Water-Guzzling Data Centers Are Being Built In The Arizona Desert. That Story And Other Headlines For June 29, 2021

H2O Radio

June 29, 2021

Drought Threatens Western Hydropower, as New Study Shows Humidity Has Dropped

Last week, heat records in the West were shattered in several states. One day in Tucson, Arizona, it was 100 degrees just after eight in the morning, according to the National Weather Service. The Guardian reported that many cities across the region opened cooling and hydration stations to keep people safe, as drought continues.

Severe drought in the region is increasing the risk of electricity shortages, as water levels needed to generate hydropower fall. The Wall Street Journal reports some of the largest reservoirs are at historically low levels, and the California Department of Water Resources, which operates eight major hydroelectric facilities, is forecasting they will generate only about 30 percent of their average power. California’s second-largest reservoir, Lake Oroville, is expected to fall so low this summer that its hydropower plant will be forced to shut down for the first time since 1967, according to CNN.

Low humidity can fuel wildfires, and according to Karen McKinnon, a climate researcher at UCLA, in some places in the West, it can’t dry out much more. In a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, her team concluded that since 1950 on the hottest summer days, humidity dropped an average of almost 25 percent in non-coastal areas of the Southwest, including Colorado and Utah. In California and Nevada, the effect was even more pronounced, with a decrease in humidity of 33 percent.

Water Guzzling Data Center Approved in Arizona Despite Drought

Despite the drought, Mesa, Arizona, east of Phoenix, recently approved a massive new computer data center, which will require over one million gallons of water a day to cool. The city is becoming known as “data center alley,” according to the East Valley Tribune.

Data centers are warehouses that contain computers and equipment to store information, like photos and documents, in what we commonly call “the cloud.” A study published last month shows that data centers require large amounts of water and electricity. As NBC reports, many operators are drawn to water-starved regions in the West, in part due to the availability of solar and wind energy; however, the data centers create few jobs.

Google is already building Mesa’s largest data center, which will consume one million gallons a day to start and is allowed to increase that to four million as the site builds out, according to Data Center Dynamics, an online news site.

Climate Change May Bring Mosquitoes in Spring and Fall

Other regions of the U.S. besides the West are also facing dry conditions with Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan all experiencing some level of drought. Conditions in the Dakotas are even worse. One small benefit from the current drought is that mosquito populations are down, such as in Wisconsin, where the lack of rain means there are fewer places with standing water for the critters to lay their eggs.

Usually mosquitoes are only a summertime nuisance, but a new study shows that the insects may become a year-round problem. In tropical areas, mosquitoes are active all year around; however, in other regions, during winter the colder temperatures make them go into a type of hibernation called "diapause" with their activity limited by lower temperatures.

Researchers at the University of Florida explain in a release that as climate change makes autumns and winters warmer, mosquitoes in more temperate regions are well prepared to be active in spring and fall. The scientists found that they are “plastic”—meaning the range of temperatures they can tolerate stretches and contracts during the year. In the spring, when nighttime temperatures are still cold and daytime temperatures begin to warm up, mosquitoes can tolerate a larger range of temperatures. In summer, when daily temperatures are warm, that range contracts. In autumn, when temperatures begin to cool off, the range stretches again.

The study may help communities prepare for the impacts of global warming on mosquitoes, which spread disease among humans and animals.

The study was published in the journal Ecology.

Crayfish Go Cray-Cray on Antidepressants

When people are prescribed antidepressants, the drugs can help them venture back into the world, which is a good thing. But should these medications end up in streams or waterways and affect wildlife, going boldly may be deadly.

Researchers from the University of Florida recently exposed crayfish—a freshwater crustacean that looks like a lobster—to varying doses of a commonly prescribed antidepressants in the lab. The doses were similar to what could be encountered downstream of a sewage treatment facility, and the scientists found that once medicated, the crayfish spent significantly more time foraging for food and less time hiding—a behavior that could make them more vulnerable to predators.

The result doesn’t bode well for aquatic environments because crayfish eat algae, dead plants, and anything else decomposing in the bottom of streams and ponds. If they are getting eaten more often, the authors say it could have “a ripple effect in those ecosystems.”

As National Geographic explains, drugs get into waterways through various means. We excrete trace amounts of pills in our urine or feces. From there the chemicals get into the environment through leaky septic systems or from wastewater treatment plants, which weren’t designed to remove them. Also, people sometimes flush unused drugs down drains, and the researchers say to protect all aquatic life, it’s essential consumers dispose of medications properly.

The study was published in the journal Ecosphere.

The Michelin Man Takes Up Sailing

Using wind to move boats is ancient, but a recent innovation in sail technology might help reduce carbon emissions from ships. The Michelin group, which one might associate with tires or perhaps restaurant guides, has designed a new inflatable sail that can be added to a cargo ship or oil tanker to reduce the amount of fuel they consume and the greenhouse gases they emit.

The ruffled white sails shaped like a vertical airplane wing are—intentionally or not—somewhat reminiscent of the chubby Michelin Man. At the push of a button, they inflate and rise from the ship’s deck on a telescopic mast. The mast can easily retract for a ship to enter a harbor or pass under a bridge, and the company claims that the sail’s double-sided surface can even propel the boat upwind.

In a promotional video, Michelin says the sail and mast are strong enough to endure stormy conditions, and the system operates autonomously, so no sailing experience is required. The company says its Wing Sail Mobility (WISAMO) project can improve a ship’s fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent. Given shipping contributes three percent of global carbon emissions, capturing wind energy might put the industry on an even keel toward sustainability.

H2O Radio’s goal is to help their audience become invested and knowledgeable caretakers of our environment and water supply by cutting through noise, opinion, and ideological narrative to present facts and truth with a clear, strong signal. Noting the urgent situation of climate change there is little time to waste.