In order to slow global warming, they are dumping more than a thousand liters of poop into the sea | Environmental Trumpet

Hello everyone, this is the 23rd issue of the Environmental Trumpet column. In this issue, we have collected the following environmental research and news worth reading:

1) People are dumping manure into the ocean to slow global warming

2) There are some rules for planting trees. Planting trees in the wrong place can be bad for the environment.

3) Singapore uses sewage to brew beer due to lack of fresh water

4) How does the galvanized roof in Paris turn the house into an oven?

5) Tuvalu, rebuilding a nation in a virtual universe

Dumping manure into the sea?

Hey, this is a savory environmental trumpet. The WhaleX Foundation in Australia is an organization that seeks to dump feces into the ocean to slow climate change. As early as 2021, WhaleX and researchers dumped more than 300 liters of feces into the ocean. Recently, they plan to dump more feces into the Tasman Sea near Australia in 2025 - the total amount will be about 5 times that of the last time, to increase the ocean's carbon sequestration capacity .

Don’t worry, the feces here are not human poop, but “artificial feces” that are carefully prepared to imitate the composition of whale feces .

This is what a whale poop looks like｜Franco Banfi

Why whale poop? Whale poop is rich in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, which are beneficial to the growth of phytoplankton in the ocean. Phytoplankton can absorb a large amount of carbon dioxide while growing. When the phytoplankton die, the carbon they store sinks to the seafloor with them, thus achieving carbon sequestration.

Because the water pressure is so high in the ocean, whales tend to poop near the surface | Tony Wu/naturepl.com

However, due to commercial whaling and other reasons, the number of whales in the ocean has been greatly reduced. Correspondingly, they poop less on the ocean surface, affecting the ocean's ability to fix carbon, which is why researchers are trying to "replicate" whale feces. The artificial feces designed by the WhaleX team are mainly composed of nitrogen, and are doped with trace elements such as phosphorus, iron, and silicon dioxide to restore the composition of whale feces as much as possible.

This time, they plan to place the artificial feces and seawater in a floating container, cultivate phytoplankton, and then release the feces full of phytoplankton into the ocean. However, some people are worried that the risk of algal blooms in the ocean may increase with the release of so much feces and phytoplankton.

Planting the wrong trees can also exacerbate global warming

There are also some considerations for planting trees! A recent article published in Nature Geoscience pointed out that in high-latitude areas , planting trees may actually accelerate global warming.

In snowy areas, trees appear darker than before | Mathilde le Moullec, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources

The Arctic and its surrounding areas are covered with ice and snow all year round. This snowy land is called tundra. It reflects the sun's rays back into the sky like a mirror, effectively avoiding the accumulation of local heat.

If trees are planted in a place like the tundra, their dark leaves and branches will shade the bright white ground , and when the sun shines, the forest will actually help the land absorb more heat.

The climate impact of planting trees in different regions is also different. In the picture, planting trees closer to blue is conducive to cooling, and planting trees closer to red is less conducive to cooling | SciTechDaily.com

Planting trees in these places will also speed up the decomposition of carbon by microorganisms in the soil, breaking the carbon cycle originally established in the region and releasing more carbon. In addition, as extreme disasters such as wildfires and droughts become more frequent in the Arctic, the survival of the trees themselves is also at risk. When trees die, the carbon they fix will also escape into the atmosphere, exacerbating global warming.

Planting trees not only requires attention to location, but also diversity. Researchers have previously found that the more diverse the trees planted , the better the carbon sequestration effect. Tropical rainforests are a good example - different trees have different "tastes" for environmental resources, and everyone takes what they need. While making full use of resources, it also reduces competition and is more conducive to growth and carbon sequestration.

Singapore uses sewage to brew beer

Singaporean company NEWBrew has launched beer brewed with purified sewage and put it on its booth at COP29 (the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference).

NEWBrew's beer has an alcohol content of 5.0%. | AP Photo/Peter Dejong

As one of the most densely populated countries in the world, Singapore has very limited surface water resources , very few large rivers and lakes, and its groundwater resources are not optimistic either.

Therefore, for Singapore, sewage is also a potential water resource. As long as it undergoes a reasonable treatment process, sewage can be turned into recycled water for people to recycle.

NEWBrew's Modern Pilsner is brewed using Singapore's purified sewage, also known as recycled water (NEWater). The beer has citrus and tropical fruit flavors and tastes light and cool. Most people can hardly tell it's made with recycled water when drinking it . As a limited-edition beer, it's produced in about 5,000 litres, which works out to about 15,000 cans.

In addition to Singapore, some breweries in Germany, the United States and other countries also recycle wastewater and use purified recycled water to brew beer.

Galvanized roofs in Paris,

How to turn a house into an oven?

In Paris, some old houses still retain traces of history on their roofs - galvanized roofs , which are roofs made of metal zinc. In the 19th century, urban planner Georges-Eugène Haussmann vigorously promoted the installation of galvanized roofs. He believed that galvanized roofs were not only low in cost, but also durable, light, windproof and easy to install. Until now, more than 60% of the roofs in Paris are still traditional galvanized roofs, and the French government once tried to apply for galvanized roofs to be listed as a world heritage site.

However, as global warming continues to intensify and temperatures in Europe continue to rise, the disadvantages of galvanized roofs have become increasingly prominent: roofs can absorb a lot of heat, causing the risk of overheating of buildings .

Galvanized roof | EBU FRFT

Studies have found that galvanized roofs heat the surrounding air, making the top floor much warmer than the day's temperature . Even at night, the top floor is still about 6 degrees Celsius hotter than the lower floors.

Living in such a house is like being in an oven. According to reports, on July 30 this year, the surface temperature of the galvanized roof in Paris reached 67°C, and the temperature inside the top floor house was 47°C.

Galvanized roofs account for 66.4% of the total roof area in Paris, according to urban planning agency Apur | AFP

To adapt to climate change, people try to install insulation, or make wooden roof covers to prevent the sun from hitting the metal.

Tuvalu, rebuilding a nation in a virtual universe

Does a country still exist without territory?

Under the influence of climate change, sea levels continue to rise. Tuvalu, one of the island nations in the Pacific Ocean, is facing a catastrophe. According to an assessment report by NASA, by 2050, most of the country's land may be submerged by sea water. The ocean, the beach, the forests, everything in this country is gradually moving away from people.

Tuvalu, located in the Pacific Ocean, is also a beautiful island country | Government of Tuvalu

In 2022, Tuvalu's foreign minister said at the COP27 summit that in order to adapt to the challenges of climate change, the government began to consider digitizing the country's appearance . In this way, even if the country is submerged by sea water, it will still be with people in the digital network.

Tuvalu's Foreign Minister gave a speech at COP27 using the country's virtual background in 2022 | iTnews

According to international law, a country needs territory to exist. Tuvalu may become the first "country" in the world to break this rule. It has reached an agreement with more than 20 countries and regions that even if Tuvalu is completely submerged, the country's national sovereignty will still exist.

At present, Tuvalu has completed 3D LiDAR scanning of all its islands and started to use drones and other aerial equipment to reproduce the scenes above the city and streets. The local government also invited residents to participate in the process of national digitization and back up their most precious memories - whether it is an emotional object, a festive dance, or a story passed down from generation to generation - to the digital network.

Tuvalu has created a webpage to appeal to the world for its digitalization | Branding in Asia

In order to better resettle the country's people, Tuvalu signed relevant treaties with Australia, allowing the country's people to immigrate to Australia to live and helping them obtain citizenship.

References

[1]https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/scientists-are-crafting-fake-whale-poop-and-dumping-it-in-the-ocean-180985436/

[2]https://scitechdaily.com/planting-trees-in-the-wrong-places-could-actually-speed-up-global-warming-scientists-warn/

[3]https://www.ecowatch.com/forests-tree-species-biodiversity-carbon-capture.html

[4]https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/11/21/sewage-is-the-secret-ingredient-in-singapores-beer-a-country-with-no-natural-water-resourc

[5]https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/11/23/paris-historic-zinc-roofs-create-an-oven-effect-this-invention-keeps-residents-cool

[6]https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241121-tuvalu-the-pacific-islands-creating-a-digital-nation-in-the-metaverse-due-to-climate-change

[7] https://www.tuvalu.tv/

Author: Xiao Xiaoze

Edited by: Yellowtail Pollock