Coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Hawaii, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are showing alarming signs of stress. Where bright, living structures once stretched across the seafloor, many now appear ghostly and drained of color. 



The vivid greens, yellows, and blues of the corals have faded. What remains looks more like underwater ruins than living ecosystems. This phenomenon, known as coral bleaching, happens when climate-driven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/">ocean warming</a> disrupts the delicate relationship between coral and the algae that live inside them.



Though the organisms remain alive, bleaching makes them vulnerable - to disease, starvation, and eventually, death.



But recent research out of <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>, in collaboration with Duke University and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, has uncovered something hopeful: certain corals can pass their heat tolerance to their offspring. This finding could help protect reefs around the world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-corals-under-climate-stress">Corals under climate stress</h2>



Coral reefs support nearly a quarter of all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/body-size-of-85000-marine-species-mapped-in-new-database/">marine species</a>. They also protect coastlines and help sustain millions of people globally. 



Recently, researchers discovered that resistance to heat isn’t just a fluke of one generation - It can be inherited.



“The Coral Resilience Lab in Hawaii has developed amazing methods to breed and rear corals during natural summer spawning,” said study co-author Rob Quinn.



“This is a true scientific collaboration that can support coral breeding and reproduction to cultivate more resilient corals for the warming oceans of the future.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-color-behind-the-corals">The color behind the corals</h2>



In exchange for shelter and nutrients, the algae use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-finally-decoded-the-process-of-photosynthesis/">photosynthesis</a> to produce sugars that feed their host - providing up to 95 percent of the energy it needs. It’s a tight-knit relationship. But when water gets too warm, that partnership breaks down.



Bleached coral has kicked out its algae. It becomes pale. It loses its source of energy. And it starts to struggle.



“Corals are like the trees in an old-growth forest; they build the ecosystems we know as reefs on the energetic foundation between the animal and algae,” said study co-author Crawford Drury.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-lab-to-ocean-collaboration">A lab-to-ocean collaboration</h2>



Michigan State University, far from any tropical reef, brings a unique set of tools to the table. Samples collected from spawning events in Hawaii are sent to MSU, where researchers use a method called metabolomics to study them.



This technique lets scientists see what’s happening inside a coral’s cells at a specific moment. The goal is to find the biochemical fingerprints linked to thermal tolerance.



The experts analyzed sperm, eggs, embryos, larvae, and algae. The results showed that heat resistance comes from both the coral and its algae - and that this resistance successfully passes from parent to offspring.



“HIMB and MSU have developed a really amazing partnership. I’m just happy they’ve let me be a part of it. I can’t wait to see what comes out of it next,” said Ty Roach, a visiting faculty at Duke University and lead author of the new study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-eggs-carry-algae">Coral eggs carry algae</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natural-sunscreen-helps-blue-rice-corals-adapt-to-warming-climate/">Rice coral</a> comes in many forms - some branch out like tiny fingers, others spread flat like layered shelves. But they all share a remarkable feature: little grain-like bumps that inspired the name, and a surprising ability to pass thermal tolerance to the next generation.



Unlike many coral species that acquire algae from surrounding seawater, rice coral packages its eggs with algae from the start. 



This means that both the coral and its symbiotic algae begin their journey together from the very first moments of life. That early partnership offers a head start in facing warming oceans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-heat-in-coral-babies">Studying heat in coral babies</h2>



Quinn and his team used MSU’s advanced instruments to examine the chemistry of each sample. They set out to investigate whether the molecules linked to heat resistance - such as specific lipids - appeared consistently across generations.



The researchers discovered that even embryos and larvae, the earliest life stages, showed chemical signatures tied to their parents’ heat resilience.



“Corals usually spawn based on the lunar cycle; for our experiment, this means late nights around the summer new moons and months of work rearing coral larvae and juveniles,” Drury said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-traits-passed-during-spawning">Heat traits passed during spawning</h2>



One of those long nights left a big impression on MSU graduate student Sarah VanDiepenbos.



“It was such a serene, beautiful experience. The timing is impeccable, as the process only lasts 20 to 30 minutes total,” she said. 



The coral bundles slowly float upward, trying to find another gamete to combine with once they get to the surface. This release is gradual, so they can have a maximum chance of finding spawn from a different coral.



“To have this algae’s thermal tolerance remain through an entire generation and all the stages of coral development - that’s surprising, and promising for the future of coral reefs,” Quinn said. 



“Coral lipid biochemistry is maintained through all stages of development during reproduction. These lipids come from both the host coral and its algal symbiont, indicating there is crosstalk between them to prepare the next generation to resist bleaching.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-resilience-in-a-changing-climate">Coral resilience in a changing climate</h2>



The results don’t just offer insight. They offer an opportunity for action. Understanding how thermal resistance is passed down gives scientists better tools for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restored-coral-reefs-can-bounce-back-in-just-four-years/">restoring reefs</a>. It also gives them a clearer sense of which corals are worth breeding in a changing climate.



“Our metabolomics research at MSU could support reef restoration efforts at places like the Kāneʻohe Bay by identifying corals that are resistant to bleaching,” Quinn said.



The oceans are changing. But thanks to research like this, we might be ready for what comes next.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61102-8">Nature Communications</a>.



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Baby corals inherit a powerful climate change defense from their parents

Coral reefs in the Florida Keys, Hawaii, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are showing alarming signs of stress. Where bright, living structures once stretched across the seafloor, many now appear ghostly and drained of color. The vivid greens, yellows, and blues of the corals have faded. What remains looks more like underwater ruins than living ecosystems. This phenomenon, known as coral bleaching, happens when climate-driven ocean warming disrupts the delicate relationship between coral and the algae that live inside them. Though the organisms remain alive, bleaching makes...

A new study has revealed that ice mass loss in Antarctica has increased by 280 percent in recent decades, and as a result the world’s oceans will <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-sheet-florida-coastline/">experience significant sea level rise</a> over the coming years. 

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a>, the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (NASA JPL) and <a href="https://www.uu.nl/en">Utrecht University</a> in the Netherlands calculated Antarctic ice mass loss between 1979 and 2017. 

The four-decade assessment, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, covered 18 regions, 176 basins, and Antarctica’s surrounding islands. 

The researchers examined Anatrica’s remaining ice mass and discovered that the continent experienced a sixfold increase in annual ice mass loss between 1979 and 2017, which raised sea levels by more than half an inch in the same period. 

“That's just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak,” said Eric Rignot, the lead author of the study. “As the Antarctic ice sheet continues to melt away, we expect multi-meter sea level rise from Antarctica in the coming centuries.”

The researchers analyzed aerial photographs from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/icebridge/index.html">NASA’s Operation IceBridge</a>, satellite radar data and satellite imagery to compare snowfall accumulation over the years and calculate ice mass loss. 

Between 1979 and 1990, the researchers calculated ice mass losses of 40 gigatons per year, but between 2009 and 2017, ice mass losses skyrocketed to 252 gigatons per year. 

The comprehensive study sheds insight on how east Antarctica has been impacted over the years and how ice mass in that region contributed to ice mass loss totals. East Antarctica is more susceptible to climate change and increases in ocean temperatures than was previously thought, according to the researchers. 

“The Wilkes Land sector of East Antarctica has, overall, always been an important participant in the mass loss, even as far back as the 1980s, as our research has shown,” said Rignot. “This region is probably more sensitive to climate [change] than has traditionally been assumed, and that's important to know, because it holds even more ice than West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula together.”

The study also projects that the increases in ice mass loss will have major impacts on sea level rise in the future. 

“As climate warming and ozone depletion send more ocean heat toward those sectors, they will continue to contribute to sea level rise from Antarctica in decades to come,” said Rignot.

--

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>

Antarctica is experiencing a sixfold increase in ice mass loss

A new study has revealed that ice mass loss in...

Bees are not the world’s only disappearing pollinators. 

Essential pollinators like butterflies, honey bees, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mice-birds-bats-pollination/">bats, and hummingbirds</a> all face an increasing number of threats including habitat loss, climate change, and disease which are impacting biodiversity and populations. 

Without pollinators, the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/pollinators/what-is-a-pollinator.htm">world’s food supply would suffer</a> and ecosystems would quickly collapse. 

The use of pesticides and other pest deterrents on crops and habitat loss due to agricultural operations have put a great deal of pressure on pollinators to find other sources of food and plants to pollinate. 

But now, a new study had found that community and residential gardens could offer a lifeline to pollinators and could help efforts to conserve and protect pollinating insects. 

The research was conducted by researchers from several academic institutions across the United Kingdom and published in the journal Nature Ecology. The study is the first of its kind to consider cities as a whole and their potential impacts on pollinator conservation. 

According to the research, both residential gardens and community gardens benefit pollinators, and the researcher found that plants like lavender, dandelions, and thistles attract pollinators and serve as important food sources. 

The researchers also developed a way to measure pollinator “robustness” to help identify which communities of pollinators are most at risk of population declines and which pollinators are more adaptable to environmental changes. 

Robustness is a way to measure how well a community responds to species loss. Some pollinator communities can adapt to losing certain species, but other communities are more fragile. 

Having a measurement of community robustness for pollinators will help with conservation efforts and identify which pollinators need the most attention and management. 

“Rather than simply asking about how management affects the number of pollinator species or their abundance, we also ask how potential strategies affect the ability of pollinators to cope with species losses associated with environmental change,” said Jane Memmott, a member of the research team. “A good management intervention leads to more sustainable communities.”

Overall, the researchers found that gardens in cities could help sustain pollinator populations and the study offers several recommendations for managing urban and residential greenspaces to best benefit pollinators. 

Some of the team’s suggestions include managing public greenspaces to specifically benefit pollinators, increasing the number of community gardens, and planting pollinator-friendly plants like lavender that will attract more pollinating insects.

“By understanding the impact of each urban land use on pollinators, whether it's gardens, allotments, road verges or parks, we can make cities better places for pollinators,” said Katherine Baldock, the lead researcher for the study. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com </a>

Image Credit: Nadine Mitschunas

Better city greenspace management could help struggling pollinators

Bees are not the world’s only disappearing pollinators. Essential pollinators...

New research published January 14th in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> provides a link between growing energy of global ocean waves and ocean warming. This recent study focused in on wave power — the energy within <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-waves-antarctic-ice-loss/">ocean waves</a>, transmitted by wind and transformed into wave power — in relation to upper ocean warming.

The team found that wave power has been growing alongside ocean temperatures. Upper ocean warming, the measured upward trend in sea-surface temperatures, has affected global wind patterns, thus increasing wave power. 

"For the first time, we have identified a global signal of the effect of global warming in wave climate,” said lead author Borja G. Reguero, a researcher in the <a href="https://ims.ucsc.edu/">Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz</a>. “In fact, wave power has increased globally by 0.4 percent per year since 1948, and this increase is correlated with the increasing sea-surface temperatures, both globally and by ocean regions.”

"This study shows that the global wave power can be a potentially valuable indicator of global warming, similarly to carbon dioxide concentration, the global sea level rise, or the global surface atmospheric temperature," added coauthor Inigo J. Losada, director of research at the <a href="http://www.ihcantabria.com/en/">Environmental Hydraulics Institute at the University of Cantabria (IHCantabria)</a>.

Exposing the link between ocean warming and wave power is crucial for coastal communities, many of whom have seen heightened wave power impact their infrastructure and coastline.

 "Our results indicate that risk analysis neglecting the changes in wave power and having sea level rise as the only driver may underestimate the consequences of climate change and result in insufficient or maladaptation," concluded coauthor Fernando J. Méndez, associate professor at the University of Cantabria.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Ocean warming is making big waves more powerful

New research published January 14th in Nature Communications provides a...

A new study has revealed that variations in the Earth's axial tilt are linked to dramatic shifts in the the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/east-antarctic-ice-sheet-melting/">Antarctic Ice Sheet</a>. A research team led by the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> has matched the planet’s celestial motions with the geologic record of Antarctica's ice.

The findings sum up the entire history of the Antarctic Ice Sheet throughout most of the past 34 million years, including its formation. The research also highlights the sensitivity of the Earth's climate system to changes in the planet's axial cycles.

Study co-lead author Stephen Meyers is a UW-Madison professor of Geoscience and an expert on how the climate responds to changes in solar radiation from Earth's astronomical motions.


“What this study does is characterize the growth and decay of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and sheds light on what is forcing it to change,” explained Professor Meyers. “What has become apparent through this work and other studies is that the Antarctic Ice Sheet isn't just sitting there. It is vulnerable to decay.”

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is miles deep in some places, contains enough ice to raise the sea level by roughly five meters. The researchers discovered that the ice sheet is so heavy that much of it is resting on land thousands of meters below sea level, which means that it is a marine ice sheet in some places.


According to the experts, marine ice sheets are particularly sensitive to heat carried in by ocean currents. The new study suggests that retreating sea ice will erode the barrier holding the ice sheet in place, including the parts of it that are below sea level.

“Sea ice creates a barrier between the ocean and the ice. If we fail to achieve carbon dioxide emissions targets and Earth's average temperature warms more than 2 degrees Celsius, sea ice will diminish and we jump into a world that is more similar to that last experienced during the early to mid-Miocene,” said co-lead author Richard Levy of New Zealand's GNS Science and Victoria University of Wellington.

Prior to this study, scientists struggled to understand why the ice sheet responded differently to the same astronomical cycles at different times. By linking those cycles to a detailed chemical record, the team found that elevated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the resulting loss of sea ice around the Antarctic played a big role in amplifying the impacts of changes in the Earth's astronomical motions on Antarctic sea ice. 

“All of these data suggest we need to get cracking and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Levy, who pointed out a decline in Antarctic sea ice over the last two years after several decades of growth. “We don't want to lose that sea ice.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth’s axial cycles impact the rise and fall of Antarctic sea ice

A new study has revealed that variations in the Earth's...

Across the world, species are being pushed into the yawning void of extinction by humans.  We’re mowing down rainforests at alarming rates. According to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-rainforest-deforestation-2621547166.html">ecowatch.org</a>, 3,050 square miles of the Amazon was cut down between August 2017 and July 2018, the worst year yet for Amazon deforestation.  Climate change is happening now, due to human pollutants. Snowpack in the western US is down, icebergs are melting. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-shortens-life-spans/">Air pollution</a> is taking years off of people’s lives and causing acid rain.   

<a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/global_extinction_rates_why_do_estimates_vary_so_wildly">Scientists disagree</a> over the rates of species extinction but they may be greater than we officially estimate.  It could be as much as between 24 and 150 species lost a day.   Politicians argue over agreements to slow climate change while nations like the US now simply ignore the problem.  In the meantime, little is being done and the economic machinery marches on consuming the planet for its own illusory growth.  More, better and different technology we’re told is the answer. 

Windmills are built that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-impacts-solar-wind-energy/">kill birds and bats</a> just the same as if they were caught in an oil spill.  Solar panels are hoisted up, blocking the bright sun warming the earth and divert it to the wall sockets of Youtube hungry consumers.  Plants are engineered and doctored to taste exactly like beef for the consumer who cares just not enough to forgo the taste of meat. National parks in the US pushed native peoples out of traditional homelands; parks in Africa and Asia have followed suit.  These, we are told, are the solutions. 

No one is told that they are the problem.  Instead, Trump is blamed for the climate, the Koch brothers are villainized for pollution.  The quickly approaching extinction of rhino species is clearly being driven by superstitious Chinese using horns, bones and fungi for quackery labelled as cures.  

I am the problem.  I drive a car. I am using electricity and the internet to transmit this article to you now.  I eat cheese and eggs and ice cream. I participate in a society that created the monster leading the United States now.  I am to blame. The only way forward is to completely rethink the systems that have driven us to the brink of collapse, the suicidal governments pushing us along.

An article in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/climate-change-what-you-can-do-campaigning-installing-insulation-solar-panels">The Guardian</a> lists less consumption of meat, especially beef, as one direct action and simply less consumption as another but this message is one that’s being all too often ignored.  Instead, we often look to global leaders to combat environmental problems despite the inconsistency of leadership inherit in democratic governments and the long term approach necessary for any real solution.  The article also says to vote, but how is this reasonable when the climate change-denying US president in power now didn’t win the popular vote? 

Beyond that, decisions with much longer follow through than term limits allow is necessary for environmental change to have any weight.  The Paris Climate Accords are a perfect example. Experts agree that the accords don’t do enough to solve the problem of global climate change and still, nations involved can’t meet the goals they set.  Goals are continually reset to pander to a complete lack of will or determination by any nation state involved. There’s very little binding power to the agreement and poorer nations are getting the raw end of the deal, as usual.  Despite the ill intention and malice, the US leaving the climate accords seems almost irrelevant.

A piece from <a href="https://www.resilience.org/stories/2019-01-11/capricious-foes-big-sister-high-carbon-plutocrats-irreverent-musings-from-katowices-cop24/">resilience.org</a> written by a participant at COP24 revealed how despite an appearance of discussion, most members are barred from specific criticism, making the discussion toothless and pointless.  Instead in many ways COP24 and other climate discussions seem to be more about trade and profit than about the climate crisis. An article in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2018/12/13/ten-things-the-world-learned-at-the-cop24-climate-change-negotiations/#148367901cd2">Forbes</a> asserts that many countries involved in the COP24 talks, including host nation, Poland are reluctant to give up coal.  The article goes on to echo some concerns also raised by resilience.org, that many civil groups are physically barred from participating in the COP talks.  Only groups that can be counted on to ‘play nice’ are allowed to question government and business leaders at the climate talks. Many of those shut out of the conference were from poorer nations most threatened by climate change.  Even a scientific study by IPCC showing that we’re headed towards a catastrophic temperature rise of 3°C that was commissioned by COP21 wasn’t welcome at the COP24 talks. 

The study itself shoots to the heart of the issue stating, “…rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society…” are necessary to divert the coming tragedy.  

Climate change, deforestation and global extinctions on the rise are huge problems but they’re actually just symptoms of a deeper global sickness.  The problem is consumption.  The problem is that people continually turn away from the natural world they’re destroying by plugging into destructive ways to occupy their time.  Nature Deficit Disorder is usually not seen in the same light as a global destructive force in the same way climate change is. I would argue that in many ways Nature Deficit Disorder, coupled with good old fashioned greed and gluttony, are driving climate change, deforestation, even drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  

<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38094186">BBC</a> reports on the effect of Nature Deficit Disorder, quoting Dr. Ross Cameron:

“We're so clued into modern technology and things that we're less observant about the world around us and we're more likely to learn about wildlife ironically from a David Attenborough programme than maybe from a walk in the woods.”

A walk in the woods doesn’t have an environmental cost like watching a nature documentary. A trip into ‘nature’ also has the added benefit of making it personal.  There’s a magical joy of discovering in seeing a bird you’ve never noticed before without knowing what is that’s missing in nature film, articles or books.

The key to everything is we’re losing the world around us and we don’t even realize it because we’ve slipped so deeply into our own artificial worlds of computer screens and carefully climate controlled offices.  The root of the destruction of the natural world is that you’re reading this on a screen instead of being outside. From Central Park to the waterways of the northern Midwest to deserts, mountains, even roadsides, there is beauty in the world, seeing it for yourself is the first step towards protecting it.           

--

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>

The real root of the current global environmental catastrophe

Across the world, species are being pushed into the yawning...

As long-time rivals Russia and China turn their gaze toward the warming Arctic, the United States is preparing to do the same.

A <a href="https://www.navy.mil/">U.S. Navy</a> warship will set out on a freedom of navigation operation in the Arctic within the next few months, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer told the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/">Wall Street Journal</a> recently. Such an operation, also known as a FONOP, challenges territorial claims on the world’s oceans and airspace. International law forbids countries from interfering in the travel of ships flying the flag of any sovereign state.

“The concept is, yes, go up there,” Spencer said.

With climate change beginning to open up navigable waterways in the warming Arctic, world powers are looking to take advantage of those new lanes for commercial and military operations.

Last year saw the third-lowest Arctic ice level on record, the <a href="https://nsidc.org/">National Snow and Ice Data Center</a> reported. The agency first began tracking ice levels using satellite data in the 1970s. And sea ice hit record low levels in the Arctic in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-sea-ice-extent-low/">2015, 2016 and 2017</a> as well, according to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>.

Though the planned operation will be the first U.S. FONOP in the Arctic, the Navy has conducted similar operations in the South China Sea recently. 

While the Navy is still solidifying its plans, a decommissioned base in the Aleutian island chain may play a role. Adak was closed in the 1990s and taken over in 2003 by the <a href="https://www.aleutcorp.com/">Aleutian Corporation</a>, which helps settle Alaskan natives’ claims against the U.S. government.

“It has some amazing facilities,” Spencer said. “Could we bring some surface ships there? Yes.”

The corporation did not return requests for comment from the Wall Street Journal. But if the Adak base doesn’t work out, the Navy will work around it.

“We’ve got to get up there and learn,” Spencer said. “There’s no other way to do it.”

The plan comes after China last year declared its intention to create a “polar Silk Road” in the warming Arctic. Russia has been active in the Arctic for quite some time, as its northern coast lies within the region.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image credit: ikaew101 / <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock.com</a>

U.S. prepares to stake claim in warming Arctic

As long-time rivals Russia and China turn their gaze toward...

A new report has linked a deadly asthma attack that killed a 9-year-old schoolgirl to London air pollution. 

Thanks to the report, Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, the mother of young Ella Kissi-Debrah, will be able to seek a new inquest into Ella’s death.

“Words cannot express how happy I am that the attorney general has taken this decision, and I would like to thank him for reaching his conclusion,” Rosamund Kissi-Debrah told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk">The Guardian</a> on Friday. “Nothing will bring my beautiful, bright, bubbly child back, but now at least I may get answers about how she died and whether it was air pollution which snatched her away from us.”

Ella Kissi-Debrah, who lived in south London about 80 feet from a busy, smoggy road, died in February 2013 after struggling with breathing difficulties for three years. The deadly asthma attack led to the last of 27 separate hospital visits following a chest infection in 2010. Before the illness, she’d been active and healthy.

Dr. Stephen Holgate of the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a>, an expert on air quality and health, examined spikes in south London air pollution to see if they had an impact on Ella’s health. 

He found a “striking association” between Ella’s hospitalizations and illegally high spikes in air pollution in the neighborhood where she lived. The deadly asthma attack that took her life came in the midst of one of the worst south London air pollution spikes. 

“The dramatic worsening of her asthma in relation to air pollution episodes would go a long way to explain the timing of her exacerbations across her last four years,” Holgate told The Guardian last July. “There is a real prospect that without unlawful levels of air pollution Ella would not have died.”

Air pollution has been linked to deaths all over the world, from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-kills-infants/">infants</a> to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-premature-death-elderly/">elderly</a>. Pollution is linked to higher rates of pulmonary and cardiac diseases like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-shortens-life-spans/">asthma, high blood pressure and heart attacks</a>, as well as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-diabetes/">higher risk of diabetes</a>.

On the flip side, cutting air pollution can also lead to a drop in the number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/decline-air-pollution-deaths/">pollution-related deaths</a>.

Human rights lawyer Jocelyn Cockburn of <a href="https://www.hja.net/">Hodge Jones &amp; Allen</a>, who is representing Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, supports the idea of moving ahead with an inquest into Ella’s deadly asthma attack.

“An inquest will provide a better understanding of why she died and whether her death was avoidable. It will force the government and other bodies to account for their actions and, in many regards, their inaction on air pollution over this period,” she told The Guardian.

To that end, Rosamund has started a crowdfunding effort at <a href="https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/airpollution/">Crowd Justice</a> to pay for a legal inquiry into the London air pollution that may have killed her daughter.

“Now I hope a new inquest will make those in power realise that our children are dying as a result of the air that they breathe. This cannot go on,” she said. “Why is this not being taken more seriously by the government? What do we need to do to make them prioritise our children’s lives over convenience and the rights of people to pollute?”

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By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

London air pollution linked to girl's deadly asthma attack

A new report has linked a deadly asthma attack that...

New information from researchers at <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> enlightens the public to the negative effects of massive hydropower developments like dams. 

Deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and the displacement of thousands of citizens is happening in countries like <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/termite-mounds-brazil/">Brazil</a>, where hydropower is still being put into place, and on an enormous scale. What’s more is that countries where dams are still being built are ignoring the environmental impact and impending climate change, which will ultimately lead to less water being available for electricity storage and generation.

The Michigan State research team was led by Emilio Moran, a visiting professor at the <a href="https://www.unicamp.br/unicamp/english">University of Campinas (UNICAMP)</a> in São Paulo State, Brazil, and the principal investigator of a <a href="https://bv.fapesp.br/en/auxilios/82785/social-and-environmental-processes-that-accompany-the-construction-of-belo-monte-hydroelectric-dam/">São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) dam research project</a>, which pertains to the new Belo Monte dam in Altamira, Pará.

“We argue that if the construction of large dams in developing countries is to continue, it must always be preceded by a painstaking assessment of their real cost, including the environmental and social impact they have,” Moran stated via the study, published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/47/11891">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)</a>.

As of 2016, hydropower is the leading source of renewable energy worldwide, accounting for 71% of all renewable energy. However, many dams that were built in North America and Europe throughout the 20th century have since been dismantled — an incredibly costly endeavor. Dismantling should also be taken into account when new dams are being built, Moran argued.

These 20th century dams were also constructed for societal benefit — they provided water to rural areas. Modern dams are built to supply energy to large corporations like steel-making companies, and offer nothing for the community.

“The people affected by these projects reap no benefits, such as access to electricity or a cheaper power supply. In the case of Belo Monte, the transmission line passes over the heads of the people affected and takes the electricity generated straight to the south and southeast, two of Brazil's wealthiest regions," Moran said.

The development of these modern dams has actually increased electricity bills within the communities surrounding them, and construction jobs offered to locals disappeared within five years of the dams being built. According to Moran, “Belo Monte has been chaotic and has affected the lives of the inhabitants so profoundly that plans to build more large dams in the Amazon basin are being revisited."

Hydropower developments are also detrimental to native fish species. The decrease of fish populations in regions like the Amazon basin has impacted global fish diversity as well as fishing communities, where, in some areas like those around the Tucuruí dam, the fish catch fell 60% immediately after the dam was built. 

Furthermore, these modern dams are no match for impending climate change, Moran warned. They will end up only producing a fraction of the energy they were designed to generate as temperatures rise and Amazon rainfall decreases in the coming years. 

“Depending on water as the main source of power in a future when we'll have less of this natural resource looks like an unreliable strategy," Moran said. “To reduce its vulnerability with regard to energy in the context of global climate change, Brazil must diversify its energy mix. It's still too dependent on hydroelectricity. It needs to invest more in other renewable sources, such as solar, biomass and wind."

Rather than continue on the path of dams, the researchers suggest countries like Brazil look into submerged or in-stream turbine technology, also known as "zero head," for which no damming is required. This technology can better riverine communities and is much cheaper than building a dam.

"This technology could be used throughout Brazil wherever there are relatively small watercourses with discharge rates in excess of 1 cubic meter per second," Moran added. "Small turbines can also be installed near dams to supplement power generation and eliminate the need to build more dams."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hydropower may be doing more social and environmental harm than good

New information from researchers at Michigan State University enlightens the...

Although truffles and caviar have been traditional delicacies for wealthy people, a new study from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> has found that free-range and fair-trade foods are becoming more important to the upper class. 

“Our culture's understanding of what counts as elite taste has really overlooked this ethical element,” said study lead author Professor Emily Huddart Kennedy.

People of a high social status have traditionally enjoyed expensive foods, including French cuisine, and sophisticated events like the opera. But now, there seems to be a green revolution catching on, as people are willing to spend more money for products that are <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/environmentally-friendly-flame-retardants/">environmentally friendly</a>. 

The research team set out to investigate whether social elites are now signaling status through ethical foods. They surveyed more than 800 grocery shoppers in Toronto about their food choices, dividing them into four groups according to their preferences: foodies, ethical eaters, neither, or both. 

The experts compared this information to data on the income, education, and occupation of the shoppers. The study revealed that the individuals who were both foodies and ethical eaters had by far the highest socioeconomic status.


On the other hand, the shoppers who classified themselves as neither foodies nor ethical eaters were found to have the lowest socioeconomic status.

“If you're saying, 'Oh, I should go to this new hipster food truck or this new restaurant that opened up,' that's not even enough anymore to signal that you're high-status,” said Kennedy. “Now, it also has to have this additional layer of being good for people and good for the planet. Foie gras might be great, but if it's local, heritage-breed, pasture-raised foie gras from happy, free-range geese, then that's what high-status looks like now.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sf">Social Forces</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

Environmentally responsible foods have become the “classy” preference

Although truffles and caviar have been traditional delicacies for wealthy...

The Earth’s magnetic field is on the move, with the North Pole shifting and currently on its way to Siberia. 

Changes within the magnetic field and the Earth’s core are happening so rapidly that the World Magnetic Model is in dire need of an update. The last time the World Magnetic Model was updated was in 2015 and it wasn’t scheduled to be updated again until 2020.

However, after conducting an annual review of the field, researchers from the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)</a> and the <a href="https://www.bgs.ac.uk/">British Geological Survey</a> discovered that it had moved so much since the last update that it could cause major navigational errors if left unchecked. 

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00007-1?utm_source=twt_nnc&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=naturenews&amp;sf205680051=1">Nature Magazine</a> reported that a new updated model was scheduled to be released this coming Tuesday, January 15th but due to the government shutdown, the update’s release has been postponed until January 30th.

Everything from Google Maps to the <a href="https://www.defense.gov/">U.S Department of Defense</a> relies on the World Magnetic Model for navigation. 

The magnetic field is constantly moving, and quickly at that, which is why regular updates are crucial.

Part of the reason the model is so outdated has to do with the unpredictable patterns of speed and movement of the magnetic north pole as it lurches closer and closer to Siberia.

According to Nature, after its last update, geomagnetic pulse under South America caused part of the field to shift.

The Earth’s magnetic field is the result of moving liquid metal in the Earth’s core. This constant motion is what protects us from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetic-field-solar-radiation/">solar winds and dangerous ultraviolet radiation</a>, but its erratic motion makes it difficult to track.

In 2001, the magnetic field moved into the Arctic Ocean and by 2018 the north pole crossed the International Date Line.

For this latest January 30th update, geomagnetist Arnaud Chulliat and his colleagues used three the years of recent data to help correct the Magnetic Field Model. Chulliat told Nature that the corrections should keep the model accurate until 2020.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth’s magnetic field is shifting in a very strange way

The Earth’s magnetic field is on the move, with the...

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Experts at the <a href="https://www.stir.ac.uk/">University of Stirling</a> are warning that mega-dams are too damaging to ecosystems and biodiversity in lowland tropical forest regions. The study revealed that the Balbina dam in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/illegal-activity-brazilian-amazon/">Brazilian Amazon</a> was responsible for extensive habitat fragmentation. After the dam closed, the flooding was so severe that hilltops were transformed into islands.

The forest islands that are created during reservoir filling are not even accounted for in the Environmental Impact Assessment and licensing process of dams. Tree communities on Balbina's islands were found to be unstable, with rare species threatened in isolation. Similar losses in ecosystem functioning could spread across Balbina's 3,500 reservoir islands.

“Ideally, we recommend that dams should not be constructed in lowland tropical forest regions such as the Amazon basin, due to the far-reaching impacts of river impoundment on aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity,” said study lead author Dr. Isabel Jones. “However, where no alternative is available, we hope to improve the environmental impact procedure and impact mitigation of future dams, by providing robust recommendations regarding dam development and operation.”

When dams are built in tropical regions such as the Amazon basin, significant amounts of greenhouse gases including methane are released. Regardless, dam construction is on the rise throughout the Amazon, with more than 280 new dam projects planned or already underway.

The researchers investigated the long-term impact of dam-induced fragmentation on tropical tree communities isolated by flooding. The goal was to produce recommendations for dam developers and decision-makers that could help to minimize the detrimental impacts associated with dam development.

The study was focused on 36 islands across Balbina, as well as three nearby mainland continuous forest sites.

“Our research found that islands within the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir harbored significantly lower densities of adult and sapling trees, compared to mainland continuous forest,” said Dr. Jones. “In other words, tree biomass is being lost on those islands. This is important to know considering the carbon emissions associated with tropical forest loss and degradation.”

“Furthermore, the species composition of saplings was significantly different to those of the relict adult trees on islands, indicating that future tree communities on islands will be very different to those originally there when the forest was continuous.”

“We also showed that the overall composition of tree communities on islands was different to those in mainland continuous forest, which means that island tree communities are changing due to being isolated within the reservoir. Loss of tree species and biomass within these remnant tree communities is largely ignored in Environmental Impact Assessments. We show that the degradation of remnant tree communities on islands is an additional impact of dams, and must be explicitly considered in the planning and licensing of future dam construction.”

The research is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652664">Journal of Applied Ecology</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: Isabel Jones

Dams are detrimental to tropical forest biodiversity and function

Experts at the University of Stirling are warning that mega-dams...

In the time since <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-sea-turtle-species/">microplastics</a> were discovered in abundance across our oceans, scientists have found that this contamination is extremely widespread throughout lakes, rivers, and even in food and beverage supplies. Dr. Natalia Ivleva, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.tum.de/en/">Technical University of Munich</a> (TUM), is working to develop new methods for identifying and quantifying microplastics.

Dr. Ivleva explained that humans produce around 400 million tons of plastic on a yearly basis. A large amount of this plastic makes its way into the environment as litter, where it takes up to several hundred years to completely degrade. She said that over the next few decades, we will be facing a massive increase in the amount of microplastic pollution in the environment. 

When asked why we do not know more about the effects of microplastic pollution, Dr. Ivleva replied: “Early on, when researchers first realized that microplastic was entering the environment as a result of human activity, optical methods were used to distinguish plastic from other particles in a given sample.”

“Unfortunately, this method is not very reliable. When you are looking at a particle that is smaller than a millimeter in size, it's difficult to discern whether it is a grain of sand or a piece of plastic. They look very similar at that size.”

Dr. Ivleva was part of a team of researchers that conducted a chemical analysis of around 3,000 particles from a water sample collected in the Elbe River. 

“We ascertained that only one in a thousand particles in the sample was actually plastic,” she explained. “Alongside limestone and other mineral particles, the water sample also contained a lot of organic material. That is why it's of the utmost importance to develop reliable and standardized analysis methods - otherwise, there is no way to accurately compare different sample values with one another.”

According to Dr. Ivleva, there are several methods that are currently being used to analyze samples for microplastic, including thermal analysis and infrared microspectroscopy.


“At the TUM Institute of Hydrochemistry, we predominantly employ Raman microscopic analysis in our research. Raman is a non-destructive spectroscopic method that makes it possible to conduct both a signature spectrum analysis as well as facilitate reliable particle identification. Using this method, we can determine whether a particle is made of synthetic polymers - or if it's a natural substance such as cellulose or quartz.”

This method also allows the experts to precisely determine the type of plastic in a sample. 

“And coupling the power of a Raman spectrometer with a regular optical microscope, we can analyze particles down to one micrometer or even smaller. The result: we have the ability to clearly define the number of particles, the range of particle sizes and the polymer types of the microplastics in any given sample.”

The team has used this technique to confirm the presence of microplastic particles in the digestive tracts of water fleas. In the project “MiPAq,” which is being funded by the Bavarian Research Foundation (BFS), the researchers are currently working on the automation of Raman-based methods. 

Dr. Ivleva was asked if the production of plastic should be completely banned in the future.

“Absolutely not - plastic is an incredibly versatile material and has a lot of advantages over other materials. That said - it is of paramount importance for us to drastically reduce the amount of plastic we are introducing into the environment. And it's not just the companies manufacturing plastic that need to shoulder the sole responsibility and burden for this - it is also up to us as consumers to become more responsible in how we use, reuse, recycle and dispose of plastic in the future.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/trends-in-analytical-chemistry">Trends in Analytical Chemistry</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A new technique for detecting microplastics in water bodies

In the time since microplastics were discovered in abundance across...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Ocean heat influences regional climate

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