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...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/university/">University of Würzburg</a>, the <a href="https://www.ice.mpg.de/ext/index.php?id=home0">Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology</a>, and the <a href="https://www.nationalpark-bayerischer-wald.bayern.de/english/">Bavarian Forest National Park</a>, have taken note of a population boom of bark beetles that, in 2018, caused the destruction of about 40 million cubic meters of wood in Central Europe. 

Although it’s been observed that mass outbreaks of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bark-beetle-epidemic-pushing-elk/">bark beetles</a> are followed by sudden declines in populations, little is known about why this pattern takes place. Therefore, the researchers behind this recent study, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/home">Trends in Ecology and Evolution</a>, demand more research into the bark beetle’s life cycle in order to protect timberlands from utter destruction.

"We have taken a number of elaborate measures to protect our forests against bark beetles. But we still know very little about what triggers the variations in bark beetle populations," says lead author Peter Biedermann, a researcher at the Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology of the University of Würzburg. "It is an urgency to create the scientific foundation now to enable forestry officials and politicians to respond more efficiently to bark beetle outbreaks in the future." 

The results from these studies could potentially help scientists rebuke other harmful pests — that is, if anything should be done about harmful pests at all. Biedermann wonders if the best thing to do is just let the outbreaks run their course without intervention.

Even so, the scientists note that learning about the bark beetles’ life cycle, and its reaction to climate change, is pertinent. 

"The expected increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will additionally weaken German timberlands. Therefore, we will have to be prepared to tackle growing problems with the spruce bark beetle," said Jörg Müller, a professor at the Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology at the University of Würzburg and Deputy Manager of the Bavarian Forest National Park.

[caption id="attachment_1874721" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bark-beetles.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874721" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bark-beetles.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="435" /></a> Image Credit: Rainer Simonis, Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald[/caption]

Because spruces are not really resistant to heat and drought, long-term water shortage weakens the tree’s defenses against the bark beetle — those being chemical substances and increased resin release. 

To learn more about which factors influence the bark beetle population boom, the research team suggest collecting worldwide data to identify knowledge gaps on the population dynamic of the bark beetles and other forest insects. They can then use this data to answer questions about how the beetles interact with different factors and move on to experimental field studies.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Rainer Simonis / Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald

A boom in bark beetles has left timberlands devastated

Researchers from the University of Würzburg, the Max Planck Institute...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska-Lincoln</a> reports that entire ecosystems in the U.S.’s Great Plains are dramatically shifting northward, most likely due to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-malaria-colder-areas/">climate change</a>.

By analyzing 46 years’ worth of data on bird distributions, collected via the North American Breeding Bird Survey, which included about 400 bird species found within a 250-mile-wide transect stretching from Texas to North Dakota, the researchers have found that the northernmost ecosystem boundary has moved about 365 miles north. Furthermore, the southernmost border has moved about 160 miles north since 1970.

The researchers noted that their findings could help develop an early-warning system that would give land managers decades to prepare for ecosystem shift or collapse, thus allowing them to accommodate or foster the change rather than simply reacting. 

These results, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>, have also proven that ecological shifts are actually more ordered and predictable than previously thought. 

"If we can work toward prevention (of changes), we're going to save ourselves so much money and time," said lead author Caleb Roberts, a postdoctoral researcher at Nebraska. "We won't have to worry about specific endangered species, perhaps, because we will be protecting the system they require."

Upon collecting and analyzing the 400 bird species from the North American Breeding Bird Survey, the team separated the species into groups based on their body masses. They then searched for gaps in the distribution of the groups. 

"All (these breaks) are saying is that there are a lot of animals with the small body size; then there's a gap with nothing in this middle body size; then you have another group and another group," said Allen, director of the University's Center for Resilience in Working Agricultural Landscapes. "And since these reflect the domains of scale in an ecosystem, it's like a signature — the DNA — of a given ecosystem."

The researchers were then able to measure how much and how fast each ecosystem shifted north by analyzing the geographic movement of the distinct body-mass signatures throughout the near 50-year period.

The phenomenon of the northernmost boundary shifting more than the southernmost is called “Arctic amplification,” and suggests that climate change is to blame. This shift aligns with other global change drivers like upticks in wildfires, the invasion of woody plants like eastern red cedars, energy development, urbanization, and agricultural land conversion.

"Like most things in ecology, (these shifts) likely have multiple causations," Allen said. "And I think it's fairly intractable to try to separate, say, tree invasion from climate change, because it has to do with fire but also with changing climate. All of these things are highly related."

Roberts noted that grasslands are the most endangered global ecosystem due to woody plant invasion. People can get involved in saving the grasslands by increasing burning and tree removal. 

"Those are all things we can do and use the early warning to say, 'We're coming to the edge of this grassland's resilience. It's about to collapse, especially in our area. What can we do to stop that?' That's the kind of power this tool would have," he said. "You don't have to wait until it gets to you. You can see it coming and act preemptively."

"We are working closely with a long list of partners to understand how to navigate these types of transitions and increase the performance of conservation investments," said Dirac Twidwell, associate professor of agronomy and horticulture. "Large-scale transitions should not be underestimated. Restoring what has been lost has proven extraordinarily difficult when the challenge spans large geographic regions."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Menno van der Haven

Ecosystems in the U.S. are moving hundreds of miles north

A new study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln reports that...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.engineering.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a> have developed a new electrochemical path that can transform CO2 into fuels and plastics. This new technology could drastically improve the way we <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/carbon-capture-climate-change/">capture</a> and recycle carbon from the air.

"Today, it is technically possible to capture CO2 from air and, through a number of steps, convert it to commercial products," said lead researcher Professor Ted Sargent. "The challenge is that it takes a lot of energy to do so, which raises the cost and lowers the incentive. Our strategy increases the overall energy efficiency by avoiding some of the more energy-intensive losses."

Companies have been experimenting with direct-air carbon capture in recent history. One such company captures its CO2 by forcing air through a liquid alkaline solution wherein the CO2 dissolves and forms a substance called carbonate. Then, to complete the recycling process, the carbonate is then turned back into CO2 gas where it can then be used as the base for fuels and plastics after being mixed with other chemicals.

However, the researchers at the University of Toronto have devised a new recycling plan that utilizes an electrolyzer, a device that uses electricity to produce a chemical reaction, and has already been used to separate hydrogen from water.  

"We used a bipolar membrane, a new electrolyzer design that is great at generating protons," said co-lead author Geonhui Lee of the study’s paper, published in <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/aelccp">ACS Energy Letters</a>. "These protons were exactly what we needed to convert the carbonate back into CO2 gas."

The electrolyzer used in this experiment contains a silver-based catalyst that converts the produced CO2 into a gas mixture called syngas, which can be easily turned into a wide variety of other products like jet fuel and various plastics.

"This is the first known process that can go all the way from carbonate to syngas in a single step," Sargent said. He notes that electrolyzers can be used to convert CO2 into other chemical building blocks, but never into carbonate.

"Once the CO2 turns into carbonate, it becomes inaccessible to traditional electrolyzers," said co-lead author postdoctoral fellow Y. Chris Li. "That's part of the reason why they have low yields and low efficiencies. Our system is unique in that it achieves 100% carbon utilization: no carbon is wasted. It also generates syngas as a single product at the outlet, minimizing the cost of product purification."

The carbonate-to-syngas conversion was successful 35% of the time. More work will be needed to stabilize and scale up the process, but their current findings show a viable alternative to the current process of direct-air carbon capture.

"It goes a long way toward answering the question of whether it will ever be possible to use air-captured CO2 in a commercially compelling way," Sargent concluded. "This is a key step toward closing the carbon loop."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Marit Mitchell

New CO2-to-fuel process could make carbon capture more economical

Researchers from the University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science...

Wildfire smoke is more harmful to children’s health than controlled burns. Controlled burns are an important part of wildfire management as they can clear brush and dead trees that would otherwise help wildfires spread. In California, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-western-united-states/">fire suppression</a> tactics used throughout the early 20th century is thought to be one of the reasons that California’s history of wildfires is so volatile. 

Even though scientists now understand that fires are an essential and healthy part of the forest ecosystem that allow for new growth and returning vital nutrients to the soil, there are reservations about whether prescribed burns should be used to help reduce wildfire risk. 

For residents who live near high-risk areas, a prescribed burn could increase smoke pollution and expose communities dangerous air quality levels. 

But in a new study, researchers from the <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford University School of Medicine</a> found that prescribed burns emit less smoke and harmful pollution compared to similar sized wildfires.

The results, published in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, show that children are exposed to higher air pollution levels during a wildfire compared to a controlled burn. 

“We know that there’s some public opposition to doing prescribed burning,” said Mary Prunicki, the lead author of the study. “It’s our feeling that prescribed burning, because it’s so controlled, may expose people to fewer health effects than wildfires.” 

The study was conducted in Fresno, California, which has high levels of air pollution, and the researchers collected and compared blood samples from three groups of children. 

One group of children had been exposed to smoke from a controlled burn, the second group was exposed to smoke a wildfire, and a control group of children from Seattle had not been exposed to either a controlled fire or wildfire. Wildfire smoke is more harmful to children’s health than controlled burns 

The blood samples were collected within three months of the fires. 

Air pollution levels in Fresno were also recorded from four monitoring stations, and the researchers estimated how much pollution each child in the study had been exposed to based on how far they were from the monitoring stations. 

The wildfire group was exposed to higher levels of pollutants, and blood samples showed lower levels of immune cells. 

“This study suggests that exposure to wildfire smoke is detrimental above and beyond poor air quality,” said Prunicki.” 

One reason wildfires may be more dangerous is that they can burn homes, cars, and business, releasing chemicals and pollutants not found in the forests. 

“Particulate matter from wildfires is different from region to region and depends on what is burning,” said Prunicki. “When a wildfire is going through a town, there are a lot of concerns about what happens to the chemicals in people’s homes and cars when they go up in flames.” 

The study calls for more comprehensive and detailed research to investigate the health impacts of air pollution from wildfires versus controlled burns. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Aarti Kalyani

Wildfire smoke is more harmful to children’s health than controlled burns

Wildfire smoke is more harmful to children’s health than controlled...

Briefly visiting a city with heavy air pollution can cause breathing issues. A new study led by researchers at the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">NYU School of Medicine</a> has revealed that even a brief visit to a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/children-develop-asthma-air-pollution/">polluted city</a> can cause breathing issues that take a week or more to recover from. The research is the first to investigate respiratory complications experienced by young international travelers upon returning home.

"We had several reports that tourists were feeling sick when visiting polluted cities, so it became important for us to understand what was really happening to their health," said study senior author Dr. Terry Gordon.

The investigation was focused on six measurements of lung and heart health in 34 men and women traveling abroad from the metropolitan New York City area. Most of the young adults were visiting family in consistently polluted regions of India, Pakistan, and China.

The study showed that being in a polluted city reduced measures of lung function by an average of 6 percent and by as much as 20 percent. Participants who visited the highly polluted cities reported as many as five respiratory symptoms, while those who visited cities with lower pollution levels had fewer symptoms or none. Two individuals had symptoms that were bad enough to seek medical attention.

"What travelers should know is that the potential effects of air pollution on their health are real and that they should take any necessary precautions they can," said study lead author Dr. M.J. Ruzmyn Vilcassim.

Dr. Gordon recommends that those visiting highly polluted cities should consider wearing masks or consulting a doctor prior to travel if they have preexisting respiratory or cardiac health difficulties, and to consider avoiding travel during certain months. 

Next, the researchers plan to study international travelers who are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution, such as older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions.

According to the World Tourism Organization, the number of tourists traveling internationally is expected to grow to 1.8 billion by 2030.

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jtm">Journal of Travel Medicine</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Hung Chung Chih / Shutterstock

Briefly visiting a city with heavy air pollution can cause breathing issues

Briefly visiting a city with heavy air pollution can cause...

New research has revealed that climate change could soon create optimal conditions for diseases like malaria to spread beyond warm, tropical areas. 

Malaria is considered a tropical disease because of the prevalence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetically-modified-mosquitoes-malaria/">malaria</a> in tropical and subtropical regions. Malaria parasites develop quickly enough in these climates within the mosquito that it can transmit the disease. 

But researchers from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> and the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have found that malaria parasites develop faster in mosquitoes in colder temperatures than previously realized. 

The findings of the study were published in the journal Biology Letters.

Even a slight increase in global temperatures could put millions more people at risk of being infected.  

It was previously thought that malaria parasites develop too slow in cold climates for the disease to be transmitted. 

“The rate of malaria transmission to humans is strongly determined by the time it takes for the parasites to develop in the mosquito,” said Matthew Thomas, a member of the research team. “The quicker the parasites develop, the greater the chance that the mosquito will survive long enough for the parasites to complete their development and be transmitted to humans.”

Malaria parasite development in relation to temperature hasn’t been examined since the 1930s, and the researchers wanted to see how climate change might impact parasite development in regions where malaria risk is low. 

The researchers focused on two species of mosquitoes, Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles gambiae, and monitored  malaria-infected specimens from both species in a lab setting. 

The mosquitos were subjected to a variety of temperatures ranging from 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. 

A control group of mosquitoes was exposed to a steady temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the optimal temperature for malaria to spread. 

Past models have found that it takes 56 days for a malaria parasite to develop in cooler temperatures, but the researchers found that at 64 degrees Fahrenheit, a parasite can develop in as little as 31 days. 

Given that the average lifespan of a mosquito is anywhere between 42 and 56 days, this means that an infected mosquito could spread the disease to a host. 

When temperatures varied, the researchers saw parasites developing in 27 days at 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Our work shows that even small increases in temperature could dramatically increase malaria infections in humans because the parasites develop much faster at these lower temperatures than has been previously estimated,” said Jessica Waite, a researcher for the study. “Parasite development rate further increases when temperatures fluctuate naturally, from cooler at night to warmer in the day.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Penn State

Climate change could increase the risk of malaria in colder areas

New research has revealed that climate change could soon create...

Climate change is creating more challenges for migratory birds. Climate change is already shrinking habitats, warming ocean waters, and forcing many species to adapt inhospitable and unsuitable conditions.

Birds that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-challenges-gulf-mexico/">migrate every year</a> are finding themselves in a similar conundrum. But instead of being forced out of their habitats, their usual resting grounds along their migration routes are no longer viable areas for either rest or food. 

Writing for the <a href="https://blog.nature.org/science/2019/05/08/can-migrating-birds-adapt-to-climate-change/?src=e.cgs.eg.x.loc_b&amp;lu=7672728&amp;autologin=true&amp;ds=y&amp;sus=y&amp;md=n">Cool Green Science Blog</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/">Nature Conservancy</a> science communications director Mathew Miller discusses how climate change is making migrations difficult and even life-threatening for birds. 

As migratory birds make their way to their breeding habitats, the usual rest stops they take along the way may no longer provide abundant sources of insect larvae that have fueled birds for generations before. 

Imagine driving your car, and you see the fuel is low. You know that there’s a gas station along the way, but when you stop to fill up, you see that the station is out of gas and you might have to drive another 20 or so miles to fuel up. If your car is running on empty, another 20 miles could be an impossible feat. 

This is becoming an increasingly common problem for migrating birds, and it all has to do with how climate change impacts seasonal cycles. 

Spring is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earlier-springtime-hinders-plant-growth/">occurring earlier</a>, and winters are shorter in many places worldwide. Summers are getting hotter, and all these contributing factors are causing drastic changes in plant and animal cycles. 

Phenology is the study of animal cycles in relation to the seasons and climate, and climate and conservation research must include phenology to mitigate biodiversity declines.   

An early spring can be devastating for a migrating bird.

“As they cross states and continents, their stops to rest may no longer match up to hatching insects, blooming flowers and fruiting trees,” Miller wrote. 

Even in a small geographical area, topographical changes can influence seasonal changes. For example, while flowers may be blooming in one area, higher elevations may have slower seasonal progressions. 

The Nature Conservancy is currently involved in a project called <a href="https://blog.nature.org/science/2015/06/16/conserving-natures-stage-geodiversity-biodiversity-climate/">Conserving Nature’s Stage</a>, and it’s a program aimed at including in topography and other geographical factors into conservation efforts. 

Topographically diverse areas represent a key opportunity for bird conservation as well. 

If migrating birds find food scarce in one area, conservation could ensure that food sources are abundant nearby by ensuring that important sites are connected by land cover and easily accessible by birds. 

“Basically, conservation planning has to help hedge bets for birds,” Kim Hall, climate change scientist for the Nature Conservancy, told Miller. “They may not find insect larvae in one site, but in a lower elevation area, or on the cooler side of a hill, or near a cold groundwater-fed wetland, the larvae may still be abundant and available.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/GauSax

Climate change is creating more challenges for migratory birds

Climate change is creating more challenges for migratory birds. Climate...

A new study has revealed that the United States is at the top of the list of countries that are driving the global waste crisis. An investigation conducted by risk analytics company <a href="https://www.maplecroft.com/">Verisk Maplecroft</a> found that America is not only the largest producer of waste in the world, but also ranks as one of the lowest performers in waste management among industrialized nations. 

The experts used two new indices to measure the waste generation and recycling performance of 194 countries. The study has created a global image of how countries are managing the waste they are responsible for producing. 

The research comes at a time when the world is facing an unprecedented waste problem, largely driven by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/us-plastic-bag-restrictions/">plastics</a>. Mismanaged garbage has become a threat to the health of all life on Earth, not to mention the planet itself, and the situation is only getting worse.

The team estimated that over 2.1 billion tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) are produced annually worldwide, yet only 16 percent of this waste is recycled. According to the research, 950 million tons of MSW is disposed of unsustainably every year.

The United States was found to produce three times the global average of waste, including food and plastic. The country was also found to recycle only 35 percent of its solid waste.

America was not the only developed country identified as being disproportionately responsible for the highest levels of waste generation. Some other high risk countries pinpointed by the Waste Generation Index are the Netherlands, Canada, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, and Australia.

"With the world’s attention firmly fixed on the problem of waste, we expect governments to act, with businesses footing the bill,” said Niall Smith, who is the senior environmental analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. “Beyond the potential financial impacts, the reputational risks for business are high if they ignore intensifying interest in the issue from consumers and investors.”

“It’s going to be vital for companies to get ahead of these issues. Investing in circular economy measures can not only mitigate risk but can open up new markets and improve brand reputation.”

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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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Mohamed Abdulraheem

The United States produces three times the global average of waste

A new study has revealed that the United States is...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have determined that hundreds of sharks and rays have been tangled in plastic marine waste. The team reviewed published studies and social media posts and found <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-plastic-pollution-bacteria/">plastic</a> entanglement reports involving more than a thousand individuals.

While this may pose a "far lesser threat" to sharks and rays than commercial fishing, the suffering involved is still a major concern.

"One example in the study is a shortfin mako shark with fishing rope wrapped tightly around it," said study co-author Kristian Parton. "The shark had clearly continued growing after becoming entangled, so the rope - which was covered in barnacles - had dug into its skin and damaged its spine."

"Although we don't think entanglement is a major threat to the future of sharks and rays, it's important to understand the range of threats facing these species, which are among the most threatened in the oceans.

"Additionally, there's a real animal welfare issue because entanglements can cause pain, suffering and even death."

The review of published studies found reports of 557 sharks and rays entangled in plastic, including 34 species in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. 

"Due to the threats of direct overfishing  of sharks and rays, and 'bycatch' (accidental catching while fishing for other species), the issue of entanglement has perhaps gone a little under the radar," said study co-author Professor Brendan Godley.

"We set out to remedy this. Our study was the first to use Twitter to gather such data, and our results from the social media site revealed entanglements of species - and in places - not recorded in the academic papers."

Twitter contained 74 entanglement reports involving 559 individual sharks and rays of 26 different species, such as whale sharks, great whites, tiger sharks, and basking sharks. 

Overall, the most common entanglement objects were "ghost" fishing gear, including nets, lines, and other equipment that has been discarded or lost in the ocean.

According to the experts, their estimate does not even represent the true number of incidents given the fact that few plastic entanglement studies have been focused on sharks and rays.

 The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-home/">Endangered Species Research</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

Image Credit: Daniel Cartamil

Hundreds of sharks and rays have gotten tangled in ocean plastic

Scientists at the University of Exeter have determined that hundreds...

Critical new research from the <a href="https://gee.ethz.ch/">Crowther Lab</a> has revealed that restoring forests is the single most effective solution for mitigating climate change. The researchers determined that new <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/forest-fires-snow-melt-earlier/">forests</a> could take up two-thirds of the CO2 that has been released into the atmosphere by human activities. 

The experts also found the potential to increase the world's forest land by a third without impacting existing cities or agricultural practices. Once mature, an area of trees the size of the United States could store 205 of the 300 billion tons of man-made CO2.

The study is the first of its kind to quantify how many trees the Earth can support, where they could exist, and how much carbon they could store. The researchers emphasize that the need for action is urgent because the climate is already changing and subsequently reducing the amount of land that can support new forests. 

"We all knew restoring forests could play a part in tackling climate change, but we had no scientific understanding of what impact this could make. Our study shows clearly that forest restoration is the best climate change solution available today and it provides hard evidence to justify investment. If we act now, this could cut carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by up to 25%, to levels last seen almost a century ago," said study senior author Professor Tom Crowther.

"However, it will take decades for new forests to mature and achieve this potential. It is vitally important that we protect the forests that exist today, pursue other climate solutions, and continue to phase out fossil fuels from our economies in order to avoid dangerous climate change."

The future scenarios proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicate that limiting climate change to 1.5°C will require up to an extra billion hectares of forest by 2050, even while drastically reducing emissions. The new study confirms that this scenario projection is "undoubtedly achievable under the current climate."

The Crowther Lab team determined that forests could be regrown on 1.7 to 1.8 billion hectares of land in areas that are not currently used as urban or agricultural land. If cropland and urban areas were included, the researchers identified an additional 1.4 billion hectares of land where forests could be regrown.

"Our study provides a benchmark for a global action plan, showing where new forests can be restored around the globe," said lead author Dr. Jean-François Bastin. "Action is urgent and governments must now factor this into their national strategies to tackle climate change."

More than half of the potential to restore trees was found in just six countries: Russia, the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and China.

"Although government action is essential to make the most of this opportunity, this is a climate solution we can all get involved in and make a tangible impact. You can grow trees yourself, donate to forest restoration organizations or just invest your money responsibly in businesses which are taking action on climate change," said Professor Crowther. 

"Our forests are the world's biggest natural ally in the fight against climate change but without them, we will lose the fight to keep global warming below 1.5 C. That's why it's crucial that we act to restore forests whilst drastically cutting our global carbon emissions," said Will Baldwin-Cantello, Global lead on Forests at <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">WWF</a>.

"This new research demonstrates how much natural capacity our planet has to grow and sustain additional forest; now, the challenge is to understand how and where we can accelerate this implementation, whilst still feeding our growing global population."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</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

Forest restoration can make a major impact in battling climate change

Critical new research from the Crowther Lab has revealed that...

A team of 12 international researchers have identified more than 100 million hectares of destroyed lowland <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tropical-trees-higher-elevations/">tropical rainforests</a> (about 11% of all tropical forests) that could potentially be restored to combat rising temperatures, water pollution and shortages, and plant and animal extinction. These forests, called restoration hotspots, spread across Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Specifically, Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar, India and Colombia have the largest accumulated area of restoration hotspots; six African countries — Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Togo, South Sudan, and Madagascar — present the best tropical rainforest restoration opportunities on average.

"We were surprised to find such a concentration of highly ranked countries in a single continent," co-author Robin Chazdon said. "The study really highlights the high potential for successful rainforest restoration outcomes in these African countries."

"Restoring tropical forests is fundamental to the planet's health, now and for generations to come," said lead author Pedro Brancalion, from the <a href="https://www5.usp.br/">University of São Paulo</a>. "For the first time, our study helps governments, investors and others seeking to restore global tropical moist forests to determine precise locations where restoring forests is most viable, enduring and beneficial. Restoring forests is a must do — and it's doable."

The research team used high-resolution satellite imagery and the latest peer-reviewed research on four forest benefits (biodiversity, climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, and water security) as well as three aspects of restoration effort (cost, investment risk and the likelihood of restored forests surviving into the future) to define which areas of tropical lands worldwide were perfect for restoration. And those considered hotspots were scored in the top 10%, meaning that their restoration would be the most beneficial, least costly, and least risky

The team found that nearly 87% of the restoration hotspots are located within biodiversity conservation hotspots — areas that hold high concentrations of species found nowhere else in the world, but are at high risk for deforestation. And 73% of the restoration hotspots are in countries that have restoration commitments in place as part of the Bonn Challenge, a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of the world's deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030. 

"It's encouraging that so many hotspots are located in countries where restoring forests and landscapes is already a priority," said Brancalion.

Within those hotspots where land overlaps with farmland, the researchers suggest working with farmers to not only restore lands but create income-generating restoration plans that involve the growing of crops like cocoa beans and rattan.

"Restoration involves far more than simply planting trees," said Chazdon. "It starts with the need for mutually beneficial agreements with those currently using the land and doesn't end until forests host the rich diversity of plant and animal life that make them so awe-inspiring and valuable. But, fortunately, <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/3/eaau3114">studies show</a> it doesn't take long for the benefits of new forests to kick-in."

"Pledges and agreements like the Bonn Challenge and the New York Declaration on Forests show that there is will to restore and protect forests,” Brancalion said. “With the tools we have developed, countries, companies and other actors who have pledged to restore forests have the precise information they need to roll up their sleeves and dive into the difficult work of bringing our forests back. There are no shortcuts when it comes to forest restoration, but there is low-hanging fruit that we need to seize now, before it's too late."

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rich Carey

How much of destroyed tropical forests can be restored to improve climate?

A team of 12 international researchers have identified more than...

Black vultures in Kentucky are moving north due to climate change and killing more cattle every year due to their newly expanded range. 

Vultures are known for eating carrion (dead carcasses), and because they are such effective scavenging birds of prey, they are one of nature’s key garbage disposals. 

Black vultures can make quick work of road kill, but they are also formidable hunters and are significantly contributing to livestock declines. 

The <a href="https://www.app.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/26/black-turkey-vultures-eating-cows-into-kentucky-farmers-profits/1579224001/?utm_source=fark&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=link&amp;ICID=ref_fark">Louisville Courier-Journal</a> recently reported that increased black vulture populations cause farmers to lose $300,000 to $500,00 in animals every year. 

The vultures descend on livestock, pecking out the eyes and leaving just the skeleton and hide behind. It’s a gruesome sight, and it’s causing major problems for farmers. 

Climate change is increasing temperatures, and the vultures are spreading further north in search of more favorable habitats.

It’s a pattern being witnessed in many regions with entire ecosystems shifting due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ecosystems-moving-north/">temperature increases</a>. But for those who are unable to migrate to more temperate regions, climate change is driving population declines and increasing the risk of extinction. 

The black vulture has been seen wintering as far as Massachusetts. 

As part of the US Migratory Birds Act, vultures are protected, which means that there are severe restrictions for farmers wishing to protect their livestock and livelihoods. 

It is possible to get a permit to kill vultures, but these cost $100 and limit the number of birds a farmer can kill. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Pascal De Munck/Shutterstock

Scavenging birds of prey are on the rise due to climate change

Black vultures in Kentucky are moving north due to climate...

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 



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

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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

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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



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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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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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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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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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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