Fracking- How much do you already know?

You may have heard of Fracking, and you may already have an opinion on Fracking.  Regardless of your position, I would encourage you to follow the link below and watch the presentation.  This Voice Thread was created by a fellow classmate, Ben Horsch, and he was kind enough to allow me to share the link! 

It compliments my initial posts on Air Quality and the issues with release of toxic pollutants into the air from coal and other emissions.  Fracking is becoming important because it is an alternative to coal. But this technique also has its environmental drawbacks. 

Enjoy the link!


Folowo the link:
http://voicethread.com/share/2954078/

Air Quality

For my first official blog post I want to share something which is a concern for me;  air pollution and air quality, especially in and around the Ohio River Valley.  The topic of air pollution and air quality can be difficult to understand and web searches can provide an abundance of scientific data, varying opinions on causes and solutions, as well as data highlighting the adverse health effects. The issues around air pollution are not located to any specific area or region and affect the planet on a global scale.  Education and understanding the basics of how air pollution affects our air quality are essential if we are going to get more people engaged in improving air quality.  The information shared in this blog post is an effort to present some of the basics of air quality; think of it as Air Quality 101. 

(For some of the information below you may see links or names in parentheses.  These are simply the references or locations for where the information was gathered.  You can follow the links in blue for additional information.)

Pollutants and Their Sources:

To get us started lets first discuss the six most common air pollutants and their sources.  This information can be readily found from the EPA website.

Ozone	Chemical reaction between Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Carbons (VOC) which occur in the presence of sunlight. Cause of Smog.
Particulate Matter	Can be either a solid or a liquid and is categorized by its size, PM10 or PM2.5
Carbon Monoxide	Colorless, odorless gas emitted from the combustion process
Nitrogen Oxides	NO2 specifically is of the most interest and is formed from emissions cars, trucks and power plants
Sulfur Dioxide	The largest source of SO2 is from power plants (73%)
Lead	Fuels from motor vehicles

While many of us believe changes are being made and the overall quality of our air should be improving, the data presents a conflicting story.  In a recent article written and published in The Cincinnati Business Courier by Dan Monk (2011), Conrad Schneider is quoted as saying “Cincinnati is ground zero for health impacts from coal plants. You’re right in the valley where the impact is strongest”.  Data in the table below, obtained from the EPA Website also demonstrates that not all of these pollutants are decreasing.

	Change since 2008	Change since 2009
Ozone	8.3%	75.7%
Particulate Matter	-23.4%	-17.2%
Carbon Monoxide	32.9%	72.2%
Nitrogen Oxides	-38.1%	14.0%
Sulfur Dioxide	51.8%	31.7%
Lead	41.6%	18.8%

Particle Size and Public Health:

The different types of chemicals or pollutants are released into the environment and are of special concern due to their ability to be inhaled and become lodged or embedded in the lungs.  PM, which can be either a solid or a liquid, are categorized by two main distinctions based on their size.  The larger of the two sizes, sometimes referred to as “coarse” particles are listed based on their aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 10µm (PM₁₀). The smaller particles, often referred to as “fine” are listed based on their aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 µm (PM_2.5)_.   (http://www.epa.gov/air/airpollutants.html) Air quality is a major concern especially in summer months when ozone levels are the highest. Ozone, as produced by the combining of VOC compounds and nitrogen oxides is toxic to humans and vegetation. (Wu,Mickley, Leibensperger, Jacob, Rind, & Streets, 2007).

The most common adverse effects linked to air pollution are asthma, COPD, other respiratory illnesses, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.  Obviously those at most risk for adverse affects are those with pre-existing conditions and age, including the young and older populations. (www.stateoftheair.org)

Global Impact:

We have looked at and drawn the connection between the release of toxic chemicals (pollutants) into the air, the process by which these pollutants react to form harmful ozone, and the harmful effects of ozone. Also discussed, the health implications for humans but what has not yet been discussed is the impact for biodiversity.  Biologically speaking, plants and animals that share this planet are also affected by the changes.  These changes can be anything from changes in temperature, changes in annual rainfall due to temperature shifts, and increase in pollutants that affect biological systems.

Reflections:

I hope each of you will watch the two videos below.  The first is a brief video highlighting the beauty of our planet.  The second is a brief video focusing on air quality in Utah and its impacts. This is also a great video for learning the basics. The concepts, although highlighted in Utah, apply everywhere.  I believe each of us should begin to think about our practices and look to make even small changes in our daily lives with the goal to reduce emissions and consumption.  

YouTube Video Links:

Earth Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thuViaxRd_w&feature=related

Utah Air Quality 101

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx_yWFQvJT4

Some Really Cool Tools - Getting to Know Your Air 

The following links provide some really good information and maps for air quality.  Most sites update the information daily so you can monitor air quality indexes.

EPA: http://www.epa.gov/

The Weather Channel:  http://www.weather.com/maps/travel.html

Air Now:  http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.pointmaps

American Lung Association: www.stateoftheair.org

Welcome to Conservation Insight, my first official Blog.  Most of you who know me, know that I am currently pursuing a Master in Zoology, with a strong course focus on conservation.  My goals for establishing this Blog is to share information on conservation topics, ideas, and other information.  I have learned a lot during my first year of school and I am hoping to be able to share some of the concepts and excitement for conservation with all of you. 

I will be checking the blog for comments and adding new posts.  Please comment and feel free to post a question or thought and I will try to investigate and seek input from other classmates and instructors in an effort to answer your question.

Be sure to check back in late July.  I will be posting information from my trip to Thailand to study Buddhism and Conservation.

My one goal would be to provide information or share valuable links that will inspire each one of you to adopt one new change in your life focused on improving the important conservation issues such as water quality and usage, air quality, habitat protection, or just becoming an active participate in local efforts.

- Elizabeth