DATE: July 22, 2008

CONTACT: Contact information listed individually below

WRITER: Ross Norton, (864) 624-9566
rnorton@clemson.edu

'Green' story ideas and experts from Clemson University

CLEMSON, S.C. — Environmentalism, once a bad word in some circles, has taken on a new urgency with rising fuel prices and melting ice caps. Clemson University researchers and experts have plans and visions about a wide variety of "green" issues that can help you in your reporting on this high-interest topic.

Clemson researcher makes biofuel from rotten peaches

What’s brewing in Caye Drapcho’s bioreactor may well be a fuel of the future. Drapcho, a biosystems engineer, is investigating a bacterium that produces hydrogen. The microbe is called Thermotoga neapolitana and it has a taste for peaches, especially rotten ones.

“Working with the South Carolina Peach Council, we have found that peaches not suited for consumer sale can be converted to a biofuel by this bacteria,” says Drapcho. “Peach waste has substantial organic value with a high percentage of sugars that can be converted to hydrogen gas.”

More than 200 million pounds of peaches are harvested annually in South Carolina, the nation’s No. 2 peach producer behind California, and approximately 20 million pounds of damaged peaches are discarded. This research may help turn crop losses into fuel.

For information, contact Drapcho at cdrapch@clemson.edu or (864) 656-0378. Call Peter Kent, (864) 650-7899, for assistance.

You also can see a video about Drapcho's research at http://www.clemson.edu/newsroom/multimedia/video/index.html.

Turning trees into fuel

As demand for oil increases, the search for alternative fuels becomes a top priority. Researchers are studying grasses and trees as sustainable resources to produce ethanol. Fast-growing poplar trees hold much potential as a fuel stock but require costly pretreatment prior to processing for ethanol.

Cellulose is the plant material used to make ethanol. Another plant material, called lignin, impedes processing into fuel.

Geneticist Haiying Liang is seeking to breed poplars with a lower lignin content that could improve biofuel production and be less costly to process without harming the tree’s growth. She is growing test trees now in the Clemson greenhouses. Her results could lead to increased biofuel production within the next decade.

For more information contact Liang, (864) 656-2414 or hliang@clemson.edu or at http://people.clemson.edu/~hliang/, or contact Peter Kent, (864) 650-7899, for assistance.

Recycled agricultural waste generates biofuel

Recycling waste products is environmentally and economically vital for the state, nation and world. Santee Cooper and Clemson’s S.C. Institute for Energy Studies are partnering on a farm-to-fuel demonstration project that will convert swine waste, crop residue and energy crops into biogas to generate electricity.

“If agricultural waste and crops are to be used successfully as a significant source of electricity, we need a model that will generate large quantities of electricity at reasonable prices,” says Robert Leitner, associate director of the Institute for Energy Studies. “This project also has the potential to stimulate the economy in agricultural regions throughout the state, and its design will address other common agriculture waste streams in South Carolina, such as poultry litter and dairy manure. It’s a winner all the way around.”

For information: Robert Leitner, leitne@clemson.edu, (864) 656-2267, or contact Peter Kent at (864) 650-7899 for assistance.

Switchgrass could produce more ethanol than corn

Instead of corn, switchgrass could become the source for ethanol fuel produced in South Carolina. Switchgrass can produce as much as 800 to 1,000 gallons of ethanol per acre, compared to 416 gallons for corn. Even more striking, the energy-return ratio could be as high as 10 for switchgrass, compared with 0.81 for gasoline and 1.36 for corn-based ethanol.

The South Carolina Bioenergy Research Collaborative has been formed to demonstrate the economic feasibility of using plants, such as switchgrass, trees and sorghum, to make ethanol. The collaborative includes scientists at Clemson, the Savannah River National Laboratory, South Carolina State University and industry incubator SC Bio, as well as industrial partners who are committed to building a biofuels research pilot plant in the state.

A group of Clemson and USDA-Agriculture Research Service scientists, led by agronomist Jim Frederick, is investigating switchgrass production systems at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence, S.C., including soil and crop management, new variety development and measuring environmental impacts.

For more information, contact Frederick, (843) 662-3526, jfrdrck@clemson.edu or see http://agroecology.clemson.edu/switchgrass/sg.htm. Call Peter Kent, (864) 650-7899, for assistance.

Out of the pan and into the tank

Researchers at Clemson University want to reduce the cost of biodiesel fuel, turning used oils and fats into an alternative to high-dollar petroleum-based fuel. They also are studying the synthesis of ethanol from coal and biomass.

For more, contact James Goodwin, (864) 656-6614, or David Bruce, (864) 656-5425, in the chemical engineering department or Susan Polowczuk in News Services, (864) 656-2063.

U.S. resistance to environmentalism may be based on love of cars

Many countries are way ahead of the United States in the shift toward living green. Part of the reason is our car culture, says Ulrike Heine, assistant professor of architecture.

Heine recently presented a paper in Portugal dealing with the differences of construction and culture in America and Germany. She asks why America is so behind in our sense of sustainability. American culture is almost totally dependent on vehicles, Heine says.

Contact Heine at (864) 656-2776 or ulheine@clemson.edu in Clemson’s School of Architecture or Ross Norton, (864) 656-4810 or 207-1157, in News Services. 

The gain for the pain

Clemson University energy expert David Bodde says the good news from high gasoline prices is that it sends a clear message of what to do next. 

“We must move the American economy off oil dependence,” says Bodde, professor and Senior Fellow at the Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and a former deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy.

“This message has been sent since the first oil crisis of 1973. We paid attention in times of crisis, but quickly forgot as the crises passed. Let's use this price spike as the occasion to: (a) end our financial support of corrupt, dictatorial regimes around the world; (b) lower our trade imbalances and restore the strength of the dollar; (c) improve the environment; and (d) build American technological leadership.”

We have the means to accomplish this, he says: first, more fuel-efficient vehicles; then the hybrids; and finally hydrogen fuel cell or all-electric vehicles.

Bodde acknowledges that much of this remains in the future. “But it will always be in the future unless we act on what we know. And act now, with the brilliance that won the race to the moon and the perseverance that won the Cold War. But let us act," he says.

For more information contact Bodde at (864) 656-0865 or bodde@clemson.edu or Susan Polowczuk in News Services at (864) 656-2063.

Reducing fossil fuels

“Harvesting the waste heat from an engine exhaust and converting it into electrical energy for onboard use can provide a reduced demand for fossil fuels and reduce their detrimental impact on the environment,” says Clemson physics professor Terry Tritt. “Given the recent power shortages in the U.S. and our dependency on uncertain overseas petroleum fuel supplies, there is an even more pressing need to investigate alternative-energy technologies.”

Tritt is investigating the electrical and thermal properties of new materials that could reduce world reliance on fossil fuels.

To learn more about the research, contact Tritt at (864) 656-5319 or Susan Polowczuk in News Services, (864) 656-2063.

We should know what we once knew

Green construction has been around since the early days of stacking stone, but we’ve abandoned many of the practices in recent decades. Clemson University assistant professor of architecture Ulrike Heine says there are plenty of simple, passive low-tech strategies that could be included in building plans to save money and resources. And they have a long track record of success.

"Why don’t the very old houses from the last centuries have a problem with comfortable indoor climate?” Heine asks. “Why did people survive without HVAC systems?”

Going back to ancient times, architects took advantage of building form, thermal mass, passive ventilation and orientation to the sun’s path. While the ancient and not-so-ancient builders didn’t call it “sustainable,” they understood the principle.

Contact Heine at (864) 656-2776 or ulheine@clemson.edu in Clemson’s School of Architecture or Ross Norton, (864) 656-4810 or 207-1157, in News Services. 

The ethics and philosophy of going green

Even if we could completely stop emitting greenhouses gases today, we already have caused more global warming to come, says Allen Thompson, assistant professor of philosophy. In fact, global temperatures would continue to increase, adding another half-degree Celsius to the 0.7-degree warming we already have seen.

The effects on global climate will precipitate unprecedented changes in both nature and society. While traditional environmental efforts have focused on conservation and preservation, Thompson says restoration is key to a sustainable future.

Thompson lends his expertise on environmental philosophy to the cause. He works to introduce topics of environmental value as the Clemson University Restoration Institute and the department of planning and landscape architecture's Environmental Design & Planning program grapple with the role of restoration and design in a changing world.

Contact Thompson at (864) 656-2380 or Ross Norton in News Services (864) 656-4810 or 207-1157.

Environmental sensors track impact of development

Often it’s not until houses and businesses are built that we realize their environmental impact. But soon environmental researchers and developers will have data that can be used to evaluate and encourage environmentally sustainable building practices.

Remote data sensors and transmitters are being installed in coastal watersheds as part of Clemson’s Program of Integrated Study for Coastal Environmental Sustainability (PISCES). The monitoring system will provide real-time data from water measurement equipment housed on the Bannockburn Plantation in Georgetown County, S.C.

The property is slated for future development. Owner Lucille Pate is partnering with Clemson researchers to understand and minimize the impacts of development on the environment. Data collection will begin before construction to track the impact before, during and after development.

The monitoring system was designed by scientists from the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson’s department of forestry and natural resources and the agricultural and biological engineering department. In addition to scientific research, the program will provide an educational resource for natural resources and the environment, land-use change and sustainable development.

For information, contact William Conner, wconner@clemson.edu or (843) 546-6323, or call Peter Kent, (864) 650-7899, for assistance.

Dune restoration rebuilds sea turtle nesting sites

New work to remove beach vitex, the “kudzu of the beach,” will help restore nesting sites for sea turtles. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $135,000 grant to Clemson for dune restoration to protect the endangered species.

Chuck Gresham, forest scientist at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown, will lead the effort. Sea turtles, federally listed as threatened or endangered in South Carolina, abort their attempt to dig a nest if they encounter vitex at the base of sand dunes.

Restoration will occur in stages. First, the highest priority areas are identified and permission obtained from the property owner. Next, herbicide is applied to a machete cut in the vitex and allowed to work for four months. Finally, native sea oats and bitter panicum are planted to build stable dunes for turtle nests.

Vitex eradication has already occurred on 75 beachfront lots in Georgetown and Charleston counties. This grant expands the project to 71 additional parcels along the state’s entire coast.

For information, contact Gresham at cgrshm@clemson.edu or (843) 546-6314 or call Peter Kent at (864) 650-7899 for assistance.

Ecologist works to sustain South Carolina’s blue crabs

To protect the future of the blue crab population, scientists have developed a comprehensive computer model that analyzes how changes in crab behavior, water quality and fishing pressure affect the crustaceans.

Clemson University ecologist Michael Childress and colleagues from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and the Sea Grant Consortium created the model, known as the South Carolina Blue Crab Regional Abundance Biotic Simulation (SCBCRABS).

It follows the fate of individual blue crabs from the time they arrive in the marsh as juveniles until they migrate offshore as adults. The model is easy to use and can be viewed at www.clemson.edu/SCBCRABS/.

Childress’s research seeks to understand the importance of behavioral variability in the commercial success of blue crabs, lobsters and crayfish. These species are experiencing a rapid decline in the quality of their natural habitats

For information, contact Childress at mchildr@clemson.edu or (864) 656-6198. Call Peter Kent at (864) 650-7899 for assistance.

Helping fruit trees cope with global warming

Climate change and global warming will affect our food supply. South Carolina is the No. 2 peach-producer in the nation and growers are concerned. Many fruit and nut trees need sufficient chilling hours to make fruit, and the trees also need to be hardy enough to withstand a late frost.

Douglas Bielenberg, a Clemson plant physiologist, examines dormancy and chilling. Focusing on peach trees, his research could help breeders and growers develop trees better attuned to the local winter environment. He is studying the genetic and cellular signals that begin dormancy and the developmental events involved in bud formation and non-growth seasonal phases.

“Looking at ways to alter the number of chilling hours a plant such as the peach tree needs can mean the difference between where we can grow fruit and nut crops,” says Bielenberg. In California warmer temperatures could mean fewer chilling hours and the change could have an impact on as many as 18 varieties of fruits and nuts. Agriculture experts theorize that climate change could have similar effects in South Carolina.

For more information, contact Bielenberg at (864) 656-4968, dbielen@clemson.edu or www.clemson.edu/biosci/faculty/bielenberg/, or call Peter Kent, (864) 650-7899, for assistance.

Environmental field-study program expands to Upstate South Carolina

As early as second and third grade, children learn about the earth’s environmental problems. They can explain the demise of rainforests, the plight of endangered species and the damage of oil spills.

Clemson’s Youth Learning Institute agrees with author David Sobel that “if we want children to flourish, we need to give them time to connect with nature and love the Earth before we ask them to save it.”

Since 1991, the institute has reached more than 70,000 teachers and students through Teaching Kids About The Environment (KATE) programs at Camp Bob Cooper in Summerton. Now, a gift of forestland by The Cliffs Communities and its foundations will enable the program to expand to the Upstate.

During the three-day/two-night adventure, third- through fifth-graders are exposed to more core outdoor education than they experience in three weeks of traditional classroom instruction.

The program was developed by the Youth Learning Institute and the S.C. Coalition for Natural Resources. It utilizes science-based curriculum that covers water ecology, wildlife resources, forestry and soil science, and is endorsed by the S.C. Department of Education.

For more information contact Greg Linke, (864) 353-4313, glinke@clemson.edu or http://www.clemson.edu/yli/teachingkate/, or contact Peter Kent, (864) 650-7899, for assistance.

'Yuck factor' holds back the parents

While many children naturally are drawn to nature, it’s often without guidance or encouragement from their parents.

Rob Bixler, associate professor in park, recreation and tourism management, has studied why children play in the creek beside the playground rather than on the shiny new equipment. His recent research has been on people’s waning interest in nature and the environment and in the fear, disgust and discomfort people feel in wild and natural places.

Contact Bixler, (864) 656-4849, or Ross Norton in News Services, (864) 656-4810 or 207-1157, for assistance.

Travelers leave footprints, take pictures

The hiker’s notion of leaving only footprints and taking only pictures may be the original ecotourism, but environmental tourism is a growing international phenomenon.

According to Bob Powell, assistant professor in Clemson’s parks, recreation and tourism management department, the ecotourism movement has influenced the entire tourism industry to be more sustainable. Ecotourism is tourism to natural areas and parks that that supports conservation, environmental education and social equity. Ecotourism helps preserve and sustain national parks and their diversity.

The concept also is a natural companion to “voluntourism,” where the tourists show up to work or perform community service. Powell, formerly an adventure travel manager and guide, can be reached at (864) 656-0787 or rbp@clemson.edu. Contact Ross Norton in News Services at (864) 656-4810 or 207-1157 for more information.

'Silvopasture' combines timber, pasture and cattle

Forest landowners who own cattle are learning how to combine livestock, forages and timber into one production system, called silvopasture.

Beth Richardson, Clemson extension agent for forestry and wildlife, conducted a seminar this fall at the Edisto Research & Education Center in Blackville, S.C. Participants learned about the system practiced in South Alabama, where a breed called pineywood cattle have grazed in the forest for centuries.

“The cattle are feral stock descended from animals introduced by Spanish explorers, and they learned to fend for themselves in the longleaf pine forests and swamps of the Southeast,” she says. They tolerate heat, resist parasites and diseases, help control competition in the forest and provide an alternative income source.

For information, contact Richardson, mrchrds@clemson.edu or (803) 534-6280. Call Peter Kent, (864) 650-7899, for assistance.

Cleaning up streams one farm at a time

Water is essential to our lives. In Oconee County, extension agent Morris Warner has made it his mission to work with farmers and homeowners to reduce pollution and improve water access for cattle. He has secured more than $3.5 million in federal grants to achieve his goals.

Cattle that get into streams pollute the water and break down stream banks. They also muddy the drinking water, which can cause health problems. Through grants, Warner helps farmers put in wells, watering troughs and fences to keep cattle away from the streams.

“This program has been a godsend,” says Carol Hendrix, a cattle producer in Westminster, S.C.

In addition, aging septic tanks pose a significant risk to public health and property values. Federal funding helps homeowners by covering part of the cost to pump out clogged septic tanks and install permanent pump-out pipes, enabling better tank upkeep in the future. Next Warner hopes to build a similar program for the Greenwood area.

For information, contact Warner, mwarner@clemson.edu or (864) 638-5889, or call Peter Kent, (864) 650-7899, for assistance.

Hydrologist studies stormwater runoff in coastal areas

To help developers, state and county agencies, homeowners and municipal officials learn how to reduce runoff, stormwater engineer Anand Jayakaran is researching natural and developed watersheds.

“I will be researching watersheds and how they are affected by rapid development along the coast,” said Jayakaran, who is based at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown. “I’ll be looking at how urban development affects the quantity of runoff from storm events and studying ways to mitigate that runoff.”

Jayakaran will use less-developed watersheds as a baseline to show how stormwater affects the land in a more natural setting.

For information contact Anand Jayakaran at ajayaka@clemson.edu or (843) 546-1013, ext. 223. Call Peter Kent at (864) 650-7899 for assistance.

Clemson leads water-quality programs for South Carolina

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4, in conjunction with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, is collaborating with Clemson to establish a Center for Watershed Excellence in South Carolina. The center will provide “one-stop” watershed planning and management support for communities throughout the state.

Planned services include research and education programs to foster development and implementation of cost-effective watershed management solutions. Clemson faculty, staff and students will work with community stakeholders to create site-based solutions that promote both economic and environmental sustainability.

“The center provides an efficient and effective approach to improving water quality, which will have a significant impact on the quality of life for our citizens and for economic development in South Carolina,” said John Kelly, Clemson's vice president for public service and agriculture.

In addition, a statewide conference on water resources is being planned for fall 2008 to develop collaborative research among universities and agencies. Both initiatives are sponsored by Clemson’s Restoration Institute.

For more information: http://restoration.clemson.edu/ecology/ or contact Gene Eidson, (864) 656-2619 or geidson@clemson.edu. Call Peter Kent at (864) 650-7899 for assistance.

Global climate study shows effects of sea-level rise

A team of Clemson scientists is measuring the effects of global climate change on freshwater tidal forested wetlands. The team, based at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown, is led by hydrologist William Conner.

Storm surges from hurricanes can push large amounts of sea water inland and leave salt in the soil for weeks. This can kill some trees and freshwater plants, but cypress trees can usually withstand brief exposure to higher salt concentrations.

However, scientists are noticing more severe and long-lasting effects as sea levels rise due to global climate change. Even cypress trees cannot tolerate this long-term change in salinity. As saltwater pushes further inland, forested wetland plants die and the area becomes a salt marsh.

Conner’s research shows that some South Carolina coastal wetland forests already are changing to marsh as salt water intrudes into rivers. His study records salinity, water levels and tree growth in areas where salinity has increased and compares those conditions to upstream forested wetlands that are not yet affected.

Data from this study can help land managers make more informed decisions and could lead to recommendations on how to restore forested wetlands and preserve the flood-control and habitat benefits they provide.

For information, contact Conner at wconner@clemson.edu or (843) 546-1013, ext. 227. Call Peter Kent at (864) 650-7899 for assistance.

Disposing of old TV sets as we move to digital broadcasts

What is the best way to dispose of that old TV set as we switch to all-digital broadcasts on Feb. 17, 2009? Professor of environmental engineering and earth sciences David Freedman says cathode ray tubes in old TV sets are loaded with lead and traces of other toxic metals. Putting them in landfills can send toxins into groundwater.

To find out more about proper ways to dispose of them, contact Freedman at (864) 656-5566 or dfreedm@clemson.edu or Susan Polowczuk in News Services at (864) 656-2063 or spolowc@clemson.edu.