public land use

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New Wind Turbine Projects

Flaccus, G. (2023, December 5). Sale jumpstarts floating, offshore wind power in US waters. Retrieved January 25, 2024, from AP News website: https://apnews.com/article/business-california-wind-power-climate-and-environment-82bb858c275f3dbb13852522fdf5b680

 

There are an exponentially increasing amount of wind turbine projects happening miles off of shore. There is projected to be 150 times the amount of wind turbines in the ocean in 2030 than there are now. And the turbines are huge with some of them being the size of the Eiffel Tower. They are planned to sit on large floating triangle platforms that are anchored to the bottom of the ocean. While England has several of these projects in the North Sea, the United States are just beginning to jump on these huge possibilities that could end up producing 19 gigawatts of energy.

 

I think projects like this one are extremely important to the future of renewable energy. Two of the main problems with renewable energy technology is that they are too expensive and there is not a lot of room for them. But these wind turbines are in the ocean far enough away from civilization to not affect it, and it is 60% cheaper to build them now than in 2021. This project is a great adaptation to the environment and a potential big solution to slowing climate change.

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Polis’ land use bill aimed to blunt climate change. Conservation groups say watering it down is a ‘huge disappointment’

Minor, N. (2023, April 29). Polis’ land use bill aimed to blunt climate change. Conservation groups say watering it down is a ‘huge disappointment.’ Colorado Public Radio. https://www.cpr.org/2023/04/28/polis-land-use-bill-aimed-to-blunt-climate-change-conservation-groups-say-watering-it-down-is-a-huge-disappointment/

 

A zoning bill allowing for higher-density housing in Colorado was deemed controversial. The SB23-213 has been revised for more support, resulting in what some say are key aspects of the bill being removed. Higher-density developments and housing have directly been linked to a lower carbon footprint. A portion allowing a higher population density and laxer parking laws in certain areas has been taken out. The result is a half-stripped bill that holds much smaller promises than were previously supported. 

 

There’s a call for a statewide approach, but I wonder what state-led zoning support would look like. Especially in relation to population growth and land development. There are arguments to be made that more land zoning laws would result in slower development and fall behind in sufficient housing for the population, further exacerbating the cost of living and limited housing crisis. All of these must be taken into consideration when deciding on this type of legislation. Human safety, health, and even economic developments are the priority and will be held to a higher degree of importance in decision-making before any decisions are made on climate change. 

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US biofuel policy must recognize land use tradeoffs

The Hill.  (2023, April 21). US biofuel policy must recognize land use tradeoffs. https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/3962812-us-biofuel-policy-must-recognize-land-use-tradeoffs/

 

Fifteen years ago, biofuels were set up to be the dominant renewable energy source of the future, but today, they are rarely utilized. Corn ethanol and other biofuels were hopeful but failed to become widespread. Instead, solar power and other electricity-driven power have dramatically dropped in cost and have become the preferred method for renewable energy by most sectors. The amount of land used in order to grow biofuel becomes very lacking in efficiency. 

 

The overall efficiency of biofuel is questionable, but given the lack of positive results could continue to drive down in popularity until a potential breakthrough occurs. If federal support for biofuel continues, it could be a viable option. EVs and solar power have been heavily encouraged federally and are the reason for their explosion in popularity. A similar support in research could yield positive results.  Water usage is also important to note, innovations would have to be implemented to avoid water waste due to agriculture’s already resource-intensive nature. 

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Land use policies can reduce carbon emissions

Castillo, A. (2023, May 4). Report: Land use policies can reduce carbon emissions – American City and County. American City and County. https://www.americancityandcounty.com/2023/04/17/report-land-use-policies-can-reduce-carbon-emissions/

 

Around 70-90% of residential property is single-family detached homes. The emergence of suburb-style infrastructure is very energy intensive and requires driving more average miles to complete daily activities and discourages walkable infrastructure. A reform must be made in order to accommodate denser zoning, of which increasing height limitations and decreasing the number of parking spaces is dedicated. This slowly transitions to a goal of creating the right infrastructure to support public transportation and trends in higher-density housing.

 

According to the EPA’s 2021 report, the transportation sector is responsible for more than a quarter of national greenhouse gas emissions annually. While a car-dependent culture can be to blame, it originated for a reason. Suburbs became fairly sparse and wide resulting in long distances having to be driven instead. A historical lack of support federally for multifamily housing and public transportation has now added some strain on the total emissions caused by everyday people. In general, I think most sectors can lower carbon emissions by implementing the most efficient (cost to return) strategies that happen to work well on a variety of subjects, but I know policy is tricky and easily influenced. There is a lot of money to be made in the energy sector – and all the others dependent on it. 

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USDA invests $7.4 million in 25 urban agriculture and innovation production efforts

USDA. (2023, July 18). USDA invests $7.4 million in 25 urban agriculture and innovative production efforts. https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2023/07/18/usda-invests-74-million-25-urban-agriculture-and-innovative

 

Competitive grants, now totaling more than 7 million dollars are being used to fund and encourage urban agricultural development. With an emphasis on funding only the most successful applicants, community gardens, producers, and other non-profits have been among a select few to receive support from the USDA. Some explicit goals are to assist in food equity, education, and the general support of urban agriculture and forestry. Long-term business ideas are being developed, showing a hopeful future of urban agriculture.

 

The US has been very accustomed to large agricultural plots, that still make up the vast majority of what most consume. I wonder what the total carbon footprint would look like of a larger-scale urban agricultural area, or if the goal is to have many smaller community-driven gardens. There are multiple benefits that are both cost-effective and serving to the community. I’m interested to see how this can grow in popularity and potentially reduce carbon emissions from heat islands as well.

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What Biden’s proposed conservation law would mean for America’s most vulnerable public lands

Rodriguez, C. (2023, June 22). What Biden’s proposed conservation rule would mean for America’s most vulnerable public lands. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/what-bidens-proposed-conservation-rule-would-mean-for-americas-most-vulnerable-public-lands/

 

A proposed Conservation Rule under the Biden administration would give the land under the Bureau of Land Management more protection for conservation, recreation, and restoration purposes. Currently, only about 14 percent of the land managed by the BLM has sufficient protection (about 200 million acres unprotected). Most of the land is available for extractive industries. The goal is for the BLM to encourage restoration, community benefit (including future tribal co-stewardship), and responsible development, including compensatory mitigation if needed as well as conservation leases, in which a third party requests the BLM to support restoration or mitigation. 

 

While it sounds beneficial for many reasons, I wonder if there will be any drawbacks to energy-driven sectors, or if a transition to more renewable energy is enough to account for our energy consumption. Most of the land is up for lease for mining and drilling. To my knowledge, the BLM won’t alter current law but will act as more of a facilitator, as most of the language describing explicit actions the Beareu is very vague. I’m interested in seeing the numerical data with the possible benefits it can have with oxygen production and population restoration since those are the main two effects of hostile extractive industries.

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Wetlands Restoration Approved after Hearing

Cherveny, T. (2021, August 3). Renville County approves small wetland restoration in County Ditch 66. West Central Tribune. https://www.wctrib.com/news/government-and-politics/7132379-Renville-County-approves-small-wetland-restoration-in-County-Ditch-66. 

After two hearings, the wetland restoration, spanning one acre, was approved by the Renville County Board of Commissions. In order to approve the restoration, the benefits of the restoration project needed to be shown. The restoration of the wetlands will provide positive environmental impacts, by reducing sedimentation and pollutants reaching the Minnesota River. Additionally, it will be an area where wildlife can prosper. Positive private impacts also needed to be proved. Proponents of the project stated that the additional wetlands will improve the drainage of the local area, an issue that has cost millions of dollars in recent years.

The article focused on the struggle that proponents of the restoration project had to face. In order for the project to be approved not only did the environmental benefits need to be shown, but also the benefits of private citizens of the area. This showed to me how often the environmental impacts are not the only things that are considered when a project like this is either approved or denied. Oftentimes it comes down to things like the benefits for citizens living in or near the area and financial issues.

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Klamath Tribe’s Wetlands Being Restored

Alexandra Feller Herald and News/Snowden Intern. (2021, August 3). ODOT to restore wetland with Klamath Tribes. Herald and News. https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/odot-to-restore-wetland-with-klamath-tribes/article_544a723c-df6c-5fc6-ac3b-3a778db68731.html. 

The Klamath Tribe’s wetlands have suffered and are completely dry. However, the Oregon Department of Transportation, or ODOT, has agreed to restore the former wetlands. This restoration project will not only give the tribe the water body that they once had, it will also help a couple of endangered fish species that have suffered as of late. Once the wetlands has reached equilibrium, endangered fish will be released into the wetlands, hopefully allowing the endangered species to flourish.

The article described a project that had been undertaken by the Oregon Department of Transportation. It described an issue that was affecting the Klamath Tribe and endangered species of fish and it explained what the ODOT was doing to help them. The project centered around the restoration of the now dried up wetlands that were a part of the Klamath Tribe’s land. My reaction to the article was gratitude for the organization that was helping the Tribe and a more positive outlook on the ways that people are affecting the environment. I was happy for the Tribe, because the wetlands have such a large impact on their lives.

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Wisconsin Wetlands Restoration Underway

Eric Peterson, F. O. X. 11 N. (2021, August 9). Wetlands restoration project taking shape along the lakeshore. WLUK. https://fox11online.com/news/local/wetlands-restoration-project-taking-shape-along-the-lakeshore. 

In Manitowoc county, a wetlands restoration project is underway. The land was originally owned by the Henry family, who, a few years ago, donated the land to the Woodland Dunes Nature Center. After observing the land for a couple years, the Department of Natural Resources Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust, who oversaw the project, restored the land to its original state. The land is still not available for public use, however in just a couple years it should be completely public.

The article explained how a project that was meant to restore wetlands in Wisconsin was going. The article explained the process of the restoration and the current state that the restoration was in. This article showed a way in which we can restore wetlands. My reaction to the article was impressed by the generosity of the family that donated the land. It showed me that there are still people out there that care for the environment and are willing to make the necessary changes to aid the environment.

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New Zealand’s Battle Against Invasive Species

Arnold, Naomi. “An Island Nation’s Audacious Effort to Save Its Unique Wildlife.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 4 Jan. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2020/12/31/island-nation-unique-wildlife/. 

 

New Zealand plans to completely eradicate all mammalian predators, specifically invasive species, in its ongoing multimillion dollar plan “Predator Free 2050”. As one could have guessed, the plan is supposed to end in 2050, which shows New Zealand’s degree of ambition. One island of the New Zealand Coast, Coal island, has faced the implementations of the plan first-hand. Around the 1800’s, a mammal called a stoat was introduced to the region. The original intention of introducing stoats to Coal Island was to kill off the overrun rabbit population, and naturally the mammal soon became a top predator in the region. After the rabbit population died out, Stouts began targeting animals like seabirds, and even the famous Kakapo Parrot. Despite this setback, New Zealand isn’t new to eradicating invasive species. New Zealanders originally eradicate mice from the region by dropping poison cereal across the island. While the plan is still working out, this hasn’t stopped a persistent population of stouts to survive. Climate change has also  introduced a new, warmer climate into areas previously unreachable by stouts, causing them to expand their existing habitats. A project is also going on to introduce haast tokoeka kiwis, a “nationally critical” near-extinct species into the area. While the birds should be able to fend off stoats and populate, this will take a while to happen. 

 

Perhaps the most significant aspect of this article is how hard it can be to extract invasive species from a region. Stoats populated the region incredibly quickly since they were an alpha predator in the region, due to their ability to hunt the overpopulated rabbits of Coal Island. One may also highlight the fact that Stoats are only one of tons of other species introduced to non-native areas, especially in the past. Many people of the past accidentally introduced invasive species through international trade or didn’t consider the effects they would have on the future, resulting in tons of near-extinct animals and destroyed ecosystems.