Offshore Drilling

 

BOEM Rejects $4.4M In Leases After Critical Federal Report. According to E&E News, “The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) rejected $4.4 million worth of oil and gas industry bids to potentially drill in the Gulf of Mexico from a recent auction that otherwise netted $155. The oil and gas lease sale, one of two sealed bid auctions that Interior holds in the Gulf annually, took place in New Orleans in August (Greenwire, Aug. 21). BOEM staff just completed its review of bids, accepting those it deems to reflect at least the fair market value of the lease area. Four were rejected. The completion of the August lease sale is the first since a Government Accountability Office report published in October criticizing BOEM for sometimes dropping its fair market value threshold to meet lower bids made by industry (Greenwire, Oct. 24). GAO reported that if those bids were rejected by BOEM for being too low and were offered again in future lease sales, the bids would likely increase to meet the agency’s designation. GAO estimated the practice had eliminated $1 billion in revenue over the last 18 years. BOEM has defended its practices and its confidence in determining resources value. BOEM spokesman John Filostrat said the four bids were rejected because the agency believed the ‘the high bids weren’t a fair return for the taxpayer based on the geological data on hand.’” [E&E News, 11/27/19 (=)]

 

Ocean Health & Management

 

Protected Areas Safeguard Seas, But Climate Threats Loom. According to E&E News, “From the surface, these 22 square miles of water are unexceptional. But dip beneath the surface — go down 60 or 70 feet — and you’ll find a spectacular seascape. Sponges, barnacles and tube worms cover rocky ledges on the ocean floor, forming a ‘live bottom.’ Gray’s Reef is little more than a drop in the ocean 19 miles off the Georgia coast, but don’t confuse size for significance. In one of his last official acts, President Carter declared the reef a national marine sanctuary at the urging of conservationists who said its abundance of life was unique and worth saving for future generations. For nearly 40 years, the U.S. government has protected the reef, home to more than 200 species of fish and nearly 1,000 kinds of invertebrates. Recreational fishing and diving are allowed, but commercial fishing and other kinds of exploitation are not. Following the lead of the U.S., other nations have designated similar sanctuaries and protected areas, which now cover about 6% of the world’s oceans. Doubts remain about how much of the ocean they can truly save. Last year was the hottest on record for the planet’s oceans, and protected areas can’t slow the biggest source of that warming — increasing greenhouse gases. The federal government says more than 90% of the warming that has occurred on the planet over the past half-century has taken place in the ocean.” [E&E News, 11/26/19 (=)]

 

AP | Citizen Scientists Asked To Photograph King Tides. According to E&E News, “Oregonians are being called to take pictures of the coast this week. For science. CoastWatch volunteer coordinator Jesse Jones says photos of extra high tides happening through tomorrow can help scientists learn how different communities will be affected by climate change. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports photographs taken by citizen scientists and assembled by the Oregon King Tides project can show where the water might be when the oceans rise. The Oregon King Tides project wants pictures from all along the coast to help figure out how to plan for rising seas. In particular, they need photographs of beaches as well as familiar landmarks like jetties, bridges, buildings, roads, sea walls, shorelines, beach infrastructure and estuaries. Jones notes that the most helpful beach pictures are taken facing north or south, so that it’s clear how far in or out the tide has come. Participants can upload the images to the Oregon King Tides website or post them to social media with the hashtags #orkingtides and #kingtides.” [E&E News, 11/27/19 (=)]

 

Op-Ed: Coral Reefs Are Dying And You Can Help. According to The Hill, “Collecting coral sperm and genetically engineering key coral species in the lab are just some of the few ingenious ways scientists are working to protect coral reefs, which are dying off from rising water temperatures and acidity from CO2 emissions. A major contributor to biodiversity and ocean health, reefs are much-needed safe havens for millions of marine species. An ocean without coral reefs is like a landscape devoid of forests. As scientists race to find a solution, it may not seem as if there is much the rest of us can do to help. The Environmental Protection Agency begs to differ. Experts say there are a number of actions everyone should take to safeguard coral reefs and create healthy oceans. Most importantly, we should probably stay away from coral to begin with. But if the lure is too great, divers should act responsibly and look, but not touch. When going for a swim in the ocean we should opt for long-sleeved shirts rather than use sunscreen. Back on shore, the EPA advises all of us to minimize the use of fertilizers in our gardens and install rain barrels to catch water that would otherwise runoff into storm drains — eventually reaching the ocean. Reduce your carbon footprint by choosing public transportation when possible and using energy efficient appliances.” [The Hill, 11/26/19 (+)]

 

Sea-Level Rise

 

Sea Level In The Gulf Of Maine Is Rising. Is This Port City Ready? According to Inside Climate News, “There was one scenario that hadn’t come up in the council meeting—what about sea level rise? If death and taxes are the two sure things in life, I’d argue that rising seas have become a third. (Though how much, of course, still depends on how mankind responds to climate change.) Back at home, I plugged ‘South Portland’ into a tool developed by Climate Central called Surging Seas. It uses models with the best available science (from the 2018 National Climate Assessment) to look at sea level rise and associated risks at a very granular level. The results surprised me. Using a medium scenario for sea level rise, there is a 27 percent chance of at least one flood of 5 feet above the current high tide line happening here between now and 2050. By 2060, that risk jumps to 69 percent. According to Climate Central, a flood of that size would bring water up past some of the tanks owned by Citgo and Global Partners, as well as South Portland Terminal, which partners with Irving and Buckeye Partners. … So, what does that mean? The tanks are designed to keep the contents in—does that mean they can also keep water from intruding? Along the Gulf Coast, petroleum tanks have suffered catastrophic failures in extreme weather. When over 50 inches of rain fell on Houston during Hurricane Harvey, there were failures at 14 tanks with floating roofs, which are meant to rise and fall as the product is filled or depleted. It turned out they were designed to drain just 10 inches of rain in a 24 hour period, and the Harvey rainfall was far higher. The roofs sunk, in some cases allowing the chemicals inside to escape. Other tanks ruptured as flood waters surrounded them. An Associated Press analysis found that more than two dozen storage tanks failed, spilling at least 145,000 gallons of fuel and spewing toxic pollutants into the air.” [Inside Climate News, 11/26/19 (+)]

 

'An Eye-Opener': Virtual Reality Shows Residents What Climate Change Could Do. According to NPR, “Connie Monroe clicks a button, flicks her wrist and watches as her neighborhood floods. The reed-covered shorelines are first to go. Then, the baseball fields at Fleming Park. By the time seawater reaches the senior center, it has inundated streets, flooding more than a dozen multiunit brick homes that she can see. Monroe moves her head up and down, side to side, taking in the sobering simulated view. This is what could happen to Turner Station, a historic African American community southeast of Baltimore, as sea levels rise. ‘Everything’s underwater. The school is underwater. Our house is underwater,’ Monroe says. A frown forms below the bulky gray virtual reality headset covering her eyes. ‘Is the water really supposed to get that high?’ Climate change presents many challenges to coastal communities and to those trying to prepare for its impacts, but one of the most basic is also one of the most vexing: How do you show people — and convince them — of a possible future?” [NPR, 11/24/19 (=)]

 

Santa Cruz Brings Virtual View To Climate Change Conversation. According to Santa Cruz Sentinel, “The tide is changing when it comes to the conversation about climate change, and Tim Robbins had a virtual bird’s eye view of the issue Monday. Robbins, who lives outdoors, already has had more of a run-in than he cared for with the fickle whims of Mother Nature. In September 2013, he was forced to move from Colorado after monsoon-level heavy rains flooded him out of the mountains and his former home. Robbins said he pays close attention to the climate change discussion, and how most people think only in terms of regional warming instead of global warming. Which was why it took little prompting for Robbins to sit himself down at a table newly set up near the entrance to the Santa Cruz Public Libraries Downtown branch and strap on a high-tech Oculus Quest wireless headset and goggles at the newly-launched Virtual Reality Sea Level Rise Explorer exhibit. Robbins said afterward that he had never used a virtual reality device before Monday and that the experience was fun. ‘It was quite realistic, especially the aerial view,’ Robbins said. ‘You really feel like you’re in this blimp. It was a trip.’” [Santa Cruz Sentinel, 11/27/19 (=)]

 

A New Virtual Reality Experience Immerses You In A Climate Changed Future. According to The Hill, “Last week, Marylanders watched their community flood. Sea level rose at Turner Station in Baltimore, and water submerged homes and schools in the area. Residents were frightened and confused as they took in the devastation. The good news: it was a simulation. The bad news: this virtual reality is a warning of tides to come. This simulation is courtesy of the virtual reality company Virtual Planet. The company plans to help combat climate change, but through a different method: by getting people to experience it. Juliano Calil, a Virtual Planet co-founder and climate researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, wanted to immerse people in the environmental consequences of climate change. ‘Our main objective is to start a meaningful conversation about climate change,’ he says, ‘and come up with solutions.’ Calil found that the most effective way to catalyze dialogue was through sophisticated virtual reality. Vision is a powerful sense, and the immersive element that virtual reality offers has led to it being used across multiple fields, including job training, video gaming, and even art. Calil understood this, and set out to make his app as interactive as possible with the hope that it will increase learning and knowledge retention about climate change and the local region. Specifically, Calil wanted to see the effects of the medium on people’s choices when it comes to preserving a resident’s local environment. His big question is: ‘Does virtual reality technology have an impact on decisions of how to conserve the environment?’” [The Hill, 11/27/19 (=)]

 

 

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