Flooding. And, a Nobel.

Couple of interesting pieces in newspapers last week.

Flooding–

A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists warns of cities at risk of regular flooding in years to come. Some may view UCS as left-leaning politically. Perhaps you can edify me on the question? NOAA oceanographer William Sweet calls the report “a solid piece of work” but does have a “quibble.” He’s the author of a July 2014 study about long-term sea-level rise historically.

Based on what Annapolitans know already, it may not come as a huge surprise that it experiences more current tidal flooding events than any other of the 15 Eastern Seaboard locations cited in the UCS report. The number is just less than 50 days/year of tidal flooding per the report.  The District of Columbia floods nearly as much.  Baltimore’s waterfront is generally a bit higher in elevation than the aforementioned so experiences more like 20-25 floods/year.

In the 15 locations by 2030, more than 50 tidal floods will occur annually. Annapolis is projected to experience more than 150 floods/year by 2030; some of which will occur more than once in a day. Annapolis city officials have been looking at the issue.

A major problem is the overwhelming of the city’s sanitary sewers with the resulting untreated sewage entering the Bay. And, just what flooding picks up for the Bay along the City Dock and Compromise St. is not a pretty (or healthy) thought.

Among the other cities are Key West, Cape May and Sandy Hook, NJ. ‘Member how Tropical Storm Sandy 2 years ago nearly wiped out Sandy Hook, a number of other cities and towns along the Jersey coast and Manhattan? Here’s a video that dramatizes the projections for 2030 and 2045-

Interestingly, the release of the report coincides with the start of “‘king tide,’ an especially high seasonal tide that occurs years along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts between October 8th and 10th.'”  Happened to catch NPR reporting on king tides last Friday morning.

Our more rural Marylanders of the Eastern Shore have a lot to worry about too. Smith Island has long been threatened.  In an online Chesapeake Bay Magazine piece, titled “That Sinking Feeling,” here’s are images of the  Chester River and Blackwater Wildlife Refuge that are a bit arresting-

A Nobel- 

In the early 1990s, a team of scientists produced blue light beams from semiconductors. Red and green had been developed already, but blue was more challenging What came from the blue and other colored light beams combined were light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that appear to be white. These lightbulbs burn “cool” as the electrons moving through layers of semiconducting materials do not generate heat. Contrast that with the incandescent bulbs which you can’t switch out for 5 minutes after burning or your fingers will get toasted.

I’ve written on LEDs before. They save huge amounts of electricity when compared even with fluorescent bulbs, and can last longer than any other light bulb, including fluorescent. LEDs are what power the flashlight in your smartphone as well as their displays. Have you put them in obvious places like your front door light which likely burns thousand of hours/year? Or your kitchen. Payback is better in these locations, but it’s about more than payback–right? (Update: the new St. Margaret’s Day School classrooms are fitted with LED lighting!)

Just today I learned the new LEED rating system, called LEED v4, will be looking for lighting which has a minimum rated life of 24,00o hours burn time as an option for awarding credit for lighting quality/sustainable design.

The push for sustainable building design and retrofit!! A motto: “We Can Do Better. We have to.”