Ecoleaders' Newsletter - OCT24

October 2024

Northfield Mount Hermon

ECOLEADERS’ NEWSLETTER

Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh

Layout by Amy Vongvasin

NEWS OF THE MONTH

GLOBAL NEWS

Learn about what’s going on in the world: coral bleaching, the upcoming La Niña winter and the world’s largest carbon capture plant!

There are goats back on the NMH campus!! Learn about why they are here, who is responsible for them, and some fun goat facts!

COP 29: WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

COP 29 is happening next month — find out about what to expect and what it means to the global community on the climate frontier!

How is the ongoing war an environmental catastrophe? Read about climate change in Gaza and the climate consequences of the war!

SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT Board of Trustees presentation!

Meeting with Evolution!

GOATS ON CAMPUS!!

WAR IN GAZA

Check out a stunning art piece done by Bonnie He, inspired by the (slowly deteriorating) beauty of nature!

WHAT’SUPUPWITH WITHTHE THEECOLEADERS ECOLEADERS WHATS

GLOBAL NEWS

RECORD CORAL BLEACHING EVENT RAISES ALARM

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by Eva Lehnerd-Reilly

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reported that the ongoing coral bleaching since February 2023 is the most extensive ever recorded. Satellite data reveals that a staggering 77% of global coral reef areas are experiencing bleaching-level heat stress, primarily due to rising ocean temperatures linked to climate change.

Derek Manzello, NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch coordinator, noted that this event has exceeded the previous record by over 11% in a much shorter time frame. The global bleaching event, declared in April 2024, is the fourth since 1998, with past events affecting Photo by the NOAA around 66% of reefs. Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel the algae that live in their tissues, leading to pale corals that are susceptible to starvation and disease. Although bleached corals are not dead, they need cooler water to recover. Previous global bleaching events have resulted in the death of at least 14% of the world’s remaining corals.

The current bleaching crisis is affecting reefs in 74 countries, but NOAA has yet to label it the “worst” on record, as underwater assessments are still ongoing. Recent reports confirm bleaching in regions such as Palau, Guam, and Israel, while heat stress persists in the Caribbean and South China Sea. In response to this crisis, scientists are convening an emergency session at the upcoming United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity summit (COP16) in Colombia. They aim to develop strategies to prevent the functional extinction of corals, emphasizing the need for additional protections and funding.

Experts previously warned that coral reefs could face catastrophic losses at a 1.5°C rise in global temperatures. With current warming at 1.3°C, evidence suggests reefs may have already crossed a critical threshold, threatening ocean health, fisheries, and tourism, which collectively generate about $2.7 trillion annually.The situation has been exacerbated by the recent El Niño phenomenon. While a shift to La Niña could potentially cool ocean temperatures, concerns remain that 2024 is on track to be the warmest year recorded. Manzello cautioned that if high ocean temperatures persist, the world may face chronic global bleaching.

LOOKING AHEAD: A LA NIÑA WINTER

by Eva Lehnerd-Reilly

As fall progresses, attention turns to winter, which could be notably different from last year’s season dominated by El Niño. A weak La Niña is anticipated to develop, impacting temperatures, precipitation, and snowfall across the United States.

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Photo by NOAA/CPC

La Niña, a natural climate pattern marked by cooler ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, primarily affects winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere. Last winter was the warmest on record for the contiguous U.S. due to El Niño, resulting in a significant snow drought in the Northeast and Midwest.

Currently, the Climate Prediction Center forecasts a 60% chance of La Niña emerging by November, with expectations that it will persist throughout the winter and into early spring. While La Niña and El Niño influence weather, they aren’t the only factors; however, they typically have a substantial effect on winter patterns, especially when strong.

The strength of La Niña is crucial—stronger events can lead to more consistent weather impacts. A weaker La Niña may allow for other weather phenomena to disrupt typical patterns, resulting in variable conditions.

This winter could feature more frequent weather fluctuations rather than stable conditions. Experts warn that in a warming climate, extreme weather events may become more common, even in the coldest months. La Niña winters generally bring wetter conditions to the northern U.S. and drier conditions to the southern regions. This year, the northern U.S. is expected to see above-average precipitation, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest, which is vital for alleviating drought conditions. However, warmer temperatures may limit snowfall in the Northeast.

Overall, while the Pacific Northwest may experience more snow, parts of Southern California are predicted to remain drier and warmer. Adequate rainfall is critical in these regions to mitigate wildfire risks.

WORLD'S LARGEST CARBON CAPTURE PLANT BEGINS OPERATIONS IN ICELAND Photo by CNN

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by Eva Lehnerd-Reilly

The "Mammoth" plant, designed to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, officially began operations in Iceland this week.

Developed by Swiss company Climeworks, it is ten times larger than its predecessor, Orca, which opened in 2021.

Direct air capture (DAC) technology involves pulling in air and extracting carbon using chemicals. This captured carbon can then be stored underground or converted into solid materials. Climeworks aims to inject the carbon deep underground, where it will

naturally transform into stone, effectively locking it away permanently. The operation will be powered by Iceland’s abundant geothermal energy.

As fossil fuel consumption continues to drive up atmospheric CO2 levels, DAC technology is gaining attention as a potential solution. However, it faces criticism for being costly, energy-intensive, and still largely unproven on a large scale. Critics worry it may divert attention from the urgent need to reduce fossil fuel use.

The Mammoth plant, which began construction in June 2022, has a modular design that allows for easy expansion. Once fully operational, it will capture 36,000 tons of carbon annually—equivalent to the emissions from about 7,800 gas-powered cars. Climeworks aims to reduce the cost of carbon capture to $300–$350 per ton by 2030 and eventually to $100 per ton by 2050. Despite its promise, experts caution that this technology is still a small part of the larger solution needed to combat climate change. Current global carbon removal capacity is only about 0.01 million metric tons per year, far below the estimated 70 million tons needed annually by 2030.

Other companies are also developing larger DAC projects, such as Stratos in Texas, which aims to capture 500,000 tons of carbon per year.

However, concerns remain that captured carbon could be used to enhance oil recovery, potentially prolonging fossil fuel production.

Climeworks envisions scaling up to 1 million tons of carbon removal annually by 2030 and 1 billion tons by 2050. They have plans for future plants in Kenya and the United States.

Photo by CNN

COP 29: WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

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by Michelle Tang

The Conference of the Parties (COP) 29, the 29th UN annual conference on climate change, will be taking place from 11-22 November 2024. The 198 countries who have signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will be meeting in Baku, which presents a key opportunity for international collaboration to advance on climate commitments.

Photo by COP29 Greenzone

Last year, the COP28 that took place in Dubai made groundbreaking progress. It was the first COP to acknowledge fossil fuels as the root cause of climate change and include an agreement to “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems”. It also affirms the goals listed by The Paris Agreement of December 2015 to “pursue efforts” to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Many are anticipating COP29 as the “finance COP” to align climate finance contribution with estimated global needs. Climate finance refers to the idea that developed countries would mobilize resources and support developing countries in mitigating climate change effects through finance. Given that countries’ revised climate plans (NDCs) are due in February 2025, developing countries depend on COP29 to grasp a sense of what finance will be made available to support their climate actions. The previous climate finance goal of 100 billion dollars per year, outlined in the Paris Agreement, had been symbolic and contentious. COP29 is expected to deliver a framework for a new deal on finance — who should pay, how much should be paid, and what forms of payment. It is essential for the negotiators to agree on the total amount of climate finance, specify the time frame, and how it shall reach the communities that need it the most.

As a showcase for international agreement, COP 29 is the moment for countries to stand by their pledges. By closing the finance gap and fostering innovative solutions, COP 29 can set up a new precedent for collaborative climate action.

"80 percent of the world's population suffers from climate change," said Nigar Arpadara. “Our main goal is to encourage young people to solve these problems" Photo by The Azerbaijan State News Agency

GOATS ON CAMPUS!!!!!

by Amy Vongvasin and Xela Nestel

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Big thank you to Nancy Hanson (our farm person) and Elspeth for the information!

Almost two years ago, a family of goats lived in the NMH farm’s red barn. They were absolutely lovely, but ultimately served no real purpose. They were sent away before the start of the last school year when farmer Jake transitioned to teaching English, leaving the farm without animals. But now, exciting new guys have arrived! This fall, a fresh group of goats is staying at NMH to help manage invasive plant species on the farm!!!

Due to the unusually dry September, growing food has been challenging, prompting the request for the goats to come graze on invasive species like Bittersweet, Russian Olives, and Rosa Rugosa. This not only gives the goats free food but also contributes to the farm’s habitat restoration. They sleep outside, finding shelter under shrubs when it rains, but will return to their home barn in winter (around the first December weekend), where they’ll eat as much as they can.

The goats belong to Elspeth (El), who owns a business that lends goats to farmers to help clear and open up dense brushy areas. She visits daily to check on their water and move their electric fences, which direct them to new grazing areas. Though there are plenty of shrubs, many are too tall for the goats to reach, so El rotates their feeding zones once they have eaten all the food within their reach.

Visitors are cautioned to AVOID touching these white electric fences (grey metal ones are safe), as they give a more intense zap to humans than to goats.

The mother goat sometimes pulls down higher brushes for the babies to eat

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So far, the only mom present among newborns is Munchie, recognizable by her white fur and longer horns, but more mothers are expected to join us on campus around November 9th. They have been apart so that they can breed and have babies in the spring. The dads, however, stay home due to their… less-thanpleasant smells.

This is her!!! She is much bigger than the babies :)

You can visit the goats anytime in the field to the right of the farm. To find them, follow the grassy path that starts by the rocky area where trucks and AVs are parked in rows. This path will lead you to their vicinity. If you don’t see them right away, keep an eye out for shaking bushes—it’s a good sign they’re nearby!!

MAA-VELOUS GOAT FACTS!!!

Goats are fantastic at clearing invasive species for a number of reasons, not just because they love to eat! Goats, as a species, are browsers, not grazers, which sets them apart from livestock such as sheep or cattle. While grazers, like sheep, prefer to munch on uniform grass, browsers, such as goats, generally do better with brush and weeds of all different heights. This makes them more adaptable to a multitude of locations and types of invasives.

Additionally, goats have a unique digestive system that is well suited to turning tough fiber into nutrition.

Goats have what is essentially a stomach with four compartments, with each compartment serving its own purpose. Because this four-section stomach does such a great job of breaking down high-fiber plants, goats also fully break down any seeds they swallow, which can be immensely helpful in ensuring invasive plants do not return in the following seasons. This also means they can consume plants that are very difficult for humans to remove, such as poison ivy and various thorn bushes!

Compared to more conventional methods of invasive plant removal, the impact goats have on a landscape is negligible. In fact, because their little hooves can help turn over the soil and their manure can act as a natural fertilizer, they often leave areas healthier than before! While burning or mowing invasives can be dangerous, difficult, and almost impossible on certain terrains, goats can be safely used almost anywhere.

They are adaptable and hardy, so can work well within a wide range of temperatures, and their surefootedness allows them to reach steep hillsides, deep gorges, and places otherwise inaccessible to human machinery. Finally, goats are generally friendly and curious, which makes them easy to manage.

It’s easy to see why the use of goats for land management is quickly gaining popularity!

WAR IN GAZA: AN ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE

by Michelle Tang

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Photo by The Guardian

Climate change is everywhere, but people struggling on the verge of death, poverty, and displacement, are always the first to be targeted by its immense effects. In Gaza today, as the ongoing war continues to deprive people of access to basic supplies of clean water, food, security, electricity, and medicine, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the effects of climate change “exacerbate serious humanitarian needs resulting from an unresolved conflict” Gaza is situated in the Mediterranean basin, a region known as a climate change hotspot — it is already the most water-scarce region on earth and is warming 20% faster than the global average. As one of the most densely populated regions of the world, Gaza is especially vulnerable to climate change and is highly susceptible to more frequent and intense climate disasters. According to UN experts, Gazans now make up 80 percent of all people facing famine or catastrophic hunger worldwide. Up to January, Israeli forces had razed 22 percent of farms and agricultural land in northern Gaza and 70 percent of Gaza’s fishing fleet.

Water and sanitation systems have collapsed. Starving livestock become unable to provide food or be a source of food.

Climate change, in the meantime, compounded the humanitarian disaster. Since the start of the war in October 2023, at least 1.9 million people — or about 90% of the population across the Gaza Strip have been internally displaced. Without shelters and already struggling with malnutrition, inadequate healthcare, and water access, they are more likely to be affected by Gaza's increased rainfall variability, droughts, coastal erosion, and the temperature that shifts between extremes of heat waves and cold snaps as a result of climate change. In April, soaring temperatures struck hard on the displaced population, leaving many suffering in the overcrowded makeshift shelters and tents that offer no protection to the relentless heat.

The recurring War in Gaza not only resulted in massive human and infrastructure losses but also irreversible destruction to the ecosystem. Indiscriminate bombing has severely damaged Gaza’s water infrastructure. Research suggests that Israel's aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza emitted approximately 281,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in the first two months of the war, which was greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.

The climate consequences of the war in Gaza should no longer be overlooked. In the face of this complex crisis, humanitarian and environmental concerns are deeply intertwined, leaving questions of justice unaddressed.

SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT! BONNIE HE’S ADVANCED 2D ART PROJECT “This is an abstract interpretation of what nature is like for me. Each part is different, and each and every part plays a crucial role in a piece. Like the real world, losing one part of nature gifted to us is like destroying the beauty of the original life,” explained Bonnie.

This art piece, along with many others, are out on display right now on the bottom floor of the RAC. You are encouraged to go see it in person as a lot of them are actually 3D!!

WHAT’S UP WITH THE ECOLEADERS? BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESENTATION On Saturday October 26th, a few ecoleader representatives met with members of the board of trustees to present a student perspective on what sustainability is like on the NMH campus, as well as the student-lead initiatives we are taking towards becoming more eco-friendly.

EVOLUTION MEETING On Monday October 21st, ecoleaders, NMH faculty, and interested students attended a meeting with Evolution. Evolution Sustainability Group is a company that helps institutions make detailed, actionable plans and are going to be working with us all year to write a clear plan that we can follow for the next many years.

Their team is made up of energy engineers, former teachers and sustainability experts.

“NMH is serious about the next steps in our sustainability efforts. We've reduced 75% of our carbon emissions since 2005 and have lots of great educational programming for students. But the last 25% is going to be harder than the first 75% and our goal is to be "carbon neutral" by 2035 and "net zero" by 2050.”

-Pete Sniffen, NMH’s sustainability coordinator.

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by Amy Vongvasin

REACH US AT

ecoleaders@nmhschool.org

SUBMIT ANY QUESTIONS, IDEAS, OR CONCERNS!!!

REFERENCES

LET’S WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINBLE FUTURE