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...

The petrochemical industry is one of the biggest in the world. Economies around the world depend on oil and natural gas for everything from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/freshwater-insects-eaten-microplastics/">plastics</a> to fertilizer.

But until now, the <a href="https://www.iea.org/">International Energy Agency</a> said in a new report, the industry has been largely ignored in conversations about energy use and climate change.

“Our economies are heavily dependent on petrochemicals, but the sector receives far less attention than it deserves,” Dr. Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said in a report released Friday. “Petrochemicals are one of the key blind spots in the global energy debate, especially given the influence they will exert on future energy trends.”

The report, titled <a href="https://www.iea.org/petrochemicals/">The Future of Petrochemicals</a>, is the first in a series that the IEA plans to release about such blind spots in global energy policy.

The petrochemical industry uses oil and natural gas to produce everything from medical equipment to technical devices like computers and cellphones to fertilizer. Natural gas powers cities, and is used in clothing manufacture. 

And the demand is growing as more countries industrialize. The petrochemical industry is expected to account for more than a third of growth in global oil demand within the next 12 years, and more than half of that growth by 2050. 

“When we look at the years to come, the petrochemical sector is by far the largest driver of global oil demand growth, much higher than cars, much higher than trucks, aviation, and shipping,” Birol told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a> on Thursday.

While the petrochemical industry has helped to revolutionize technology and modern medicine. But it also raises challenges when it comes to reducing pollution – and banning plastic straws and grocery bags won’t put much of a dent in that.

The report outlines a Clean Technology Scenario, setting a series of goals that the IEA believes are achievable and will vastly reduce pollution. The goals include reducing reliance on single-use plastics, improving waste management practices around the world, and designing products with eventual disposal in mind. The IEA also recommends investing in research and development for more sustainable production, and ensuring that fuel and feedstock prices reflect their actual market value. 

For example, the IEA report believes that ramping up recycling efforts can help prevent additional plastic pollution in the Earth’s oceans. 

“Although plastic recycling plays a comparatively smaller role when it comes to emission reductions, improved waste management infrastructure – a necessary prerequisite for the recycling increases in the CTS – lays the groundwork to drastically reduce plastic pollution from today’s unacceptable levels,” the report says. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kyla.cathey@gmail.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

New guidelines to curb pollution as the petrochemical industry expands

The petrochemical industry is one of the biggest in the...

Researchers have investigated the health of secondary forests, or previously deforested areas, and compared them to undisturbed primary forests. The study revealed that even after as many as four decades of recovery, secondary forests are still species and carbon-poor. According to the experts, however, forests that are in recovery are still critical for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-ocean-floor/">carbon storage</a> and biodiversity.

Tropical forests are possibly the most important ecosystems on the planet, yet humans continue to destroy these regions at a shocking rate. Every year, an area of tropical forest the size of Austria is cleared.

An international research team measured carbon and surveyed more than 1,600 plant and animal species in 59 secondary forests and 30 primary forests in the eastern Amazon. Primary forests were found to contain more biodiversity and carbon than even mature regenerating forests.

“We found that the carbon and biodiversity of secondary forests recovered to more than 80 percent of levels found in undisturbed primary forests,” said lead author Dr. Gareth Lennox from <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>. 

“This is undoubtedly good news for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Nevertheless, the regions we assessed provide very favorable regeneration conditions, with greater than 50 percent remnant primary forest cover and, consequently, large populations of forest species that can colonize secondary forests.”

“Even in this situation, secondary forests cannot substitute for undisturbed primary forests, which must remain a priority of conservation efforts.”


In areas like Brazil, traditional farming practices are becoming increasingly abandoned as farmers move to the city, which provides secondary forests with an opportunity to expand. In the last 30 years, the area of the Brazilian Amazon made up of secondary forests has grown from less than 30,000 square kilometers to over 170,000 square kilometers.

“Brazil has made bold forest restoration commitments,” said study co-author Dr Joice Ferreira. “Through the Bonn Challenge and Initiative 20 x 20, Brazil has pledged to restore an additional 120,000 km2 of forest by 2030. But there remains considerable uncertainty whether secondary forests can meet minimum ecological standards and whether natural regeneration or active planting is the best restoration strategy.”

“Our results show that novel secondary forests can deliver a range of high-value ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, habitat provision, and the suite of services linked to biomass resilience, such as soil conservation and the maintenance of water systems. Importantly, we show that these services can be provided through natural regeneration, which is vastly less expensive than active restoration alternatives.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+will+be+disrupted+on+27+October+from+10%3A00-12%3A00+BST+%2805%3A00-07%3A00+EDT%29+for+essential+maintenance">Global Change Biology</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: Alexander C Lees: Manchester Metropolitan University

Reviving deforested areas boosts biodiversity, just very slowly

Researchers have investigated the health of secondary forests, or previously...

The Paris Accord, an agreement between almost <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-paris-agreement-us-climate-change-donald-trump-world-country-accord-a8041996.html">every single country on Earth</a> (except the United States) to limit warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, is about to face a rude awakening.

The <a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> will release a report on Monday that confronts the stark realities of climate change and what must be done to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

Part of this report includes assessing the lack of meaningful change to combat emissions since the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/country-paris-agreement/">Paris Accord</a> was first created in 2015. 

Similar to a teacher grading exam papers, the IPCC is reviewing everything that has and hasn’t been done to limit emissions in accordance with the promises made in the Paris Agreement and, unfortunately, it looks like most countries will be getting a failing grade. 

“The pledges countries made during the Paris Climate Accord don’t get us anywhere close to what we have to do,” said Drew Shindell, an author of the IPCC report to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/03/climate-scientists-are-struggling-find-right-words-very-bad-news/">Washington Post</a> which reported on the IPCC conference. “They haven’t really followed through with actions to reduce their emissions in any way commensurate with what they profess to be aiming for.”

According to the Washington Post, the IPCC has a difficult task ahead. Not only do scientists from the IPCC need to consider every aspect of climate change and come to an agreement about what is required to limit warming, but the IPCC also has to keep governments informed. 

Those government, as part of the Talanoa Dialogue which will take place in December at a <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations </a>climate meeting, will have to face their failings in limiting CO2 emissions. 

The goal is to limit warming and this has always been the main driver of the Paris Accord, but the Earth is on a fast warming track that would take a major shift to slow down and get under control. 

Studies have already reported warming above 1.5 degrees with disastrous consequences in some parts of the world. 

This is why it’s vital to find ways to cap emissions sooner rather than later because the clock is ticking and the IPCC has found that we don’t have much time before we max out the Earth’s “carbon budget.” 

The carbon budget refers to the maximum amount of carbon the Earth can emit into the atmosphere before warming will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius.  As it stands, 41 billion tons of carbon dioxide are emitted every year, and so the IPCC needs to find out what it would take, and how long we have, to keep within that budget. 

According to the Washington Post, it is possible that we have as little as 15 years before we risk going over the carbon budget. 

Some of the requirements needed to limit warming would be to reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent worldwide by the year 2030. 

This is not an easy undertaking by any means, especially given that the US, one of the world’s biggest sources of emissions, is not part of the accord and is currently implementing policies that prioritize fossil fuel production over sustainability. 

--

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>

Most countries get a failing grade on Paris Accord follow through

The Paris Accord, an agreement between almost every single country...

Major flood events cause more erosion and are a much greater hazard in mountainous regions than seasonal monsoon rainfalls, according to a new study. 

In 2016, a glacier moraine that had held back a lake in Nepal broke and caused a massive flood of over 100,000 tons of water to flow down the Bhotekoshi/Sunkoshi River. 

The flood was so catastrophic it triggered seismic activity, and as a result, residents were forewarned of the coming gush of water because of ground shaking. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/home/">GGZ German Research Center for Geosciences</a> were able to record this activity thanks to seismometers that had been deployed a year prior after a huge earthquake in 2015. 

The GFZ recently published a study in the journal Science that shows how seismic technology can help with predicting <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/europe-coastal-overhaul-flooding/">flood events</a> and how much more of an impact flood events have on erosion rates compared to monsoon rainfall totals. 

Even though monsoons cause huge downpours of precipitation and can cause erosion, the displacement of large boulders and coarse sediment after a major flood does much more damage overall.  

Monsoons only drive the transportation of fine sediment and pebbles which aren’t enough to trigger landslides or large erosions, according to the researchers. 

This is why it’s important to factor in non-climate related impacts on erosion and flooding. 

“Erosion rates may be strongly influenced by non-climatological drivers such as earthquakes and the climatic factors that affect the size and distribution of glacial lakes,” wrote the authors in their study. 

The researchers visited the Nepal River valley where the flood occurred before and after the event, and observed the changes in seismic activity captured by different seismic stations in the nearby region. 

Kristen Cook, the first author of the study said that researchers identified two distinct “pulses” with the flood. 

First, the seismometers recorded activity from the wall of water that gushed down and the second pulse came from the rocks and sediment carried by the flow. 

Bridges, roads, and hydro-power stations were all destroyed due to the tumbling boulders and huge quantities of water. The flood also triggered landslides because the river had eroded so badly. 

Major floods from glacial lakes, like the one that happened in Nepal, are not unheard of and there are many glacial lakes currently dammed up that could burst and flood valleys in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges. 

The study’s results help show how floods impact erosion, and understanding this relationship can help predict landslide risks and erosions rates in at-risk mountain regions prone to earthquakes. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Kristen Cook/GFZ

Seismic technology can help predict flood events, erosion rates

Major flood events cause more erosion and are a much...

A new study from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> has investigated the potential environmental effects of using <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/what-happens-to-wind-power-when-theres-no-wind/">wind-powered</a> energy systems on a large scale in the United States. The team has found that generating power from wind would have a much larger impact compared to reducing electricity emissions with solar power.

According to the study, which is the most accurate modelling to date of how increasing wind power would affect the climate, large-scale wind power generation would warm the continental United States by 0.24 degrees Celsius. The researchers found that it would take about a century to offset that amount of warming.

“Wind turbines generate electricity but also alter the atmospheric flow,” explained study first author Lee Miller. “Those effects redistribute heat and moisture in the atmosphere, which impacts climate. We attempted to model these effects on a continental scale.”

Study senior author David Keith is a professor of Engineering and Public Policy at Harvard.

“Wind beats coal by any environmental measure, but that doesn't mean that its impacts are negligible,” said Professor Keith. “We must quickly transition away from fossil fuels to stop carbon emissions. In doing so, we must make choices between various low-carbon technologies, all of which have some social and environmental impacts.”


The investigation into wind and solar power was focused on the comparison of climate impacts and benefits using a standard weather forecasting model. The researchers simulated the effect on the atmosphere of covering one-third of the country with enough wind turbines to meet the present-day electricity demand.


“The direct climate impacts of wind power are instant, while the benefits accumulate slowly,” said Professor Keith. “If your perspective is the next 10 years, wind power actually has - in some respects - more climate impact than coal or gas. If your perspective is the next thousand years, then wind power is enormously cleaner than coal or gas.”


Previously, at least ten studies have reported local warming caused by wind farms in the United States. When the experts compared their simulated warming to these observations, they found that there was some consistency.

“The work should not be seen as a fundamental critique of wind power. Some of wind's climate impacts may be beneficial. So rather, the work should be seen as a first step in getting more serious about assessing these impacts,” said Professor Keith. “Our hope is that our study, combined with the recent direct observations, marks a turning point where wind power's climatic impacts begin to receive serious consideration in strategic decisions about decarbonizing the energy system.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/home">Joule</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The hidden environmental costs of transitioning to wind power

A new study from Harvard University has investigated the potential...

Researchers working on NASA's <a href="https://omg.jpl.nasa.gov/">Oceans Melting Greenland</a> (OMG) campaign have been flying over the coast of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-clues-about-greenlands-past-climate-will-help-predict-its-future/">Greenland</a> and dropping scientific probes into the surrounding water. The five-year project was designed to help scientists gain a better understanding of how Greenland's rapid ice loss is influenced by the ocean.

The team has collected measurements three times a year since 2016. During the spring, an aircraft measures the height of the ice sheet, while instruments are deployed by boat to map the seafloor around Greenland in the summer. 

During the fall, a team of OMG researchers led by principal investigator Josh Willis drop as many as 250 biodegradable probes from airplanes into very specific sites along the coastline. The goal is to measure the temperature of the water touching Greenland's glaciers.

The weather conditions at a particular drop site are impossible to know in advance. Willis explained, “If fog is low and we can't see that the water is clear of icebergs and people and whales, we can't drop.” At this point, the researchers would look for a similar site, or would simply move on to the next target.


Sea ice poses another major obstacle. The probes only weigh 14 pounds, which would not allow them to break through a site that is covered in ice. 


Many potential targets are located in areas where the sea ice has been broken up by large icebergs or has pulled away from the shore. When this happens, Willis must weigh the value of the probe - which may miss open water - versus the significance of data from that could be obtained from that particular location.

“There's always one or two spots where it seems impossible that we'll get a probe to fall between the icebergs and report data. And then we do,” said Willis. “Those Mission Impossible moments are pretty sweet.”

So far, the probes have provided experts with invaluable information. “We've had such spectacular success so far, I can hardly believe we get to do this for two more years,” said Willis. “I'm like a kid in a candy store.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What makes ice melt so rapidly off the coast of Greenland?

Researchers working on NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) campaign have...

As recently as 6,000 years ago, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wind-solar-farms-sahara/">Sahara Desert</a> was not a desert at all, but was more of a tropical region with grass and lots of rain. A new study has found that the transition to desert would have happened about 500 years earlier if not for the influence of hunter-gatherers and cattle-herders, also known as pastoralists.

“The fact that societies practicing 'pastoralism' persisted in this region for so long and invested both economically and ideologically in the local landscape, does not support the scenario of over-exploitation,” said Brierley. “Our study shows that increasing human population and sustainable pastoralism did not accelerate - and may even have delayed - the decline of the Green Sahara.”

The Sahara experiences long-term rotations between dry and wet climates as the shifting tilt of Earth’s axis changes the path of seasonal monsoons. 

It was previously theorized that human activities accelerated the Sahara's most recent transition from grassland to desert. The new findings, however, suggest that these activities actually delayed desertification.

“The possibility that humans could have had a stabilizing influence on the environment has significant implications,” said study lead author Chris Brierley. “We contest the common narrative that past human-environment interactions must always be one of over-exploitation and degradation.”


The team developed a model to predict when the African Humid Period should have naturally ended based on climate data. The model simulations revealed that the “Green Sahara” should have turned to desert 500 years sooner.

“This suggests that the inclusion of increasing elements of pastoralism was an effective adaptation to the regional environmental changes,” wrote the study authors. “Pastoralism also appears to have slowed the deterioration caused by orbitally-driven climate change.”

Study co-author Katie Manning is a researcher at <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King's College London</a>.

“The spread of domestic animals across the Sahara occurred at a time of increasing climatic instability, and yet, these pastoralist populations thrived,” said Manning. “It is likely that strategies used by contemporary traditional herders, such as seasonal movement and selective grazing, were also used by these early pastoralists, helping to maintain an otherwise deteriorating ecosystem.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pastoralists may have delayed the desertification of the Sahara

As recently as 6,000 years ago, the Sahara Desert was...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">Climate change</a> is coming – if it’s not already here – and scientists around the world are working hard to find ways to combat it. One of the most recent and involved efforts comes from a team of over a dozen international researchers from the <a href="https://www.iddri.org/en/publications-and-events/workshop/ocean-solutions-initiative-amagnan-j-p-gattuso-r-bille">Ocean Solutions Initiative</a>, including scientists from the <a href="http://www.cnrs.fr/">CNRS</a>, <a href="https://www.iddri.org/en">IDDRI</a>, and <a href="http://www.sorbonne-universite.fr/en">Sorbonne University</a>. 

The researchers have published a report in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a> in hopes that decision-makers gathering in Poland for the COP24 conference this December will take their data seriously. A major part of this report is an evaluation of the potential of thirteen ocean-based measures to counter climate change. 

Our oceans help regulate global warming by acting and both a carbon and heat sink. But they perform this duty at the cost of far-reaching effects that affect our marine physical and chemical processes, ecosystems, and the benefits they provide to our species. 

In this report, the researchers from the Ocean Solutions Initiative provide a first of its kind review of thirteen ocean-based measures, including local and global actions, that could potentially reduce the effects of climate change, or at least aid in our adaptation to a changing climate. They selected these measures based entirely off the frequency with which they are mentioned in scientific literature.

The measures assessed in this study fit into four categories: reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, increasing the proportion of solar radiation reflected back into space, protecting marine ecosystems, and manipulating biological and ecological adaptation to climate change impacts. Researchers analyzed each measure’s potential to reduce three climate-related drivers: ocean warming, ocean acidification, and sea-level rise. 

The measure with the highest potential for immediately addressing the causes of climate change was found to be a switch to ocean-based renewable energy. 

“Not only do offshore wind farms, wave energy and other ocean renewables have a very large potential to reduce carbon emissions, but they are also cost-effective and ready to be implemented at a large-scale,” says study co-author Dr. Alexandre Magnan of France's Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations.

The researchers also determined local efforts with moderate effectiveness to decrease ocean acidification and sea-level rise. 

“Reducing marine pollution, stopping overexploitation of marine resources, restoring hydrological flow and protecting marine habitats are all technologically ready and have significant benefits,” says lead author Dr. Jean-Pierre Gattuso of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France. “Restoring and conserving coastal vegetation like mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass beds to enhance CO2 uptake and reduce further emissions is also already feasible with few disbenefits.”

Unfortunately, many of the other measures would be too costly or result in other – potentially more disastrous – environmental impacts. “Our study shows that all measures involve trade-offs and decisions should consider their relevance in terms of costs, benefits and ease of governability,” says Magnan. “The potential for ocean-based options to address climate change and its impacts is very high and depends on societies’ ability, from local to international levels, to decide about the right combination of measures.”

--

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>

Why solutions for climate change need to focus on oceans

Climate change is coming – if it’s not already here...

Earlier and warmer <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/baby-birds-hatch-late/">springs</a> may give plants a head start initially, but a new study has found it doesn’t benefit plant productivity or growth in the long run. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> recently conducted a study that questions climate models that include plant productivity to measure carbon capture. 

Previously it was theorized that if plants have a longer growing season, they’ll have longer to accumulate more biomass and store and process more carbon. 

The study, published in the journal Nature, shows that earlier springs due to climate change may cause an early boost in plant productivity but this degrades in the later summer and autumn months. 

Instead, current climate models underestimate the negative impacts an early, warm spring has on plant productivity. 

“Based on future climate predictions, warmer springs are set to become the standard,” said  Wolfgang Buermann, the lead author of the study. “There is a great need to make sure our models are accurately incorporating the effects of warmer springs on our ecosystems and how this, in turn, impacts climate change. Without this, we cannot accurately predict how global temperatures may continue to change, the effect this could have on weather or the potential threat to public health.”

The researchers examined 30 years worth of satellite images covering 41 million kilometers squares of land north of the 30th parallel on the globe. 

Having access to so much data allowed the researchers to survey greenness in the northern regions and assess the temperature, season, and green coverage across landscapes in the UK, Canada, Germany, France and Russia. 

The researchers were able to determine how much photosynthesis had taken place at a specific location and how much biomass was gained. 

“Northern regions have experienced substantial warming since the early 1970s, changing how many ecosystems function,” said Buermann. “There has been a limited understanding of the full impact of shorter winters and longer summers on plants until now. The availability of satellite images has allowed us to survey all of the world's northern regions and get a full picture of how plants are reacting to the shifting seasons.” 

After analyzing the different images, the researchers realized that the northern hemisphere is becoming greener and greener in the spring but in many areas plant productivity and biomass decreases in the later months. 

This limits how much carbon the plants in the area can capture, and the researchers suggest that even though the plants are starting to grow sooner, their growth cannot be sustained because there are limited water resources available as the months go on.

If warmer springs are soon to become standard for many parts of the world, it will be important to have accurate models projecting the future impacts that climate change will have on global vegetation.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earlier springtime hinders seasonal plant growth

Earlier and warmer springs may give plants a head start...

A new study has shown that even experiencing extreme weather events firsthand isn’t enough to convince some people of the realities of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas</a> found that even if people experience an extreme weather event, their own political bias and partisan news reporting can change people's perceptions of weather extremes. 

This means that people who have experienced an increase in coastal flooding, tornadoes, more severe hurricanes, and extreme wildfires are not any more likely to accept climate science based on where they live.

“Extreme weather plays a limited long-term role in forming people's beliefs about climate change,” said Ben Lyons, the leader of the research. “Instead, their views and beliefs can alter the way they perceive the weather. We have found when an extreme weather event is ambiguous, as, with polar vortex and drought, people are more likely to see the event through a partisan lens. If there is a grey area, people are more comfortable applying their preferred label.” 

The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/tPRWeRcCUieBRen79JA2/full#metrics-content">study</a> was published in the journal Environmental Communication. 

The researchers surveyed 3,057 people who lived in the United States and asked about extreme weather events over a five year period. 

Survey participants were also asked about their personal beliefs on climate change, how human activities influence climate change, and climate science as well as their geographic location. 

The team then cross-referenced the survey responses with weather data on floods, hurricanes, drought, and tornadoes that had been compiled by the <a href="https://www.weather.gov/">National Weather Service</a> to compare recollections of weather and the recorded weather reports that happened in different regions at the time. 

41.0 percent of the responders said they had experienced a drought in the five year period, however the data only showed that 4.4 percent of people lived in a region that had had a drought. 

For floods, 29.3 percent of responders reported experiencing a flood and the corresponding weather data showed only 21.3 percent lived in a county where a flood had happened. 

Fewer people reported experiencing a tornado compared to how many actually did, but a majority of the participants, 59.2 percent, agreed with climate change science. 

The study shows how influential the media and partisan bias can be when it comes to how we experience climate change. For example, people who were more left-leaning experienced more drought than what was actually recorded.

“This research shows people's perception of extreme weather can be processed through partisan lenses. This means efforts to connect extreme events with climate change may do more to rally those with liberal beliefs than convince those with more conservative views that humans are having an impact on the climate,” said Lyons. “However, it's important to note that we take a big-picture look rather than focus on specific events.”

--

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>

Partisan bias can influence how people perceive extreme weather

A new study has shown that even experiencing extreme weather...

Recently, severe drought has struck parts of the already rather arid Australian outback and it’s having a noticeable impact on emus.

Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) are the second largest living bird by height in the world after the perhaps more famous ostrich.  Emus cover the whole of Australia, and once subspecies lived on Tasmania and King Island as well but were killed off quickly after European colonization.  Emus are flightless and reach towering heights (for birds) of up to 6.2 feet. The birds eat plants and insects and have been observed to fast for weeks when food isn’t available.  Quick, agile and strong, emus have managed to cohabitate with human hunters and dingoes for at least 40,000 years and retain healthy populations in Australia today. 

Emus are native to Australia but they’ve also been raised in parts of the United States.  Some farmers in the US decided that raising the exotic bird for meat and eggs might be a way to make a good profit.  Largely speculative emu farming in the US was a failure. In 1998, <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-12-27/news/9812270274_1_american-emu-association-bird-health-foods">The Chicago Tribune</a> reported that Emu farming had peaked a few years before that, leading to some of the large birds being released.  An Emu in Harrisburg, Illinois disrupted traffic and was killed by the police to stop potential car accidents.

Emu meat is lower in cholesterol and fat than beef and so was embraced by a fickle health food trend.  Emu meat consumption and even use of its oil for therapy has declined and many farmers didn’t know what to do with the flightless Australian bird. 

 In the area of my own hometown of Grand Junction Colorado, I’ve seen a few emus, walking behind high fences and making an odd drum-like sound deep in their chests.  The birds look like nothing so much as dinosaurs on long scaly legs and fluffily feathered bodies. I know a commercial paleontologist who sells casts of an emu’s foot as a representation of what a theropod dinosaur foot may have looked like.  Many of the emus I’ve seen over the years in Western Colorado were said to have been turned out, much like the once farmed emus of Illinois. Some even speculate that the emus released into the desert may have found a way to establish small feral populations unseen by most in the rough canyon lands of the southwest. 

Given the strength, speed, intelligence and size of the emu, it isn’t too surprising that there have been conflicts between them and humans in their homeland of Australia as well as the US.  In the wake of World War I, the Australian government hit on a plan to settle and occupy veterans returning from the Great War. 

Military veterans were given plots of land in the dusty outback to turn into farms.  <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/running-ponies/the-great-emu-war-in-which-some-large-flightless-birds-unwittingly-foiled-the-australian-army/">Scientific American</a> reports that by 1920 the government had turned over 90,000 hectares of land to veterans for farming.  By that time, the Australian government was running out of good land and started giving veterans more marginal property near Perth.  The onset of the Great Depression and little experience in farming set the veterans up for failure and into the struggle stepped the emu.  

Initially emus were a protected animal under Australian law.  Things changed when emus started eating wheat planted by the veterans turned farmers and seemed to be wreaking havoc on crops already planted in marginal land by the inexperienced.  Emus were (temporarily) reclassified as vermin, which anyone could legally kill. Quickly the situation escalated and things got nasty. 

The farmers called on the Australian government to send in the military to cull the herds of emus, starting what would come to be called The Great Emu War.  Mostly the military’s efforts ended in failure. The emus proved smarter than people generally conceded. The birds seemed to learn how far away from machine guns they could stand safely out of range.  The emus coordinated with one bird reportedly watching out while the others fed and calling an alarm at any danger. The birds moved so quickly it was hard to shoot them with any accuracy. In the end it was estimated that it took 10 military bullets to kill a single emu during the ‘war’.  The military operation stopped and instead the government simply supplied guns and ammunition to locals for their own effort in emu control.

This year, a drought has hit parts of Australia particularly hard.  <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/34798fb4-ac22-11e8-94bd-cba20d67390c">Financial Times</a> reports that this is the driest beginning for the growing season since 1982 and the third driest on record in the state of New South Wales.  The drought has also hit Victoria, Queensland and parts of South Australia. In reaction to the drought, the federal government of Australia offered up a $2 billion aid package to help farmers and others affected.

As the world’s third largest beef exporter, Australia has been hit hard by the drought, their cattle herd expected to drop by almost 2 million head this year.  The wildlife which must compete with livestock for food and water has also been hurt by the drought. 

Emus have once again begun competing with humans for land and resources.  The <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-45239791">BBC</a> reported that emus have wandered into Broken Hill and other towns in New South Wales and surrounding areas.  Emus have even been seen walking down main streets of rural communities. Some locals have left out food and water for the emus, others have merely been startled by their sudden appearance.  Emus have been seen crashing soccer games, eating from gardens and drinking any water available. In other areas kangaroos have been reported entering towns as well, searching for a means of survival.  

Along with the hardship on livestock, farmers and wildlife, bushfires have increase in response to Australia’s drought.  Amidst the increase in emus and kangaroos arriving like some biblical plague, a debate on climate change has flared up in Australia.  Some Australians, especially farmers and other rural dwellers are skeptical over climate change. It’s impossible to link a specific drought to climate change but it’s possible that faced with such a severe drought, Australian farmers may rethink the possible implications of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mojave-bird-populations-declines/">climate change</a>.                          

--

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>

Australian drought driving more frequent encounters with emus

Recently, severe drought has struck parts of the already rather...

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A team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> has investigated the impact of nitrogen emissions in the open ocean near Bermuda. While it is known that nitrogen-based fertilizers can be deadly for marine life near the shore, little is known about the effect of nitrogen pollution far out in the sea.

By measuring the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rocks-contribute-nitrogen-atmosphere/">nitrogen</a> in the skeleton of a 130-year-old brain coral in the North Atlantic Ocean, the experts found significantly less nitrogen pollution than what was expected.

Xingchen “Tony” Wang conducted the research as part of his doctorate in Geosciences at Princeton, and is now a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology.

“To our surprise, we did not see evidence of increased nitrogen pollution in the North Atlantic Ocean over the past several decades,” said Wang.


On the other hand, a previous study by the Princeton team detected nitrogen pollution in another open ocean site in the South China Sea. These elevated nitrogen levels coincided with a huge spike in coal production and fertilizer use in China over the past two decades.

In the current study, the researchers analyzed coral skeleton samples collected about 620 miles east of North America near Bermuda, which is a region that is thought to be strongly influenced by airborne nitrogen released from sources such as vehicle exhaust and power plants in the United States.

While the team found no evidence that nitrogen was on the rise from human activities, Wang said that there were variations in nitrogen that corresponded to levels expected from a natural climate phenomenon called the North Atlantic Oscillation.

The findings contradict the previously published computer model projections that predicted a significant increase in human-made nitrogen pollution in the North Atlantic. The research suggests that measures by the United States to combat the release of nitrogen could be effective.

“Our finding has important implications for the future of human nitrogen impact on the North Atlantic Ocean,” said Wang. “Largely due to advances in pollution technology, human nitrogen emissions from the U.S. have held steady or even declined in recent decades. If emissions continue at this level, our results imply that the open North Atlantic will remain minimally affected by nitrogen pollution in coming decades.”

Nitrogen in the form of fertilizer runoff can cause the overgrowth of plants and algae and severely damage ecosystems. One example of this is the development of marine “dead zones,” where oxygen becomes so depleted that there is not enough to sustain life.

When nitrogen is emitted into the atmosphere, the ocean water can be affected far from land. These impacts, however, are difficult to study.


“It has long been my dream to use the nitrogen in coral skeletons to reconstruct past environmental changes; thanks to Tony, we are now doing it,” said study co-author Daniel Sigman.

The research 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: <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a>

How does nitrogen pollution affect marine life in the open ocean?

A team of researchers led by Princeton University has investigated...

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

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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



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.

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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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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