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...

Sweden’s tallest mountain peak has melted down to second place. The tallest mountain peak in Sweden has been stripped of its title thanks to rising temperatures due to climate change. 

Kebnekaise Mountain in northern Sweden has two peaks, and for over a century, the mountain’s icy southern peak was the tallest in the country.

After years of melting due to steadily rising temperatures, scientists have confirmed that the southern peak is now around four feet lower than the northern peak, according to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/sweden-highest-mountain-climate-change-intl-scli-trnd-travel/index.html">CNN</a>.  

Over the past 50 years, the southern peak lost 78 feet of ice, and the rate of melting is increasing. 

“For the first time since 1880 we can say for certainty that it’s lower than the other peak,” Gunhild Ninis Rosqvist, a geography professor at <a href="https://www.su.se/english/">Stockholm University</a>, told CNN. “Last year we suspected it, but it never went below the other peak. Now, we measured it at the end of melt season on September 3 using GPS technology with only a few centimeters margin of error.”

Rosqvist has measured the peak each year and found that in the last ten years, the rate of melting has been around three feet per year. 

The peak could gain some of its height back over the winter, but any progress would be short lived with summer bringing warmer temperatures and faster melting rates. 

“Temperatures in the summer have increased. Actually, they’ve increased all year round. Even the winters are warming here,” Ninis Rosqvist said. “What’s happening a Kebnekaise’s southern peak is representative for all the glaciers in Scandinavia right now. It’s a symbol for glacier melt. They’re all melting very rapidly.”

The unprecedented rate of melting is not surprising considering the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-record-breaking-heatwave/">record-breaking summer heatwaves</a> that Sweden has experienced in recent years. 

Each year, Rosqvist has noticed the glacier at Kebnekaise’s southern peak get thinner and thinner. 

Kebnekaise Mountain is just one more, in an ever-growing list of climate change casualties. 

--

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/lecsposure

Sweden’s tallest mountain peak has melted down to second place

Sweden’s tallest mountain peak has melted down to second place....

According to a recent <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/">CBS News</a> survey conducted by YouGov, most Americans agree that immediate action is needed to address <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/communities-preparing-climate-change/">climate change</a>. The majority of respondents feel that climate change is a serious problem, with more than 25 percent classifying it as a full-blown crisis. Only 16 percent do not feel that the climate is anything to be concerned about. 

Most Americans believe that human activities contribute to climate change on some level, and feel a personal and social responsibility to take action. On the other hand, many people feel they cannot afford to address the issue. 

Only one in 10 respondents say human activities do not contribute to climate change at all, and this small minority widely expresses the opinion that the idea is a hoax meant to exaggerate the problem. At the same time, 91 percent of the participants agree that the Earth is experiencing climate change in some way, whether they feel it is driven by a human-induced or natural shift.

The majority of respondents also believe that humans can do something about climate change, with 48 percent saying it can be slowed and 19 percent saying we have the ability to bring it to a complete halt. 

Approximately 75 percent of the participants acknowledge that climate change is contributing to the decline of sea ice in the Arctic, rising sea levels, and hotter summers. Two-thirds agree that weather events such as hurricanes are intensifying as a result of global warming. Hurricane Dorian caused increased concern among nearly 40 percent of Americans, while 56 percent were not influenced.

The survey also revealed that about 80 percent of American adults trust the opinions of climate scientists, while just as many trust their own observations when it comes to the current state of the environment. However, respondents are strongly divided on whether scientists have confidence in saying that humans are driving climate change, with 52 percent feeling that "scientists agree that humans are a main cause" and 48 percent claiming that there is disagreement among experts.

“This remains a vitally important misunderstanding - if you believe global warming is just a natural cycle, you’re unlikely to support policies intended to reduce carbon pollution, like regulations and taxes,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

“These results also again confirm a longstanding problem, which is that many Americans still believe that scientists themselves are uncertain whether human-caused global warming is happening."

“Our own and others’ research has repeatedly found that this is a critical misunderstanding, promoted by the fossil fuel industry for decades, in order to sow doubt, increase public uncertainty and thus keep people stuck in the status quo, in a ‘wait and see’ mode.”

Most Americans are willing to make necessary changes to help the environment, including 87 percent who would like to recycle more, 86 percent who would use energy efficient light bulbs, 86 percent who would give up plastic bags at stores, and 62 percent who are willing to travel less. In addition, around 31 percent are willing to give up meat.

Age seems to play a significant role in the outcome of the survey: 70 percent of 18-to 29-year-olds think climate change is a serious problem or crisis, yet only 58 percent of individuals over the age of 65 agree. Younger people were also found to be much more likely to feel a personal responsibility to address the climate crisis.

“Americans are finally beginning to wake up to the existential threat that the climate emergency poses to our society,” said Margaret Klein Salamon, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Climate Mobilization Project. “This is huge progress for our movement - and it’s young people that have been primarily responsible for that.”

--

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: Shutterstock/streetphotog66

Poll: Most Americans agree that there is an urgent need to address climate change

According to a recent CBS News survey conducted by YouGov,...

View of Beni river and rainforest of Madidi national park in the upper Amazon river basin in Bolivia, South America

Protected wilderness areas reduce the global risk of species extinction by half. In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a>, researchers have discovered that wilderness areas cut the global risk of species extinction in half. The team pinpointed critical wilderness areas, which are largely unaffected by human activities, that must be protected in order to help preserve <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mountains-biodiversity-hotspots/">biodiversity</a>. 

Professor James Watson is the director of the UQ Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science. He explained that since vital wilderness areas cannot be restored, urgent action is needed to ensure that these areas are marked for conservation in order to remain protected.

"Wilderness areas have decreased by more than three million square kilometers - half the size of Australia - since the 1990s," said Professor Watson. "Once these wilderness areas are gone, they are lost forever."

Study co-author Dr. Moreno Di Marco added that wilderness areas act as a buffer against extinction risk, and the risk of species loss was more than twice as high for biological communities found outside of wilderness areas.

"This new research has identified the importance of wilderness areas in hosting highly unique biological communities and representing the only remaining natural habitats for species that have suffered losses elsewhere," said Dr. Di Marco.

The team identified vital wilderness areas that are at risk in parts of Arnhem Land, surrounding the Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon, in Southern British Columbia, and surrounding savannah areas within the Zemongo Reserve in the Central African Republic.Protected wilderness areas reduce the global risk of species extinction by half

The researchers combined new global biodiversity modeling infrastructure developed at CSIRO with the latest wilderness map developed by the University of Queensland, the University of Northern British Columbia, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. This strategy produced fine-scale estimates of the probability of species loss around the globe.

According to Professor Watson, beyond saving biodiversity, Earth's remaining intact ecosystems are critical in abating climate change, regulating essential biogeochemical and water cycles, and ensuring the retention of long-term biocultural connections of indigenous communities.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: University of Queensland

Protected wilderness areas reduce the global risk of species extinction by half

Protected wilderness areas reduce the global risk of species extinction...

New research on pollutants in public drinking water has found that exposure to these carcinogenic chemicals could cause thousands of new cancer cases. 

In the first study of its kind, researchers from the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group</a> assessed the combined health impacts of 22 carcinogens found in 48,363 community water systems (excluding private well water). 

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02314">Heliyon</a>. 

The health impacts of water contaminants are usually evaluated on an individual basis. 

For this study, the researchers used a cumulative approach to analyze drinking water and its associated cancer risks, the same kind of method used for measuring the health impacts of air pollution exposure. 

“Drinking water contains complex mixtures of contaminants, yet government agencies currently assess the health hazards of tap water pollutants one by one,” said Sydney Evans, the lead author of the paper. “In the real world, people are exposed to combinations of chemicals, so it is important that we start to assess health impacts by looking at the combined effects of multiple pollutants.”

The analysis revealed that carcinogens in US drinking water could cause more than 100,000 cancer cases and increase cancer risk nationwide. 

Water systems that rely on groundwater and provide water to smaller communities have the highest risks. Contaminants like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arsenic-regulations-water-safer/">arsenic</a> and radioactive elements had the most significant impact on cancer risk. 

The majority of water systems in the US meet legal standards for contaminant levels, the researchers note. 

However, the results show that exposure to even permissible levels of contaminants results in increased cancer risks. 

“We need to prioritize source water protection, to make sure that these contaminants don’t get into the drinking water supplies to begin with,” said Olga Naidenko, a member of the research team.

The researchers recommend that consumers install water filters to limit exposure to pollutants and that filters be tailored for specific contaminants.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Jakub Zak

Contaminants in drinking water could cause more than 100,000 cancer cases

New research on pollutants in public drinking water has found...

Effects of climate change are now evident in the most remote regions of Earth. The <a href="https://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> just released its "Special Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere," which warns that even the most remote places on Earth have not been spared from the damaging effects of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-based-strategies-climate/">climate change</a>.

For the research, teams of renowned scientists from the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> (IPCC) conducted investigations in some of the world's most extreme regions from the deepest oceans to the highest Alpine mountains. 

IPCC Vice-Chair Ko Barrett explained that as polar ice has melted into the ocean faster, rising temperatures have warmed the surface of the sea and the planet's marine zones have absorbed the heat.

"For decades, the ocean has been acting like a sponge, but it can't keep up," said Barrett. "The consequences for nature and humanity are sweeping and severe." Effects of climate change are now evident in the most remote regions of Earth

According to the report, the world's oceans have already reached or are now approaching critical tipping points. The warmer ocean waters are losing oxygen, with levels dropping by 40 percent in just five decades across some tropical regions.

The oxygen-deprived water, combined with the alarming effects of ocean acidification, has put a strain on corals and other marine ecosystems that may ultimately trigger a cascade of collapses among fish populations and fisheries. 

The IPCC scientists confirmed clear links between climate change and shrinking sea ice, rising sea levels, more intense storms in the Atlantic Ocean, and other dangerous events. 

For example, the east and west coasts of the United States will experience what were once considered to be hundred-year floods every single year. The authors of the paper explained that unless major investments are made to prepare, these floods will continue to devastate the coast even if greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced.

On a global scale, the necessary infrastructure modifications needed to adapt to climate change and rising sea levels could cost hundreds of billions of dollars per year. But the IPCC experts also found that, without such flood adaptation measures, extreme coastal flooding will become common by the end of the century.

Furthermore, the researchers emphasized that under a low-emissions scenario, the impacts of climate change will be expensive yet manageable. Under a high-emissions scenario, however, the impacts will no longer be manageable and will become catastrophic. 

"This report should erase any doubts about the peril that climate change poses for the health of the ocean and, as a consequence, for human well-being," said John Tanzer of the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund</a>. "From coral reefs and mangroves to fish populations and coastal habitats, climate change and human pressures are rapidly destroying the natural capital that supports the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people around the world." 

"<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/home/">The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate</a>" was prepared by 104 leading scientists from 36 countries, who acted as coordinating lead authors, lead authors, and review editors.

--

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: Shutterstock/MomentumStock

Effects of climate change are now evident in the most remote regions of Earth

Effects of climate change are now evident in the most...

Sustainable freshwater fishkeeping: Insights from aquarist Rachel O'Leary

Sustainable freshwater fishkeeping: Insights from aquarist Rachel O'Leary. There are...

Public concern over air pollution can drive action on climate change. Ahead of today's Climate Action Summit, United Nations officials told the <a href="http://bbc.com">BBC</a> that it has proven easier to turn international attention to the issue of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/damaging-air-pollution-agriculture/">air pollution</a> than to convince countries to address greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that by reducing or eliminating certain air pollutants, harmful greenhouse gases will be largely reduced as well. 

The same industrial activities that release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are also producing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), such as black carbon and methane, that also contribute to climate change in a powerful way. According to the <a href="https://www.c2es.org/">Center for Climate and Energy Solutions</a> (C2ES), short-lived pollutants are responsible for as much as 45 percent of global warming to date.

"Unlike carbon dioxide, short-lived climate pollutants have a shorter atmospheric lifetime but have a high global warming potential, meaning they can warm the Earth faster compared to carbon dioxide," states C2ES. "Targeted efforts to reduce these emissions can slow the pace of global warming by 0.6 degrees Celsius by 2050."

In 2012, Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, and the United States collaborated with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to launch efforts to urgently address short-lived climate pollutants. Known as the Climate &amp; Clean Air Coalition, the team is spreading awareness that climate change and air pollution are closely linked.

"The main driver of climate change, fossil fuel combustion, also contributes about two-thirds of outdoor air pollution - and the contribution of air pollution alone to poor health is staggering," the Climate and Clean Air Coalition states.

"Each year, air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths (or about 1 in every 8 deaths), costs the global economy an estimated US$ 5.11 trillion (equivalent to all goods and services produced by the entire economy of Japan in 2013) in welfare losses and kills 600,000 children every year."

"Its death toll is similar to that from tobacco smoking, making it one of the largest avoidable risks to human health."

Jian Liu, the chief scientist for UNEP, told the BBC that countries are willing to join this initiative because reducing short-lived air pollutants can produce immediate benefits for public health and air quality, while also benefiting our climate. Furthermore, Liu added that achieving the goals of the Paris agreement is likely impossible without cutting SLCP emissions.

The UN calls for every country to commit to “achieving air quality that is safe for its citizens, and to align its climate change and air pollution policies, by 2030.”

--

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: Shutterstock/Delpixel

Public concern over air pollution can drive action on climate change

Public concern over air pollution can drive action on climate...

Glaciers in Antarctica are speeding towards the ocean. Glaciers in the Antarctic are on a slippery slope, quite literally, as a new study has found that surface meltwater is rapidly accelerating the flow of glaciers toward the sea.

Surface meltwater is widespread across the Antarctic Ice Sheet and melting in the South Pole is expected to double by 2050. 

For the first time, researchers from the <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/">University of Sheffield</a> have linked surface meltwater to ice flow rates in the Antarctic.

“The direct link between surface melting and glacier flow rates has been well documented in other regions of the world, but this is the first time we have seen this coupling anywhere in Antarctica,” said Pete Tuckett, an author of the study who first discovered the relationship.

The research was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12039-2">Nature Communications.</a> 

Glaciers move or flow like massive rivers of ice, propelled by gravity and lubricated by liquid water covering the ground as they slide into the sea. 

Meltwater at the surface trickling down through the ice is making the ground at the base of the glacier even more slippery, which in turn is speeding up the flow of ice. 

In some cases, ice flows are accelerating 100 percent faster than average, which could have drastic ramifications for future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-instability-sea-level-rise/">sea-level rise</a>. 

The researchers tested the effects of surface meltwater on the flow of five Antarctic Peninsula outlet glaciers using satellite imagery and climate modeling. 

Spikes in snowmelt at the surface correlated with acceleration in the glacier movements. 

As temperatures continue to rise, glacier flows will speed up, and this dynamic needs to be incorporated into models that predict sea-level rise. 

“Our research shows for the first time that surface meltwater is getting beneath glaciers in the Antarctic Peninsula – causing short bursts of sliding towards the sea 100 per cent faster than normal,” said Dr. Jeremy Ely, an author of the study. “It’s crucial that this factor is considered in models of future sea level rise, so we can prepare for a world with fewer and smaller glaciers.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Christopher Wood

Glaciers in Antarctica are speeding towards the ocean

Glaciers in Antarctica are speeding towards the ocean. Glaciers in...

Global deforestation and the slow progress to protect the forests. Costa Rica previously had one of the fastest rates of deforestation in the world. In just a few decades, forest cover dropped from 70 percent to 20 percent by the 1980s. 

Today, Costa Rica is known for its lush tropical forests, ecotourism, and conservation. Somehow Costa Rica went from rapid rates of deforestation to zero, allowing for forest growth and sustainable land use. This dramatic reversal was only made possible by a shift in <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/06/costa-rica-has-doubled-its-tropical-rainforests-in-just-a-few-decades-here-s-how/">government policies</a>. 

Costa Rica’s government restricted logging permits, and a national forest fund was created to offer incentives to farmers who protected and conserved their land. 

Unfortunately, Costa Rica’s conservation success story is the exception rather than the norm. Many people continue to take and take from our planet, burning through -- quite literally -- its natural resources as if there is no endpoint. 

This summer, thousands of wildfires were recorded across the Amazon Rainforest. According to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/08/amazon-fires-cause-deforestation-graphic-map/">National Geographic,</a> at the end of August, there were around 76,000 fires, an increase of 80 percent compared to the year prior. 

The increase in fires has been linked to illegal clearing and loosening restrictions on development in the region. 

“The government doesn’t have any governance over what is going on,” Ane Alencar, science director for the <a href="https://ipam.org.br/en/">Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM)</a>, told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/amazon-still-fire-conservation-groups-blame-illegal-logging-criminal-networks-n1056236">NBC News</a>. 

According to a recent IPAM <a href="https://ipam.org.br/most-amazon-fires-break-out-on-private-properties-and-undesignated-forests/">report</a>, 33 percent of the fires were started on private land, and 20 percent of the fires occurred in public, undesignated forests. 

“The primary trigger that set off this burning season in the Amazon was not drought but high levels of deforestation,” Alencar said in a statement. “This year has not been particularly dry compared to previous years. 

Meanwhile, with all eyes on the Amazon, hundreds of intentionally set fires burned across Indonesian Borneo and Sumatra earlier this month. The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/world/asia/indonesia-fires-photos.html">New York Times</a> reported that the fires produced so much smoke schools were forced to close, and thousands of people were breathing in toxic air. 

The purpose of the fires was to clear land for palm plantations, a crop that has resulted in the loss of thousands of acres of rainforest in Southeast Asia. 

The fires pose a threat to orangutans that live in the <a href="http://www.bos-uk.org/programs/mawas/">Mawas Conservation Area</a> on the island of Borneo. 

“The Mawas Conservation Area and the orangutan population are threatened by these fires and if the habitat burns these orangutans have nowhere to go,” said Erin R. Vogel, an endangered orangutan expert, and professor at the Department of Anthropology at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>. “In addition to the harmful effects of the fires on human health, our past research has shown that the carbon emissions and smoke produced by these fires are extremely harmful to orangutan health.”

Orangutans in Indonesia have become endangered, with populations declining by 50 percent as their habits have grown increasingly fragmented over the years due to demand for palm oil. 

Deforestation is a global issue and one that directly contributes to climate change. 

Logging in Canada to meet the demand for tissue paper results in the loss of thousands of acres of boreal forest each year. <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/resources/issue-tissue-how-americans-are-flushing-forests-down-toilet">One report</a> by the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/">NRDC</a> found that between 1996 and 2018, more than 28 million acres of boreal forest were logged. 

While tree-pulp paper products generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, logging is degrading Canadian forest habitats and threatening indigenous communities that rely on the boreal ecosystem. 

Not only does logging destroy trees, but the practice generates millions of tons of carbon emissions each year which, in turn, accelerates the pace of climate change. 

But if Costa Rica is the exception and fires continue to spread across the Amazon Rainforest at a record-breaking rate, what can be done to protect and restore the world’s forests? 

This question becomes even more complicated when you factor in the predicted increases in food demand due to a growing global population and climate change. 

A recent report by the <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RRnedA5wgCM0-PFuqu2txA4ZTLwglKIMluz-OrJw73M">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> found that 72 percent of all ice-free land on Earth is used to support the global population. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sustainable-agriculture-food-shortages/">Agriculture</a> and forestry make up a considerable part of land use, but without sustainable management of these systems emissions will increase, land degradation and habitat loss will increase, species will become extinct and the very resources we need to feed, clothe, and shelter the human population will grow scarce. 

While there are efforts to stem the tide of deforestation, the progress is slow going and limited. 

That’s the major takeaway of a report by the <a href="https://nydfglobalplatform.org/">New York Declaration on Forests</a> (NYDF). The NYDF began in 2014 and has since gained the support of 200 endorsers, a mix of governments, organizations, and companies all committed to stopping global deforestation. 

Recently, the NYDF released its <a href="https://forestdeclaration.org/images/uploads/resource/2019NYDFReport.pdf">five-year assessment report</a>, and the results show that very little progress has been made in the way of keeping in line with the project’s goals. This is not to say that there has been zero progress, but outpacing climate change and the increasing rates of deforestation in many regions will require a mammoth effort. 

“Protecting forests will require an integrated and comprehensive forest strategy that involves

the coordination of governments — including both producing and importing countries —as well as companies, civil society, and indigenous peoples’ organizations,” the NYDF report concludes. This strategy must explicitly align efforts to preserve primary forests, sustainably manage production forests, and restore natural forests in degraded landscapes.

Sustainable management of land use is the call to action we all must rally behind. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global deforestation and the slow progress to protect the forests

Global deforestation and the slow progress to protect the forests....

Bobcats prove resilient in the face of human development. It’s easy to look at the loss of wildlife across the United States and feel despair. Grizzly bears, bison, and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/domesticated-dogs-prosocial-wolves/">wolves</a> live on a tiny fraction of their former range with pitifully small populations. Passenger pigeons that once filled our skies as living, moving clouds of feathered beings are gone forever. 

Stretching back towards the beginning of human occupation in North America, we’ve lost the mastodon, woolly rhinoceros, and giant ground sloths. Despite their popularity from Game of Thrones, dire wolves are also extinct. 

But there is still plenty of life on Earth, and in North America in particular, to celebrate. Despite centuries as the object of violence, coyotes still live in the United States in enormous numbers. And despite being mismanaged, fought over, and used as political pawns, there are still some wolves, bison and grizzly bears. There are also smaller wild animals that quietly adapt to the changes in their environments and live near us without being given much notice. Bobcats prove resilient in the face of human development

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) have indeed shown to be resilient in the face of a rapidly changing landscape. Bobcats live in every state of the contiguous United States except Delaware, as well as southern Canada and much of Mexico. The bobcat has adapted to numerous habitats across that range from deserts to wetlands to cold northern forests. According to the <a href="https://wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/north-america/bobcat/">International Society for Endangered Cats</a>, bobcats are the most successful of North Americas wild cats.

Humans are still one of the major threats to bobcats, as humans hunt them, destroy their habitat, and accidentally kill them with cars and rat poison. One study showed that the leading cause of death among bobcats is feline scabies, which has been linked to anticoagulant rat poisons. If a bobcat eats a poisoned rat, there’s a strong likelihood that the cat will die as well. 

Bobcat furs also lead the industry in feline skins with an average of 29,772 skins exported annually from the US between 2000 and 2006.  Because the human population is constantly on the rise, bobcats have had to contend more and more with our species. What was once wild habitat has increasingly become backyards, farmland, or golf courses. Because of these threats, conservation laws have protected bobcats throughout their range, with hunting being managed in 38 states, 7 Canadian provinces, and Mexico. The cats for their part have proven their ability to not only live but thrive near and in human dominated landscapes.           

Much of the bobcat’s success comes from the abundance of their prey base. Bobcats <a href="https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Bob-cat.php">mainly feed</a> on rabbits and hares, small herbivorous mammals in no shortage almost anywhere in the US. Walk around a city park, there’s probably one of those little rabbits hiding somewhere under a bush nibbling on grass. They visit our lawns and they do well in the deserts, prairies, forests and wetlands outside of city areas as well. Besides their preferred food, bobcats are also flexible, eating lizards, small rodents, birds, snakes, roadkill. Bobcats have even been known to rarely kill a deer. 

Another part of bobcat’s success is that they’re inconspicuous. Like urban coyotes, bobcats are mainly active at night, although they can adjust their schedule a bit depending on the local conditions. In <a href="http://www.urbancarnivores.com/bobcats">urban areas</a> bobcats are especially nocturnal. Bobcats also move around a lot to avoid being caught by a predator and to find their own prey. 

In Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California, a male bobcat’s home range is typically 3.2 square miles. Females move around less with a typical home range of about 1.5 square miles. Of course, the home range of bobcats vary depending on the habitat. 

Bobcats find temporary dens to rest in during the day and often move to a new den the next day, rarely staying in one spot for very long. Mother bobcats will often create several dens when they are about to have kittens. The mother then moves her kittens from one den to the next. Moving around like this, especially at night is one of the reasons bobcats are easily missed, even if they live in close proximity to humans.

Recently, a photographer published a <a href="https://www.biographic.com/posts/sto/bobcat-manor">photo essay</a> following a mother bobcat that raised her kittens beneath the porch of a house in western Texas. This is one example of a bobcat adapting to a new way of living, raising her cubs in the shade of a house during the day and hunting in the scrublands surrounding the house at dusk and dawn. 

Bobcats have been known to hunt at backyard bird feeders and eat roadkill along city streets. An <a href="https://phys.org/news/2017-05-populations-bobcats-urban-pest.html">article</a> from 2017 reported that bobcats have made homes in Manchester, New Hampshire, Waverly, Iowa and just outside of Los Angeles. One wildlife photographer <a href="http://dfwurbanwildlife.com/2018/05/09/chris-jacksons-dfw-urban-wildlife/are-there-coyotes-and-bobcats-in-your-neighborhood/">claims</a> based on his own observations that almost every neighborhood in the greater Dallas Fort Worth area is home to bobcats.

Indeed, bobcats have made a serious comeback in the United States. A 2010 <a href="https://fwspubs.org/doi/pdf/10.3996/122009-JFWM-026">study</a> estimated a US bobcat population of roughly 2.3 million to almost 3.6 million, as much as triple their population in the 1980s. Relying on data from 2016, the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12521/50655874">IUCN</a> says the bobcat population is stable with no major threat to their survival. A <a href="https://wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/north-america/bobcat/">2011 survey</a> looked at bobcat populations in 48 states, 7 Canadian provinces and Mexico, finding that bobcat populations have grown everywhere except for Florida. Like coyotes, bobcats have shown themselves capable of adapting, even thriving among humans.

Despite the successful recovery of bobcats from their lowest populations, it’s still worth remembering that although the cats are cunning and adaptable, they still rely on us to allow them to live. The fur trade if not well managed can threaten bobcats, rat poisons still cause the deaths of bobcats, and other predators. For now bobcats are thriving, but that success depends on food, water, places to live either in the wild or in more urban environments. The question for the future is whether humans will be happy to see bobcats living among them or if they will be treated as a nuisance like pigeons, coyotes or prairie dogs?              

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/David Hoffmann Photography

Bobcats prove resilient in the face of human development

Bobcats prove resilient in the face of human development. It’s...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> have conducted the first major study to examine whether changes in food availability can lead to a shift toward diets that would be healthier for both humans and the planet. The researchers found that increasing the number of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/vegetarian-diet-boston/">vegetarian options</a> on a menu reduced the number of meat-based sales by between 40 and 80 percent without affecting overall revenue. 

The investigation involved over 94,000 meal choices in three Cambridge college cafeterias. Two of the cafeterias provided sales data on traditional daily menus, while the other cafeteria was used for an experiment where vegetarian plates were doubled from one in four to two in four.

The biggest increases in plant-based purchases were found among customers who usually selected meat or fish before more vegetable options were made available. 

Significantly, the team discovered that opting for a vegetarian lunch did not make it more likely that an individual would consume meat for dinner. 

According to the experts, meat-rich diets are leading drivers of species loss and climate change. The production of meat, fish, dairy, and eggs is responsible for nearly 60 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with food. Furthermore, while these agricultural sectors require 83 percent of farmland, they account for only 18 percent of the world's calorie intake.

"Shifting to a more plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways of reducing the environmental footprint of food," said study lead author Emma Garnett. "Replacing some meat or fish with more vegetarian options might seem obvious, but as far as we know no one had tested it before. Solutions that seem obvious don't always work, but it would appear that this one does."

"Education is important but generally ineffective at changing diets," added study co-author Professor Theresa Marteau. "Meat taxes are unpopular. Altering the range of available options is more acceptable, and offers a powerful way to influence the health and sustainability of our diets."

The researchers have contributed to food policy changes at Cambridge, where the catering service has now reduced meat options and increased the variety of vegetarian meals. Earlier this month, University cafeterias announced a 33-percent reduction in carbon emissions per kilogram of food purchased, and a 28-percent reduction in land use per kilogram of food purchased.

"Universities are increasingly at the forefront of providing plant-based options that are affordable and delicious, making it easier to choose a more sustainable diet. I think that's what really has to change," said Garnett. "We're not saying all cafeterias and restaurants should turn vegan overnight. But if food were the film industry, vegetarian and vegan meals need to land more starring roles, and meat dishes have got to stop hogging the limelight."

"Flexitarianism is on the rise. Our results show that caterers serving more plant-based options are not just responding to but also reshaping customer demand. Simple changes such as increasing the proportion of vegetarian options could be usefully scaled up, helping to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

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/Nina Firsova

Making more vegetarian options available can help reduce meat consumption

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have conducted the first...

Tsunamis may have pushed a tropical disease into the Pacific Northwest. Since 1999, hundreds of people and animals in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pacific-northwest-forests-wildfire-birds/">Pacific Northwest</a> have been infected by a tropical fungus, Cryptococcus gattii, which is mainly found in Brazil and other parts of South America. 

An investigation led by researchers at the <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/">Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</a> has now revealed that the fungus may have been translocated by the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964 and its subsequent tsunamis.

The experts propose that ships likely initiated the northward spread of C. gattii by transporting it in their ballast tanks after the 1914 opening of the Panama Canal. Decades later, multiple tsunamis that were triggered by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake in Alaska could have pushed the tropical fungus onshore into coastal forest regions. 

"The big new idea here is that tsunamis may be a significant mechanism by which pathogens spread from oceans and estuarial rivers onto land and then eventually to wildlife and humans," said study co-author Dr. Arturo Casadevall. "If this hypothesis is correct, then we may eventually see similar outbreaks of C. gattii, or similar fungi, in areas inundated by the 2004 Indonesian tsunami and 2011 Japanese tsunami."

Since the first case of C. gattii was reported on Vancouver Island 20 years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has documented more than 300 infections in the Canadian and U.S. Pacific Northwest region. The fungus typically infects people through inhalation, causing a pneumonia-like illness. If the infection spreads to the brain, C. gattii can lead to potentially fatal meningoencephalitis. 

Evidence of C. gattii has been found in soil, water, and trees across coastal areas of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. However, experts could not understand how this tropical fungus could establish itself in a northern region with a cool climate. Study co-author and epidemiologist Dr. David Engelthaler was asked by the CDC to investigate. 

Dr. Engelthaler's team applied a "molecular clock" analysis to the DNA sequences of the C. gattii subtypes, and concluded that these strains of the fungus had arrived from an area in or surrounding Brazil 60-100 years earlier. This time frame corresponds with the opening of the Panama Canal. 

Dr. Engelthaler also concluded that the regions which were colonized by several subtypes of C. gattii were the same areas of the Pacific Northwest that were inundated with seawater during the 1964 tsunamis.

"We propose that C. gattii may have lost much of its human-infecting capacity when it was living in seawater, but then when it got to land, amoebas and other soil organisms worked on it for three decades or so until new C. gattii variants arose that were more pathogenic to animals and people," said Dr. Casadevall.

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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Mark Skalny

Tsunamis may have pushed a tropical disease into the Pacific Northwest

Tsunamis may have pushed a tropical disease into the Pacific...

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

[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



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

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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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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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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



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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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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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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