The Mediterranean has long been a crossroads of trade and tourism, yet its deepest pocket, the Calypso Deep, seemed beyond the reach of day-to-day pollution. 



That hope ended earlier this year when researchers reported plastic bags, glass shards, and crumpled cans resting 16,770 feet beneath the waves in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionian_Sea" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ionian Sea</a>.



Their survey logged 167 items on the trench floor - 148 confirmed pieces of marine litter and 19 more that almost certainly came from people. 



By any measure, it is one of the densest concentrations of trash ever recorded in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-ocean-buffet-big-fish-are-surprisingly-reliant-on-the-twilight-zone/">dark zone</a> of the ocean.



The discovery arrives as global attention continues to focus on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprise-study-some-scientists-call-for-halting-ocean-plastic-cleanup-efforts/">plastic waste</a>. 



Videos of snagged sea turtles and bottle-strewn beaches have already ignited public concern, but those images barely hint at what sinks far below the reach of sunlight.



Now evidence from Calypso Deep shows that even the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/calypso" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mediterranean’s farthest recesses</a> are filling up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-calypso-deep-is-full-of-plastic-waste">Calypso Deep is full of plastic waste</h2>



The team used the submersible <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSV_Limiting_Factor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Limiting Factor</a> to reach the bottom of a kidney-shaped trench roughly 12.4 miles long and 3.1 miles across. 



During a 43-minute trek near the seafloor of the Calypso Deep, cameras captured thousands of objects per square mile, mostly plastic waste discarded by humans.



A single straight-line pass of 2,130 feet was enough to confirm that human trash blankets large stretches of the basin. Most pieces were flexible plastics; glass, metal, and paper rounded out the list. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_study-map_UBarcelona_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_study-map_UBarcelona_1s.webp" alt="(A) General location of the Calypso Deep (box) in the Ionian Sea. PP: Peloponnese Peninsula. (B) Close up and general bathymetry of Calypso Deep (box) and surrounding area. For depth ranges, see color scale. (C) Detailed bathymetry of Calypso Deep with depth contours in meters. The position of the deepest point is indicated by the white dot, while the dive area is indicated by the red dot. Credit: University of Barcelona" class="wp-image-1976573"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(A) General location of the Calypso Deep (box) in the Ionian Sea. PP: Peloponnese Peninsula. (B) Close up and general bathymetry of Calypso Deep (box) and surrounding area. For depth ranges, see color scale. (C) Detailed bathymetry of Calypso Deep with depth contours in meters. The position of the deepest point is indicated by the white dot, while the dive area is indicated by the red dot. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



Even without animals caught on camera, the piles raise alarms because deep-sea communities recover slowly from disturbance.



Calypso Deep lies about 37 miles west of the Peloponnese coast inside the Hellenic Trench, a zone of steep, stepped walls prone to earthquakes. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-waste-rides-currents">Plastic waste rides currents</h2>



Weak currents, usually under 0.8 inches per second and rarely reaching 7 inches per second, let debris settle instead of sweeping it away.



“It comes from various sources, both terrestrial and marine. It could have arrived by various routes, including long-distance transport by ocean currents or direct dumping,” explains <a href="https://web.ub.edu/en/web/directori/?accio=SEL&amp;id=v759w8s35bo5v72r&amp;lang=ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Miquel Canals</a>, professor at the Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics at the University of Barcelona.



“Some light waste, such as plastics, comes from the coast and escapes to Calypso Deep, just about 37 miles away. Certain plastics, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-bag-bans-have-drastically-reduced-ocean-pollution/">like bags</a>, drift just above the seabed until they are partially or completely buried or break down into smaller fragments," Canals continued.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_litter-photos_UBarcelona_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_litter-photos_UBarcelona_1s.webp" alt="Examples of identified litter items with category attribution per material type (cf. Table 2). (A) Plastic bag, J3. (B) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (C) Plastic sheet, J67. (D) Plastic food container made of hard plastic, J225. (E) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (F) Plastic bag, J3 (G) Cups and lids of hard plastic, J227. (H) Plastic rope &gt; 1 cm in diameter, J49. (I) Paper cartons/Tetrapak (non-milk), J151. (J) Metal drink can, J175. (K) Glass bottle. Note sediment shadow with side scouring downwards of the bottle J200. (L) Plastic drink bottle. Credit: University of Barcelona" class="wp-image-1976569"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Examples of identified litter items with category attribution per material type. (A) Plastic bag, J3. (B) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (C) Plastic sheet, J67. (D) Plastic food container made of hard plastic, J225. (E) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (F) Plastic bag, J3 (G) Cups and lids of hard plastic, J227. (H) Plastic rope > 1 cm in diameter, J49. (I) Paper cartons/Tetrapak (non-milk), J151. (J) Metal drink can, J175. (K) Glass bottle. Note sediment shadow with side scouring downwards of the bottle J200. (L) Plastic drink bottle. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



Rivers, wind, and ship traffic all feed the stream of refuse heading offshore. As algae and other organisms cling to floating polymers, the added weight turns buoyant scraps into sinking hazards. The trench’s closed shape then locks the pieces in place.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-calypso-deep-as-a-plastic-graveyard">Calypso Deep as a plastic graveyard</h2>



Surface eddies often corral floating trash into the trench. When these eddies form over the Calypso Trench, some debris slowly falls to the bottom, aided by degradation and ballasting processes that increase its density. 



Surface currents can also carry debris northward from the Adriatic Sea through the Strait of Otranto and from waters off northwestern Greece. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_3D-model_UBarcelona_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_3D-model_UBarcelona_1s.webp" alt="(A) 3D model generated from a subset of video frames by reference to a litter item of known size shown in B. The white dashed line in A represents the camera frames along the Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Limiting Factor moving path, whereas the red dashed line represents the frames counted between two items identified on the seabed. (B) Accumulation of litter items in the inner Calypso Deep with a litter item of known size (12 cm) used as a reference for 3D model generation. Credit: University of Barcelona" class="wp-image-1976567"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(A) 3D model generated from a subset of video frames by reference to a litter item of known size shown in B. The white dashed line in A represents the camera frames along the Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Limiting Factor moving path, whereas the red dashed line represents the frames counted between two items identified on the seabed. (B) Accumulation of litter items in the inner Calypso Deep with a litter item of known size (12 cm) used as a reference for 3D model generation. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



The same circular flows that drive marine life cycles are now channeling waste into permanent graveyards at the very bottom of Earth's deepest bodies of water.



<a href="https://web.ub.edu/ca/web/actualitat/w/a-sea-of-rubbish-ocean-floor-landfills-?" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earlier work in 2021</a> showed the Strait of Messina carrying the world’s heaviest load of undersea garbage, confirming that the Mediterranean is especially at risk.



“We have also found evidence of boats dumping bags of rubbish, indicated by piles of assorted waste followed by an almost straight furrow," said Canals, expressing his frustration.



That is why the bottom of the Calypso Deep is littered with humans' plastic waste, and also why the problem will do nothing but continue to worsen.



"Unfortunately, when it comes to the Mediterranean, it is fair to say that ‘not a single inch of it is clean.’”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-we-go-from-here">Where do we go from here?</h2>



Unlike beaches and coastlines, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/99-percent-of-the-deep-ocean-floor-has-still-never-been-seen-by-humans/">ocean floor</a> remains largely out of sight, making it difficult to build social and political momentum for its conservation. 



Yet what settles at the bottom can influence marine life, food webs, fisheries, climate feedback loops, and even geological stability.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-mediterranean-nearly-lost-all-of-its-water-6-million-years-ago/">The Mediterranean</a> is an enclosed sea, surrounded by humanity, with intense maritime traffic and widespread fishing activity.



“Scientists, communicators, journalists, influencers - everyone with a platform - must work together. The problem is vast, even if it is not directly visible, and we cannot ignore it," Canals implored.



The trail of refuse from shorelines to Calypso Deep underlines a plain truth: plastics and other debris do not vanish once tossed aside. They ride currents, sink in stages, and ultimately collect in the planet’s most secluded hollows. 



The evidence provided by this research should galvanize global efforts - especially in the Mediterranean - to curb dumping, particularly of plastics, in line with the pending <a href="https://www.globalplasticlaws.org/un-global-plastics-treaty" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UN Global Plastics Treaty</a>.



From the North Atlantic’s first recorded litter in 1975 to the record densities documented across the Mediterranean today, the pattern remains the same - human waste reaches everywhere water flows.



We must do more, we must do better, and we must do it now.



-----



Thanks to the leaders of this research team - Miquel Canals of the <a href="https://web.ub.edu/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Barcelona</a>, Georg Hanke of the European Commission’s <a href="https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/joint-research-centre_en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joint Research Centre</a>, François Galgani of <a href="https://www.ifremer.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IFREMER</a>, and Victor Vescovo of <a href="https://caladanoceanic.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caladan Oceanic</a>



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25000852">Marine Pollution Bulletin</a>.



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Scientists make disturbing discovery on the deepest parts of the seafloor: 'Not a single inch of it is clean'

The Mediterranean has long been a crossroads of trade and tourism, yet its deepest pocket, the Calypso Deep, seemed beyond the reach of day-to-day pollution. That hope ended earlier this year when researchers reported plastic bags, glass shards, and crumpled cans resting 16,770 feet beneath the waves in the Ionian Sea. Their survey logged 167 items on the trench floor - 148 confirmed pieces of marine litter and 19 more that almost certainly came from people. By any measure, it is one of the densest concentrations of...

APTOPIX Guatemala Volcano

With all eyes on Hawaii’s Big Island and Kilauea’s ongoing eruption, it was a shock when a violent volcanic eruption was first reported in Guatemala over the weekend.

The Fuego Volcano, which is located around 25 miles south-west of Guatemala's capital, erupted on Sunday, June 3, 2018, and quickly turned deadly.

So far, the number of casualties is up to 69 people, but as authorities continue to search those numbers are projected to rise. 

It was Guatemala's deadliest volcanic eruption in a century, according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44363444">BBC</a>, and produced <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/pyroclastic-flow/">fast-moving pyroclastic flows</a> which devastated Guatemalan communities near the volcano. 

According to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/05/americas/guatemala-volcano-eruption-fuego/index.html">CNN</a>, ash was sent up to 33,000 feet in the air and recovery workers are scrambling to search through buried and ash and rubble which engulfed entire homes, trapping residents inside.  

Others died from fires caused by the intense heat of the explosive pyroclastic flows, as <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/mbvd/a-volcano-in-guatemala-erupted-suddenly-killing-at-least-6?utm_term=.sqXozrRGaJ#.ibARQDnzev">Buzzfeed</a> reported. 

Search and rescue efforts are hampered by the difficult conditions and hazards caused by the eruptions. Recovery workers are having trouble breathing and the ground is so hot that it is burning shoes.

“It is very, very difficult due to the fact that it's very, very hot,” volunteer firefighter Mario Cifuentes told CNN. “The soil is very unstable. We cannot be walking around. ... The shoes, they've been completely destroyed because of the heat.”

Not only is recovery difficult, but identifying the bodies of those who were trapped by the eruption has also been hard because the heat destroyed common identifiers like fingerprints, Buzzfeed reported.

The eruption forced the evacuation of more than 3,000 people, and 1.7 million people in Guatemala have been affected by Sunday’s explosion. 

Volcanologists have also warned nearby residents to be wary of mudslides in the next coming days which are also extremely dangerous. 

--

<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a>, Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Santiago Billy / AP

Explosive volcanic eruption in Guatemala makes recovery difficult

With all eyes on Hawaii’s Big Island and Kilauea’s ongoing...

New clues about Greenland’s past climate will help predict its future. A team of experts at <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> have uncovered new evidence about the past climate of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-ice-stream-sensitive/">Greenland</a>. While it was known that the early Holocene and Last Interglacial periods experienced warming in the Arctic due to changes in Earth's orbit, the new study has found that these times were even warmer in Greenland than previously realized.

The analysis of lake mud located just beyond the northwest edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet has revealed new clues about the region’s changing climate that may provide insight into how ice sheets will continue to respond to human-induced global warming today.

“Northwest Greenland might feel really remote, but what happens to that ice sheet is going to matter to everyone in New York City, Miami and every coastal city around the world,” said study senior author Yarrow Axford. 

“One of the big uncertainties in climate science remains how fast the Earth changes when it gets warmer. Geology gives us an opportunity to see what happened when the Earth was warmer than today.”

Greenland's average summer temperatures linger in the 30s and 40s, but there were two separate eras when the summer months experienced temperatures up in the 50s.

During the Last Interglacial period around 116,000 to 130,000 years ago, global sea levels increased by 15 to 30 feet, primarily due to the thinning of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. The new research shows that Greenland may have played the bigger role in this extreme sea-level rise.

The climate in northwest Greenland was ideal for preserving the lake sediments that were analyzed in the study.

“During the last ice age, the ice sheet there was just thin enough, and the atmosphere was just cold enough that the ice sheet froze to the ground instead of melting at its base and sliding,” said study lead author Dr. Jamie McFarlin. “It grew on top of itself and preserved most of the geology below.”

The researchers found the remains of fly species in the sediment, which provided proof of a warmer climate during the early Holocene and Last Interglacial periods.

“Other records have shown that northern Greenland's climate was much warmer than people expected during those periods, and those results received justified skepticism,” said Axford. “Now we have an independent record that confirms that when the Arctic warmed in the past, there was especially strong warming in northern Greenland.”

The findings of the research will help to improve climate and ice sheet models that are used to project future changes.


“Past climate is our best analog for future warming, and our results hint that land at these very high latitudes in the Arctic may warm even more than predicted in the coming century,” said Axford. “But nothing in Earth's past is a perfect analog because what's happening today is totally unprecedented.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proceedings_of_the_National_Academy_of_Sciences_of_the_United_States_of_America">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: Yarrow Axford, <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a>

New clues about Greenland’s past climate will help predict its future

New clues about Greenland’s past climate will help predict its...

Can living near wind turbines have an effect your health?  Wind turbines are one of the more promising sources of clean renewable energy to gain prominence in recent years – but they’re not without their critics. Complaints about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/military-tech-wind-turbines/">turbines</a> range from them being an eyesore to being a health issue for those who live near them. Recently, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> published an analysis of how residential distance from wind turbines affects people’s health.

People who live near wind turbines often claim that their quality of life is disturbed by the shadow flicker, audible sounds, and subaudible sound pressure levels that come from the turbines. Researchers report their investigation of these claims through reanalysis of data collected for the “Community Noise and Health Study” by Statistics Canada in the <a href="https://asa.scitation.org/journal/jas">Journal of the Acoustical Society of America</a>.

“The Community Noise and Health Study generated data useful for studying the relationship between wind turbine exposures and human health – including annoyance and sleep disturbances,” says Rebecca Barry, an author on the paper. “Their original results examined modeled wind turbine noise based on a variety of factors – source sound power, distance, topography and meteorology, among others.”

The earlier study from Statistics Canada did not find a direct link between residents’ distance from wind turbines and sleep disturbances, blood pressure, or stress. But this new analysis found that survey respondents who lived closer to wind turbines reported lower ratings for environmental quality of life.

“Respondents who live in areas with higher levels of modeled sound values (40 to 46 decibels) reported more annoyance than respondents in areas with lower levels of modeled sound values (&lt;25 dB),” Barry said. The survey’s respondents who lived closer to the turbines “were more likely to report being annoyed than respondents who live further away.”

However, the authors do note that their cross-sectional study cannot determine whether the respondents were dissatisfied before the wind turbines were installed.  

“Wind turbines might have been placed in locations where residents were already concerned about their environmental quality of life,” says Sandra Sulsky, a researcher from <a href="http://www.ramboll.com/">Ramboll</a>, the engineering company that funded this study. “Also, as is the case with all surveys, the respondents who chose to participate may have viewpoints or experiences that differ from those who chose not to participate. Survey respondents may have participated precisely to express their dissatisfaction, while those who did not participate might not have concerns about the turbines.”

This more recent study was unable to determine if exposure to wind turbines actually has a tangible impact on human health. But they propose that future studies should measure the residents’ perceptions and concerns before and after wind turbine installation, in order to better clarify the effects that turbines may have on the lives of those living in close proximity.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Can living near wind turbines have an effect your health?

Can living near wind turbines have an effect your health? ...

After days of efforts to save its life, a shortfin male pilot whale has died from ingesting a shocking amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-galapagos-islands/">plastic waste</a>. During an autopsy, veterinarians discovered more than 80 plastic bags in the whale’s stomach, which collectively weighed over 17 pounds.

The whale was seen along the coast of southern Thailand in Songkhla Province on May 28th appearing ill and unable to swim. A team of veterinarians and conservationists worked for five days to save the animal’s life.

Experts say that the bags would have made it impossible for the small whale to digest normal food.

According to the <a href="http://www.nutrientchallenge.org/department-marine-and-coastal-resources">Department of Marine and Coastal Resources</a> (DMCR), the whale began heaving out pieces of plastic bags before dying on Friday. 

Jatuporn Buruspat, the head of the DMCR in Thailand, said that the issue of plastic pollution will be brought to the public’s attention during the observation of World Oceans Day on June 8th.

“We will use the whale case and invite all sectors to show their intentions on how to reduce the use of plastic in Thailand,” Mr. Buruspat told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a>.

A report from the UK, “<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634433/Future_of_the_sea_-_plastic_pollution_final.pdf">Future of the Sea: Plastic Pollution</a>,” has revealed that plastic makes up 70 percent of the world's marine letter and that the amount of plastic in the ocean is set to triple over the next decade.

The document states: “Over 700 species of marine organisms, including marine mammals, birds, fish and invertebrates, are known to encounter plastic debris.” 

“This can result in severe physical harm and death, or have more subtle sub-lethal effects on behavior and ecological interactions.”

The European Commission has recently proposed laws to ban and greatly reduce the distribution of single-use plastics in an effort to combat the growing issue of plastic marine litter.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Thai Whales

Pilot whale dies with 17 pounds of plastic in its stomach

After days of efforts to save its life, a shortfin...

It was long assumed that the unusual lack of seismic activity in East Antarctica was because of all of the weight of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/operation-icebridge-returns-to-antartica/">Antarctica's thick ice</a>. 

But new research has revealed that East Antarctica's “silence” was simply due to the fact that no seismic instruments were installed there or capable of detecting tectonic activity.

There have just been eight recorded seismic events since the first ever earthquake in East Antarctica was detected in 1982, but everything changed when a team set up an array of instruments that recorded seismic activity in 2009. 

That year, 27 earthquakes were recorded, tripling the total number of reported earthquakes detected in East Antarctica. 

“Ultimately, the lack of recorded seismicity wasn't due to a lack of events but a lack of instruments close enough to record the events,” said Amanda Lough of <a href="http://www.drexel.edu/">Drexel University</a>, who was part of the East Antarctic expedition and lead author of a study discussing seismicity in the region. 

The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience. 

Lough’s team wasn’t the first to emphasize the necessity of properly monitoring seismic activity in Antarctica, but the harsh and remote conditions prevented any serious attempts. 

The researchers had to fly from point to point across Antarctica and sometimes had to dig out their own runways in order to install seismic recording equipment. 

It was an expedition that took considerable effort, but once the instruments recorded 27 earthquakes in just one year with magnitudes ranging from 2.1 to 3.9, those efforts greatly paid off. 

The majority of the activity occurred near Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains which may be part of an ancient continental rift system. 

“There is a study we cite in the paper that shows that more than 52 percent of seismic events in continental areas occur in rifted crust, so it's not unexpected that we see the correlation here,” said Lough. “The rifts provide zones of weakness that enable faulting to occur more easily, and it may be that the situation here is such that activity is occurring preferentially along these areas of preexisting weakness.” 

The researchers only have one year of data to go off of, but already the recorded activity shows that area’s seismicity is worth investigating and provides more insight about the Earth’s tectonic plates. 

“Antarctica is the least-instrumented continent, but other areas of the globe also lack sufficient instrumentation,” said Lough. “There are some obvious holes in coverage in the Global Seismic Network. For example, the ocean covers 71 percent of the planet, but it is expensive and very difficult to get instruments there. We need to think about improving coverage and then improving the density of it.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

East Antarctica found to be surprisingly seismically active

It was long assumed that the unusual lack of seismic...

<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> reported on October 24, 2010 that there was finally a price tag on the loss of natural resources in the world.  A second article by <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> continues the discussion about the value of nature, stating, 

“The natural world supports the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people the world over. It also provides the foundations upon which all the world's major corporate enterprises are built…The majority of businesses, for example, would struggle to survive without clean and accessible water.”

It is true that businesses depend on natural resources for their income.  Many people see businesses recognizing the ‘cost’ to the natural world of their practices as a good thing.  An example <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> used was calculating the cost of converting mangroves to a shrimp farm in Thailand.  In the end, after taking into account the mangrove’s role in buffering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricane-maria-real-death-toll/">hurricanes</a> and other factors, it’s not profitable to destroy mangroves to create a shrimp farm.  The profit from selling shrimp just doesn’t equal the financial benefit of the mangroves. 

As ‘resources’ become scarcer, it’s inevitable that the cost of wonton waste will go up.  It’s also natural that businesses trying to limit their financial loss may see the benefits of protecting ‘resources’.  As the human population living on earth continues to skyrocket, things like food and water become harder to find. If you can’t find water, you’re not going to be doing any sort of business and you won’t make profit, this much is common sense.  Part of the problem is that there is more incentive to protect things like clean water, which everyone needs to survive and no incentive to protect say, wild tigers which may endanger profits and even human life.

A rise in consumer consciousness over loss of biodiversity, global climate change, and other issues has also made companies pay more attention.  <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> uses fishing as an example of rising cost, regulating fisheries has become necessary for the long term survival of fishes and indeed the fishing industry.

I have experience working in fisheries management in Alaska, where individual fishermen have opted into a system of being taxed which pays for fishery management.  In a system like Alaska’s, the financial cost of fish depletion has been taken on by the fishermen themselves and the system has been made rather sustainable. Part of the problem here is that the incentive isn’t for nature with a light human touch but heavily managed nature for the sole benefit of human desire.  For instance the organization I worked for in Alaska was also involved in introducing salmon to river systems where salmon didn’t historically breed. Another problem is that others damage to fish populations isn’t inflicted only by fishermen but also by pollution, development, etc. These minor matters aren’t the true heart of the economics problem.  

The disastrous BP gulf oil highlights some of the problems of equating nature to a price tag.  Seafood processors, oystermen and shrimpers were awarded almost a billion dollars in losses, according to an article in <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/">Independent</a>.  The initial award was even greater until it was found that a lawyer created a false roster of clients he supposedly represented, using the identities of dead people and even a dog.  BP agreed to pay the final amount awarded of $94.7 million, and while this may seem like a huge win for gulf coast residence dependent on seafood for a living, the loss doesn’t end with them.  Fines BP ended up paying were even greater, on January 16 of this year, according to The Balance, BP announced to take a charge of $1.7 billion for expenses related to their spill and on September 2014, and BP was fined $18 billion under the Clean Water Act.

The problem isn’t so much that BP didn’t pay enough so much as there’s no price that can be paid.  It’s understood by most people that no amount of money can bring back a dead loved one. It’s similarly true that no amount of money can bring back healthy oceans, wetlands, bird or fish populations.  The BP oil spill caused lung diseases in bottlenose dolphins, developmental problems in fish, and left oil residue that will remain in some amount for an untold amount of time. 

Animals died.  Habitat has been lost.  The world will never be quite the same.  In the end, BP and other corporations can wreak so much damage precisely because there is a predictable cost associated with it.  Drilling in a dangerous, cost cutting way is speculative investment. BP doesn’t suffer the damage, it doesn’t lose its beautiful home or life, BP only writes out some checks.  There’s plenty of propaganda that BP uses too, acting as if cleaning up part of the mess they made was a charitable act. The statement on BP’s website on April 15 2014, announcing the end of active cleanup work is a perfect example of what I mean; here’s a taste,

““Reaching this milestone is the result of the extraordinary efforts of thousands of people from BP, local communities, government agencies, and academic institutions working together,” said John Mingé, Chairman and President of BP America.  “Immediately following the Deepwater Horizon accident, BP committed to cleaning the shoreline and supporting the Gulf’s economic and environmental recovery. Completing active cleanup is further indication that we are keeping that commitment.””

Considering BP’s inability to prevent a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it’s startling that in 2017, BP had another leak in Alaska’s Arctic, when a broken oil well started spewing natural gas.  The leak was controlled relatively quickly and there was little damage but it could’ve been much worse and in the Arctic, the stakes are even higher than in the Gulf of Mexico. 

It’s easy to imagine the same philosophy of paying for damage being applied by a whole host of businesses to cover the normal environmental damage occurred regularly and it is.  Cap and Trade is based on this idea. Annie Leonard, proponent of sustainability and critic of consumerism, pointed out many of the problems with cap and trade. Under a global plan for cap and trade on carbon emissions, poorer countries that didn’t initially create the greenhouse gas problem will suffer most, burdened with an unfair amount of the cost.  The biggest polluters are also awarded the most carbon credits initially and cheating in offsetting carbon is incentivized.

I would argue that any time money becomes a major part of motivation, morals become perverted.  If economic incentives can bring us people who are literally willing to blow the tops off mountains for money, how can we expect it to protect wild nature?  The effects of environmental damage can outlast companies too. 

The Gold King Mine near Silverton Colorado was closed in 1923 but EPA contractors caused the release of toxins from the mine into the Animas River watershed.  The EPA claimed responsibility for the spill but refused to pay anything for it, claiming sovereign immunity, an antiquated law that once allowed monarchs immunity to the legal repercussions of their actions.  Other mines in the area had already severely impacted the Animas watershed’s animal and plant life but this spill was particularly bad, entailing 3 million gallons of waste being dumped into the environment. 

This is especially sad to me as I love the area surrounding the Animas River; it’s not far from the location of my first backpacking trip.  This is an area of mountains, elk and bear, a place that deserves clean water. Even the human cost in these areas is very real, contaminated water isn’t safe to drink.  The Denver Post reported in April 2016 that there are at least 230 other old mines leaking heavy metal waste into rivers in the state and the problem only continues downstream.  According to The Denver Post, the overall output of these mines equals one Gold King Mine disaster every two days.  I wonder what the unknown cost in health, human, animal environmental is for all the toxic waste quietly seeping into rivers?  When the cost is measured in dollars, who foots a bill when those responsible are bankrupt or dead? 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Reducing Earth to a price tag: How economics devalues nature

BBC reported on October 24, 2010 that there was finally...

In theory, combating climate change is simple: reduce the world’s carbon emissions, find a way to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, and transition to sustainable, renewable and efficient sources of energy. Easy, right?

Sadly, even though the Paris Accord and other similar efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change have seen worldwide support, we’re still quite a ways from seeing substantial policy changes to reduce global warming.

Part of what makes climate change policies so difficult to implement are the rising demands for energy coupled with the need to raise living standards in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.iiasa.ac.at/">International Institute for Applied Systems </a>shows for the first time that it is possible to limit global warming and still meet the <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300">United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals</a> for the global South. 

The study was published in the journal Nature Energy, and the results outline ways to limit global warming to 1.5 Degrees Celsius by dramatically changing the way we travel, heat and cool homes, and use smart technology. 

“A rapid downsizing of the global energy system between now and 2050 makes it much more feasible to transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewables and electricity to provide for development needs while limiting the impacts of climate change,” said Charlie Wilson, the study’s co-author. 

For the study, the researchers examined a wide range of available technologies and innovations that could help reduce emissions if they became mainstream. 

The researchers compared these innovations to studies of energy use in transportation, homes, offices, and manufacturing and discovered that a 2-4 fold reduction in energy was possible while still meeting rising energy demands. 

Some possibilities to improve energy efficiency include putting vehicles with increased occupancy on the road, investing more in single digital technology like smartphones, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cities-combat-climate-change/">renovating homes to reduce heating and cooling costs</a>, and urging people to eat less red meat. 

With significant efforts from policymakers to reduce global energy demand by 40 percent by 2050, the researchers discovered that it would be possible to meet the world’s energy needs and mitigate climate change.

“Not only does our scenario show how to meet the 1.5°C climate target based on evidence on what is already possible, it also shows how this dramatic reversal in global emission trends supports a wide range of development objectives in the global South, from rising living standards to cleaner air and improved health,” said Wilson. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lifestyle changes can limit global warming, meet mitigation goals

In theory, combating climate change is simple: reduce the world’s...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> has found that there will be a dramatic decline in the demand for fossil fuels in the near future, driven by a major global shift in power and transportation technology.

The findings of the study indicate that this decline is imminent, and will occur regardless of investor confidence in fossil fuel stocks or the adoption of climate policies.

“Our analysis suggests that, contrary to investor expectations, the stranding of fossil fuels assets may happen even without new climate policies,” explained study co-author Professor Jorge Viñuales. “This suggests a carbon bubble is forming and it is likely to burst.”

“Individual nations cannot avoid the situation by ignoring the Paris Agreement or burying their heads in coal and tar sands. For too long, global climate policy has been seen as a prisoner's dilemma game, where some nations can do nothing and get a 'free ride' on the efforts of others. Our results show this is no longer the case.”


The international team of economists and policy experts produced detailed simulations which revealed that this fall in demand has the potential to leave massive fossil fuel reserves as “stranded assets” that will abruptly drop in value before the year 2035.


A decline in the price of fossil fuel of this magnitude could cause a huge “carbon bubble” built on long-term investments to burst. According to the experts, the equivalent of one to four trillion US dollars could be wiped off the global economy in fossil fuel assets alone.

The researchers are reporting that there will be massive losses for some countries and huge gains for others.


Many nations across the European Union, as well as Japan and China, rely on costly fossil fuel imports to meet energy needs. These countries stand to save a lot of money with the right investment in low-carbon technologies, while boosting their economy and increasing jobs in sustainable industries.

On the other hand, major carbon exporters with relatively high production costs - including Canada, the United States, and Russia - would see domestic fossil fuel industries collapse.

“Until now, observers mostly paid attention to the likely effectiveness of climate policies, but not to the ongoing and effectively irreversible technological transition,” said study lead author Dr. Jean-Francois Mercure.

The researchers also found that the current rate of fossil fuel production combined with major declines in demand could cause an initial US$4 trillion of fossil fuel assets to be completely wiped out.

“If we are to defuse this time-bomb in the global economy, we need to move promptly but cautiously,” said study co-author Hector Pollitt. “The carbon bubble must be deflated before it becomes too big, but progress must also be carefully managed.

The study authors say that it is critical for countries to diversify their energy supplies and investment portfolios.

“Divestment from fossil fuels is both a prudential and necessary thing to do,” said Dr. Mercure. “Investment and pension funds need to evaluate how much of their money is in fossil fuel assets and reassess the risk they are taking.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: Carbon bubble will burst as fossil fuel demand plummets

A new study led by the University of Cambridge has...

A new study has confirmed fears about the recent introduction of a toxic Asian toad to Madagascar. Researchers have found genetic evidence to support the theory that predators native to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-species-pelican-spiders/">Madagascar</a> are highly sensitive to toad toxins, and could die from eating the toads.

“In Australia, the introduction of cane toads has caused profound perturbation to many ecosystems by removing key predators from local food webs with their toxins,” explained study co-author Wolfgang Wüster of <a href="https://www.bangor.ac.uk/">Bangor University</a>. 

“Similar effects are likely to occur in Madagascar, where toads were never present before, as well; predators that frequently feed on toads and do not rapidly learn or evolve to avoid them are likely to become much rarer or possibly extinct.”

The bufonidae species of toads secrete chemical compounds known as bufadienolides that can kill predators by suppressing the sodium-potassium pump.Some predator species have evolved resistance to these toxins, but this takes time and repeated exposure. 

The controversial introduction of the invasive Asian toads, or Duttaphrynus melanostictus, to Madagascar sparked a debate over their potential impact and also over actions that may be needed to control them.

Study co-author Andolalao Rakotoarison is the co-chair of Madagascar's IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group.

“A crucial knowledge gap has been whether native Malagasy predators are indeed sensitive to toad toxins: this has been widely assumed by conservationists, but without concrete evidence," explained Rakotoarison.


In the current study, the researchers examined the DNA of animals that may prey on the newly-introduced toads, including 27 snakes, two lizards, 12 frogs, eight mammals and 28 birds. 

The study revealed that only one single native species has evolved resistance to the toad’s poisonous secretion, suggesting that the alien species must be controlled in order to prevent the progression of the ongoing biodiversity crisis in Madagascar.

“Our findings confirm that the invasive toads are likely to have a significant impact on many Malagasy endemic species, adding to the country's existing conservation problems and potentially endangering many of Madagascar's most iconic endemic species, such as tenrecs and the enigmatic fossa, as well as a plethora of other species,” said study co-author Nicholas Casewell.


According to the researchers, further investigation is needed to evaluate the threat from the toad's tadpoles to fish, water beetles, dragonfly larvae, and crustaceans.

“This is another example of how species introduced from one part of the world to another can disrupt natural ecosystems,”  said first author Ben Marshall. “Preventing the introduction of alien invasive species must be a top priority for biodiversity conservation.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current 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: Benjamin Marshall

Toxic toad species could escalate Madagascar’s biodiversity crisis

A new study has confirmed fears about the recent introduction...

An investigation led by the <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/">London School of Economics and Political Science</a> has found that economic models which underestimate the potential impacts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-costing-billions/">climate change</a> are misguiding policymakers.

The researchers are urging the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to improve how it evaluates the results of economic modeling as the Panel develops its Sixth Assessment Report, which will be published in 2021 and 2022.


The study authors, including Thomas Stoerk of the <a href="https://www.edf.org/">Environmental Defense Fund</a> and Gernot Wagner of <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>, hope to draw attention to the “mounting evidence that current economic models of the aggregate global impacts of climate change are inadequate in their treatment of uncertainty and grossly underestimate potential future risks.”

The experts are warning that the integrated assessment models that are currently in use do not accurately account for “tipping points,” which mark a transition into when climate impacts “accelerate, become unstoppable, or become irreversible.”

According to the researchers, these models do not sufficiently account for the risks of climate change, particularly when future global warming is not limited to two degrees Celsius.

The study authors point to “a major discrepancy between scientific and economic estimates of the impacts of unmanaged future climate change.”

“These discrepancies between the physical and the economic impact estimates are large, and they matter,” write the study authors. “However, physical impacts are often not translated into monetary terms and they have largely been ignored by climate economists.”

The researchers suggest that the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report should place more emphasis on decision-making under future uncertainty, and should focus on estimating how this uncertainty itself affects the financial cost projections of climate change.

The preparation of the report could combine the work of scientists and economists to better quantify the upcoming effects of climate change, according to the study authors.

They explain that this would allow the IPCC to  “provide policymakers with a more robust and rigorous way of assessing the potential future risks of economic damage from climate change.”

The paper is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/reep">Review of Environmental Economics and Policy</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Most models underestimate the economic impact of climate change

An investigation led by the London School of Economics and...

Scientists have made a pair of discoveries that could leave one UK city feeling shaken. The two newly discovered fault lines are raising concerns over the potential that a London earthquake may be in store.

Researchers from <a href="http://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> discovered the fault lines using PSInSAR imagery and datasets of London collected from 1992 to 2000 and 2001 to 2010. The PSInSAR data – which stands for Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar – revealed patterns of ground movement that pointed to the existence of two undiscovered fault lines.

The team determined that one fault line lies beneath central London, while another runs under Canary Wharf. Both faults move about 1 to 2 millimeters each year, the researchers found.

The discovery could help Londoners prepare for a moderate-intensity quake.

“London has a very overloaded infrastructure and is therefore very sensitive to damage that affects more than one point on the system – think of the effect of multiple signal failures delaying or closing two or three tube lines,” Dr. Richard Ghail, who led the research, told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html">Daily Mail</a>. “Apart from the small risk of an earthquake, it is the potential for cost overruns of difficult engineering and damage to old infrastructure (like tube lines) that is most economically significant.”

The researchers suspect that a London earthquake may be overdue, though the chances of a temblor larger than 5.0 magnitude are slim. 

London has seen moderate quakes before. In 1580, the city was shaken by a 5.5-magnitude tremor. Moderate quakes with magnitudes ranging from 5.5 to 6.0 can cause slight damage to structures, according to <a href="http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/">Michigan Tech’s UPSeis</a> program. 

Even if a London earthquake strikes, however, it’s not likely to be as strong as the 1580 shakeup.

The possibility is “enough to be scary but not fundamentally a problem,” Ghail told the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/">Telegraph</a>.

But the finding shows the importance of sharing information collected by government agencies, like the PSInSAR data sets. If those sets had been shared years ago, builders and property owners in London could already have begun retrofitting to deal with a potential future London earthquake.

“Until very recently (the last ten years or less), data have not been freely shared,” Ghail said.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Fault lines trigger worries about future London earthquake

Scientists have made a pair of discoveries that could leave...

For years, researchers have been puzzled by the disparity between the amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere and how much is present in plants. 

Scientists could not figure out where the “missing nitrogen” was coming because there was more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-nitrogen-store-carbon/">nitrogen</a> in plants than could have been pulled from the atmosphere.

But now, researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> discovered that there is a substantial amount of nitrogen stored in rocks that gets released into the atmosphere.

The results were published in the journal Science and the new findings could help improve climate models. 

For the study, the researchers used previous analyses of rocks found in northern California that contained large amounts of nitrogen. A spatial nitrogen weathering model was then developed to estimate how much of the world’s nitrogen was stored in rocks. 

Nitrogen is crucial for plants and animals and is a contributing factor in an ecosystem’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide. 

Now, knowing that nitrogen is stored in rocks, the researchers theorize that ecosystems are pulling more CO2 emissions from the atmosphere than previously realized. 

“Our study shows that nitrogen weathering is a globally significant source of nutrition to soils and ecosystems worldwide,” said Ben Houlton, a co-lead author of the study. “This runs counter the centuries-long paradigm that has laid the foundation for the environmental sciences.”

The research also sheds light on why some ecosystems are more efficient than others at carbon storage. 

For example, boreal forests, which are forests dominated by coniferous trees with high levels of precipitation, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alaska-has-more-stores-of-carbon-than-rest-of-the-us/">absorb large amounts of CO2 </a>because of the nitrogen-rich bedrock found in those areas. 

Regions where rocks experience a good deal of chemical weathering are more likely to have nitrogen-rich bedrock and in turn a fast-growing ecosystem with a lot or carbon storage ability. 

The researchers say that geology now needs to be part of the conservation discussion in protecting those areas that could store more carbon and play an important role in controlling emissions. 

“When thinking about carbon sequestration, the geology of the planet can help guide our decisions about what we're conserving,” said Houlton. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rocks contribute massive amounts of nitrogen to the atmosphere

For years, researchers have been puzzled by the disparity between...

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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Ocean heat influences regional climate

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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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