A new phenomenon dubbed "ice piracy" is unfolding in the frigid wilderness of West Antarctica, where one glacier appears to be stealing ice from its neighbor. 



This unusual behavior - once believed to take hundreds or even thousands of years - has now been recorded happening in under two decades.



Scientists from the University of Leeds, working with international collaborators, have used high-resolution satellite data to reveal that a fast-moving glacier is redirecting ice flow away from its slower neighbor.



This surprising event is changing how scientists understand the dynamics of glaciers - and how such shifts may contribute to future sea-level rise. Their findings, now published in The Cryosphere, provide rare insight into these rapid changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fast-paced-shift-in-the-ice">Fast-paced shift in the ice</h2>



Between 2005 and 2022, researchers observed that seven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-streams-move-unpredictably-due-to-hidden-quakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice streams</a> in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler (PSK) region of West Antarctica sped up significantly. 



One glacier nearly doubled its speed - an 87% increase - at the point where it meets the ocean. 



Three other glaciers accelerated by 60% to 84%. By 2022, six of these streams were moving at more than 700 meters (0.4 miles) per year. That’s the equivalent of covering just over seven football fields in just one year.



This kind of acceleration, especially so close to the grounding line - the point where a glacier starts to float - is a warning sign. 



Grounding lines help track the stability of ice sheets. Changes in their position or speed suggest the system is out of balance and can influence how ice flows inland.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slowing-glaciers-leads-to-ice-piracy">Slowing glaciers leads to ice piracy</h2>



But not every glacier followed the same pattern. The Kohler West glacier actually slowed down by 10% during the same time period. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Glacier-velocity-change_2005-2022_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Glacier-velocity-change_2005-2022_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The image depicts the average change in velocity of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2005 to 2022. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1969732"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The image depicts the average change in velocity of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2005 to 2022. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



This stood in stark contrast to nearby glaciers like Kohler East and Smith West, which sped up dramatically - by about 560 meters per year.



The slowdown puzzled scientists, until they looked at the ice flow patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kohler-west-and-kohler-east">Kohler West and Kohler East</h2>



“We think that the observed slowdown on Kohler West Glacier is due to the redirection of ice flow towards its neighbor - Kohler East," explained lead author Dr. Heather L. Selley from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leeds</a>.



"This is due to the large change in Kohler West’s surface slope, likely caused by the vastly different thinning rates on its neighboring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-glaciers-flow-faster-during-the-summer-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glaciers</a>.” 



She added that because Kohler East’s ice stream is flowing and thinning faster as it travels, it absorbs, or ‘steals’ ice from Kohler West. 



"This is effectively an act of ‘ice piracy’, where ice flow is redirected from one glacier to another, and the accelerating glacier is essentially ‘thieving’ ice from its slowing neighbor,” explained Selley.



“We didn’t know ice streams could ‘steal’ ice from each over such a short period, so this is a fascinating discovery. It’s unprecedented as we're seeing this from satellite data and it’s happening at a rate of under 18 years, whereas we’ve always thought it was this extremely long, slow process,” she added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-watching-ice-piracy-from-space">Watching ice piracy from space</h2>



To track this shift, the research team used satellite images and a technique that follows the movement of surface features like crevasses and rifts. 



They also incorporated data on ice thinning from the European Space Agency’s <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/CryoSat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CryoSat mission</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_speed-direction_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_2015-2022_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_speed-direction_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_2015-2022_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The image depicts the average speed and direction of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2015 to 2022. The arrows show change in direction of flow. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1969725"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The image depicts the average speed and direction of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2015 to 2022. The arrows show change in direction of flow. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



Data was sourced from satellites operated by ESA, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.



“This study provides an interesting demonstration of ice piracy, where flow into one glacier gradually switches to flow into another glacier, as the ocean melts the grounding zone and re-configures ice flow,” said Pierre Dutrieux, climate researcher at the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Antarctic Survey</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



The research team looked into several factors that influence ice flow, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean temperatures</a>, circulation changes, air temperature, and snowfall. 



They discovered that ice redirection is affecting the amount of ice reaching the floating ice shelves fed by these glaciers.



Two major ice shelves - the Crosson and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-ice-shapes-never-seen-by-humans-dotson-ice-shelf-ran-submersible/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dotson</a> - are already among the fastest-changing outlets in West Antarctica. 



Crosson spans roughly 40 miles (60 kilometers), and Dotson stretches about 30 miles (48 kilometers). Both are thinning and retreating at their grounding lines.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_map_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_map_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves are situated in West Antarctica. These huge ice shelves are fed by numerous glaciers flowing towards the Amundsen Sea. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1969723"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves are situated in West Antarctica. These huge ice shelves are fed by numerous glaciers flowing towards the Amundsen Sea. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



“The changes in flow direction have substantially altered the ice mass flux into Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves, likely playing an important role in maintaining Dotson and accelerating the deterioration of Crosson," explained Professor Anna Hogg, co-author and Professor of Earth Observation at the University of Leeds.



“This suggests that ice flow redirection is an important new process in contemporary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-sheet-fracture-sets-a-speed-record-in-antarctica/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice sheet dynamics</a>, which is required to understand present-day structural change in glaciers and the future evolution of these systems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ice-piracy-rising-seas-global-impacts">Ice piracy, rising seas, global impacts</h2>



The stakes are high. Sea levels are already rising due to climate change, and over 410 million people could be affected by coastal flooding by the year 2100. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-sea-levels-spiked-dramatically-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global sea levels</a> have increased by more than 10 centimeters over the past decade.



“This new study highlights the unique ability of satellites to provide both the temporal and spatial coverage required to assess change in the polar regions,” remarked Dr. Martin Wearing, ESA Digital Twin Earth Scientist and Polar Science Cluster Coordinator.



Using data from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and ESA's Earth Explorer CryoSat, the team has revealed the complex evolution of ice flow in part of West Antarctica over the past few decades. 



Understanding these changing dynamics and what drives them is crucial for improved projections of future ice-sheet change and contributions to sea-level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-it-all-mean">What does it all mean?</h2>



To sum it all up, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-past-present-and-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antarctic ice sheet</a> - once thought to be sluggish and stable over millennia - is changing much faster than we realized, and in unexpected ways. 



This discovery of "ice piracy" shows that glaciers can dynamically interact, competing for ice and rerouting flow like rivers shifting course, which completely reshapes how we model future sea-level rise.



If one glacier can weaken another by stealing its ice, entire ice systems may destabilize quicker than predicted, feeding more ice into the ocean and raising sea levels. 



In plain terms: Antarctica isn’t just melting - it’s reorganizing itself in ways that could have big consequences for coastal cities around the world.



-----



The study brought together experts from the University of Leeds, the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Antarctic Survey</a>, and the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (<a href="https://cpom.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CPOM</a>), which is led from <a href="https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northumbria University</a>. 



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/1725/2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Cryosphere</a>.



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Ice piracy: Antarctic glacier discovered "stealing" ice from a neighbor, and that's not good for sea level rise

A new phenomenon dubbed "ice piracy" is unfolding in the frigid wilderness of West Antarctica, where one glacier appears to be stealing ice from its neighbor. This unusual behavior - once believed to take hundreds or even thousands of years - has now been recorded happening in under two decades. Scientists from the University of Leeds, working with international collaborators, have used high-resolution satellite data to reveal that a fast-moving glacier is redirecting ice flow away from its slower neighbor. This surprising event is changing how scientists...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a> have found that exposure to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wash-hands-unhealthy-chemicals/">chemical pollutants</a> in the home environment can degrade fertility in both human men and domesticated dogs. Their findings, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Science Advances</a>, may explain the 50% global drop in sperm quality over the past 80 years.

The team focused in on the effects of two man-made chemicals — DEHP, found home products and features like carpets, flooring, upholstery, clothes, wires, and toys, and polychlorinated biphenyl 153, which has been banned globally, however it is still widely detectable in the environment, including food.

Using donated sperm from sample males and stud dogs living within a specific region in the UK, the researchers found that the chemicals had a clear damaging effect on both sperm samples.

"This new study supports our theory that the domestic dog is indeed a 'sentinel' or mirror for human male reproductive decline and our findings suggest that man-made chemicals that have been widely used in the home and working environment may be responsible for the fall in sperm quality reported in both man and dog that share the same environment,” said lead researcher Richard Lea, Associate Professor and Reader in Reproductive Biology at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/vet/">School of Veterinary Medicine and Science</a>.

“Our previous study in dogs showed that the chemical pollutants found in the sperm of adult dogs, and in some pet foods, had a detrimental effect on sperm function at the concentrations previously found in the male reproductive tract,” Lea continued. “This new study is the first to test the effect of two known environmental contaminants, DEHP and PCB153, on both dog and human sperm in vitro, in the same concentrations as found in vivo.”

Team member Rebecca Sumner, PhD, said that the aforementioned chemicals caused reduced sperm motility and increased DNA fragmentation.

"We know that when human sperm motility is poor, DNA fragmentation is increased and that human male infertility is linked to increased levels of DNA damage in sperm,” Dr. Sumner said. “We now believe this is the same in pet dogs because they live in the same domestic environment and are exposed to the same household contaminants. This means that dogs may be an effective model for future research into the effects of pollutants on declining fertility, particularly because external influences such as diet are more easily controlled than in humans."

Next, the team will focus on region to see if location also impacts sperm vitality in both men and dogs.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Home chemical pollutants harm fertility in both men and dogs

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have found that exposure...

Carbon capture technology could be a key weapon in the fight against climate change, and researchers are now working on viable large-scale options for scrubbing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it over the long-term. 

While the scientists have come up with many methods for capturing and storing carbon, policymakers, power companies, and manufacturers are lagging far behind when it comes to implementing meaningful changes to reduce emissions let alone shift to a carbon neutral midframe. 

Some of the various carbon scrubbing methods include taking carbon emissions and recycling them to make a sturdy material that could be used in everything from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/recycling-carbon-emissions/">concrete to shoes</a>, along with scrubbing carbon emissions from factory or power plant emissions and storing them into the ground. 

There are even developing technologies that could suck carbon out of the air using <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fans-suck-carbon-dioxide/">huge fans</a>.

At our current rates, we’re adding around 37 gigatons of carbon into to the atmosphere every year, and the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> has issued stark warnings about how much more carbon our atmosphere can hold before temperatures rise more than 1.5 Degrees Celsius.  

If emissions continue unchecked, we’ll use up our carbon budget in the next 22 years. 

There’s no one clear answer to climate change. Slowing the impacts of climate change and reversing the course of global warming before temperatures reach a point of no return will take a major overhaul of our business as usual energy consumption and emissions. 

Carbon capture may not provide all the answers, but storing more carbon into newly planted forests and scrubbing CO2 emissions from factory smokestacks is a start. 

One recent  study found that the globe fit up to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planting-trillion-trees-cancel-emissions/">1.2 trillion more trees</a> without encroaching on agriculture land. 

We may be closer to large-scale carbon capture operations thanks to the passing of a carbon tax credit called <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuarhodes/2018/03/09/the-new-federal-carbon-credits-might-bring-back-some-coal/#2ef2af2d5ef4">45Q</a> by Congress last February. The tax credit gives companies $35 for each ton of carbon dioxide stored in oil and gas fields and $50 for carbon stored in oil-free areas. 

Now companies have more of an incentive to store carbon rather than release it into the atmosphere. 

Whether we scrub, plant, reuse, or store it, something has to be done with the large amounts of carbon we emit every day. With all the new promising advancements being made in carbon capture, hopefully large scale CO2 storage solutions will be a real-world possibility sooner rather than later. 

--

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>

Carbon capture could play a key role in mitigating climate change

Carbon capture technology could be a key weapon in the...

Carbon footprints measure the total emissions that individuals release through their day to day activities such as driving to work, but the total human footprint examines the impacts of all human activities on an area including the strain put on natural resources. 

For the first time, researchers from the <a href="http://www.imas.utas.edu.au/">University of Tasmania Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies</a> measured the total footprint of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-linked-pathogens-antarctica/">human activities</a> on the pristine frozen landscape that is Antarctica. 

Dozens of research stations have been built on Antarctica since the passing of the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed by 53 countries in 1959, and the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/support/mcmurdo.jsp">McMurdo Station</a> is the largest Antarctic station with around 85 buildings. 

The Antarctic has also become a tourist destination for extreme adventurers who want an experience like no other and thousands can flock to Antarctica in any given summer season.

For this study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, the researchers wanted to measure the total human impact on Antarctica to better inform conservation and environmental management for the remote continent. 

“Although the 53 countries that have signed the Antarctic Treaty agreed to protect the Antarctic environment, until now there has been only limited data on the spatial extent of human activity on the continent,” said Shaun Brooks, the lead author of the study. “Our research shows that human impacts are the greatest on land that is also the most environmentally sensitive - ice-free areas within a few kilometres of the coast.”

According to Brooks, the ice-free areas where human activity is at its peak is also home to some of the region’s key wildlife and vegetation like the Adelie penguins. 

“We found that 81 per cent of the buildings in the Antarctic are located within just 0.44 per cent of the land that is free of ice,” said Brooks. 

Research and tourism are only expected to increase in Antarctica which will continue to put a strain on the vulnerable ice-free areas, and Brooks hopes that the study will make conservation a priority. 

“The data we have collected can be used to inform decision-making on Antarctic conservation and environmental management, as well as to track future impacts and changes,” said Brooks. 

“Hopefully our research can help to inform a sustainable balance between these competing imperatives.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shaun Brooks

Total human impact on Antarctica has been measured for the first time

Carbon footprints measure the total emissions that individuals release through...

A team of ecologists at <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> investigated how potential changes in land cover may impact the geographic distributions of about 19,400 species worldwide. They found that by 2070, an increase in land use for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/freshwater-bodies-increasingly-polluted/">human activities</a> will shrink the natural habitats of 1,700 species, putting them at a greater risk of extinction. 

The changes in land cover projected in the research were based on four different trajectories that scientists have established as being likely. The scenarios represent reasonable expectations about upcoming developments in society, demographics, and economics on a global scale.

Study co-author Walter Jetz is a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale.

“Our findings link these plausible futures with their implications for biodiversity,” said Professor Jetz. “Our analyses allow us to track how political and economic decisions - through their associated changes to the global land cover - are expected to cause habitat range declines in species worldwide.”

With just moderate changes in human land-use, the experts determined that about 1,700 species will likely lose between 30 and 50 percent of their current habitat ranges by 2070. The species, which will become much more vulnerable to extinction, include 886 species of amphibians, 436 types of birds, and 376 species of mammals.

“The integration of our analyses with the Map of Life can support anyone keen to assess how species may suffer under specific future land-use scenarios and help prevent or mitigate these effects,” said study co-author Ryan P. Powers.

The greatest habitat loss and extinction risk will be suffered by species in Central and East Africa, Mesoamerica, South America, and Southeast Asia.

“Losses in species populations can irreversibly hamper the functioning of ecosystems and human quality of life,” said Professor Jetz. “While biodiversity erosion in far-away parts of the planet may not seem to affect us directly, its consequences for human livelihood can reverberate globally. It is also often the far-away demand that drives these losses - think tropical hardwoods, palm oil, or soybeans - thus making us all co-responsible.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/natureclimatechange">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Human activity will shrink natural habitats of 1,700 species by 2070

A team of ecologists at Yale University investigated how potential...

The proposed Green New Deal of course references FDR’s famous New Deal that put many Americans back to work and jump started the economy after the Great Depression. Some of the most obvious and lasting aspects of the New Deal are reflected in the work done by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  Historic buildings and other infrastructure at parks are small monuments to the CCC and work done under the New Deal. Today, the Green New Deal is also quite bold and ambitious, but what exactly does it include?

The Green New Deal is an unbinding resolution proposed by freshman lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/109/text">The bill</a> begins with a straightforward list of the problems associated with global climate change and the possibility of a 2 degree Celsius rise in temperature.  It also outlines the environmental and economic problems caused by or projected to be caused by climate change now and in the near future Highlights of the problems that the two degrees change are projected to cause include loss of 99% of the world’s coral reefs and the exposure of 350 million more people to deadly heat stress.  The deal then asserts the necessity of keeping climate below a 1.5 °C change above pre-industrial levels. 

Ocasio-Cortez is a popular target for conservatives, many of which fully deny the validity of climate change science. As such, the right wing has already begun lambasting the resolution.  Conservatives have taken to social media with pictures of grilling beef over a comment on <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/431119-ocasio-cortez-explains-farting-cows-comment-weve-got-to-address-factory">farting cows</a> in a document accompanying the proposed Green New Deal itself.  A Fox News contributor actually joked that the Green New Deal could <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/03/fox-news-green-new-deal-katherine-timpf-cannibalism.html">lead to cannibalism</a>.  More serious criticism has come from Republicans and even Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who called it the ‘<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/02/07/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-green-new-deal-climate-change-green-dream-pelosi-sot-vpx.cnn">green dream</a>’ before embracing it.  

To achieve the climate goal, the Green New Deal requires a reduction of greenhouse gases by 40 to 60% of the 2010 levels by the year 2030.  The end emissions goal stated in the Green New Deal is net greenhouse gas emissions of zero by 2050. These are ambitious goals to say the least, especially for a country that by electing Donald Trump seems headed in the opposite direction.  However, the Green New Deal goes on to lay out the responsibilities and consequences particular to the US. 

The US is responsible for a large part of greenhouse gas emissions.  We also have plenty of problems at home, connected directly and indirectly to environmental destruction.  A declining life expectancy and inadequate access to clean air, water, healthy food, healthcare, housing and other essentials are tackled in the Green New Deal.  Inequality on the basis of gender and race are all connected to the unequal suffering caused by environmental catastrophe. As I’ve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-destruction-hurts-people-color/">previously reported</a>, pollution disproportionally hurts people of color and other underprivileged groups.  

As a solution, The Green New Deal calls on a new mobilization, the creation of a new, more inclusive middle class, empowered by new green jobs and technologies.  Investments in infrastructure and a transition for all communities to a new green economy are also called for. The Green New Deal would secure for all Americans, clean air and water, climate and community resilience, healthy food, access to nature, and a sustainable environment.

The resolution aims to “promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous peoples, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth (referred to in this resolution as ‘frontline and vulnerable communities’).”

There are a few real world solutions outlined – that any infrastructure bill before Congress would also address climate change, expanding and upgrading renewable energy and investing in a more efficient ‘smart’ power grid for all public electricity.  Family and sustainable farming would be supported under the plan and the resolution proposes the government work with farmers to limit pollution and climate change. Restoring and preserving natural environments as proven low-tech solutions to climate change are also called for.  

Promotion of an international trade in technology and ideas is also suggested as a way to support innovation in tackling environmental challenges.  The proposal calls for economic justice, good jobs and honoring agreements with indigenous leaders. 

But many people have been quick to criticize the Green New Deal as well as its sponsor Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. As a first-term U.S. Representative from New York and chief architect of the Green New Deal, Ocasio-Cortez has been consistently ridiculed by conservatives, including criticism of a video of her <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/video-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-dancing-backfire-critics-2019-1">dancing</a> in college.  The <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/3/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-anti-burger-narrative-imp/">Washington Times</a> reports that Representative Rob Bishop ate a cheeseburger to show his opposition to the bill, claiming that the Green New Deal would outlaw burgers, even though it doesn’t specifically say anything about meat at all.  Trump echoed these sentiments <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1094375749279248385">tweeting</a> that the Green New Deal would permanently eliminate, “all planes, cars, cows, oil, gas &amp; the military.”  

The Green New Deal didn’t specify anything about red meat, but according to the <a href="https://psmag.com/news/democrats-are-not-trying-to-take-away-your-hamburgers">Pacific Standard</a>, Ocasio-Cortez did say in an interview, “maybe we shouldn't be eating a hamburger for breakfast, lunch, and dinner” while also specifically saying she didn’t want to get rid of agriculture.  

Meat consumption and food waste are real problems for the environment, as I’ve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eat-impacts-environment-climate-change/">previously reported</a>.  It’s hard to really think eating less red meat than the average American is a bad suggestion.  The US is also plagued with <a href="https://stateofobesity.org/data/">obesity</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html">diabetes</a>, both problems that can be partially alleviated by diets with <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/meatless-meals/art-20048193">less meat</a>.  Meat production of course also contributes greenhouse gases. 

But the most substantial criticisms of the Green New Deal boil down to specifics. The bill as it stands does leave a lot left up to the imagination, as it is little more than a bill of hopes for our country and the world.  As such, it mainly demands equality and health for people and the environment they live in. One sentiment echoed by many is that we can’t afford it. The main question we must ask ourselves is how can we afford not to secure our own lives and the lives we share earth with?  

In response to growing energy and buzz surrounding the Green New Deal and Democrat-led action against climate change, <a href="http://time.com/5540480/conservation-caucus-green-new-deal/">Time</a> reports that two Republican senators have formed their own new environmental group. The Roosevelt Conservation Caucus, created by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Cory Gardner (R-Colorado), will seek “market-based approaches” to solve environmental issues.

The Green New Deal is pretty open, though, leaving room for thought, innovation, even criticism for any who want to work for a better world or even those who wish to hold on to what’s good in this one.         

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer          

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

What the Green New Deal really includes

The proposed Green New Deal of course references FDR’s famous...

A team of psychologists in Sweden has developed a theory that may explain why we harm the environment, even when our intentions are good. The experts suggest that we treat our relationship with the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fast-fashion-toll-environment/">environment</a> like a social exchange, believing that environmentally friendly behavior can compensate for harmful behavior.

The problem is that we cannot smooth things over later with the environment like we can in our social lives. According to the researchers, it would be impossible to mentally account for the environmental impact of all of our actions, so we use mental “rules of thumb” to track our green footprint and seek out eco-friendly products to make up for any damage we may have done. 

Study lead author Patrik Sörqvist is a professor of Environmental Psychology at the <a href="https://www.hig.se/Ext/En/University-of-Gavle.html">University of Gävle</a>.

“Reciprocity and balance in social relations have been fundamental to social cooperation, and thus to survival, so the human brain has become specialized through natural selection to compute and seek this balance,” said Professor Sörqvist. “But when applied to climate change, this social give-and-take thinking leads to the misconception that 'green' choices can compensate for unsustainable ones.”

In reality, all consumption causes permanent environmental harm. Green options are not fully restorative, but are simply less harmful.

“You can't kiss and make up with the environment. Jetting to the Caribbean will make you a huge environmental burden, no matter how many meat free Mondays you have,” said Professor Sörqvist.

When eco-friendly items are incorporated with conventional items, people often believe that the overall product is environmentally friendly. 

“For instance, some groups have found that people intuitively think the environmental burden of a hamburger and an organic apple in combination is lower than the environmental burden of the hamburger alone - or that the total emissions of a car pool remain the same when hybrid cars are added to the pool.” 

The new theory suggests that this leads us to pursue misguided quick fixes to address our guilt for harming the environment. The researchers explained that stricter legislation of marketing devices and a carbon footprint label for products would be a way to better guide consumer behavior.

“Terms like 'eco-friendly' or 'green' encourage the view that objects, behaviors and decisions with these labels are 'good' rather than 'less bad' for the environment,” said study co-author Dr. Linda Langeborg. “Calling a hamburger restaurant '100 % climate compensated', for example, may deceive people into believing that eating dinner at that restaurant has no environmental burden.”

“Instead, we should give consumers immediate feedback on how much 'eco-labeled' and other products add to the environmental impact of what they are buying. For example, self-scanning systems in supermarkets could provide customers with an accumulated carbon footprint estimate of their shopping basket.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Eco-friendly choices don’t compensate for environmental harm

A team of psychologists in Sweden has developed a theory...

New research has revealed that toxic byproducts of the herbicide Agent Orange used by the US military continue to contaminate soils in Vietnam today. 

Over the course of the war, the US dumped 20 million gallons of herbicides over Vietnam to kill trees, plants, and crops that were potentially concealing Viet Cong fighters. 

While the herbicides were effective at defoliating the thick jungle vegetation, a contaminant known as dioxin that formed in Agent Orange was <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agent-orange-exposure-hypertension/">extremely toxic</a> and caused devastation among the Vietnamese and US military personnel. 

Even now, 50 years later, dioxin is still being consumed by fish and making its way up the food chain. 

To better understand Agent Orange's toll on the environment and public health, researchers from the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> and <a href="https://www.iastate.edu/">Iowa State</a> conducted a study published in the journal Open Journal of Soil Science investigating dioxin's long and deadly legacy. 

“In this paper, we examine the short and long-term environmental effects on the Vietnamese natural resource base and how persistence of dioxin continues to affect soils, water, sediment, fish, aquatic species, the food supply, and Vietnamese health,” said Ken Olson, a co-author of the article. 

The research team reviewed reports on Vietnam's airbase sites and an 870-page <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/">USAID </a>report to track the contamination of dioxin as it spread through through the environment. 

Agent Orange is made up of two chemical herbicides, 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, and during the production of Agent Orange, dioxin TCDD is formed. 

Unlike the other chemical components of Agent Orange, dioxin can remain in soils and stuck to sediments for decades to centuries. 

Once the US military started spraying the trees, contaminated leaves and shrubs decayed in the soil and from the soil TCDD made its way to wetlands, rivers, and lakes. 

The researchers point out ten airbase sites where dioxin concentrations are still at dangerous levels, and millions of people are potentially exposed to the pollutant. 

Incineration was ruled by the researchers as the most effective way to rid the soils of TCDD.

“While incineration is the most expensive technology currently available, it would eliminate dioxin rather than temporarily store it in a landfill, and incineration would not require future maintenance or treatment,” the researchers said. “Incineration is one of the most commonly used technologies, having been used to treat soils at more than 150 superfund sites, and is a mature and tested technology.” 

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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: US Army Flight Operations Specialist 4 John Crivello in 1969

50 years later, Agent Orange toxic byproducts found in Vietnam soil

New research has revealed that toxic byproducts of the herbicide...

With global extinctions on the rise, a new study has shed light on a major cause: non-native species moving into an area and taking over the resources native dwellers depend upon.

The research team from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> found that since the year 1500 C.E., a full 126 extinctions can be credited entirely to non-native species crowding out their native counterparts. 

Also known as alien species, they can be linked at least in part to at least 300 of the past 953 global extinctions. Of those 300 plant and animal extinctions, more than 40 percent listed non-native species alone as the cause.

"Some people have suggested that aliens are no more likely than native species to cause species to disappear in the current global extinction crisis, but our analysis shows that aliens are much more of a problem in this regard," lead researcher Dr. Tim Blackburn said in a press release.

Blackburn and his colleagues analyzed data from the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">2017 International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List</a> on species considered to have gone extinct since 1500. 

The IUCN Red List monitors species around the world, assessing whether they are threatened, endangered or extinct and the causes. Last month, the organization announced that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/600-species-threat-extinction/">another 600 species are at risk of extinction</a> due to habitat degradation, human development or agricultural practices, invasions of their habitats by non-native species and other causes.

The biggest offenders are various species of rat, feral house cats and foxes, especially on island species. These non-native species arrive on shipping vessels or are occasionally deliberately imported by humans. Plants were also often deliberately introduced, but quickly outgrew gardens or farming operations.

"Our study provides a new line of evidence showing that the biogeographical origin of a species matters for its impacts,” Blackburn said. “The invasion of an alien species is often enough to cause native species to go extinct, whereas we found no evidence for native species being the sole driver of extinction of other natives in any case."

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fee.2020">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Non-native species to blame for many modern extinctions

With global extinctions on the rise, a new study has...

Gardeners know that tomatoes and marigolds are good friends, with the bright flowers protecting against a variety of hungry bugs. Now, scientists have discovered how marigolds stave off one common tomato pest – whiteflies.

"We spoke to many gardeners who knew marigolds were effective in protecting tomatoes against whiteflies, but it has never been tested scientifically,” doctoral student Niall Conboy, who co-led the study, said in a press release.

Conboy and fellow scientists from <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> narrowed it down to the chemical limonene, which is released by marigolds. The smell repels the common tomato pest.

They performed two trials. The first, which used French marigolds, determined that the marigold trick really did repel whiteflies and wasn’t just an old wives’ tale. The second analyzed the chemicals and gases released by marigolds, allowing them to pinpoint limonene as the key repellent. 

In the course of the study, they also found that other limonene-containing plants can repel the common tomato pest, not just marigolds.

“This is exciting because limonene is inexpensive, it's not harmful and it's a lot less risky to use than pesticides, particularly when you don't apply it to the crop and it is only a weak scent in the air,” Conboy said.

The discovery could lead to new innovations in pest control. The common tomato pest isn’t killed by limonene; it just doesn’t like the smell. Using the chemical is unlikely to lead to resistance in the bugs, the researchers said. It could also be much safer for the tomatoes – and the workers who pick them and families who eat them – as well as beneficial or neutral species that live around them.

"Most pesticides are sprayed onto the crops,” Conboy said. “This doesn't only kill the pest that is targeted, it kills absolutely everything, including the natural enemies of the pest."

Limonene isn’t just found in marigolds. It makes up around 90 percent of the oil in citrus peels and can be found in common household products like mosquito repellent.

Repelling the common tomato pest and other limonene-hating insects with marigolds is also bee-friendly. It doesn’t harm them as pesticides can, plus it offers a food source for the pollinators.

"Any alternative methods of whitefly control that can reduce pesticide use and introduce greater plant and animal diversity into agricultural and horticultural systems should be welcomed,” said Dr. Colin Tosh, who co-led the study with Conboy.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213071">PLOS ONE</a>.

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By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

How marigolds protect against common tomato pest

Gardeners know that tomatoes and marigolds are good friends, with...

Planet Earth is noticeably greener than it was two decades ago, thanks to massive tree planting programs in China and India.

While the two countries often find themselves listed among the world’s worst polluters, they’re also taking major steps to counteract those labels. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> has discovered that tree planting programs around the world – led by India and China – are helping to add about 5 percent more greenery year over year since the 2000s. That’s totaled out to about 2 million square miles, more than the Amazon rainforest.

India and China “account for one-third of the greening, but contain only 9 percent of the planet's land area covered in vegetation,” lead researcher Dr. Chi Chen of <a href="https://www.bu.edu/">Boston University</a> told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. 

In China, about 42 percent of the new green space comes from forests, and another 32 percent from farmland, researchers found.

The re-greening was first spotted by NASA’s MODIS tool in the 1990s. MODIS orbits the Earth on two satellites, taking high-resolution photographs of the planet’s surface.

The downside: All that extra greenery in Asia isn’t nearly enough to offset deforestation. At least, not alone.

[caption id="attachment_1869014" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/green.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869014" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/green.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="527" /></a> Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory[/caption]

But the new findings are encouraging scientists to take another look at tree planting programs and other ways humans can re-green the environment.

“When the greening of the Earth was first observed, we thought it was due to a warmer, wetter climate and fertilisation from the added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, leading to more leaf growth in northern forests, for instance,” NASA research scientist and study co-author Rama Nemani told the Mail. “Now, with the MODIS data that lets us understand the phenomenon at really small scales, we see that humans are also contributing.”

Programs all over the world are encouraging people to plant more trees, but in China and India, tree planting programs have ranged from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indian-state-hopes-to-plant-50-million-trees-in-a-day/">government-backed initiatives</a> to projects <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disabilities-pair-planting-trees/">launched by citizens</a>. Another recent study found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planting-trillion-trees-cancel-emissions/">planting a trillion trees</a> around the world could massively offset carbon emissions.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0220-7">Nature Sustainability</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Chinese, Indian tree planting programs greening the Earth

Planet Earth is noticeably greener than it was two decades...

A new study from the <a href="http://www.utas.edu.au/">University of Tasmania</a> has revealed that balloons pose the biggest threat to seabirds of any type of plastic debris. Although hard <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastic-contamination-groundwater-sources/">plastics</a> are more commonly ingested by marine animals, the researchers found that soft plastics are much more lethal. 


The study, which was led by PhD student Lauren Roman, revealed that once a seabird had ingested a single piece of plastic, it had a 20 percent chance of death. The risk of mortality rose to 50 percent for nine pieces of plastic and to 100 percent for 93 items.

“Marine debris ingestion is now a globally recognized threat,” said Roman. “However, the relationship between the amount or type of debris that a seabird ingests and mortality remains poorly understood.”

“Among the birds we studied the leading cause of death was blockage of the gastrointestinal tract, followed by infections or other complications caused by gastrointestinal obstructions.”

Roman explained that while soft plastics accounted for just five percent of the plastic pieces ingested, they were responsible for more than 40 percent of the fatalities.

“Balloons or balloon fragments were the marine debris most likely to cause mortality, and they killed almost one in five of the seabirds that ingested them,” said Roman. “As similar research into plastic ingestion by sea turtles has found, it appears that while hard plastic fragments may pass quickly through the gut, soft plastics are more likely to become compacted and cause fatal obstructions.”

Study co-author Dr. Chris Wilcox said the approach taken in the study was originally developed for turtles before it was applied to seabirds.

“These two applications are the first time there has been a robust estimate of the impact of plastic ingestion on free living marine species,” said Dr. Wilcox. “This is a critical step in triggering action to address plastic pollution.”

Roman pointed out that even though soft items like balloons are more deadly, all plastics are serious threats to seabirds.

“If seabirds eat plastic their risk of mortality increases, and even a single piece can be fatal,” said Roman. “While hard plastics are less likely to kill than soft plastics they were still responsible for more than half of the seabird deaths identified in our study.”

“The evidence is clear that if we want to stop seabirds from dying from plastic ingestion we need to reduce or remove marine debris from their environment, particularly balloons.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Lauren Roman

Balloons pose the biggest threat to seabirds of any marine debris

A new study from the University of Tasmania has revealed...

The Arctic is losing more and more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-high-temperatures-arctic/">sea ice each year</a>. According to the <a href="http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/">National Snow and Ice Data Center</a>, January 2019 was the sixth lowest January for Arctic sea ice extent since 1979. 

Sea-ice minimums are reaching a point where climate models project an ice-free Arctic between 2030 and 2050. But until now, scientists have been unable to narrow down exactly when the Arctic Ocean will have its first ice-free summer.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> modeled future sea-ice extent in the Arctic and factored in a natural temperature cycle in the Pacific to help close the 20-year gap established by other climate models. 

“The trajectory is towards becoming ice-free in the summer, but there is uncertainty as to when that's going to occur,” said James Screen, an associate professor in climate science at the University of Exeter in the U.K. and the lead author of the new study.

Different climate models have been used by researchers to help predict sea-ice extent, and projections say there will be less than one million square kilometers of sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean between 2030 and 2050. 

The results of this recent study, published the <a href="https://sites.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a> journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2018GL081393">Geophysical Research Letters</a>, shows that a long-term natural warming phase aggravated by human greenhouse gas emissions could lead to an ice-free Arctic September closer to 2030. 

The Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) is a temperature cycle that results in shifts in temperate that last anywhere from ten to 30 years. The IPO can cause ocean surface temperatures to increase or dip by .09 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Currently, the IPO is in its warm phase and the researchers modeled sea-ice coverages factoring in both a warm phase IPO and a cold phase IPO. 

The models that used the real-world IPO warm phase showed that the Arctic could ice-free seven years earlier than if the IPO were shifting to a cold phase. 

“You can hedge your bets,” said Screen. “The shift in the IPO means there's more chance of it being on the earlier end of that window than on the later end.”

However, while the IPO is warming things up, human greenhouse emissions are at the root of climate change, and the researchers say that exactly when an ice-free Arctic occurs will depend on whether or not carbon emissions continue to increase. 

--

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>

The Arctic could have ice-free summers surprisingly soon

The Arctic is losing more and more sea ice each...

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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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