Carbon credits have become a popular tool for offsetting the environmental impact of air travel. 



Every flight we take adds to the growing cloud of greenhouse gas emissions hovering over the planet. The aviation industry now emits more carbon dioxide than many individual nations. 



To soften the environmental blow, some airlines offer passengers the option to “offset” their emissions - usually by paying into forest protection schemes. 



The promise is simple: fund the preservation of trees, and they’ll absorb enough carbon to balance out your flight. But does it really work? A new study says not always.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-concerns-about-carbon-credits">Concerns about carbon credits</h2>



Researchers from <a href="https://www.bu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston University</a> and the nonprofit Clean Air Task Force recently examined how forest carbon credit systems are run and regulated in North America. 



These programs are often part of the voluntary carbon market, where companies and individuals can buy credits to compensate for their emissions. But the study found that the protocols behind many of these credits are weak - and in some cases, entirely ineffective.



“There’s been a lot of appetite for these credits so corporations can meet their sustainability goals, but some of the credits that have been sold have been found to be dubious at best,” said Lucy Hutyra, a BU College of Arts &amp; Sciences Distinguished Professor, and chair of Earth and Environment.



“This paper is not about whether the system is broken, let’s just scrap it; it’s looking at what works well, what doesn’t, and how we can improve it.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flaws-in-the-current-system">Flaws in the current system</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-carbon-credits-are-not-tied-to-forest-preservation-as-claimed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forest carbon credits</a> come in different forms. Some are part of mandatory systems; others are voluntary. At the cheaper end, they involve paying landowners to keep forests standing. 



On paper, each credit is a promise to absorb one ton of carbon dioxide somewhere to make up for one ton emitted elsewhere. But it’s not always that simple.



The researchers evaluated 20 forest carbon credit protocols and gave each one a score based on how effectively it guarantees climate benefits. Most didn’t score well. 



Only one protocol received a “satisfactory” rating - and it hasn’t even been used yet. None earned a “robust” rating or higher.



“Our results show that the protocols used to generate credits are a critical weak link in the forest carbon market system,” said BU alum Rebecca Sanders-DeMott, the Clean Air Task Force's director of ecosystem carbon science. 



“Without significant improvements, the integrity of the forest carbon market will remain at risk,” she stated.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-essential-role-of-forests">Essential role of forests</h2>



Forests play an essential role in absorbing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atmospheric-co2-could-push-temperatures-much-higher-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atmospheric carbon</a>. But depending on how a credit scheme is managed, the benefits may be overstated. 



One example is the use of “buffer zones,” which are extra preserved areas intended to act as insurance in case something happens to the main forest area, such as a wildfire or disease outbreak.



“In the current system, the buffer pool risks are very conservative, very low estimates of risk,” said Hutyra. “The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-wildfire-season-is-longer-peaks-earlier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildfire</a> risk in one part of California could be really quite different than another part.”



They propose the establishment of larger buffer zones and detailed, location-specific risk maps to better reflect real-world threats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-credits-need-improvement">Carbon credits need improvement</h2>



In addition to managing risk better, the study highlights four other areas where the carbon market could improve. 



It lists 22 total recommendations - half are relatively simple to implement, like reassessing project risks every five years. The rest are more complex.



One major issue is something called “leakage.” If you protect one area of forest from development, but that simply pushes deforestation or construction to another location, you haven’t achieved a true reduction in emissions.



“The net effect is no actual change in the land <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-sinks-are-a-powerful-weapon-against-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon sink</a>, in real emissions to the atmosphere,” Hutyra explained.



To fix this, they suggest national and global tracking of land use changes and stronger incentives to support truly climate-positive outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-carbon-credits">What’s next for carbon credits </h2>



The research team is now focused on getting their recommendations into the hands of those who can make a difference. 



The Clean Air Task Force is preparing an easy-to-read version of the report, organizing webinars, and reaching out to groups who manage carbon credit protocols.



Even without strong federal interest in regulating these markets right now, the researchers are hopeful that their work will help steer voluntary efforts in a more effective direction.



“Global energy demand is rising and, while decarbonizing our energy systems is critical, it will take time - decades, in fact. Meanwhile, the impacts of climate change are already being felt and are accelerating. Forests, which have long served as vital <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-forests-with-many-tree-species-are-more-effective-at-carbon-storage/">carbon sinks</a>, are under increasing threat," said Sanders-DeMott.



"By taking these recommendations seriously, carbon market actors can help restore confidence in carbon markets and unlock the full potential of forests to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, buying us time as we scale the technologies we need to ensure a high-energy, zero-emissions future.”



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024EF005414" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's Future</a>.



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Forest carbon credits are failing, so what needs to change?

Carbon credits have become a popular tool for offsetting the environmental impact of air travel. Every flight we take adds to the growing cloud of greenhouse gas emissions hovering over the planet. The aviation industry now emits more carbon dioxide than many individual nations. To soften the environmental blow, some airlines offer passengers the option to “offset” their emissions - usually by paying into forest protection schemes. The promise is simple: fund the preservation of trees, and they’ll absorb enough carbon to balance out your flight. But...

What’s better than reducing pollution while saving money? Your answer should be an enthusiastic “nothing!” – and if you’re lucky enough to be a farmer, you may soon get the chance to experience this in person.

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain/">Nature Sustainability</a> reports that if fertilizer production adopts similar benchmarks to the fuel-efficiency standards used in the auto industry, the production of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/organic-fertilizers-microplastic-pollution/">fertilizer</a> could produce $5-8 billion in economic benefits for the U.S. corn sector alone. 

Researchers David Kanter of <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> and Tim Searchinger of <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> examined the potential impact of a policy to reduce nitrogen emissions in fertilizer. This policy would be modeled after the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards that have been implemented to increase automobile fuel efficiency in the U.S.

“A CAFE-style approach to reducing nitrogen pollution could provide powerful incentives for fertilizer manufacturers to learn where and how enhanced-efficiency fertilizers work best, and ultimately to develop more technically sophisticated nitrogen products tailored to specific crops, climates, and soil conditions,” the authors explain.”

Nitrogen pollution occurs mainly from the inefficient use of fertilizer and manure on farmland, and is a significant environmental concern. Despite this, any policies addressing this pollution source have been largely ineffective.

In their research, the study’s authors looked at the potential impact of a requirement to steadily increase the proportion of enhanced efficiency fertilizer sold alongside traditional fertilizer. They view this as an incentive for technology development within the industry.

Similar to the fuel efficiency standards implemented in the auto industry, the price of enhanced-efficiency fertilizers (EEF) could be more costly to growers. However, they may ultimately lead to increased profits, as lower amounts are needed to grow crops – just like how more fuel-efficient car use less gasoline. EEFs are already produced by several major fertilizer companies, and have been shown to improve yields while reducing nitrogen losses. Despite their success, EEFs are only used on about 12 percent of U.S. corn cropland.

The researchers’ analysis involved examining how CAFE-style standard mandating greater use of EEFs over a ten-year period would affect incomes from higher yields and increased fertilizer costs. The results showed that higher efficiency standards – depending on the standard set – could result in net economic benefits of $5-8 billion per year by 2030. These benefits account for both farmer and industry profits as well as environmental and human health gains from reduced nitrogen pollution. 

“A state could pioneer such an approach – possibly California, which has already adopted ambitious climate goals across all sectors,” the authors propose. “Although the heterogeneity of agricultural, climatic, and political systems across the world requires a range of policy approaches to address the nitrogen pollution issue, industry-focused technology-forcing policies could be a promising option for reducing nitrogen losses, even as we push our planet to produce far more food.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Improved corn industry fertilizer efficiency could generate billions

What’s better than reducing pollution while saving money? Your answer...

An international research team led by the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> has managed to trace the movement of the northernmost edge of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/alarming-rates-tree-mortality/">tropics</a> back 800 years. Up until now, tropical belt data was only available from around 1930, when instrumental record-keeping began.

Shifts in the tropical boundary influence the position of deserts in the Northern Hemisphere just north of the tropical belt, including the Sonoran, Mojave, and the Sahara.

On a standard map, the tropical belt spans roughly 30 degrees north latitude to 30 degrees south latitude. But now, the scientists have discovered that from 1203 to 2003, the northern edge of the tropics fluctuated up to 4 degrees north and south of the northern 30th parallel.

“Movement of the limit of the tropics is associated with changes in precipitation regimes,” explained study lead author Raquel Alfaro Sánchez.

The study also revealed that the tropics expanded to the north from 1568 to 1634. According to Alfaro Sánchez, this time frame coincides with severe droughts aa well as other major events including the collapse of the Ottoman empire in Turkey, the end of the Ming Dynasty in China, and the near abandonment of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia.

“Our results suggest that climate change was one of the contributing factors to those societal disruptions,” said study co-author Valerie Trouet.

The team managed to track the northern boundary of the tropical belt over eight centuries by analyzing tree rings in five different sites across the Northern Hemisphere. The growth of each tree ring reflects the corresponding climate that year, including annual precipitation.

Trouet explained that having an 800-year history also allowed the researchers to connect rare events such as huge volcanic eruptions with the climate changes that followed.

“This is the first reconstruction that went back to pre-industrial times,” said Trouet.”To know what the natural climate variability is, we need to go further back in time than the last 150 years.”

The researchers determined that the tropical belt expanded on its own long before industrial times. According to Trouet, internal variability in the Earth's climate system affects the movement of the tropics.

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

Image Credit: Ünal Akkemik

The Earth’s tropical belt was shifting long before industrial times

An international research team led by the University of Arizona...

A research expedition led by <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a> (ANU) has discovered a “lost ocean world” of underwater <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/collapse-mount-etna-tsunami/">volcanoes</a> about 250 miles off the coast of Tasmania. 

The scientists were aboard the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) research vessel Investigator mapping the seafloor when they stumbled upon the previously unknown chain of seamounts. 

The volcanic mountains tower up to 1.9 miles over the surrounding ocean floor, with the highest peaks reaching about 1.2 miles from the water's surface. 

“This is a very diverse landscape and will undoubtedly be a biological hotspot that supports a dazzling array of marine life,” said CSIRO team member Dr. Tara Martin.

“Our multibeam mapping has revealed in vibrant detail, for the first time, a chain of volcanic seamounts rising up from an abyssal plain about 5000m deep.”

According to Dr. Martin, the volcanic towers vary in shape and size, ranging from sharp peaks to wide flat plateaus covered with tapered hills that resulted from ancient volcanic activity.

“Having detailed maps of such areas is important to help us better manage and protect these unique marine environments, and provides a stepping stone for future research,” she explained.

Across the mountain chain, the researchers detected spikes in ocean productivity, including elevated phytoplankton activity.

Dr. Eric Woehler from <a href="http://www.birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-tasmania">BirdLife Tasmania</a>, who was surveying seabird and marine mammals on the expedition, was amazed by the amount of sea life in and around the volcanic seamounts.

“While we were over the chain of seamounts, the ship was visited by large numbers of humpback and long-finned pilot whales,” said Dr. Woehler. “We estimated that at least 28 individual humpback whales visited us on one day, followed by a pod of 60-80 long-finned pilot whales the next.”

“We also saw large numbers of seabirds in the area including four species of albatross and four species of petrel. Clearly, these seamounts are a biological hotspot that supports life, both directly on them, as well as in the ocean above.”

Dr. Woehler explained that the seamounts may act as an important landmark for the humpback whales as they migrate from their winter breeding to summer feeding grounds.

“Lucky for us and our research, we parked right on top of this highway of marine life!”

“We expect that these seamounts will be a biological hotspot year round, and the summer visit will give us another opportunity to uncover the mysteries of the marine life they support,” said Dr Woehler.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 
Image Credit: CSIRO

Newly discovered underwater volcanoes may be a biological hotspot

A research expedition led by Australian National University (ANU) has...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-capture-profitable-business/">Carbon capture</a> is becoming an incredibly important component to consider when developing methods to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change. Catalyst in converting coal to fuel could help with carbon capture

Even with a shift towards renewable and sustainable energy, coal has remained a dominant energy source. Experts predict that coal will continue to serve as one of the world’s main energy sources over the next few decades and with that, carbon emissions will continue to accumulate in the atmosphere. 

Finding a way to capture carbon in the early stages of fuel conversion could help keep emissions in check. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.nicenergy.com/en/">National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy</a> in Beijing and <a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/">Eindhoven University of Technology</a> have developed a new kind of catalyst for coal to fuel conversion that has a great deal of promise in reducing fuel costs and power plant emissions. 

A study detailing the catalyst and the researchers’ methods was published in the journal Science Advances. 

A large majority of coal is used in CTL, the process that converts coal to liquid fuel. CTL starts changing coal to syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. A process called the Fisher-Tropsch process converts the syngas to a liquid fuel.Catalyst in converting coal to fuel could help with carbon capture 

Converting coal to liquid fuels with this process creates a great deal of unwanted CO2 as a byproduct. As much as 30 percent of carbon monoxide is converted into CO2 in CTL. 

For this study, the researchers worked on finding a better process for CTL that produces less CO2 and makes carbon capture easier. 

CO2 release in CTL is caused by impure iron-based catalysts according to the researchers. Catalysts are crucial to jumpstarting chemical reactions, like converting coal to fuel, and so the researchers created a pure catalyst using epsilon iron carbide.

Epsilon iron carbide generates almost no CO2 during the Fischer-Tropsch process and the researchers say this could reduce operating costs for CTL plants by 2.5 million euros per year. 


Previously released CO2 is also easier to remove using the new catalyst. 

The study offers a cleaner solution to coal CTL for countries that prioritize fossil fuels and paves the way for new advances in energy conversion in the future. 

“We are aware that our new technology facilitates the use of coal-derived fossil fuels,” said  Emiel Hensen, a lead researcher for the study. “However, it is very likely that coal-rich countries will keep on exploiting their coal reserves in the decades ahead. We want to help them do this in the most sustainable way.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Catalyst in converting coal to fuel could help with carbon capture

Carbon capture is becoming an incredibly important component to consider...

Rockfalls can be more powerful than non-nuclear bombs and have been largely overlooked in terms of risk assessment, according to a new study. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.unimib.it/go/102/Home/English">University of Milano-Bicocca</a> in Italy examined the energy produced by large masses of rock that fall from hundreds of feet. 

When a large enough rockfall occurs, it can produce a shockwave that can topple trees hundreds of feet away and shatter the rocks into dust. 

The shockwave is comparable to massive non-nuclear bombs and in fact, only nuclear bombs have more powerful blasts. 

For the study, the researchers set out to characterize huge rock falls, something never before done because rockfalls are rarely observed by humans even though they occur more often than you would think. 

“They're extremely weird phenomena, which have been somehow overlooked,” Fabio De Blasio, the study’s lead author told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2182017-falling-rocks-can-explode-so-hard-that-only-nuclear-weapons-beat-them/">New Scientist</a>. “Typically they will develop in areas where erosion has been quite fast.”

The researchers reviewed reports of rockfalls that produced large quantities of energy spanning over two decades. 

Overall, the researchers analyzed 22 falls, most occurring in the European Alps, but one rockfall happened in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/yosemite-discovery-earths-formation/">Yosemite National Park</a> in California in 1996. 

The Yosemite park event toppled 1,000 trees and created a large dust cloud. In order for a rockfall to produce enough energy to shatter the rock itself, the researchers calculated how big the rock mass would have to be and from how high it would have to fall to produce such a huge shockwave. 

A rock would have to have the volume of at least 10,000 cubic meters and fall from several hundred feet to produce enough forceful energy to destroy nearby trees. 

The researchers say that a rockfall of this magnitude could release more than 80 billion joules of energy, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6261513/Falling-rocks-explode-violently-non-nuclear-bomb-Earth.html">Daily Mail. </a>

While not a hugely common occurrence, the study shows that rockfalls deserve more attention and could be a hazard to people in the nearby vicinity of mountainous areas with fast rates of erosion. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rockfalls can create more powerful explosions than many bombs

Rockfalls can be more powerful than non-nuclear bombs and have...

The Earth has gone through many periods of warming and cooling where temperatures were drastically different than they are today. 

What makes the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/2030-limit-climate-change-warming/">climate change</a> of today so noticeable compared to other interglacial warm periods of the past is that the rates of warming and carbon amassing in the atmosphere are happening at unprecedented levels. 

But looking at past interglacial periods can help researchers project the impacts of future climate change, and understand how the globe on the whole was affected by drastic temperature changes. 

An international team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> took an in-depth look at climate change during the Last Interglacial Period (129 to 116 thousand years ago) and discovered that global warming speeds up climate variability. 

The results, published in the journal Nature Communications, show how century-scale climate changes are driven by interglacial temperatures which can help climatologist make future projections. 

“The Last Interglacial is particularly relevant because it provides insights into climate processes during a period of excess warmth,” said Chronis Tzedakis, the study’s lead author.

During this last period of warming, surface air temperatures were three to eleven degrees above pre-industrial levels. 

Global sea level at the time is estimated to have risen six to nine meters above today’s current levels. 

Previous climate records show changes in temperature and precipitation that took place over the course of a century within the Last Interglacial, but exactly where and when these changes took place has remained unknown. 

For this study, the researchers created a detailed timeline of the ocean, and atmospheric changes in Southern Europe and the North Atlantic during the Last Interglacial Period. 

To develop this thorough timeline, the researchers used data from marine and terrestrial geological archives and climate model experiments. Taking data from different records and environments can produce uncertainties in forming a complete picture of climate during a particular time. 

The researchers were able to overcome gaps in the timeline by analyzing fossils from sediment samples and creating a sort stratigraphic “Rosetta Stone.” 

Once the researchers had a better picture of climate in Southern Europe, it was easier to link certain weather events across different environments. 

For example, changes in vegetation caused by variations in precipitation were linked to chemical changes in stalagmites from the Corchia Cave in northern Italy. 

“The Corchia record is particularly important because it is supported by very detailed radiometric dating using the decay of uranium isotopes, producing one of the best chronologies for this period available,” said Russell Drysdale, a leader of the research team charged with studying the Italian cave.  

Next, the researchers were able to use climate model experiments to show that these widespread changes in precipitation aligned with disruptions of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation.

The study shows how climate change over the course of a century can be fueled by warmer temperatures driving sea ice melt. 

“Although not a strict analog for future anthropogenically-driven changes, the profile of the Last Interglacial that emerges is one of enhanced century-scale climate instability, with implications for ice-sheet and ocean dynamics,” said Tzedakis. “Future research efforts should focus on constraining further the extent of melting and runoff from the Greenland ice sheet and its effects on ocean circulation during the Last Interglacial.”

--

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>

Global warming speeds up climate variability, study shows

The Earth has gone through many periods of warming and...

Mount Etna is the most active stratovolcano in the world and it continues to grow due to its volcanic activity. Located on the east coast of the densely populated island of Sicily, the volcano is closely monitored. 

A new study has shown that Mount Etna is becoming increasingly unstable and if it collapses completely it could trigger a catastrophic tsunami. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.geomar.de/en/">Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research</a> and for the first time, the volcano was monitored using underwater acoustics. This revealed what geological processes were driving Etna’s movement. 

The results, published in the journal Science Advances, show that the volcano is collapsing under its weight, something called gravitational instability.

“Mount Etna is a really big volcano, more than 3,300 meters [10,800ft], and the lava is making it grow bigger all the time,” Morelia Urlaub, a member of the research team, told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6261809/Mount-Etna-trigger-TSUNAMI-iconic-volcano-slowly-sliding-Mediterranean.html">Daily Mail</a>. “So its own weight is causing the flanks to spread outwards into all directions and this is what we mean with gravitational instability.

The researchers found that a large section of the southeastern side of the volcano is slowly sliding into the sea which increases the risk of a tsunami. 

“The results of this study suggest Etna's flank movement, in fact, poses a greater hazard than previously thought,” said Urlaub. 

It was not well understood what was causing Mount Etna’s flanks to be pushed outward and previous studies theorized that it was due to rising magma, but using underwater monitoring equipment, the researchers were able to discover that this was not the case. 

“The principle behind the technology is really simple. We cannot use GPS or other satellite-based measurements in the ocean due to the high absorbance of electromagnetic waves in water,” Urlaub told the Daily Mail. “So we use sound waves, which works really well in water. We placed a network of five transponders on the seafloor and they were sending acoustic signals to each other.”

The team calculated the time and distance between signals and then measured the changes in the sea floor and pressure that suggested flank movement. The researchers found that Mount Etna’s flank movement is mainly being driven by gravity. 

The study shows the importance of monitoring active volcanoes and finding new methods to study seismic activity as it can yield new insights. 

There is no way to tell if <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/high-sea-levels-mount-etna/">Mount Etna</a> will collapse in the near future or even in this lifetime, but the researchers say that having a new understanding of its flank movements will help with future studies and observations. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Collapse of active volcano Mount Etna could result in a tsunami

Mount Etna is the most active stratovolcano in the world...

A new investigation by <a href="https://wallethub.com/">WalletHub</a> has revealed the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/10-greenest-tech-companies/">greenest</a> cities in America based on a comparison of the country's 100 most populated regions. The cities were scored on four key aspects including environment, transportation, energy sources, and lifestyle and policy.

These four dimensions were evaluated using 26 relevant metrics, and each metric was graded on a 100-point scale. The average score across all metrics determined how each city ranked in greenness.

With an overall score of 72.53, San Diego took first place as the greenest city in the country. Three other California cities made it into the top five as well, including San Francisco, Irvine, and San Jose. 

Washington D.C., which scored the highest of any city in lifestyle and policy, ranked as the nation's third greenest city. Also in the top ten are: Honolulu, Hawaii; Fremont, California; Seattle, Washington; Sacramento, California; and Portland, Oregon.

Some of the specific metrics that were used to measure a city's greenness include air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, population density, and green space.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that most Americans believe that the federal government is not doing enough to protect air and water quality or to address climate change. Many cities have taken on the responsibility of promoting environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Stephanie Hayes Richards of the Gnarly Tree Sustainability Institute told WalletHub: “President Trump’s shrinking of the U.S. EPA necessitates that state and local governments, private businesses, nonprofits, and individual citizens take on additional responsibility for sustainability to avoid potential degradation of the environmental health of our cities.”


Richards also explained that cities should invest in going green because these investments can result in numerous benefits to the local community. 

“For example, investments in energy efficiency improvements can lead to reduced energy costs for residents and businesses and enhance quality of life for low income individuals.”

“Improvements to infrastructure can result in water conservation, improved water quality, and decreased flooding. Enhancements to public transit systems can lead to enhanced access to healthy food options, reduced congestion, and improved air quality.”

The full report by WalletHub on 2018's Greenest Cities in America can be found here: <a href="https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-green-cities/16246/">https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-green-cities/16246/</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

San Diego tops the list of the greenest cities in America

A new investigation by WalletHub has revealed the greenest cities...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a> have led the first comprehensive study to evaluate water pollution over the last several decades. The investigation revealed that the 1972 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/duke-energy-pleads-guilty-to-violating-the-clean-water-act-3/">Clean Water Act</a> has been successful in significantly improving water quality in the United States.

The study was focused on 50 million water quality measurements collected between 1962 and 2001 at 240,000 monitoring sites throughout the country. 

Out of 25 water pollution markers, most showed improvement, including an increase in dissolved oxygen concentrations and a decrease in fecal coliform bacteria. In addition, the portion of rivers safe for fishing increased by twelve percent between 1972 and 2001.

Despite these clear improvements, nearly all of 20 recent economic reviews have reported that the costs of the Clean Water Act outweigh the benefits. Meanwhile, other environmental regulations including the Clean Air Act have been found to provide much higher benefits compared to costs.

Study co-author Joseph Shapiro is an associate professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics in the College of Natural Resources at UC Berkeley.

“Water pollution has declined dramatically, and the Clean Water Act contributed substantially to these declines,” said Professor Shapiro. “So we were shocked to find that the measured benefit numbers were so low compared to the costs.”

According to the researchers, these studies may be overlooking certain benefits, such as improvements to public health or the reduction of industrial chemicals that are no longer included in water quality testing.

Water pollution is consistently ranked as the top environmental concern of Americans in Gallup polls - higher than air pollution and climate change. The Clean Water Act has imposed environmental regulations on individuals and industries that dump waste into waterways, and has led to $650 billion in federal grants to build sewage treatment plants and to upgrade existing facilities.

Comprehensive studies of water quality have been a challenge due to the diversity of data sources, with many measurements coming from local agencies rather than national organizations. For the current analysis, Professor Shapiro teamed up with Professor David Keiser of Iowa State University to compile data from three national water quality data repositories. 


“Air pollution and greenhouse gas measurements are typically automated and standard, while water pollution is more often a person going out in a boat and dipping something in the water.” said Professor Shapiro. “It was an incredibly data and time-intensive project to get all of these water pollution measures together and then analyze them in a way that was comparable over time and space.”

In addition to a significant reduction in water pollution, the team found that water quality downstream of sewage treatment plants improved significantly after facilities had received grants to modify wastewater treatment. The experts also established that it costs approximately $1.5 million to make one mile of river fishable for one year.


After conducting their own cost-benefit analysis, the researchers found that the economic benefits of the legislation were less than half of the total costs. Professor Shapiro suggested that the benefits may still be understated.

“Many of these studies count little or no benefit of cleaning up rivers, lakes, and streams for human health because they assume that if we drink the water, it goes through a separate purification process, and no matter how dirty the water in the river is, it's not going to affect people's health,” said Professor Shapiro. “The recent controversy in Flint, MI recently seems contrary to that view.”

“Similarly, drinking water treatment plants test for a few hundred different chemicals and U.S. industry produces closer to 70,000, and so it is possible there are chemicals that existing studies don't measure that have important consequences for well-being.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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: Public domain

Study: Clean Water Act benefits greatly outweigh the costs

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have led the...

Global temperatures are rising, and according to new research, this may have a significant effect on mental illness rates along with the numerous environmental consequences. Currently, more people are facing mental health issues in the United States than ever before. Last year was also the third hottest ever recorded, and while correlation doesn’t equal causation, research from <a href="http://www.mit.edu/">MIT</a> and <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> suggests that this isn’t a coincidence.

In their research, the scientists found that with every degree Celsius the global temperature rises, mental health issues become two percent more common. Previous studies have shown that more people visit the emergency room on hotter days – and not just because of heat stroke or dehydration, the volume of people there for psychological and psychosocial reasons increases as well.

A study from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> earlier this year reported that a single degree Celsius of temperature rise was linked to higher rates of depressive tweets and an increase in suicides in both the U.S. and Mexico.

In the study from Harvard and MIT researchers, they compared temperature changes and mental health issues as reported by over two million people across the United States. Through using more than a decade’s worth of data, they examined mental health around the time of single, extreme events, over the period of a month, and over a five-year period

No matter the length of the increased temperature event, in every scenario mental health problems became more prevalent. And as would be expected, the most dramatic shifts in mental health occurred during the most devastating weather events. However, even more subtle shifts in temperature over the course of a month made <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/college-freshmen-mental-health/">mental health</a> issues more prevalent. 

But it’s not just the heat that gets to people. When there was rain for more than 25 days out of the month, the population was two percent more afflicted by mental health issues. 

Although the exact causes behind why natural disasters and changing temperatures affect mental health so significantly remain unknown, scientists are certain the problem will only spread and intensify. 

“Warming is likely to amplify the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, which often cause physical injury, psychological trauma infrastructure damage, and societal disruption in affected regions,” the authors say. “Gradual changes in climate change are also expected to alter human systems in costly ways. While the precise magnitude of these climate-induced adversities is difficult to estimate, the theoretical relationship between climate change and mental health risk is compelling.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

As global temps rise, so does the prevalence of mental health issues

Global temperatures are rising, and according to new research, this...

Seahorse populations disappearing due to recreational boating. Recreational boating along the British seaside may be needlessly endangering populations of native seahorses. 

<a href="https://www.theseahorsetrust.org/">The Seahorse Trust</a>, an organization dedicated to conserving marine wildlife, particularly seahorses, has recorded major declines in Studland Bay in Dorset County. 

Studland Bay is the only area in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/worlds-fifth-largest-wind-farm-england/">England</a> where two native species, spiny seahorses and short-snouted seahorses, have been observed in the same place. 

According to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6256815/Marine-creatures-decline-popular-seaside-spots-pleasure-boats.html">Daily Mail</a>, which reported on the alarming declines, the seahorses flock to Studland Bay to breed in early spring and leave in the fall. 

The bay should be a hotspot for the seahorses, but the Seahorse Trust says that the marine creatures have all but disappeared from their breeding grounds. 

Only one dead spiny seahorse was found in the bay which indicates that there are fewer and fewer seahorses visiting the area each year. 

“We need to protect the most important site for seahorses in the UK,” Neil Garrick-Maidment, the director of the Seahorse Trust told the Daily Mail. “The numbers have declined since 2008 and the fact that we have only found one dead seahorse this year is alarming and appalling. This site should be thriving and vibrant but it is now a bit of a desert.” 

The reason for the declines in seahorse populations, according to the conservation organization, is recreational boating in the bay. Boaters are dragging their anchors along the seagrass beds and disrupting the delicate breeding grounds of the two species of seahorses. 

An application to classify the bay as a protected Marine Conservation Zone has been submitted to the government and a decision is expected in the next few months on whether or not the request will be granted. 

“We're not calling for boats to be banned from the site, but it would be beneficial if environmentally-friendly moorings could be put in for boats so that anchors don't drag along the seabed,” Garrick-Maidment said to the Daily Mail. “We've submitted a formal application to the government and it is now in their hands.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Seahorse populations disappearing due to recreational boating

Seahorse populations disappearing due to recreational boating. Recreational boating along...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk/">University of Portsmouth</a> are reporting that antidepressant drugs have become a major threat to the environment. After entering water systems in the form of human waste, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antidepressants-fish-great-lakes/">drugs</a> are persisting and harming marine life. In the UK alone, an estimated six million people are taking antidepressants such as Prozac on a regular basis.

“Our aquatic life is bathing in a soup of antidepressants,” said study co-author Professor Alex Ford. “Antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications are found everywhere, in sewage, surface water, groundwater, drinking water, soil, and accumulating in wildlife tissues. They are found in sea water and rivers and their potential ability to disrupt the normal biological systems of aquatic organisms is extensive.”

“This isn't about a one-off pollutant entering their habitat; wildlife are bathed in drugs for their entire lifecycle. Laboratory studies are reporting changes such as how some creatures reproduce, grow, the rate at which it matures, metabolism, immunity, feeding habits, the way it moves, its color and its behavior.”

Dr. Helena Herrera of Portsmouth's School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences explained that many doctors who are prescribing antidepressant medication may not be aware that it persists in the environment or that it is harmful to marine life.

On the other hand, Dr. Herrera said that “prescribers which may be aware of the problems and persistence of such drugs in the environment need to weight those concerns with the human in front of them presenting with a debilitating medical condition.”

The researchers have identified many important steps that could be taken to address the environmental issues of prescription drugs, including educating patients on the safe disposal of medications and modifying wastewater treatment so that the chemicals can be filtered out.

The team also suggested that pharmacological companies should make drugs that break down more easily and safely. Furthermore, counseling could be used to replace many prescriptions. The experts say that taking just one of these steps would make a big difference.


The research is published in the <a href="https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/systempages/usefulresources/journals.aspx">British Journal of Psychiatry Bulletin</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.vom">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Antidepressants are seeping into waterways and harming marine life

Experts at the University of Portsmouth are reporting that antidepressant...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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.

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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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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