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...

This summer saw a dramatic spike in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-setting-heat-waves/">temperatures across the world</a>. Record-breaking heat waves in the United Kingdom claimed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/03/deaths-rose-650-above-average-during-uk-heatwave-with-older-people-most-at-risk">700 more deaths than average</a> and extremely high temperatures in Quebec Province in Canada are estimated to have contributed to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/07/10/627687639/estimated-70-deaths-linked-to-canadas-heat-wave">70 deaths</a>. 

As climate change continues to increase temperatures, the number of deaths attributed to heat waves and weather extremes will only increase.

Now, a new study has found ensuring the goals of the Paris Accord are met is crucial to minimizing catastrophic death tolls due to high temperatures. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/">London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine </a>(LSHTM) conducted the study, the first of its kind, to examine the health impacts of rising temperatures under climate scenarios in line with goals of the Paris Accord. 

The aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius with some countries hoping to limit warming even more.

While many studies have focused on the Paris Accord and made predictions about global climate, sea level, weather extremes, and health impacts based on many different emission scenarios, this study specifically focuses on mortality due to heat extremes if the Paris Accord is not met. 

The results were published in the journal Climate Change. 

Historical data on temperature-related deaths were collected and analyzed from 451 locations in 23 countries around the world. 

Using this data, the researchers simulated scenarios that were inline with the Paris Accord or higher to get a sense of how rising temperature would impact heat-related deaths. 

The results showed that if global warming exceeded three or four-degree Celsius, there would be a dramatic increase in heat-related deaths. 

Even in the scenarios that used the goal temperatures of keeping warming below two degrees Celsius saw an increase in deaths in warmer regions of the globe, but not nearly as much as the higher warming scenarios. 

“Our projections suggest that large increases in temperature-related deaths could be limited in most regions if warming was kept below 2°C,” said Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera, the first author of the study. “Under extreme changes in climate, large parts of the world could experience a dramatic increase in excess mortality due to heat. Efforts to limit the increase in global temperature to below 1.5°C could provide additional benefits in tropical or arid regions, including the most populous and often poorest countries.”

--

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>

Heat-related deaths set to skyrocket with warming temperatures

This summer saw a dramatic spike in temperatures across the...

Research has shown that climate change is linked to earlier spring arrival, which has a wide array of effects on more than just your spring wardrobe. A recent study, published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>, has found that the early advance of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dementia-symptoms-winter-spring/">spring</a> is not generating a uniform response from many migratory bird species. This difference in response threatens to put many species out of sync with their habitats.

Eric Waller of the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">US Geological Survey</a> in California and his colleagues compared published data on the first appearance of leaves and flowers on deciduous trees for nearly 500 US National Wildlife Refuges and four major North American bird migratory routes, between the years 1901 and 2012. Their goal was to better understand how the variance in timing of spring events may impact the behavior of migratory birds.

Results showed that spring is arriving early in 76 percent of wildlife refuges across the country, and is arriving extremely early in 49 percent of refuges, when compared to the early 20th century. Three of the four migration flyways experienced an advance that was more rapid at higher latitudes than lower latitudes – but the Pacific flyway, which includes the west coast of North America ranging from Alaska to Baja, California, had no latitudinal pattern.

The research team also assessed the rate of spring advance for breeding and over-wintering grounds of two species: the Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera) and Whooping Crane (Grus americana). They determined that, while the breeding sites have shown significant advances of spring arrival, wintering sites have not.

Why is this important? Well, inconsistencies in the timing of events throughout a birds’ migration route may result in the species struggling to find food, among other seasonal changes. 

“When considering breeding and non-breeding habitats of migratory birds – such as the whooping crane and the blue-winged warbler – continental-scale shifts in the onset of spring have species- and flyway-specific ramifications,” explains Waller. 

This new information may be able to help conservationists plan strategies for vulnerable migratory birds, and better protect their migration routes where they may be at risk.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Spring is arriving earlier but unevenly, disrupting animal rhythms

Research has shown that climate change is linked to earlier...

Juvénile de tortue verte, "Chelonia mydas", âgé de quelques mois, en bassin de grandissement. Dans l

The Earth's sixth <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/warning-imminent-mass-extinction/">mass extinction</a>, which has been previously referred to as the “biological annihilation” of wildlife, has not only persisted over the last few decades but is also accelerating. According to some estimates, species are becoming extinct hundreds of times faster than they would without the influence of human activities. 

Meanwhile, critics are arguing that conservation scientists have no viable solutions to rescue wildlife and preserve biodiversity. There are some who even claim that researchers are so pessimistic that their warnings have become counterproductive.

Two experts at the <a href="http://www.cnrs.fr/index.html">French National Centre for Scientific Research</a> (CNRS) set out to investigate these claims. The researchers examined 12,971 articles published in the main scientific journals dedicated to conservation during the last 15 years.

The team has now proposed the first extensive, evidence-based assessment of the background and output of conservation science that describes the threats, solutions, and the current status of biodiversity.

The initial finding is that the current threats to biodiversity today were already identified nearly four decades ago. 

These threats, known as the “evil quartet,” include habitat destruction, the overexploitation of resources such as  overhunting and overfishing, the introduction of invasive species; and the co-extinctions that may be triggered by these factors. 

The growing threat of climate change can now be added to these four well-established threats, which puts even more pressure on natural environments.

The study authors ultimately found that conservation science is not generally pessimistic or optimistic, but is simply realistic.


According to the researchers, many sustainable and human-friendly solutions are already available for protecting wildlife. The biggest hurdle is that the demand for governments to allow resource exploitation is greater than the push for nature conservation.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/trends-in-ecology-and-evolution">Trends in Ecology and Evolution</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: Thomas Vignaud/Te Mana O Te Moana/Centre for Island Research and Environmental Observatory (Perpignan)/CNRS Photo Library

Paid for by <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a>

The biggest hurdle in protecting biodiversity? Political action

The Earth's sixth mass extinction, which has been previously referred...

Contrary to the recommendations of 800 scientists, Europe has decided to treat wood as a renewable source of energy. The authors of a new study are warning that this mandate will not only cause serious damage to the world's forests, but will also increase greenhouse gas emissions across <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/europe-coastal-overhaul-flooding/">Europe</a>.

According the researchers, the new bioenergy provision in the Renewable Energy Directive will lead to dramatic clearing of forests. Treating wood as a low-carbon fuel means that entire trees or portions of trees can be cut down deliberately to burn. 

“The directive reverses the global strategy of trying to subsidize countries to protect their forests and their carbon,” said study co-author Tim Beringer. 

“Instead of rewarding countries and landowners to preserve forests and the carbon they store, this directive encourages companies to pay them for the carbon in their forests, but only on the condition that they cut the trees down and ship them to Europe to be burned.”


The team has estimated that, just to supply five percent of the energy used in Europe, additional wood equal to all of the country's existing wood harvests would be needed.

Study lead author Tim Searchinger is a researcher scholar at Princeton University's <a href="http://wws.princeton.edu/">Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs</a>.

“Globally, if the world were to supply only an additional 2 percent of its energy from wood, it would need to double commercial wood harvests around the world with harsh effects on forests,” explained Searchinger.

The study has also revealed that using wood as a biofuel will likely contribute 10 to 15 percent of Europe's emissions from energy use by 2050.

“Compared with the vast majority of what counts as ‘bioenergy by harvesting wood,’ solar and wind have large advantages in land use efficiency and lower costs. The focus on wood is not only counter-productive for climate change but unnecessary,” said co-author Dan Kammen of the University of California, Berkeley.

Even though wood is renewable, cutting down and burning wood for energy increases carbon in the atmosphere for decades to hundreds of years. This form of bioenergy use removes carbon that is stored in forests and releases it into the atmosphere. 

“It makes no sense at all to save trees through recycling and then turn around to burn them for energy. There is nothing green, renewable, or environmentally friendly about that. Global forests are not disposable,” said study co-author Wolfgang Lucht of the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/pik-frontpage">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a>. “The European Union should wake up and limit the role of bioenergy in the transition to renewable energies.”

The study authors pointed out that, due to inefficiencies in the burning process, far more carbon will be generated by burning wood for electricity production compared to burning fossil fuels.

“Treating wood as a carbon-neutral fuel is a simple policy decision with complex cascading effects on forest use, energy systems, wood trade, and biodiversity worldwide,” explained study co-author Eric Lambin of <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>. “Clearly, many of these effects have not received due attention.”

Bjart Holtsmark of <a href="https://www.ssb.no/en">Statistics Norway</a> added: “Although the directive encourages countries to harvest wood to burn, it does not require that they do. Countries should follow alternative strategies, focusing on solar in meeting European requirements for more renewable energy.”

The study authors warn that the use of wood as a biofuel will ultimately increase global warming for decades to centuries. 

“European citizens once more experienced the harsh effects of global warming this summer,” said study co-author Jean-Pascal van Ypersele. “In the name of reversing climate change, this counterproductive policy will increase deforestation and carbon emissions rather than contribute to decreasing them. More emissions will only make the summers even hotter for decades to centuries.”

The study 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

Europe using wood as biofuel will increase deforestation, warming

Contrary to the recommendations of 800 scientists, Europe has decided...

In a historic moment on Monday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the Senate Bill 100 (SB100) which pledges that California will be powered by 100 percent clean electricity by 2045. 

The enterprising move would put the Golden State steadily in the lead in the race against climate change, but the governor says it’s not going to be an easy road. 

“It’s not going to be easy and it will not be immediate, but it must be done,” Brown said at a ceremony celebrating the bill signing. 

The state of California had already planned to try and use renewable energy to produce 50 percent of the state’s energy needs, according to <a href="http://time.com/5391881/brown-signs-bill-100-percent-clean-energy-california/?utm_source=time.com&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=social-button-sharing">Time</a>. California has long been a pioneer or clean energy through the years, but this new bill is bolder, bigger, and will require an overhaul in the state’s energy resources. 

Now, California will have to work on meeting its energy demands with solar, wind and hydropower and more and more investments will need to be made in renewable energy. 

The governor hopes that the bill will inspire other world leaders to amp up their climate change mitigation efforts even amidst the obvious opposition to climate policies that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-admin-methane-emissions/">Trump administration</a> has exhibited recently. 

“Regardless of who occupies the White House, California will always lead on climate change,” state Senator Kevin de León who introduced SB100 told Time. “Climate change is real. It’s here, it’s deadly and it’s extraordinarily expensive.”

The bill does not address any clear outline for how California will reach its lofty clean energy goal by 2045, but the governor made a point to say that simply singing the bill was a way to get started. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California set to be 100 percent run on renewable energy by 2045

In a historic moment on Monday, California Governor Jerry Brown...

Wildfire smoke greatly impacts air quality and its effects on human health can be far-reaching. Smoke from wildfires negatively impacts cardiovascular health, can cause eye and lung irritation, and increase the risk of early death from particulate exposure.

Particulate matter refers to the microscopic burned particles carried along with the gasses and other debris from fires and other air pollution.

It’s been reported that from 2000 to 2010, 17,000 of the 140,00 deaths per year attributed to particulate exposure were due to wildfire smoke exposure.

Now, a new study has found that the number of deaths from wildfire smoke exposure could more than double in the coming years.

An international collaboration of researchers conducted the study which was published in the journal Geohealth. It’s the first research of its kind to estimate future smoke and health impacts.

The team simulated wildfire smoke levels by the end of the 21st century and found that the number of deaths from smoke exposure could increase to 40,000 per year.

Particulate matter emissions are declining as more and more efforts are made to combat climate change and reduce the burning of fossil fuels. However, the number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/summer-weather-wildfires-flooding/">wildfires are increasing across the world</a> due to climate change and fires are only projected to get more severe.

The researchers used global climate model simulations to estimate how much particulate matter exposure impacted air quality in the early and mid 21st century, and were also able to predict particular matter increases towards the latter end of the century.

Different climate scenarios were modeled for the study in order to analyze how wildfire smoke would impact air quality given different atmospheric greenhouse gas levels.

If climate change reaches a worst case scenario, the number of deaths from smoke exposure could double according to the researchers.

“We know from our own research and many, many other groups that smoke has negative impacts on human health,” said Jeff Pierce, a co-author of the study and associate professor of atmospheric science at <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a>. “With the knowledge that fires have been increasing in parts of the U.S., we wanted to look at how bad this might get.”

Even with declines in particulate matter exposure from vehicles and power plants, the increase in wildfires will still create hazardous air quality problems.

“People could use this information as sort of a first estimate of what to prepare for in terms of future air quality,” said Pierce. “We need more simulations to be able to assess the different probabilities of what the future might be.”

The researchers call for more awareness of the health risks of smoke exposure using campaigns along with better modeling and climate change mitigation to decrease the number of deaths due to smoke exposure. 

“I think that we need to act now,” said Sheryl Magzamen, associate professor of epidemiology at Colorado State University, who was not involved in the new study. “Our exposure to wildfire smoke is only going to get worse going into the next century, so we need to plan and be prepared in terms of acting to protect population health.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deaths from wildfire smoke exposure could double by 2100

Wildfire smoke greatly impacts air quality and its effects on...

If there is one thing that the Trump Administration has made abundantly clear when it comes to regulations, it is the implementation of policies that favor industry over the environment.

Trump has made his feelings on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-trump-tweets/">climate change</a> quite clear, and his administration has consistently worked to roll back Obama-era climate change mitigation policies throughout this presidential term. 

This week, it was announced that the Trump administration plans to introduce a proposal that will allow energy companies to release more methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. 

The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/climate/methane-emissions-epa.html">New York Times</a> gained access to documents outlining the new <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) proposal, where the goal is to ease a federal requirement that companies monitor and repair methane leaks. 

Another rule, according to the New York Times, will be proposed in February by the Interior Department which will allow drilling operation to vent more methane. 

The proposals are problematic because of how much of an impact methane has on atmospheric warming and climate change. The <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/organization/organization.shtml">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> found that in just a few decades, methane has <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-bad-of-a-greenhouse-gas-is-methane/">86 times more warming potential than CO2.</a>

Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas which is why any efforts to curb these emissions are so critical to combating climate change. 

However, Trump’s EPA has so far shown little concern for protecting the environment as evidenced by earlier proposals to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/epa-rollback-emissions-standards/">rollback tailpipe emissions standards</a> and allow for more emissions from coal-fired power plants. 

The new methane ruling has many environmental agencies concerned about what it will mean for the future of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, although industry groups are extremely pleased with the news. 

Many companies argued that the Obama-era ruling demanding oil and gas drillers to inspect for methane leaks every six months and make repairs within 30 days was costly and impossible in some situations where weather conditions are harsh and equipment is difficult to monitor. 

Now companies will only have to monitor for leaks once a year or even once every two years, according to the New York Times, saving the oil gas industry 484 million dollars by 2025. 

The problem is with fewer inspections and a more lenient time to repair leaks, more methane will inevitably be emitted into the atmosphere in the coming years. 

“These leaks can pop up any time, anywhere, up and down the oil and gas supply chain,” Matt Watson, a specialist in methane pollution with the Environmental Defense Fund, an advocacy group, told the New York Times. “The longer you go in between inspections, the longer leaks will go undetected and unrepaired.”

--

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="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a>

Trump admin to announce proposal allowing more methane emissions

If there is one thing that the Trump Administration has...

South Florida beaches have been almost unrecognizable with the amount of seaweed that has washed up on it’s shores this past summer. The culprit? A kind of seaweed called Sargassum. 

Since the beginning of summer 2018, the seaweed has spread more than three times the coverage than it’s entire record high year in 2015. 

“Right now there is still a lot of sargassum in the Caribbean, so I think these events will last for a while,” Mengqiu Wang, a researcher at the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Laboratory, told the <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/">Palm Beach Post</a>. The laboratory has been tracking sargassum since 2000 and suspects more is yet to come to the shores of Florida this year.

[caption id="attachment_1646661" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_3940.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1646661" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_3940-1024x790.jpeg" alt="" width="700" height="540" /></a> Image Credit: Bianca Vierra[/caption]

On a recent visit to Boca Raton, Florida I was among many beachgoers who had a tough time swimming in the water due to the magnitude of sargassum floating. Beach walks along the shoreline were also often disrupted by needing to circumvent extra large mounds of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/seaweed-new-sustainable-superconductor/">seaweed</a> plopped on the beach by high tide. The smell of the seaweed rotting also made for an unpleasant beach day; the aesthetic toll needs not be mentioned after a glance at the photos. 

<a href="https://www.fau.edu/">Florida Atlantic University</a> research professor Brian LaPointe, who studies algae and seaweed at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, believes the high-nutrient river discharges from commercial fertilizers are feeding the seaweed.

LaPointe is about halfway through a three-year NASA grant to research how nutrient levels are changing in sargassum. His findings so far include much higher levels of nitrogen in the seaweed, likely from concentrated fertilizer and other sewage runoff. 

“We have altered the nitrogen cycle on our planet and it started with the invention of fertilizer,” LaPointe said. “We think this is what is behind the increased abundance of sargassum.”

Sargassum is not just a threat to South Florida, it is also posing serious problem for Caribbean islands. Barbados had to declare sargassum a national emergency in June. More and more governments are also realizing sargassum is a threat that may be here to stay and could pose lasting impacts on important economic industries like fisheries and tourism. 

"The same way we prepare for hurricanes, we have to prepare for sargassum," Antigua's environment minister said recently.

"In 2011 it was the first time we'd seen it," says Professor Hazel Oxenford, an expert in fisheries biology and management at the <a href="http://www.uwi.edu/">University of the West Indies</a>. "It came as a complete shock and no-one had a clue what to do with it."

[caption id="attachment_1646662" align="aligncenter" width="750"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/image.png"><img class="wp-image-1646662" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/image.png" alt="" width="750" height="382" /></a> Image Credit: University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Laboratory[/caption]

The seaweed has been returning years later and continues to grow as a threat. "On satellite images the quantity that's being picked up is greater than ever before," says Prof Oxenford, who is based in Barbados. 

In Mexico, sargassum has been piling up several feet deep on beaches along the Yucatan Peninsula. The <a href="https://mexiconewsdaily.com/">Mexico Daily News</a> reported that the government is spending the equivalent of $3.08 million this summer to clean up and maintain it’s beaches. 

Back in Florida, some cities are clearing beaches of excess seaweed with bulldozers but that is not feasible in certain counties that have a high density of sea turtle nests. So far, sargassum has not had an effect on the number of sea turtle nests. 

--

By <a href="mailto:bianca@earth.com">Bianca Vierra</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: <a href="mailto:bianca@earth.com">Bianca Vierra</a>

Chart Credit: <a href="https://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida’s</a> Optical Oceanography Laboratory

Why so much seaweed has blanketed South Florida beaches this year

South Florida beaches have been almost unrecognizable with the amount...

The impact of rice farming on climate change and atmospheric greenhouse gas levels has been largely underestimated because reports on rice farming emissions leave out <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/peatlands-release-nitrous-oxide/">nitrous oxide</a>.

Nitrous oxide is longer lasting in the atmosphere than other emitted greenhouse gases like methane and traps more heat over time. 

Both methane and nitrous oxide are released as a result of rice farming flooding and other agricultural practices. But a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.edf.org/">Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)</a> has shown just how much these farming and management strategies impact emissions. 

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Intermittent flooding of rice farms emits 45 more times nitrous oxide than continuously flooded rice farms which mostly emit methane. 

As a result, the impact of rice farming on climate change could be almost double what previous estimates had found. 

Rice is a key cereal and provides more calories to people around the world than any other crop. However, cultivation of rice requires a large amount of land and water and has the highest climate impact of any crop per unit calorie, according to an analysis released by the EDF. 

The analysis shows that nitrous oxide and methane emissions from rice farms could have the same long-term warming impact as 600 coal plants and in the long term. In the short term, it would be the equivalent of 1,200 coal plants in the short term because nitrous oxide emissions are so much more potent than other greenhouse gasses).

“The full climate impact of rice farming has been significantly underestimated because up to this point, nitrous dioxide emissions from intermittently flooded farms have not been included,” said K. Kritee, the lead author of the paper. “Increasing pressure on limited water resources under a changing climate could make additional rice-farming regions look to intermittent flooding to address water limitations and concerns about methane emissions.”

A major takeaway from the analysis is that nitrous oxide emissions need to monitored more closely and more accurately. While there have been studies on the climate impacts of rice farming before, these largely focused on methane emissions from continual flooding practices. 

Nitrous oxide emissions from rice farming are not reported in most rice-producing countries, and the researchers also found that mitigation strategies for reducing the environmental impact of rice farming deal with reducing methane emissions. 

The team has called for closer monitoring of nitrous oxide emissions and say that scientists need to map flooding regimes, countries need to report nitrous oxide emissions, and rice farms have to reduce emissions by optimizing water, nitrogen, and organic matter use. 

“It is essential for scientists to measure both nitrous oxide and methane emissions from rice fields in order to develop policies effective at meeting food demand while mitigating rice farming's climate impacts,” said Kritee.

The researchers found emissions from rice farming could be reduced by as much as 90 percent if farmers used shallow flooding and managed their use of nitrogen and organic matter. 

“We now know nitrous oxide emissions from rice farming can be large and impactful,” said Richie Ahuja, a co-author of this study. “We now also know how to manage the problem. Major rice producing nations in Asia are investing to improve the agriculture sector and could benefit from the suggested dual mitigation strategies that lead to water savings, better yields, and less climate pollution.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rice farming has a surprisingly harmful environmental impact

The impact of rice farming on climate change and atmospheric...

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A new study by an international team of 70 scientists has revealed that global warming will cause peatlands to absorb more carbon. However, this effect will weaken after the end of this century if warming persists.

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/peatlands-release-nitrous-oxide/">Peatlands</a> are important carbon sinks that currently store more carbon than all of the world's vegetation. The researchers, led by the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>, found that peatlands will store even more carbon in the future than what was previously realized.


Across environments such as forests, the carbon from dead plants is released back into the atmosphere during the process of decomposition. In peatlands, however, water slows this process and the carbon is not released.

“Plants living in cold-climate peatlands have it tough for most of the year, but rising global temperatures will give them a longer growing season,” explained study lead author Dr. Angela Gallego-Sala.


“Decomposition in peatlands will speed up as the climate warms - meaning more carbon and methane released - but the overall effect in these high-latitude regions will be increased storage of carbon.”

"However, as warming continues, tropical peatlands will store less carbon because decomposition will speed up but higher temperatures in these already warm regions will not boost plant growth."

The researchers simulated a range of estimates for future warming. Under all of the scenarios, peatlands were projected to store more carbon until around 2100. In addition, the experts confirmed that decomposition in the tropics will cancel out the gains in the higher latitudes due to lengthening of the growing season.


“We have detailed models to predict future climate change, but the models don't yet account for all of the effects of the biosphere (living things) on climate,” said co-lead author Prof Dan Charman.

“The biosphere will either slow or accelerate climate change in various ways. Our results show that peatlands are an ecosystem that could help slow future climate change, as long as we protect them from further damage.”

Study co-author  Professor Sue Page added, “Our work highlights the fact that peatlands store huge amounts of carbon and can play a vital role in global efforts to control climate change.”

“The study also highlights the vital importance of protecting intact peatlands and restoring drained peatlands, particularly in the tropics where the effects of future global warming are likely to lead to more rapid rates of peat decomposition.”

“Peatland restoration efforts, such as rewetting drained and degraded peatlands, can restore the waterlogged conditions needed to prevent the release of peat carbon. These efforts need to be intensified if we are to avoid accelerating peatland CO2 emissions into the future.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Alex Whittle

As temperatures rise, peatlands will store more carbon

A new study by an international team of 70 scientists...

North Carolina residents were greeted with a somber surprise when an underweight black bear was spotted wandering around with a plastic container stuck on its head.

Officials were first notified about the bear on August 24 and have been searching for the animal ever since. According to local news outlet<a href="https://wset.com/news/local/photo-of-endangered-bear-circulates-residents-asked-to-call-authorities-if-they-see-it"> 13 WSET</a>, Henderson County residents began seeing the bear as early as August 4. The plastic container obstructs the bear’s mouth likely preventing the animal from eating and causing its emaciated state. Wildlife officials believe the bear is able to fill the plastic container with water, preventing the bear from dehydrating.

[caption id="attachment_1646646" align="aligncenter" width="600"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/bear-credit-trevor-williams.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1646646" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/bear-credit-trevor-williams.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a> Image Credit: Trevor Williams, WSET[/caption]

Despite the bear’s distressing state, it is on the run, making it difficult for wildlife officials to find the bear. Local residents have been doing their part to track down the bear by posting photo updates on social media when they spot the bear.

Sadly, this bear is hardly the first animal to get <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dying-whale-found-plastic-bags/">entangled in our trash</a>. In the same week North Carolina residents were scrambling to help the brown bear, it was<a href="https://www.wgal.com/article/cat-with-bag-stuck-on-head-rescued-from-side-of-road/22822874"> reported</a> that a cat was found in Pennsylvania with its head stuck in a bag. The cat received its happy ending when it was rescued by a local Good Samaritan and put up for adoption at a local rescue.

Situations like this often become more critical when the victim stuck in trash is a wild animal and not a domesticated pet. As illustrated in the case of the brown bear in North Carolina, wildlife officials have to first track down the wild animal before they can execute a rescue plan that ensures both the animal’s and rescuer’s welfare.

As people become more addicted to single-use plastics and continue to be flippant about their trash, the problem will only get worse. The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a><a href="https://archive.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/web/html/"> estimates</a> that Americans generated 254 million tons of trash in 2013, of which only 34.3% was recycled. Recycling is one of the surest ways to ensure trash does not end up in vital ecosystems. Even if people are not directly littering outside, trash can become dislodged during the trash removal process, especially lightweight plastic items such as bags and straws.

During a 2017 ocean clean-up, the<a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/news/top-ten-items/"> Ocean Conservancy</a> found the most commonly collected items were cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps, straw stirrers and plastic bags.

It may seem inconsequential to drop one of these items on the sidewalk instead of searching for a garbage can, but it can quickly become deadly for the wild animals we share this planet with.

In addition to recycling trash, people can thoroughly wash out food containers before discarding them. If the food in the container was appetizing enough for people to eat, then wild animals are likely to be attracted to it as well. Washing the container out reduces the chances of an animal smelling the scent of the food and sticking their head in to investigate.

As for North Carolina residents who want to help save the bear, they are urged to call the Wildlife Enforcement Dispatch at 800-662-7137 with any information.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Source: <a href="https://wset.com/news/local/photo-of-endangered-bear-circulates-residents-asked-to-call-authorities-if-they-see-it">WSET</a>

Emaciated bear with container stuck on its head reveals trash crisis

North Carolina residents were greeted with a somber surprise when...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute</a> (AWI) has found that thawing permafrost in the Arctic could intensify global warming. The analysis of sediment samples from the eastern coast of Russia showed that Arctic permafrost loss at the end of the last glacial period triggered abrupt spikes in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).

A positive feedback loop between global warming and the release of CO2 from natural sources threatens to intensify future global warming. By studying climate records of the past, scientists can better assess the likelihood of such a threat.

The team led by AWI demonstrated that a rapid rise in sea levels thousands of years ago released massive amounts of CO2 from permafrost.


Some of the ground that makes up permafrost has been frozen since the last glacial period 20,000 years ago or even longer, and extends up to several hundreds of meters beneath the surface of the Earth. The permafrost soils preserve huge quantities of dead plants and other biomass, along with the carbon dioxide and methane that are contained in them.

While it was previously established that there were sudden spikes in CO2 levels around 11,500, 14,600 and 16,500 years ago, the driving forces have remained unclear. The research team, led by AWI geologists Dr. Maria Winterfeld and Dr. Gesine Mollenhauer, set out to investigate in the Sea of Okhotsk along the eastern coast of Russia.

“Originally we assumed that at the time, the vast Amur River carried tremendous quantities of plant material from the hinterland, which microorganisms in the water then broke down into carbon dioxide. So we collected sediment samples from the sea floor, which we then analyzed.”

The researchers were surprised to find that there was evidence of plant remains deep in the sediment that were several thousands of years older than the surrounding deposits. The team determined that they must have originated in extremely old permafrost that had abruptly thawed. Particularly large amounts of these plant remains were washed into the sea 11,500, 14,600 and 16,500 years ago.

The experts were able to determine that there was particularly intense melting of the ice sheets during these time periods, which led to extreme sea level rise of up to 20 meters within a few centuries.

“We assume that this resulted in severe erosion of the permafrost coast in the Sea of Okhotsk and the North Pacific - a phenomenon that we can observe in the Arctic today.””

This allowed large amounts of ancient plant remains to enter the ocean, which were broken down into CO2 or deposited into the ocean floor.

The study also revealed that, 11,500 and 14,600 years ago, erosion of Arctic permafrost likely contributed to about 50 percent of the CO2 increase, and to around 25 percent of the CO2 spike 16,500 years ago.

Today, the Arctic's <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/thawing-permafrost-global-warming/">permafrost</a> coast is eroding severely due to rapid warming, which could have similar results. 

Dr. Mollenhauer said, “Our findings show that this coastal erosion is an important process, but to date it has not been sufficiently considered in climate models. Such effects need to be included in future models.”

The study 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 

Image Credit: Boris Radosavljevic, Alfred-Wegener-Institzt

Arctic permafrost lost from erosion will worsen global warming

A new study from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) has...

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"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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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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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