Ocean Mixing That Drives Climate Found In Surprise Location. According to The Washington Post, “One of the key drivers of the world’s climate is an area in the North Atlantic Ocean where warmer and colder water mix and swirl. When scientists went for their first close look at this critical underwater dynamo, they found they were looking in the wrong place. By hundreds of miles. The consequences are not quite yet understood, but eventually it could change forecasts of one of the worst-case global warming scenarios — still considered unlikely this century — in which the mixing stops and climate chaos ensues. It’s called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation , and scientists describe it as a giant ocean conveyor belt that moves water from Greenland south to beyond the tip of Africa and into the Indian Ocean. Warm, salty water near the surface moves north and mixes with cold, fresher water near Greenland. As that water cools and sinks it drives a slow circulation of the oceans that is critical to global climate, affecting the location of droughts and frequency of hurricanes. It also stores heat-trapping carbon dioxide deep in the ocean. The faster it moves, the more warm water gets sent into the depths to cool. The area where warm water turns over in the North Atlantic is considered to be the engine of the conveyor belt. Scientists thought it was in the Labrador Sea west of Greenland.” [The Washington Post, 1/31/19 (+)]

 

Betting $1M Off N.J. Coast Paid Off Big Time. According to E&E News, “Over the past year, US Wind got calls ‘every day’ to sell a lease the energy company bought for $1 million in 2015 in its push to build a wind farm off the New Jersey coast. ‘Each time we’d say no,’ said Salvo Vitale, the company’s chief counsel, but the offers kept rising. Finally, just before the year ended, they hit a level the company couldn’t resist after New Jersey’s new governor, Phil Murphy (D), helped push through a mandate that 50 percent of the Garden State’s power would come from renewable sources by 2030. The result: A $215 million sale of the lease to Électricité de France SA and Royal Dutch Shell PLC last month. It’s a deal that may have marked the start of a new era for energy development in the U.S. Northeast as states rev up green-power mandates to fight global warming, and European energy giants seek to leverage their offshore expertise back home in a rich new market. When New Jersey changed its standards, ‘the value skyrocketed’ for US Wind’s lease, Vitale said by telephone. ‘The signals on policy made it feel like the stock market. Each time news came out on policy, we’d get a call from a bank.’ New Jersey’s not alone in this effort. Concerns about global warming have gained among Northeast states as U.S. officials, under President Trump, have been dismissive. Meanwhile, the cost of building offshore turbines is shrinking as the equipment gets bigger and more powerful, and the supply chain has worked out early kinks.” [E&E News, 2/1/19 (=)]

 

Adidas To Double Production Of Ocean Plastic Trainers In 2019. According to Edie, “Sportswear giant Adidas has confirmed that it will produce more than twice as many pairs of trainers made using ocean plastic this year than it did in 2018, as consumer demand for products and packaging free from virgin plastic grows. Last year, the firm produced more than five million pairs of its Parley trainers, which contain 95% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics sourced from ocean and beach clean-ups. This week, it has confirmed plans to manufacture around 11 million pairs of the shoes before the end of the year – an increase of more than 100%. The move comes after the company surpassed its 2016 target of selling one million pairs of the shoes one year early. The UltraBOOST trainers, produced in partnership with marine conservation organisation Parley For The Oceans, contain around five recycled 500ml bottles’ worth of plastic per shoe. The upper part of the trainers is made from 100% PCR plastic yarn, while the 3D-printed soles and midsoles are made from recycled polyester and fill net content.” [Edie, 2/1/19 (=)]

 

 

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