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...

In a groundbreaking study led by <a href="http://www.ecu.edu.au/">Edith Cowan University</a>, researchers have quantified the amount of carbon dioxide that is being captured and emitted by Australia's marine ecosystems, which is known as blue carbon. The experts found that 20 million tons of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/trees-carbon-dioxide/">carbon dioxide</a> are absorbed annually by Australian seagrass, mangroves, and salt marshes, where it remains stored in the soil for thousands of years.

The study also revealed, however, that three million tons of carbon dioxide is being released each year from the same sources as a result of climate change, human activities, and severe weather events. The findings suggest that the conservation and restoration of these coastal communities will help Australia to uphold its commitment to reducing emissions. 

Study lead author Dr. Oscar Serrano, an expert in ECU's Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, said that blue carbon ecosystems play an enormously important role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

"When these ecosystems are damaged by storms, heatwaves, dredging or other human development, the carbon dioxide stored in their biomass and soils beneath them can make its way back into the environment, contributing to climate change," explained Dr. Serrano.

"Globally, vegetated coastal ecosystems are being lost twice as fast as tropical rainforests despite covering a fraction of the area. These ecosystems are also important as habitats and nurseries for fish and other marine life, helping prevent coastal erosion and improving water clarity."

According to the study authors, projects to restore and protect coastal ecosystems in Australia have the potential to rack up tens of millions of dollars per year in payments from the Australian Emission Reduction Fund, based on a carbon trading price of $12 per ton.

"Those projects could take the form of replanting seagrass meadows, restoring mangroves by reflooding or by preventing expected losses through environmental management," said Dr. Serrano. "These more accurate measurements of blue carbon provide more certainty on expected returns for financiers looking at investing in blue carbon projects."

Dr. Serrano noted that this new research has positioned Australia as a world leader in the protection and management of blue carbon ecosystems.

"Australia is home to around 10 percent of the world's blue carbon ecosystems, so there's enormous potential for us to take a lead role in this space. This research points to hotspots for the implementation of blue carbon projects at a national level," said Dr. Serrano.

"Australia is in a position to take a leading role in developing policies to offset greenhouse gas emissions which can then be implemented around the world. It's also internationally significant because other countries can take the work we've done here and use it to create their own baselines for blue carbon assessments."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</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/alybaba

Australia to become a world leader in protecting blue carbon ecosystems

In a groundbreaking study led by Edith Cowan University, researchers...

The <a href="https://deepcarbon.net/">Deep Carbon Observatory</a> (DCO) program has released the findings of a ten-year study designed to calculate the immense carbon reserves of our planet, including how much carbon is naturally taken in and released by the Earth's crust, mantle, and core. The research spans time from the present to billions of years past.

"Carbon, the basis of all life and the energy source vital to humanity, moves through this planet from its mantle to the atmosphere. To secure a sustainable future, it is of utmost importance that we understand Earth's entire carbon cycle," said DCO scientist Marie Edmonds.

"Key to unraveling the planet's natural carbon cycle is quantifying how much carbon there is and where, how much moves - the flux - and how quickly, from Deep Earth reservoirs to the surface and back again."

The experts found that just .002 percent of Earth's total <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fast-fashion-carbon-footprint/">carbon</a>, or 43,500 gigatons, is above its surface in the oceans, on land, and in the atmosphere. The rest is located in the subsurface, with an estimated 1.85 billion gigatons overall.

Looking at Earth's deep carbon cycle over time, the researchers found balanced, long-term stability in atmospheric CO2 levels. The team also determined that this balance was altered by major events, such as the massive Chixculub impact in the Yucatan area of Central America, at least five times in the past 500 million years. Catastrophic volumes of carbon were outgassed during these disruptions, leading to a warmer atmosphere, acidified oceans, and mass extinctions.

Today, volcanoes and other active regions release an estimated 280 to 360 million tons per year into the atmosphere and oceans, including the carbon released from mid-ocean ridges. Annual carbon emissions from human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, were found to be 40 to 100 times greater than overall volcanic emissions.

According to the DCO researchers, with rare exceptions over millions of years, the quantity of carbon released from Earth's mantle has been in relative balance with the quantity returned through the downward subduction of tectonic plates and other processes. 

However, this balance was disrupted by large volcanic events about four times in Earth's history. Carbon cycle imbalance can cause accelerated global warming, changes to the silicate weathering rate, changes to the hydrologic cycle, and intense habitat shifts that can lead to mass extinction as the Earth rebalances itself.

"The Deep Carbon Observatory has advanced understanding of the inner workings of Earth. Its collective body of more than 1,500 publications has not only increased what is known but established limits to what is knowable, and perhaps unknowable," said study co-author Tobias Fischer of the University of New Mexico.

"While we celebrate progress, we underline that deep Earth remains a highly unpredictable scientific frontier; we have truly only started to dent current boundaries of our knowledge."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/elements">Elements</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: Yves Moussallam, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory

New report quantifies Earth’s immense carbon reserves

The Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) program has released the findings...

According to a recent report from <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>, Botswana is on the verge of mining the largest untapped coal deposits in the world. First discovered in the 1960s, Botswana has billions of tons of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/chinas-reduce-coal-plant-emissions/">coal</a> reserves that have remained relatively untouched. 

The Masama Coal Mine, which is privately owned by Minergy, recently produced its first saleable coal that has been exported to South Africa and Namibia. 

Minergy Chief Executive Morné du Plessiss told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a> that the company will be mining 110,000 tons of coal per month, which will produce saleable coal of between 70,000 to 80,000 tons. The Masama mine is estimated to hold 390 million tons of coal reserves.

Up until now, the state-owned Morupule mine was the country's only mining operation. Mmilili Mapolelo of the Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation told New Scientist that interest in Botswana’s coal has ramped up as the government seeks to become energy independent and diversify the economy away from diamonds.

Botswana's Shumba Energy is currently collaborating with two Chinese companies to build a coal-to-liquids plant at a cost of between $1.5 and $2 billion, Chief Executive Officer Mashale Phumaphi told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a>. The plant will ultimately produce an estimated 20,000 barrels of diesel and 5,000 barrels of gasoline per day.

Burning coal is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, which means unearthing large quantities of it will contribute to climate change in a major way. 

The message is clear: coal has to be phased out for us to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, said Joeri Rogelj of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. In a study Rogelj conducted for New Scientist, he concluded that Botswana’s coal will generate 63 to 84 billion tons of CO2 emissions, which is up to 25 percent of the global carbon budget that would give the world a 50 percent chance of limiting warming to 1.5° Celsius.

Rogelj said that developing coal is a “strange decision,” considering that Botswana has expansive solar resources and is particularly vulnerable to climate change. “If not today, then 10 years from now, solar energy would become a far preferable way to power development.” 

--

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/Mark Agnor

The world’s largest untouched coal reserves are set to be mined in Botswana

According to a recent report from New Scientist, Botswana is...

Water shortages in Alaska are the latest indicator of climate change. When it comes to water shortages in the American west, places like Arizona, Nevada or even Colorado probably come to mind – places with typically arid landscapes fed by increasingly scarce rivers. What probably doesn’t come to mind is Alaska. 

Alaska is home to lush temperate rainforests, rivers full of migrating salmon, and plenty of rain, so water shortages seem unlikely in our northernmost state. But despite conceptions about the state, there have been some serious water shortages among some communities in Alaska.

Recently a summer drought like none other on record has hit southern Alaska hard. The <a href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?AK">US Drought monitor</a> lists most of the southern part of Alaska as being in abnormally dry conditions to an extreme drought. As of September 3, <a href="https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/data/pdf/20190903/20190903_AK_trd.pdf">more than 5%</a> of Alaska was in a severe drought, the most extreme drought in Alaska in 20 years. On September 9, <a href="https://www.ktoo.org/2019/09/09/alaska-communities-used-to-have-plenty-of-fresh-water-then-came-severe-drought/">KTOO Public Media</a> reported that Seldovia the community reservoir held enough water for only 16 days. 

The aquifer in Chignik Lagoon <a href="https://www.ktoo.org/2019/08/28/water-shortage-looms-in-chignik-lagoon/">ran out</a> of water this summer and residents had to rely on Packer’s Creek for their water which has to be boiled before drinking. The drought has contributed to water shortages in places like Chignik Lagoon but it also highlights poor infrastructure, including leaks in the distribution system.

The village of Nanwalek on the Kenai Peninsula usually receives approximately 6 inches of rain per summer but has only got about an inch and a half so far, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/14/760556291/alaska-villages-run-dry-and-residents-worry-if-this-is-our-future-of-no-water">NPR</a> reported earlier this month. Locals have taken to extreme water conservation methods like collecting sea water to flush toilets, eating off paper plates that require no water for washing, and resorting to sponge baths. 

As with other parts of Alaska, the water shortages are real, a combination of less rain as well as less snowpack through the winter, but the crisis is magnified by infrastructure problems. The village is working on projects to expand their reservoir and buy reverse osmosis machines to purify ocean water. In the meantime, federal, state and local agencies have flown water in to supply the Nanwalek residents. 

<a href="https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/03/01/hatcheries-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine-as-drought-extends-across-southeast-alaska/">Alaska Public Media</a> reports that it isn’t just humans that have had to cope with less recently. Water shortages impact the salmon industry as well. Fish hatcheries depend on cold, fresh water to rear salmon running through thousands of gallons per minute at some of the larger hatcheries. This year, warmer waters coming from reservoir meant that Macaulay Salmon Hatchery had to move their fry to ocean water pens in January, months earlier than typical years. This creates an uncertain situation for rearing salmon. 

It also could mean bad news for wild salmon. These droughts affecting the reservoirs are part of a longer trend of dry September and October days which are typically the wettest months. Over years of less than normal rainfall, reservoirs in Alaska have shrunk. Hatcheries have started to invest in cooling equipment which allows them to reduce water consumption by 95% because they can recycle warmed water by running it through a cooler. 

<a href="https://www.krbd.org/2019/08/12/ketchikan-wildlife-affected-by-drought/">KRBD Ketchikan</a> Alaska reports that the low rainfall can hurt salmon during their migration as well. A short burst of rain with nothing following it can reduce the oxygen levels in creeks where the salmon spawn. Last summer marked one of the worst pink salmon catches in the Ketchikan area since the 1970s. Of course the health of salmon is connected deeply to the health of the overall ecosystem. Bears eat salmon, dead salmon are a significant source of nutrients to forest ecosystems. The salmon fishing industry is also in uncertain waters this year with fishing <a href="https://www.thecordovatimes.com/2019/08/09/salmon-harvest-update-warm-weather-drought-delay-humpy-harvest/">delayed</a> by drought and warm water. This seems to be part of some of the warmest weather in Alaska’s recorded history. 

<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/07/05/738905306/it-was-a-balmy-90-degrees-yesterday-in-anchorage-for-the-first-time-on-record">NPR</a> reported that this summer, Anchorage Alaska reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit, an all time heat record for the city. This is part of June being the hottest month ever in Alaska’s recorded history, averaging 60.5F, 5 degrees above normal averages. Not only was June hot, but it also marked the 16th consecutive month of above average temperatures in Alaska. 2019 also marked the driest June on record for Anchorage, as the city received just 6% of normal rain levels. Many residents of Alaska seem to enjoy the warm weather and blue skies but it raises concerns about broader implications.

Forest fires in Alaska seem to be <a href="https://time.com/5657188/alaska-fires-long-climate-change/">getting worse</a>. Forest fires are of course a natural part of Alaskan ecology but extreme forest fire seasons seem to be becoming more normal. <a href="https://time.com/">Time</a> reported in August that 2.5 million acres of Alaskan forest burned this year, with the record fire size being 6.5 million acres burned in 2004. Fires typically die out in August but were still burning strong, part of a trend of longer as well as more intense fire seasons. 

Other aspects of ecology are changing in Alaska as well. I previously reported on massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-bird-die-offs-ocean-temperatures/">puffin die off</a> in Alaska and surrounding areas. The die off seems to be part of greater problems in Alaska’s marine ecosystem and almost certainly connected to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-puffins-die-off/">climate change</a>. Hundreds of puffins have washed up on shore of Alaskan communities due to starvation because of the effects of warmer ocean waters. The questions surrounding the puffin die off are similar to the water shortages and fire fires -- is this the new normal?

Alaska and other polar areas are warming due to climate change faster than other places. Experts estimate Alaska’s warming 2.5 times faster than the lower 48 US states. This is partially because the loss of snow and ice speeds warming by leaving darker areas behind which absorb more heat. In this way, the more polar regions are part of the worst of a global positive feedback loop speeding up climate change. 

Unfortunately, the droughts are also speeding up climate change by creating drier conditions and allowing fires to burn longer. The fires of course remove not only trees that absorb carbon but also create smoke which speeds climate change along as well. Alaska can be seen in a way to be a preview of what climate change might mean for the rest of the US: less water, more fire.                   

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/M. Cornelius

Water shortages in Alaska are the latest indicator of climate change

Water shortages in Alaska are the latest indicator of climate...

Increases in ocean temperature and acidity due to climate change have been linked to mass coral bleaching events and the decline of coral reef ecosystems.

Corals offer protection against flooding and storm surges and reef habitats host a diverse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restoring-coral-reefs-benefits/">array of marine species</a> that depend on corals for their survival. 

 As carbon emissions increase, more CO2 gets absorbed into the ocean which lowers the pH of seawater. Increased acidity is a key contributor to coral bleaching, and a United Nations report found that <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/climatechange/10458445/Ocean-acidity-to-more-than-double-by-2100.html">ocean acidity could double by 2100</a>. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a> set out to investigate the effects of ocean acidification on coral reef health.  

However, while many studies on coral reefs have asked these same questions, for this project, the researchers took their experiments away from the aquarium and into the ocean.  

“We wanted to get away from experiments in glass boxes and do them on the reef under natural conditions,” said David Kline, the leader of the study. “But we never imagined the differences would be so dramatic.”

Over a period of eight months, the researchers lowered the pH of seawater surrounding a living reef. 

A device called the Free Ocean Carbon Enrichment (FOCE) system was used to pump carbon into the water which would show first hand how reefs respond to ocean acidification and if they can adapt to a rapidly changing environment. The researchers went through around five tanks of CO2 gas.  

“Our underwater time machine (also called a Free Ocean Carbon Enrichment or FOCE system) used an array of sensors and dosing pumps to simulate future high CO2 conditions by controlled pumping of high CO2 seawater over both living and dead Porites cylindrica colonies in our open experimental flumes on the reef flat at the University of Queensland’s Heron Island field station on the Great Barrier Reef,” said Kline. 

The reef went through a drastic transformation, and both living and dead corals were negatively affected by the increased acidity. Coral growth rates dropped to almost zero, and dead corals started dissolving twice as fast. 

The results show that coral reef declines may occur sooner than previously realized. There was one silver lining to the study. The corals that were covered with living tissue were more resilient than their dead coral counterparts.

“The huge difference between the fate of living and dead corals in a natural environment gives me hope,” said Kline. “As we create marine reserves and learn how to increase the amount of living coral by restoring reefs, we’re setting up a positive feedback loop because living coral will grow the reef and slow dissolution.”

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0988-x">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>. 

--

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: David Kline

Coral reef experiments confirm climate change predictions

Increases in ocean temperature and acidity due to climate change...

Humans control how much the future economy will suffer from climate change. Humans can control the magnitude of the future economic impacts associated with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-remote-regions/">climate change</a>, according to a multidisciplinary research collaboration led by the <a href="http://www.nies.go.jp/index-e.html">National Institute for Environmental Studies</a>. 

The nature of economic forecasting involves significant degrees of uncertainty. When it comes to predicting how the economy will be affected by a drastically changing climate, the study authors found that the future is uncertain mainly because of how humans will behave, rather than because of how the climate will behave.

When an outcome is uncertain, people are much less motivated to take action. The unpredictability of the climate's response to rising greenhouse gas concentrations, for example, is likely the reason that urgently needed actions are not yet happening. 

The new research suggests that mankind's decisions and actions can overwhelm the uncertainty in climate response, a revelation that should inspire motivation. 

It is important to estimate the economic impacts of climate change, but doing so is extremely challenging because it involves many different types of effects on society. Humans control how much the future economy will suffer from climate change

Representing a diverse range of fields, the experts conducted a global-scale assessment covering the economic impacts associated with climate change for nine impact sectors: changes in agricultural productivity, undernourishment, heat-related excess mortality, cooling and heating demand, occupational health costs, capacity of hydroelectric power generation, capacity of thermal power generation, fluvial flooding, and coastal inundation.

The estimated value of collective impacts from the various sectors was found to be very different depending on the assumption of socioeconomic conditions, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, and climate responses to increased greenhouse gas concentration. 

Under the most optimistic combination of assumptions, the estimated economic impact will be equivalent to less than one percent of the global GDP at the end of the 21st century, while the most pessimistic assumptions caused this figure to shoot up to 8.6 percent.

Most significantly, the analysis indicates that the contribution of the uncertainty in climate response was minor compared to the contribution of the uncertainty of human actions.

"This means that mankind has the potential to determine the scale of the economic impacts of climate change," said study co-author Dr. Junya Takakura. "In other words, we can choose the future by taking or not taking actions, and have responsibility for the outcome."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</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 Earth.com

Image Credit: Shutterstock/AMFPhotography

Humans control how much the future economy will suffer from climate change

Humans control how much the future economy will suffer from...

Following in the footsteps of California, Minnesota has announced plans to adopt new emissions standards in an effort to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel efficiency. 

Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz announced the move on Wednesday, according to the <a href="http://www.startribune.com/walz-says-minnesota-will-adopt-higher-fuel-efficiency-standards-for-cars-and-trucks/561349092/">Star Tribune</a>, and it will take 18 months for the standards to take effect. 

“It just makes sense,” Governor Waltz said. “It saves money on gas, it increases options and choices, reduces Minnesota’s carbon emissions, and improves health.” 

Emissions from cars would have to decrease by five percent a year through 2025 under the new standards. SUV and truck emissions would be reduced by 3.5 percent a year for two years and increase to five percent after that. 

Similar to California’s policies, more electric and hybrid cars will be made available to consumers from automotive manufacturers.

Stricter emission standards could cut Minnesota’s total greenhouse gas emissions by almost five percent, putting the state closer to meeting the emission reduction goals outlined in the <a href="https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/state-and-regional-initiatives">Next Generation Energy Act</a>, which was signed into law in 2007. 

The Next Generation Energy Act states that emissions in Minnesota will be reduced by 80 percent between 2005 and 2050, a goal that the state has failed to meet. 

Minnesota has made considerable progress in switching to renewable energy sources and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. 

Nearly half of the state’s electricity comes from solar, wind, nuclear, and hydropower. <a href="https://www.xcelenergy.com/carbon_free_2050">Xcel Energy</a> is working to meet its energy and emission goals, vowing to be carbon-free by 2050. Vehicle emissions, on the other hand, have remained the same since 2009. 

Not everyone has welcomed the new emissions announcement with open arms. Republican leaders in Minnesota like House Majority Leader Paul Gazelka have sharply criticized the governor's decision. 

It is not known how California’s legal battle with the current Administration <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-car-emissions-standards/">over state’s rights</a> and separate state-regulated tailpipe emissions standards will affect Minnesota’s new proposed emissions restrictions.

--

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/Nick Lundgren

Minnesota to become the next state to adopt stricter emissions standards

Following in the footsteps of California, Minnesota has announced plans...

California continues to battle it out over environmental policies with the Trump administration, and the feud recently took an unexpected turn when the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) accused the state of failing to properly address the issue of air pollution. 

“California has failed to carry out its most basic responsibilities under the Clean Air Act, and as a result, millions of Californians live in areas that do not meet our nation’s air quality standards,” said EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler. “EPA stands ready to work with California to meet the Trump Administration’s goal of clean, healthy air for all Americans, and we hope the state will work with us in good faith.”

Wheeler claims the state is “failing to meet its obligations” to protect the environment, and even threatened to withdraw billions of dollars in transportation funding if satisfactory plans are not made to address air quality.

The criticism is perplexing, to say the least, given that it comes just after the federal government <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/california-car-emissions-standards/">officially blocked California</a> from setting tougher vehicle emissions standards. The state, however, surprised the EPA by forming a deal with four automakers to produce more fuel-efficient cars.

Air-polluted states are required by federal law to develop plans for improving air quality, but these plans must be approved by the EPA. The agency has accumulated hundreds of such proposals that are waiting for clearance, and around one-third of them were submitted by the state of California.

A letter sent to the California Air Resources Board claimed the state has failed to carry out its "most basic tasks under the Clean Air Act," recommending that California completely withdraw its backlogged pollution plans. 

According to <a href="https://time.com/">Time Magazine</a>, state regulators and even former EPA officials were puzzled - considering that the backlog only exists because the federal government has not approved the plans.

“It makes no sense,” said Gay MacGregor, a former senior policy adviser for the EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality. “What they are doing today is basically punishing California for EPA’s own inaction.”

Governor Gavin Newsom referred to Wheeler’s letter a brazen political stunt."The White House has no interest in helping California comply with the Clean Air Act to improve the health and well-being of Californians. This letter is a threat of pure retaliation," said Newsom, who joined forces with 22 other states to sue the Trump administration over vehicle emissions standards.

California has 35 million registered cars and trucks that make a major contribution to the state's air quality issues. In addition, two of the world’s largest ports are located in Southern California. Richard Corey, the executive officer of the California Air Resources Board, pointed out that only the federal government can regulate the emissions from the trains, planes, ships, and heavy-duty trucks that frequent these ports.

"I just think it's so ironic that the EPA is chastising California, which has been so progressive in working towards cleaner air, more than any other place in the country," former EPA official Janet McCabe told <a href="https://www.npr.org/">NPR</a>. She added that it is unusual for the EPA to publicly criticize a state in this way instead of cooperating in private. 

--

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/superjoseph

EPA slams California air quality after blocking the state’s emissions standards

California continues to battle it out over environmental policies with...

An estimated 7 million people die every year due to breathing in toxic air, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-05-2018-9-out-of-10-people-worldwide-breathe-polluted-air-but-more-countries-are-taking-action">World Health Organization</a>. Young children and older adults are the most vulnerable, and a new study has identified three air pollutants that increase the risk of infant deaths. 

Past studies have found that air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-early-death/">early death</a>. But what was not well understood was which pollutants were attributable to death in young children. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/medicine">Cardiff University School of Medicine</a> analyzed data from 7,984,366 live births and deaths that happened between 2001 and 2012 in England and Wales.

To see how air pollution exposure impacted mortality rates around the UK, the researchers divided the country into 35,000 areas that had similar populations of 1,500 residents or 650 households. 

Annual pollution records were collected from the<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs"> UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs</a>, and the researchers were able to calculate yearly pollution exposure for each area. 

The pollutants that carried the biggest risks were particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide. Exposure to these pollutants, either separate or combined, increased the risk of infant death by 20 to 50 percent in the areas with the highest levels of pollution exposure. 

“We found that NO2, PM10, and SO2 are each linked in varying degrees to infant deaths from any cause, and to neonatal and post-neonatal deaths,” said Dr. Sarah Kotecha, a member of the research team. “This is an important finding as the pollutants are produced and derived from different sources.”

A second study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">University of Leicester</a> found that exposure to air pollution from traffic during the first trimester can cause reduced lung function in children by age eight. 

Between 1990 and 2008, the researchers calculated the exposure to particulate matter (PM10) in 13,963 children from the first trimester to age 15. 

On average, the children were exposed to one microgram of PM10 per cubic meter of air, and every cubic meter increase during the first trimester correlated with a 0.8 percent decline in lung function by the time a child turned eight.

“We found that exposure to road traffic PM10 in very early life showed harmful associations with lung function in eight-year-olds,” said Anna Hansell, an author of the study. “Associations were stronger among boys, children whose mother had a lower education level or smoked during pregnancy.

Both of the studies will be presented at the <a href="https://erscongress.org/">European Respiratory Society International Congress</a>. 

“Our findings show that although progress has been made, the challenge remains to reduce air pollution in order to reduce the numbers of infant deaths,” said Dr. Sarah Kotecha. “In the meantime, by understanding how pollution affects babies, either directly or via the mother, we may be able to target appropriate therapies or other interventions, depending on the amount of exposure to the different types of pollutants.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Tatiana Grozetskaya

Exposure to air pollution increases the risk of infant death

An estimated 7 million people die every year due to...

Study reveals major changes in the Great Barrier Reef over the past century. In an unprecedented study, a team led by researchers at <a href="https://www1.biu.ac.il/indexE.php">Bar-Ilan University</a> has analyzed changes in Australia's <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-struggling-heat-stress/">Great Barrier Reef</a> (GBR) over the past 91 years. 

The experts found that intertidal communities have experienced decades of major shifts due to environmental changes, and there is not much indication that they will be returning to their original state any time soon. 

"This is a unique opportunity to look at long-term changes on an inshore reef system," said study co-author Professor Hoegh-Guldberg. "Most studies are only a few decades in length - this one is just short of 100 years of study."

In 1928, the Great Barrier Reef Committee and the Royal Society of London sent experts in coral biology and reef studies to study the GBR for over a year. The scientists documented environmental conditions surrounding the reefs of the Low Isles, and used diving helmets for the first time to examine the structure of coral communities.

"What was critical to our study was how carefully the expedition in 1928 undertook their study," said lead author Professor Maoz Fine. "We were literally able to go the exact spot and identify features that the 1928 expedition saw."

The early expedition also produced aerial photography-based mapping of the island, which enabled the Bar-Ilan team to revisit and sample the exact intertidal and subtidal locations that were previously explored.

The recent investigation was conducted in three phases in 2004, 2015 and 2019. The surveys collectively showed that the species richness and diversity of these communities had systematically declined for corals and other invertebrates. In particular, massive corals have replaced branching corals and soft corals have become much more abundant.

"The degree to which reefs may shift from one state to another following environment change was overwhelming," said Professor Fine. "The long-term implications of these changes highlight the importance of avoiding phase shifts in coral reefs which may take many decades to repair, if at all." 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</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: Professor Maoz Fine, Bar-Ilan University

Study reveals major changes in the Great Barrier Reef over the past century

Study reveals major changes in the Great Barrier Reef over...

A coalition of attorneys general have come together to sue the Trump administration over rule changes that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-endangered-species-act/">weaken the Endangered Species Act</a> (ESA).

Earlier in August of this year, the Interior and Commerce Departments announced <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/climate/endangered-species-act-changes.html">changes to the ESA</a> that would make it easier to de-list endangered species and weaken protections for threatened populations.

Habitat designations for endangered and threatened species could be changed to allow for expanded development on once protected lands, and the new policies would also limit how scientists predict the effects of climate change on wildlife.

In another blow to the ESA, information on the economic costs of protecting wildlife can now be made public. 

The ESA was responsible for bringing the bald eagle, grizzly bear and American alligator back from the brink of extinction.  

Without robust protections in place, the United States may soon see steep biodiversity declines as development and fossil fuels continue to take precedence over conservation. 

In an effort to reverse these changes and strengthen the ESA, attorneys general in 17 states filed a lawsuit in a federal court in California, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/09/25/trump-administration-weakened-endangered-species-act-rules-today-state-attorneys-general-sued-over-it/">Washington Post</a>.  

“We’re going to try to undo what the president is proposing to do with the Endangered Species Act,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) said during a news conference. 

California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington are all part of the coalition.  

“As we face a climate emergency and global extinction crisis threatening more than a million species, the Trump Administration is gutting Endangered Species Act protections to pave the way for oil and gas developments,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey in a statement. “We are suing to defend federal law and protect our imperiled wildlife and environment.”

--

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/Steve Boice

17 states are suing after Trump admin weakens Endangered Species Act

A coalition of attorneys general have come together to sue...

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about the role that tropical deforestation plays in climate change. The discussion has been framed largely in the light of the recent fires in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/amazon-fires-devastating-impacts/">Brazilian Amazon</a> as well as Bolivian forest fires. Not only the fires have been the subject of conversation but as have the human, political, and economic forces behind those fires. 

Some have looked at trading partnerships between Brazil and other countries, pointing out the leverage these countries could use in promoting forest conservation. The particular commodities of beef and soy that cause most of the deforestation are also a part of the discussion. Now, the state of California is looking to take concrete action against South American deforestation while the federal government seems to be going in the opposite direction.

The California ‘Tropical Forest Standard’ involves using corporate money to slow tropical forest destruction. It’s already <a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/california/story/2019-09-19/sd-me-california-forest-offsets">controversial</a>, even among environmental groups, partially because it uses a carbon offset model to incentivize leaving forests standing. Some see the carbon market model as having little enforcement and giving polluting corporate interests too much leeway. Some feel that the system infringes on the rights of indigenous communities, while others feel it bolsters them. Environmental groups and indigenous leaders spoke on both sides of the issue during public testimony before California’s Air Resources Board. 

According to the <a href="https://www.edf.org/climate/californias-climate-leadership-can-help-save-tropical-forests">Environmental Defense Fund</a>, California can play a role in protecting tropical forests. The fund claims that the forest standard “will value tropical forests for the essential climate benefits they provide — not just as timber or cropland. The Standard ensures that potential forest credits in California's carbon market will have high environmental integrity.”

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) also lists out some potential positive points to the California standard. EDF points out that any good plan to combat climate change includes conserving and sustainably managing forests and notes that the California standard helps with that. EDF also points out the connection between the Amazon rainforest and precipitation in California and highlights how the state is sometimes a leader in environmental regulations and could be setting an example on reducing emissions with forest credits. 

EDF also claims that the standard promotes indigenous rights by allowing funds to go to jurisdictions that partner with traditional people living in tropical forests. A video on their website highlights indigenous leaders in Latin America that support the California standard as part of an international environmental alliance, securing life not just for indigenous people but for everyone. 

Leaders of the environmental organizations <a href="https://amazonwatch.org/news/2019/0916-california-must-not-fall-for-marketing-scheme-that-falsely-claims-to-protect-tropical-forests">Amazon Watch</a> and <a href="https://caleja.org/2019/06/tropical-forest-offsets-deserve-legislative-climate-committee-discussion/">California Environmental Justice Alliance</a> (CEJA) are less enthusiastic about the California tropical forest standard. Amazon Watch points out that Norway recently used $1 billion in a similar plan with uncertain or unsatisfactory results. They also note that carbon trade programs like this allow businesses to continue to pollute while greenwashing their operations. Further, Amazon Watch, an organization that partners with indigenous people, brings up the possibility of human rights violations. Sometimes, governments violate indigenous rights to land in an effort to obtain more forest for profit on the carbon market. CEJA quoted Chief Ninawa Huni Kui of Acre Brazil who addressed the California Air Resource Board by saying,

“Nature is not a commodity. Nature is sacred. We must defend the sacred and protect the sacred. The Tropical Forest Standard will not reduce global warming. It will violate our rights to life.”

Opinions on the California Tropical Forest Standard are clearly divided, even among environmentalists and indigenous peoples who spoke both for and against the proposal. The official California Air Resources Board <a href="https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/ghgsectors/tropicalforests.htm">website</a> itself notes that tropical deforestation accounts for 11 to 14% of all global CO2 emissions. 

Interestingly, the approach of the California standard is to partner with sub national governments (which California is as well), an approach that critics say won’t work. Supporters feel that the California standard sets a high bar for forest management and pollution control. The Environmental Defense Fund notes that the Brazilian State of Acre created a program from 2003 to 2017 that reduced the levels of deforestation by 76% while increasing GDP. Part of that program was through incentivizing forests. The Environmental Defense Fund was joined by <a href="https://earthinnovation.org/">Earth Innovation Institute</a> and others supporting the proposal. Detractors included <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/">GreenPeace</a> and the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/">Center for Biological Diversity</a>. In the end, the proposal passed.

A 7 to 4 vote approved the California Tropical Forests Standard. The <a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/california/story/2019-09-19/sd-me-california-forest-offsets">San Diego Union-Tribune</a> reports that Mary Nichols, the chair of the California Air Resource Board, was in favor of the new standard which passed. At the same time, it’s not certain that California will use the new standard at all. The state already has a surplus of carbon offset credits available under their cap and trade program. 

Others worry about California’s ability to enforce the standard. Another related issue is that a government may collect payment for a long time only to change course and remove the forest they’ve been paid to protect under a different administration. A mistake like that could be costly. With other carbon trade programs, falsification of documents have made actual impacts unreliable. The plan itself is fairly simple.

Under the Tropical Forest Standard, a yearly audit determines the amount of credits that can be purchased for a particular piece of forest. What is considered is the average rate of deforestation over a ten year period and the related amount of carbon emitted. Additionally, 20 percent or more is subtracted to ensure that carbon sink reductions match up. The carbon purchases are supposed to represent a piece of forest for one hundred years. At the heart of this idea is a philosophical problem.

One of the biggest problems with California’s Tropical Forest Standard is the same problem with all cap and trade programs. A standing forest is necessarily reduced to its financial value to use as leverage. It’s impossible to accurately calculate the financial value of a forest and even if it could be done, it would be far less than the actual value of the forest. 

For some forests are special, sacred, wondrous. To put tropical forest carbon on a market in this way means there’s an amount you can pay to justify cutting down the Amazon. This undercuts the rainforests, their people, other animals and plants as beings with intrinsic value. What is the worth of a forest?                              

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rich Carey

California’s proposed Tropical Forest Standard passes amidst controversy

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about the role...

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"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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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