CitiesGoGreen - January 2009 - (Page 8) Storing Carbon Dioxide “It’s a little bit like setting a coal seam on fire,” said Peter Keleman, professor of Earth and Environmental Science at Columbia University, in an article in MIT’s Technology Review. “You’re taking rocks that haven’t been exposed to the atmosphere, and you’re oxidizing them very fast.” It sounds alarming but the effect is that massive quantities of carbon dioxide are actually absorbed by the mineral of interest, peridotite. In nature it already absorbs tens of thousands of metric tonnes of CO2 per year. By drilling into outcrops that extend 5 km beneath the earth’s surface in some places and cracking the rock to create more surface area, the result could be sequestering as much as 4 billion tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide annually. Kelemen and fellow researcher Juerg Matter of Columbia University calculated that one cubic kilometer of rock could “store a billion tons of carbon dioxide per year.” Kelemen and Juerg did their studies in Oman. California, New Guinea, Greece and Croatia have known deposits on the surface as well. Cities should prioritize green space to improve residents’ health and wellbeing. That’s the conclusion of a study published in the Lancet, summarized by the BBC. Researchers from two Scottish universities found that even small green areas close to where people live reduce their risk of fatal diseases, especially heart attacks and strokes. Parks, woodland or other open space nearby also reduce “health inequality,” the likelihood that people living in poorer areas will be less healthy and die sooner. The researchers noted that other studies have found a link between contact with natural areas and reductions in blood pressure and stress levels. Dr. Terry Hartig from Uppsala University in Sweden wrote in an accompanying article, “Green space does more than ‘pretty up’ the environment—it appears to have real effects on health inequality, of a kind that politicians and health authorities should take seriously.” Add your comments and ideas at CitiesGoGreen.com Photo courtesy AreYouMyNik-flickr.com Parks Really Are Healthy Bike-sharing Race: Europe Laps World—Canada, US Gearing Up It’s said that in Europe there are two kinds of mayors: those with a bicycle-sharing program and those who want one. Paris, with 20,000 bikes, and Barcelona, with 6,000 bikes, average 10 riders per bike per day. Lyon estimates its bike-sharing program has saved up to 8,000 tons of CO2 emissions since 2005. Google has a map of bikesharing programs around the 8 world, with links to the local programs and their websites. Smart card technology is key. Transactions take seconds, and riders can return bikes to any station. Fees are low, encouraging people to choose the bikes over motorized options. “I use it every day to commute—everyone uses it.” said one Barcelona resident in an article in the International Herald Tribune. Issues like longer distances, insurance concerns, and a preference for helmets have slowed adoption in North American cities, but a growing number, such as Toronto with Bixi (short for “bicycle-taxi”), are developing programs or looking at them. Consultant MetroBike has a bike-sharing blog covering bike-sharing program developments. January 2009 Photo © hirondellecanada Peridotite sample. Photo courtesy University of Cape Town Urban Heat Islands Sweatier and smoggier, using more air conditioning, heating up stormwater and upsetting aquatic systems: that’s the Urban Heat Island, caused by cities absorbing and giving off more heat than natural areas. The Environmental Protection Agency’s website has information on strategies cities can use to reduce the problem, and other useful resources, including free quarterly webcasts on urban heat island issues. http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/inmotion/parks-really-are-healthy http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(08)61689-X/abstract http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(08)61689-X/abstract http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(08)61689-X/abstract http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/inmotion/storing-carbon-dioxide http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7714950.stm http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com http://www.AreYouMyNik-flickr.com http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/inmotion/urban-heat-islands http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/index.htm http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/webcasts.htm http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/webcasts.htm http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/inmotion/bike-sharing-race-europe-laps-world-canada-us-gearing-up http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com/ http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=104227318304000014160.00043d80f9456b3416ced&ll=43.580391,-42.890625&spn=143.80149,154.6875&z=1&source=embed http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/09/europe/pedal.php http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=104227318304000014160.00043d80f9456b3416ced&ll=43.580391,-42.890625&spn=143.80149,154.6875&z=1&source=embed http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/09/europe/pedal.php http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com
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