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Research Indicates Possible Mistakes
Mark
Y. Avelli
08/24/2003
A recent issue of the science journal "NATURE" reported the results of a three year controlled study comparing the rate of growth of trees in a air polluted urban area with the rate in a nearby less polluted suburban environment. Surprisingly, the research ecologists from Cornell University discovered that "urban plant biomass was DOUBLE that of tree grown on rural sites. The complex mix of pollutants in the urban area protects the trees from ozone damage.
NOX emissions in the city tend to neutralize ozone.
In contrast, ozone formed by the action of sunlight on polluting gases escapes being neutralized as the airflow moves from the city to the suburbs. The more ozone present causes More Tree Damage in suburban trees.
This unexpected discovery indicates that in the Florida Panhandle, the planned Gulf Power $200 million dollar investment to reduce NOX emissions by 90 % may prove to be counter productive.
Will our azaleas and crepe myrtle's continue to flourish? Will the growth of IP's pulp forests be lower? We may discover that, notwithstanding the ranting of the DEP and the local press, the ozone concentration in Escambia County may be higher after Gulf Power's NOX reducing equipment begins operating.
Will the DEP and the press eco-raptors then recommend that Gulf Power spend another $200 million to remove the NOX reducing equipment? The answers will be available in a few years.
Mary Y. Avelli
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