It is no secret that some lifestyles demand more resources than others. But recent climate findings highlight how individuals with vast wealth have exerted a larger influence on global warming and temperature shifts than previously realized.



In a 2025 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02325-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a>, the world’s wealthiest 10% are reported to have caused two-thirds of observed global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a> since 1990. 



This work was led by lead author Sarah Schöngart, an alumna of the 2024 Young Scientists Summer Program, who is currently associated with <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a>, and published by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (<a href="https://iiasa.ac.at" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIASA</a>).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wealthy-emitters-drive-climate-warming">Wealthy emitters drive climate warming</h2>



Scientists indicate that the top 1% of high-income earners contributed 26 times the global average to monthly 1-in-100-year heat extremes worldwide, and 17 times more to intense drought <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">events</a> in the Amazon region.&nbsp;



“We found that wealthy emitters play a major role in driving climate extremes, which provides strong support for climate policies that target the reduction of their emissions,” explained Schöngart at the end of her remarks.



Researchers also noticed that emissions from the richest 10% in major economies, such as the United States and China, caused a two- to threefold increase in dangerous heat conditions across vulnerable tropical areas. 



These hotspots include Southeast Asia, southern Africa, and other regions with limited resources to handle amplified environmental stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consequences-for-vulnerable-regions">Consequences for vulnerable regions</h2>



“Addressing this imbalance is crucial for fair and effective climate action,” says coauthor <a href="https://iiasa.ac.at/staff/carl-schleussner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carl-Friedrich Schleussner</a>, who leads the Integrated Climate Impacts Research Group at IIASA. 



Communities in zones already prone to high temperatures and scarce rainfall are dealing with more frequent hazards linked to wealth-driven pollution.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Experts</a> have underscored how nations or groups with historically low <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-innovation-takes-the-lead-in-environmental-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> often face disproportionate impacts. Scientists note that these areas experience higher chances of weather disasters, yet have fewer means to respond or rebuild.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finances-fuel-climate-warming">Finances fuel climate warming</h2>



Several analysts believe that climate discussions should not only focus on personal consumption but also on the massive financial investments of wealthy individuals. 



When these investments support high-emission ventures, the world sees greater rises in heat extremes and drought occurrences.



Groups like the <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations Environment Programme</a> have called for policy measures that redirect funds to cleaner solutions. 



Advocates argue that this could help reduce future harm while encouraging fair contributions from top earners who have the greatest capacity to shift investments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rebalancing-climate-responsibility">Rebalancing climate responsibility</h2>



Income-based emission studies raise questions about how to share the costs of adaptation and recovery. 



Observers suggest that policies aimed at rebalancing responsibility might also improve public acceptance of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-impacting-earths-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> strategies, since people often want to see genuine efforts toward equity in carbon reduction.



“If everyone had emitted like the bottom 50% of the global population, the world would have seen minimal additional warming since 1990,” says Schleussner. 



This observation hints that tailored policies targeting disproportionate emissions could produce meaningful changes.



Scientists stress that tackling climate threats involves more than quick technical fixes. 



Those with higher incomes often have greater capacity to choose low-carbon lifestyles or to fund transformational climate solutions, making their role especially crucial in reducing warming trends.



Researchers emphasize that individuals in affluent groups have a unique chance to spark large-scale shifts. 



That could entail demanding cleaner supply chains, backing renewable energy, or encouraging sustainable investment portfolios, all of which can shape future climate outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-warming-inequality">Global warming inequality</h2>



The study estimates that the top 10% of earners contributed 6.5 times more to global warming than the average person, while the top 1% contributed 20 times more. 



For the top 0.1%, the figure skyrockets to 76 times the global average - an eye-opening statistic that illustrates how a small share of the population has driven a large share of climate disruption.



If everyone had emitted like the top 10%, global temperatures would have risen nearly 3°F (1.6°C) more since 1990. But if everyone had lived like the bottom 50%, there would have been almost no additional warming at all. 



That contrast highlights how the burden of global warming cannot be pinned on “humanity” in general - it’s coming from a concentrated source.



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



Climate experts believe that ongoing conversations about carbon taxes and financial regulations might incorporate these findings for more equitable action. 



Some advocate for measures that hold top emitters accountable and support the communities that are most affected by intensifying weather events.



Others propose progressive policy instruments that reflect actual emissions contributions. 



Policymakers are increasingly exploring how to ensure elite pollution is addressed, while resources for adaptation and recovery become more accessible in low-income nations.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02325-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Climate Change</a>.



-----



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Wealthy elite responsible for vast majority of global climate warming

It is no secret that some lifestyles demand more resources than others. But recent climate findings highlight how individuals with vast wealth have exerted a larger influence on global warming and temperature shifts than previously realized. In a 2025 analysis, the world’s wealthiest 10% are reported to have caused two-thirds of observed global warming since 1990. This work was led by lead author Sarah Schöngart, an alumna of the 2024 Young Scientists Summer Program, who is currently associated with ETH Zurich, and published by the International Institute...

Senior government officials blocked testimony from an intelligence agency staffer that warned about the “possibly catastrophic” effects of human-caused climate change, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/06/08/white-house-blocked-intelligence-aides-written-testimony-saying-human-caused-climate-change-could-be-possibly-catastrophic/">Washington Post</a> reported this week. 

Rod Schoonover, a staff member at the State Department, had planned to deliver his written testimony to the <a href="https://intelligence.house.gov/">House Intelligence Committee</a> on Wednesday until senior officials with several different White House officers stopped him, the newspaper claimed, citing several sources within the administration.

According to those sources, the Washington Post claimed, the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/internships/presidential-departments/">White House Officer of Legislative Affairs</a> did eventually allow the intelligence agency staffer to go before the House committee, but prohibited him from submitting written testimony.

The Post was unable to reach Schoonover for comment, it said, and the White House declined to provide a comment on the matter. Other news agencies have reached out to both sources, but have not reported any statements from either Schoonover or the White House.

However, the Post was able to obtain and print the allegedly blocked testimony. 

“Fundamental characteristics of the global climate are moving outside the bounds experienced in modern history and there is uncertainty on how some aspects of the climate will evolve. Given the complex social and political contexts in which a multitude of changes are occurring, however, we can expect new and compounded stresses on people and societies around the world, many with outcomes important for national security,” Schoonover wrote.

"Climate change will have wide-ranging implications for U.S. national security over the next 20 years through global perturbations, increased risk of political instability, heightened tensions between countries for resources, a growing number of climate-linked humanitarian crises, emergent geostrategic competitive domains and adverse effects on militaries,” he added.

While climate change was unlikely to bring about “state failure” alone, Schoonover wrote, the addition of climate-based stressors to already unstable regions could contribute to major conflicts and mass migration. 

The intelligence community doesn’t monitor climate conditions, Schoonover noted, but it does analyze climate data collected by agencies such as <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>, the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> and the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a>. The data from these agencies has been raising concerns, the intelligence agency staffer said.

“Absent extensive mitigating factors or events, we see few plausible future scenarios where significant – possibly catastrophic – harm does not arise from the compounded effects of climate change,” he concluded.

The full testimony, including analysis of climate data and current global political conditions, may be read at the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/the-national-security-implications-of-climate-change/d5977183-15d9-45eb-a011-d4c701b02594/?utm_term=.2743d10bc56e">Washington Post</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Mark Van Scyoc / <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock.com</a>

Paid for by Earth.com.

Washington Post: Climate testimony from intelligence agency blocked

Senior government officials blocked testimony from an intelligence agency staffer...

The decimation of over half a million corals in Florida was caused by a 16-month dredging operation in the Port of Miami, a new study shows. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> conducted a comprehensive study of Florida’s reef tract to see to what extent dredging impacted the corals and how far those impacts extended. 

The results, published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, show that over the course of the 16 months, plumes of sediment dredged up from the ocean floor settled between 50 to 90 percent of nearby reefs which caused widespread coral declines. 

The impacts were strongest within 550 yards of the newly dredged channel, but the researchers say that corals could be impacted across 15 miles of the reef tract. 

At first, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-worlds-coral-dead/">coral deaths</a> in the region were attributed to an outbreak of coral disease, but after reanalyzing data from the dredging, the researchers found that disease had little to do with it. 

The researchers also took advantage of satellite data to see if sediment plumes from dredging visible from space could be used to help estimate the damage to corals near the plumes. 

“We brought together all the available data from satellites, sediment traps, and hundreds of underwater surveys,” said Ross Cunning, the lead author of the study. “Together, the multiple, independent datasets clearly show that dredging caused the major damages observed on these reefs.”

Coral cover has declined 70 percent along the Florida reef tract, and as corals provide an essential buffer against coastal flooding, protecting these natural barriers is crucial. 

“If we want to conserve these ecosystems for the generations that come after us, it’s essential that we do all we can to conserve the corals we still have left,” said Andrew Baker, the senior author of the study. “These climate survivors may hold the key to understanding how some corals can survive global changes. We have to start locally by doing all we can to protect our remaining corals from impacts, like dredging, that we have the ability to control or prevent.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Mia2you / Shutterstock

Dredging destroyed over a half million corals in Florida

The decimation of over half a million corals in Florida...

A changing climate might help Siberia become livable for humans. The geographic area east of the Ural Mountains headed towards the Pacific Ocean is known as Asian Russia, and it’s not known as being particularly hospitable. This 13 million square kilometer tract of land makes up 77 percent of Russia’s land area, but its population only accounts for 27 percent of the country’s total and is mostly concentrated in the south along the forest-steppe. But could this unforgiving area one day become habitable thanks to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>?

A research team from <a href="http://ksc.krasn.ru/en/">Krasnoyarsk Federal Research Center</a> in Russia and <a href="https://www.nianet.org/">National Institute of Aerospace</a> in the U.S. examined the climate comfort of Asian Russia using current and predicted climate scenarios. In their study published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>, the results showed that large parts of Asian Russia may become habitable by the late 21st century as a result of climate change. A changing climate might help Siberia become livable for humans

“Previous human migrations have been associated with climate change. As civilizations developed technology that enabled them to adapt, humans became less reliant on the environment, particularly in terms of climate,” said the study’s lead author Dr Elena Parfenova, from the Krasnoyarsk Federal Research Center. “We wanted to learn if future changes in climate may lead to the less-hospitable parts of Asian Russia becoming more habitable for humans.”

The researchers used a combination of 20 general circulation models (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5) and two CO2 Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. RCP 2.6 represented mild climate change and RCP 8.5 represented more extreme changes. Through applying collective means of January and July temperatures and annual precipitation of the two scenarios to Asian Russia, they could determine the effects on winter severity, permafrost coverage, and Ecological Landscape Potential (ELP). 

“We found increases in temperature of 3.4°C (RCP 2.6) to 9.1°C (RCP 8.5) in mid-winter; increases of 1.9°C (RCP 2.6) to 5.7°C (RCP 8.5) in mid-summer; and increases in precipitation of 60 mm (RCP 2.6) to 140 mm (RCP 8.5),” explains lead author Dr. Elena Parfenova of the Krasnoyarsk Federal Research Center. “Our simulations showed that under RCP 8.5, by the 2080s Asian Russia would have a milder climate, with less permafrost coverage, decreasing from the contemporary 65 per cent to 40 per cent of the area by the 2080s.”

Even in the less extreme scenario (RCP 2.6), the ELP for human sustainability would improve by more than 15 percent of the area, allowing for a five-fold increase in the capacity of this area to sustain human populations.

“Asian Russia is currently extremely cold. In a future warmer climate, food security in terms of crop distribution and production capability is likely to become more favorable for people to support settlements,” says Parfenova. “However, suitable land development depends on the authorities’ social, political and economic policies. Lands with developed infrastructure and high agricultural potential would obviously be populated first. Vast tracts of Siberia and the Far East have poorly developed infrastructure. The speed these developments happen depends on investments in infrastructure and agriculture, which in turn depends on the decisions that should be made soon.”

While more land becoming habitable seems like a good thing on the surface, it’s obviously a part of a much bigger problem. Studies such as this show the impact that climate change will have in a future that’s less than a century away. While we contemplate ways to mitigate climate change in the meantime, maybe we should also consider buying property in Asian Russia. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Yury Taranik

A changing climate might help Siberia become livable for humans

A changing climate might help Siberia become livable for humans....

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chaco-culture-national-historical-park/">Chaco Culture National Historical Park</a> is a place of immense cultural and historic importance. Chaco is also a place of beauty and wildlife. Elk and coyotes can be seen from within the crumbling walls of ancient ruins. Hiking trails can take you to delicately chipped petroglyphs in canyon walls. Chaco is even considered a sacred place to Pueblo and Navajo communities. Unfortunately, Chaco’s environment is also under threat by federal land managers and mineral development.  

The <a href="https://www.blm.gov/">US Bureau of Land Management</a> (BLM) has a history of issuing permits for oil drilling in the area around Chaco. <a href="https://www.hcn.org/issues/51.4/latest-a-dangerous-game-of-chicken-on-drilling-near-chaco-canyon">High Country News</a> reported in February that although 34,000 acres of land are protected by Chaco Culture National Historical Park, the majority of the greater Chaco area has been leased for oil and gas development by the federal government. <a href="https://www.taosnews.com/stories/drilling-on-state-land-near-chaco-banned,56818">Taos News</a> reported in May that Stephanie Garcia Richard, the New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands, signed an executive order creating a moratorium for drilling on state lands near Chaco. That move takes 73,000 acres off the table for drilling but it does nothing to stop the Bureau of Land Management from continuing drilling on federal lands in the region. 

<a href="https://www.cpr.org/news/story/navajo-pueblo-leaders-want-drilling-regulated-near-sacred-chaco-canyon">CPR</a> reported earlier this year that New Mexico’s House Delegation has been seeking a stop to federal oil and gas leasing within a 10 mile buffer surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park but is unlikely to succeed. The act may be more symbolic than substantive, instead sending a message to the Trump administration. The proposed buffer would include a mix of federal, state and tribal land and so would require a sign off by tribal authorities as well. 

The federal government itself has been inconsistent with its approach to Chaco. <a href="https://www.hcn.org/issues/51.4/latest-a-dangerous-game-of-chicken-on-drilling-near-chaco-canyon">High Country News</a> reported in February that the Trump administration had put parcels of land next to Chaco Culture National Historical Park up for lease only to remove them three times, almost as if taunting environmentalists and Native American groups. A lot of the decisions on drilling in the area are based around the BLM’s Farmington field office’s 2003 resource management plan for the San Juan Basin.   

The 2003 plan was for vertical drilling, not the more horizontal ‘fracking’ which involves fracturing rock with the injection of water to release more oil and gas deposits. Fracking has been criticized for contaminating water, an essential resource everywhere but one in especially short supply in arid regions like Chaco. 

Last year when I visited Chaco, the park’s water supply had broken down and bottled water was offered for free to visitors, a reminder that this is the desert. Water used in fracking is poisoned with hydrocarbons, fracking chemicals and other non-potable minerals. Because the 2003 plan didn’t take into account fracking, the BLM started a multiple year process to amend the old plan in 2014. 

In the meantime, the BLM has continued to issue new drilling leases despite calls from environmentalists and Native American groups to wait until the new plan is in place. This amounted to leases of 50,000 acres and more than 500 permits within ten years. In response, four environmental organizations sued the BLM, claiming that their 2003 plan didn’t take into account the effect of horizontal fracking wells. It’s projected that fracking in the area could use as much as 3 billion gallons of water if the BLM plans go ahead. 

The BLM won twice before a court of appeals sided with the environmentalists on one issue. <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/water-court-throws-book-at-blm-over-fracking-chaco?utm_source=wcn1&amp;utm_medium=email">High Country News</a> reports that on May 7, a court of appeals found that the BLM didn’t take into account the environmental impact of the amount of water used by fracking. Despite this, the BLM is continuing to issue permits and leases, in defiance of the court. 

The issue goes much further than water or fracking, though. <a href="https://www.cpr.org/news/story/navajo-pueblo-leaders-want-drilling-regulated-near-sacred-chaco-canyon">CPR</a> reported the Trump administration is attempting to roll back 2016 EPA rules that require oil and gas companies to reduce the flaring of methane. In response to this attempt of cutting restrictions, New Mexico has started planning its own methane restrictions. The state also gave new power to regulators to issue fines and citations. Meanwhile, the BLM continues with its planning process and continues to issue leases. 

Archaeological surveys, consultation with tribal leaders, and a conversation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs are all part of the BLM’s process to create a new drilling management plan for the area. As we’ve seen in other cases such as Standing Rock, following the letter of the law often leaves local people disenfranchised for the profit of big business, especially when the locals are historically oppressed native peoples. 

Native American leadership seem frustrated and feel that not enough is being done to protect important cultural sites. This is part of a greater push to drill on sensitive public lands with little regard to other issues under the Trump administration.

According to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drilling-permits/under-trump-u-s-drilling-permits-on-federal-lands-soar-idUSKCN1RO18A">Reuters</a>, in 2018 the federal government approved nearly 40% more permits to drill for oil and gas on public land than were issued in 2017. The increase in permits is partly due to a new automated system created near the end of Obama’s time as president that reduced a backlog in permitting. But Trump has also made it a goal to speed up permitting and reduce restrictions faced by oil and gas companies. The speed up of the permitting process however, was well underway under the Obama administration, when the BLM made it a goal to streamline the inefficient permitting process. Environmentalists fear that this faster process falls short on allowing public input as to areas where permits are to be issued. 

Last year, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drilling-oil-sangre-de-cristos/">I reported</a> on a lease to drill near in the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Colorado, another place sacred to Native Americans and another place of stunning beauty. The same issues are at stake in Chaco as in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. It seems a cultural war is being carried out between those who value land as sacred and of intrinsic worth and those who see land as simply a resource to be utilized. Unfortunately in the eyes of the government, the land is simply a thing to be used.          

--

By Zach Fitzner, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Zack Frank/Shutterstock

The battle to protect historic Chaco Canyon from fracking and drilling

Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a place of immense...

According to a new study from researchers at <a href="https://montereybay.noaa.gov/">California's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary</a>, microplastics, those being bits of consumer product-derived plastic debris measuring less than 5 millimeters across, which are commonly found from ocean surface to sea floor, are also entering the marine food web of Monterey Bay.

This study, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>, is the first to systematically look at <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-natural-carbon-storage/">microplastic</a> contamination via repeated sampling at the same locations and ranges of depths.

Small ocean animals are currently consuming microplastic, which therefore introduces the debris to the entire marine food web.

"Our findings buttress a growing body of scientific evidence pointing to the waters and animals of the deep sea, Earth's largest habitat, as the biggest repository of small plastic debris," said lead author Anela Choy, a former postdoctoral fellow at the <a href="https://www.mbari.org/">Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute</a> (MBARI) and current assistant professor at <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego</a>. "Our study demonstrates a link between microplastics distributed across the water column and entry of this foreign material into marine food webs by important marine animals, such as pelagic crabs and giant larvaceans."

"This research shows how we can leverage scientific, engineering and conservation expertise to develop new technology that provides powerful insights into how humans are impacting the ocean,” added MBARI engineer Kakani Katija.

To better understand the impact of microplastic on marine life, the research team used MBARI's underwater robots, each equipped with sampling devices, to obtain and filter ocean water from two different locations in Monterey Bay. Some samples were taken from just 5 meters below the surface, whereas others were taken about 1,000 meters below the surface.

They found almost identical concentrations of microplastics in samples taken from waters near the surface and at the deepest levels. They also found four times the concentration of microplastics in midwater ranges than in waters near the surface.

Choy and her team then observed two filter-feeding marine species, pelagic red crabs and giant larvaceans, to see if microplastic invaded the food web. Unsurprisingly, it has — microplastic was found in all of the animals surveyed. 

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> (ASU) concluded that the most common plastics found in the samples taken were polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide, and polycarbonate, all of which are most commonly used for consumer products like food and beverage packaging. Furthermore, all of the plastic sampled was weathered, suggesting in had been in the environment for months or years. And most of the particles were collected more offshore than nearshore.

[caption id="attachment_1873621" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/plastic.png"><img class="wp-image-1873621" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/plastic.png" alt="" width="650" height="613" /></a> Image Credit: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute[/caption]

"This suggests that most of the particles did not originate from local fishing gear," said coauthor Kyle Van Houtan, chief scientist at <a href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/">Monterey Bay Aquarium</a>. "It also suggests that at least some of the microplastic was transported into the area by ocean currents."

"These results are intriguing and show the need for similar deep-water surveys in other locations, so we can find out how widespread the problem is,” said coauthor Bruce Robison, a senior scientist at MBARI.

"The ubiquitous presence of plastic pollution throughout the water column points to source reduction--making and using less plastic in the first place--as one of the most effective means of solving this issue," Van Houtan said. "It may be virtually impossible to remove existing microplastic from the deep sea," he continued. "But when we slow the flow of plastic from land, we can help prevent the increasing accumulation of plastic in our global ocean."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Johnny Adolphson

Microplastics have penetrated marine food webs in Monterey Bay

According to a new study from researchers at California's Monterey...

Heavy exposure to black carbon is like smoking a pack a day for 15 years. Breathing in black carbon from diesel fumes, coal power plants, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-black-carbon-is-left-behind-after-a-forest-fire/">forest fires</a> increases the number of small blood vessels in the lungs, and exposure to high levels of black carbon causes the same amount of lung damage as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 15 years. 

Researchers led by <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> professor Dr. Carrie Pistenmaa Aaron observed for the first time the impact that breathing in tiny black carbon particles has on the peripheral blood vessels in the lungs. 

Even small amounts of particles could increase the risk of developing lung disease, which is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Heavy exposure to black carbon is like smoking a pack a day for 15 years 

The results of the study were published in the journal European Respiratory Journal.  

“A few previous studies have suggested a link between air pollution and the pulmonary circulation, but we wanted to evaluate whether there were associations between chronic air pollution exposure and the vascular structure of the lungs,” said Aaron. “We were interested in the lung vasculature as we think it may be related to chronic lung conditions.”

For the study, the researchers reviewed data from the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/air-research/multi-ethnic-study-atherosclerosis-mesa-air-study">National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Lung and Air Pollution Studies</a> which included information from more than 3,000 people across six cities in the US. 

The participants’ long-term exposure to outdoor air pollutants were recorded, and pulmonary blood vessels were measured with CT scans. 

Important factors like age, height, sex, history of smoking, and medical history were included in the data. 

The 3,000 participants were exposed to .8 micrograms of black carbon per cubic meter every year and 11 micrograms of fine particulate matter. 

While these levels are well below air pollution limits set by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> and the European Union, the researchers still found that black carbon exposure impacted blood vessels in the lungs. 

“Our findings suggest that long-term exposure to black carbon may impact the pulmonary circulation,” said Aaron. 

Because the study was based on cross-sectional observations, there are limits to the conclusions, but the researchers hope to further explore how black carbon impacts pulmonary blood vessels and lung disease risk. 

“No previous research has looked specifically at whether these changes in humans lead to disease, so we cannot say for certain how this may be affecting health,” said Aaron. “However, other studies of similar pulmonary vascular measures on CT and MRI in humans, in addition to a number of studies in animals, suggest that differences in the pulmonary vasculature might make people more likely to develop chronic lung disease.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Igor Grochev

Heavy exposure to black carbon is like smoking a pack a day for 15 years

Heavy exposure to black carbon is like smoking a pack...

Despite numerous protests and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/majority-republicans-climate-change/">polls showing</a> that more and more people agree that climate change is a problem that demands action, many studies can overlook how social networks and human behaviors influence climate change and mitigation strategies. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> and the <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/">University of Guelph</a> in Canada have developed a new climate modeling approach that factors in how social processes and human behavior influence global warming and climate. 

Our behavior and day to day interactions have a significant impact on the ecosystem, social networks, and climate. 

It’s well known that human activities are the primary driver of climate change and while countless studies examine how anthropogenic emissions are hurting the environment, very little attention is paid to how climate change influences human behavior. 

In a new study, published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007000">PLOS Computational Biology</a>, the researchers created a mathematical model that incorporates social networks and climate systems into its equations as well as simulates how mitigation efforts influence human activity and behavior. 

“Mathematical models that capture social dynamics and their interaction with climate trends will become increasingly used in climate research,” said Chris Bauch, a co-author of the study. 

If researchers and policymakers alike have a better understanding of how human behavior influences climate change and vice versa, it could help create more effective mitigation strategies. 

The model showed that how soon or late a person hears about a friend’s climate change mitigation efforts has an impact on climate overall. 

For example, when a person sees that their friend installed an eco-friendly air-conditioner or bought an electric car on social media can have an impact on both climate and social systems. 

The slow pace of social learning could increase climate warming projections by more than one degree Celsius. 

The researchers also found that social norms have little impact on preventing rising temperatures, even if climate change mitigation is widespread. 

Instead, the model suggests that raising awareness is key and that speeding up social learning could help with making climate change mitigation more of a social norm. 

“There are pathways for humans to mitigate climate change, but processes driving behavior and norms at the individual and societal level will be essential to all of them, and our longstanding work on coupled human-environment systems applied here to climate change is providing direction in this regard,” said Madhur Anand a senior author of the study. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com </a>

Image Credit: Mark Dixon/Flickr

We know humans influence climate, but how does climate influence behavior?

Despite numerous protests and polls showing that more and more...

Our addiction to technology is causing an environmental disaster. As technology becomes faster, smarter and sleeker, we are increasingly tossing aside the old for the new. While playing with our latest iPhones, most of us spend little time reflecting on how our old phone will be <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/recycling-system-major-changes/">recycled</a>, and the long-lasting effects it will have on environmental and human health.

In the last ten years, many of us have gone through at least a few different smartphones- not to mention laptops, TVs, video game consoles and iPads. Sometimes we switch phones due to logistical reasons- our screen cracked or the phone was damaged by water. But in a time when every new technology release is the “next big thing”, we are tempted to ditch our perfectly usable technology in favor of new releases.

This trend is not just occurring in the United States but throughout the whole world. Today, more than<a href="https://www.gsma.com/mobileeconomy/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-Mobile-Economy-2018.pdf"> 5 billion</a> people have mobile devices. Disposable incomes in many developing countries are growing, allowing more people to access technology than ever before.

All of this technology needs to be disposed of somehow. But our waste management systems have not caught up to the technology craze. Electronic waste is now the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. In the United States, electronic waste accounts for<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/02/how-do-we-tackle-the-fastest-growing-waste-stream-on-the-planet/"> up to 70%</a> of toxic waste in landfills.

Some of us may use recycling programs to dispose of old technology. But these options require consumers to complete multiple steps. In order to ensure the highest level of user participation, actions should be as easy as possible for people to follow. Many recycling programs need people to send their old technology in the mail. Other programs have people bring their old technology to retail stores or kiosks. Many people may opt to keep the technology stored away or simply discard of it in the garbage.Our addiction to technology is causing an environmental disaster

In 2016, only 20% of the<a href="http://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:6341/Global-E-waste_Monitor_2017__electronic_single_pages_.pdf"> 44.7 million metric tonnes</a> of electronic waste was recycled. Technology that is not recycled often ends up landfills and incineration plants. Up to 90% of electronic waste is illegally traded or dumped, destined for developing countries in Africa and Asia. According to the<a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/illegally-traded-and-dumped-e-waste-worth-19-billion-annually-poses"> United Nations Environment Programme</a>, electronic waste is exported undetected by being declared as plastic and metal scraps.

Once in developing countries, locals extract elements such as copper and gold from the waste as a source of income. Extraction methods such as burning cables risk exposing people to hazardous substances, the<a href="https://www.who.int/ceh/risks/ewaste/en/"> World Health Organization</a> warns. People may become directly exposed to lead, cadmium, flame retardants and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These dangerous substances can also leak into the peoples’ soil, water and food.

The illegal dumping of electronic waste is also depleting our planet of the valuable raw materials used to make modern technology. When technology is not properly recycled, raw materials cannot be reused for future items. Rather, more materials have to be extracted from the earth. The extraction of raw materials currently accounts for<a href="http://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:6341/Global-E-waste_Monitor_2017__electronic_single_pages_.pdf"> seven percent</a> of the world’s energy consumption.

These raw materials, including gold and silver, are often referred to as “<a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/tech-supply-chains-risk-links-human-rights-abuses-outside-conflict">conflict metals</a>” as their mining has been linked to armed conflict and human rights abuses.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to coltan- a rare ore used in the production of smartphones, laptops and video game consoles. Mining sites are often in prime habitat for the critically endangered Grauer’s gorilla. Mining activities destroy the gorilla’s habitat and exacerbate poaching pressures.

The electronic waste crisis has no easy solution. The problem spans throughout the world, crossing multiple countries with differing laws. Currently,<a href="http://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:6341/Global-E-waste_Monitor_2017__electronic_single_pages_.pdf"> 66% of the world’s population</a> is covered by electronic waste management laws and 188 countries are signatories to an international treaty regulating the export of electronic waste. Yet, electronic waste legislation may not always be properly enforced or strong enough to fully address the issue.

As our addiction to technology continues, the pile of electronic waste is only going to grow. It is estimated that we will generate<a href="http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_A_New_Circular_Vision_for_Electronics.pdf"> 120 million tonnes</a> of electronic waste in 2050 alone if nothing changes.

Legislation alone is unlikely to tackle an issue this grand. A societal shift in consumer behavior is needed. Years ago, people needing to replace their technology often bought used gadgets online or from friends. Today, the idea of going on eBay to buy a used phone instead of upgrading to a newer model is unimaginable to many people.

A recent World Economic Forum<a href="http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_A_New_Circular_Vision_for_Electronics.pdf"> report</a> urges the world to move towards a zero electronic waste circular economy. In this economy, products are specifically designed for reuse, durability and recycling and product lifetimes are extended through refurbishment and second hand markets.

We are fast approaching the fifth generation of mobile networks- called 5G.<a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/5g-phones-what-are-the-first-5g-phones"> Over 30 new devices</a> are expected to be rolled out in 2019 that can access the network. The new 5G technology will undoubtedly result in a wave of consumers. And a wave of discarded technology.

If we don’t come up with a solution to electronic waste soon, we might end up drowning in our gadgets.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Poravute Siriphiroon / Shutterstock.com

Our addiction to technology is causing an environmental disaster

Our addiction to technology is causing an environmental disaster. As...

An international team of researchers has investigated how human activities during the Roman Empire may have impacted the climate in Europe. The experts found that a large amount of fires burned by ancient Romans triggered <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/visiting-city-air-pollution-breathing-issues/">air pollution</a> that cooled down the climate across the country. 

Anina Gilgen of <a href="https://www.ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a> was the lead author of the study. "We looked for the first time at whether anthropogenic aerosol impacts had an impact on climate a long time ago," Gilgen told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>.

The analysis adds to a growing collection of research which suggests that humans have been influencing the atmosphere and climate for thousands of years. The team estimated the amount of air pollution, such as soot, that may have been produced.

The researchers combined a global aerosol-enabled climate model with land use maps and new estimates of aerosol emissions from the Roman Empire.  

They determined that the cooling effect of air pollution would have lowered the temperature across Europe by 0.3 degrees Fahrenheit. However, an exceptionally warm climate likely countered this effect. 

The Roman Warm Period, which lasted from around 250 BC to 400 AD, was an unusually hot period that occurred at the height of the empire. Previous studies have shown that this was a natural phenomenon. 

The team found that while greenhouse gases and deforestation warmed the atmosphere by 0.27 degrees Fahrenheit, air pollution had a larger influence on cooling. Activities such as burning crop residue or wood to heat homes would have potentially altered the climate in different ways. 

According to New Scientist, human activities affected the atmosphere and temperatures in Europe and Southeast Asia as far back as 7,000 years ago. 

"Our model may overestimate aerosol-effective radiative forcing, however, and our results are very sensitive to the inferred seasonal timing of agricultural burning practices and natural aerosol emissions over land," wrote the study authors. "Nevertheless, it is likely that human influence on land and the atmosphere affected continental-scale climate during Classical Antiquity."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.climate-of-the-past.net/">Climate of the Past</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Ladislav Berecz/Shutterstock

Human activities during the Roman Empire cooled the climate in Europe

An international team of researchers has investigated how human activities...

Amidst royal pressure overseas, Trump says climate change goes ‘both ways’. Even after facing increasing pressure during his UK visit, President Donald Trump has continued to defend his stance on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.  

While he has since shifted from his bold claims that climate change was a hoax perpetrated by China, Trump refuses to acknowledge the countless studies, and even the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-denies-federal-climate-report/">assessment from within his own Administration</a>, that state in no uncertain terms that temperatures are on the rise. 

The latest appeal to Trump to take climate change seriously came from Prince Charles, who sat down with the President for 90 minutes during Trump’s visit to the UK.Amidst royal pressure overseas, Trump says climate change goes ‘both ways’ 

Prince Charles has been a strong proponent of climate change mitigation strategies and has spoken loudly about climate issues and reducing emissions. 

Puzzlingly, Trump still maintains that climate change goes “both ways.”

It’s not a new argument, and many climate change dissenters like to point out that weather extremes are nothing new in our globe’s history. 

In an interview on Good Morning Britain, Piers Morgan asked the President if he personally “believed in climate change,” to which Trump responded: 

“I believe that there’s a change in weather, and I think it changes both ways,” Trump said. “Don’t forget it used to be called global warming. That wasn’t working. Then it was called climate change. Now it’s actually called extreme weather, because with extreme weather, you can’t miss.”

To help prove his point, Trump cited several examples of past weather extremes.

“Forty years ago, we had the worst tornado binge we’ve ever had,” Trump said. “In the 1890s, we had our worst hurricanes.”

Study after study shows that weather extremes will become increasingly more frequent and severe in the coming years, and the reality is that temperatures are rising. 

The past several years have been the <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2841/2018-fourth-warmest-year-in-continued-warming-trend-according-to-nasa-noaa/">warmest in recorded history</a> since 1880. With record low sea ice extent, mass coral bleaching events due increases in ocean acidity and the increases in carbon dioxide emissions, and it’s hard to draw any other conclusion. 

When asked about emissions, Trump hastily put the blame on China and Russia. 

However, the United State is one of the worlds largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, and CO2 emissions from the US rose<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-spiked-in-2018--and-it-couldnt-happen-at-a-worse-time/2019/01/07/68cff792-12d6-11e9-803c-4ef28312c8b9_story.html?utm_term=.4321ab6298d2"> 3.4 percent in 2018</a>, according to a report conducted by the <a href="https://rhg.com/">Rhodium Group</a>, an independent economic research firm. 

President Trump remains adamant and seems willing to do anything to sway the stats in his favor, including establishing a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/white-house-panel-climate-change/">climate panel to reassess scientific studies</a> on climate change. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: lexaarts/Shutterstock

Amidst royal pressure overseas, Trump says climate change goes ‘both ways’

Amidst royal pressure overseas, Trump says climate change goes ‘both...

A shocking new report has found that if greenhouse gas emissions are left unchecked, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a> could trigger the beginning of the end for human civilization in just 30 years.

According to the report, a chain of environmental disasters could prompt an ecological disaster that could include pandemics, extreme flooding, forced human migration, and even result in nuclear war.

The report was published by the <a href="https://www.breakthroughonline.org.au/">Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration</a> in Melbourne, Australia and was authored by research director David Spratt and Ian Dunlop, a former chair of the Australian Coal Association and former executive at Shell. 

“A 2050 scenario is outlined in which accelerating climate-change impacts pose large negative consequences to humanity which might not be undone for centuries,” the researchers write.

The Paris Agreement was designed to keep emissions in check and limit global warming to 3 degrees Celsius. But after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement, and other nations struggle to meet their promises, it is entirely possible that warming could exceed this amount if emissions are not kept in check.

If global temperatures continue to increase, it could push the Earth’s ecosystems past certain climate thresholds and cause irreversible damage.

According to the research, more than half the world’s population will endure 100 days of deadly heat each year, and these heat waves would prompt wildfires and severe drought. This in turn would lead to mass extinctions and the collapse of entire ecosystems.  

Meanwhile, severe flooding would make certain parts of the globe completely uninhabitable and prompt mass mandatory relocation.

“This scenario provides a glimpse into a world of ‘outright chaos’ on a path to the end of human civilization and modern society as we have known it, in which the challenges to global security are simply overwhelming and political panic becomes the norm,” the report reads.

“What can be done to avoid such a probable but catastrophic future? It is clear from our preliminary scenario that dramatic action is required this decade if the ‘hothouse Earth’ scenario is to be avoided. To reduce this risk and protect human civilisation, a massive global mobilisation of resources is needed in the coming decade to build a zero-emissions industrial system and set in train the restoration of a safe climate.”

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By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Editor

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Piyaset/Shutterstock

Human civilization may come to an end starting in 2050 due to climate change

A shocking new report has found that if greenhouse gas...

Researchers Stephan V. Sobolev of the <a href="https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/home/">German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ</a> and the <a href="https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/university-of-potsdam.html">University of Potsdam</a>, and Michael Brown of the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a> have found that natural lubrication caused by surface-erosion debris was responsible for kicking off and maintaining plate tectonics, a natural process that shifted the continents. 

Since the 1960s, scientists have understood that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tectonic-plates-less-stable/">plate tectonics</a> is driven by deep-mantle convection, a thermodynamic process that stirs hot and cold matter within the Earth. Therefore, it was believed that plate tectonics was only dependent on deep-Earth processes, such as the cooling of Earth’s mantle. But Sobolev and Brown suggest that surface erosion also played a vital role in plate tectonic evolution.

"Our hypothesis is counter-intuitive,” Sobolev said. "That was the main problem for us and we expect will be the main problem for the community to accept our ideas."

Using already-available geological and geochemical data, which showed evidence of plate tectonic movement starting about 2.5 to 3 billion years ago — the same time Earth's continents rose above sea level, Sobolev and Brown hypothesized that the evolution of plate tectonics was controlled by the continents’ shift above sea level and the major surface erosion events that followed

These erosion processes, such as the one that followed the global “Snowball Earth” glaciations that occurred 700 to 600 million years ago, produced continental sediments that worked as lubricant for subduction, a crucial process of plate tectonics, that reduced friction between the subducting plate and overriding plate.

"We suggested our hypothesis based on global geodynamic models of plate tectonics and regional models of subduction in the South American Andes,” Sobolev explained. "Then we used published geological and geochemical data to verify the hypothesis. Only the synergetic combination of all these disciplines made this study possible."

More geochemical data is required to effectively test their hypothesis, Sobolev and Brown note.

"It must be fully quantified, which in turn will require coupled modelling of deep mantle convection and plate tectonics, surface processes and even climate, which is an important factor controlling surface erosion. That is an exciting challenge for the Earth system modeling community,” Sobolev said. "This will require building new types of models tightly linking deep Earth and surface processes."

The new theory is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Erik Harrison

Natural lubrication was crucial for kicking off movement of plate tectonics

Researchers Stephan V. Sobolev of the German Research Centre for...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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