grasp.
They also include a graphic showing where the Wilkins Ice Shelf (where the collapse occurred) is located on Antarctica (it is near the South American side of the continent). And, to really hammer home the magnitude of the collapse, CNN.com published a series of satellite photos accompanied by explanatory text showing the progression of the collapse, which was first noticed when a large chunk broke away on Feb. 28.
Besides the typical links to related topics and articles, CNN.com implemented one other interesting online feature – they provided links to external blogs that had linked to the article. This is a great way to supply a multitude of additional resources for those interested in further study on the topic. And, the external bloggers are more likely to link to CNN.com content once they realize their blog is publicized on CNN’s site, leading to more exposure for CNN.
So, whether a reader wanted a quick glimpse at what happened in Antarctica or a more in-depth study of the issue, he or she could find it through the CNN.com platform for this story. And that approach is an excellent way to enhance exposure on the impacts of climate change.
The collapse covered 220 square miles of ice and leaves another massive ice shelf approximately seven times the size of Manhattan in danger of collapsing, according to the article. While this is a story worth discussing in itself, I want to devote this entry to examining how CNN.com is covering the collapse, as it is one of the better environmental online packages I have seen.
In addition to two print stories (here and here), the Web site provides a link to raw video of aerial shots from the British Antarctic Survey. This video gives a great perspective of the volume of ice impacted and presents tangible evidence of climate change that readers can grasp.
They also include a graphic showing where the Wilkins Ice Shelf (where the collapse occurred) is located on Antarctica (it is near the South American side of the continent). And, to really hammer home the magnitude of the collapse, CNN.com published a series of satellite photos accompanied by explanatory text showing the progression of the collapse, which was first noticed when a large chunk broke away on Feb. 28.
Besides the typical links to related topics and articles, CNN.com implemented one other interesting online feature – they provided links to external blogs that had linked to the article. This is a great way to supply a multitude of additional resources for those interested in further study on the topic. And, the external bloggers are more likely to link to CNN.com content once they realize their blog is publicized on CNN’s site, leading to more exposure for CNN.
So, whether a reader wanted a quick glimpse at what happened in Antarctica or a more in-depth study of the issue, he or she could find it through the CNN.com platform for this story. And that approach is an excellent way to enhance exposure on the impacts of climate change.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Sensing Climate Change
It may still feel like winter here in New England with temperatures stuck in the 40s but across the United States the telltale signs of spring are coming earlier as a result of global warming, according to an Associated Press article published in the Eagle Tribune.
And unlike other indicators of climate change such as melting glaciers, these can be felt by Americans with all five senses. We can see trees blooming quicker, smell flower fragrances sooner, hear the birds chirp earlier, suffer from increased allergies and taste the honey, which is reaching its peak production faster this spring, according to the article.
There may still be some snow on the ground this Easter up in southern New Hampshire (where I’m spending the holiday) but some of the bushes are already showing green leaves. Although northern New England may have just gone through some blizzard-like conditions setting a new seasonal snowfall record in Caribou, Maine, from cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., to heavy maple pollen in Philadelphia, the AP story shows spring is springing earlier in many parts of the United States.
So, have similar trends been seen in New England? According to New England Integrated Sciences and Assessment, the amount of time until lake ice-out has decreased by 20-30 days in the Boston area from 1971 to 2000, with less of a drop as one travels closer to Canada. Meanwhile, from 1971 to 2001, average seasonal snowfall plummeted more than 40 inches in some isolated pockets of New England (It should be noted, though, that places along the South Shore and in Rhode Island and Connecticut saw slight increases in snowfall during that time period.) And, sea level has risen approximately 9 inches in Boston since 1930, with slightly less dramatic changes observed along the Maine coast.
Ultimately, what does all this mean? According to the New England Climate Coalition, by 2100, Boston’s climate could resemble modern day Charlotte, N.C. or Atlanta. And that change could significantly hurt leaf peeping, skiing and maple syrup making in New England. Of course, the region could experience expanded golf and beach seasons.
To see and download in an Excel format additional climate change data from the New England Integrated Sciences and Assessment, check out this link.
And unlike other indicators of climate change such as melting glaciers, these can be felt by Americans with all five senses. We can see trees blooming quicker, smell flower fragrances sooner, hear the birds chirp earlier, suffer from increased allergies and taste the honey, which is reaching its peak production faster this spring, according to the article.
There may still be some snow on the ground this Easter up in southern New Hampshire (where I’m spending the holiday) but some of the bushes are already showing green leaves. Although northern New England may have just gone through some blizzard-like conditions setting a new seasonal snowfall record in Caribou, Maine, from cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., to heavy maple pollen in Philadelphia, the AP story shows spring is springing earlier in many parts of the United States.
So, have similar trends been seen in New England? According to New England Integrated Sciences and Assessment, the amount of time until lake ice-out has decreased by 20-30 days in the Boston area from 1971 to 2000, with less of a drop as one travels closer to Canada. Meanwhile, from 1971 to 2001, average seasonal snowfall plummeted more than 40 inches in some isolated pockets of New England (It should be noted, though, that places along the South Shore and in Rhode Island and Connecticut saw slight increases in snowfall during that time period.) And, sea level has risen approximately 9 inches in Boston since 1930, with slightly less dramatic changes observed along the Maine coast.
Ultimately, what does all this mean? According to the New England Climate Coalition, by 2100, Boston’s climate could resemble modern day Charlotte, N.C. or Atlanta. And that change could significantly hurt leaf peeping, skiing and maple syrup making in New England. Of course, the region could experience expanded golf and beach seasons.
To see and download in an Excel format additional climate change data from the New England Integrated Sciences and Assessment, check out this link.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Report: Climate Change to Endanger Transportation Network
Public transportation has long been applauded as a “green” way to commute or travel. Ironically, a new report suggests the environmental problems transportation is trying to alleviate (namely, climate change) could threaten the smooth, efficient operation of such systems.
The report, produced by the National Research Council, indicates the biggest impacts to transportation will be from coastal flooding. It is no secret that the world’s oceans are rising from melting glaciers, among other factors. Naturally, higher ocean levels mean daily tides and abnormal storm surges will reach further inland, threatening to repeatedly flood railroads, airport runways and highways.
This is of great concern to New England, when one notes the number of major transportation corridors that run near the Atlantic. Heading north from New York City, Interstate 95 closely parallels the Connecticut coast through the major cities of Stamford, Bridgeport and New Haven. The highway then reconnects with the ocean in Providence, R.I., and Portsmouth, N.H. before paralleling the New Hampshire and Maine coasts into Portland. Meanwhile, Amtrak’s heavily traveled Northeast Corridor follows a similar coastal route. This does not even include Boston’s Logan Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport which are perched right on Boston Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean, respectively.
The report lists greater temperature extremes and stronger storms and hurricanes as other potential climate-related transportation threats.
So, is it a doomsday for transportation in the United States? Not necessarily, as the report notes some positive effects of climate change. For example, melting ice will open new and shorter shipping lanes and less snowfall will mean governments will have to spend less clearing roadways (well, maybe that latter argument is less strong after this winter).
But, ultimately, protecting the country’s infrastructure will require extensive mitigation efforts by transportation planners and federal, state and local government bodies and agencies. These groups need to adapt existing infrastructure to the changes and compensate for a warming climate in all future projects. How exactly that can be accomplished and funded will be the true challenge of the next few years. Otherwise, we may need a duck boat to travel from New York to Boston.
The report, produced by the National Research Council, indicates the biggest impacts to transportation will be from coastal flooding. It is no secret that the world’s oceans are rising from melting glaciers, among other factors. Naturally, higher ocean levels mean daily tides and abnormal storm surges will reach further inland, threatening to repeatedly flood railroads, airport runways and highways.
This is of great concern to New England, when one notes the number of major transportation corridors that run near the Atlantic. Heading north from New York City, Interstate 95 closely parallels the Connecticut coast through the major cities of Stamford, Bridgeport and New Haven. The highway then reconnects with the ocean in Providence, R.I., and Portsmouth, N.H. before paralleling the New Hampshire and Maine coasts into Portland. Meanwhile, Amtrak’s heavily traveled Northeast Corridor follows a similar coastal route. This does not even include Boston’s Logan Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport which are perched right on Boston Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean, respectively.
The report lists greater temperature extremes and stronger storms and hurricanes as other potential climate-related transportation threats.
So, is it a doomsday for transportation in the United States? Not necessarily, as the report notes some positive effects of climate change. For example, melting ice will open new and shorter shipping lanes and less snowfall will mean governments will have to spend less clearing roadways (well, maybe that latter argument is less strong after this winter).
But, ultimately, protecting the country’s infrastructure will require extensive mitigation efforts by transportation planners and federal, state and local government bodies and agencies. These groups need to adapt existing infrastructure to the changes and compensate for a warming climate in all future projects. How exactly that can be accomplished and funded will be the true challenge of the next few years. Otherwise, we may need a duck boat to travel from New York to Boston.
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