Terra Link Research

Climate Change Linked to Spike in Major League Home Runs

Title: Climate Change Linked to Spike in Major League Home Runs

A new study has revealed that climate change could be responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of home runs in major league baseball in recent years. Researchers found that since 2010, over 500 home runs can be attributed to warmer, thinner air caused by global warming. They also suggested that rising temperatures could account for 10% or more of home runs by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are not curbed.

The scientists examined how an average number of home runs per year could rise for each major league ballpark with every 1-degree Celsius increase in the global average temperature. They discovered that for every degree Celsius rise, the percentage increase in home runs is between 1.7 and 4.2%, depending on the stadium location.

This phenomenon is due to the fact that warm air is less dense than cold air, leading to less air resistance, and allowing the ball to travel further. As temperatures continue to rise, the air will become even thinner, putting the home run record under threat.

This trend could have serious implications for the sport, with record books being rewritten as a result of changing environmental conditions. However, it also highlights the need to take action to address climate change. If we fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we could see significant changes not only in baseball but in many other areas of life as well.

It’s clear that we need to take action now, both as individuals and as a society, to reduce our carbon footprint, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Only through collective action and a concerted effort to transition to a more sustainable future can we ensure that the world we pass on to future generations is one that is still rich in biodiversity, and where we can continue to enjoy the sports we love.
Edited by Zeng Han-Jun
Written by Juliana Rodriguez

The Urgent Need to Accelerate the Phasing Out of Coal

Title: The Urgent Need to Accelerate the Phasing Out of Coal

The use of coal power is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions and as a result, climate change. Despite efforts to reduce its use, it is not decreasing fast enough to achieve the Paris Agreement’s target of a maximum of 2 degrees of warming. Instead, the world is moving towards a temperature increase of 2.5 – 3 degrees, which poses great risks to the planet’s ecosystems and human livelihoods.

The phasing out of coal is a critical step towards mitigating climate change. It is feasible to avoid higher warming, but it requires urgent action by governments, businesses, and individuals. Coal power plants must be closed down or converted to cleaner energy sources such as renewables or gas. This needs to happen on a much larger scale and faster pace than what is currently being done.

So why is the phasing out of coal slow? One reason is the economic benefit it provides to some industries and countries. However, the long-term environmental and social impacts of coal far surpass any short-term economic gain. Furthermore, the costs of renewable energy are decreasing, making it a more attractive and viable option.

Another reason for the slow phasing out of coal is the lack of political will and leadership. Governments must take responsibility and set more ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions. They must also invest in renewable energy technology and infrastructure to create a more sustainable future.

Businesses and individuals also play a crucial role in accelerating the phasing out of coal. Businesses must shift their focus towards more sustainable practices and invest in renewable energy sources. Individuals must also be aware of their carbon footprint and make conscious choices to reduce their energy consumption and use more sustainable alternatives.

In conclusion, the phasing out of coal is an urgent task that requires immediate action. The Paris Agreement’s target of 2 degrees of warming is at risk of being missed, and the world is moving towards a concerning temperature increase of 2.5 – 3 degrees. However, it is feasible to avoid higher warming, and it begins with the phasing out of coal. All stakeholders must take responsibility and work towards a more sustainable future for the planet and its inhabitants.
Edited by Zeng Han-Jun
Written by Juliana Rodriguez

Air pollution may increase risk for dementia

Exposure to fine particulate air pollutants (PM2.5) may increase the risk of developing dementia, according to a new meta-analysis.

Temperature is stronger than light and flow as driver of oxygen in US rivers

The amount of dissolved oxygen in a river is a matter of life or death for the plants and animals living within it, but this oxygen concentration varies drastically from one river to another, depending on their unique temperature, light and flow. To better understand which factor has the greatest impact on the concentration of dissolved oxygen, researchers used a deep learning model to analyze data from hundreds of rivers across the United States.

New pesticide exposure test developed to protect inexperienced cannabis farmers

Chemists created a more reliable, robust and efficient way to monitor pesticide exposure and help protect the health and safety of agricultural workers, especially for emerging sectors like the cannabis industry.

Levies on Renewable Energy Profits could serve as a barrier to achieving Net Zero Targets in the UK

Placing levies on the profits made in the renewable energy industry could hinder the UK’s ability to meet its 2050 net zero carbon reduction targets, an expert has said.

Compressed air for pet blow-moulding production

Measurement and recording of actual pressure flow inside the production equipment can assess the actual performance of the compressed air system. This identifies any areas where compressed air problems are causing limitations on productivity and quality of production, the improvement of which in turn can lead to lower energy use costs and increased production rates.

All blow moulding processes require stable compressed air pressure delivered to the moulding machine to control quality and maintain productivity. In most blow moulding processes, compressed air is used to inflate the parison, a tube-like piece of plastic with a hole in one end through which compressed air can pass. The compressed air also cools the part after inflation to final form, but prior to ejection from the mould.

In PET bottle blowing, high-speed machines use compressed air to produce bottles at rates of over 20,000 bottles per hour. The rate of pressure rise becomes dependent upon the pressure differential driving the flow from the air inlet of the machine to the cavity. The higher the inlet pressure the faster the rate of pressure rise.

Increasing the system pressure is a common way to maximise productivity and still produce good product. Unfortunately, higher pressure leads to wasteful artificial demand, elevated compressor energy and maintenance costs, and inefficiency in managing the system.

The real costs of higher system pressure

Blowing the part as quickly as possible leads to very high rates of flow in supply components creating high pressure drop. A blow machine running 24,000, 500 mL bottles per hour can consume 90 m³/min depending upon setup creating significant pressure drop in the headers and filters delivering the air. In order to make acceptable bottles with this level of pressure drop the system has to operate at dramatically higher than necessary pressure.

This higher than necessary pressure means each bottle requires a greater volume of air, and because the header pressure is elevated to increase the inflation pressure differential, the blow pressure continues to rise to higher than required pressure after the bottle is fully moulded. For every bar of pressure increase above the required blow pressure, the volumetric flow required increases by the volume of the bottle. For example, one bar in excess pressure for a 500 mL bottle times the production rate equates to 1.5 m³/min in artificial demand.

Higher maintenance and energy costs on the compressors

The most common compressor for achieving these pressures is a 3-stage reciprocating machine which uses valves to control the flow of air through the stages. At these higher pressures the temperatures are higher, increasing the stress and wear on critical components. Where it was possible to substantially decrease the discharge pressures, maintenance cycles are extended by as much as 25–30%. Power is also reduced at the lower discharge pressures by a ratio of 1% energy reduction for every 5% pressure reduction. A reduction of 700 kPa or 16% will mean about a 3% energy reduction at the compressors.

Capturing the efficiency opportunities

The first step in capturing efficiency opportunities is to minimise the pressure drop within the moulding machines, which normally requires removing and/or replacing pneumatic components with those of higher flow capability. The regulators and filters are critical items and must be examined closely by measuring the pressure drop while the machine is blowing bottles. Localised storage receivers can minimise pressure drop by supporting the very high rates of flow during each blow cycle with stored air. This storage must be located as close to the point of consumption as possible; for example, it must be tied into the pneumatic circuit after the filter and regulator to be of any value.

System management

Managing this level of pressure change requires significant modifications in the approach to system management. While compressed air storage tanks can be expensive, maximising the storage is essential with most compressed air systems as the lack of appropriate storage is even more costly if additional compressors are required to run part loaded to deal with the rates of pressure change.

An appropriate automation system which calculates the rate of pressure change and makes intelligent decisions regarding the appropriate supply-side response can make a significant difference in energy costs and reduce compressor cycling, wear and motor starts. Avoiding unnecessary compressor starts due to the rate of change can mean saving many thousands of dollars in energy costs per year.

Kaishan Compressors offers an assessment and advisory service for upgrading, replacement, design and installation of new systems to match production demands.

Does Marine Conservation Mitigate Climate Change?

Marine protected areas act as a safeguard for oceans, seas, and estuaries. These regions help in the preservation of the plants and animals that are native to these waters, but the advantages of protected areas go well beyond their boundaries. A group of experts describes how marine protected areas support ecological and social adaptation to climate change and help in the sequestration of carbon in a study that was recently published in the journal One Earth.

Growing Claims from Climate Change Will Prompt Art Insurance Rate Increases, Experts Report

Via ARTnews

Art insurance in Florida is in limbo right now. Many art institutions in Florida this year had to consider the risk of climate change to their buildings and collections after Hurricane Ian made landfall in September. No significant art damage claims have been filed in the state after the Category 4 Hurricane, which killed at least 114 Floridians. However, art insurance experts told ARTnews that clients should anticipate increases to the price of premiums and changes to the breadth of coverage early next year due to the growing cost of climate change-related insurance claims.

Equilibrium/Sustainability — World was abnormally dry in 2021: UN

Via The Hill

Most of the globe was drier than usual in 2021 — circumstances that wreaked havoc on both economies and the environment, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

About 3.6 billion people had inadequate access to water at least one month per year, the U.N. agency determined in its inaugural report on global resources. That number is expected to rise to more than 5 billion by 2050, the report warned.