How to see the Milky Way

This looks exactly like the place where I regularly put in my kayak.  It's a still winter night, the mouth of the river is off to the right leading into a larger body of water.  The glow of a nearby town only slightly illuminating the horizon behind the evergreens.  No other lights around which creates a night free of light pollution.  And the Milky Way looms above like a massive space creature. 

The winter sky is filled with bright stars.  In fact, seven of the twelve brightest stars visible from Earth (not counting the Sun) shine in winter.  It is one of the best times to star-gaze. 

This band on the sky is the profile of our spiral galaxy seen edge-on from inside it. 

It's a picture by Dan Stodola, and it could be a picture of where I live.  But, sadly, it's not.  I have never seen the Milky Way from my home.  There is just too much light pollution. 

Perhaps two-thirds of the world's population can no longer look upward at night and see this amazing sight.

The Milky Way is dimming as a result of light pollution: the inadvertent illumination of the atmosphere from street lights, outdoor advertising, homes, schools, airports and other sources.  Every night billions of bulbs send their energy skyward where microscopic bits of matter - air molecules, airborne dust, and water vapor droplets - reflect much of the wasted light back to Earth.  Currently, the only way to view the Milky Way with the naked eye is to be about 100 miles from the nearest metropolitan area, or to be around low light pollution. 

Comparison showing the effects of light pollution on viewing the sky at night. The southern sky featring Sagittarius and Scorpius. Top image shows the sky from Leamington, Utah (population 217). Bottom image shows Orem, Utah (a metropolitan area with a population of around 400,000).

There are three types of light pollution:

1. Sky Glow - The orange glow seen over towns caused by upwardly directed or reflected light. 
2. Light Trespass - Any light shining where it is not needed.
3. Dazzle - Excessively bright and misdirected light.

All three can be eradicated using capped lights that do not shine upwards into the sky.  We need lighting to guide us after dark and for safety, but we do not need light that shines upwards into night skies. 

In recent years engineers have developed more efficient bulbs with "sky friendly" fixtures that can preserve dark skies and decrease energy costs.  Here's an example of "good" vs "bad":

GOOD - Post-top ornamental fixtures can minimize light pollution via a lamp reflector located above the bulb. 

BAD - Non-cutoff fixtures like this "acorn" ornamental lamp causes light pollution.

GOOD - Flat-lens cobra head fixtures provide excellent roadway lighting with greatly reduced glare and no uplight. 

BAD - The ubiquitious drop-lens cobra head luminaire produces a level of glare and uplight that is both unacceptable and unnecessary. 

I can still see Orion from home because it's one of the brightest constellations.  But even brilliant Orion will eventually fade if poorly-designed lights proliferate. 

It's a big loss, too.  Young sky watchers (like myself years ago) grow up to be scientists, explorers, poets, philosophers, and school teachers.  But kids aren't likely to watch or be inspired by... a blank sky. 

The point of raising awareness of light pollution is that it touches many areas of people's lives, from simply not being able to see the natural heritage of a starry night sky to affecting the habits of animals, energy consumption, economic resources, and astronomical research. 

This image of Earth's city lights was created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operationsl Linescan System (OLS).  Originally designed to view clouds by moonlight, the OLS is also used to map the locations of permanent lights on the Earth's surface.  If you're like me, you can easily pin-point where you live and notice that it's surrounded by bright lights.

The Milky Way's visibility, or lack of it, is the easiest measure of your sky's light pollution - the glow from all the poorly designed and improperly aimed outdoor light fixtures for dozens of miles around.  If they illuminated only the ground as their installers intended, rather than wasting some of their light uselessly sideways and upward, we could not only save many megawatts of electricity, but the world's view of the starry universe would be vastly improved.

The best way to avoid light pollution is to turn off exterior lights.  However, there are times at which you'll need some lighting outside at night.  Turning on the flood lights when you leave for a night out so you'll be able to see your way to the door when you come home is not only a waste of energy, but doing so can be an annoyance to your neighbors as your lights fill the night sky and their lawn with unwanted bright light. 

Motion Detector Lights



Avoid this problem by insatlling motion detector lights on the exterior of your home.  You can still turn on the ligts when you leave for the evening, but they will only come on when the motion detector picks up movement in the driveway or around the house.  When your car pulls into the driveway, for example, the lights will come on long enough for you to get inside.  In additon, these lights are a good security measure to deter intruders.  Just make sure you get the ones that face downward and not out. 

Landscape Lighting



Landscape lighting is subtle and adds to the beauty of the walkways around your home.  These inexpensive lights are also likely to be energy efficient.  Many of these types are solar powered, storing energy from the day's sunlight to power them. 

Dome-covered Lights

If your home's exterior must have several lights that stay on for extended periods in the evening, investing in domed fixtures to cut down on the light pollution is a good idea.  Since light rays go out in every direction from the source, blocking their path with a dome on top of the bulbs will prevent much of the light from shining into the sky.  The domes may actually intensify these lights (especially if they are mirrored inside) and cause ground lighting to be brighter (which allows you to use a lower wattage bulb, therefore less energy used), but the sky will be much darker having them in place. 

If we could all be responsible with our use of exterior lights - from our homes and businesses to the street lights from the Department of Transportation - anyone in the world be able to just step outside at night and be greeted with the glorious vision of our Milky Way.

The fact that it also saves energy is a win/win situation. 

Photo: Larry Landolfi http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071020.html

Price of One Hamburger Revisited

I have recently been under fire about a popular post that I wrote titled "The True Price of One Hamburger."  Particularly the part where I mention: "It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce one pound of hamburger."  Some people apparently do not believe this.  As a matter of fact, I was told to "check my math" because that amount of water would obviously be for tons of beef!

So, I checked my math. 

But I didn't do it alone.  I backed up my research with several other environmental professionals:
John Robbins - founder of EarthSave.
David Pimentel - Professor of Ecology and Agricultural Science at Cornell University.
Laura Westra - Professor of Environmental Studies at Sarah Lawrence College.
Reed Noss - President of the Society for Conservation Biology.

And we all agreed that I was wrong!  It does not take 2500 gallons of water to produce one pound of hamburger....

It takes 12,009 GALLONS to produce one pound of beef!  Here's the breakdown:

Potatoes  60 gallons/pound

Wheat  108 gallons/pound

Corn  168 gallons/pound

Rice  229 gallons/pound

Soybeans  240 gallons/pound

Beef  12,009 gallons/pound

Please note that the figures for producing a pound of beef represent water used over a 2+ year period, as food cattle are generally slaughtered before they are 2-years-old.  Dairy cattle may live 4 years before being turned into burgers, and range cattle live to 5 or 6. 

As is clearly illustrated by these figures, it takes roughly 200 times the water to grow a pound of beef than to grow a pound of potatoes. 

Professor Pimentel explained it best, "The data we had indicated that a beef animal consumed 100kg of hay and 4kg of grain per 1kg of beef produced.  Using the basic rule that it takes about 1000 liters of water to produce 1kg of hay and grain, thus about 100,000 liters were required to produce the 1 kg of beef." 

According to the USDA, one pound of ground lean beef has 1197.5 calories and one pound of potatoes contains 288 calories.  To get roughly the same number of calories from potatoes as you do from a pound of beef, you would need 4.15 pound of potatoes.  So that's 249 gallons of water for 4.15 pounds of potatoes versus 12,009 gallons of water for the pound of beef - in order to produce the same number of calories.  In short, it takes nearly 50 times more waer to produce a calorie from beef than it does from potatoes. 

So, now that I have "checked my math"...

Is raising cattle for beef an efficient and fair way to feed the world?

An Annual Phenomenon - The Winter Shed

Caribou and moose shed their antlers every year.  Among the fastest growing organs in the animal kingdom, the antlers can reach a span of six feet (1.8 meters) in roughly three months.  They regrow their antlers each spring after dropping them in winter to conserve energy. 

How to get hugged by a polar bear.

I just recently saw this Nissan commercial.  I love it!  Check it out.  And if you've already seen it... watch it again!



And to put a smile on your face for the rest of your day - here is another cute must see video.  (I couldn't leave it out.)

Quadrantids

My daughter sent me this pic of the 2011 Quadrantids.  I missed them. :(  She and I have had a tradition of standing outside in the early morning hours, freezing, and staring upwards for hours.  We dress warm and hold onto each other.  And, when we see one we jump up and down with excitement.  It keeps us warm and happy.  Sharing the joys of our natural world is an amazing way to spend quality time with the ones you love.

Frozen Sea

This video of the frozen Baltic Sea was shot around Rzucewo, Poland last January.  I don't know what depth it was frozen... just that it felt solid.  The ice was cracked and re-frozen in a number of places and there was a small layer of snow on top, 15 centimeters or less.  There was evidence that someone had ridden at least one ATV vehicle on the ice in the last few weeks.  The temperature in thes video is around -15C and, with windchill, felt like about -22C.  Because the Baltic's salinity levels are quite low it is easier for it to freeze than other seas or oceans but still takes colder and more sustained cold temperatures fo it to freeze than bodies of fresh water. 
camera man: Murray Henson.
Thanks for sharing Murray.

What BP Does Not Want You To See!

Have you started to use renewable energy yet?  Still think drilling for oil is harmless?  Watch this video featuring Philippe Cousteau (grandson of famous explorer Jacques Cousteau) as he describes what he saw as "one of the most horrible things I've ever seen underwater."  "It's a nightmare."

WYCD #6 - Become an Ambassador

What You Can Do for the world's habitat's #6 - Become an EcoLogic Ambassador. 

What is EcoLogic?

EcoLogic is a non profit agency that works with poor, rural communities to help them become better environmental stewards in order to save their forests and water and improve their living conditions.  They put local people in charge of projects, providing them with the tools they need to sustainably manage their natural resources.  EcoLogic currently operates in Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama.

How do I become an Ambassador?

EcoLogic Ambassadors support the organization by making a personal contribution and reaching out to their networks on EcoLogic's behalf.  By hosting a house party, organizing a giving drive, bringing awareness to local schools, town associations, or club chapters, Ambassadors are active members of the outreach effort.  Their efforts provide crucial core operating support and help build awareness in the broader community. 

When you sign up you will receive The Ambassador Toolkit that has been custom designed to make meeting your pledge fun and easy.  For example, it contains excellent advice on planning house parties or small events with a timeline to walk you through the planning process step by step.  And when you host your event, EcoLogic will supply you with slide show presentation, EcoLogic newsletters, annual reports, postcards, and donation envelopes.  You can even have business cards printed with your name and title as an Ambassador.

EcoLogic gets results.

In Belize

• 42,018 acres of coastal wetlands and mangrove forests protected.
• Landmark legal victory achieved for indigenous lands rights for communities buffering the park.
• Five village resource centers built that offer eco-friendly tourism activities coordinated by locals.
• Two river campsites built to further river-based ecotourism development.
• more...

In Guatemala

• 355,780 acres of forest conserved.
• 90,000 trees planted using a new, more effecient reforestation technology.
• 182 clean burning stoves built.
• more...

In Honduras

• 444,790 acres of coastal wilderness under sustainable management or protection.
• 5,000 trees planted in community managed lands.
• 62 communities now involved in microwatershed protection work, covering 16 microwatersheds.
• more...

In Mexico

• 617,763 acres of forest under community management or protection.
• 500 community members trained in watershed protection.
• Communities organized to support fire prevention activities.

Learn more about becoming an EcoLogic Ambassador.

The Ailing Arctic

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a wilderness of 30,685 square miles (80,000 sq km), home to caribou, polar bears, musk oxen, arctic foxes, and grizzlies.  Milliions of birds from over 100 species breed there each year.  Although the Refuge has been protected from development since its foundation in 1960, the proposal to drill for oil on its coastal plain presents a threat to its wildlife, especially to the breeding caribou. 

Rising temperatures and earlier spring melts could expose polar bear cubs, born in snow dens, to the harsh cold of the Arctic too early in their development. 

The deeper causes of many of the problems facing the Arctic, such as global warming and pollution, lie much further to the south, in the industrialized nations, and can only be tackled there. 

Go to Defenders of Wildlife and help save the Arctic.

Visit Humans vs. Habitats to learn more.

WYCD #7 - Have an Inspiring Movie Night

What You Can Do #7 for the world's habitats - Have an Inspiring Movie Night. 

Sometimes people need motivation in order to make even the smallest changes in their daily lives.  One of the best ways to inspire someone towards motivation is through visual aids like - movies.  Here are three of my  favorite conservation inspiring movies.  These will motivate even the most environmentally passive to make sensible changes, and will drive the conservation-minded to find new ways of making a difference. 
Here they are:

1.  Earth


"Disneynature brings you a remarkable story of three animal families on a journey across our planet - polar bears, elephants, and humpback whales.  Earth is both majestic and intimate as it captures rare footage of nature's wildest and most elusive animals." 

2.  Blue Planet


"From the unique vantage point of 200 miles above Earth's surface, we see how natural forces - volcanoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes - affect our world, and how a powerful new force - humankind - has begun to alter the face of the planet.  From Amazon rain forests to Serengeti grasslands, Blue Planet inspires a new appreciation of life on Earth, our only home." 

3.  Planet Earth


"This 11 part series is brilliantly narrated and sensibly organized so that each 50-minute episode covers a specific geographical region and/or wildlife habitat until the entire planet has been magnificently represented by the most astonishing sights and sounds you'll ever experience from the comforts of home.  Without being overtly political, the series maintains a consistent and subtle emphasis on the urgent need for ongoing conservation, best illustrated by the plight of polar bears whose very behavior is changing in the wake of global warming - a phenomenon that this series appropriately presents as scientific fact."

Messing with Mangroves

Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics.  They protect coastal areas from erosion, storm surge (especially during hurricanes), and tsunamis.  Mangrove forests support lichens, orchids, bacteria, and provide nesting sites for birds, and vital nursery and feeding sites fish, crustaceans and other shellfish. 

Florida has an estimated 765 square miles (2000 sq km) of mangrove forests, comprising of three different species: the red, the black and the white mangrove.  During the 20th century large swathes were destroyed as the area was developed, including 44% in Tampa Bay, and 87% of those around Lake Worth.  Even the conservation measures currently adopted in the Everglades National Park are not enough to protect it from water pollution.  Florida's wading birds, which depend on mangroves for their nesting areas, have declined to around 10% of their original level. 

Thailand's mangroves have declined as a result of the timber and charcoal industries, urbanization, agriculture and aquaculture.  In 2004, however, a plan was established to preserve the remaining forests.  The 2004 tsunami underlined to local communities the important role mangroves play in providing protection against surges. 

WYCD #8 - Play Games For Good.

What You Can Do to help the world's habitats #8 - Play Games For Good.  (made for kids, but played by everyone)

There's a recently launched online gaming website out there called Xeko (pronounced "zeeko").  Xeko delivers engaging game play for kids that ignites imaginations and sends the next generations of heroes on an adventure to save the world.  The Xeko motto: Be a Force For Good!

My daughter discovered this game, and ever since, we've been hooked (that's right, both of us).  It's fun.  It's relaxing.  And, realizing that your gaming is making a difference in the real world, it's addicting.  Oh, and for the kids, it's educational (but don't tell them that).

How Xeko Started:

Xeko started out as a collectible card game revolving around endangered species. Launched on Earth Day 2006 it won the Creative Child Magazine 2006 Toy of the Year Award and The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval in its first year.

Xeko is now a Virtual World...

• Where kids play online games that cause good to happen in the real world. 
• Enables kids to learn how to give, how to be good citizens and how to turn their gaming actions into a real world of Good. 
• Has created a new trend in gaming called "Gaming For Good."
• Turns online gaming efforts into tangible offline results through non-profit partners and "Mirrored Gaming."

Mirrored Gaming:

Kids + Online Gaming + Nonprofit = Do GOOD in real world.

• Xeko partners with non-profits to promote causes through online games called "GoodQuests."
• By meeting a collective goal in game, kids activate the donation to the non-profit.
• Mirrored Gaming engages, entertains and rewards kids for making an impact in the real world by immersing them in the needs of real people, animals and the Earth. 
• Kids feel the empowerment and become inspired to see the results and help change our world. 

How kids have helped others through Mirrored Gaming:

• Built 8 homes for 8 families in Honduras.  (Habitat for Humanity)
• Repaired 6 boats to protect sharks and other wildlife from poachers.  (WildAid)
• Planted 2000 trees in Niger.  (PlantIt 2020)
• Helping scientists track polar bear migration in the Arctic. (Polar Bear International)
• Fed 100 under-served families healthy produce in Sacramento.  (Fresh Producers)
• Adopted a panda from an earthquake-affected area in China.  (Pandas International)
• Built one camp in Uganda for kids living with HIV.  (Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation)
• Sending a chronically ill family to a Disney vacation.  (Bert's Big Adventure)

...and the list continues to grow!

Join Xeko now, and Be a Force For Good.