Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Flowers make my day
Haven't posted in a while. Here, have a photo of some succulents in flower in my dorm room.
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Irmagerd, don't panic yet
While Harvey was wreaking havoc on Texas, a tropical wave just off the coast of Africa quietly spun into a tropical storm named Irma. The next day, it became a hurricane, and by the end of that day, a major hurricane, the easternmost Major Hurricane to form in August and the 4th easternmost anytime of the year.
Computer models have been hinting that Irma could affect the US since Irma's birth. Although climatologically, such a strong storm so far out is favored to go harmlessly out to sea, Irma's track is unusual, forced west by strong high pressure. It's also the infamous "I" storm, which have been quite damaging in recent years. Of the 16 "I" storms since 2001, 8 of them have been retired. Interestingly, Irma was selected to replace Irene, which impacted the East Coast in 2011. Storms are retired when the reuse of the name would cause confusion or panic, generally since they have cause major damage.
What we know:
Irma is expected to move WSW over the next 3 days as it approaches the Lesser Antilles (beginning of the Caribbean) before beginning a turn to the WNW. All models have the turn happening early enough that Irma will scrape across the northern islands without entering the Caribbean Sea. However, since the sea temps are warmer there, the storm will also get stronger. Right now the National Hurricane Center predicts a Category 4, but a Category 5 hurricane is not out of the question and has been forecasted by nearly every model (including the GFS and ECMWF). As Irma heads west, its direction should turn more northerly, potentially affecting the Bahamas and other landmasses.
What is to be seen:
We have little idea about which piece(s) of land will be affected in the longer term. Any potential US landfall is more than a week away, somewhere around September 10th or 11th. Computer models are pretty accurate within 5 days so nailing something 9-10 days away would be an absolute miracle so I'm just going to leave them out for now. Currently, it seems that the East Coast of the US is going to feel some effect from Irma. Whether it's just a scrape or a full blown landfall is another story.
Either way, it may be wise to review disaster plans and stock up on some essentials such as water and non-perishable foods. Just in case. I will keep you posted.
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| Hurricane Irma satellite imagery http://tropic.ssec.wisc.edu/# |
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| Retired hurricanes with names staring with "I" since 2001 (Credit: weather.com) |
Irma is expected to move WSW over the next 3 days as it approaches the Lesser Antilles (beginning of the Caribbean) before beginning a turn to the WNW. All models have the turn happening early enough that Irma will scrape across the northern islands without entering the Caribbean Sea. However, since the sea temps are warmer there, the storm will also get stronger. Right now the National Hurricane Center predicts a Category 4, but a Category 5 hurricane is not out of the question and has been forecasted by nearly every model (including the GFS and ECMWF). As Irma heads west, its direction should turn more northerly, potentially affecting the Bahamas and other landmasses.
 |
| Official NHC Forecast issued 11PM EDT, September 2 2017 |
We have little idea about which piece(s) of land will be affected in the longer term. Any potential US landfall is more than a week away, somewhere around September 10th or 11th. Computer models are pretty accurate within 5 days so nailing something 9-10 days away would be an absolute miracle so I'm just going to leave them out for now. Currently, it seems that the East Coast of the US is going to feel some effect from Irma. Whether it's just a scrape or a full blown landfall is another story.
Either way, it may be wise to review disaster plans and stock up on some essentials such as water and non-perishable foods. Just in case. I will keep you posted.
Sunday, May 7, 2017
I hate lawns
Poaceae, the grass family is perhaps the most successful family of plants on earth. Under natural processes, grasslands cover 20-40% of the land surface. In addition, they have managed to make themselves indispensable to the continued growth of the most successful primate species, humans. Six of the top 7 agricultural plants are grasses, including corn, wheat, rice, and barley.We harvested 672 million hectares of grass food crops accounting for 5% of the world's landmass. In comparison, we currently use 11% of the world's land for food production. This is perhaps the most extreme and successful example of mutual coevolution. The plant offers nutrition in exchange for protection and spread.
The grass family is diverse, with species being able to survive from the arctic tundra to the steamy tropics. Grasses tolerate burning, repeated trampling, flooding, grazing, you name it. They are troopers. Just ask the crabgrass in the sidewalk cracks, yet without our help, they would be mostly confined to areas not hospitable to other, typically larger and woodier plants like trees. Mind you the Great Plains, the Siberian Steppes, and the Serengeti account for a pretty large area of the world's land surface. However, in areas with more rainfall or less fires, trees can grow and shade out the grasses. One can say our crops are using us to terraform earth for their needs. Our ability to feed the world comes at the expense of millions of acres of trees and other ecosystems. We have even altered the grasslands themselves. There are only fragments of unplowed prairies, threatening many wildflowers and animals such as Leopold's Silphiums.
Then come the urban areas. There's still grass everywhere in the form of lawns. 80% of yards have a lawn. A lush green lawn evokes the affluence of the European manors that first started the practice of a purely ornamental lawn. Previously short cut grass was maintained by livestock grazing. This crop, with a 40 billion dollar industry around it, is purely decorative and a epic waste. We literally pour rivers into keeping grass green in desert regions. We pollute the air with 2 cycle lawnmowers and the water with pesticides. We poison the entire ecosystem by maintaining the monoculture in the name of the American Way. Grass is boring and wasteful. I find a lawn laced with wildflowers even if it was just violets and dandelions to be much more attractive. My yard is never fertilized or sprayed and every year, more grass is converted into garden space. It's lower maintenence and can serve purposes like vegetable production or runoff collection. It's sort of like how the Creating an Urban Eden class built the bio-swales along Tower Road instead of installing a strip of grass that would have to be replanted yearly.
Maintaining a good-looking monoculture is a never ending drain on resources and time. That's why golf courses are so expensive. It's actually very unhealthy. To keep a lawn green, it has to be in constant growth, which is susceptible to diseases and pests. In addition, the monoculture is like an all you can eat buffet for the pests. The perpetual dead spots near the sidewalk are a combination of trampling and harsh temperature swings. Believe it or not, it's not the winter salt that kills grass but the freeze thaw cycles. On a sunny cold day, the concrete can be 30-40 degrees warmer than the air temperature, melting the soil, but as soon as the sun goes down, the temperature plummets and the grass freezes. Dr. Frank Rossi, who is Cornell's turfgrass specialist conducted research that showed this.
In short, the American Lawn has to die. It's simply not sustainable and there are better things to do with the limited space in urban areas. Even an unmowed wildflower meadow would be able to harbor beneficial insects and wildlife. Or one could make use of the land and grow food. The goal is to improve the urban ecosystem, not continue poisoning the land.
The grass family is diverse, with species being able to survive from the arctic tundra to the steamy tropics. Grasses tolerate burning, repeated trampling, flooding, grazing, you name it. They are troopers. Just ask the crabgrass in the sidewalk cracks, yet without our help, they would be mostly confined to areas not hospitable to other, typically larger and woodier plants like trees. Mind you the Great Plains, the Siberian Steppes, and the Serengeti account for a pretty large area of the world's land surface. However, in areas with more rainfall or less fires, trees can grow and shade out the grasses. One can say our crops are using us to terraform earth for their needs. Our ability to feed the world comes at the expense of millions of acres of trees and other ecosystems. We have even altered the grasslands themselves. There are only fragments of unplowed prairies, threatening many wildflowers and animals such as Leopold's Silphiums.
Then come the urban areas. There's still grass everywhere in the form of lawns. 80% of yards have a lawn. A lush green lawn evokes the affluence of the European manors that first started the practice of a purely ornamental lawn. Previously short cut grass was maintained by livestock grazing. This crop, with a 40 billion dollar industry around it, is purely decorative and a epic waste. We literally pour rivers into keeping grass green in desert regions. We pollute the air with 2 cycle lawnmowers and the water with pesticides. We poison the entire ecosystem by maintaining the monoculture in the name of the American Way. Grass is boring and wasteful. I find a lawn laced with wildflowers even if it was just violets and dandelions to be much more attractive. My yard is never fertilized or sprayed and every year, more grass is converted into garden space. It's lower maintenence and can serve purposes like vegetable production or runoff collection. It's sort of like how the Creating an Urban Eden class built the bio-swales along Tower Road instead of installing a strip of grass that would have to be replanted yearly.
Maintaining a good-looking monoculture is a never ending drain on resources and time. That's why golf courses are so expensive. It's actually very unhealthy. To keep a lawn green, it has to be in constant growth, which is susceptible to diseases and pests. In addition, the monoculture is like an all you can eat buffet for the pests. The perpetual dead spots near the sidewalk are a combination of trampling and harsh temperature swings. Believe it or not, it's not the winter salt that kills grass but the freeze thaw cycles. On a sunny cold day, the concrete can be 30-40 degrees warmer than the air temperature, melting the soil, but as soon as the sun goes down, the temperature plummets and the grass freezes. Dr. Frank Rossi, who is Cornell's turfgrass specialist conducted research that showed this.
In short, the American Lawn has to die. It's simply not sustainable and there are better things to do with the limited space in urban areas. Even an unmowed wildflower meadow would be able to harbor beneficial insects and wildlife. Or one could make use of the land and grow food. The goal is to improve the urban ecosystem, not continue poisoning the land.
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