The thin line of gold behind every tap, swipe, and click on our electronic devices rarely enters daily conversation, yet the metal keeps digital life running, then eventually turn into landfills full of toxic e-waste. 



From the contacts in a phone jack to the chips inside a smartwatch, gold moves electrons smoothly and shrugs off corrosion. 



Mining more, however, blasts mountains, drains rivers, and spews carbon. With the global appetite for electronics still climbing, attention has turned to the growing junkyard of cast‑off gadgets.



E‑waste is now the quickest‑rising waste stream on the planet - roughly 63 million short tons in 2024 according to <a href="https://www.unep.org/ietc/what-we-do/e-waste-management" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations estimates</a> - and only a small share gets recycled in certified facilities. 



Most of our old electronics end up in landfills or backyard workshops, which then leak metals into the groundwater, creating toxic brews. A cleaner strategy is to reclaim precious metals safely before our devices make their way into the garbage heaps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cheese-e-waste-and-gold">Cheese, e-waste, and gold</h2>



A research team is now working to change that script. Professor Raffaele Mezzenga at <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a> and senior scientist Mohammad Peydayesh assembled colleagues in search of a simpler tool than acid vats or cyanide baths. Their unlikely inspiration bubbles up in cheese factories.



Cheese makers separate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cottage-cheese-is-making-a-comeback-due-to-its-nutritional-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">curds from whey</a>, leaving behind nearly nine pounds of watery by‑product for every pound of cheddar. Whey is rich in proteins that twist into hair‑thin amyloid fibrils when warmed in acid. 



The Zurich group realized those fibrils could be coaxed into a feather‑light sponge that prefers gold over the other metals lurking in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electronic-waste-is-growing-five-times-faster-than-recycling/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shredded phones and laptops</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adding-a-cheesy-twist-to-golden-e-waste">Adding a cheesy twist to golden e-waste</h2>



The researchers stirred the fibrils into a gel, then dried it into an aerogel - think Styrofoam’s airiness on a nanoscale. Microscopic pores criss‑cross the material, offering miles of surface area inside a crumb‑sized cube. 



When a slice of this sponge meets a beaker filled with dissolved circuit boards, gold ions rush toward the proteins and cling tightly.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_schematic_credit-ETH-Zurich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_schematic_credit-ETH-Zurich_1s.webp" alt="Schematic route followed to generate neat value via pure gold, extracted from food waste (whey) and e-waste as starting source materials. Credit: Advanced Materials" class="wp-image-1968796"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Schematic route followed to generate neat value via pure gold, extracted from food waste (whey) and e-waste as starting source materials. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Advanced Materials</figcaption></figure>



Early trials showed the aerogel collecting a far higher share of gold than plastic resins that recyclers often use. Better yet, the process skips noxious solvents. 



Water, moderate heat, and the natural chemistry of protein do the heavy lifting, which slashes both hazard and cost.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aerogel-and-a-protein-sponge">Aerogel and a protein sponge</h2>



For a head‑to‑head laboratory test, the team stripped metal parts from twenty <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/international-day-of-zero-waste-a-global-commitment-to-a-sustainable-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discarded computer motherboards</a>, dissolved them in acid, and dropped in a fingernail‑sized piece of aerogel. 



Copper, nickel, and cobalt swirled in the brew, yet gold ions settled on the sponge far more efficiently. After a short soak, the solution cleared, signaling that most of the precious metal had left the liquid.



Numbers tell the story. The sponge drew out gold that was about 90.8 percent pure - close to 22‑karat jewelry - on its first pass. Competing adsorbents usually require extra purification steps to reach similar purity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-e-waste-ions-to-gold-nuggets">From e-waste ions to gold nuggets</h2>



Pulling ions from solution is useful; turning them back into solid metal is crucial. The Zurich group warmed the loaded sponge until the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fools-gold-may-be-a-valuable-source-of-lithium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold ions</a> shed their charge and merged into shimmering flakes. 



Heating continued until the flakes fused into a nugget weighing roughly 450 milligrams. Chemical analysis showed the lump was 91 percent gold and 9 percent copper, again hitting the mark for 22 carats.



This step also freed the protein skeleton. Burned away under controlled heat, the whey‑derived matrix leaves no synthetic residue, easing cleanup. Conventional resin beds cannot claim the same neat exit.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_gold-nuggets-recovered_Credit-ETH-Zurich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_gold-nuggets-recovered_Credit-ETH-Zurich_1s.webp" alt="The gold nugget obtained from computer motherboards in three parts. The largest of these parts is around five millimeters wide. Credit: ETH Zurich/Alan Kovacevic" class="wp-image-1968794"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The gold nugget obtained from computer motherboards in three parts. The largest of these parts is around five millimeters wide. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ETH Zurich/Alan Kovacevic</figcaption></figure>



Recycling lives or dies on the balance sheet. Here the math looks encouraging. 



Procurement and energy costs for the entire operation are about fifty times lower than the market value of the gold retrieved. Even after accounting for labor and overhead, that margin hints at solid profit for commercial recyclers.



Lower operating costs open doors for smaller regional plants. Instead of shipping obsolete electronics overseas, communities could process them nearby, cutting transportation emissions and keeping revenue local.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-e-waste-has-more-than-just-gold">e-Waste has more than just gold</h2>



Gold steals headlines, yet the technique need not stop there. By tweaking pH or tailoring the protein structure, the same sort of sponge could sort copper, cobalt, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-captured-on-video-forming-out-of-thin-air-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">palladium</a> - metals vital for batteries and sensors. 



The team is already experimenting with pea‑protein waste from plant‑based milk production and collagen from fish scales. Success would guard against supply bottlenecks tied to a single dairy stream.



E‑waste is not the only target. Industrial rinse water from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computer-defeats-a-supercomputer-in-crucial-annealing-optimization-task/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microchip fabrication</a> and gold‑plating shops also carries trace metals worth reclaiming. A modular protein sponge could slip into those lines, trimming costs and curbing runoff.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taking-the-next-steps">Taking the next steps</h2>



“The fact I love the most is that we’re using a food industry byproduct to obtain gold from electronic waste,” Mezzenga says. In a very real sense, the method transforms two waste products into gold. “You can’t get much more sustainable than that!”



If pilot projects scale as hoped, tomorrow’s recycling centers may sit beside creameries and food processors, quietly turning yesterday’s whey and last decade’s gadgets into tomorrow’s circuit traces. 



The approach will not halt mining overnight, but every recovered ounce delays a blast, a slurry pond, or a diesel haul truck. 



That shift, multiplied across millions of phones and laptops, offers a straightforward path toward lighter footprints and longer‑lived resources - no new mountains required.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202310642" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advanced Materials</a>.



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Invention turns our electronic waste into 22-carat gold nuggets instead of toxic trash

The thin line of gold behind every tap, swipe, and click on our electronic devices rarely enters daily conversation, yet the metal keeps digital life running, then eventually turn into landfills full of toxic e-waste. From the contacts in a phone jack to the chips inside a smartwatch, gold moves electrons smoothly and shrugs off corrosion. Mining more, however, blasts mountains, drains rivers, and spews carbon. With the global appetite for electronics still climbing, attention has turned to the growing junkyard of cast‑off gadgets. E‑waste is now...

A new study from <a href="https://www.bangor.ac.uk/">Bangor University</a> has revealed that many regions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/part-of-the-amazon-now-releases-more-carbon-than-it-stores/">Amazon</a> that have experienced the most deforestation are the same areas that currently exhibit the lowest levels of forest recovery. 

A major focus of the UN Climate Change COP26 Conference in November was the importance of forest restoration in the Amazon as a nature-based solution to climate change.

Forest recovery is a process in which trees return to land that has been previously deforested and then abandoned. The new forest growth can rapidly absorb large quantities of CO­2 from the atmosphere.

Reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere is a central focus of global climate change policies, and a key target for achieving “net zero” emissions.

In the new study, however, an international team of researchers has found that the regions with the greatest potential for large-scale forest restoration have barely recovered, if at all. 

The highly deforested Amazon landscapes include some areas that show no sign of recovery - even 20 years after they were cleared.

Overall, the team found that less than 10 percent of carbon emissions from deforestation in the Amazon has been offset by new forest growth.

The extent of this carbon offsetting varies widely across the nine countries of Amazonia. For example, Brazil has experienced the majority of deforestation and the related CO2 emissions. At the same time, Brazil is falling behind on forest recovery, with only nine percent of its CO2 emissions from deforestation being offset.

On the other hand, in Guyana, where the recovering forests are older, nearly a quarter of deforestation emissions have been offset.

“Research in the Amazon typically focuses on Brazil because it holds most of the forest," said study lead author Charlotte Smith, a PhD researcher at Lancaster University.

"But there are eight other Amazonian countries. Understanding how forest recovery differs between countries can help us understand which countries’ policies are helping to maintain the forest carbon sink, and which ones aren’t.”

Smith noted that data from satellites is crucial for monitoring deforestation across areas as large as Amazonia and is the basis for monitoring the success of countries in achieving their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

“The results of the study highlight three key challenges for the future of Amazon forests, the need to: (1) incentivise large-scale forest restoration in highly deforested regions, (2) protect new forests without disadvantaging the small landowners who depend on the cleared land for farming, and (3) prevent further deforestation," said study co-author Professor John Healey.

"Meeting all these challenges successfully is essential to ensure that the Amazon achieves its potential in mitigating climate change.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Forest recovery is lacking in the most deforested areas of the Amazon

A new study from Bangor University has revealed that many...

The results of a new study from the <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> suggest that emperor penguins are increasingly threatened by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-variability-is-driving-more-intense-thunderstorms/">climate</a> change and should be listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The researchers took a closer look at how rapid climate change is ramping up the frequency of extreme climate events, such as glacial calving and sea ice loss. The team also examined how these events may influence the risk of species extinctions. 

The study was led by seabird ecologist Stephanie Jenouvrier and co-authored by an international, interdisciplinary team of experts.

“Scientists have a responsibility to make people aware of the need for change through objective evidence,” said Jenouvrier. “With the help of a dedicated team, we put together this paper for the USFWS to provide additional analyses of future projections and help inform policy and protection for the species.”

The researchers analyzed the projected dynamics of all emperor penguin colonies under different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Unlike previous projections, the computer models used for this study accounted for the effects of extreme climate events.

“Protection of species through legal frameworks should facilitate conservation actions that in turn should help mitigate climate change impacts," said co-author Shaye Wolf, Climate Science Director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

The experts report that extreme climate events impact the resiliency, redundancy, and representation - the 3Rs - of emperor penguins. 

The analysis shows that if sea ice declines at the expected rate, the 3Rs will be drastically reduced. As a result, almost all of the emperor penguin colonies would become quasi-extinct by 2100.

“Emperor penguins live in a delicate balance with their environment, there is a sea ice ‘Goldilocks’ zone," said Jenouvrier. “If there is too little sea ice, chicks can drown when sea ice breaks up early; if there is too much sea ice, foraging trips become too long and more arduous, and the chicks may starve.”

“Given the species’ reliance upon sea ice for breeding, molting, and feeding, the most important threat for emperor penguins is climate change, which would lead to Antarctic Sea ice losses over this century,” explained Marika Holland a climate scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research. 

“Trends in warming and consequential sea ice losses through the end of the century are clear and unidirectional under all projections from all climate models.”

According to Jenouvrier, this research provides the best available science for projecting emperor penguin populations in the context of future climate change.

“The future of this iconic species depends on immediate actions to decarbonize society and increased protections for species endangered by climate change."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Emperor penguins may not survive climate change

The results of a new study from the Woods Hole...

Just over 20 months ago, a coalition of scientists at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> declared a global climate emergency and established Earth's vital signs. Now, the team states that the updated vital signs largely reflect the consequences of unrelenting business as usual.

A recently published paper led by OSU’s William Ripple and Christopher Wolf calls for a phase-out of fossil fuels in response to the climate crisis. The experts emphasize the importance of protecting biodiversity and increasing the global price of fossil fuels to reduce carbon usage. 

The scientists point to an unprecedented increase in climate-related disasters since 2019, including wildfires, extreme temperatures, and other natural disasters. “There is growing evidence we are getting close to or have already gone beyond tipping points associated with important parts of the Earth system, including warm-water coral reefs, the Amazon rainforest, and the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets," explained Ripple.

2020 was the second hottest year in history, and also broke records for atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. "Priorities need to shift toward immediate, drastic reductions in greenhouse gases, especially methane," said Wolf, a postdoctoral scholar in the College of Forestry.

"We also need to stop treating the climate emergency as a stand-alone issue - global heating is not the sole symptom of our stressed Earth system," said Ripple. "Policies to combat the climate crisis or any other symptoms should address their root cause: human overexploitation of the planet."

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen some climate relief due to economic interruptions, but this is not expected to last. According to Ripple, global gross domestic product dropped by 3.6 percent in 2020 but is projected to rebound to an all-time high.

The recent case study proves that even colossally decreased transport and consumption are not sufficient to tackle climate change. 

"As long as humanity's pressure on the Earth system continues, attempted remedies will only redistribute the pressure," said Wolf. "But by halting the unsustainable exploitation of natural habitats, we can reduce zoonotic disease transmission risks, protect carbon stocks and conserve biodiversity, all at the same time."

Other vital signs discussed within the paper include the overpopulation of ruminant livestock, record-breaking deforestation rates of the Brazilian rainforest, and the approach of record-breaking levels of ocean acidification. 

In response to these issues, Ripple says that it is time for us to join together as a global community with a shared sense of cooperation, urgency, and equity. "We need to quickly change how we're doing things, and new climate policies should be part of COVID-19 recovery plans wherever possible.”

The paper is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience">Bioscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth's vital signs worsen as the world resumes "business as usual"

Just over 20 months ago, a coalition of scientists at...

A common insecticide that is widely used in commercial nurseries is extremely harmful to the average bee, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">UC Riverside</a>. The experts report that neonicotinoids can cause serious harm to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caffeine-helps-bumble-bees-find-flowers/">bees</a> and other beneficial insects, even in the smallest doses. 

In the first experiment that was conducted by the researchers, they used the concentration of insecticide recommended on the product label. All of the bees died in a matter of days. 

For the next experiment, they used a third of the recommended dose and still found negative effects on reproduction, the ability of the bees to feed themselves, and overall fitness. “It almost completely wiped them out,” said study lead author Jacob Cecala. 

Neonicotinoids are formulated to protect against plant-consuming insects like aphids. Most relevant studies have focused on crops like canola, for which neonicotinoids are typically used at low doses. 

The current study is one of the first to examine neonicotinoid usage in potted ornamental plants. For these plants, the insecticides are applied at more potent levels that are toxic to bees. 

“Neonicotinoids are often used on food crops as a seed treatment,” explained Cecala. “But they’re usually applied in higher amounts to ornamental plants for aesthetic reasons. The effects are deadly no matter how much the plants are watered.”

Cecala said he was surprised by this result, given that neonicotinoids are water soluble. Going into the study, he assumed that more water would dilute the amount of harm they caused the bees. 

The researchers wanted to investigate whether increased watering could benefit bees - despite insecticide exposure - by increasing the quantity or quality of nectar produced by the plants.

The experts raised bees on potted flowering plants that either received a lot of water or a little. In addition, half of the plants were treated with a neonicotinoid.

Plants were selected for the experiment based on their popularity at nurseries, drought tolerance, and their attractiveness to bees. 

The results showed that, even though increased watering reduced the pesticide’s potency in the nectar of the flowers, the negative effects on bees were still observed.

“Unfortunately, we observed a 90 percent decrease in the bees’ reproduction with both high and low levels of irrigation,” said Cecala. 

The study was specifically focused on alfalfa leafcutter bees, which make their nests in tunnels and lay eggs one at a time. 

While the study used a neonicotinoid product that is formulated for nurseries, similar products for home gardeners tend to be just as highly concentrated.

The researchers recommend that nurseries quantify the amount of pesticides that are making their way into flowers, and consider alternative management practices that reduce harm to bees and the ecosystems dependent on them. 

“It’s not as simple as ‘don’t use pesticides’ - sometimes they’re necessary,” said Cecala. “However, people can look for a different class of insecticide, try to apply them on plants that aren’t attractive to bees, or find biological methods of pest control.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Common insecticide can kill bees in very small doses

A common insecticide that is widely used in commercial nurseries...

We only have so much water on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changes-in-earths-tilt-led-to-the-emergence-of-complex-life/">Earth</a>. Water is not created or destroyed but instead cycled through a finite system. 

Although the amount of water is fixed, its distribution throughout the system is always changing, which makes it very hard to know if usage in any one area is sustainable. Climate change only aggravates this problem. 

As a result, scientists cannot define a water budget with confidence. This issue is addressed in a recent study led by the <a href="https://climate.esa.int/">ESA Climate Change Initiative</a>. The paper highlights new attempts by science to closely observe Earth’s water cycle to account for the planet’s entire supply of water and ice. 

“We’ve made a lot of advances, especially in space-based observations of the water cycle. The Copernicus programme is proving vital for long-term, consistent satellite observations," said study lead author Wouter Dorigo of Vienna University of Technology.

The new observations take advantage of satellites to observe much of Earth’s water cycle. However, as Dorigo explains, there are still serious blind spots.

“In particular, we don’t have accurate knowledge of the fluxes for groundwater use, recharge and natural discharge, which makes it difficult to project future sustainable use."

"Currently, satellites alone cannot resolve the entire water budget balance. Coordinated measurements of groundwater from sensors in the ground is what we need most urgently, as well as more data on water used by us humans as well as data on river discharge."

The largest source of freshwater on Earth is groundwater, something that is still hard for scientists to monitor with certainty. 

The researchers call for the development of better technology and techniques to monitor the Earth’s water and usage with more accuracy. A new effort aims at “weighing” all the water on the earth, including groundwater as a way forward.  

The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/bams-overview.xml">Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New technology needed to monitor Earth's water cycle

We only have so much water on Earth. Water is...

When the Chapman’s pygmy chameleon was first described in 1992, the destruction of the tiny <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-accelerates-aging-in-fish-amphibians-and-reptiles/">reptile</a> was already underway. Since the 1980’s, up to 80 percent of the forest the chameleon calls home has been destroyed. It was even feared for a time that the chameleon had gone extinct. 

Professor Krystal Tolley from the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the University of the Witwatersrand, explains the beauty of the small animal.

“They are little, gentle creatures. Other chameleon species can be hysterical, hissing and biting, but pygmy chameleons are gentle and just beautiful."

"Chapman’s in particular are one of the smallest and don’t have a prehensile tail like most chameleons, perhaps because they aren’t particularly arboreal but walk about on the forest floor in the leaf litter, crawling up into low bushes at night to sleep. They blend right into the leaf litter and perfectly pattern match the dead leaves."

"They are mostly brown but they can change to quite beautiful blues and greens with little dots all over them and that’s probably a way of communicating with each other. They also vibrate and we could feel it when we held them. We don’t really know why but it’s also probably some form of communication. The fact they do it while held in our hands could mean it’s a way to try and scare predators.”

Now, a 2016 survey of the chameleons is being published for the first time, showing that the small reptile has indeed survived - at least for the moment.  The study, published by <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/">Cambridge University Press</a>, was led by Professor Tolley. 

The research team analyzed satellite images of the Malawi Hills where the chameleons live that were captured in the 1980’s and compared them to modern photos. 

The results revealed a massive amount of forest loss. What remained of the forest was fragmented, and the researchers decided it was important to look for Chapman’s pygmy chameleons.

The researchers found some of the tiny chameleons living in small pockets of forest. Unfortunately, the remaining specimens showed signs of genetic isolation - a problem that could lead to inbreeding in small, separate populations of chameleons. 

The team recommends that the chameleons be protected by folding their habitat into the nearby Matandwe Forest Reserve along with strong protection measures. Further research is needed to better understand the current status of the chameleons.

The study is published in <a href="https://www.oryxthejournal.org/">Oryx - The International Journal of Conservation</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Critically endangered chameleon rediscovered in Malawi

When the Chapman’s pygmy chameleon was first described in 1992,...

Carbon emissions are directly correlated with global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-may-slow-the-spread-of-dengue-fever/">warming</a>, and without urgent and widespread mitigation measures, there will be a shocking increase in the number of excess deaths related to climate change. 

Researchers at Columbia University’s <a href="https://www.earth.columbia.edu/">Earth Institute</a> have attempted to quantify how many lives will be lost if global carbon emissions continue to increase.

Study lead author R. Daniel Bresslerr aimed to fill a significant gap in the estimates of mortality rates associated with rising carbon emissions. The currently available projection models are majorly outdated.

"Based on the decisions made by individuals, businesses or governments, this tells you how many lives will be lost, or saved," said Bressler. "It brings this question down to a more personal, understandable level."

Ultimately, the new projections can be illustrated as one additional death for every 4,434 metric tons of CO2 added to annual emissions. This quantity is equivalent to the lifetime emissions of just 3.5 Americans. 

A total of one million additional metric tons (equivalent to just 35 commercial airliners or 0.24 coal-fired power plants) would kill 226 people.

The study is specifically focused on temperature-related mortality, leaving out potential deaths from natural disasters, infection diseases, and crop failures. This is because these events are hard to quantify. With this in mind, Bressler says that his estimate could be a vast underestimate.

Based on our current emissions path, the study assumes that average global temperatures will surpass 2.1°C above preindustrial times by 2050. This temperature represents a devastating threshold, at which point detrimental effects would become increasingly damaging. 

Temperatures are projected to reach 4.1°C higher by 2100, which will cause around 84 million cumulative excess deaths. Bressler states that the majority of these excess deaths would be in the hottest and poorest regions, such as Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.

Research from William Nordhaus in the 90’s used the “DICE” model to place a monetary figure on the social cost of carbon. Originally, this model puts the figure at $37 per metric ton, suggesting we need not cut carbon emissions until 2050. However, Bressler’s adaptation on the model puts the figure at $258 per metric ton, stating that we must reach carbon-neutral emissions by 2050 to prevent reach of the threshold of 2.1°C and thus save 74 million lives. 

In order to reach such a goal, Bressler states that governments must issue "large-scale policies such as carbon pricing, cap and trade, and investments in low-carbon technologies and energy storage."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The reality of excess deaths from carbon emissions

Carbon emissions are directly correlated with global warming, and without...

During the 2020 heatwave in Siberia, thawing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-could-release-much-more-carbon-than-expected/">permafrost</a> released methane emissions from deep limestone deposits that date back hundreds of millions of years, according to a new study. 

A team of geologists at the <a href="https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university/">University of Bonn</a> set out to investigate the effects of the 2020 heatwave by comparing the spatial and temporal distribution of methane concentrations in the air across northern Siberia. 

The researchers found that increased methane levels after the heat wave were linked to limestone formations dating back to the Paleozoic era - from about 541 million to 251 million years ago.

Frozen permafrost soil covers large areas of the northern hemisphere. The permafrost will continue to thaw as temperatures rise, releasing CO2 and methane emissions that will amplify the greenhouse gas effect and drive further warming. 

"Methane is particularly dangerous here because its warming potential is many times higher than that of CO2," explained Dr. Nikolaus Froitzheim.

Previous studies have predicted that greenhouse gas emissions from thawing permafrost will only contribute about 0.2 degrees Celsius to global warming during this century. The new research suggests that the current calculations of greenhouse gas emissions associated with thawing permafrost are highly underestimated.

While previous research only accounted for emissions from the decay of organic matter in the permafrost soil, the current study looks at methane concentrations in the air.

Using satellite-based spectroscopy and geological maps, the team found significantly elevated methane concentrations in two areas of northern Siberia - the Taymyr Fold Belt and the rim of the Siberian Platform. In these regions, limestone formations are up to 541 million years old. 

The elevated concentrations in these two areas appeared during the extreme heatwave in summer 2020 and persisted for months after. Next, the experts needed to determine the source of the methane.

“The soil formations in the observed areas are very thin to nonexistent, making methane emission from the decay of organic soil matter unlikely," said Dr. Froitzheim. 

The researchers propose that fracture and cave systems in the limestone, which had been clogged by a mixture of ice and gas hydrate, became permeable upon warming. 

“As a result, natural gas being mainly methane from reservoirs within and below the permafrost can reach the Earth’s surface," explained Dr. Froitzheim. 

"The estimated amounts of natural gas in the subsurface of North Siberia are huge. When parts of this will be added to the atmosphere upon thawing of the permafrost, this could have dramatic impacts on the already overheated global climate."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> (PNAS).

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Heat wave of 2020 unlocked methane from deep Siberia

During the 2020 heatwave in Siberia, thawing permafrost released methane...

Fluctuations in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-sea-level-rose-by-18-meters-after-the-last-ice-age/">sea level</a> can cause eruptions on volcanic islands, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.brookes.ac.uk/">Oxford Brookes University</a>. The researchers found that a major drop in the sea level increases the likelihood of volcanic activity on the Greek island of Santorini. 

The team analyzed the timing of different eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years. They discovered that a 40-meter drop in sea level is a crucial point beyond which eruptions are more likely to occur. The experts say their findings have major implications for millions of people who live on volcanic islands worldwide.

The study, which was focused on the popular tourist destination of Santorini, was led by Dr. Christopher Satow. He says there are clues about past volcanic activity on Santorini in the layers of rock on the cliff face encircling the inner part of the island.

“A huge eruption 3,600 years ago caused the center of what was then a conical island to sink into the sea, revealing an extraordinarily detailed history of over 200 volcanic eruptions preserved within the remaining circle of cliffs," explained Dr. Satow.

“Comparing this eruption history to a sea level record allowed us to show for the first time that the sea level has had an important role in determining the timing of eruptions at Santorini, and probably at many other island volcanoes around the world."

“The mechanism is quite simple: falling sea levels remove mass from the Earth’s crust and the crust fractures as a result. These fractures allow magma to rise and feed eruptions at the surface.”

According to the researchers, eruptions at hundreds of other volcanic islands around the world may also have been influenced by fluctuations in sea level.

“Just as when you pull a plug out of the bath, the water level drops everywhere throughout the bath at the same time; in a similar way, sea level changes occur at the same time everywhere across the globe," explained Dr. Satow, who noted that the climate also has an influence on volcanic activity.

“What is less well known is that on long timescales, the climate can also affect volcanoes. As ice sheets retreated across volcanic landscapes after the last ice age, the removal of mass changed the stress conditions in the Earth’s crust, allowing the fractures which feed volcanic eruptions to form more easily."

“As these ice sheets melted the global sea level rose rapidly, by around 100 meters, adding a significant mass to the crust around many volcanic islands which, in theory, should alter their eruptive activity.” 

Dr Satow pointed out that 57 percent of the world’s volcanoes are islands or are coastal, and are often home to large populations. "Further vital research is needed to fully understand the effects of changing sea level on these volcanoes and the risks they pose to their populations.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Changes in sea level can trigger eruptions on volcanic islands

Fluctuations in the sea level can cause eruptions on volcanic...

Anyone who’s walked along a beach almost anywhere in the world knows that plastic pollution is a real problem in the ocean. It may no longer be useful to go beachcombing with a metal detector, considering that about 80 percent of all ocean debris is now plastic. 

Plastic trash isn’t just ugly either, it’s a major threat to marine creatures. Scientists estimate that 700 ocean species, ranging from tiny organisms to enormous whales, interact with plastic trash. A new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a> focuses on an especially charismatic example - baby sea turtles. 

Young sea turtles in the Indian and Pacific Oceans have a high incidence of ingesting plastic. Eating or becoming entangled in plastic garbage can be fatal. 

Sometimes, the plastic blocks digestion, perforates the gastrointestinal tract or causes laceration. Baby sea turtles can also be suffocated by trash.

Even when a turtle isn’t killed, scientists suspect that plastics can lead to malnutrition or contamination by harmful chemicals.

To examine plastic ingestion, scientists looked at five species of sea turtles found off Australia in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. They studied the contents of stomachs, bladders and cloacas of turtles stranded or caught as bycatch. Thankfully, plastics were only found in the animal’s gastrointestinal tract. 

Most of the plastics eaten by young turtles in the Pacific were hard plastic fragments that are extremely common, thus making the specific sources of these pollutants hard to pinpoint. Study lead author Dr. Emily Duncan of the University of Exeter explained how  the situation was different in the Indian Ocean.

“Plastic in the Pacific turtles was mostly hard fragments, which could come from a vast range of products used by humans, while Indian Ocean plastics were mostly fibers - possibly from fishing ropes or nets,” said Dr. Duncan.

It’s hard to imagine that consumption of plastic by sea turtles, especially young turtles won’t have a negative impact but the scientist’s next goal is to examine the specific health problems caused more closely. In the meantime, it’s good to look closely at the sources of plastic pollution - humans on land. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.

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By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Baby sea turtles are swallowing plastic trash

Anyone who’s walked along a beach almost anywhere in the...

There may be a simple explanation for why birds are the only dinosaurs left on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-further-can-we-push-earth-before-everything-changes/">Earth</a>, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a>.

The brain shape of a newly discovered bird fossil could explain how the ancestors of modern birds survived the mass extinction that killed other dinosaurs.

“Living birds have brains more complex than any known animals except mammals,” said lead investigator Christopher Torres. “This new fossil finally lets us test the idea that those brains played a major role in their survival.”

The 70-million-year-old fossil contains a nearly complete skull, which provided the researchers with a rare opportunity to study the brain of a bird named Ichthyornis that lived during the late Cretaceous. Ichthyornis, which resembled an albatross, went extinct alongside other non-avian dinosaurs.

Ichthyornis had both avian and non-avian characteristics that were similar to dinosaurs. For example, they had jaws full of teeth that were tipped with a beak. Using CT-imaging data, the researchers created a 3D replica of the bird's brain to compare it to living birds, and also to distant dinosaur relatives.

The analysis revealed that the brain of Ichthyornis shared more similarities with dinosaurs than with living birds. According to the study authors, the cerebral hemispheres - where higher cognitive functions such as speech, thought and emotion occur in humans - are much bigger in modern birds than in Ichthyornis. This means that the key to surviving the mass extinction may have been a vastly expanded forebrain that Ichthyornis and other extinct lineages lacked.

“If a feature of the brain affected survivorship, we would expect it to be present in the survivors but absent in the casualties, like Ichthyornis,” said Torres. “That’s exactly what we see here.”

It is rare for paleontologists to find skulls from early birds and dinosaurs that are well-preserved. As a result, there is limited information on what their brains were like.

“Ichthyornis is key to unraveling that mystery,” said study co-author Professor Julia Clarke. “This fossil helps bring us much closer to answering some persistent questions concerning living birds and their survivorship among dinosaurs.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why are birds the only dinosaurs that survived on Earth?

There may be a simple explanation for why birds are...

Polar bears are being exposed to the toxic chemicals used in cosmetics and non-stick pans, and this exposure is directly related to global warming, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>.

The chemicals are being released into the air in high concentrations from manufacturing sites, and then carried by the wind to the Arctic, where they accumulate in sea ice. 

As temperatures rise throughout the Arctic, the chemicals are running off into the ocean from melting ice. The contaminants are then consumed by algae and zooplankton, before making their way up the food chain to polar bears. 

Poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are referred to as "forever chemicals" that do not fully break down in the environment. The Lancaster team has discovered the toxic chemicals in brine on the underside of the ice - a preferred habitat for algae and other organisms at the bottom of the marine food web. 

The experts tested samples from the Barents Sea, thousands of miles away from the densely populated areas of Europe. They found that the concentration of the toxic chemicals was up to double the concentration that has been observed in the North Sea. 

According to the researchers, there is evidence that PFAS are disrupting the hormone systems of polar bears. PFAS are also linked to a range of health issues in humans, including liver damage, birth defects, cancer, and impaired immunity. According to the CDC, PFAS have been found in the blood of nearly every American tested.

In the Arctic, sea ice used to remain frozen for years at a time but is now melting each summer as a result of global warming. 

'This one-year ice contains a lot of mobile brine that interacts with the overlying snowpack and can serve to concentrate pollutants like PFAS, which are usually found at very low levels,' said study co-author Professor Crispin Halsall.

"Unfortunately, with earlier and more erratic thaw events, this can lead to the rapid release of the stored chemicals resulting in high concentrations in the waters surrounding the ice floes."

Professor Halsall said that it is only through this type of investigative science that we can understand the dynamics of pollutant behavior and identify key hazards, particularly those related to climate change.

"In turn this can drive international legislation so that chemicals that exhibit this type of behavior are banned."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science and Technology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Polar bears threatened by toxic chemicals in melting sea ice

Polar bears are being exposed to the toxic chemicals used...

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



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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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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



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.

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 



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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



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.

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



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.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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



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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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



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.

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



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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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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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