Saving power by saving water -- win/win for California

LA Aqueduct Cascades
Originally uploaded by Aquafornia.

There's a double whammy of fortune for folks who want to save electricity and water in California -- Peter Gleck, of the Pacific Institute, a global water research center, says that here in California, we can save electricity by conserving water.

We spend so much electricity shipping it around the state and drawing it up from the ground that using less will save power.

From WorldChanging at The Guardian:

The virtues of water efficiency can be found in California and China - regions where water shortages have become emergencies and droughts may worsen with climate change. Conditions may become more severe in the future as consumers turn to water solutions that often require even greater energy supplies.

In California, where drought is afflicting the land for the third year in a row, the state is reducing water deliveries by 20-30 percent this winter and warns of "the most significant water crisis in its history." The water shortages are forcing farmers to cut production and lay off employees in an already sour economy.

Meanwhile, water transportation, storage, and treatment account for about 19 percent of the state's electricity, according to a 2007 California Energy Commission report [PDF]. To reach the rapidly expanding urban clusters in southern California, for instance, water is pumped 2,000 feet (610 meters) over the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles.

Mind you, hydroelectric dams create electricity -- but that won't be reduced as we use less. And as the Sierra snowpack melts away with climate change, we will likely lose most of that reservoir, the snow itself, and have to find more ways to store water in our (ostensibly) wet winters to have enough to last us through our dry, dry summers. We'll either have to build a lot more dams, or find other ways to get (and save) water, and to generate power.

California's population is burgeoning, as well. We will, as a whole, want more water, not less, in future years -- and more power. By cutting back now -- growing dry-climate and native gardens, using landscaping water to grow our own climate-adapted food rather than lawns and privet hedges, moving California's crops into areas better suited for them, controlling water use in new developments, and other water conservation measures -- we can use less of the inevitable additional water, rather than more.

(Photo from Aquifornia)

geography with a heart

650 Million Years in 1 Minute and 20 Seconds

This is cool, and a bit dizzying, but I'm missing one thing: I thought the East African Rift would be pulling that continent apart along the rift zone. That's not illustrated here. What am I not understanding?


650 Million Years in 1 Min. and 20 Sec.

(Found on Matt's Geography Blog.)

Kids and the Ocean

photo Solitary Islands Marine Park

The Ocean Doctor continues on his quest to share the wonders of the ocean and its exploration and conservation with children all over the western hemisphere. His travels this year have brought him to South Dakota, Missouri, and Cuba. But he can't do it all without help. That much airfare, traveling food, and time off really add up.

If you can throw just a dollar or a bit more in the tip jar to help this science educator bring the ocean to children thousands of miles away from it, either literally or figuratively, please do. Check out his blog, see what he's doing, and find a way to help.

Thanks.

(the photo is not the Ocean Doctor -- I should ask him for a photo I can use, hm.)

Orphanage Bon Samaritain [03] Croix-Des-Bouques, Haiti

Orphanage Bon Samaritain [03] Croix-Des-Bouques, Haiti
Originally uploaded by Jan Sochor.

Dear Japan (and Northern Europe, etc.):

Instead of encouraging your citizens to make more babies in an overpopulated world, why not support healthy orphanages and education in impoverished countries, advocate ethical adoption of people from those places by your own people, fight racism at home, and thereby change the shape of your own demographics (so there will be young people to support your currently aging populations) without increasing global population?

Sure, it will dilute your racial stocks, but culture is learned, and you can raise a baby from Somalia or Bangladesh or Peru in your native cultures just fine.

Mary

The American Geological Institute

When the bad guys can't stop giggling:

Rekindling the spark

Tidepool Explorers, A World of Wonder
Originally uploaded by moonjazz.

David E. Guggenheim, The Ocean Doctor, has planned a massive expedition of teaching and discovery.

To celebrate his 50th birthday and awaken wonder about the ocean in children across the country, he intends to visit at least one school in each of the fifty states and the territories of the US to offer presentations, free of charge.

By inviting media and the extended communities of each school into the conversation, and encouraging the schools he visits to connect with each other, he plans to engage young people to develop the same energy students offered during the initial decades of the space program.

He's doing this on his own, but happily welcomes donations from folks who want to help send him on this journey of discovery. I hope it will be fruitful, fulfilling, and exciting for the kids, teachers, and communities -- and also for The Ocean Doctor himself.

More information (and the link to donate) is at The Ocean Doctor's own website.

nobody living can ever stop me

When I was little, I learned a lot of geography from this song. "Mom, what do they mean by gulf-stream waters?" "What's a New York Island?" (I'd seen redwood forests, that much was easy.) I didn't know, nor did many people, that there are a full six verses, until I'd grown up.

Now, it's my all-time favorite patriotic song, and one of my favorite songs all together. There's an illustrated version for all six verses, I've given it to friends of all ages. But seeing Pete Seeger sing it, at nearly 90 years old, sent the tears pouring down my face.

Atlas of the Biodiversity of California

Atlas of the Biodiversity of California
Originally uploaded by marymactavish.

My mother-in-law gave me the Atlas of the Biodiversity of California for Yule/Christmas/Newtonmas. Yeah . . . I'll just be in my bunk.

(I'll review it later. First, I need to curl up in bed with a cup of tea and maps and photos and diagrams and geographic information.)

whoops!

Lava Column
Originally uploaded by wwarby.

From wired.com:

Drillers accidentally hit a pocket of molten rock underneath a working geothermal energy field in Hawaii, a lucky break for geologists that could allow them to map the geological plumbing that created everything we know as land.

The unprecedented discovery could act as a "magma observatory," allowing scientists to test their theories about how processes transformed the molten rock below Earth's surface into the rocky crust that humans live on today.

I can imagine the drillers: "Whoops!" then the scientists: "Oh wait. Cool!"

AGU day 2 - no less tired

AGU
Originally uploaded by aeroculus.

I didn't bring my little three-legged stool today because there's plenty of seating, and I dressed differently (with more willingness to be cold outside, too) so I have less to carry, so the day should be physically easier, right?

Or not. Because today, the exhibition hall was open, and boy oh boy, your tax dollars sure pay for swag. Do I need an image of the whole planet, as an anaglyph ("3-D"), complete with the viewing glasses? Define "need." I now have one. There are posters, and bookmarks, and postcards, and bound/published studies, and so much interesting stuff. I tried only to pick up free stuff I really, um, needed. So far, I've completely avoided all the book publishers, even the one that's half-price just for the conference, even though they have really, really neat stuff. So far.

This morning I attended a talk on challenges in California due to climate change, specifically why we're so fragile here, how our "perennial" agriculture (tree crops, grapes) will probably change and adapt, and mitigation and planning for sea level change in the San Francisco bay area. I know not everyone would say, "Wow, it was so interesting," but of course it was. I missed a presentation earlier this afternoon because of the information and sensation overload of the exhibition hall, and the rest required afterward, but am attending a presentation later today on "Science Issues for a New Congress and a New Administration." Then I think I'll call myself whupped, and head for home. Tomorrow is another day.

overwhelming - AGU Fall Meeting

overwhelming
Originally uploaded by marymactavish.

I'm at the AGU fall meeting -- omg overwhelming. I don't have the stamina for all the poster stuff, I'm interested in 2/3 of them, but I don't understand 90% of those. I'm such a generalist. As I continue in school, I'll get more specific, I think continuing toward environmental studies and physical geography, and the teaching of it, and there are some great posters (and I'm anticipating some great speaker sessions) about that.

I love that I can hear languages from all over the world here, lots of Italians, also Russians, Germans, Koreans -- from what I've heard so far.

They've divided the sessions into four different locations within a two-block radius from one another, all posters in one big hall, booths in another, speakers upstairs from that, other presentations -- films, meetings, etc. -- into that.

It's actually very exciting, but again, I'm overwhelmed and though not quite out of my element, definitely still on the outskirts of it, working my way in.

( Maria: I actually hit the education posters for the morning right before I sat down and read your response to my last post. It's the direction I'm heading, I think, and I knew I'd be interested. Wish you were here! Thanks! )

2008 AGU fall meeting -- tomorrow morning!

seismologists are sinners
Originally uploaded by volcanojw.

I'll be at the American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San Francisco all week, from early morning to late afternoon. I'm not an expert on anything, I'm just an earth sciences fangirl (and beyond, the AGU meeting covers most aspects of physical geography as well as solar system science) and struggled to list a primary interest at all. So far, going through the schedule and trying to establish an itinerary has been a huge challenge. There are, in some slots, two or three oral presentations and fifty or more poster sessions that I want to visit. I picked a lot of them by doing searches on "california," "san francisco," "bay area," "climate change," and "serpentine" -- then filled it in with whatever caught my eye. I'm trying to be firm with myself, then just make some last minute decisions while I'm there.

I'll blog, but I'm not sure how yet. I can either figure out how to mobile blog to this journal from my phone and do lots of small entries, or (and this is more likely) just use twitter a lot, and phone pictures to flickr or twitpic, and take pictures with my regular camera for later, then once or a few times over the course of the week, amalgamate those into a proper entry. Or maybe I'll do both. Do you have a preference?

Is there anything you'd specifically like me to explore, photograph, or write about for this blog, from the AGU meeting?

If not, my posts are likely to make it clear that I'm running around like the proverbial kid in the candy shop, licking everything and putting it back.

If I see the "seismologists are sinners" guy, I'll get a picture of him.

Fun With Flickr

Rural school girl, San Augustine County, Texas (LOC)
Originally uploaded by The Library of Congress.

Flickr users have used "notes" -- small squares drawn on the map and labeled, you have to click through to the picture to see them -- to comment on some of aspects of this map that have changed over time. I love flickr for that sort of thing.

Some of the comments:
Man, look at French West Africa and French Equatorial Africa. I also see the Belgian Congo and the Union of South Africa.

Note the horn of Africa and the small country in northern Somalia. That's British Somaliland, which joined French Somaliland in 1960 to form Somalia. In 1991 when the civil war started, the old British Somaliland declared independence and has since maintained a stable, democratic government while the rest of the country languishes in an endless civil war. So far, no country except Ethiopia has recognized Somaliland, though there are rumors that recognition may be comming.
Note also that Burma (Myanmar) is part of British India. This may be an old map, I think the British had separated Burma by this time (though independence did not come until the late 1940's.) Burma had never historically been part of India and many Burmese were enraged when the British made it part of their Raj after overthrowing the monarchy in the 1880's.

Some of the notes:
"One Korea, spelled "Corea", and colored like Japan"

"Germany includes Austria, borders Italy"

"Ireland entirely part of Britain"

"French Indochina (no Vietnam, Cambodia, or Laos)"

"Manchuria (Manchukuo), Japanese puppet state"

"Note the horn of Africa and the small country in northern Somalia. That's British Somaliland, which joined French Somaliland in 1960 to form Somalia. In 1991 when the civil war started, the old British Somaliland declared independence and has since maintained a stable, democratic government while the rest of the country languishes in an endless civil war."

Bas Relief, American Geophysical Union (Washington, DC)

Bas Relief, American Geophysical Union (Washington, DC)
Originally uploaded by takomabibelot.

I just signed up as a student for the AGU fall meeting:

I had to answer the hardest question in the world.

It said, "Area of scientific interest: PICK ONE"

ONE????

*explode*

The geology of clafoutis

clafoutis aux cerises
Originally uploaded by Daniboy.

I rarely like posts with just links, so look, I'm adding words!

Please check out this post about the geology of clafoutis. It also touches on important issues such as pancake domes on Venus.

It is wonderful and makes me squee.

Thank you,

Mary

eater of time

Open-mouthed
Originally uploaded by frscspd.

Our measurement of time is based on geography, and our knowledge of geography is based on time.

See?

boom de yada

dangers of the Large Hadron Collider
Originally uploaded by Jess, Beemouse Labs.

Bad Astronomer writes:

In India the other day, a young girl, distraught with fear that the world was ending when the LHC turned on, killed herself. She died, because she didn’t understand the truth.

Now that site is less funny, isn’t it? All over the world, in all different countries, people are raised to believe in superstitious nonsense, and raised to believe with all their hearts that it’s real.

And when we do that, we do far more than remove people from reality. We leave them vulnerable to all manners of nonsense, from believing in fairies to truly and honestly thinking the LHC will destroy the planet. People don’t learn how to think critically, and then they drink homeopathic water instead of taking real medicine, they chelate their children, or they deny their children vaccinations. And when that happens, people die. Children die.

I am a bit of a skeptic. I believe in science, I disbelieve in the supernatural. For non-traditional medicine, etc. I don't mind some anecdotal evidence, but I like to see science, I like to see things investigated. Sometimes the traditional stuff holds water, sometimes it doesn't. Acupuncture is showing actual results for a lot of conditions its used for (uterine support in conception/pregnancy, pain relief for chronic conditions, etc.) in scientific trials. Homeopathy hasn't held up as well.

In school and at home, when we don't teach children to think critically, when we don't ask them what they think will happen or why something happened, and when we don't give them the tool of questioning supposed experts, we fail them. They grow up assuming that the flash-illuminated, out-of-focus dust specks in the camera are ghosts, and don't buy the house they otherwise wanted, because they don't want to live in a haunted house. They make day-to-day decisions based on ancient, disproven myths. They miss out on timely medical help.

They don't question scientists when scientists should be questioned, it's integral to the process. Or they ask the wrong questions.

One reason I'm in this field is because I love the earth, I love the universe, and I don't need to have the world be supernaturally magickal to love it, there's enough magic in the natural. One reason I am in this field is to pass that on to children, with the tools to think about it rationally.

Hurricane Hanna can cook

Disneyed Out
Originally uploaded by haronovich.

from the flickr site:

"Hanna produced tropical storm force winds and heavy rains across the U.S. Gulf Coast. In all, [Hanna] left $20.3 million dollars in damage and three deaths.

"Despite the damage, the name Hanna was not retired and is on the 2008 list."

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml

I think there may have been an earthquake

I think there may have been an earthquake ... ;)
Originally uploaded by Evan Sims.

When an earthquake happens around here, you run and fill out the "did you feel it?" page -- FOR SCIENCE.

When you do that, among the questions is, "How did you respond?" You can choose between "No answer/don't remember," ""Took no action," "Moved to doorway," "Dropped and covered," "Ran outside," "Other." I mentioned to my partner, "They're missing one." He said, "Run to the computer and look up the quake on the USGS site?" "YES!" So I chose "other," and told them we ran to the computer, and that I thought from how it felt that it wasn't on the Hayward fault (it wasn't, it was on the Calaveras), and that I thought it was a 3.2 or so. Then I saw how deep it was and said, "That's pretty deep, it was probably a 4 or so." And bingo, I nailed it. I used far fewer words to explain this to the USGS.

(If you actually want to read the text in the image, which is a twitter-and-other-things friendfeed screenshot of folks responding to the quake, VIEW BIG.)