Climate change solutions might be closer than we think - not in labs or remote forests, but in the microbes living in our homes. James Henriksen, a microbiologist at <a href="https://www.colostate.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado State University</a>, believes the secret to fighting climate change could be hiding in dishwashers, air conditioners, and water heaters.



Henriksen wants everyone to join the hunt for extremophiles - organisms that thrive in extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-wins-in-2025-came-from-unexpected-places/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conditions</a>. They’re tiny, they’re tough, and some might be surprisingly useful.



These microbes have adapted to harsh environments, evolving traits that could potentially absorb carbon dioxide or clean up pollutants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-home-microbes-fighting-climate-change">Home microbes fighting climate change</h2>



<a href="https://citsci.org/projects/the-extremophile-campaign-in-the-wild/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Extremophile Campaign: In Your Home</a> is a new initiative from CitSci, the Two Frontiers Project, and SeedLabs. It kicked off in October, rallying citizen scientists to search for hidden organisms.



“We believe that we have found new organisms, and we know that they have unique characteristics purely from the fact that they're growing and thriving in some of these unusual environments,” Henriksen said. Already, the campaign has led to some intriguing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/south-africas-land-is-continuously-rising-as-water-disappears-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discoveries</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-microbe-with-a-big-appetite">A microbe with a big appetite</h2>



Deep in the volcanic ocean vents off the island of Vulcano, Henriksen and his team stumbled upon Chonkus. This cyanobacterium isn’t just any microbe. It devours carbon dioxide and then sinks, locking away CO2 in the ocean depths.



Unlike plants, Chonkus can absorb far more CO2, using photosynthesis to turn the gas into biomass. It’s a microscopic powerhouse that might one day help mitigate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/todays-children-will-face-more-climate-extremes-than-ever-before/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> change.



Henriksen isn’t surprised. “Half the air you're breathing comes from microbes,” he said. “They play essential roles in carbon and nitrogen cycles.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-microbes">Mapping the microbes</h2>



Henriksen co-founded the Two Frontiers Project to hunt for microbes in extreme environments – from the depths of the ocean to outer space. But what about the extreme environments right under our noses?



“There’s not just unknown species,” he said. “It’s like there’s a rainforest everywhere you look, and we know almost nothing about the organisms there and what they can do.”



Our homes, it turns out, are teeming with unseen life - and Henriksen wants us to pay attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-hidden-in-the-home">Microbes hidden in the home</h2>



If you’re feeling brave, take a closer look at your appliances. What’s lurking inside your dishwasher or around the base of your water heater? If it’s slimy, crusty, or gooey, Henriksen wants to hear about it.



Instead of scrubbing away the weird spots and unpleasant odors, you can help scientists by documenting them. That slimy film? It could be home to a whole community of extremophiles - microbes that might hold the key to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-impacting-earths-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate solutions</a>.



Participating is easy. Snap a photo of your odd discovery. Fill out an online survey at <a href="https://citsci.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CitSci.org</a>. If researchers need more information, they’ll send a collection kit.



Henriksen’s team will then analyze the samples using metagenomic sequencing. Each microbe’s DNA will be studied, cataloged, and possibly saved for future research. Some samples might even lead to new scientific breakthroughs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-in-the-slime">What's in the slime?</h2>



Metagenomic sequencing sounds complex, but the goal is simple: figure out what’s living in that slimy mess. Henriksen and his team are looking for microbes that can absorb CO₂, degrade <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollutants-from-fossil-fuels-are-embedded-in-coral-skeletons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollutants</a>, or perform other useful tasks.



The DNA data will be stored for future study. Some organisms might be cultivated and tested further. Every sample holds the potential for new discoveries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-s-hidden-survivors">Nature's hidden survivors </h2>



Beyond homes, the Extremophile Campaign: In the Wild asks people to keep an eye out for microbial hotspots in nature. Springs in places like Colorado and California often contain unusual chemistry - acidic water, carbonation, and, yes, slime.



"Life is surviving and thriving in this hot water, in water that is as carbonated as soda pop and as acidic as lemon juice,” Henriksen said. “Microbes are pulling high concentrations of CO₂ out of the water, out of the air, and they're building that slime or the green algae that you see.”&nbsp;



If you spot something slimy, crusty, or just plain weird, the researchers want to know.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-platform-to-fight-climate-change-nbsp">A platform to fight climate change&nbsp;</h2>



Both extremophile campaigns run through CitSci.org, a platform that connects researchers with citizen scientists. The site was developed at Colorado State University’s Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory two decades ago and now hosts nearly 1,500 projects.



“CitSci has been an amazing partner in helping get this up and running,” Henriksen said. 



Through CitSci, Henriksen hopes to gather data from as many people and places as possible. With more eyes on the ground, the chances of finding new microbial allies in the climate fight increase.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-gunk-might-save-the-planet">Your gunk might save the planet</h2>



Henriksen sees potential in every home. That gross gunk in your appliance? It might contain the next Chonkus – a microbe that could capture <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountains-both-carbon-sinks-and-carbon-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon</a> or break down pollutants. All it takes is a photo, a survey, and a bit of curiosity.



“We believe that everybody can contribute and participate in science," Henriksen said. &nbsp;



From volcanic vents to kitchen sinks, the next big climate solution might be hiding in plain sight - and researchers want you to help find it.



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Slime found in home appliances could help fight climate change

Climate change solutions might be closer than we think - not in labs or remote forests, but in the microbes living in our homes. James Henriksen, a microbiologist at Colorado State University, believes the secret to fighting climate change could be hiding in dishwashers, air conditioners, and water heaters. Henriksen wants everyone to join the hunt for extremophiles - organisms that thrive in extreme conditions. They’re tiny, they’re tough, and some might be surprisingly useful. These microbes have adapted to harsh environments, evolving traits that could potentially...

Colony,Of,Subterranean,Termites,Build,Nest,Beneath,The,Tree,Bark.

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/termite-mounds-brazil/">termite</a> is a small but mighty insect that plays a crucial role in decomposing organic matter because they can break down cellulose in plants. Their role as nutrient cyclers helps keep ecosystems healthy, increasing nutrient levels in the soil and driving plant growth. 

Termites also help increase moisture leaves in the soil and as such can help maintain important tropical ecosystem processes during times of drought, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a> and the <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/">Natural History Museum</a>. 

The research, published in the journal Science, represents the first large-scale study of its kind to examine the role of termites in decreasing the impacts of drought in a tropical ecosystem. 

“Whilst there has been some work exploring how severe drought affects plants in tropical rainforests, our study shows for the first time that having termites helps protect forest from the effects of drought,” said Kate Parr, a member of the research team. “Termites might only be small but collectively their presence can help reduce the effects of climate change in tropical systems.” 

The researchers compared termite abundance and soil moisture between different sites in a tropical rainforest in Malaysian Borneo. 

Some of the sites had no termites because of novel suppression methods, and the researchers found that in the areas with termites there were more termites during the drought period, more leaf litter, and higher levels of soil moisture. 

There were also higher rates of seedling survival near the sites with termites during the drought. 

“The results of our study are important because we show that intact biological communities can act as a kind of ecological insurance by keeping ecosystems functioning in times of environmental stress,” said Hannah Griffiths, a lead author of the study. 

The study shows how crucial termites are to an ecosystem and not just in tropical regions. 

“Termites confer important ecosystem services, not only in pristine tropical rainforest, but in disturbed or even agricultural ecosystems, if termite abundance is reduced with disturbance, these habitats could be particularly sensitive to drought,” said Louise Ashton, the joint lead 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

Image Credit: University of Liverpool / Natural History Museum

Termites help maintain tropical ecosystems during periods of drought

The termite is a small but mighty insect that plays...

Offering to pay landowners to perform important environmental services could be a positive incentive to help manage and conserve the environment. 

Someone may be more inclined to use greener and more sustainable practices on their land if they were paid for it, but how feasible are these kind of investments in the grand scheme and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paying-farmers-conservation-land/">do they benefit all parties fairly</a>? 

Researchers from the <a href="https://stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a> examined this question in a new study that examined the benefits and costs of Paying for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs in the Panama Canal Watershed. 

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the results provide an important framework for assessing ecological infrastructure and PES programs. 

While investing in environmental services could be helpful in some cases, potential drawbacks also have to be considered before a PES system is put in place. 

The researchers first reviewed contracts from the Panama Canal Authority offered to private farmers in the Panama Canal Watershed with the aim of getting farmers to reforest their land. 

Reforestation could impact water flow during the dry season and reduce sedimentation, both of which could help increase ship traffic during the dry months. 

For this study, the researchers focused on the feasibility of PES programs to see if they could produce the desired results. 

The team surveyed over 700 landowners in the Panama Canal Watershed to identify the market clearing equilibrium for a PES program in the area. Market clearing equilibrium describes a point when supply is equal to demand. 

The surveys allowed the researchers to calculate the market clearing equilibrium using real-world data instead of assumptions. 

“Our research shows that there are market equilibriums or limits to these programs, and that reforestation to increase dry-season water flow and reduce sedimentation only makes sense in certain areas. According to our analysis, the Panama Canal Authority is applying PES in exactly the right areas,” said Jefferson Hall, an author of the study. 

The researchers found PES programs in the eastern Panama Canal Watershed would produce better hydrological services compared to western areas. 

Reforesting all available land within the Panama Canal Watershed eligible for a PES isn't feasible nor would it make sense when optimal results could be achieved reforesting 10,000 hectares of land within the Chagres National Park.

The study provides a crucial framework for approaching PES programs and a way to analyze costs and benefits before implementing such a program to make sure that the results meet expectations. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: STRI archives

Is paying landowners to perform ecosystem services a feasible plan?

Offering to pay landowners to perform important environmental services could...

Lifestyle, longer life spans, and exposure to pollution and chemicals all increase the risk of certain cancers in humans, particularly in urban environments. 

While many studies have focused on the link between <a href="https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/4/10-010410/en/">urbanization and health</a> in people, there is now a growing field of research that shows similar health trends for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/city-life-plant-animal-evolution/">animal populations in urban environments</a>. However, cancer risk for animal populations that concentrate in urban environments has not been well understood. 

But now, an international team of researchers has recently analyzed cancer prevalence in animals that live in urban environments. Habitat loss due to urban sprawl is causing animals like birds, squirrels, and mice and hedgehogs to adapt to urban areas. 

In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the researchers found that cancer prevalence is increasing among urban wildlife due to increased exposure to new threats like chemical, noise, and light pollution along with changes in diet and habitat. 

Feeding birds and squirrels human food like bread is common in many city parks, but the researchers argue that this is leading to an increase in obesity among animals and with it increases the risk of cancer. 

“It is clear that the characteristics of a modern lifestyle and the urbanizing environment have brought along a change in cancer prevalence in humans, but so far little attention has been given to similar changes in wild animals,” the researchers wrote in their <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2018.2434">study</a>.  “It has only recently been proposed that human activities might increase the cancer rate in wild populations.” 

The researchers suggest that studying urban wildlife could yield important insights into how urbanization impacts animal health, cancer prevalence, and mortality. 

“By identifying the knowledge gaps in this field, we suggest future research avenues, with the ultimate aim of understanding the magnitude of how humans' modern lifestyle affects cancer prevalence in urbanizing wild populations as well as the possibilities of using urban wild animal populations as models to study the association between environmental factors and cancer epidemics in humans,” the researchers wrote. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvanette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

City pollution and new foods raise cancer risk for urban animals

Lifestyle, longer life spans, and exposure to pollution and chemicals...

U.S. carbon emissions increased in 2018 after a three-year decline. According to a new study by the <a href="https://rhg.com/">Rhodium Group</a>, carbon emissions rose by 3.4 percent across the United States in 2018. The independent research group said the spike in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-co2-emissions-2018/">emissions</a>, which was the second-largest annual gain in over 20 years, was preceded by three years of decline. 

The findings are based on the preliminary analysis of power generation data. The results suggest that emissions from the power sector jumped up by 1.9 percent last year, and emissions resulting from construction and industry were higher as well. U.S. carbon emissions increased in 2018 after a three-year decline

The researchers also found that the transportation sector was the largest source of emissions in the United States for the third year in a row. Although the demand for gasoline decreased slightly, the demand for diesel and jet fuel increased.

Rhodium Group partner Trevor Houser told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>: “Most of the increase last year was directly attributable to an increase in economic growth.” However, he added, “it does not have to be the case that a rising economy results in rising emissions.”

Houser explained that technology is available that could reduce emissions in a growing economy, “but that requires policy to deploy those technologies in the market. And we've seen a freeze in that kind of policy at the federal level over the past few years.”


The team at Rhodium Group blamed the fact that the U.S. has no decarbonization strategy for the country's lack of success in meeting the standards established by the Paris Agreement. Even though the United States was meant to play a critical role in leading the fight against climate change, President Trump pledged to abandon the agreement after claiming it was “bad for business.” 

A growing collection of scientific evidence shows that global warming is not only happening, but is accelerating at an unexpectedly fast pace. Meanwhile, President Trump continues to doubt climate science and denies the results of the fourth national climate assessment, which was released by his own administration. 

The full preliminary report from the Rhodium Group can be found <a href="https://rhg.com/research/preliminary-us-emissions-estimates-for-2018/">here</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

U.S. carbon emissions increased in 2018 after a three-year decline

U.S. carbon emissions increased in 2018 after a three-year decline....

Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs caused a massive global tsunami. Beneath Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula lies a 111 mile-wide crater called the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-asteroid-struck/">Chicxulub crater</a> that was formed after a giant asteroid collided with Earth 65 million years ago.

The aftermath causes  of the collision included a nearly mile-high global tsunami and brought about the extinction of the dinosaurs and nearly three-quarters of all life on Earth. 

New research recently presented at the<a href="https://sites.agu.org/"> American Geophysical Union</a>'s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. shows how much of an impact the tsunami had after the asteroid collided into the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico.Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs caused a massive global tsunami

The research was conducted by a team from the<a href="https://umich.edu/"> University of Michigan. 

</a>“The Chicxulub asteroid resulted in a huge global tsunami, the likes of which have not been seen in modern history,” Molly Range, the lead researcher of the project, told <a href="https://www.livescience.com/64426-dinosaur-killing-asteroid-caused-giant-tsunami.html">Live Science</a>. 

According to Range, this is the first global simulation of the impact tsunami, and the researchers had to use two models to simulate the full global scale of the tsunami after the collision. 

One model showed wave height and sediment displacement immediately following the impact and the second model showed how the tsunami spread through and displaced the world’s ocean in the hours after the impact. 

“The impact tsunami spread quickly out of the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic and through the Central American seaway into the Pacific within the first 24 hours,” the researchers <a href="https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm18/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/445502">wrote</a>. 

Once the asteroid collided with Earth, the first model simulated what the next ten minutes were like near the collision site, and the model showed an initial wave reaching nearly a mile high flowing away from the crater. 

The team used data from the first model to simulate how the tsunami propagated through the world’s oceans in the second model.

“We found that this tsunami moved throughout the entire ocean, in every ocean basin,” Range told Live Science.

Waves in the North and South Pacific reached as high as 46 feet after the initial impact tsunami wave, the model showed waves reaching 13 feet in the North Atlantic. 

“This model suggests that the bolide impact not only had major effects on the global atmosphere and biosphere, it also created a tsunami of such magnitude that its effect is felt across much of the world ocean,” the researchers conclude. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs caused a massive global tsunami

Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs caused a massive global tsunami....

According to the <a href="https://www.sneb.org/">Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior</a> (SNEB), environmental sustainability should be the basis of dietary guidance, whether in establishing national standards or working with individuals. The long-term sustainability of the food system is critical for improving the nutritional health of a population.

The position paper from SNEB is based on recent scientific discoveries regarding the environmental impacts of foods and diets. The authors describe the current issues we are facing, as well as the challenges that we will encounter in meeting future food needs.  

Dr. Diego Rose, a professor in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at <a href="https://tulane.edu/">Tulane University</a> is the paper’s lead author. 

“Based on the best science we have today, it is clear that current environmental problems - including global climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, water shortages, and water pollution--demand urgent attention, threaten long-term food security, and are in part caused by our current food choices and agricultural practices,” explained Dr. Rose.

“The position paper was motivated by the severity of current environmental problems, including global climate change. A number of studies have been published about the difficulty of getting to 2050 with an adequate worldwide food supply due to factors such as population increase and change in dietary habits.”

“The paper was also inspired by the information published in the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's scientific report to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services in 2015, which included a chapter dedicated to sustainability. We wanted to pass this vital information along to others.”

The experts at SNEB are urging for environmental sustainability considerations to be included in future federal dietary guidance. These guidelines should contain specific advice, such as substituting <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/meat-consumption-climate-change-2/">meat</a> from animals with other protein foods.

“In discussing dietary recommendations, nutritionists can discuss both the health and environmental impacts of food choices to promote behavior change among consumers,” said Dr. Rose. “People want to know what to eat today, so it is incumbent on those of us who are knowledgeable about nutritional science and education techniques to provide the best advice, based on the available evidence to date.”

The paper is published in the <a href="https://www.jneb.org/">Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior</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>

Why food sustainability must become a key part of dietary guidance

According to the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB),...

The closure of coal-fired power plants has accelerated under President Trump, despite his pledges to end the “war on coal” and replace the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pruitt-clean-power-plan/">Clean Power Plan</a>. In fact, more coal plants have been retired in the first two years of Trump's presidency than the first four years that Obama spent in office. 

In 2017 and 2018, 20 gigawatts of coal-fired plants were shut down, compared to 15 gigawatts during Obama's first term. 

According to the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/">U.S. Energy Information Administration</a> (EIA), almost all of the large energy plants retired between 2008 and 2017 were powered by fossil fuels. The EIA reported that U.S. coal use dropped four percent in 2018, hitting its lowest level in almost 40 years. 

A company called <a href="https://www.industrialinfo.com/">Industrial Info</a> is tracking 15 different decommissionings and demolitions at fossil-fuel power plants that are expected to be launched across the country this year. As a result, the EIA predicts that coal consumption in the United States will decline by an additional eight percent in 2019.

Meanwhile, miners and their families have been holding onto hope that coal would make a comeback under President Trump.


“He's trying to get their votes. He isn't telling them the truth,” Art Sullivan, a coal mining consultant with decades of experience in the mining industry, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>. “And that really disturbs me because these are really good people. These are the people that I have spent my life working with. And if they have the truth they will make the right decisions.”

Climate scientists including Michael Mann of <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a> are warning that it is up to wealthy nations like the United States to eliminate carbon emissions by 2030 to save life on our planet as we know it. He said that this would require that 80 percent of coal reserves to remain underground. 

“I think there's enough resilience in the (Earth's) system that we can withstand one four-year term of Donald Trump,” Mann told CNN. “I'm not sure we can withstand two.”

“We've undergone transitions like this before. We got off whale oil because something better came along. That was fossil fuels. Now something better has come along and that's renewable energy and there's nothing that can stop that transition.”
--

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>

More coal plants closed under Trump than during Obama’s first 4 years

The closure of coal-fired power plants has accelerated under President...

Surface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coal-mining-aquatic-life/">coal mining</a> in the Appalachian region of the United States is degrading habitats and impacting biodiversity through mountaintop removal. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.uky.edu/">University of Kentucky</a> conducted a study examining how mountaintop and ridgeline removal will impact native timber rattlesnakes and other diverse species of plants and animals that call the area home. 

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 

The Appalachian region is rich in biodiversity and is one of the most diverse non-tropical ecosystems in the world. 

Thousands of species can be found in the Appalachians and surface coal mining poses a serious risk to local habitats and animals that like to hibernate in mining areas. The gentle timber rattlesnake is one such animal. 

Surface coal mining involves the complete removal of forest cover and topsoil, and the mountain is effectively flattened to make mining easier. 

For the study, the researchers implanted radio transmitters in timber rattlesnakes that lived along the Cumberland Plateau and tracked the snakes’ movements to make note of hibernacula or hibernation sites.

“Snakes of the eastern U.S. vary in their hibernacula selection behavior, and for many species, not much is known about hibernacula preferences,” said Thomas Maigret, the lead author of the study. “For example, many aquatic snakes prefer damp hibernacula near the streams where they reside during the summer. But for other species, any warm, protected crevice they can fit into seems to suffice.”

Maigret and his colleagues also reviewed satellite imagery, mining maps, and permit data to see how future coal mining operations might impact the timber rattlesnake’s hibernation sites. 

The mining data showed that timber rattlesnakes preferred to hibernate in prime mining spaces proving that there’s a high risk of timber rattlesnakes being displaced by mining. 

“Other species with habitat preferences similar to timber rattlesnakes - including some snakes - may also be affected disproportionately by mining,” said Maigret. “On the other hand, species associated with middle or lower slopes will not be affected by mining to the same extent.”

Surface coal mining operations are not required to reforest an area after the mining is complete as part of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. As a result, forests and biodiversity are not able to easily recover after surface mining and mountaintop removal. 

Still, Maigret says that timber rattlesnakes are incredibly resilient and adaptable, which provides some hope that their populations will not face serious declines near mining areas. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Thomas Maigret

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Surface coal mining strips away mountaintops, reduces biodiversity

Surface coal mining in the Appalachian region of the United...

A new study by Christine Carmichael of the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a> is the first to explore what makes some people opposed to city tree planting programs. In Detroit, for example, around 25 percent of eligible residents rejected the option of having free <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/urban-trees-vanishing-us/">trees</a> planted in their neighborhoods between 2011 and 2014. 

“This research shows how local government actions can cause residents to reject environmental efforts - in this case, street trees - that would otherwise be in people's interests,” said Carmichael.

Her investigation revealed that the opposition in Detroit resulted from negative experiences with street trees in the past. In low-income neighborhoods, in particular, residents were left to deal with an estimated 20,000 dead or hazardous trees when Detroit lost its maintenance program due to budget cuts.

Many people rejected the idea of the new trees because they believed responsibility for maintaining the trees would eventually fall on them. “Even though it's city property, we're gonna end up having to care for it and raking leaves and God knows whatever else we might have to do,” said one resident.

The Greening of Detroit, a non-profit contracted by the city to plant trees, selected tree species that could survive in urban environments to avoid the previous issues.  They also guaranteed maintenance of trees for three years after planting, but the residents remained skeptical. 

Carmichael found that many residents also wanted greater decision-making power in selecting which trees were planted. “By not giving residents a say in the tree planting program, they were re-creating the same conflicts that had been happening in the city for a long time.”

Carmichael said that simple steps could reduce tensions, such as allowing residents a choice over which kind of tree will be planted in front of their home. More follow-up communication would also help to guarantee that trees are cared for, and that residents do not feel burdened with tree maintenance.

Monica Tabares of The Greening of Detroit explained that increased spending by Detroit's forestry department, as well as a change in the organization's leadership, has now led the group to focus more on community engagement.

After Carmichael presented the study findings to The Greening of Detroit, the organization has begun training the youth they hire to water street trees and interact with residents. “As a result of our refined focus, our program has brought thousands of residents together to not only plant trees, but gain a greater understanding of the benefits of trees in their communities.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/usnr20/current">Society and Natural Resources</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: Christine Carmichael/UVMGund

Why free trees are not always welcomed by city residents

A new study by Christine Carmichael of the University of...

It’s a new year, and with the arrival of 2019 comes the departure of former Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and a National Park system still shut down.  Toilets and trash cans are overrunning or left unattended in National Parks across the US as the government shutdown continues under a failure of the federal government to reach a consensus on a budget.  

Parts of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are also closed during the shutdown, another <a href="https://www.waste360.com/public-agencies/amid-government-shutdown-epa-set-run-out-funds">7000 EPA employees</a> are considered essential and are forced to work without pay. Overall, it’s been a strange year with many changes in policy that were disturbing to environmentalists to say the least.  

In 2018, we largely saw a business and pollution-friendly roll back of federal environmental regulations.  <a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/trump-environmental-policies-rollbacks/">Politico</a> reports that the change in federal regulations has been responded to in many cases with tighter state environmental regulations.  For instance, with a federal relaxing of Obama-era emissions regulations, 13 states and D.C. have decided to align their emission standards with those of stricter California.  The Trump administrations says it will revoke California’s right to set its own emissions regulations, making the states that would follow California abide by the new lax regulations.  This move would force California into a legal fight with the federal government. 

But some states have embraced the easier environmental policies of the Trump administration.  One major change that was embraced by Utah was an attempt by the Trump administration to shrink the size of two of the state’s national monuments.

Drilling restrictions in Sage Grouse habitat were pushed back, giving more leeway to oil and gas extraction in 11 western states where the Greater Sage Grouse lives.  The move has also contributed to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fracking-boom-trump-policy/">fracking boom</a> in Wyoming and other western states.  Not only grouse, but other animals also seem to be threatened by policy changes in the White House.

The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have pushed to change the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lawmakers-endangered-species-act/">Endangered Species Act</a>.  Critics claim that this move is merely a handout to business that will hurt endangered species and protected land.  One of the proposed changes in the act would weigh the economic cost of conserving a given species as part of the rationale of protecting or not protecting it.  Other changes that the Trump administration proposed in a bill include making it harder to list a species as endangered and easier to take a species off the list.    

Attacks on threatened animals continued with a new interpretation of the Migratory Birds Act Treaty under then Secretary of the Interior <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ryan-zinkes-departure-environment/">Ryan Zinke</a>.  The new interpretation allowed wind farms and others to ignore the potential impact of actions on birds as long as they didn’t purposefully endanger birds.  The new interpretation would let companies off the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in cases of huge disasters such as oil spills that kill birds, other animals and threaten human safety.  

The Trump administration and industry haven’t always gotten their way though. <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/how-trump-is-changing-science-environment/">National Geographic</a> reported in December of last year that a federal judge in Montana blocked the beginning of the Keystone XL Pipeline.  The Keystone XL pipeline of course has been plagued with controversy from the beginning. The judge stated that the Trump administration didn’t consider the problem of climate change when permitting the project.  Of course, this is only one example of how the Trump administration has had environmental decisions tied up in court.

The administration also requested that the <a href="https://www.youthvgov.org/">Youth Climate Change Lawsuit</a> be dismissed.  The lawsuit is an unprecedented move by 21 young people to sue the government over its failure to address climate change and secure a safe environment for the future.  The Supreme Court refused to halt the lawsuit and it is ongoing. 

Likewise, the reduction of Bear’s Ears National Monument and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/grand-staircase-escalante-bee-diversity/">Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument</a> is waiting to be contested in court as well.  It seems in some ways how court decisions play out will determine the legacy of the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle environmental protections and regulations.

In October 2018, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/03/trump-administration-roll-back-major-obama-era-environment-policies">The Guardian</a> reported that the Trump administration is rushing to roll back all major Obama-era environmental policies, but it goes deeper than that.  Trump’s direct attack on the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Birds Act Treaty signal an attack on all protections for non-human species.  His attack on National Monuments in Utah is an attack on the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/legal/american-antiquities-act-of-1906.htm">Antiquities Act</a>, a law over 100 years old created to protect land and archaeological remains.  The Antiquities Act is the spine of the National Park System and the base for every National Monument or park in the US.  This system is also the model for many state parks in the US and park systems the world over. Lands to escape the pressures of modernity and other species to share the planet with are things perhaps that not everyone appreciates.  Clean air and water are human and even organismal universals, though. 

Trump has stepped beyond the selling out recreation and species conservation in 2018.  Under first the EPA leadership of corrupt Scott Pruitt and then former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, Trump has tried to limit clean air and water regulations.  Regulations were eased on power plant emissions as well as toxins seeping from oil wells. In perhaps the greatest afront to environmentalists, the Trump administration pushed to open the remote and wild Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil extraction.

<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/365772-congress-votes-to-open-alaska-refuge-to-oil-drilling">The Hill</a> reports that the House and the Senate both passed bills to open the wildlife refuge to drilling.  When we have low gas prices and a large output of domestic oil already, it begs the question why the US would risk another oils spill disaster in a more sensitive environment further removed from outside help and drilling in more dangerous conditions.  As with all things Trump, it comes down to the president’s love for green, just not the type that grows on trees. For the rest of us, we need to hold on as we start into another year of less regulated destruction for profit. 2018 was a strange and terrifying year for environmental policy, it seems unlikely that 2019 is headed in a much better direction.           

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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>

How U.S. environmental policy changed in 2018

It’s a new year, and with the arrival of 2019...

Roadside hedges are a way to spruce up a street, and they might help cut pollution, too, according to researchers.

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/global-centre-clean-air-research">Global Centre for Clean Air Research</a> looked at how trees, shrubs and a combination of trees and shrubs affected air pollution. They found that roadside hedges were the most effective landscaping when it came to lowering air pollution concentrations along streets.

"Many millions of people across the world live in urban areas where the pollution levels are also the highest. The best way to tackle pollution is to control it at the source. However, reducing exposure to traffic emissions in near-road environments has a big part to play in improving health and well-being for city-dwellers,” said Dr. Prashant Kumar, the study’s senior author.

More than half of the Earth’s people live in urban areas, where pollution levels can be unhealthy. 

"The iSCAPE project provided us with an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of passive control measures such as green infrastructure that is placed between the source and receptors,” Kumar said.

The researchers found that trees alone didn’t reduce pollution at breathing height – the average height of a walking person’s face. Trees grew too tall to affect pollution at the sidewalk level. Roadside hedges were more effective, but even a combination of trees and hedges were better than trees alone.

The team’s work, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.12.036">Atmospheric Environment</a>, points to a hole in urban greening strategies. Most focus on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-trees-lining-california-streets-provide-1-billion-in-benefits/">adding trees to urban landscapes</a> – and they’re important, too – but urban planners should be looking at roadside hedges, too, the researchers said.

"This study, which extends our previous work, provides new evidence to show the important role strategically placed roadside hedges can play in reducing pollution exposure for pedestrians, cyclists and people who live close to roads,” Kumar said. “Urban planners should consider planting denser hedges, and a combination of trees with hedges, in open-road environments.”

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By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Roadside hedges help clean up urban air pollution

Roadside hedges are a way to spruce up a street,...

Things may be heating up a bit on the surface here on Earth, but in the deep Pacific Ocean, life is a lot cooler – if a little outdated. 

The water in the deepest parts of the Pacific are still recovering from the Little Ice Age, a period of cooling in the 17th century that followed the Medieval Warm Period, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aar8413">Science</a>.

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> and the <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> teamed up to create a model of how the climate affects the deep Pacific. What they found was surprising.

"These waters are so old and haven't been near the surface in so long, they still 'remember' what was going on hundreds of years ago when Europe experienced some of its coldest winters in history," said Dr. Jake Gebbie, the WHOI oceanographer who led the study.

The Little Ice Age was a cooling period that lasted from the 1500s to the 1800s at various points on the globe. The timing differs depending on region, but led to widespread disasters in some areas, such as the disappearance of Norse colonies in Greenland and the agricultural failures and starvation across Europe. Those disasters, in turn, may have triggered hardships from warfare to witch trials.

The decades of historical, scientific and statistical research on the Little Ice Age made it an excellent data source for the WHOI and Harvard team’s models of the deep Pacific waters.

"Climate varies across all timescales," said Dr. Peter Huybers of Harvard University, who co-authored the paper. "Some regional warming and cooling patterns, like the Little Ice Age and the Medieval Warm Period, are well known. Our goal was to develop a model of how the interior properties of the ocean respond to changes in surface climate."

The models found that, unlike the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-climate-variability/">atmosphere</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pacific-ocean-warming-arctic/">ocean surface waters</a> around the Earth, the deep Pacific may still be cooling from the Little Ice Age.

"If the surface ocean was generally cooling for the better part of the last millennium, those parts of the ocean most isolated from modern warming may still be cooling," Gebbie said.

To test their model, Huybers and Gebbie compared the results to temperature data taken in 1870 and the 1990s. 

"The close correspondence between the predictions and observed trends gave us confidence that this is a real phenomenon," Gebbie said.

The model changes what scientists know about how the ocean absorbs and holds heat from the atmosphere, the pair said.

"Part of the heat needed to bring the ocean into equilibrium with an atmosphere having more greenhouse gases was apparently already present in the deep Pacific," Huybers said. "These findings increase the impetus for understanding the causes of the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age as a way for better understanding modern warming trends."

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image credit: Larry Madin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Deep Pacific Ocean waters are still cooling from the Little Ice Age

Things may be heating up a bit on the surface...

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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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



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.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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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