Natural,Environment,Climate-neutral,Long-term,Emissions,Strategy,Net,Zero,2050,Carbon

Balancing cleaner air with rising incomes is not a luxury question for developing countries. It is a real-world, and real-life, policy problem that shapes health, jobs, and the future of their cities.



A new <a href="https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S0217590825500304" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> lays out when zero emissions can go hand in hand with steady <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-will-cut-world-gdp-by-a-staggering-40-percent-if-nothing-changes/">growth</a>, even when governments rely on foreign aid.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zero-emissions-and-economic-growth">Zero emissions and economic growth</h2>



The work comes from <a href="https://tus.elsevierpure.com/en/persons/hideo-noda" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hideo Noda</a> at the Tokyo University of Science (<a href="https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TUS</a>) with coauthor Fengqi Fang, a Ph.D. candidate in Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business Administration at TUS. 



The team builds a simple but testable way to check if a country can hit zero net <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-trade-is-fueling-a-dangerous-rise-in-methane-emissions/">emissions</a> while its economy keeps expanding.



They also verify the model numerically using real world style parameters so it is not just a chalkboard exercise. 



The paper connects theory to a specific United Nations target on decoupling growth from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/limiting-global-warming-to-1-5c-is-almost-certainly-out-of-reach/">environmental damage</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zero-emissions-models">Zero emissions models</h2>



First, the authors define a zero-emissions <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/net-zero-coalition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">policy</a> as keeping net pollution at zero at every point in time, by matching abatement to emissions. That requires money, technology, and clear rules to assign who pays.



They run two versions of the economy. 



One is a public goods <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/stantcheva/files/lecture8.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">model</a> where government services like roads or schools lift private production for everyone at once, a standard growth <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/261726" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">model</a> introduced by Robert Barro in 1990. 



The second adds <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-will-climate-change-hit-hardest-global-index-reveals-vulnerability/">congestion</a>, where more people share the same public services so the boost per person shrinks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-minimum-income-rule">Minimum income rule</h2>



The key test is whether gross domestic product (<a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GDP</a>) per capita rises above a minimum income threshold so a country can fully clean what it emits. 



The authors call this the kindergarten rule level of abatement, as in: “clean-up what you make dirty.”



"Following the Kindergarten rule means implementing zero emission technologies in either finite time or asymptotically," noted M. Scott Taylor and William Brock in their related <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w9597" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>. 



This frame anchors the new threshold concept for developing countries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aid-supports-clean-income-growth">Aid supports clean income growth</h2>



Many low income governments fund services with official development assistance (<a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/policy-issues/official-development-assistance-oda.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ODA</a>), so the model lets outside aid pay for both cleaning and public services. 



That design reflects classic work showing how aid aimed at productive public services can shift long run growth.



In related <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304387806000290" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">theory</a>, flexible labor and aid tied to public capital influence the path of output and welfare. The new paper extends this logic to pollution control that must be paid for every year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-income-threshold">Changing income threshold</h2>



The threshold depends on clean technology, population size, and how much aid is fixed to environmental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/expanding-oil-and-gas-fields-threaten-global-climate-goals/">uses</a>. Better abatement technology lowers the income bar because each dollar of cleanup removes more pollution.



Population matters differently across the two models. In the public goods case, a larger labor force can raise growth because services scale with the economy, while in the congestion case that scale effect drops out as services get diluted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taxes-and-zero-emissions-targets">Taxes and zero emissions targets</h2>



The model also looks at tax policy, focusing on a labor income tax that finances services. 



There is a tax rate that maximizes the growth of income per person, and under both models governments can reach the needed income threshold in finite time if they choose that growth maximizing rate.



Public services that complement private capital are the link. When governments tax and spend on those services efficiently, private firms produce more and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-action-economies-can-grow-while-cutting-emissions/">economy climbs</a> to the income level that makes full abatement feasible.



"Both models indicate that implementing the zero-emissions policy is compatible with sustainable economic growth," wrote Noda. 



They also show the kindergarten rule threshold is higher with congestion than without it, so crowding of public services slows the crossing.



"We call this threshold the kindergarten rule level of pollution abatement in terms of GDP per capita," wrote Noda. The result gives policymakers a clear income target, not just a slogan about decoupling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-income-growth-and-sdgs">Income growth and SDGs</h2>



Target 8.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (<a href="https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SDGs</a>) asks countries to decouple growth from environmental degradation. 



The authors argue their framework helps explain when that is possible in practice, and how policy levers change the timing.



The UN defines the <a href="https://metadata.un.org/sdg/8.4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">target</a> as improving resource efficiency and decoupling growth from environmental harm through 2030. The paper’s threshold view fits that mandate with a concrete yardstick.



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



Earlier <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652621009112" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> in the same research stream focused on developed, innovation-driven economies and showed that zero emissions could be achieved alongside continued growth. 



That study examined whether sustained economic expansion could occur while also maintaining <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-net-zero-world-will-require-75-trillion-of-investment-and-1-billion-electric-cars/">zero net pollution emissions</a>.



The new paper shows the same compatibility can hold in aid dependent settings where innovation is not the main growth engine. 



That extension fills a real gap, because many low income countries face tighter fiscal and technological limits.



Build or buy cleaner technology so the threshold falls. Treat tied aid for environmental programs as a growth tool and not just a cost center.



Set tax policy to raise the growth rate of income per person, then sustain it long enough to pass the threshold. Guard against congestion by scaling services with population, so gains are not diluted.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S0217590825500304" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Singapore Economic Review</a>.



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Net-zero emissions and rising income levels can both be achieved simultaneously

Balancing cleaner air with rising incomes is not a luxury question for developing countries. It is a real-world, and real-life, policy problem that shapes health, jobs, and the future of their cities. A new study lays out when zero emissions can go hand in hand with steady growth, even when governments rely on foreign aid. Zero emissions and economic growth The work comes from Hideo Noda at the Tokyo University of Science (TUS) with coauthor Fengqi Fang, a Ph.D. candidate in Business Administration from the Graduate School...

Earth’s oceans are not just rising and changing in modern times. Scientists say there was a phase when they went the other way, sinking by an amount that might raise a few eyebrows.



Another era saw sea levels plunge by roughly 85 feet to 105 feet, a shift that took place about 15,000,000 to 6,000,000 years ago. <a href="https://vivo.brown.edu/display/cdalton" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Colleen Dalton</a> from Brown University, together with colleagues, connects this dramatic change to a slowdown in seafloor spreading that reshaped the depth of the ocean basins.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-bigger-picture-earth-s-crust">The bigger picture: Earth's crust</h2>



Our planet is always moving under the hood. Spreading ridges create fresh crust, while older crust sinks back into the Earth at subduction zones.



That constant cycle keeps continents and seas in flux. Observations suggest that a 35% dip in crust production can trigger a significant sea-level drop.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vast-ocean-change-deepening-basins">Vast ocean change: Deepening basins</h2>



Not everyone thinks of the ocean floor as dynamic. Yet the basaltic crust beneath the seas gradually cools and sinks with age.



When new crust forms more slowly, there’s less warm, shallow seafloor at any given moment. Researchers report that this chain reaction can change ocean depths by dozens of feet.



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



Much like a production line, ridges run at certain speeds. Once that speed shifts, a ripple effect spreads across the planet’s oceans.



Such changes don’t happen overnight. But over millions of years, they can reshape coastlines and potentially alter ocean chemistry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-remaking-the-chemistry-of-earth-s-crust">Remaking the chemistry of Earth's crust</h2>



Young crust emits heat and interacts with seawater in hot vents. Slower creation of that crust can reduce this heat flow and the exchange of minerals.



Older crust does not host the same level of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/hydrothermal-circulation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrothermal circulation</a>. As a result, off-axis chemical interactions can also shift, though more gradually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contrasting-with-ice-melt">Contrasting with ice melt</h2>



If the entire <a href="https://www.antarcticglaciers.org/antarctica-2/east-antarctic-ice-sheet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">East Antarctic Ice Sheet</a> melted, scientists <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-019-0300-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimate</a> ocean levels might climb about 118 feet. That’s a stark contrast to an ancient time when seas pulled back instead of inching upward.



Both events carry huge implications for coastal life. Yet one is driven by solid Earth processes, and the other by melting ice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tectonics-not-just-climate">Tectonics, not just climate</h2>



Conversations about sea-level rise often spotlight warming temperatures. But Earth’s geological engine quietly plays its own role.



Ice melts can be fast in geologic terms. Tectonic changes operate at a more measured pace but produce lasting consequences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-evidence-of-ocean-change">Tracking evidence of ocean change</h2>



Some rocks on certain coastlines hint at older shorelines that once sat higher in local strata. Shifts in the shape of ocean basins connect with those clues.



<a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/data/our-data/publication/deep-glacial-troughs-and-stabilizing-ridges-unveiled-beneath-the-margins/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Researchers</a> piece together these findings by reconstructing plate motions over time. That sleuthing provides a window into how our planet has changed through slow but steady movements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-crust-impact-on-heat-flow">Earth's crust: Impact on heat flow</h2>



As the younger crust becomes less abundant, total heat from the mantle escapes at a lower rate. Studies estimate an overall drop of about 8% in oceanic heat flow linked to the slower spreading.



Heat flow is crucial for understanding Earth’s cooling over the ages. It also influences how deep-sea ecosystems function near vents and ridges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linked-studies">Linked studies</h2>



Other authors have probed past seafloor spreading records, noting that speed changes align with shifts in sea level. Long-term reconstructions support the idea that tectonics can rival ice-related effects in the big picture.



This topic sparks interest because it underscores that climate is not the sole driver of water’s position on Earth’s surface. Tectonic processes add another layer of complexity that’s easy to miss in short-term observations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-climate-tie-ins">Broader climate tie-ins</h2>



Some scholars propose that a slowdown in crust production might also lessen volcanic CO2 emissions. Cooling oceans would then contract, pushing sea levels even lower.



That theory suggests multiple factors can compound to shift coastlines dramatically. It’s a reminder that Earth’s systems are woven together in surprising ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-real-world-echoes">Real-world echoes</h2>



Past events may guide us in understanding today’s rising seas. Although current changes move more rapidly, the underlying lesson is that sea levels can swing.



Coastal communities often grapple with local uplift or sinking land. Those vertical motions can compound any global shifts, whether from melting ice or tectonic adjustments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-future-insights">Potential future insights</h2>



As scientists refine plate reconstructions, they may pinpoint exactly how often this slowdown has recurred. Each chapter of Earth’s tectonic story leaves clues in sediments and crust.



We stand to gain more clarity on the pace and scale of changes. Those insights may refine how experts project future sea-level trends.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-perspective">Human perspective</h2>



Every change or slight shift in ocean levels touches people living near coasts. Knowing that deep Earth processes have long-term effects may expand our appreciation for subtle geologic forces.



This knowledge can help shape future research. It highlights that climate and geology can shape the seas in tandem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-final-note-on-publication">Final note on publication</h2>



Results linking slower crust production with large sea-level drops invite fresh questions about the planet’s internal mechanics. They also add a twist to how we interpret geologic records.



One thing is certain: Earth’s interior is not just a passive backdrop. It has been influencing the height of our seas for ages.



The study is published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GC011773" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems</a>.



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The same process that is raising sea levels today sank them millions of years ago

Earth’s oceans are not just rising and changing in modern...

Mother,And,Her,Daughter,Planting,Tree,Together,In,Garden

We already know that living near trees, parks, and green spaces is good for pregnant mothers and babies - and now, new trees might matter just as much. Recent research adds another layer to our understanding about the health benefits of nearby greenery. 



Scientists have found that even newly planted trees - not just mature ones - may improve birth outcomes. The study was led by researchers at <a href="https://drexel.edu/academics/grad-professional-programs/pubhealth?q&amp;sortBy=relevance&amp;page=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trees-and-birth-outcomes">Trees and birth outcomes</h2>



The researchers used a special dataset from Portland, Oregon. Between 1990 and 2020, the nonprofit group "Friends of Trees" planted more than 36,000 trees across the city. The team linked this information with birth data from the Oregon Health Authority, covering births from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020.



They recorded the number of new trees that had been planted within 100 meters (330 feet) of a mother's home during the last 10 years. They also looked at existing tree cover and road density in those areas.



By controlling for other important factors like a mother's race, body mass index (BMI), education level, and whether it was her first pregnancy, the researchers were able to focus on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-planting-campaigns-fall-short-of-successful-reforestation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">impact</a> of tree planting itself. Their findings showed a strong connection between increased number of trees and healthier babies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-trees-help-babies-grow-stronger">New trees help babies grow stronger</h2>



Each tree planted within 100 meters of a mother's home within the last 10 years was associated with a 2.3-gram (0.08-ounce) increase in birthweight. While this might sound small, the researchers stress that the impact adds up.



“Although there is benefit from well-established trees, we’re finding that newly planted trees are also associated with healthy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fathers-have-a-surprising-influence-on-their-babys-birth-weight/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birth weight</a>,” said senior author Yvonne Michael, a professor and interim chair in the Dornsife School of Public Health. 



“This is another data point showing that planting trees is a relatively easy and low-cost way to improve public health from the earliest stages of a life.”



Living near at least 10 trees was tied to about a 50-gram (1.8-ounce) increase in birthweight. However, the researchers noted that the benefit seemed to level off after reaching 10 nearby trees.



“Fifty grams may not seem like a lot, but if every baby in our sample gained 50 grams at birth, that means 642 fewer babies considered small for gestational age, and at higher risk for worse development later in life,” said Professor Michael. She explained that 2,879 babies in the study were diagnosed as small for gestational age.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-hidden-power-of-older-trees">The hidden power of older trees</h2>



While newly planted trees showed benefits, older trees might offer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/old-growth-trees-more-tolerant-to-drought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">even more</a>. The researchers suggest that mature trees may provide psychological comfort that newly planted ones cannot yet match.



Stress is a well-known risk factor for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-increased-premature-birth-risk-by-60/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">premature birth</a> and other poor health outcomes. Older trees can create an environment of “soft fascination,” a calming effect described in previous studies. This kind of natural calm can counter the mentally draining features of urban buildings and infrastructure.



“It’s rare to have detailed information on large-scale tree plantings for research,” said Professor Michael. “Existing tree cover is often closely tied to factors like income, education, and race, making it difficult to fully account for other possible explanations when studying birth outcomes."



"By focusing on newly planted trees, we were able to reduce the bias - essentially treating it as a natural experiment. Plus, we observed the improvements in birth outcomes after trees were planted, establishing temporal order.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trees-and-traffic-pollution">Trees and traffic pollution </h2>



The study also found that existing trees - but not new ones - helped reduce some of the negative effects of living near dense road networks. Older trees with developed canopies may do a better job blocking road noise and filtering out <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/specific-air-pollutants-linked-to-asthma-attacks-in-urban-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">air pollutants</a>, both of which can harm newborn health.



Interestingly, the researchers noticed that birthweights in the area generally decreased over the study period. However, they believe this decline was likely tied to external factors like rising temperatures and wildfire smoke, not to a lack of trees.



Their data also showed that race, education level, and the existing tree canopy were not linked to the locations where new trees were planted. This helps strengthen the study’s findings by ruling out some potential biases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-trees-healthier-babies">More trees, healthier babies?</h2>



While the study presents strong evidence linking tree planting to better birth outcomes, it is not absolute proof. The researchers point out that a randomized controlled trial would be needed to confirm cause and effect.



Still, the results offer some of the best real-world data we have so far. The new findings build on earlier studies by the same researchers, including a 2013 study that found the loss of millions of trees to an invasive pest was tied to more deaths from heart disease and respiratory illness.



This growing body of evidence suggests that planting trees isn’t just good for the environment - it could be one of the simplest ways to boost public health, starting before a baby is even born.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969725008642?via%3Dihub">Science of the Total Environment</a>.



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Planting new trees brings hope for healthier babies

We already know that living near trees, parks, and green...

When most people picture drifting tabular icebergs - flat-topped behemoths the size of city blocks - they imagine the frigid waters fringing Antarctica.



Yet a new study shows that, at the height of the last ice age, leviathan icebergs cruised less than 90 miles from Britain’s east coast. 



Their deep underbellies ploughed into soft marine sediments, leaving parallel gouges that have been preserved for nearly 20,000 years beneath today’s North Sea seafloor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seafloor-comb-marks-tell-the-tale">Seafloor comb-marks tell the tale</h2>



Researchers made the discovery while analyzing seismic-reflection data collected for oil-and-gas exploration in the Witch Ground Basin, a trough between Scotland and Norway.



Scientists found comb-like furrows, hundreds of meters wide and stretching for kilometers, instead of expected fossil fuel structures. The team realized vast, flat-tipped icebergs carved these features as tides and currents pushed them southward along the sea floor.



“We’re talking about enormous flat-topped, or ‘tabular,’ icebergs,” explained lead author James Kirkham of the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a> (BAS). 



“Conservatively, they measured five to perhaps a few tens of kilometers in width - comparable to the area of a medium-sized UK city such as Cambridge or Norwich - and could be a couple of hundred meters thick.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ice-shelves-surrounded-britain">Ice shelves surrounded Britain</h2>



Such colossal bergs calve today from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarcticas-melting-ice-shelves-threaten-global-sea-levels/">Antarctic ice shelves</a>, the floating extensions of land-based glaciers. If tabular icebergs roamed the ancient North Sea, ice shelves must have once bordered the British and Irish Ice Sheet.



This conclusion reshapes our picture of the region during the Last Glacial Maximum, when ice covered much of the British Isles but was beginning to retreat as the climate warmed between 20,000 and 18,000 years ago.



Ice shelves play a crucial role in stabilizing their parent ice sheets by buttressing inland glaciers. When shelves thin or break up, glacier flow tends to accelerate, raising global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-did-sea-levels-rise-after-the-last-ice-age-alarming-new-clues-revealed/">sea level</a>. 



The presence - and subsequent collapse - of shelves in the North Sea offers a natural experiment that may help scientists predict Antarctica’s future under today’s warming trends.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-iceberg-size-shifted-suddenly">Iceberg size shifted suddenly</h2>



The seismic record captures not just the heyday of giant bergs but also their disappearance.



“Around 18,000 years ago we detect a shift in the type of iceberg plough-mark recorded in seafloor sediments, from giant tabular bergs - produced by the normal calving lifecycle of ice shelves - to much more numerous and smaller icebergs as the ice shelves disintegrated,” said co-author Kelly Hogan, a scientist at the British Antarctic Survey.



Glaciologists saw a similar event in 2002, when Antarctica’s Larsen B Ice Shelf shattered after rapid surface melting. 



Glaciers once buttressed by Larsen B quickly sped up, dumping extra ice into the ocean. The Witch Ground record suggests the British and Irish Ice Sheet may have experienced a large-scale analogue. It likely retreated 200 - 300 meters per year at its edges once its shelves vanished.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-triggered-the-collapse">What triggered the collapse?</h2>



One key question is whether ancient British ice shelf breakup triggered rapid retreat or simply mirrored already accelerating ice loss. Better dating of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seafloor-relic-uncovers-earths-ancient-mysteries/">seafloor</a> deposits could reveal which came first.



“If we observe a similar transition from large tabular icebergs to smaller icebergs in Antarctica today, it could indicate the continent is about to experience significant and rapid mass loss,” said BAS co-author Rob Larter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-a-warming-world">Lessons for a warming world</h2>



Greenland and parts of West Antarctica are currently losing ice at rising rates, and many Antarctic ice shelves are thinning. Understanding how ancient shelves collapsed, and how quickly adjacent glaciers responded, can inform projections of future sea-level rise.



"Understanding how regime shifts in iceberg calving behavior affect ice shelf stability remains a challenge for numerical models. This is an important question as we consider the fate of the ice shelves that currently buttress the Antarctic Ice Sheet and hold back the bulk of its potential upstream sea-level contribution," wrote the researchers.



The North Sea plough-marks remind researchers that ice-shelf dynamics are not unique to polar realms; they can shape mid-latitude marine basins when climate and geography align.



For now, the hidden grooves beneath North Sea sediments stand as silent testimony to a long-lost icy era. Britain’s horizon was once patrolled by icebergs the size of cities - a legacy that informs future coastal challenges.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58304-5">Nature Communications</a>.



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Evidence of massive ancient icebergs found off the coast of Britain

When most people picture drifting tabular icebergs - flat-topped behemoths...

Rising temperatures may influence a hidden battle happening in the muddy soils of wetlands. This quiet struggle pits microbes that produce methane against those that consume it. 



With climate change intensifying, the natural balance that keeps methane levels in check could start to unravel. In a recent study, researchers at the <a href="https://g.co/kgs/AvuZsZx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Smithsonian Environmental Research Center</a> have explored this phenomenon.



While wetlands are known for removing carbon dioxide (CO₂), they’re also the world’s largest natural source of methane - a gas that packs far more heat-trapping power. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conflict-beneath-the-wetlands">Conflict beneath the wetlands</h2>



The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that 19% of global warming can be attributed to methane. This highlights the significance of understanding how wetlands behave under a changing climate.



“If there is a large amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/top-10-global-methane-emissions-hotspots-spotted-by-satellites/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">methane emissions</a> from wetlands, and if we don’t know anything about that, then our carbon reduction target for mitigating climate change is going to be off track in the future,” said study lead author Jaehyun Lee.



Wetland soils host two kinds of microbes. One group produces <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-methane-emissions-threaten-earths-habitability/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">methane</a>, a greenhouse gas up to 45 times more potent than carbon dioxide. 



The other group consumes it, converting methane into CO₂ using oxygen. This process is one of nature’s most important ways of slowing climate change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-in-flooded-wetlands">Microbes in flooded wetlands</h2>



The study focused on a special kind of microbe that lives in oxygen-free, or anaerobic, environments. These microbes are common in flooded wetlands. 



For a long time, scientists believed they couldn’t remove methane because of the lack of oxygen. Even after discovering that anaerobic microbes could use sulfate molecules to consume methane, their role was considered minor.



“They thought that the anaerobic methane [consumption] process is going to be too slow to remove a significant amount of methane,” Lee said.



But that assumption didn’t hold up. Most methane is produced in low-oxygen zones - exactly where these anaerobic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-have-emerged-as-major-source-of-methane-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microbes</a> live.



In the studied wetland, these microbes removed about 12% of the methane. In saltier environments, with more sulfate, that number jumped to 70 percent. Then the team turned up the heat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-carbon-dioxide-and-temperatures">Rising carbon dioxide and temperatures </h2>



The researchers ran an experiment at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland called SMARTX - Salt Marsh Accretion Response to Temperature eXperiment.



Using infrared lamps and underground cables, they warmed certain parts of the wetland by 5.1°C. In some plots, they also increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-carbon-dioxide-travels-in-the-atmosphere/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon dioxide</a> to mimic a more realistic future.



“You’re never going to get a warmer world without also having higher CO₂ in the atmosphere. What SMARTX is doing is trying to mimic that warmer world, with the aboveground and belowground heating,” said Genevieve Noyce, senior scientist at SERC. 



“But because that’s not going to happen independent of CO₂, we also cross it with CO₂, so we have a real future that has both.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-methane-production-in-warmer-wetlands">Methane production in warmer wetlands </h2>



As temperatures rose, methane emissions spiked. But not because the methane-consuming microbes weakened. In fact, they worked harder and removed more methane. 



The problem? The methane producers became even more active. The methane consumers simply couldn’t keep up.



The kind of plant growing in the soil made a big difference. In plots dominated by thick sedges, methane emissions rose nearly fourfold. In areas with smaller grasses, the increase was only about 1.5 times.



Higher carbon dioxide levels eased the increase, but didn’t erase it. In sedge-heavy plots, emissions doubled instead of quadrupling when both CO₂ and heat were added. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plants-with-bigger-roots">Plants with bigger roots</h2>



The researchers think this happens because CO₂ helps <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autophagy-what-makes-plant-roots-grow-faster-stronger/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants grow bigger roots</a>. More roots lead to more oxygen entering the soil, which supports the methane-consuming microbes.



“Warming is going to have a really big effect on increasing methane emissions,” Noyce said. “But when you add elevated CO₂, it kind of brings it back down a little bit.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-methane-production-across-wetlands">Methane production across wetlands</h2>



This isn't just a one-time event. In 2021, the same team found a similar pattern in oxygen-rich soils. Warmer conditions made methane-producing microbes outpace those that remove it. It’s a trend that could affect wetlands all over the world.



Still, the researchers emphasized that wetlands are worth protecting. They provide vital <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-wetlands-are-a-powerful-weapon-against-flooding/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defense against storms and flooding</a>. They also lock away carbon in soil and plants. One acre of coastal wetland can store more carbon than an acre of tropical rainforest.



“There is great value in protecting and restoring coastal wetlands to benefit climate, especially when we consider the many ecosystem services they provide to people,” said Pat Megonigal, senior author and associate director of research at SERC.



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



Looking ahead, policymakers need better data to prepare for the future. Knowing how much methane wetlands will emit in coming decades is key to hitting climate targets. 



The scientists stress that climate change isn’t just about warmer air - it’s also about tiny microbial processes that could quietly shift the balance of greenhouse gases.



“We also have to consider, how is climate change going to affect these delicate microbial processes, such as methane oxidation and methane production?” Lee said.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ads6093" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Wetlands are a hidden source of rising methane emissions

Rising temperatures may influence a hidden battle happening in the...

A burst of lightning near the geographic North Pole is stirring anxious questions about our changing climate. It showed up on August of, 2019, when atmospheric conditions lined up in a way few that had ever imagined.



Researchers discovered 342 lightning <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-meltdown-is-accelerating-global-warming-already-changing-earth-in-unimaginable-ways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">events</a>, with 122 being in a single thunderstorm that traveled over the ice and came within about 27 miles (43 kilometers) of the North Pole.



Jianqiu Zheng and colleagues from the <a href="https://en.ustc.edu.cn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Science and Technology of China</a> analyzed the event and found it was tied to an unusual surge of warm air.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-heat-now-fuels-rare-storms">Arctic heat now fuels rare storms</h2>



Temperatures in the far north have been <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/arctic-sea-ice/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climbing</a> faster than the global average. This shift opens the door for moisture to move into places where it once rarely ventured.



Warm air masses from lower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drastic-warming-will-transform-the-arctic-beyond-recognition/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">latitudes</a> can now slip into polar regions and create the unstable backdrop for storms. Ice sheets still dominate much of the area, but the air above them is no longer as consistently frigid.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lightning-formed-high-above-north-pole">Lightning formed high above North Pole </h2>



Scientists noted a thundercloud that formed about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) above the surface of the ice. That formation defied the usual pattern, where storms typically begin closer to ground level.



“This thunderstorm was unlike anything we typically see in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-may-fuel-the-spread-of-diseases-by-unleashing-frozen-viruses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic</a>,” said Zheng. It developed when a patch of warm, moist air was forced upward by a cooler layer that hugged the ice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warm-and-cold-air-collided">Warm and cold air collided</h2>



The team attributed this odd weather to a <a href="https://www.weather.gov/lmk/basic-fronts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">frontal system</a> that lifted balmy, humid air over a wedge of cold air at the surface. That collision helped launch storm clouds into a zone where lightning is more likely to spark.



The experts relied on ERA5 reanalysis <a href="https://www.ecmwf.int/en/forecasts/dataset/ecmwf-reanalysis-v5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data</a> (archived meteorological observations) to piece together how air parcels moved and converged at the time. 



This data offered clues on how two conflicting air masses produced an elevated thundercloud in a zone known for extreme cold.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-lightning-near-the-north-pole">Tracking lightning near the North Pole</h2>



The storm’s path was logged by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (<a href="https://wwlln.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WWLLN</a>), a global sensor system that monitors lightning strikes using radio waves. 



This network recorded the closest-known lightning strike to the North Pole, just 27 miles (43 kilometers) away, which helps confirm just how far these unusual storms can reach.



Without systems like WWLLN, events like this could go unnoticed in remote parts of the planet. The ability to track such rare <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-industrialization-how-will-it-impact-delicate-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phenomena</a> offers scientists a clearer picture of atmospheric behavior in a rapidly warming Arctic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-impact-on-future-forecasts">Potential impact on future forecasts</h2>



“As temperatures rise, we may see more thunderstorms in areas where they were once extremely rare,” said Baohua Ren, a corresponding author of the study who hinted at the ripple effects of higher temperatures..



Shifts in polar climate may force meteorologists to adjust forecasting models. Storm frequency, lightning counts, and general weather patterns could all see new variations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-what-s-ahead">Predicting what's ahead</h2>



Changes in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-arctic-may-be-ice-free-sooner-than-we-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic</a> often extend beyond regional boundaries. Variations in sea ice coverage, wind patterns, and ocean currents can trickle down to mid-latitudes and transform familiar seasonal weather.



Some experts wonder whether more frequent lightning in high latitudes might disturb wildlife or disrupt shipping routes.



Elevated storm occurrence might also affect how the upper atmosphere behaves, though more research is needed before making firm predictions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-of-lightning-near-the-north-pole">Implications of lightning near the North Pole </h2>



Lightning isn’t just a flash in the sky, it’s a sign of powerful atmospheric instability. For lightning to occur, there must be strong updrafts and separation of electrical charges within clouds, conditions that are rare in cold, dry regions like the Arctic.



When lightning appears near the North Pole, it signals a major shift in local energy balance. It means the atmosphere had enough moisture, warmth, and motion to support the buildup of charge, which is a clear sign that traditional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-arctic-warming-map-shows-alarming-changes-in-climate-hotspots/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic</a> norms are changing.



A single thunderstorm doesn’t rewrite climate science, but it emphasizes the importance of global temperature trends. <a href="https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/24/4451/2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Polar warming events</a> and unexpected weather can align to produce conditions once thought impossible in icy places. 



Scientists see this development as an indication of how quickly the environment can shift. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extreme-polar-events">Extreme polar events</h2>



Researchers note that more observational campaigns will help explain how moist air triggers lightning near the North Pole. These efforts could improve our ability to understand and track extreme polar weather events.



Polar scientists also emphasize the potential influence on local communities. People who depend on stable ice for hunting or travel might face new hazards when warmer air creates thunderstorms and slushier terrain.



The study was published in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00376-024-4141-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.



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Lightning near the North Pole signals major climate shifts

A burst of lightning near the geographic North Pole is...

Forests are one of Earth’s greatest natural defenses against climate change. They absorb carbon dioxide, regulate rainfall, and shelter a huge portion of the planet’s biodiversity. 



Yet for all their importance, large parts of the world’s forests remain poorly understood and hard to monitor - even with the help of space technology - and they remain vulnerable to both natural and human-driven change.



Until recently, forest monitoring relied heavily on ground teams manually measuring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-forests-are-struggling-to-keep-pace-with-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trees</a>, mapping biodiversity, and estimating carbon stored in different ecosystems. These efforts, though essential, are slow, labor-intensive, and often constrained by difficult terrain or limited funding.



Now, a breakthrough is underway. The tools of modern space science are being directed toward Earth’s forests like never before. This marks the beginning of what scientists call the "forest space age" - a bold, global effort to transform our understanding of forests from above.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-forest-carbon-from-space">Tracking forest carbon from space</h2>



On April 29, the European Space Agency (<a href="https://www.esa.int" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>) will launch the Biomass mission. It will carry the first P-band radar into space, capable of seeing through dense forest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">canopies</a>. This satellite is expected to revolutionize how we estimate forest structure and carbon storage.



P-band radar technology stands out because it can detect elements of forests that other sensors miss. It reaches past the leafy treetops and captures detailed information about trunks, stems, and branches — the key areas where trees hold carbon.



Biomass won’t be alone for long. Soon, the US–India <a href="https://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NISAR mission</a> will join it. This satellite carries an L-band synthetic aperture radar that complements Biomass’s P-band data. 



Together, these missions will offer a multi-layered picture of forests. Add to that NASA’s GEDI lidar aboard the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Space Station</a>, the Copernicus Sentinel-1’s C-band radar, and more missions in the pipeline, and the result is a powerful suite of tools monitoring forests from orbit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-forests-with-satellites">Monitoring forests with satellites </h2>



Never before have so many instruments been trained on Earth’s forests at once. These satellites are not just capturing snapshots. They provide consistent, global-scale monitoring over time, allowing scientists to detect patterns and trends in forest health, loss, and growth.



ESA’s Climate Change Initiative’s Biomass Project is already using this wealth of data to analyze long-term forest changes. 



By integrating historical and current satellite data, the project delivers a clear view of how biomass has changed year after year. This time-series approach reveals shifts in forest dynamics and provides essential input for climate models.



When satellite data is used together with global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-undisturbed-forests-support-greater-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> projections, it enables better predictions of how forests will react to temperature shifts, droughts, or human pressures. The scale and depth of data now available were once unthinkable. Yet space technology alone cannot give us the full picture.



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



Despite their reach and resolution, satellites can’t do everything. They can't directly measure biomass or recognize plant species from above. Tropical forests, for instance, are home to staggering biodiversity. This complexity makes it hard for remote sensors to categorize forest types or species without help.



“Even the most advanced satellite can’t tell a mahogany from a Brazil nut tree without help from the ground, and there are more than ten thousand tree species in the Amazon alone,” said Professor Oliver Phillips from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leeds</a>.



Ground-based science is still vital. Forest ecologists and botanists work in jungles, swamps, and mountain forests to collect the details satellites miss. They measure tree height, diameter, species type, and carbon density, all while navigating unpredictable and sometimes dangerous conditions. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-rely-on-space-technology">Forests rely on space technology</h2>



To make sure that space-based data reflects reality, scientists compare it with direct measurements from the ground. This process, called ground validation, is particularly important in tropical forests where tree diversity is high and canopy structure varies widely.



For this reason, long-term on-the-ground studies continue to play a critical role. They ensure accuracy, identify regional patterns, and help calibrate satellite instruments. Forests change slowly and subtly over time. 



Only with repeat measurements at tree level can we detect those shifts and check if the satellite data aligns with what is actually happening on the ground.



Ground validation is not just a technical necessity. It is also a scientific collaboration that stretches across borders and disciplines, bringing together ecologists, geographers, botanists, and remote sensing experts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-introducing-geo-trees">Introducing GEO-TREES</h2>



To improve this collaboration and support local expertise, scientists launched a global project called <a href="https://geo-trees.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GEO-TREES</a>. It is an initiative designed to connect remote sensing specialists with field researchers and promote balanced partnerships around the world.



“The aim of GEO-TREES is to establish a sustainable funding mechanism to support ecologists and experts working in the forest to take the tree-by-tree measurements that are needed to validate satellite data products," noted ESA’s <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/Biomass" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Biomass</a> Mission manager, Klaus Scipal.



“GEO-TREES will implement rigorous ground-validation protocols and push for major investments in the people behind the data – particularly in the Global South, where much of the world’s biodiversity resides.”



Through GEO-TREES, there is now an effort to formalize funding pathways for fieldwork. This helps ensure that forest scientists on the front lines have the resources, training, and recognition they need to carry out accurate and consistent data collection.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-space-missions-and-ground-observations">Space missions and ground observations </h2>



Measuring trees, hiking through flooded forests, climbing into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-forests-rose-again-after-the-planets-most-extreme-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">canopies</a> - this is not easy work. Yet without these efforts, satellite missions would lack reliable reference points. The success of Earth observation depends on the dedication of those who live and work close to the forests.



“Satellites, such as our Biomass, offer a wealth of information to understand our changing world, but we must not forget those working tirelessly on the ground taking in situ measurements, often in difficult conditions, who allow us to have confidence in the data returned from space,” said Scipal.



That trust between space-based observation and field data is what gives global forest monitoring its strength. Both are needed, and both are now being more closely linked than ever before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-phase-of-planetary-care">A new phase of planetary care</h2>



“The dedicated teams working in the field to collect vital ground-truth data are important to the success of our missions," added ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli.



“Their contributions help ensure that our Earth Explorer missions deliver outstanding science - science that lies at the core of our <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FutureEO programme</a>.”



As Earth faces increasing environmental pressures, forests will continue to play a critical role in regulating our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-are-still-fighting-climate-change-against-all-odds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> and sustaining life. By combining the power of satellite technology with the knowledge and hard work of people on the ground, we are entering a new phase of planetary care.



The "forest space age" is more than a technological achievement. It is a worldwide collaboration between the skies and the soil, with the goal of understanding and protecting the forests we all depend on.



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Forest space age: Satellites can track canopies and carbon storage

Forests are one of Earth’s greatest natural defenses against climate...

Extreme weather is no longer an occasional event. Drought-fed wildfires in Southern California, a deadly hurricane in the Appalachian Mountains, and devastating floods in New England demonstrate that climate disasters are growing costlier. 



As climate-related damages escalate, governments seek recovery and try to hold fossil fuel companies responsible. Yet legal efforts have stumbled over one issue: proof.



A study published in the journal Nature changes that. It presents a method to scientifically tie specific companies’ emissions to measurable climate damage. This approach could shift how courts handle <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-wins-in-2025-came-from-unexpected-places/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> liability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-damage-linked-to-specific-companies">Climate damage linked to specific companies</h2>



"Will it ever be possible to sue anyone for damaging the climate?" That question was first raised 20 years ago. Now, researchers say the scientific case is closed.



Using a method called “end-to-end” attribution, scientists link companies’ <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-impacting-earths-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> to specific harms. This approach merges emissions data, peer-reviewed climate models, and economic damage assessments.



"We argue that the scientific case for climate liability is closed, even if the future of these cases remains an open question," said Justin Mankin, the study's senior author from <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dartmouth College</a>.



"Just over 20 years later, we find the answer to be 'yes.' Our framework can provide robust emissions-based attributions of climate damages at the corporate scale."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-estimating-financial-harm">Estimating financial harm</h2>



The research draws on Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions data. Scope 1 includes direct emissions from a company’s operations. Scope 3 includes emissions from customers using their products.



By integrating this data with climate models, the study estimates the financial harm linked to each company. It compares today’s reality with an alternate world where those <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> never occurred.



"Our findings demonstrate that it is in fact possible to compare the world as it is to a world absent individual emitters," said Christopher Callahan, the study’s first author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-top-companies-may-owe-trillions">Top companies may owe trillions </h2>



From 1991 to 2020, heat-related economic damage from just 111 fossil fuel companies reached $28 trillion. 



Of this, $9 trillion came from the five worst offenders. Chevron, the top investor-owned emitter, may be responsible for losses between $791 billion and $3.6 trillion.



The damages did not fall evenly. The experts pointed out that the tropical regions least culpable for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a> have been disproportionately impacted. These areas contribute the least to emissions but bear the heaviest burden.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-legal-potential-of-end-to-end-attribution">Legal potential of end-to-end attribution</h2>



The framework is transparent, flexible, and reproducible. It creates a direct, evidence-based chain from polluter to harm. That clarity could transform litigation.



"We illustrate the trillions in economic losses attributable to the extreme heat caused by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wealthier-nations-set-bold-climate-targets-but-citizens-give-less/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> from individual companies," noted the researchers.



"The affluence of the Western economy has been based on fossil fuels, but just as a pharmaceutical company would not be absolved from the negative effects of a drug by the benefits of that drug, fossil fuel companies should not be excused for the damage they've caused by the prosperity their products have generated," said Callahan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-climate-science-to-target-companies">Using climate science to target companies</h2>



Vermont’s 2024 Climate Superfund Act uses attribution science to assign disaster recovery costs to fossil fuel firms. Mankin contributed testimony, and early versions of this framework influenced the law.



Legal challenges have begun. Opponents argue the state cannot prove which companies caused which damages. But the Nature study directly addresses that gap.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linking-climate-damage-to-companies">Linking climate damage to companies</h2>



Previous climate models focused on general greenhouse gas levels. This study takes a sharper approach by directly simulating each company’s emissions. That allows researchers to trace the exact role each company played in warming.



"Our approach simulates emissions directly, allowing us to trace warming and its repercussions back to specific emitters," said Callahan.



The study highlights heat damage because it’s both measurable and widespread. Earlier work by Mankin and Callahan showed heat waves’ financial toll. Now, they use that foundation to tie losses to corporate behavior.



"Extreme heat is indelibly linked to climate change itself and the losses from it have been an instigator for legal claims," noted Mankin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-accountability-for-climate-damages">Accountability for climate damages</h2>



This study documents what has already happened. "We also live in a world that has warmed considerably over the past 20 years," said Mankin.



"This analysis is not a predictive exercise where we ask what the future holds. Instead, it's a documentary effort where we show what has already happened and provide the reason why."



Science is no longer the obstacle. Climate attribution is now detailed enough to meet legal standards. For communities seeking justice, this could be the beginning of real accountability.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08751-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Fossil fuel companies linked to specific climate damages

Extreme weather is no longer an occasional event. Drought-fed wildfires...

Antarctica’s winter sea ice usually forms a bright lid over millions of square miles. So when a massive, black patch was spotted by NASA scientists for the first time, satellite operators were taken aback, to say the least.



Then roughly a year later, the situation got even stranger. The gap, called a polynya, swelled to the size of Switzerland and stayed open for weeks.



Only after it refroze did researchers start piecing together how such an enormous opening in the ice could appear hundreds of miles from the nearest shoreline - right above a submerged plateau named Maud Rise.



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



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Southern Ocean</a> is normally a layer cake. A thin cap of cold, relatively fresh water floats over saltier, warmer layers, and that slight density difference keeps the column from churning. 



A mid‑ocean polynya needs the cake to collapse. Salt must slip into the surface, make the top layer heavier, and flip the stack. 



Once that happens, convection kicks in, the lid fractures, heat pours skyward, and the ocean “breathes” gases.



Coastal versions manage something similar each year because fierce winds shove ice away from land. Out on the high seas, though, the phenomenon is much less common.



<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_Rise" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maud Rise</a>, a 4,600‑foot‑tall seamount, may provide the missing ingredient by diverting currents and trapping water in tight spirals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stubborn-patch-over-maud-rise">Stubborn patch over Maud Rise</h2>



History backs that hunch. Between 1974 and 1976, a much larger hole lingered over Maud Rise each winter. 



The Maud Rise polynya was discovered in the 1970s, when remote‑sensing satellites capable of observing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-antarctic-sea-ice-loss-is-causing-severe-storms-around-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea ice</a> over the Southern Ocean were first launched. 



It persisted through consecutive winters from 1974 to 1976, and oceanographers at the time assumed it would become an annual occurrence. But since the 1970s, it has occurred only sporadically and for brief intervals.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/antarctica_sea-ice-hole_Maud-Rise-polynya_switzerland-size_blue-ice_credit-NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/antarctica_sea-ice-hole_Maud-Rise-polynya_switzerland-size_blue-ice_credit-NASA_1s.webp" alt="An arial view of the Maud Rise polynya. Scientists were baffled as to how this formed but now have an explanation. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory" class="wp-image-1966649" style="width:300px;height:auto"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An arial view of the Maud Rise polynya. Scientists were baffled as to how this formed but now have an explanation. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory</figcaption></figure>



“2017 was the first time that we've had such a large and long‑lived polynya in the Weddell Sea since the 1970s,” said Aditya Narayanan of the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a>, lead author of the study in Science Advances. 



He joined colleagues to probe the comeback with robotic floats, tagged elephant seals, and a high‑resolution <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrinking-sea-ice-what-record-lows-tell-us-about-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean model</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salt-storms-and-a-hidden-conveyor">Salt, storms, and a hidden conveyor</h2>



During those winters, the clockwise Weddell Gyre sped up. That spin drew a deep layer of warm, salty water nearer the surface, softening ice from below. Yet the meltwater should have freshened the lid and shut down mixing.



"This upwelling helps to explain how the sea ice might melt. But as sea ice melts this leads to a freshening of the surface water, which should in turn put a stop to the mixing," explained Fabien Roquet, a Professor in Physical Oceanography at the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Gothenburg</a> and co-author of the research. 



"So, another process must be happening for the polynya to persist. There must be an additional input of salt from somewhere."



Roaring extratropical storms supplied part of that punch. Their swirling winds flung sea ice outward and dragged briny water toward Maud Rise. 



Atmospheric rivers - plumes of moist air stretching a thousand miles - added warmth from above, helping strip away stratification.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ekman-transport-as-the-missing-shove">"Ekman transport" as the missing shove</h2>



A final push came from physics first described a century ago. When wind blows across the ocean, Earth’s rotation deflects the surface flow roughly 90 degrees, a process called <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/04currents4.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ekman transport</a>. 



The model showed this flow steering salt‑laden water onto the northern flank of Maud Rise, exactly where the 2017 hole opened. 



“Ekman transport was the essential missing ingredient that was necessary to increase the balance of salt and sustain the mixing of salt and heat towards the surface water,” said co‑author Alberto Naveira Garabato, also from the University of Southampton.



The storms didn’t just move ice; they herded the right water into the right spot, letting convection roar. By late September, the opening had vented more than twenty times the heat that normally seeps through unbroken ice before finally freezing again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-polynyas-have-a-global-impact">Polynyas have a global impact</h2>



A hole in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/southern-ocean-absorbs-more-co2-than-previously-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Southern Ocean</a> sea ice may look local, yet its fingerprints show up far away. 



“The imprint of polynyas can remain in the water for multiple years after they've formed," noted Professor Sarah Gille from University of California San Diego (<a href="https://www.ucsd.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCSD</a>), another co-author of the research



"They can change how water moves around and how currents carry heat toward the continent. The dense waters that form here can spread across the global ocean.” 



Deep convection hauls carbon‑rich water upward, where it can release CO₂, and sends newly formed, oxygen‑rich brine sliding along the seafloor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



That heavy brine eventually feeds the global conveyor belt of currents that helps regulate climate. Because the Maud&nbsp;Rise mechanism hinges on a stronger gyre and stormier skies, its future frequency could ride on winds already shifting as the planet warms.



“For the first time since observations began in the 1970s, there's a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-low-antarctic-sea-ice-and-rapid-melting-pace-stuns-climate-scientists/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">negative trend in sea ice</a> in the Southern Ocean, which began around 2016. Before then, it had remained somewhat stable," Professor Gille concluded.



The same rise of warm, salty water that primed the 2017 hole now seems to be thinning ice across Antarctica’s fringe.



Scientists will watch the next few winters closely. Whether the polynya returns or not, its story shows that the frozen edge of the world can still spring surprises - and that what happens far south seldom stays there, for the wider planet.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Enormous hole the size of Switzerland appeared in the Antarctica sea ice, now we know why

Antarctica’s winter sea ice usually forms a bright lid over...

Landscape,Of,The,North,Pole,Where,Climate,Change,Has,Caused

When we picture tectonic plates drifting apart and colliding, we usually imagine a time-lapse spanning millions of years. However, a new study reveals melting ice can affect continental drift and volcanic activity. 



Research from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Colorado Boulder</a> indicates that Earth’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-first-crust-already-had-chemical-traits-of-modern-continents/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crust</a> can feel a substantial jolt on a far shorter timetable - thousands of years - whenever colossal ice sheets melt away. Geophysicists Tao Yuan and Shijie Zhong traced events that began roughly 26,000 years ago, near the peak of the last <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-ice-age-cycles-are-predictable-but-humans-may-change-that/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ice Age</a>. 



Back then, the Laurentide Ice Sheet blanketed much of North America in layers of ice several kilometers thick, stretching south to what is now Pennsylvania. As global temperatures warmed, that icy behemoth dwindled. 



Meltwater poured into the oceans, lifting sea levels by roughly a centimeter per year. Yet the scientists found that the consequences went well beyond rising coastlines: they extended deep into the mechanics of plate tectonics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-melting-ice-and-continental-drift">Melting ice and continental drift </h2>



“As ice volume was greatly reduced, it caused a huge motion in Earth’s crust,” said Yuan, a doctoral candidate in CU Boulder’s Department of Physics and lead author of the study. “Scientists knew that the ice melting caused the plates to uplift. But we show that they also moved a lot horizontally due to the ice melting.”



Yuan and Zhong’s models indicate that between about 12,000 and 6,000 years ago, the North American plate may have increased its overall drift speed by roughly 25 percent. 



Even more striking was the behavior of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This ridge is a submarine mountain chain where magma wells up to form new crust and push the North American and Eurasian plates apart. There, seafloor spreading may have surged by as much as 40 percent during the post-glacial interval.



Zhong, a professor of physics at CU Boulder and senior author on the study, elaborated on the significance of the findings. 



“That story that we’ve been telling for a long, long time - that processes like seafloor spreading and continental drift operate at timescales of millions of years driven by Earth’s internal engine, thermal convection. That’s still true, but we show that glacial forcing can also cause <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glacier-melting-threatens-global-water-supplies-and-coastal-communities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">significant motion</a> on relatively short timescales of 10,000 years," said Zhong.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-melting-ice-messes-with-the-mantle">Melting ice messes with the mantle</h2>



To understand this surprising connection, picture Earth’s lithosphere - the rigid outer shell comprising crust and upper mantle - as a giant memory-foam mattress. When you lie on memory foam, the surface depresses; when you get up, it slowly rebounds. 



Similarly, when an ice sheet thousands of meters thick presses down on a continent, the underlying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-giants-the-mysterious-structures-deep-inside-earths-mantle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mantle</a> deforms. Once that ice melts and its weight shifts to the oceans, the mantle rebounds upward. Geologists call this response “glacial isostatic adjustment.”



Vertical rebound is well documented: regions near Hudson Bay, once the epicenter of glacial weight, still rise by about a centimeter per year. What Yuan and Zhong uncovered is a lesser-known horizontal component. 



As the mantle flowed to readjust, it exerted lateral stresses that nudged tectonic plates, effectively giving them a temporary shove. Their models show that this nudge affected both continental interiors and mid-ocean ridges. 



The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a critical test case because geologists have long treated its two-centimeter-per-year spreading rate as a textbook constant. The CU Boulder simulations suggest that rate has actually fluctuated markedly, speeding up in tandem with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-glacier-retreat-in-the-arctic-signals-climate-disaster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glacial retreat</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-volcanic-echo-in-iceland"><a></a>A volcanic echo in Iceland</h2>



One real-world clue supporting the model’s conclusions lies in Iceland, which straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge just south of Greenland. Geological evidence indicates a spike in volcanic and geothermal activity on the island as the last Ice Age waned. 



Zhong believes faster spreading beneath the ridge made it easier for magma to reach the surface, fueling Iceland’s fiery outbursts. “This pattern of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-orbit-may-trigger-massive-volcanic-eruptions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">volcanism</a> may have been partly due to the glacial melting that we studied,” Zhong noted.



Although Greenland’s ice is melting rapidly today, its present rate is not yet large enough to jolt continents around. However, many climate models predict accelerated ice melting which could once again modulate magma supply at nearby ridges and, indirectly, volcanic activity in places such as Iceland within the next several centuries. 



“Ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica are still melting,” Yuan said. “We think the ice melting could enhance seafloor spreading and volcanism at nearby mid-ocean ridges in the future.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-will-melting-ice-accelerate-continental-drift">Will melting ice accelerate continental drift?</h2>



The implications of the study reach beyond Iceland or any single ridge. If glacial cycles can tweak plate speeds, geologists may need to revisit other intervals in Earth’s history when ice ages ended abruptly.



Could bursts of continental acceleration have left signatures in mountain-building episodes or sediment records? Might similar dynamics occur under today’s rapidly melting Antarctic ice shelves, subtly influencing tectonics in the Southern Ocean?



Zhong and Yuan’s results remind scientists that tectonics and climate are not wholly separate realms. The deep interior drives plate motion, but surface processes - especially the waxing and waning of planetary ice - can modulate that motion on geologically brief timescales. 



The Earth, in other words, is a tightly coupled system: what disappears atop a continent can ripple beneath an ocean ridge thousands of kilometers away. “That’s a fairly well-known, textbook number,” Zhong said of the ridge’s 2 cm/year spreading pace. He noted that the textbook may need an update.



Funded by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. National Science Foundation</a>, this research highlights a key point for both geologists and climate scientists: the planet’s frozen water doesn’t just sculpt landscapes; it can also tweak the gears of Earth’s tectonic machinery. And as the modern cryosphere continues to shrink, understanding such connections becomes ever more vital.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08846-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Melting ice can speed up continental drift and fuel volcanic eruptions

When we picture tectonic plates drifting apart and colliding, we...

Conservation scientists often reassure themselves with a simple rule of thumb: species that live over huge swaths of territory and boast large populations are usually safer from extinction than creatures confined to small patches of habitat. 



However, a new global analysis of roughly 1,500 bird species has revealed that there's no comfortable rule when it comes to climate change.



The study, led by the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Texas at Austin</a>, shows that a wide geographic footprint can hide an unexpectedly narrow dependence on climate. In a warming world, that hidden fragility could make certain familiar birds surprisingly vulnerable.



“Because that region is so big, species that occupy it tend to have large populations and large geographic range sizes - two characteristics that are often associated with lower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-extinctions-shatter-the-harmonious-balance-of-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extinction</a> risks,” explained Carlos Botero, an associate professor of integrative biology and senior author of the study.



“The problem here is that because many of those species are adapted to a very narrow range of climates, those seemingly large populations can be quite <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-bird-species-face-extinction-risks-in-the-neotropics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">susceptible</a> to collapse when climate patterns begin to change.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-paradox-from-the-arctic"><a></a>A paradox from the Arctic</h2>



One of the clearest examples comes from the Arctic, where a single broad climatic regime stretches across thousands of miles. The Bohemian waxwing is emblematic: its breeding distribution spans an immense arc from Scandinavia to Alaska.



Yet the Arctic’s uniform environment means that the waxwing’s entire life cycle is tied to cold temperatures and consistent snow cover. Even minor warming or shifts in precipitation could push the species outside its comfort zone - no matter how far it can fly within that chilly belt.



In their analysis, Botero’s team contrasted the waxwing with the chestnut-crowned laughingthrush. The laughingthrush is restricted to a sliver of montane forest in Nepal, Bhutan, and neighboring parts of Asia - an area a fraction of the waxwing’s extent.



But the Himalayan foothills expose that small-ranged bird to a wider palette of temperatures and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-rainfall-increases-as-a-direct-result-of-global-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rainfall</a> patterns throughout the year. The laughingthrush therefore occupies a broader “climate niche,” potentially giving it more room to maneuver as conditions shift.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bird-brains-and-climate-specialization">Bird brains and climate specialization</h2>



The surprises did not stop with range maps. Analyses also revealed an unexpected relationship between brain size and climate flexibility. 



Larger-brained birds, long celebrated for their resourcefulness, tended to be the very species most tightly wedded to specific climate regimes. “Larger brain sizes correlate with more flexible behavior, so `big-brained birds are usually expected to be more adaptable,” Botero said. 



“However, it turns out that many big-brained birds are climate specialists - meaning that they have evolved to thrive in very particular climate types and may therefore also be more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-birds-are-more-at-risk-from-climate-change-than-others/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vulnerable</a> to climate change than we expected.”



Why would an animal capable of problem-solving and tool use paint itself into a narrow climatic corner? Botero and coauthor João Fabrício Mota Rodrigues (now at <a href="https://unicamp.br/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brazil’s University of Campinas</a>) suspect that cognitive prowess helps species exploit highly specific environments with great efficiency. 



Over evolutionary time, that specialization can lead to tight physiological tolerances - exactly the trait that becomes risky when the planet’s thermostat creeps upward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-a-two-dimensional-climate-map"><a></a>Building a two-dimensional climate map</h2>



To quantify each species’ niche, the team merged two huge datasets. First came detailed range maps created from hundreds of thousands of sightings submitted by volunteer birders to the <a href="https://ebird.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eBird</a> platform. 



Second, the researchers developed a simplified, yet powerful, climate classification that captures two axes of environmental hardship. The first axis - “temperature harshness” - rises as places become colder, more variable, and less predictable. 



The second - “xeric harshness” - ratchets upward with drier, more erratic rainfall. Plotting Earth’s land areas across those twin axes produced a two-dimensional climate space. 



Points near the center represent benign zones: warm, moist, and seasonally steady. Farther out lie the extremes: parched deserts, storm-prone tropics, or frigid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-will-changing-tundra-landscapes-affect-earths-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tundra</a>. 



By overlaying each bird’s distribution onto that grid, the researchers measured how much of the climate space the species actually uses. A small ellipse located at one edge of the diagram signals trouble. 



Birds confined to that limited set of conditions may find it hard to track shifting isotherms or precipitation belts. Conversely, a large swath cutting across multiple quadrants suggests climatic breadth and, potentially, resilience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-interactions-hidden-risks"><a></a>Hidden interactions, hidden risks</h2>



The latest study adds to a growing chorus urging conservation planners to reconsider single-factor threat lists. 



“We need to stop looking at individual risk factors in isolation, but evaluate how these complex factors combine,” Botero emphasized. “Sometimes, it is the unexpected interactions that matter most.”



Indeed, a species can check all the traditional “safe” boxes - huge range, big population, high intelligence - yet still sit on a climatic knife-edge. Arctic breeders are just one illustration. 



Tropical forest birds with large brains and tight humidity requirements could face similar hazards if droughts intensify. Even desert specialists might falter if rainfall becomes too unpredictable for reliable breeding.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-citizen-science-and-big-picture-insights">Citizen science and big-picture insights</h2>



According to Rodrigues, the analysis was made possible by citizen scientists. Data derived from eBird gave the experts an unprecedented global snapshot.



Without hundreds of thousands of observers recording where they saw even the most common species, they couldn’t have mapped climate niches with this precision. Such an approach is quickly becoming a backbone of ecological forecasting. 



By harnessing real-time, geo-tagged records from amateurs, researchers can update models as species ranges expand, contract, or fragment - often faster than traditional field surveys could manage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smarter-species-conservation">Smarter species conservation</h2>



Recognizing climate specialization where none was suspected may reshape conservation priorities. Agencies often triage limited funds toward charismatic, range-restricted species. 



But Botero’s work suggests that some cosmopolitan birds deserve equal attention, precisely because their “bigness” masks a slender climatic lifeline. Future investigations will probe whether similar patterns hold for mammals, reptiles, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amphibians-are-being-pushed-beyond-their-heat-limits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amphibians</a>. 



For now, the message is clear: size - of range, of population, of brain - does not guarantee safety. In a rapidly changing climate, ecological nuance matters. 



Understanding that nuance could spell the difference between proactive protection and costly rescue missions when numbers suddenly plummet. As policymakers craft strategies for the coming decades, studies like this remind us that vulnerability isn’t always where we expect it. 



Sometimes it hides beneath vast northern skies, in flocks that seem abundant - until the weather shifts just a little too far, and the invisible boundaries of their climate niches close in.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58815-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Big brains and wide ranges can't save birds from climate change

Conservation scientists often reassure themselves with a simple rule of...

Not all birds migrate. Some stay put. Some, like the Lesser Goldfinch, go where conditions allow them to thrive. These tiny songbirds, once mostly limited to the Southwest, are now appearing in increasing numbers far north of their traditional range. What’s more surprising is the speed and consistency of this shift.



New research published in the journal Ornithology offers fresh insight into this striking expansion. It’s a story that touches climate, urbanization, and our relationship with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-what-were-really-fighting-for/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nature</a>. It’s also a reminder that sometimes, change isn’t just visible - it’s audible in birdsong that wasn’t there before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-goldfinch-surge-across-the-northwest">Goldfinch surge across the Northwest</h2>



The study comes from a collaboration between Washington State University (<a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;q=Washington+State+University&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;oe=UTF-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WSU</a>) and the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>. 



The researchers relied on observations submitted by everyday birdwatchers through two Cornell initiatives: Project <a href="https://feederwatch.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FeederWatch</a> and <a href="https://ebird.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eBird</a>. These programs collect real-time data, creating a massive network of people watching and logging birds.



The analysis revealed that Lesser Goldfinch populations have grown dramatically between 2012 and 2022.



In Washington, the number rose by 110.5%. Idaho saw a 66.3% increase, while Oregon had a more modest but still notable 16.9%. These numbers suggest more than a seasonal visit. They point to full-scale colonization.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personal-experience-sparks-a-major-discovery">Personal experience sparks a major discovery</h2>



For Mason Maron, the lead author of the study, the change wasn’t just academic - it was personal.



"When I first arrived in eastern Washington I was pretty new to birding and Lesser Goldfinches were new to me. I was seeing groups of 30 or 40 at a time and I sort of assumed that was normal, until I started meeting local birders who said, '10 years ago we never had Lesser Goldfinches,’ so I started to investigate what was going on,” said Maron.



That moment of curiosity eventually led to this landmark study. It highlights how individual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiences</a> can turn into powerful scientific discoveries, especially when supported by large-scale data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-goldfinches-are-moving-with-intention">Goldfinches are moving with intention </h2>



Lesser Goldfinches are not just randomly moving. The researchers discovered clear <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-is-accelerating-beyond-control-as-co2-levels-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">patterns</a>.



"What's fascinating is how these birds are adapting to human-modified landscapes," said Maron. 



"They're not just moving north randomly - they're following specific corridors, particularly along rivers and through urban areas where temperatures are warmer and where both native and non-native plants provide food."



These zones offer warmer microclimates and a diverse range of food sources, making them ideal for expansion. The urban heat island effect plays a role too, buffering the birds from harsher northern winters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-linked-to-goldfinch-expansion">Factors linked to goldfinch expansion </h2>



The study pinpointed four <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-constantly-reshuffling-earths-species/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental factors</a> most closely linked with the birds’ expansion. Maximum annual temperature and rainfall topped the list. Urban development and proximity to rivers also played strong roles.



Although these birds often appear at backyard feeders, Maron and his team were surprised by one finding: bird feeders don’t make a meaningful difference in helping establish new populations.



"There wasn't really a significant association with bird feeders," Maron said. The first individuals to arrive in a new area might go to feeders because they provide easy to access food, but Maron explained that “it's not going to be enough to sustain a whole population."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-act-as-goldfinch-highways-nbsp">Rivers act as goldfinch highways&nbsp;</h2>



Rivers stood out as essential channels. They don’t just provide water. They also bring life in the form of seeds, insects, and disturbed soil - perfect conditions for opportunistic birds like the Lesser Goldfinch.



"These rivers carry weedy plants and seeds really well," said Maron. "We, as people, like to live along the river, so we disturb the soil and that really creates this sort of chain of the perfect conditions for them."



This overlap between human settlement and bird habitat is not just a coincidence. It shows how species can align their movements with our built environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stability-in-new-regions">Stability in new regions</h2>



It’s one thing for a species to explore new territory. It’s another to settle in and grow. The researchers found that once goldfinches arrive, they tend to stay - and even thrive.



"Our results are suggestive of this species being able to pretty rapidly colonize new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-earth-energy-imbalance-temperature-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environments</a>," said Jordan Boersma, co-author and research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 



"It's not just that Lesser Goldfinches are exploring these new areas…they are moving in and typically turning into stable populations or even increasing populations."



This kind of success story is rare. Many species that encounter environmental change don’t survive, much less expand.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-southward-decline-mirrors-northward-growth">Southward decline mirrors Northward growth</h2>



Even as they thrive in the north, Lesser Goldfinches appear to be declining in the south. The Cornell Lab’s eBird Status and Trends project notes losses in the species’ traditional southwestern strongholds.



This suggests that the northward shift may not be a pure gain. Instead, it reflects an underlying pressure - possibly driven by heat, drought, or changing vegetation - that is making the southern part of their range less hospitable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-nuanced-view-of-adaptation">A nuanced view of adaptation</h2>



While this study shows how adaptable the Lesser Goldfinch can be, the researchers urge caution in drawing wide conclusions. Most species are not so fortunate.



"What it really shows is that we know a lot of species are declining and struggling because of these changes. Some species can survive and adapt and do better, but it's not necessarily a trade-off," said Maron.



Adaptability varies. For every bird that expands, others may retreat or vanish. It’s a reminder that environmental change rarely distributes benefits equally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-goldfinches-moving-in-response-to-change">Goldfinches moving in response to change</h2>



Boersma sees deeper meaning in the goldfinch’s journey. "This species has proven remarkably adaptable to environmental change," he said. 



"Understanding how birds like the Lesser Goldfinch respond to climate change and urbanization helps us predict how other species might also be impacted."



Birds are sensitive indicators of ecological shifts. Watching them closely reveals how ecosystems are changing - sometimes before we notice anything else.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-power-of-public-participation">Power of public participation</h2>



None of this research would exist without everyday people recording what they see in their yards, parks, and neighborhoods. Through Project FeederWatch and eBird, citizens contribute millions of observations that build into something far greater than the sum of its parts.



"When we understand how wildlife responds to environmental change, we're better equipped to make informed decisions about urban planning, conservation, and climate adaptation," said Maron.



The goldfinches remind us that even small birds can carry big messages - if we’re paying attention.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/auk/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ornithology/ukaf013/8116731?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ornithology</a>.



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Goldfinches are moving to new homes in unusual places

Not all birds migrate. Some stay put. Some, like the...

Step outside on a warm summer evening, and you’ll likely notice something missing - fewer buzzing bees, fluttering butterflies, or humming beetles. Across the globe, insect numbers are crashing.



These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/very-little-is-known-about-99-of-all-insects-on-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">small creatures</a> may not grab headlines like tigers or elephants, but they play vital roles in pollination, decomposition, and supporting ecosystems. Without them, life on Earth would unravel in quiet but devastating ways.



The concern isn’t new, but recent efforts to grasp the scale and causes of insect decline are painting a clearer, more complex picture. 



A research team at Binghamton University, State University of New York (<a href="https://www.suny.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SUNY</a>), has taken a sweeping look at how scientists explain this crisis. Their work doesn’t just identify the usual suspects - it shows a deeply interconnected web of causes, some obvious, many ignored, and all urgent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insect-are-disappearing-fast">Insect are disappearing fast</h2>



In 2017, a shocking <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185809" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> revealed a 75% drop in insect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pests-are-moving-to-cooler-regions-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">populations</a> in under 30 years. That single paper stirred a global scientific response, triggering waves of new research.



Scientists began investigating the reasons behind this collapse, with studies emerging across fields from agriculture to climate science.



Despite this burst of attention, understanding the full picture has remained elusive. Many studies focus on specific regions, stressors, or insect groups. 



This fragmented view has made it difficult to see how the various factors combine or overlap. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linked-causes-of-insect-population-loss">Linked causes of insect population loss</h2>



To capture the breadth of expert opinion, the <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton</a> researchers examined over 175 scientific review papers. These reviews included more than 500 hypotheses about why insects are disappearing. The team read and analyzed them all, building a network of over 3,000 linked ideas.



“It's really hard to talk to everybody about what everyone thinks. And so instead of getting 600 people into a room, we decided to take an approach where we read every paper that's either a review or a meta-analysis,” said Christopher Halsch, a post-doctoral researcher at Binghamton and lead author of the paper.



This network approach allowed them to trace how one cause leads to another. For instance, agriculture may lead to pesticide use, which harms insects. Urban sprawl might increase pollution and fragment habitats. 



Every driver connects to others, forming a dense mesh of stressors that influence insect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insect-populations-dramatically-declining-around-the-world-rising-temperatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">survival</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-agriculture-the-dominant-driver">Agriculture: The dominant driver</h2>



When the team looked at which drivers showed up most often, agricultural intensification topped the list. This includes land-use changes, monocultures, and pesticide applications. These practices reduce natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-are-uniquely-adapted-to-withstand-harsh-winter-climates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">habitats</a> and expose insects to toxic chemicals.



But Halsch and his colleagues caution against seeing this as a simple ranking. Agricultural practices often interact with other forces, amplifying the damage. 



For example, land cleared for farming may also face climate pressures or pollution. One driver rarely acts alone.



The network map shows that stressors don’t exist in isolation. They create a feedback loop, where one issue triggers another. This interdependence complicates conservation, which often focuses on single threats or single species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-pressures-and-disappearing-insects">Climate pressures and disappearing insects</h2>



Among the other stressors, climate-related changes play a major role. Extreme precipitation, wildfires, rising temperatures, and seasonal shifts all affect insect life cycles, behavior, and habitats. But even within this broad category, complexity reigns.



Each climatic factor may worsen another threat. For example, hotter summers can increase pesticide use, while floods can destroy fragile habitats. These interactions mean that insects face stress from multiple fronts at once.



Despite the importance of these factors, many are still overlooked. The Binghamton study highlights that much of the scientific literature misses critical threats that aren’t easy to quantify or observe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-literature-misses-entirely">What the literature misses entirely</h2>



Perhaps the most startling finding was what the researchers didn’t find. Entire categories of known threats were nearly absent from the literature. Natural disasters, war zones, railways, and human intrusions - none appeared in any of the reviews examined.



“None of the papers mentioned natural disasters,” said Professor Eliza Grames, who was part of a recent <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/5386/20-of-butterflies-in-the-u.s-have-disappeared-since-2000" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> showing a 20% loss of butterflies in the United States.



“No papers looked at human intrusions and disturbance, or the effects of war on insects, or railroads.”



These threats are well known in biodiversity discussions. Yet, when it comes to insects, they vanish from view. This raises concerns about research blind spots and missed opportunities to address emerging <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-of-farming-insect-waste-reshapes-soil-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">challenges</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studies-mostly-focus-on-bees-and-butterflies">Studies mostly focus on bees and butterflies</h2>



Another problem is the overwhelming focus on bees and butterflies. These species are loved and easily recognized. They’re also valuable to agriculture, which means they attract research dollars and public support.



“Because people have focused so much on pollinators like bees and butterflies, we are limited in identifying conservation actions that benefit other insects,” said Grames.



This focus creates a loop. “Bees are agriculturally important and people care about them. So there is a lot of research priority towards funding research on bees. So you get this kind of feedback: if you prioritize research on bees, you learn more about bees," said Halsch.



Meanwhile, countless other insects remain poorly understood and unprotected.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-towards-a-broader-conservation-vision">Towards a broader conservation vision</h2>



Focusing on well-known species risks missing the bigger picture. The vast majority of insects aren’t pollinators. Many play roles in soil health, pest control, and nutrient cycling. Ignoring them puts entire ecosystems at risk.



“One of the important points we're trying to make in the paper is that conservation actions overly biased towards certain insects or certain stressors will likely be negative for many other insects,” said Halsch. 



“If we focus too much on bees and butterflies and their conservation, we will miss a lot of other species, most of them in fact.”



The way forward, the researchers argue, is to adopt broader, more inclusive strategies. This means managing not just individual drivers, but their connections. It requires recognizing unseen threats and correcting biases in funding and focus.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-crisis-of-disappearing-insects">The crisis of disappearing insects</h2>



Insects don’t inspire awe like whales or wolves. But their absence would mark the collapse of ecological foundations. This new research urges us to look beyond the familiar, to notice what the data - and our eyes - often miss.



By weaving together 3,000 hypotheses into a single map, the Binghamton team has made one thing clear: insect decline is a many-headed crisis. 



Addressing this issue of disappearing insects will take more than targeted fixes. It will take a shift in how we view the smallest lives on Earth - and how much we’re willing to do to protect them.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/biosci/biaf034/8115312?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BioScience</a>.



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Insects are still disappearing - and there are hundreds of reasons why

Step outside on a warm summer evening, and you’ll likely...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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