How recycling impacts the weather

By Staff, AccuWeather

ACCUWEATHER READY Updated Feb. 28, 2020 1:59 PM

If you’ve ever wondered why we should bother to sort trash, minimize household waste, and take the time to understand recycling do’s and don’ts, think about recycling’s impact on the weather. The gradual warming of the earth’s temperatures and the increased frequency of unusual weather patterns is related to climate change. This disruption in “normal” weather patterns has been years in the making: a product of us not being as mindful as we should be about how to handle the garbage we discard, hazardous materials, and vehicle emissions. The good news is that learning the do’s and don’ts of recycling is easy. By following a few best practices, you can do your part to help stabilize weather conditions for you, family, friends, and future generations.

Recycling  Do’s

Photo by Dave Noonan

1- Do separate your trash

When it comes to understanding how to sort your recycling, just remember that in most areas three is the magic number. That means three categories of recycling: 1) all paper, 2) all glass and metal, and 3) all plastics. If you have space, dedicate a bin to each of these three categories. You can even buy bins with three compartments to make it even easier. Not only is this a good way to keep things clean but also makes for more effective recycling trips.

Photo by Lisa Fotios

2- Do empty containers completely

One of the reasons many people stop recycling is because they don’t like the mess and smell of sitting garbage. You can avoid this entirely by rinsing out cans and bottles thoroughly before placing them in the recycling bin.

Photo by Brandable Box

3- Do flatten cardboard boxes

Breaking down your boxes saves space, keeps your recycling area tidy, and reduces trips to the recycling center (which is also better for the environment.)

Photo by Niko Lienata

4- Do recycle plastics marked 1, 2 and 5

Which plastics are recyclable? This is a complicated question because the rules can vary from state to state, city to city, and town to town. If you are looking for guidance, there are some easy to use tools at RecycleMorePlastic.org. You can also check the website for the local recycling center in your area. In general, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high-density polyethylene) are commonly accepted recycling plastics everywhere. PET is a very common type of plastic used to make water bottles and food containers. Eight billion PET bottles are produced in the United States every year. HDPE is commonly used for shampoo and other detergent bottles. In numerical terms, PET plastic is marked as 1. HDPE plastic is marked as 2. And polypropylene plastic (or PP) is marked as 5. This is the plastic commonly used to make furniture, toys, and car bumpers. For a handy reference to all the plastic numbers and where you commonly find them, check out Easyearth.com.

Photo by RitaE

5- Do recycle aluminum

Aluminum foil and trays can definitely be recycled. Just be sure to rinse these items well because they commonly come in direct contact with food and will start to smell if you leave them sitting out.

Recycling Don’ts

Photo by Freestocks.org

1- Do not recycle plastic bags

Plastic bags choke the machines that are used to sort recycling at treatment plants. This is why many areas around the country are banning stores from using plastic bags. Paper and cloth bags are still okay to use and are better all around for the environment.

Photo by Creative Vix

2- Do not recycle pizza boxes

Cardboard is recyclable, but pizza boxes are not because they come in contact with grease and sticky food traces.

Photo by Hamza Javaid

3- Do not toss every kind of plastic in the recycle bin

Many areas do not collect plastics numbered 3, 4, 6, and 7. (Again, Eartheasy.org can tell you what these plastics are most commonly used to create.)

Photo by Gary Chan

Conclusion

If you are concerned about the future of weather and its impact on this planet that we all share, it pays to take recycling seriously. Recycling the right way is an easy habit to get into and a small way to make a big positive difference on the environment.

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ICYMI: Mother Nature 'waves' hello, towering snow squall sweeps through ski town and bad news for allergy sufferers

By Staff, AccuWeather

WEATHER NEWS Updated Feb. 28, 2020 2:44 PM

As we leap from February to March, winter weather still has a firm grip on parts of the country. Two storms joined forces to cause travel headaches — and at least one death — in the midwestern United States. Meanwhile, not everyone is looking forward to spring as they gear up for seasonal allergies, and it looks like Earth's moon may have some company in outer space. Here's a look at the week's biggest weather (and astronomy) news.

Rare cloud formation captures scientists' attention in New Hampshire

Clouds can take on all kinds of mesmerizing forms from above, and on Monday morning, one of them seemed to “wave back” at scientists down in New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Observatory. They spotted a Kelvin-Helmholtz, or KH-lenticular cloud, around 7 a.m. EST.

The serene image they tweeted looked more like a painting than a photograph, as a slightly silhouetted cloud outlined in the soft beige glow of the morning sun appeared to float over the mountains below.

KH-lenticulars are rare phenomena named after their discoverers, Hermann von Helmholtz and William Thomson — also known as Lord Kelvin. They happen in unstable atmospheric conditions when air varies in density due to different temperatures. Their time in the sky is typically brief, which AccuWeather Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell says makes them tough to document.

A similar occurrence happened in June 2019, when a Virginia woman captured the special clouds on camera one evening. Her photo quickly went viral.

Beautiful sunset seen from high in the sky

The stunning cloud witnessed from high atop Mount Washington wasn't the only enthralling imagery from the sky this week. In fact, one video showed what it's like to look down at a wall of clouds.   

A video posted to Instagram earlier this month, but released by Storyful News Agency on Wednesday, showed two men in Saudi Arabia taking in a gorgeous sunset and enjoying some tea from high atop a mountain in the city of Abha in the southwestern part of the country.

According to Storyful, Abha is located in Asser Province and is known for the country's highest peak.

2 winter storms team up to wreak havoc over Midwest

It was far from a winter wonderland this week across the Midwest as the region got battered by a band of heavy snow formed from not one, but two storms. People in areas from the central Plains, across the Great Lakes and into southern Ontario and Quebec felt the impacts. 

Snow blanketing the ground in Toledo, Ohio, at The University of Toledo. (Image/The University of Toledo)

Travel chaos ensued as many drivers struggled across slippery highways, including in Missouri, where state troopers reported at least 59 crashes, several injuries and one death on Wednesday before 2 p.m., local time. Amid a winter storm watch, over 900 flights in and out of Chicago O'Hare International Airport were delayed, even though the city avoided the brunt of the stormy conditions.

Within 24 hours, snowfall totals began to mount, reaching up to 8.5 inches in Clarke Lake, Michigan, and 6.5 inches in Arnold, Nebraska. By Wednesday, 7 inches of snow had covered the ground in Angola, Indiana, and by 2 a.m. the next morning, 7 inches had fallen near Fayette, Ohio.

Spring allergy sufferers to take a beating in parts of US

Even despite the wintry conditions still causing problems for many, it may come as a shock to some that not everyone is anticipating the arrival of springtime. That’s because for them, it marks the return of those pesky seasonal allergies. AccuWeather’s annual spring allergy forecast shows that this year, allergy sufferers across the eastern U.S. might want to grab hold of their tissues — they're in for a tough ride.

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AccuWeather meteorologists say that tree, weed and grass pollen production will be higher as above-normal rainfall and near-average temperatures affect much of the region this season. They’re also expecting that the eastern Rockies and West Coast cities will see above-average pollen levels, while the Northwest and Southwest catch a break. It looks like there could be some relief for weed pollen sufferers in the northern Plains and northern Rockies, as well.

“We will continue to see the lack of rainfall and some warm air take a toll on plant growth and lead to below-average and even well-below-average weed pollen from the northern Plains into the northern Rockies,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert.

You can read AccuWeather’s full 2020 spring allergy forecast here, and don’t forget to check out our U.S. spring forecast for more on what to expect in your region this upcoming season.

Dense wall of snow quickly covers Aspen-area ski resort

It was almost like night and day when a thick snow squall swiftly moved across a ski resort northwest of Aspen, Colorado, on Feb. 24. In the webcam images, you can see a curtain of snow covering one side of the camera lens as it makes its way across the mountains. Take a look at the difference.

AccuWeather Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell wrote that intense squalls like the one pictured are often responsible for pileup crashes due to their tendency to reduce visibility on roadways almost instantly.

Elsewhere in Colorado, the town of Breckenridge, home to one of the biggest ski resorts in the West, became the first in the state to hit the 300-inch benchmark when a storm moved through on Sunday.

Fate of 2020 Summer Olympics hangs in balance amid coronavirus worries

Mounting fears surrounding COVID-19 are starting to seep into plans for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) are recognizing the virus’s potential to impact the Games, although they’re not slated to take place until July.

Over the next three months, IOC will consider possibilities of altering, relocating or canceling the major sporting event altogether.  “This is the new war, and you have to face it,” said IOC member Dick Pound in a recent interview with the Associated Press (AP). “In and around that time, I’d say folks are going to have to ask: ‘Is this under sufficient control that we can be confident about going to Tokyo or not?’”

Bruce Aylward, an assistant director-general of the World Health Organization, speaks with a chart during a press conference in Beijing on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Sam McNeil)

Last week, London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey’s unofficial offer of availability for his city to host the Games as an alternate location were called “inappropriate” by Tokyo's Governor Yuriko Koike. Two Japanese citizens who died from COVID-19 aboard a Diamond Princess cruise ship is how the country became connected with the international health crisis. 

"A reason why this issue has attracted global attention is due to the cruise ship. But the cruise ship's nationality belongs to Britain," Koike said. "I wish aspects like these would be well understood."

For the latest developments on the coronavirus, click here.

Earth's primary moon has some company in outer space, scientists discover

Scientists have made an incredible discovery in outer space: Earth appears have to have gained a new satellite. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center announced this week that they have observed a natural moon orbiting the planet — and it’s not the one we’re used to seeing up there. The group has named the much tinier counterpart 2020 CD3, according to UPI.

A photo showing the new "mini moon" 2020 CD3 that was discovered by astronomers earlier in February.

"Orbit integrations... indicate that this object is temporarily bound to the Earth," astronomers wrote in the update. "No evidence of perturbations due to solar radiation pressure is seen, and no link to a known artificial object has been found.”

The new mini moon was first seen by astronomers at the University of Arizona’s Catalina Sky Survey on Feb. 15. 2020 CD3 is estimated to have been orbiting Earth over the last three years.

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'I ride it out.' When a hurricane comes roaring up the East Coast, one community stays put

By Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer

HURRICANE Updated Feb. 28, 2020 2:28 PM

When hurricanes and severe storms strike the East Coast, they often batter coastlines, displace famous landmarks and even move whole populations away forever. But there are some groups of people along the South Carolina and Georgia coast, such as on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, that have not only endured centuries of storms, but some of them have never budged, even when everyone around them scatters.

"I ride it out and I ride every one out,” Francis Major, a St. Helena Island resident, told AccuWeather National Reporter Dexter Henry. “I ain’t never left."

Francis Major, a resident of St. Helena Island for 71 years, talks about what it has been like to stay put during major storms. (AccuWeather/ Dexter Henry)

Major has lived on St. Helena Island for 71 years as a member of the Gullah community, a group of African Americans with deep cultural roots who live along the coast in South Carolina and Georgia. When major storms, like hurricanes, come through, many members of the communities make the decision to stay put.

While they do trust and keep an eye on forecasts from meteorologists, it’s the wisdom and experience from their elders in the community that they rely on. When residents decide to stay put through a storm, it’s often as a group or family. Some stay to protect their land and the livestock they care for.

"The elders have that wisdom,” Donellia Chives, who lives in Port Royal, South Carolina, told Henry. “They have that wisdom of holding out for those storms for so many decades and generations. So, a lot of times they have that wisdom on their side where they know."

St. Helena Island is home to a community of Gullah people, who have lived in the region for centuries. (AccuWeather/ Dexter Henry)

The Gullah people and their language are also called the Geechee. The modern-day Gullah formulated following the emancipation of slavery, when members of the community stayed isolated and united within their heritage. Along with having specific customs, a unique language and a rich history, the history of Gullah families staying is intertwined with traditional customs and distrust.

“One of the reasons I stay is cause when you go you can’t get back cause they build a wall before you can get back in,” Ben Johnson told Henry.

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Chives also pointed to the history of African Americans being displaced in the region and the outcome of Louisiana residents following Hurricane Katrina as reasons why some stay put.

“If we think about New Orleans, case and point, a lot of people had to leave New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina,” Chives said. “Those people did not come back or could not come back for whatever reason, lost their land. People are waiting for the Gullah-Geechee land to become available so they can come and swipe it. That’s a reality.”

St. Helena Island is home to a community of Gullah people, who have lived in the region for centuries. (AccuWeather/ Dexter Henry)

Ifetayo White, a St. Helena Island resident, also mentioned that the community she lives with has a strong awareness of the environment and local weather, as their connection to the environment and togetherness empowers them.

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According to White, that connection with the environment is like a sixth sense about nature that the Gullah community has.

"Always a sense of strength, a sense of unity, a sense of community," Chives said about the Gullah people. "Just that overall wisdom from those that rode the storms out before we were even here. So, if they survived, we can, too."

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