Lake McConaughy Drying up

A drive across the great state of Nebraska would not be complete without a stop at Lake McConaughy or Big Mac. I have very fond memories making trips to the lake during the dog days of summer. As a kid I remember trying to look across the lake with no success. It was water as far as the eye could see. Nowadays that is not the case.

The lake today is at 82.4 precent capacity and is falling at a relatively quick rate. The lake inlets are bringing 500 cubic feet per second into the lake, while the lake is releasing 800 cubic feet per second to meet the downstream needs. Needless to say the lake levels will continue to go down. We can only hope for a large snow pack in the rocky mountains to recharge the lake back to its capacity.

The drought has effected all of our everyday lives. I hope that the lake can get back to its massive state of yesteryear!

EHD in Deer

Deer populations in Nebraska experienced a decline this year due to Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease or EHD. EHD is a viral disease that is spread by biting insects called midges. EHD is at its peak in late August and early September. The disease usually does not last past the first freeze. 

Humans have nothing to worry about with EHD. It is completely safe to eat wild deer meat as EHD cannot be spread to humans, much like Chronic Wasting Disease.  Although we cannot be certain how many deer the state lost to EHD, estimates are 2,200 individuals.

What does this mean for hunters? Be mindful of where you hunt and always talk to landowners about deer populations to ensure sustainable population numbers going forward. Happy Hunting! 

UNL to Divest in Big Oil

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of seeing Bill McKibben, a well-known environmental author and activist, speak at an event hosted by Bold Nebraska. "Do the Math" was a ten-day tour by 350.org that urged a grassroots movement to raise awareness of the global issue of climate change. Their main campaign was called Go Fossil Free, which takes aim at the fossil fuel industry by asking universities to divest in big oil.

di·vest  (d-vst, d-)
tr.v. di·vest·ed, di·vest·ing, di·vests

1. To free of; rid

2. To sell off or otherwise dispose of (a subsidiary company or an investment).

Divesting is simply the opposite of investing. Instead of putting money into stocks, bonds, and investment funds, you take your money out of companies such as Exxon and BP to put pressure on their unethical and environmentally dangerous practices.

Divestment campaigns have been successful in numerous areas such as wars in Darfur and against the Tobacco Industry. However, the most successful campaign was the divestment campaign to end Apartheid in South Africa. Divestment was first advocated to end Apartheid in South Africa in the 1960's. By the mid-1980s, 155 campuses—including Columbia University, MSU, and Stanford University—had divested from companies doing business in South Africa. Twenty-six state governments, 22 counties, and 90 cities, including some of the nation’s biggest, took their money from multinationals that did business in the country. The South African divestment campaign was crucial in aiding the end of apartheid in South Africa and forming a new democracy and an age of racial equality.

The Fossil Fuel industry needs to be stopped. It feeds our addiction to oil while creating political, health, and environmental turmoil. 

Currently, there are 182 universities that have joined the Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign. The University of Nebraska will be joining the movement soon! If you would like to get involved please contact Sustain UNL at sustainunl@gmail.com

Innovative Technology for the Protection of Our Oceans

Innovative Technology for the Protection of Our Oceans

By:  Kailee Brown

  

            In September of 2012, Google officially launched its new program, Google Underwater Street View, available at maps.google.com/oceans. With the help of Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) among other partners, Google is mapping the floor of the ocean up to 100 feet deep with picturesque 360 degree views.

Ocean coral reef bleaching

            With parts of the Great Barrier Reef, the Philippines and Hawaii already on the underwater map, Google is working hard to collaborate on bigger issues facing the world's oceans. Issues such as ocean acidification, whale protection and coral reef bleaching are among the top concerns for today's oceans. NOAA estimates that roughly 95% of the ocean floor is still unexplored in Google's program but they are working hard to "... bring people on this journey with scientists," said Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, director of the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland.

            One partner, the Catlin Seaview Survey team, is a specialized group of scientists who survey the ocean floor to “analyzing the health of the reef in terms of species distribution, and mapping that against the structure of the reefs to discover what reefs are important."

            On a recent ocean survey, the team found that the Great Barrier Reef is half the reef it once was in 1985. This coral depletion mainly caused by coral bleaching, storm damage and an out of control population of starfish from mainland fertilizer runoff.

Catlin Seaview's survey technology to view the ocean in 3D

            With over 50 partners from around the world, Google has the right idea by involving numerous people in this project to make the largest impact on the protection of Earth's vital natural resources. This new technology opens up doors in understanding how to care for our plant's salt waters that are continuing to be threatened by global warming and the rise in green house gasses.

           

References

http://www.livescience.com/18308-google-earth-update-erases-atlantis.html

http://www.greenerideal.com/science/1022-hd-coral-reefs-tragedy-captured-via-technology/

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/world/google-maps-street-view-underwater-interactive-ocean-panorama-feature-gets-big-buzz

Walking in a Wheat-less Wonderland

Winter wheat, normally a cash crop this time of year, is expected to have low yields. This is due to a very dry year and no measurable snow in the great plains region for 297 days.  

In Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, and other states that grow winter wheat in the northern hemisphere, cultivation occurs from September through December. This is to allow just enough time for the crop to "crown", or poke through the soil.

In a normal season snow would be vital for the plants survival as it insulates the ground and provides consistent moisture via constantly melting snow. Without snow, the crowns will not bud, the seedlings will freeze, and the potential for crop production is extremely low.

Michigan's Urban Farming

"Using agriculture as a platform to promote education, community, and sustainability we seek to reduce socioeconomic disparity." - The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI). Detroit, MI

MUFI is a nonprofit organization looking to involve members of the community in sustainable agriculture practices.

Education - This statewide program strives to use farming and gardening as a tool for education. They are looking to solve future agricultural issues like food insecurity and urbanization.

Sustainability - The Initiative wants to shy away from the modern agricultural practices such as application of fertilizers and pesticides, monocultures, and reliance on fossil fuels. Grow and eat local!

Community - Building relationships between families and neighborhoods is vital to a more involved citizenry.

The most recent project for MUFI is the Brush Street Community Resource Center. The property was purchased in the fall of 2011 in Detroit, MI. The area had been in use from 1915 to 2009 as an apartment building, but was condemned. The goal of this project was to restore the existing buildings and renovate open areas. The focus its to create a model for sustainable living in an urban environment for all households present. An image of what it looks like is below.

Divers free tangled Whale Shark

               Not many people can say they swam with whale sharks but even fewer can say they rescued one. On Saturday, November 7^th, a group of divers near Socorro Island, Mexico, spotted a whale shark tangled in rope. When they encountered the distressed animal again later in the day, they made the decision to cut it free and quickly set to work at removing the rope. Whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths of 40 feet or more and feed mostly on plankton and small fish. These gentle giants prefer the warm waters that the tropical seas provide and are popular diving attractions because of their docile nature. They are currently listed as a vulnerable species and still hunted in parts of the world. Any kind of protection or aid, such as the help these divers gave the injured whale shark, is greatly appreciated. It also illustrates that good Samaritans can even be found underwater. 

Watch the rescue!

White Humpback Whale Spotted

A pure white humpback whale spotted near Norway.

               In 1851, the story of Moby-Dick was written by Herman Melville. Since then, the white whale has become a legend among nearly everyone who has heard of the adventures. But this mythical creature may be more than just legend. In August of 2012, Dan Fisher sighted a rare white humpback whale in the waters of Norway. Experts say this whale is either albino or it could have a condition known as leucism, where pigmentation cells fail to properly develop. Though these ghostly creatures have eluded us in the past, reports of other pure white whales have been surfacing. A white humpback has been seen frequently off the coast of Queensland, Australia; there have been sightings of white orca whales near Alaska and Russia; white right whales have been seen around South Australia; and even an albino dolphin in Louisiana. Fisher, who has worked on ship crews for over 10 years, referred to the experience as being a “once-in-a-lifetime spot” and added: “I saw lots of humpbacks this year, but nothing as spectacular as this one.” 

Bats in the Midwest!

Bats in the Midwest!

Big Brown Bat 

Wildfires

Wildfires

 

 

                In just minutes, fire being fueled by weather and dry vegetation can burn across the land, consuming everything in its path. Each year there are more than 100,000 wildfires that burn almost 5 million acres of land. Wildfires have been clocked moving at nearly 14mph; these fires will stop for nothing, not even human life.

                Wildfires need several key inputs to be successful. First, they need fuel, this could consist of trees, grass, brush, homes, and anything that is flammable in the surrounding area. Secondly, fires need oxygen that is pulled from the air and used in the combustion process. This pulling of air can generate its own gusts of winds. The last input for fire is a heat source; this is used to bring fuel temperatures high enough to ignite. Some examples of heat sources would be: lightning, campfires, cigarettes, hot winds, or even the sun.

                Fires are started all the time, nearly 4 out of 5 are started by humans, some are for good and others are bad. Nature usually contributes by supplying dry weather, high winds to allow fire to spread quickly, and hot temperatures. In these conditions it just takes one spark and a fire can burn for weeks. Fires can ignite anywhere but are more predominate in the western United States where drought and thunderstorms are abundant. In California the Santa Ana winds have been known to carry sparks for miles, igniting fires elsewhere. Firefighters deprive the fire from its 3 key inputs with several techniques. They can spray water or retardants, remove vegetation, or set up fire breaks.  In order to lower the danger of a fire, control burns can be done where vegetation is burned off of an area to thin out fuel density.

                When hearing about wildfires, a negative association is brought along with it. Although they can be destructive to human lives, they also serve a valuable purpose to the environment. Fires can return nutrients to the soil by burning dead organic material and then allowing new growth to prosper. When handled in a proper manner, fire can be a useful tool in generating new life.

Michael Lewis                                                                                                                                       NRES 260                                                                                                                                     2012/11/09

Power by Sewer Water

 

            The water energy nexus describes the inter-related demands for water and energy. In the United States to day 19 percent of all electricity is used to treat water according to Discover Magazine. Water, in turn, is used to create power. Water is used for steam to turn turbines and as a battery to store power created by renewable power sources. So we are faced with the problem of if we want to meet all of our water demands we need more power. If we want more power we need more water. This down ward spiral could lead to future where we will have to choose meet are water demands or our power demands. Scientists are looking to a surprising resource to solve this problem. That resource is sewer water.

            A fuel cell out lined in a New York Times blog by Sophia Li is being developed where water can be cleaned without external energy. The fuel cell cleans the sewage water pumped into by converting the biological material in water via bacteria into water and CO₂. The fuel cell will be powered by energy created from the bacteria breaking down the biological material. Creating a closed system that will not put any extra demand on cities energy grids and free up the energy that would have been used for treating water for other purpose.

            While this fuel cell is not a silver bullet it does offer a more economical solution to the challenge for the meeting the power and water needs of growing cities here in the United States and across the globe.      

 

Where Have All The Manta Rays Gone?

            With an 18-22 foot wingspan, soaring motion, and gentle disposition, manta rays are one of the truly amazing creatures to watch underwater.  They are harmless to humans, and considered curious and friendly to divers.  There are two different species of manta rays, Manta birostris (the giant oceanic manta) and Manta alfredi (the resident reef manta).  The migratory giant oceanic manta is known to be found in tropical, sub tropical and temperate waters, and have a much larger geographic range than the reef manta, who is commonly sighted inshore around coral reefs, tropical island groups, atolls and bays.  If the manta ray is harmless to humans and is such a fascinating creature, why are their population numbers dwindling? Just like most wild animals, manta rays have number of natural predators. 

Their survival is most severely threatened by growing pressure from fisheries. They are in high demand for their gill rakers, which are cartilaginous structures that branch off the gill arch and are used to filter plankton. Since manta rays move in predictable patterns, they are known to be easy targets, causing this kind creature to be netted, trawled, and harpooned for this specific body part.  In recent years, fishermen have begun targeting manta rays with modern fishing gear making fishing an even simpler process.  It has been declared that each year, fishermen catch about 97,400 manta rays.  Unreported catches will mean the true numbers to make the catch rate even higher.  With the manta ray classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this means they are facing a high rate of extinction. Manta rays are also subjected to unsustainable fishing pressures sparked largely by demand for use in Chinese medicine.  Their gill rakers are promoted as a cure for a wide array of sickness’s ranging from smallpox to cancer.  Manta rays also provide a cheap substitute for shark cartilage used in nutritional supplements. 

Bycatch is another major threat to the manta ray, meaning that they are “incidentally” caught in industrial fishing nets throughout the waters in which they roam.  Longlines and gill nets used primarily to capture tuna are most frequently responsible for manta rays becoming entangled, usually resulting in death.  Unfortunately, mantas cannot swim backwards, and so attempts to disentangle themselves often results in becoming more tangled. Mantas, which become entangled in nets quickly, die because they are unable to actively pump oxygen rich water over their gills in order to respire. Fishing line can also cause severe entanglement resulting in deep, and often life threatening lacerations if mantas become entangled in it.

Both species of manta ray frequently visit coral reefs to feed and be cleaned, but because coral reef degradation is occurring rapidly, another threat to the manta ray is habitat destruction.  If reefs aren’t striving, the organisms on which manta rays feed and rely on to thrive, will not be abundant putting the manta ray at risk.  Marine debris is another major threat caused by pollution in the water.  Although manta rays are protected in some countries, they migrate through unprotected waters of others making them very vulnerable to be hunted.  Female manta rays are not able to give birth until 15 years of age, giving birth to one pup every two to three years over a lifespan estimated to be about 40 years, only producing a handful of pups in her lifetime.  Because this rate is so low, only a small percent of manta rays can afford to be fished before there is a dramatic decline in their population.

Everyone likes a good treasure hunt

When I was little, I ached for a real treasure hunt.

I wanted to follow a map, find some buried treasure, and go on swash-buckling adventures. Now that I’m older, I realize that’s not quite how the world works. Geocaching offers the next best thing: a high-tech treasure hunt.

Essentially, geocaching is a worldwide game where players locate hidden containers – called geocaches or caches for short – using GPS-enabled devices. Players hide the geocaches, and then record its coordinates online. Other players can then find the geocache using the coordinates and any other clues the geocache-hider has to offer.

The containers range in size anywhere from army ammunition cans to a plastic matchboxes. Each geocache usually contains a logbook of who’s found it. They also contain small treasures that geocachers can trade. Examples of common treasures include foreign currency, marbles, seashells, stones, and other interesting trinkets.

Most people use a handheld GPS device or GPS-enabled cellphones to find geocaches. Geocaching.com sells a $10 geocaching app for iPhones, Android, and Windows 7 phones. However, other people just print off a map from the geocaching website.

Basically, no matter what equipment you have to work with, you can figure out a way to go geocaching. There are even several caches on or near City and East campus in Lincoln.

Since I love making lists so much, here’s my top five reasons why you should go geocaching A.S.A.P.

1)   Learn about a new place

Geocaching is a great activity while you’re on vacation in an unfamiliar area. Caches might be hidden in areas you wouldn’t have normally explored. Even the caches in Omaha were exciting, since I hadn’t explored Standing Bear Lake so thoroughly before.

2)   Get exercise without going to the gym

Sometimes the caches require quite the hike to reach your desired treasure. The fresh air and hike rejuvenates both the mind and body. There’s nothing quite like going on a cache hunt in Hawaii.

3)   Be part of a world-wide community

Millions of people around the globe share the love of geocaching. If you’re a geocacher, you’ll always have a huge community of friends to go to for advice and more caches. 

4)   Improve your observation skills

Sometimes we can’t see the small details that really make life interesting. Geocaching forces you to look at every object with scrutiny. Let me tell you, it’s hard to find a matchbox – sized cache if you don’t take the time to look closely! 

5)   Strengthen your family or friendship

Nothing brings people together like getting lost in the middle of the woods looking for a box of trinkets. Yes, this is a cheesy reason. However, I do think it’s one of the most important. Geocaching builds a sense of teamwork; everyone can help find the cache. Most families or groups come up with a team name to write down in the geocache logbooks. My family’s name is Mysterious Loggers. I’ll leave the name up to interpretation.

Check out this video for more info about geocaching: http://www.geocaching.com/videos/default.aspx#cat=cat:newbies&vid=-4VFeYZTTYs

The main website, Geocaching.com, also lists geocache locations.