Extreme Weather and a Changing Climate

Extreme weather events are unfolding with increasing frequency and intensity. From raging wildfires that consume vast swathes of land to devastating floods that displace millions, the fingerprints of climate change are becoming undeniable. These extreme weather events are not isolated incidents; they are a stark reminder of the urgent need for collective action to address the climate crisis.

Image: RCraig09 CC BY-SA 4.0

One of the most visible manifestations of extreme weather is the increase in heatwaves. Prolonged periods of abnormally high temperatures can have devastating consequences for human health, agriculture, and ecosystems. Heatwaves can trigger wildfires, exacerbate drought conditions, and strain energy resources. In recent years, we’ve seen record-breaking heatwaves across the globe, from the Pacific Northwest to Europe and Asia, leading to thousands of deaths and widespread disruption.

Image: Cameron Strandberg from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada, CC BY 2.0

Another alarming trend is the intensification of hurricanes and tropical storms. Warmer ocean temperatures provide more energy for these storms, leading to higher wind speeds, heavier rainfall, and increased storm surge. The devastating impact of hurricanes like Katrina, Harvey, and Maria serve as stark reminders of the destructive power of these storms. Coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of hurricanes, facing the risk of flooding, property damage, and displacement.

Extreme rainfall events are also on the rise, leading to more frequent and severe flooding. As the atmosphere warms, it can hold more moisture, resulting in heavier downpours. This can overwhelm drainage systems and cause rivers to overflow, inundating homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure.

The impacts of extreme weather events are not evenly distributed. Vulnerable populations, such as low-income communities, the elderly, and people with disabilities, are disproportionately affected. These communities often lack the resources to prepare for and recover from extreme weather events, making them more susceptible to the negative consequences.

The link between extreme weather and climate change is clear. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international body for assessing the science related to climate change, has concluded that human activities are the main driver of observed warming.

The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, trapping heat and causing the planet to warm.

While the challenges are significant, there is still time to act. Transitioning to a clean energy economy, investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, and protecting and restoring natural ecosystems are crucial steps in mitigating the impacts of climate change. International cooperation and collective action are essential to address this global crisis.

Planning Reports Can Southwest Environmental Do in Liverpool

We have recently been asked to quote for for all of the reports we can to support a major application in Liverpool City.

Albert Dock Liverpool

We have gone through the validation checklist and and found that we are able to quote for the following reports:

•  Air Quality Impact Assessment
• Arboricultural Impact Assessment
•  Archaeological Assessment
• Biodiversity Checklist
•  Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Assessment
•  Biodiversity Survey and Report
• Construction Management Plan (CMP) or Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP)
•  Daylight / Sunlight Assessment
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (Required in compliance with the EIA Regulations)
•  Flood Risk Assessment
• Heritage Statement
•   Land Contamination Assessment
• Landfill and Waste Transfer Statement
•  Landscaping Scheme
• Lighting Assessment / Lux Contour Diagram
•  Living Roof and Wall Details
• Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment
•  Habitats Regulations Assessment
• Refuse & Recycling Storage Details (Waste Strategy)
•  Sustainability Statement
• Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment
•  Transport Assessment (TA)
• Travel Plan (Movement Strategy)
•  Ventilation/Extract Statement
•  Wind and Microclimate Assessment (Physical Impact Assessment)

If you would like quotes for any of the above then please do get in touch:

wt@southwest-environmental.co.uk

What are the Different Ways in which Humans Cause Pollution?

What are the different ways in which humans cause pollution? How many can you think of? Topics like climate change, and sewage spills get a lot of press, but what else is there and how do we measure it?

Plastic Pollution covering Accra beach – Muntaka Chasant

The Main Culprits

A quick enquiry on Google Gemini reveals the the top 3 most discussed enviromtal pollutant on the web, are:

• Plastic Pollution: This is a major concern due to its persistence in the environment and its harmful effects on wildlife and ecosystems. Plastic pollution is often discussed in terms of microplastics, which are tiny pieces of plastic that can be ingested by animals and accumulate in the food chain.
• Air Pollution: This is another major environmental concern, as it can have significant impacts on human health and the environment. Air quality is often discussed in terms of particulate matter, which can be inhaled and cause respiratory problems.
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• Water Pollution: This is also a major concern, as water is essential for life. Water pollution can come from a variety of sources, such as industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and sewage. Water pollution can contaminate drinking water and harm aquatic ecosystems.

These are quite generic categories, and certainly air and water pollution can occur via contamination with numerous substances, which can include . .  plastic.

So let’s break this down a bit:

A Long List of Negative Impacts

Below we have a list of impacts that are considered in life cycle assessment, but they are not pollutants. However, they do represent pollutants. For example ozone depletion, would take in to account release of CFCs or HCFCs when manufacturing a product.

Below list we look, at an actual ist of pollutants that we test for in water and soils samples.

• ecotoxicity: freshwater
• ozone depletion
• acidification
• eutrophication: marine (EP)
• eutrophication: terrestrial (EP)
• eutrophication: freshwater (EP)
• human toxicity: non-carcinogenic
• photochemical ozone formation: human health
• human toxicity: carcinogenic
• particulate matter formation
• ionising radiation: human health
• material resources: metals/minerals
• energy resources: non-renewable
• land use
• water use (WDP)
• climate change
• climate change: fossil
• climate change: land use and land use change
• climate change: biogenic
• biogenic carbon content in accompanying packaging
• biogenic carbon content in product
• Cumulative Energy Demand – non-renewable energy resources
• Cumulative Energy Demand – renewable energy resources
• exported energy – electricity
• exported energy – heat
• hazardous waste disposed
• high-level radioactive waste disposed
• intermediate and low-level radioactive waste disposed
• materials for energy recovery
• materials for recycling
• non-hazardous waste disposed
• PENRE (non-renewable primary energy as an energy carrier in a life cycle assessment)
• PENRM (primary energy non-renewable, material)
• PERE (
• PERM
• recovered energy
• use of net fresh water
• use of renewable secondary fuels
• use of secondary material

A List of Actual Pollutants

So below are a list of pollutants, rather than the above list of impacts. You will note some of these are “famous” poisons.

Arsenic Popular with Unimaginative Murderers

So of the below pollutants are more nasty than others, there are some famous ones (if you read agatha Christie Novels)  such as Arsenic, but have you ever heard of Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene? The safe level of Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene in soil, is around 60 times lower than that for Arsenic. This does not mean it is 60 times more toxic, but it gives an idea of how nasty Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene is!

• Boron (hot water soluble)
• Sulfate (2:1 water soluble) as SO4
• Sulfur (elemental)
• Cyanide (free)
• Cyanide (total)
• Sulfide
• Sulfate (total)
• Arsenic
• Cadmium
•  Chromium
• Copper
• Mercury
• Nickel
• Lead
• Selenium
• Zinc
• Chromium (hexavalent)
• TPH >C6-C10
• TPH >C10-C21
• TPH >C21-C40
• Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
• Naphthalene
• Acenaphthylene
• Acenaphthene
• Fluorene
• Phenanthrene
• Anthracene
• Fluoranthene
• Pyrene
• Benzo[a]anthracene
• Chrysene
• Benzo[b]fluoranthene
• Benzo[k]fluoranthene
• Benzo[a]pyrene
• Dibenzo[a,h]anthracene
• Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene
• Benzo[g,h,i]perylene
• Total (of 16) PAHs
• Benzene
• Toluene
• Ethyl benzene
• m- & p-Xylene
• o-Xylene
• Phenols (total)
• pH

Wonder Chemicals

One of humans’ favorite way of causing really bad pollution is with new wonder chemicals:

• Asbestos
• DDT
• PCB
• PFAS

In order of appearance the above short list of chemical has been released into the environment before anyone really understand them.

Asbestos was thought to be a very good flame / heat resistant material (which is was) but people overlooked (or ignored) it crystal structure and the effect that would have on delicate lung tissue. We are still cleaning up asbestos now, 40 years after is was passed out.

DDT & PCB are both very “persistent” chemicals they don’t break down, as so are prone to bioaccumulation. Which is why inuit mother’s breast milk has been found to be toxic, despite them living in a seemingly pristine environment.

Blood PCB levels in humans, observed across the Arctic – https://www.eea.europa.eu/

And more recently a group of chemical associated with fire retardation called PFAS or PFOS, are turning up absolutely everywhere, manufactures have been putting these forever chemicals in paper bags (for grease proofing) and as using them as flame retardants, and now guess what! They are turning up in people water supplies.

Conclusions

There are a mesmerising number of ways in which humans can pollute our environment. We can pollute the air, water and the soil. All things we rely on to exist.

There is also a mind boggling number of ways we can impact the planet, and and very long list of substances to do it with.

We are still learning about all of these interactions, and substances, and we are very prone to repeating mistakes.

The one to watch is plastic pollution . We each of us eat and drink 1000’s of particles a day, and that number will get higher, and subjectively speaking there is no way that can pan out well for humans (or the ecosphere) in the long run.

What does Nitrogen Dioxide do to Children’s Lungs?

For those tempted by the populist media in to believing that ULEZ is a restriction on their freedoms, they must surely live in ignorance of the scientific evidence that proves how tailpipe emissions including nitrogen dioxide are permanently damaging children’s lungs.

Nitrogen Dioxide an Acid in the Making

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can contribute to the acidification of children’s lungs. Here’s how:

• Formation of Nitric Acid: When NO2 interacts with moisture in the lungs, it can react to form nitric acid.
• Acidic Environment: Nitric acid is a strong acid. Its presence in the lungs can disrupt the delicate balance of the lung’s environment, making it more acidic.

Why is lung acidification harmful?

• Damage to Lung Tissue: An acidic environment can damage the delicate tissues of the lungs, leading to inflammation and irritation.
• Impaired Lung Function: Acidification can interfere with the normal functioning of lung cells, affecting their ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide effectively.
• Increased Susceptibility to Infections: An acidic environment can weaken the lung’s defenses against infections, making individuals more vulnerable to respiratory illnesses.

How does acidification of the lung affect children?

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of a number of pollutants that can lower air quality harmful air pollutant that can have several negative effects on children’s lungs:

• Respiratory Infections: NO2 can irritate the lungs and make children more susceptible to respiratory infections like colds, flu, and pneumonia.
• Asthma: Children with asthma are particularly sensitive to NO2. Exposure can trigger asthma attacks, worsen symptoms, and even lead to the development of asthma in some cases.
• Impaired Lung Development: Studies suggest that long-term exposure to NO2 may impair lung development in children, potentially leading to reduced lung function and increased respiratory problems later in life.
• Increased Hospitalizations: Children exposed to high levels of NO2 are more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory problems.

So why do people object to ULEZ?

There various instance of Low Emission Zone expansion that have become very contentious across the country , but given the above evidence why is this the case? Surely protecting the health of children, particular given that residual effects of impaired lung development can last a lifetime?

This is down to the politicisation of issue, any populist will use a wedge issue such as this to drive division and hopefully pick up more votes in the process.

So my main two take outs from NO2 / Children’s lung post is a psychological / political ones, what is the depth of the cognitive dissonance in:

• Our leaders (ex PM Sunak, Truss etc) that they can speak out against ULEZ, on economic grounds fueling the divided and playing into the hands of populist media.
• The blinkered reader of the populist press. That they look at just one part of of the problem (ULEZ charge / Inconvenience) and via their sense of entitlement decry ULEZ as an attack on their freedoms, following the narrative of populist politician and media. . . . whilst ignoring the  very real and long lasting impacts that their driving habits have on the their children’s and grandchildren’s lungs!

References

Meta-analysis of the effects of indoor nitrogen dioxide and gas cooking on asthma and wheeze in children

Medical Management Guidelines for Nitrogen Oxides

The respiratory health effects of nitrogen dioxide in children with asthma

Why Plastic Pollution is the Most Important Environmental Issue

The world Health Organisation considers air pollution to be the most pressing environmental issue at present, they are wrong about this. The most pressing environmental issue today is plastic pollution and in this blog post I will outline why this is the case. We are only just beginning to see the environmental impact and health impact from plastic pollution.

Air Pollution – Reversible Degradation

Air pollution (air quality) to the greater extent is created by combustion of fuels in typically urban environments. Gases such as nitrous oxide and tiny particles such as PM2.5 and PM10 can cause detrimental effects to those who inhale them on a regular basis however we have seen time and time again around the world that this type of Air Pollution can be rapidly reversed.

For example the clean air act implemented in 1970s California led to a rapid increase in air quality and similarly.

Between 2016 and 2023, London’s annual average NO2 concentrations dropped by 49%, which is almost double the rate of the rest of England.

Efforts in the UK to improve air quality have been fairly successful especially now given the uptake of electric and hybrid vehicles and the establishment of clean air zones in cities around the country we’re successful these have led to an almost immediate approvement improvement in air quality which just gave the show that although air quality is a serious problem it can be dealt with quickly with some very simple policy changes.

With air quality if you remove the inputs the problem is largely cured.

Plastic Pollution – Irreversible Degradation

Plastic pollution is not like air pollution if you take away the input the problem is still there the plastic just doesn’t disappear, it doesn’t dissipate, it doesn’t go away. In fact we’ve already got a bit of a time bomb on our hands with the amount of plastic that is in the environment and waiting to break down as we speak.

Although large chunks of plastic on a beach or floating around the ocean can look unsightly they are not really the problem. The problem starts when these large chunks get broken down and smaller and smaller pieces and end up being ingested by various creatures whether they be on land or on Sea.

There are also countless quadrillions of plastic particles which are discharged which are already small such as lint from washing, or particles from car tires all of these being washed into Rivers down into the sea and entering the food chain.

52,050 to 233,000 plastic particles/g depending on vegetable samples.

You only need to look at the measurable percentages of plastic found in many fish for example to realise that plastic even now is a problem. We are eating it all the time, as well as breathing it in (nod back to air quality) and if by some miracle tomorrow there was some agreement, some global agreement ,to see all production of plastic stop. Then we would still have quadrillions of tons of plastic in the environment waiting to break down into tiny particles and to leak into our food chain. The food we feed to our kids.

In Tunisia, 92.5% of sardines have microplastics in their digestive tracts.

So this is why plastic pollution needs to be knocked right up the list first place because the longer we take to put forward a decent response (near 100% ban on single use plastic) then we are just building an ever more dystopian future for ourselves. What will that look like:

• where wild food from the sea and from the land cannot be eaten
• we’ll have to grow all food in Sheds because the soil is so contaminated

This might sound a bit far-fetched but it’s already happening plastic is in our food and at some point it will get to a concentration where the health effects become very much measurable with more and more acute effects on our health.

People Against Plastic Pollution 

I have recently found that I can no longer access the Somerset Phosphorus Budget Calculator via the link on the Somerset Council Website.

I have tried to get direct access via links stored in my browser cache, and have come across lot of different versions, which are listed below:

Current Version

Version 5.1 below is most up to date at time of writing, the link text identifies it as V5.1, although introduction sheet states 2.1.

Somerset Phosphorus Budget Calculator – V5.1

Older Versions

Below older versions have now been superseded, but may be useful to someone, wishing to track history of changes.

Somerset Phosphorus Budget Calculator- V3.1

Below we have also included version 3.0. As offline (downloads as zip).

Somerset Phosphorus Budget Calculator – V3.0

We use the most up tp date Phosphorus Budget Calculator when we are writing Nutrient Neutrality Reports or Phosphate Assessments for Planning

South Oxfordshire Policy DES10: Carbon Reduction

Hi we have just been writing an energy statement for a site in South Oxfordshire.  This is a quick blog post to run through the requirements of South Oxford District councils carbon reduction requirements for new buildings. If you read through the guidance document DES10 there are a lot of different percentages mentioned in there which can be a bit confusing for example:

• the 31% which comes from national requirements compared to building regulations 2013 and then;
• 27% for non-residential buildings also;
• 9% for reductions to 2021 building regulations and then;
• 13% carbon reduction carbon emissions compared with 2021 building regulations for non-residential developments! :-/

So this is all gets a bit confusing and so it’s best to use the below matrix to decide what you need to do and this clearly states that as of tend to December 2020 you need to prove a 40% reduction which is actually reasonably easy to do.

South Oxfordshire Policy DES10: New Dwellings

Policy DES10: Carbon Reduction this is applicable to:

“All new build residential dwelling houses”

Who must prove a:

“40% reduction in carbon emissions (compared with a code 2013 Building Regulations compliant base case, which is equivalent to a 9% reduction in carbon emissions compared with a Code 2021 Building Regulations compliant base case) from renewable energy and other low carbon technologies and/or energy efficiency measures.”

South Oxfordshire Policy DES10: U-Values

You will have to meet a minimum u value as described in the building regulations and that will get you a reasonably energy efficient house.

However, in order to make the 40% carbon reduction you can either reduce the energy demand which can be done with air tightness or extra insulation or reducing cold Bridges.

If there’s any requirement to create more carbon savings then you probably be your best to do this with renewables the heating system also has an effect on the overall dwelling emission rate and so they’re all these things together which can be used to get down to the 40% saving that’s required by policy de S10 from South Oxfordshire.