A Styrofoam (polystyrene plastic) take‑out food box can outlive its owner and their children. It weathers rain, sunlight, and curbside crushes yet still hangs around, splintering into smaller shards instead of disappearing.



An Australian research team now reports a way to erase 90% of that throw‑away <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-plastic-food-packaging-contains-9936-harmful-chemicals/">plastic</a> in just thirty minutes, using nothing more exotic than air, purple light, and a pinch of table-grade chemicals.



<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XqtHx8oAAAAJ&amp;hl=fr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Maxime Michelas</a> of the University of New South Wales School of Chemical Engineering (<a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/engineering/our-schools/chemical-engineering">UNSW</a>), working with colleagues in the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/science/our-schools/chemistry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Chemistry</a> and <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CSIRO</a>, describes the method in a recent study. 



Their approach slices stubborn polymers into bite‑size molecules that industry already uses to make solvents, coatings, and flavors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-polystyrene-plastic-linger-for-centuries">Polystyrene plastic linger for centuries</h2>



Humanity produces more than four hundred million tons of plastic per year, and the figure keeps climbing even where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-scientists-are-using-air-to-recycle-plastic/">recycling</a> programs thrive. Most items are designed for single use, yet their bonds resist microbial attack and sunshine alike.



Polystyrene poses a special headache. The foamed version is restricted in several U.S. states, yet analysts expect global demand to reach sixty‑two million tons within a decade. 



Its light weight means flakes travel far on the wind, then fracture into microplastics that slip through standard filters and into drinking water.



Medical <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11117644/">journals</a> now link those particles to oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in animal and cell models. Surgeons have even found plastic fragments embedded in arterial plaque removed from heart patients.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turning-sunlight-into-a-scalpel">Turning sunlight into a scalpel</h2>



Michelas’ team turns the low‑cost salt iron trichloride into an aggressive photocatalyst. 



When a 405‑nanometer LED excites the salt, it spawns chlorine radicals that yank hydrogen atoms off the polymer backbone. 



The orphaned carbon grabs oxygen from the air, the chain snaps, and the plastic’s mass plunges.



The setup looks almost rudimentary. A glass flask sits on a stir plate, air or pure oxygen bubbles through a dichloromethane solution of shredded plastic and five mole percent catalyst, and a small LED panel shines from the side.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dissolving-plastic-by-90">Dissolving plastic by 90%</h2>



Under those conditions the authors report a 90% mass loss for seven commodity polymers in half an hour.



Extending exposure to three hours pushes conversion to 97%, a milestone that once demanded day‑long lamp times.



For the fastest substrates, including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8435462/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poly(ethylene oxide)</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/polymethyl-methacrylate" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poly(methyl acrylate)</a>, most bond‑breaking happens in the first ten minutes. 



Even polyvinyl chloride, notorious for its tight packing and limited solubility, gave up seventy‑eight percent in the half‑hour window.



“I think it’s very important to degrade the polymer and turn it into another feedstock we can use for other things, or just to reduce the amount of microplastics in the world,” noted Dr. Michelas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-trash-to-toolkit-chemicals">From trash to toolkit chemicals</h2>



Breaking chains is only half the story. Gas‑chromatography traces reveal a soup rich in small aldehydes and carboxylic acids that can feed into paint, adhesive, or fragrance manufacture with little additional purification.



Because the catalyst is iron and the reaction runs near room temperature, the energy bill looks minimal compared with pyrolysis or incineration. 



The group demonstrated a fifty‑gram‑per‑liter run that held over eighty‑five percent efficiency, then regained speed simply by bubbling in fresh oxygen when the gas was spent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-checking-the-energy-math">Checking the energy math</h2>



A 2023 <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3041" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">case study</a> of a decentralized pyrolysis unit showed that processing 360 tons of mixed plastic per year demanded about 560 MWh of electricity, or roughly 1,550 kWh for every ton treated. 



That figure dwarfs the LED‑lit UNSW setup, which relies mainly on ambient heat and the modest power draw of a few lamps.



While the pyrolysis plant did recover energy by burning the oil it made, the upfront input highlights why lower‑temperature chemistry matters. 



Slashing kilowatt‑hours per ton means smaller carbon footprints and lower operating bills, especially in regions where electricity still comes from coal.



For context, running a fifteen‑watt LED strip for half an hour consumes about 0.015 kWh, orders of magnitude below even the leanest pyrolysis benchmarks. 



Multiply that by thousands of lamps in parallel, and the energy tab still lands far south of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128228104000221" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thermochemical routes</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-savings-for-cities-and-companies">Savings for cities and companies</h2>



Foamed polystyrene can occupy up to thirty percent of landfill volume by space, prompting bans in California, Maine, and Maryland that steer eateries toward plant‑based or recyclable packaging. 



Yet many municipalities still receive tons of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-ai-designed-material-is-light-as-foam-tough-as-steel/">foam</a>, paying transport costs on material that weighs almost nothing but swallows cubic yards.



A low‑temperature, bench‑scale unit could let waste haulers liquefy that foam onsite, drain the product into drums, and sell it to chemical distributors. Haulers would cut diesel miles, and cities would shrink the footprint of their transfer stations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-polystyrene-plastic-better-health">Less polystyrene plastic, better health</h2>



Environmental <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10151227/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">researchers</a> estimate the average person ingests about five grams of dispersed plastic per week, roughly the weight of a credit card. 



By tackling items most prone to shedding, like takeaway containers, the UNSW chemistry could noticeably dent that intake.



Though the catalyst cannot vacuum particles already loose in rivers, less fragmentation upstream means fewer specks small enough to cross gut or lung barriers. 



Lower exposure could reduce inflammatory burdens now documented in lab studies, easing a growing public‑health worry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saving-earth-from-polystyrene-plastics">Saving Earth from polystyrene plastics</h2>



No exotic materials are required, so startups could prototype light‑reactor tubes that rely on midday sun instead of LEDs in sunny regions. 



Developers might even graft the concept onto existing plastic‑sorting lines, dropping shredded waste into solvent loops rather than balers.



Regulators drafting extended‑producer‑responsibility rules can nudge investment by counting photochemical conversion toward plastic‑recovery targets. 



Clarity on permitting would address solvent handling and air emissions, two hurdles that often stall new recycling infrastructure.



Further lab work will probe whether iron salts push <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-catalyst-precatalyst-improves-clean-hydrogen-production-to-99-9-efficiency/">hydrogen</a>‑atom transfer in cross‑linked elastomers or complex multilayer films. Each additional success widens the path to a circular economy that values the carbon already in circulation.



Funding agencies often favor technologies that link waste reduction to high‑value outputs, and solvent‑phase depolymerization fits that brief. 



Venture groups in Australia and Singapore have already begun scouting pilot‑scale demonstrations, according to the authors.



The study is published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/marc.202400358" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Macromolecular Rapid Communications</a>.



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New chemical process breaks down 90% of plastic in just 30 minutes

A Styrofoam (polystyrene plastic) take‑out food box can outlive its owner and their children. It weathers rain, sunlight, and curbside crushes yet still hangs around, splintering into smaller shards instead of disappearing. An Australian research team now reports a way to erase 90% of that throw‑away plastic in just thirty minutes, using nothing more exotic than air, purple light, and a pinch of table-grade chemicals. Dr. Maxime Michelas of the University of New South Wales School of Chemical Engineering (UNSW), working with colleagues in the School of...

Carbon dioxide has long been a huge source of concern for people who want cleaner air, cooler water, and a healthier planet. Many nations are working to slash emissions of this gas, but experts say that may not be enough.



This is where strategies like sucking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-is-accelerating-beyond-control-as-co2-levels-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> from the air and stashing it deep under the Earth's surface gain attention. 



This approach is now being investigated by <a href="https://marcodepaoli.com/contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marco De Paoli</a> from the University of Twente (<a href="https://www.utwente.nl/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UT</a>) in Enschede, Netherlands, and the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer at <a href="https://www.tuwien.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TU Wien</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-storing-co-2-underground-is-complex">Why storing CO2 underground is complex</h2>



CO2 does not simply vanish once injected below the surface of the Earth. It occupies spaces in underground rocks and mixes with groundwater, a process that turns out to be more intricate than it first sounds. 



Many scientists have wondered if it could creep back to the surface after decades.



“Pure CO2 has a lower density than water, but the situation changes when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natures-grip-on-co2-is-slipping-what-it-means-for-us-all/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> is dissolved in water,” stated De Paoli. 



Numerical <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL114804">experiments</a> on large computers suggest that once CO2 dissolves in water, the resulting liquid is denser than water alone. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dense-carbon-water-sinks-and-stays-put">Dense carbon water sinks and stays put</h2>



<a href="https://fiveable.me/introduction-chemical-engineering/unit-5/fluid-statics/study-guide/MCni95hbDkArLJW3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Density</a> is crucial for how fluids behave underground. When carbon-rich water is heavier, it tends to move downward instead of floating back up towards the surface. 



This internal sinking motion creates layers of fluid that stay tucked away underground.



Those denser layers mean storage can be more than a temporary band-aid. 



Officials who track environmental tactics see this density-driven process as a real chance to keep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/co2-emissions-reduction-20-percent-possible-only-2-percent-economic-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> locked beneath rock layers. This would help <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355807661_Leakage_Risk_Assessment_of_a_CO2_Storage_Site_A_Review" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">minimize leaks</a> that might compromise long-term climate goals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-only-some-places-can-store-carbon-safely">Only some places can store carbon safely</h2>



Not every location is a fit for CO2 storage. There must be a thick, relatively impermeable caprock above a porous layer that holds groundwater. 



A secure lid is vital to keep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-co2-emissions-rise-as-nations-tackle-fossil-fuel-dependence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> in place until it fully dissolves and starts that downward migration.



“Such geological conditions are not that rare,” remarked De Paoli. Several sites already meet these criteria, including regions under the ocean floor. 



Experts point to defunct oil fields and <a href="https://igutek.scripts.mit.edu/terrascope/?page=saline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">saline aquifers</a> as promising spots. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rocks-may-help-or-hurt-carbon-storage">Rocks may help or hurt carbon storage</h2>



A large question is how the rock itself reacts once carbon-laden water sneaks through its tiny channels. 



Certain rocks can dissolve or shift chemically, creating new channels. Others stay intact and seal the carbon-laden water even more tightly.



Researchers are using <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016236121020913?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">advanced techniques</a> to figure out if these chemical changes strengthen or weaken the rock structure. The goal is to avoid unpleasant surprises that might interfere with the permanent storage plan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smart-ways-to-inject-carbon-water">Smart ways to inject carbon water</h2>



Engineers are eyeing ways to harness this behavior for cost-effective carbon capture. 



They want to design injection methods that send <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/co2-has-regulated-earths-climate-for-millions-of-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> straight into the sweet spot, where it will meet and merge with groundwater. Then the heavier fluid will settle deeper, away from potential fractures.



Existing industry programs in places like the <a href="https://sequestration.mit.edu/tools/projects/sleipner.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sleipner Field</a> in the North Sea have already injected millions of tons of CO2. 



Long-running monitoring there indicates that, if done correctly, carbon stays put and shifts gradually into stable zones.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-outlook">Long-term outlook</h2>



Once dissolved, carbon is far less likely to slip back to the air. The rocky overhang becomes less important once the heavy mixture has migrated downward. 



Even major tremors may not nudge the fluid back to the surface after it has sunk below the seal.



This safety aspect is a primary reason many scientists want to keep exploring permanent underground CO2 storage. 



Calculations suggest there are widespread opportunities to capture and hold significant amounts of carbon over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-questions">Future questions</h2>



De Paoli has an ongoing project funded by the <a href="https://erc.europa.eu/homepage" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Research Council</a> that looks at the finer details of chemical reactions between CO2-rich water and the rocks. 



Early analysis points to possible boosts in how quickly the heavier fluid travels downward, though it varies from site to site.



These insights might help refine future carbon storage plans. If engineers know exactly how fluids mix at various depths, they can scale up designs with confidence, using data-driven methods rather than guesswork.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-co2-water-and-climate-change">CO2, water, and climate change</h2>



No single solution will solve the climate puzzle. Reducing emissions, adopting clean energy, and changing the way we use resources are all still high priorities. But taking CO2 out of the air and locking it underground might be a valuable extra measure.



As more research surfaces, scientists in this field hope to give policymakers hard data on success rates and reliable design guidelines. That could boost confidence in any large-scale adoption of this strategy.



In the United States, carbon capture projects are moving forward in industrial hubs. Similar efforts are popping up worldwide, spurred by public and private funding. 



Research centers are joining forces to share knowledge about geology, fluid mechanics, and safe <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355807661_Leakage_Risk_Assessment_of_a_CO2_Storage_Site_A_Review" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">storage</a> methods.



It remains to be seen whether global capacity is enough to store billions of tons of CO2 each year. Studies aim to locate the best formations and ensure that the captured carbon never sees daylight again.



The study was published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL114804" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Is it possible to 'permanently' remove CO2 from the atmosphere? Science found a way

Carbon dioxide has long been a huge source of concern...

Seasonal allergies used to follow a fairly stable schedule. People would brace for symptoms in the spring and sometimes in the fall, but those <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-is-accelerating-beyond-control-as-co2-levels-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">patterns</a> have been more difficult to predict lately.



Many now notice that their noses start running before the usual first bloom of the season. Others find that their watery eyes and sneezing continue for weeks past the time they expected relief. A recent study links these intensifying seasonal allergies to climate change. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pollen-seasons-are-getting-longer">Pollen seasons are getting longer</h2>



The <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lary.32124" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> suggests that warmer climate conditions can lengthen pollen seasons in various parts of the world. The study was led by Alisha R. Pershad, a third-year medical student at the George Washington University <a href="https://smhs.gwu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Medicine and Health Sciences</a>.



The researchers looked at data published between the years 2000 and 2023. They found 30 studies that examined how global warming seems to affect the timing and amount of pollen released. 



Sixteen of those studies observed a link between rising <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-constantly-reshuffling-earths-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">temperatures</a> and longer pollen seasons, adding to the concerns of allergy sufferers.



Some researchers <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1014107108" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">project</a> that total pollen production in the United States might climb by as much as 40% by the close of the century. They also anticipate an earlier start to the sneezing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-therapy-may-help-reduce-peanut-allergies-in-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">season</a>, with shifts in temperature patterns possibly adding up to 19 extra days of pollen in certain regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-longer-allergy-seasons-affect-daily-life">Longer allergy seasons affect daily life</h2>



<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538186/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Allergic rhinitis</a> is a reaction that involves itchy eyes, nasal congestion, and repetitive sneezing. It affects about 19.2 million adults across the nation.



Many who struggle with this condition describe fatigue, disrupted sleep, and trouble focusing at work or school. Beyond the personal inconvenience, extended pollen exposure may lead to frequent doctor visits and a need for stronger medications which both require financial assistance.



A few studies note that climate conditions can influence the spread of new types of pollen into places not used to seeing them. This shift sometimes catches residents off guard, leaving them vulnerable to unexpected <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oak-trees-show-that-allergy-season-is-becoming-longer-and-more-intense/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">allergic</a> flare-ups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improving-access-to-allergy-treatment">Improving access to allergy treatment </h2>



The researchers observed a pattern of increased healthcare usage for <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6705e1.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">allergy-related problems</a> in areas with limited resources. Clinics in these neighborhoods reported more symptoms such as congestion from patients seeking help with various symptoms attributed to allergies.



Four of the studies in the recent review highlighted how low-income residents are especially affected by the higher frequency of allergic rhinitis complaints. This situation highlights a need for improved access to allergy treatment and more awareness campaigns at the community level.



Two of the studies indicated that medical workers themselves would like better training on the ways that climate patterns can influence allergic conditions. They stressed the importance of bridging knowledge gaps so professionals can advise patients about upcoming shifts in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-peanut-consumption-could-prevent-100000-allergy-cases-each-year/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollen levels</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preparing-for-the-future">Preparing for the future</h2>



“Physicians are uniquely positioned to witness the impact of allergic rhinitis on patient outcomes and can adapt their practice as climate change intensifies. As trusted voices in the community, they should leverage their frontline experience to advocate for meaningful change in addressing the climate crisis,” said Pershad.



Experts suggest that those who struggle with runny noses, sneezing fits, and nasal itching could benefit from practical solutions. Some rely on checking local pollen forecasts, while others start preventive medications a few weeks before their typical allergy window.



Public health officials note that these problems may grow if temperatures keep fluctuating and plant cycles become more erratic. 



Long-term planning could involve bolstering healthcare infrastructure and expanding research into allergy triggers that might spread into previously unaffected areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-managing-allergies-in-a-changing-climate">Managing allergies in a changing climate</h2>



People suffering from nasal stuffiness or red and itchy eyes might want to discuss personalized strategies with a healthcare provider. 



Over-the-counter products offer quick fixes, but medical advice can clarify dosage and confirm the best treatment plan for individual needs.



Ongoing research on allergies and climate change will continue to provide valuable clues for the future. Many hope that strong communication between healthcare teams, scientists, and the public will reduce the frustration that can come with these ever-shifting allergy seasons.



The study is published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lary.32124" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Laryngoscope</a>.



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Climate change is making allergy season worse and longer-lasting

Seasonal allergies used to follow a fairly stable schedule. People...

For centuries, the Amazon has drawn treasure seekers in search of gold. These days, that pursuit continues, but what’s left is harder to find and comes with a heavy cost – toxic mercury pollution.



Small-scale and artisanal miners often use mercury to extract even the tiniest specks of gold. Unfortunately, this practice releases toxins that harm the natural environment and human health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-mercury-pollution-in-tree-rings">Tracking mercury pollution in tree rings</h2>



Scientists from <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell University</a>, working with an international research team, have found a surprising new way to track mercury pollution: tree rings.



By studying trees in the Peruvian Amazon, they’ve shown that mercury <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-deforestation-directly-linked-to-atmospheric-mercury-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollution</a> can be traced by measuring the amount of heavy metals stored year by year inside tree trunks.



Dr. Jacqueline Gerson is an assistant professor in biological and environmental engineering at Cornell University and the lead author of the study.



“We show that&nbsp;Ficus insipda&nbsp;tree cores can be used as a biomonitor for characterizing the spatial and potentially the temporal footprint of mercury emissions from artisanal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/illegal-gold-mining-dumps-mercury-in-the-peruvian-rainforest/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold mining</a> in the neotropics,” said Dr. Gerson.



“Trees can provide a widespread and fairly cheap network of biomonitoring, by archiving a record of mercury concentration within tree bole wood.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-mercury-ends-up-in-the-forest">How mercury ends up in the forest</h2>



In many artisanal mining operations, workers add mercury to gold-rich soil. The mercury binds with the gold particles and produces a substance called amalgam.



These amalgams have a low melting point, so miners can easily burn them to extract the gold. Consequently, this process releases mercury vapor into the atmosphere.



To test whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-rings-reveal-the-carbon-storage-capacity-of-a-forest/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tree rings</a> could record these emissions, the researchers collected core samples from three different tree species: wild figs (Ficus insipida), Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa), and tornillos (Cedrelinga catenaformis).



Only the Ficus insipida trees produced visible rings that could be studied reliably year by year. These trees are common across the region and form annual rings even in tropical climates.



The researchers sampled five sites. Two were far from mining, and three were within five kilometers of gold mining towns. One of the mining sites bordered a protected forest, offering a unique comparison point.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trees-record-heavy-metal-concentrations">Trees record heavy metal concentrations</h2>



“There are many variables that drive individual tree Hg concentrations, and it is difficult to determine the specific drivers,” explained Dr. Gerson.



“The trees in the study were all the same species and from the same sites, exposed to the same atmospheric Hg concentration. That is why we sample multiple trees and then use average values.”



The findings revealed clear patterns. For example, trees closer to mining towns contained significantly higher mercury pollution levels in their bole wood - the dense inner wood of the trunk.



The protected forest site had slightly lower levels. The most distant sites had the lowest concentrations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mercury-levels-surged-after-mining-boom">Mercury levels surged after mining boom</h2>



“Higher atmospheric Hg concentrations are generally associated with nearby mining locations,” noted Dr. Gerson. 



"In the Peruvian <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-amazon-is-rapidly-approaching-a-tipping-point/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon</a>, where mining is the main source of Hg, the association between higher Hg concentrations and proximity to a mining site can readily be drawn.”



Notably, mercury levels spiked after the year 2000, especially in trees near the towns. This trend tracks with the region’s mining boom. 



"This is likely due to the expansion of gold mining activities around this time,” said Gerson.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-tree-rings-can-tell-us">What tree rings can tell us</h2>



While the study supports the use of trees as a mercury-tracking tool, it also points out a few challenges. One limitation is that researchers didn’t always know the exact distance of the trees from active mining sites. That’s because many of these operations are illegal and not well documented.



This uncertainty could have affected the mercury <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mercury-levels-found-in-remote-pacific-trenches-are-unprecedented/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollution</a> found in each tree. Even so, Ficus insipida shows strong promise for tracking mercury emissions over large areas.



“Ficus insipida can be used as a cheap and powerful tool to examine large spatial trends in Hg emissions in the neotropics,” said Dr. Gerson. “Using bole wood could allow for regional monitoring efforts.”



This type of monitoring could help international efforts to reduce mercury pollution under agreements like the UN’s Minamata Convention on Mercury. Organizations like limit mercury emissions worldwide and protect people and ecosystems.



By looking inside trees, researchers have found a quiet but reliable witness to decades of pollution. This important data may help protect the future of the Amazon rainforest.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2025.1531800/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Environmental Science</a>.



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Mercury pollution in the Amazon is recorded in tree rings

For centuries, the Amazon has drawn treasure seekers in search...

In 1962, environmentalist Rachel Carson galvanized public concern with her book Silent Spring, which warned of the reproductive dangers posed by DDT - particularly to birds like the bald eagle. Now, six decades later, scientists are sounding the alarm again, and this time the focus is on mercury contamination. 



Once more, birds are the primary concern - specifically, penguins living on the icy fringes of Antarctica.



“With <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mercury-emissions-from-human-activities-are-declining/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mercury</a>, there’s an analogy to DDT,” said John Reinfelder, professor of environmental sciences at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rutgers University</a> and co-author of a new study.&nbsp;



“In the 1960s, we were discovering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toxic-legacy-decades-old-ddt-found-in-deep-sea-fish/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DDT</a> in remote places where it wasn’t being used. It’s a similar story today with mercury. There are no human sources near the Southern Ocean, but because of long-distance transport through the atmosphere, it has the potential to accumulate in penguins.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-reach-of-mercury-contamination">Global reach of mercury contamination</h2>



Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that builds up in the food chain, especially in aquatic ecosystems. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/steller-sea-lions-threatened-by-rising-mercury-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fish-eating animals</a> - including penguins - are at high risk. Chronic exposure can impair reproduction and damage the nervous system. In high enough doses, mercury contamination is lethal.



To understand how far mercury has traveled - and how much has made it into remote food chains - Reinfelder and Rutgers postdoctoral researcher Philip Sontag analyzed feathers from three penguin species collected on Anvers Island in the West Antarctic Peninsula.&nbsp;



The feathers, taken during the 2010–2011 breeding season, were gathered by William Fraser of the <a href="http://holtzmanwildlifefoundation.org/project/polar-oceans-research-group" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Polar Oceans Research Group</a>. Due to agricultural safety regulations, the samples remained in storage for over a decade before they could be analyzed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mercury-contamination-in-penguins">Mercury contamination in penguins</h2>



The team measured not only mercury concentrations, but the isotopic signatures of carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 in the feathers. 



These isotopes offer important clues: carbon-13 reveals where a penguin has been feeding, while nitrogen-15 indicates its position in the food chain. Together, these data points help pinpoint both the source and degree of mercury exposure.



Adelie and gentoo penguins showed relatively low mercury levels - among the lowest recorded in Southern Ocean penguins. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chinstrap-penguins-take-over-10000-micro-sleeps-per-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinstrap penguins</a>, however, stood out with significantly higher levels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-more-about-penguin-ecology">Learning more about penguin ecology</h2>



Sontag believes their feeding behavior explains the difference in mercury contamination among penguin species. 



Unlike the other two species, chinstraps tend to migrate to lower latitudes during the winter, where mercury levels are higher.



“These data give us a way to learn not only about mercury accumulation, but about penguin ecology more broadly,” Reinfelder said.



The finding is also notable because it’s the first study to identify carbon-13 - not nitrogen-15 - as the stronger predictor of mercury levels in penguins across the Southern Ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mercury-contamination-lingers">Mercury contamination lingers</h2>



Although mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants have decreased thanks to global efforts like the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/minamata-convention-mercury" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minamata Convention on Mercury</a> - signed by 140 countries in 2013 - mercury is still being released into the environment, especially through small-scale gold mining.&nbsp;



In many developing regions, miners use elemental mercury to extract gold from ore. This releases over 1,000 tons of the toxin each year into air, water, and soil.



A recent <a href="https://www.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIT</a> <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2401950121" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> found that atmospheric mercury levels dropped by 10% from 2005 to 2020, a promising trend largely attributed to the decline of coal-burning power stations. But mercury already in the environment can linger, circulating through the ocean’s vast <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weakening-ocean-currents-could-cost-trillions-of-dollars/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">currents</a> and entering food webs in even the most isolated regions of the planet.



“Just like DDT in the 1960s, the scientific community today is focused on monitoring mercury,” Reinfelder said. “Are we going to see a decrease in levels in the fish that people and animals eat? That's the hope.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-penguins-as-pollution-sentinels">Penguins as pollution sentinels</h2>



For researchers, penguins are more than charismatic wildlife - they are living indicators of global pollution including that of mercury contamination. Their feathers provide a snapshot of the environments they’ve traveled through and the toxins they’ve absorbed.



Sontag and Reinfelder’s findings add a new layer to our understanding of how pollutants like mercury travel through ecosystems. By linking penguin foraging behaviors with their mercury burden, the study offers both a warning and a call to action.



“Before this study, we didn't know that penguins migrating farther north had higher exposures to mercury,” Reinfelder noted.



In a world still grappling with the consequences of industrial pollution, these birds are once again showing us what’s at stake.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896972405304X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of the Total Environment</a>.



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Penguins are threatened by mercury contamination

In 1962, environmentalist Rachel Carson galvanized public concern with her...

Alleppey,,Kerala,india,-,August,24,2018:,Rescue,Team,Help,People

Recent findings have sparked intense discussion among health experts around the globe. A new multi-country project reveals that flooding may pose serious problems to human well-being, with the potential to send more people to the hospital for unexpected health issues.



Led by Professors <a href="https://www.monash.edu/msdi/about/affiliates-program/affiliates/yuming-guo#:~:text=Dr%20Yuming%20Guo%20is%20Professor,Quality%20Research%20(CARE)%20Unit." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yuming Guo</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8yGPu9gAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shanshan Li</a> from <a href="https://www.monash.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monash University</a>, the team examined more than 300 million hospitalization records across eight flood-prone regions. This makes the study one of the largest ever undertaken in the world.



Researchers reported an overall increase of 26% in diseases requiring hospital care after a major <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shorter-storms-bigger-impact-rising-flood-risks-in-a-warmer-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flood</a> event, and this effect lasted for up to seven months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-floods-cause-lasting-health-problems">Floods cause lasting health problems</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-we-outrun-the-flood-risks-of-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Floods</a> can damage buildings, roads, and power grids. They can also contaminate local water supplies in ways that can bring about unexpected illnesses.



Poorly treated water boosts the risk of <a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">digestive diseases</a>, and spreads pathogens that wreak havoc on communities without ready access to clean water.



<a href="https://floodobservatory.colorado.edu/Archives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stagnant water</a> can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other vectors, which can worsen <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17724-infectious-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">infectious diseases</a>, such as dengue and malaria, and other ailments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-floods-increase-disease-rates-nbsp">Floods increase disease rates&nbsp;</h2>



The study results highlighted elevated rates of cancer, diabetes, and mental health disorders after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/once-in-a-thousand-years-extreme-storms-are-becoming-much-more-frequent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flood</a> events. For example, the incidence of diabetes showed one of the bigger increases at 61%, while mental health diagnoses increased by 11%.



These problems are not limited to initial injuries like drowning or electrocution. When roads are damaged, people miss important appointments for dialysis, chemo, and follow-up checkups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-poor-sanitation-restricts-recovery">Poor sanitation restricts recovery</h2>



Shortages of shelter space often lead to cramped <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flood-fatalities-experts-reveal-the-hidden-health-impacts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conditions</a>. This situation can worsen breathing difficulties and heighten the chance for infections, especially when sanitation is compromised.



Temporary housing set up in haste can complicate access to medications. That includes prescriptions for <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular diseases</a> or therapies that cancer patients rely on to stay stable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stress-from-floods-weakens-health">Stress from floods weakens health</h2>



Authorities have observed a increased strain on people's mental health in flood-ravaged <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-directly-linked-to-flood-disasters-in-mountain-communities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">areas</a>. Emotional distress from property loss or relocation can hinder sleep and erode immune responses, which sets the stage for various health complications.



Unexpected costs can also drive people to put health on the back burner. Delays in routine checkups can escalate a minor ailment into a hospital-worthy issue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-is-most-at-risk">Who is most at risk</h2>



Older adults struggle with reduced mobility, and they often need ongoing treatment that floods can disrupt. Children face extra risks too because their developing bodies are more sensitive to environmental changes.



Even so, the study noted that high population density amplifies health impacts across all age groups. When many individuals live close together, conditions that speed up disease transmission can take hold more easily.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-climate-factors-in">How climate factors in</h2>



“An escalation in the severity, duration and frequency of floods [is expected] due to the more frequent extreme precipitation events and rising sea levels due to global warming,” said Professor Guo.



<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Researchers</a> say rising seas and more frequent storms point to bigger flood threats in the coming years.



Communities in certain climate zones will be hit harder when infrastructure is weak or health systems are ill-prepared. These areas may see longer recovery times because of slower medical responses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reducing-flood-related-health-emergencies">Reducing flood-related health emergencies</h2>



Providers can identify high-risk patients early. They can prepare mobile clinics and bolster medication supplies to head off complications when evacuations happen.



Local governments can maintain reliable transportation routes so that ambulances and rescue teams can operate smoothly. Without a plan for these disruptions, hospital visits may spike unnecessarily.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-socioeconomic-status-matters">Why socioeconomic status matters</h2>



Places with limited resources often lack the capacity for large-scale evacuations or robust shelter. People in those areas may delay or skip care entirely, resulting in underreported hospitalization numbers.



Better disaster response systems, stronger buildings, and well-maintained roads can help all communities ride out a flood with fewer complications. 



These measures may seem basic, but they serve as key steps toward reducing the number of health emergencies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-systems-and-flood-complications">Health systems and flood complications</h2>



Authorities should update flood risk maps and invest in early warning protocols. This keeps both residents and frontline workers ready for incoming storms.



Clinics in flood-prone areas might partner with volunteer groups to bring care directly to those in need. 



Furthermore, minor interventions, like ensuring backup power, can help dialysis or oxygen-dependent patients avoid critical setbacks.



Hospitals alone cannot handle the challenges that follow widespread floods. Public health agencies, local governments, and community volunteers must all act in unison.



Everyone has a role in preventing health crises after floods. Coordinated approaches keep the worst outcomes at bay and help support those who are most vulnerable.



The study was published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00425-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Water</a>.



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Floods cause long-lasting health issues on top of all the structural damage

Recent findings have sparked intense discussion among health experts around...

Plastic is part of everyday life. It wraps our food, forms our clothes, supports our gadgets, and even helps heal us through medical devices. But plastic doesn’t decompose. 



Over time, it breaks into smaller pieces - down to microscopic and nanoscopic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-normal-plastic-turns-into-dangerous-micro-and-nanoplastics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">particles</a> - but these are never broken down completely into their chemical components.



These nanoplastics, measuring just 1–100 nanometers in diameter, are invisible to the naked eye. Yet, they may pose one of the most serious threats to life on Earth. 



Once released into the environment, nanoplastics can enter air, water, and soil systems. They stick to living tissues, bind with harmful chemicals, and potentially move through entire ecosystems.



Soil, in particular, serves as a crucial gateway. It holds water, nourishes plants, and connects to food production. But what happens when nanoplastics enter this complex underground world?



A recent study from Japan offers important insights into this issue. Published in Science of The Total Environment, the study explores how nanoplastics move through different types of soil.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-do-nanoplastics-behave-in-soil">How do nanoplastics behave in soil? </h2>



The research was led by Kyouhei Tsuchida, a Ph.D. student from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (<a href="https://www.aist.go.jp/index_en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AIST</a>) and <a href="https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Waseda University</a>.



He worked with Yukari Imoto, Takeshi Saito, and Junko Hara from AIST. Professor Yoshishige Kawabe from the Department of Resources and Environmental Engineering at Waseda University also contributed to the study.



Their focus was to understand how nanoplastics migrate through soil. They explored how plastic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nanoplastics-can-alter-the-course-of-antibiotics-within-our-body/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">particles</a> clump together, stick to soil, and influence the way in which soil particles behave.



“The aggregation properties of nanoplastics and their adsorption onto soil particle surfaces are known to affect their migration in soil,” noted Tsuchida. 



“We conducted experiments to analyze these traits to get a better understanding of the migration of nanoplastics.”



This investigation helps answer one urgent question - how do plastics behave once they sink into the soil under our feet?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nanoplastics-clump-stick-and-change-soil-behavior">Nanoplastics clump, stick, and change soil behavior</h2>



The researchers examined three important phenomena. 



First, they studied how nanoplastics interact with each other - a process known as homo-aggregation. Second, they tested whether nanoplastics adhere to soil surfaces. Third, they checked whether nanoplastics influence how soil <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-could-help-remove-nanoplastics-from-the-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">particles</a> themselves clump together.



These three mechanisms together shape how plastic particles spread in soil. If nanoplastics clump together or bind tightly to soil particles, they might stay put. If not, they may travel long distances, possibly entering groundwater or plant roots.



To test these factors, the researchers selected two soil types: andosol and fine sand. Andosol, a volcanic soil that is rich in minerals, contrasts strongly with fine sand, which has a loose texture and minimal organic content.



“Both andosol and fine sand have extremely different properties, and we utilized these two to get a broader idea of how the behavior of nanoplastics changes with respect to soil composition and surface characteristics,” explained co-author Hara.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effects-of-soil-type-and-ph">Effects of soil type and pH </h2>



To understand how nanoplastics behave in soil, the team used polystyrene <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-nanotechnology-is-fighting-microplastic-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nanoparticles</a>. 



These lab-prepared particles mimic common plastics found in waste. The researchers suspended these particles in solutions with different pH levels - acidic, neutral, and alkaline. This allowed them to simulate various soil conditions.



They measured particle size, clump size, and zeta potential. Zeta potential reflects the electric charge on particle surfaces. 



High zeta potential suggests particles will repel each other and stay apart. Low values mean they might attract and clump.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/nanoplastics_soil_illustration_credit-Waseda-University_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/nanoplastics_soil_illustration_credit-Waseda-University_1s.webp" alt="Researchers investigate the effect of soil pH and surface properties on the adsorption and aggregation behavior of plastic nanoparticles. Credit: Kyouhei Tsuchida from Waseda University, Japan" class="wp-image-1965133"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Researchers investigate the effect of soil pH and surface properties on the adsorption and aggregation behavior of plastic nanoparticles. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Kyouhei Tsuchida from Waseda University, Japan</figcaption></figure>



They also studied how well nanoplastics attached to particles of the two soil types. For this, they used batch adsorption testing.



“We used batch adsorption testing to gain a deeper insight into how plastic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-future-of-plastic-biodegradable-durable-and-even-edible/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">particles</a> accumulate in soil pores. This property hasn’t been well explained in column studies,” explained co-author Kawabe.



By combining pH variations with different soil types, the team created a detailed map of nanoplastic behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-results-behind-particle-stability">Surprising results behind particle stability</h2>



Advanced tools like laser diffraction, UV spectroscopy, and zeta potential analysis helped examine how stable or reactive the particles were under the different experimental conditions.



Surprisingly, the polystyrene nanoparticles did not clump. The reason lay in their charge. 



“The highly negative zeta potential of the polystyrene <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-in-the-brain-alarming-new-details-revealed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nanoparticles</a> causes repulsion between the particles and remains unaffected by pH changes,” reported Tsuchida.



However, the situation changed once soil came into the picture. Nanoplastics began to adhere to soil particles. This binding also led to the clumping of the soil itself.



This process depended heavily on both the type of soil and the surrounding pH. Fine sand behaved differently from andosol, showing that surface texture and composition influence how plastics behave.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-soil-chemistry-matters-in-pollution-control">Soil chemistry matters in pollution control</h2>



The findings show that pH and soil type influence how deeply and widely nanoplastics can travel. Soils with certain properties may trap particles more effectively. Others may allow them to flow through, like water through a sieve.



This distinction is crucial when designing solutions to combat plastic pollution. Contaminated soils may not all respond the same way to clean-up efforts. What works for one ecosystem might fail in another.



By highlighting these differences, the study encourages future research and policy to take a more tailored approach. 



Understanding how nanoplastics interact with soils could support more effective agricultural practices and pollution management.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-we-go-from-here">Where do we go from here?</h2>



As plastic waste continues to grow, nanoplastics will become more common in our environment. Their movement through soil raises concerns, not only for agriculture but also for drinking water, wildlife, and human health.



Studies like this provide the foundation for new strategies. They bring attention to the unseen threats beneath our feet. And they remind us that, while plastics may seem small, their impact runs deep.



Through detailed experiments and thoughtful design, this research offers a fresh view on a growing problem. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969725003468?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of The Total Environment</a>.



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What happens when nanoplastics get into the soil? Many things, none of them are good

Plastic is part of everyday life. It wraps our food,...

Underwater,Closeup,Of,Branching,Acropora,Coral

As oceans continue to warm and coral bleaching events increase across the globe, scientists are taking a close look at the effectiveness of restoration projects aimed at saving some of the planet’s most vibrant and valuable ecosystems.&nbsp;



While <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reef-sounds-the-melodic-key-to-coral-restoration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">restoration</a> has become a common strategy for helping damaged reefs recover, a new international study suggests that many of these efforts may fall short - not because they’re misguided, but because they can’t keep up with the pace of destruction.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-worlds-largest-coral-bleaching-event-is-now-underway/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bleaching</a> occurs when corals, stressed by unusually high sea temperatures, expel the algae that live in their tissues. These symbiotic algae not only give corals their brilliant colors but also help provide nutrients.&nbsp;



Without them, corals turn white - and if the stress continues, they can die. Marine heatwaves, mostly driven by climate change, are the leading cause of these events, although other factors like pollution and overfishing make reefs more vulnerable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-restoration-on-a-small-scale">Coral restoration on a small scale</h2>



The most widely used method of reef restoration is known as coral gardening. It involves growing coral fragments in underwater <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-nurseries-need-protection-equal-to-that-of-established-coral-reefs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nurseries</a> and then transplanting them to damaged reef areas. 



Other approaches include removing coral-eating species such as parrotfish, distributing coral spawn to new locations, or even tweaking the microbiomes surrounding the coral in hopes of boosting their survival.



But according to the new study, the scope and scale of these interventions don’t come close to matching the problem. 



The study was led by Giovanni Strona from the European Union Joint Research Center, Clelia Mulà of the University of Western Australia, and Professor Corey Bradshaw from <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flinders University</a> in Australia. The researchers investigated why many reef restoration projects fail to deliver long-term benefits.



“Most restoration projects only operate over several hundred or a few thousand square meters,” said Professor Bradshaw. 



“Compared to the 14% loss and degradation of coral reefs between 2009 and 2018, equating to nearly 12,000 square kilometers, we come nowhere close to the scale of restoration that is needed to offset the losses from climate change.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-many-restoration-projects-fail">Why many restoration projects fail</h2>



The analysis revealed several reasons for the high failure rate of coral restoration efforts - which is about one-third of all projects. Among the most common were high costs per hectare, reliance on unproven or poorly monitored methods, and efforts focused on reefs already severely degraded and highly vulnerable to future bleaching events.



According to the experts, there’s also the issue of poor planning. And without consistent methods for collecting and reporting data from these projects, it’s nearly impossible to figure out what works and what doesn’t.



The review encompassed a wide range of factors - including human impact, risk of bleaching before and after intervention, coral diversity, and remoteness - but no consistent correlation between these conditions and the success of restoration efforts was found. In other words, it’s not yet clear what makes a reef restoration project succeed or fail.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-restoration-and-climate-change">Coral restoration and climate change </h2>



The stakes couldn’t be higher. Coral reefs support an estimated one billion people worldwide, offering everything from food security to income from tourism, and even natural protection from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/once-in-a-thousand-years-extreme-storms-are-becoming-much-more-frequent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">storms</a> and coastal erosion.



“Some estimate that over the past 40 years, the coverage of coral reefs has declined by at least 50%,” said Strona. “As climate change continues, bleaching events and coral deaths will only become more common, with projected losses of total coral cover of more than 90% by the end of the century.”



And while many coral restoration efforts are well-meaning, the researchers argue that relying too heavily on them could create a false sense of hope.



“Although coral restoration has the potential to be a valuable tool in certain circumstances, our research makes it clear it is not yet - and might never be - feasible to scale up sufficiently to have meaningful, long-term, and positive effects on coral <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/underwater-closeup-branching-acropora-coral-2453177503" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reef ecosystems</a>,” explained Professor Bradshaw.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-restoration">Looking beyond restoration</h2>



The authors emphasize that this shouldn’t be a reason to give up on coral conservation altogether. Rather, it’s a call to think bigger, and to be more strategic about how and where restoration is attempted. 



For example, focusing on less degraded reefs, or those that are more resilient to heat stress, may yield better long-term results.



Lead author Clelia Mulà suggests that part of the answer lies in complementing restoration with broader conservation strategies.



“Reinforcing complementary strategies could therefore bolster ecosystem resilience, extending the reach and success of coral restoration projects,” she said.



Ultimately, the researchers agree that no amount of coral restoration work will be enough without a serious global effort to slow climate change.



“This reality check should stimulate constructive debate about when and where restoration is most feasible and important," said Professor Bradshaw. 



"But the truth is that without stemming the pace and magnitude of climate change, we have little power to save coral reefs from massive losses over the coming century and beyond."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02667-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>.



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Without tackling climate change, coral restoration efforts are insufficient

As oceans continue to warm and coral bleaching events increase...

Studies worldwide rank strokes among the top causes of death, with major impacts on individuals and families across many countries. Researchers often look for new ways to decrease the risk of this condition. 



Experts have now started exploring how outside factors, such as <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">air pollution</a> and <a href="https://maps.dot.gov/BTS/NationalTransportationNoiseMap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">traffic noise</a>, might contribute to worsening stroke incidence.



In a recent study, this topic was explored by Dr. Huyen Nguyen Thi Khanh and her colleague Dr. Jeroen de Bont of the Institute of Environmental Medicine, <a href="https://ki.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karolinska Institutet</a>. 



The researchers investigated how exposure to these noise and air pollution, either alone or in tandem, might influence people’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-people-die-from-air-pollution-each-year-yet-theres-still-a-lack-of-monitoring/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">health</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-the-risk-factors">Understanding the risk factors</h2>



Strokes occur when blood flow to a section of the brain is disrupted. Health <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33535786/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experts</a> point out that older age, high blood pressure, smoking, and sedentary habits are typical risk factors.



Air pollution has already been tied to a range of serious health conditions. This is because fine particles, known as <a href="https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/particulate-matter-pm25-trends" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PM2.5</a>, can enter the bloodstream and affect the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493197/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular system</a>. 



Meanwhile, traffic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vicious-cycle-food-systems-both-suffer-from-and-cause-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">noise</a> can keep people tense or disrupt healthy sleep patterns. Both these factors are thus worth considering when investigating ways to reduce the incidence of strokes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-pollution-and-noise-increase-stroke-risk">How pollution and noise increase stroke risk</h2>



The experts found that a 5 µg/m³ rise in PM2.5 added 9% to the risk of experiencing a stroke. An 11 dB increase in traffic noise was linked to a 6% additional risk of a stroke. 



These figures highlight how repeated exposure to these factors seems to raise the odds for this health event. In places with higher noise readings, air pollution showed a steeper link to stroke risk. 



The researchers noted that numbers tended to climb when both factors were on the high side. They caution that even lower-level <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-fuel-pollution-is-causing-disease-disaster-and-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exposure</a> to these two parameters should be taken seriously.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-combined-effects-of-pollution-and-noise">Combined effects of pollution and noise</h2>



“Research on the combined effects of air <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scented-products-release-indoor-air-pollutants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollution</a> and traffic noise is still scarce, and our study provides important new insights,” said the authors. 



They explained that even moderate levels of both exposures could affect human health. These circumstances point to a need for tighter policies on air quality and noise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-even-low-pollution-raises-stroke-risk">Even low pollution raises stroke risk</h2>



Many people assume that they are safe if pollution stays under certain guidelines. City dwellers might have a similar view about traffic noise. 



The data suggests that these assumptions can lead to complacency. Stroke is a formidable issue, so regulators may want to adopt stricter measures.



Studies have indicated that inflammation, oxidative stress, and endocrine responses could all play a part. These bodily changes may become more pronounced if a person regularly encounters both traffic noise and polluted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-air-pollution-affects-consumer-spending/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">air</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-public-health-implications">Broader public health implications</h2>



Communities near busy roads or industrial areas might face a higher disease burden. Recent investigations emphasize that it is not only about one exposure. The interplay between noise and pollution might explain why some areas see greater stroke hospitalizations.



Lawmakers and city planners can explore how changes to traffic patterns, building designs, and <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/transportation-sector-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transport emissions</a> might reduce the dangers. 



A single solution will not fix everything, but a blend of cleaner energy and quieter streets may bring real benefits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cities-that-balance-health-and-growth">Cities that balance health and growth</h2>



Regions with robust public transport, well-kept bicycle lanes, and green spaces can promote a better daily life. 



Local authorities may look to separate major roads from residential zones or improve building insulation. Such measures can help cut noise disturbance and filter out particles.



Urban planning that decreases motor traffic could also diminish air pollution along with offensive noise. Air quality laws often target vehicle emissions. Noise mitigation strategies, on the other hand, focus more on barriers or lower speed limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pollution-changes-affect-stroke-risk">Pollution changes affect stroke risk</h2>



The researchers plan to see how changes in a person's residential area, from higher to lower exposures, might change cardiovascular outcomes. They will also consider other urban factors. 



All of this points to a future in which multiple elements are measured together instead of in isolation.



The idea of addressing both traffic noise and air pollution might shape new guidelines. Combining these efforts may lower stroke risks in affected populations. It can also give residents of crowded cities a better sense of control over their health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reducing-stroke-risks">Reducing stroke risks</h2>



Urban decision-makers face a tough challenge in balancing economic growth with public welfare. 



Policies that encourage quieter vehicles, cleaner fuels, and noise-control solutions might strike that balance. If done right, these measures could spare many people from added danger.



Individuals may want to look into ways to shield themselves from the stroke risk associated with noise and air pollution. 



Windows that reduce sound transmission, air purifiers, and quiet neighborhoods can all play a part. The authors of the study note that a multi-layered approach is the most realistic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cleaner-air-and-quieter-surroundings">Cleaner air and quieter surroundings</h2>



Air pollution and traffic noise are not the only environmental concerns for stroke. Yet few studies have taken a deep look at how these factors might act in combination. 



Public health officials could benefit from more research on whether these exposures together push stroke rates up even further.



Experts also want to see if limiting one factor can blunt the effects of the other. These questions will guide policies to reduce harmful exposures. 



Health professionals are calling for solutions that support both cleaner air and quieter surroundings in order to reduce the risk of suffering a stroke.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025001540" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environment International</a>.



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Stroke risk is elevated by air pollution and traffic noise

Studies worldwide rank strokes among the top causes of death,...

Wadi,Bani,Khalid,,Oman

Arid stretches of sand can hide astonishing secrets. In southern Arabia, experts have uncovered evidence of lush landscapes that existed thousands of years ago.



The team was led by <a href="https://abdallahszaki.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Abdallah Zaki</a> from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, in collaboration with colleagues from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (<a href="https://www.kaust.edu.sa/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">KAUST</a>) and <a href="https://www.griffith.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Griffith University</a>.



Their <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02224-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> revealed prehistoric water pathways, lakes, and a remarkable desert valley, all of which begged a deeper investigation into how storms once shaped this barren region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-lush-green-arabia-the-basics">Understanding lush, green Arabia - the basics</h2>



Thousands of years ago, Arabia looked nothing like the arid, sun-blasted deserts we picture today. Rain fell more often, carving rivers through what is now sand and dust. 



Rolling grasslands <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saudi-arabia-is-turning-degraded-desert-sand-into-blooming-soil/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stretched across the peninsula</a>, dotted with lakes and wetlands where herds of elephants, gazelles, and even hippos roamed. Acacia trees and wildflowers lined the water’s edge, while birds and crocodiles thrived in the marshes. 



Nomadic people moved through this green world, hunting game, gathering plants, and settling near freshwater sources. Arabia wasn’t just a pass-through - it was a place people lived, loved, and left their mark on.



You can still see the echoes of this lush past. Rock art in northern Saudi Arabia shows hunters stalking prey and herders leading cattle - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tackling-urban-heat-experts-plan-to-cool-a-desert-city-by-4-5c/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scenes impossible in a desert</a>, but common in fertile lands. 



Fossils lie buried beneath the dunes, and dry riverbeds, invisible to the naked eye, appear clearly in satellite images. 



With this study, Dr. Zaki and his team have uncovered more concrete details about this very different period in time for the Arabian peninsula.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lakes-and-wetlands-in-lush-arabia">Lakes and wetlands in lush Arabia</h2>



<a href="https://saudipedia.com/en/article/983/geography/deserts/empty-quarter-desert" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arabia’s Empty Quarter</a> is recognized today for its dunes and scorching heat. Yet traces of freshwater shells, dried-up channels, and lakebeds suggest that parts of this area once sustained diverse aquatic life.



“Based on a series of ages, it appears the lake peaked about 9,000 years ago during a wet Green Arabia period that extended between 11,000 and 5,500 years ago,” stated Dr. Zaki. 



Researchers say that rainfall patterns then were strong enough to allow lakes and rivers to form.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-the-monsoonal-footprints">Tracing the monsoonal footprints</h2>



Scientists used a blend of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17445647.2018.1526719" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">radiocarbon techniques</a> and analyses of sediment layers to figure out how water shaped the region. 



They identified a connection to the <a href="https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/20/37/2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">African monsoon</a>, which once carried moisture across the Red Sea to Arabia.



This moisture created grassy areas, wetlands, and streams. Cores of lake and river sediments also revealed the fossils of mollusks and confirmed that stable aquatic habitats thrived.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-floods-carved-in-lush-arabia">Floods carved in lush Arabia</h2>



One of the most striking findings was evidence of a large paleolake measuring about 1,100 square kilometers (425 square miles), and with a depth of roughly 42 yards (38 meters).



“Owing to increased rainfall, the lake eventually breached, causing a great flood and carving out a 93-mile-long valley in the desert floor,” remarked <a href="https://www.unige.ch/rectorat/en/sebastien-castelltort" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Professor Sébastien Castelltort</a>, who is also from the University of Geneva.



The immense force of the water apparently sliced through sand and bedrock. Satellite images revealed streamlined shapes and steep-sided channels, which indicate heavy flows rather than slow trickles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-presence-in-a-changing-land">Human presence in a changing land</h2>



“The formation of lake and riverine landscapes, together with grasslands and savanna conditions, would have led to the expansion of hunting and gathering groups and pastoral populations,” said <a href="https://experts.griffith.edu.au/28674-michael-petraglia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Professor Michael Petraglia</a>, from Griffith University’s Australian Research Center for Human Evolution. 



Archaeological remains in the Empty Quarter support the idea of more <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22718479/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">habitable surroundings</a> during these lush intervals.



Sites once on the banks of prehistoric lakes show that people took advantage of water-rich environments. Plant and animal resources likely boosted their survival, and encouraged settlements around riverbeds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-monsoon-s-strong-effects">The monsoon’s strong effects</h2>



The flood features identified in the study highlight periods of unexpected intensity. 



Researchers relied on computer modeling to suggest that annual rainfall, at times, rose by as much as 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) above modern levels.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ancient-arabia_lush-landscape_streams-rivers-monsoons_map_credit-CEE_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ancient-arabia_lush-landscape_streams-rivers-monsoons_map_credit-CEE_1s.webp" alt="Distribution of palaeohydrological and geomorphic records, archaeological sites, modeled streams, major monsoon systems, and the study site in Arabia. Credit: Communications Earth &amp; Environment (2025)." class="wp-image-1964897"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Distribution of palaeohydrological and geomorphic records, archaeological sites, modeled streams, major monsoon systems, and the study site in Arabia. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Communications Earth &amp; Environment (2025).</figcaption></figure>



Such moisture allowed rivers to form, drain off the highlands, and feed desert basins. 



Evidence shows that these lakes and streams built up enough pressure to erupt through barriers, leading to the carving of deep channels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forced-migrations-out-of-lush-arabia">Forced migrations out of lush Arabia</h2>



The stable, moist climate did not last forever.&nbsp;



“By 6,000 years ago, the Empty Quarter experienced a strong decline in rainfall, which would have created dry, arid conditions, forcing populations to move into more hospitable settings and changing the lifestyle of nomadic populations,” noted Professor Petraglia. 



Dryness overtook the dunes, and water sources vanished. 



Over time, shifting sands covered much of the evidence of these greener eras, leaving behind faint traces that challenge our assumptions about Arabia’s dry and sandy emptiness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-all-of-this-mean">What does all of this mean?</h2>



Although the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-022-00368-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Holocene humid phase</a> ended millennia ago, today’s scientists hope these findings can spark conversations about desert landscapes around the world. 



They show how climate swings can <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1083130" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transform</a> lush corridors into barren regions, with vital impacts on human migration.



Researchers also see these remnants as reminders that weather patterns can shift in dramatic ways. 



Shallow lakes can vanish, while floods can leave behind spectacular canyons that reshape entire terrains almost overnight.



These newly documented scenes of ancient rivers, lakebeds, and open grasslands in what is today a desert area, urge us to reflect on how drastically climates can vary through time.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02224-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.



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Ancient Arabia was once green and lush with rivers, lakes, and grasslands

Arid stretches of sand can hide astonishing secrets. In southern...

A new set of findings warns of severe consequences for the global economy if Earth's temperature were to rise by 4°C before 2100. The research indicates the potential for a 40% decrease in world gross domestic product, which is considerably greater than earlier estimates of roughly 11%.



Many climate forecasts have relied on models that only examined local conditions, and have ignored how nations are linked by trade and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-shock-lakes-are-losing-oxygen-faster-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resources</a>. 



Recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092180092100015X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> say this oversight shifts the conversation around emission reductions and highlights the urgent need for updated risk calculations.



One expert leading this conversation is <a href="https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/dr-timothy-neal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Timothy Neal</a> from the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of New South Wales</a>. His fresh analysis addresses a missing piece in older frameworks and shows how global weather patterns can magnify <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056819024000289" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regional economic shocks</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-temperature-could-crash-economy">Rising temperature could crash economy</h2>



“Economists have traditionally looked at historical data comparing weather events to economic growth, to cost climate damages,” said Dr. Neal. Many economists once focused on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-fuel-pollution-is-causing-disease-disaster-and-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">temperature</a> changes in a single region or country.&nbsp;



That local-only view might hide deeper problems that arise when extreme conditions batter multiple nations at the same time.



By including global averages instead, his group uncovered greater losses than standard forecasts have predicted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unseen-global-links">Unseen global links</h2>



An interconnected world <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wealthier-nations-set-bold-climate-targets-but-citizens-give-less/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">economy</a> means a shock in one place often ripples across borders. This is especially true when extreme weather events hamper trade flows or shrink production in key sectors.



“In a hotter future, we can expect cascading supply chain disruptions triggered by extreme weather events worldwide,” explained Dr. Neal, who emphasized that these shocks can spread quickly.



This scenario suggests that local economies may struggle to import goods if distant suppliers are also grappling with climate stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extreme-weather-and-global-supply-systems">Extreme weather and global supply systems</h2>



A <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/what-is-a-global-supply-chain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global supply chain</a> refers to the network of producers and distributors that move goods around the planet. It lets countries source items from regions with better weather or more resources at any given moment.



This safety net weakens if extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-weather-is-pushing-nature-toward-a-breaking-point/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heat</a> or storms strike multiple hubs at once. Reduced crop yields, property damage, or transport blockages in different locations can trigger worldwide shortages and price spikes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-charting-a-lower-temperature-goal">Charting a lower temperature goal</h2>



New results suggest aiming for about 1.7°C (3.1°F) above pre-industrial levels rather than previous targets closer to 2.7°C (4.9°F). This tighter limit aligns with faster decarbonization pathways in agreements like the <a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paris Accord</a>.



Some <a href="https://unfccc.int/topics/mitigation/workstreams/response-measures/modelling-tools-to-assess-the-impact-of-the-implementation-of-response-measures/integrated-assessment-models-iams-and-energy-environment-economy-e3-models" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">integrated assessment models</a> are frameworks that weigh economic and climate data, and they previously gave the green light to reduce emissions more slowly. 



However, by revising the way in which we gauge the damage function, policymakers might see a strong financial incentive to push for deeper cuts in emissions sooner.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-policy-directions">Shifting policy directions</h2>



Another shift appears in how we set a <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/pricing-carbon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon price</a>, or tax on emissions, which influences energy choices worldwide. If the true economic risk is bigger than assumed, the ideal carbon price could be substantially higher.



“Because these damages haven't been taken into account, prior economic models have inadvertently concluded that even severe climate change wasn't a big problem for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-threaten-the-future-of-banana-farming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">economy</a> - and it's had profound implications for climate policy,” said Dr. Neal.



This underscores the need for updated modeling that captures global effects instead of isolated ones.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-temperatures-affect-all-economies">Rising temperatures affect all economies </h2>



Several countries once believed that cooler climates would shield them from heat-related damage. But global trade links mean that no nation gets a free pass when climate extremes hit many regions at once.



Adaptation, including policies for human migration or infrastructure upgrades, is still an evolving area of study. Dr. Neal notes that calculating its true scope is complex because political and logistical barriers can slow large-scale responses. 



Research continues to dig into the exact ways in which global temperature swings can harm production, jobs, and investment. 



Some believe that better trade rules and robust infrastructure can help countries cope when heat or storms hit harder than usual.



<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Climate science</a> also points to a rising frequency of events like hurricanes or droughts in a warming atmosphere. 



This pattern, combined with the presence of global supply chains, raises the stakes for coordinated action among governments and businesses.



<a href="https://news.mit.edu/2017/explained-neural-networks-deep-learning-0414" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neural networks</a> and advanced simulation tools are now part of some economic models. By simulating hypothetical shocks, experts might refine predictions and highlight early warning signs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-economic-benefits-of-swift-action">Economic benefits of swift action</h2>



Researchers say earlier, decisive climate measures may reduce the economic toll in the long run. They also point to short-term gains like cleaner air and energy independence when nations invest in low-carbon solutions.



“We continue learning from how we see climate change impacting our economy right now, from rising food prices to insurance costs, and we need to be responsive to new information if we're going to act in our best interest,” said Dr. Neal. 



Analysts warn that postponing emissions cuts could lock in deeper losses, leaving populations vulnerable to recurrent disasters. Early investment in renewable energy and efficient technologies might save money down the road.



Industry leaders, finance experts, and governments have a collective responsibility to measure these costs correctly. 



Underestimating future damage might sideline critical reforms and push humanity toward an even hotter, more fragile planet.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025001540?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Research Letters</a>.



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Rising temperatures will cut world GDP by a staggering 40 percent if nothing changes

A new set of findings warns of severe consequences for...

Due to Arctic warming, fossilized microbes buried in Arctic ice and soil may wake up. The fear is that these pathogens will spark outbreaks of diseases like brucellosis, tularemia, and E. coli. 



This warning comes from a large international team of scientists who study human, animal, and environmental health in the North.



The research shows that climate change might spread infectious diseases globally. The experts point out that melting ice opens the region to more people and industries. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-permafrost-melt-devastating-role-accelerating-global-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warmer temperatures</a> also unlock dangerous microbes that have slept frozen for millennia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-warming-could-unlock-diseases">Arctic warming could unlock diseases</h2>



The team focused on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-thaw-is-a-rising-threat-to-arctic-communities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">permafrost</a>, the once-permanently frozen soil that covers vast parts of the Arctic. As the planet heats, permafrost thaws and releases ancient microorganisms from dead animals or other organic material long trapped in ice.&nbsp;



If reactivated, these pathogens could threaten Arctic wildlife and local communities. In some cases, diseases could emerge that have never seen by modern humans.



According to Khaled Megahed Abass of the <a href="https://www.sharjah.ac.ae/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sharjah</a>, a co-author of the study, the consequences could be severe. “Permafrost thawing could even release ancient bacteria or viruses that have been frozen for thousands of years.”



The scientists compiled evidence from academic studies and government documents across Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and northern Europe. Their findings reveal that the Arctic is changing more rapidly than most other parts of the globe.



Warmer temperatures and melting sea ice draw industries like shipping, mining, and tourism ever northward. While this brings economic opportunities, it also puts more people in contact with long-dormant microbes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-infections-could-spread-globally">New infections could spread globally</h2>



Climate change in the Arctic might seem like a distant concern. The authors, however, stress that its effects can travel far beyond extreme northern environments. 



A new infection emerging in a remote corner can spread rapidly through human travel or wildlife migrations. As Abass warned, “What is happening in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic.”&nbsp;



The region’s transformation has ripple effects, from Arctic warming that touches every coastal city worldwide to shifting atmospheric patterns that can influence global weather. These conditions also disrupt local ecosystems, making animal-to-human pathogen transfer more likely.



The review shows that the health of the Arctic ecosystem is deeply connected to the health of global communities. 



As new shipping lanes open, trade routes shorten. More tourists arrive and transport microbes to new host cities. 



This is especially worrying because diseases that cross the animal-human boundary - known as zoonotic diseases - have been responsible for major outbreaks, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/abzymes-new-discovery-cause-long-covid-symptoms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COVID-19</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-warming-and-disease-risks">Arctic warming and disease risks</h2>



This study emphasizes the <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/one-health#tab=tab_1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">One Health</a> approach, which views people, animals, plants, and the environment as part of one interconnected system. 



The scientists argue that monitoring animal health in Arctic warming conditions is necessary to spot diseases before they spread to human populations. 



They also call for greater cooperation among veterinarians, environmental agencies, and public health professionals. 



By watching Arctic wildlife, testing water sources, and educating local communities on disease risk, it’s possible to get an early warning of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-infectious-disease-landscape-is-changing-and-we-must-prepare/">infectious threats</a>.



The study shows how Arctic residents - many Indigenous peoples - can offer vital insights. Their traditional knowledge and everyday observations detect shifts in animal behavior before any official monitoring program picks up signs. 



Tapping into this localized expertise would boost prevention and response measures. Ultimately, it would help safeguard people, wildlife, and the broader environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-thawing-permafrost-prompts-swift-action">Thawing permafrost prompts swift action</h2>



Despite these looming risks, the authors note that crucial information is lacking. There are gaps in monitoring and current knowledge, particularly in how emerging pathogens might behave under Arctic conditions or spread through newly thawed soil and water.&nbsp;



Their review also underscores the need for stronger disease surveillance systems to ensure that any outbreak can be swiftly detected and contained. 



Governments, public health agencies, and local industries must coordinate to identify high-risk areas and vulnerable populations.



According to Abass, many non-academic groups, such as northern industries and public health organizations, are starting to pay attention to these issues. 



Policymakers and business leaders are concerned about mitigating risks and keeping Arctic operations safe, especially as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/we-can-prevent-future-pandemics-by-protecting-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pandemic prevention</a> becomes a global priority. 



The researchers hope this momentum will encourage more robust safety measures and environmental stewardship in the far north. They also stress that Arctic warming could foreshadow similar problems in other regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-pathogens-in-unexpected-places">Ancient pathogens in unexpected places</h2>



The thawing in Siberia or high-altitude glaciers could reveal microbes that have not circulated for thousands of years. 



If humans continue altering the climate, we may face repeated discoveries of ancient pathogens in unexpected places. Such an emergency would send health systems scrambling to catch up.



Scientists view Arctic warming as both a warning and an opportunity. Communities can adapt to this new reality through surveillance, interdisciplinary research, and Indigenous knowledge. 



That includes rethinking development projects in places where permafrost once provided a natural disease barrier.



With solid planning and early interventions, the global community can reduce the risk of new outbreaks and protect one of the most fragile regions on Earth.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724070268?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of the Total Environment</a>.



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Arctic warming may fuel the spread of diseases by unleashing long-frozen viruses

Due to Arctic warming, fossilized microbes buried in Arctic ice...

One of the biggest contributors to the microplastics pollution scourge is the wear and tear from motor vehicle tires on roadways. But what about bikes?



And more specifically, what about mountain bikes that are often ridden directly through forests and along trails?



A team of scientists at the <a href="https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bayreuth</a> decided to look into this question. They carried out the first real-world study that measures how much tire material mountain bikes leave behind as they roll through nature.



Their goal? To understand how even environmentally friendly forms of transportation might be adding to the microplastic problem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-tire-microplastics-the-basics">Understanding tire microplastics - the basics</h2>



Every time a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brake-pad-copper-emissions-are-worse-than-diesel-exhaust-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">car hits the road</a>, its tires wear down bit by bit - and that wear releases microplastics into the environment. 



Tires are made from a mix of synthetic rubber, plastic polymers, and chemical additives, and as they roll, tiny particles get scraped off and tossed into the air, soil, and water. 



These microplastics from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tire-particles-must-be-recognized-as-a-distinct-environmental-threat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tire particles</a> can settle along roadsides, wash into storm drains, or get carried by the wind, eventually finding their way into rivers, oceans, and even the air we breathe.



The problem is bigger than most people realize. In fact, microplastic pollution from tires is one of the largest sources of microplastics in the environment - even more than what comes from plastic bags or bottles. 



These particles don’t break down easily, and once they’re out there, they can harm aquatic life, contaminate food chains, and possibly impact human health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mountain-bike-tires-also-shed-microplastics">Mountain bike tires also shed microplastics</h2>



The research team designed a straightforward but revealing experiment. Nine mountain bikers received brand-new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tire-particles-must-be-recognized-as-a-distinct-environmental-threat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tires</a> and were asked to ride as they normally would. 



Their routes were recorded using GPS, and the tires were weighed in the lab at regular intervals to measure how much rubber had been worn away.



The results showed that mountain bike tires shed about 3.5 grams of material per 100 kilometers. That adds up to as much as 88 grams per bike per year.



While that may sound like a lot, it’s only a small piece of the bigger picture. Tire wear from cars and trucks releases around 11 grams of microplastic per 100 kilometers. 



In Germany, this accounts for more than half of all road-related microplastic emissions and over a third of total <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastic-pollution-is-everywhere-even-in-newborns-and-getting-worse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microplastic pollution</a> in the country. Compared to that, mountain biking contributes less than 1%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-first-500-kilometers-matter-more">The first 500 kilometers matter more</h2>



The researchers also discovered that the first few hundred kilometers on new tires caused more abrasion than subsequent journeys.



This is likely because the outer edges of the tires wear down quickly at first, and small manufacturing residues - like the tiny rubber “hairs” found on new tires - get rubbed off quickly.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mountain-bikes_tires_microplastics-pollution-source_graphic_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/mountain-bikes_tires_microplastics-pollution-source_graphic_1s.webp" alt="Graphic illustration showing how mountain bikes contribute to microplastics pollution. Credit: Science of The Total Environment (2025)." class="wp-image-1964766"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Graphic illustration showing how mountain bikes contribute to microplastics pollution. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Science of The Total Environment (2025).</figcaption></figure>



“Our study provides the first reliable data on the amount of tire abrasion from mountain bikes under real-world conditions," said doctoral researcher Fabian Sommer. 



"The results show that while mountain bike tires release microplastics directly into nature, the amount is significantly lower compared to motorized <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-costs-electric-vehicle-tires-emit-20-more-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vehicles</a>. This highlights another advantage of cycling as a sustainable mode of transport.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-bikes-may-also-add-microplastics">Other bikes may also add microplastics</h2>



The research team isn’t stopping with mountain bikes. They’ve already launched a follow-up study to compare tire abrasion rates across different types of bicycles, including road bikes, gravel bikes, and electric mountain bikes.



They’re also working with the laboratory of Professor Dr. Christian Laforsch, from the <a href="https://www.sfb-mikroplastik.uni-bayreuth.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Collaborative Research Center 1357 Microplastics</a>, to analyze environmental samples. 



This collaboration will help paint a fuller picture of how microplastics from bike tires interact with the natural world.



While <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/benefits-of-mountain-biking-far-outweigh-the-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biking</a> remains a greener alternative to driving, this research shows that even our cleanest habits leave marks. 



Understanding those marks is a step toward making better choices - and maybe building better tires in the future.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-microplastics-still-matter">Why microplastics still matter</h2>



Even though mountain bikes contribute far less to microplastic pollution than motor vehicles, they still play a role in the broader environmental picture. 



The real issue is that microplastics are showing up in places they shouldn’t be - soils, rivers, oceans, and even inside our bodies. And they don’t break down. Once released, they linger in the environment, often for decades.



That’s why every bit of data matters. Understanding how much microplastic comes from different sources - whether it’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/car-tires-shed-pollutants-that-are-especially-toxic-for-humans-and-wildlife/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cars</a>, clothes, shoes, or bike tires - helps build a clearer picture of where these particles come from and how we might reduce them.



It also helps inform smarter design choices, like new tire materials, better manufacturing practices, or improved trail planning, to protect the places we love to ride.



This study may be about bikes, but it’s also about something bigger: learning how our everyday habits connect to the growing web of microplastic pollution all around us.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725006060?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of The Total Environment</a>.



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Car tires are a big source of microplastics pollution, but what about mountain bikes?

One of the biggest contributors to the microplastics pollution scourge...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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