Earth Day lesson - watersheds

I guess my ambivalence (or cynicism) towards Earth Day is summed up mostly by Joe Romm's post at Climate Progress.

I don’t worry about the earth. I’m pretty certain the earth will survive the worst we can do to it... Arguably, concern over the earth is elitist, something people can afford to spend their time on when every other need is met. But elitism is out these days. We need a new way to make people care about the nasty things we’re doing with our cars and power plants. At the very least, we need a new name.

Yes, the Earth will keep on spinning. I'm not worried that we're about to prevent this huge rock from wheeling madly around its star. But what is demonstrably true, and what must be repeated over and over again to counter lies to the contrary, is that we've caused many species to go extinct, we've disrupted entire ecosystems, and we've changed the climate. There is no frontier left. We are 7 billion strong, and we're everywhere.

Base camp on Huayna Potosi, Bolivia. Photo by Andy Baker

Does it matter on a planetary scale whether I have one child or three? Not at all. It would change the world population by less than 1 millionth of 1%. Unless we are one of those one-in-a-million movers or shakers in positions of authority (CEOs, lead scientists, policy makers, etc), each of us has virtually no impact on a global scale. This was captured in a book entitled "But Will the Planet Notice?" (accompanying article). Summary: policies are the overwhelming factor in global environmental trends.

The first Earth Day appears to have been a true grassroots movement, but now it is a somewhat theoretical celebration coordinated by big NGOs, socially-conscious corporations, and lots of Facebook "likes" for green things.

Heartening, no?

Well, here's an excerpt from an e-mail I received from The Stewardship Network that maybe better explains what I'm feeling, and what the solution might be...

Our lands and waters are undergoing quieter crises that are equally significant and pressing. Maybe you're driven to protect our diverse, native wildflowers from being lost to invasive plants, or maybe you're driven to protect the insects who depend on those wildflowers for food and in turn pollinate our food crops. You may work to protect the quality of your local watershed, or the larger natural community of which those flowers, insects, and watersheds are integral pieces.

Here's the thing: these crises are not separate. Oil spills, climate change, the spread of invasive plants, the abuse of watersheds... they're all symptoms of the same problem: people have disconnected their actions from the their impacts on our planet.

The Stewardship Network rebuilds these connections; equipping people with tools, resources & knowledge; and mobilizing people to get out and make a positive difference. Your actions to care for your local parks, your own backyard, and the landscapes you grew up in are important steps in reconnecting yourself and those around with the Earth.

So let's get real specific. Where you live matters. You breathe the air, you eat the soil, you drink the water you pour out on the ground. Take a concrete step towards identifying and considering your actual place in the ecological system within which you live and move and have your being. The main problem behind the problem is that we pretend we are separate from "nature", that somehow the principles that govern the entirety of our physical existence don't apply to our own home, or our economic system. It is true to a degree, for cheap fossil fuel has given us this luxury for a time. They have been the blessing and the curse.

So for today, I'll briefly mention watersheds and the hydrological cycle (leave corrections in the comments).

You live in a watershed, an area of land that drains to a specific site. On a large scale map ("zoomed in"), we're talking a few dozen acres draining into a local creek. You can find your local watershed with the help of this EPA tool. This is mine, Lake Branch, which drains into the Mississinewa River.

Land use in the watershed determines the shape of the creek, its chemical properties, how fast it floods, and what fish species might be present.

Because 2/3 is agriculture, which in these parts means bare dirt for most of the year, we should expect water to run off very quickly, causing a spike in river levels. Impervious surfaces found in residential or commercial areas means even quicker runoff. A forest or grassland would absorb water in the roots, soil, and litter, releasing it more slowly.

Let's "zoom out" to a small scale map, and locate our ultimate watershed, the Mississippi:

What millions and millions of us do across a huge swath of the continent affects what the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico are like.

But let's get local again. The U.S. Geological Survey has data, lots of it. Your tax dollars at work. You can click here to start looking at near-real-time streamflow data, which is especially interesting during storm events. I was tracking this last storm with a lot of interest, and comparing flood levels (and crests) for different spots around the state, as well as Grand Rapids, MI, where the Grand River set a new record (the graphics in this news report where clipped straight from USGS data, just like I'm doing here).

Here was Crawfordsville, IN (intuitively, volume of water discharged correlates with the heights of the water). It was literally off-the-chart:

Head over to NOAA, and you can see more:

You can see that 15.31ft makes this the worse flood in 100 years....

They have already even updated this portion, describing the impacts of the area at certain water levels:

So, what is the point of all this? What happens when impervious surfaces reach a certain percentage in a given watershed? What are the downstream affects of residential development vs. commercial, or no-till agriculture vs. conventional tillage? Does it matter whether you mow all the way down to the little stream or should you leave some natural vegetation? If you own land that you are renting out to a farmer - do you know if they are careful when they spray Round-up or are they sloppy and spray over all the grassed buffer strips? Who is responsible for that - the renter or the landlord? Are they sending your topsoil down the river or keeping it on the land where it can be productive?

Not only can I not answer all those questions, it would take an entire college course to start getting into the basics. Which is why, of course, I'm in school.

Ok, I understand not everyone geeks out about data like I do. It's not a virtue... more like a strange habit. But the fact remains that we all eat. We all breathe. We all have friends and family and businesses in low-lying areas. Even if we lay in our plastic, air-conditioned homes 24/7, the electricity to power our TVs has to be generated somewhere. No one is exempt from the laws of ecology, and here are four for starters (I didn't make these up):


1) Everything is connected to everything else
2) Everything must go somewhere
3) Nature knows best
4) There is no such thing as a free lunch

For more geographically-displayed data, try playing around with IndianaMap.org


That's all I got today... back to research. We might have a prairie fire on our hands today.

resilient polar & tropical ecosystems, and the facebookización of this blog

I've always liked Andy Revkin's Dot Earth blog (if you need to get around the NYT paywall, Google it for simple tricks). His latest post - Some Resilience Seen in Northern and Tropical Flora in a Warming Climate - highlights some recently published research. Scientific journal articles are how science is done (or at least, how it is recorded in human history), thus are very important. However, it's easy to drown in a sea of information, if you can decipher the language at all. Hence the relevance of a blog like Dot Earth than can pull in multiple disciplines of human knowledge - engineering, conservation biology, sociology - and start understanding the larger picture.

This is what I posted on Facebook along with the above link:

"'Results show temperature and vegetation growth at northern latitudes now resemble those found 4 degrees to 6 degrees of latitude farther south as recently as 1982.'

Since each degree latitude is 69 miles, that's about a 345 mile northwar...d shift in vegetation, or the difference between Indianapolis and Traverse City, MI. In my brief lifetime!

Good news is that this evidence suggests these ecosystems could be more resilient than previously thought. In other words, populations adapt, migrate, or die. The chemistry and physics involved are fundamental as well, but over my head.

But what do scientists know anyway? Aren't our senses a little overrated?"

I have mostly abandoned this poor blog. I find myself posting these links on Facebook with an excerpted quote and two paragraphs of commentary. More than a Tweet (too short to say anything or start a conversation), but not really a blog post (no time). Anyway, I suppose I could use my blog as a "quote + 2-3 paragraphs + a little snark" station, but the feedback and social networking potential isn't nearly as robust, and it's not as quick, hence I prefer Facebook.

So basically, I'm posting this on blogger for Monica Klepac... I know you're out there...

who said it? #153 birds are good

When the Christian asks of a pretty but altogether useless bird, "What good is it anyway?" she would do good to remember that the Creator of that bird blessed it, told it to be fruitful and multiply, and declared "It is good." (Gen. 1:20-22)

-me, just now-

thankful for 2012

On New Years Day, my wife and I sat down and made a pen-and-paper list of big (and little) things we were thankful for in 2012. It was simple, yet humbling. 2012 was a time of stress, two moves, career change, and going back to school. It was our first full year as parents. In involved one of the hardest decisions we've had to make as a couple & certainly as a family. It even included an ER trip that amounted to nothing, thankfully.

Even with all our instability, I was surprised at the provision of our most basic human needs: physical health, food on the table and a warm roof over our heads, support of friends and family, a new educational opportunity, and lots of time together.

No goals for 2013 yet... still shining about a good year.

a less-than-great photo to end a great year - on G'pa Thada's conservation land in north-central Iowa

"A conversation between God and St. Francis about Suburbanites"

This is brilliant... found it here.

GOD: St. Francis, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the World is going on down there in the USA? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.

ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers weeds and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it, sometimes twice a week.

GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS: No, sir -- just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS: Yes, sir.

GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back On the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the gro wth and saves Them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a Sheer stoke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.

ST. FRANCIS: You'd better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away

GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the Winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy Something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD: And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE: Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It's a real stupid movie about.............

GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

The "Star Wars Prayer"

Since Advent is nearly upon us, we prayed Eucharistic Prayer C this Sunday (instead of the normal "B") leading up to the Eucharist. I've copied most of it below, as I think it is especially beautiful. Science, art, and faith collide here with a certain brilliance. Father Jim calls this the "Star Wars Prayer." (italics are where the congregation responds to the reader):


God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of
glory and praise.
Glory to you for ever and ever.

At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of
interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses,
and this fragile earth, our island home.
By your will they were created and have their being.

From the primal elements you brought forth the human race,
and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill. You made us
the rulers of creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed
your trust; and we turned against one another.
Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight.
 
Again and again, you called us to return. Through prophets
and sages you revealed your righteous Law. And in the
fullness of time you sent your only Son, born of a woman, to
fulfill your Law, to open for us the way of freedom and peace.
By his blood, he reconciled us.
By his wounds, we are healed.

(the rest of the liturgy...) 

Salamonie Reservoir

Looking at the events pile up on the fall calendar, we made a set-in-stone, weather-forecast-be-damned camping date. Which was why we were one of only 2-3 tent campers as the rain fell and the mercury dropped to just above freezing. We retreated home for the night, then returned in the sun for hiking, foil dinners, and a trip to the interpretive center. Well, if everything had gone perfectly, it wouldn't have been a camping trip. My youth experiences included butterfly bandages, swarms of yellow jackets, and falling out of a pop-up camper. I was reminded of how utterly toast we would be if we ever needed to live off the land again (post-apocalyptic style). I think I'll make a good environmental scientist, but I'd be a pretty poor survivalist WTSHTF.

We did manage to track down a very important family site. On a drizzly rainy Tuesday afternoon in October of '05 I asked Miss Crump to start a journey with me. Seven years in, and somehow it keeps getting better.







As I learn more about geomorphology (watersheds in particular), I thought the history behind the creation of this reservoir somewhat ironic, or comitragic, taking the long-view of natural history. Europeans came and, in one matter or another, stole the land from the Miami Indians. They drained the wetlands and chopped down the forests, both of which were crucial to natural flood control of the river. The subsequent floods (of increasing magnitude and frequency because of anthropogenic changes) posed a threat to the downstream communities of Wabash, Logansport, and Peru (in Peru, 78% of homes were built in the floodplain... I remember going there in college and seeing recent flood damage). So in order to save these towns, three towns in the path of the reservoir where bought out and moved (what wasn't moved was flooded). Three dams in the area were completed by the late '60's. Saving three towns by flooding three others. "Controlling nature" because we had made nature more uncontrollable. Creating recreation opportunities (lake-boating, lake beaches) and creating habitat by destroying recreation opportunities (river fishing, river canoeing, river sandbanks) and destroying natural habitat (the river ecosystem). Anthropocene indeed. But it remains somewhat natural nonetheless, even if heavily altered and constructed.

Due to the drought this year, several roads and building foundations of these drowned communities became visible:

Mars Rover landing late Sunday night

I wasn't really interested in the thing until I watched this 5 min video, "7 minutes of terror". I'll also have to get caught up with Stephen Colbert, who is promoting the rover landing on his show.

The amazing thing is that by the time NASA receives a signal from the craft that it has entered the atmosphere, it will already have been on the surface of Mars for 7 minutes, alive and ready or in pieces.

Tour de Cute

all 786 known planets

Credit: XKCD. Blow this image up and read the middle. Exciting times indeed. It strikes me that this is a very simple, elegant example of why science education is important, and why we must maintain a public commitment  to scientific exploration (read: taxpayer-funded).