Natural,Environment,Climate-neutral,Long-term,Emissions,Strategy,Net,Zero,2050,Carbon

Balancing cleaner air with rising incomes is not a luxury question for developing countries. It is a real-world, and real-life, policy problem that shapes health, jobs, and the future of their cities.



A new <a href="https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S0217590825500304" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> lays out when zero emissions can go hand in hand with steady <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-will-cut-world-gdp-by-a-staggering-40-percent-if-nothing-changes/">growth</a>, even when governments rely on foreign aid.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zero-emissions-and-economic-growth">Zero emissions and economic growth</h2>



The work comes from <a href="https://tus.elsevierpure.com/en/persons/hideo-noda" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hideo Noda</a> at the Tokyo University of Science (<a href="https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TUS</a>) with coauthor Fengqi Fang, a Ph.D. candidate in Business Administration from the Graduate School of Business Administration at TUS. 



The team builds a simple but testable way to check if a country can hit zero net <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-trade-is-fueling-a-dangerous-rise-in-methane-emissions/">emissions</a> while its economy keeps expanding.



They also verify the model numerically using real world style parameters so it is not just a chalkboard exercise. 



The paper connects theory to a specific United Nations target on decoupling growth from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/limiting-global-warming-to-1-5c-is-almost-certainly-out-of-reach/">environmental damage</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zero-emissions-models">Zero emissions models</h2>



First, the authors define a zero-emissions <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/net-zero-coalition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">policy</a> as keeping net pollution at zero at every point in time, by matching abatement to emissions. That requires money, technology, and clear rules to assign who pays.



They run two versions of the economy. 



One is a public goods <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/stantcheva/files/lecture8.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">model</a> where government services like roads or schools lift private production for everyone at once, a standard growth <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/261726" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">model</a> introduced by Robert Barro in 1990. 



The second adds <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-will-climate-change-hit-hardest-global-index-reveals-vulnerability/">congestion</a>, where more people share the same public services so the boost per person shrinks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-minimum-income-rule">Minimum income rule</h2>



The key test is whether gross domestic product (<a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GDP</a>) per capita rises above a minimum income threshold so a country can fully clean what it emits. 



The authors call this the kindergarten rule level of abatement, as in: “clean-up what you make dirty.”



"Following the Kindergarten rule means implementing zero emission technologies in either finite time or asymptotically," noted M. Scott Taylor and William Brock in their related <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w9597" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>. 



This frame anchors the new threshold concept for developing countries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aid-supports-clean-income-growth">Aid supports clean income growth</h2>



Many low income governments fund services with official development assistance (<a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/policy-issues/official-development-assistance-oda.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ODA</a>), so the model lets outside aid pay for both cleaning and public services. 



That design reflects classic work showing how aid aimed at productive public services can shift long run growth.



In related <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304387806000290" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">theory</a>, flexible labor and aid tied to public capital influence the path of output and welfare. The new paper extends this logic to pollution control that must be paid for every year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-income-threshold">Changing income threshold</h2>



The threshold depends on clean technology, population size, and how much aid is fixed to environmental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/expanding-oil-and-gas-fields-threaten-global-climate-goals/">uses</a>. Better abatement technology lowers the income bar because each dollar of cleanup removes more pollution.



Population matters differently across the two models. In the public goods case, a larger labor force can raise growth because services scale with the economy, while in the congestion case that scale effect drops out as services get diluted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taxes-and-zero-emissions-targets">Taxes and zero emissions targets</h2>



The model also looks at tax policy, focusing on a labor income tax that finances services. 



There is a tax rate that maximizes the growth of income per person, and under both models governments can reach the needed income threshold in finite time if they choose that growth maximizing rate.



Public services that complement private capital are the link. When governments tax and spend on those services efficiently, private firms produce more and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-action-economies-can-grow-while-cutting-emissions/">economy climbs</a> to the income level that makes full abatement feasible.



"Both models indicate that implementing the zero-emissions policy is compatible with sustainable economic growth," wrote Noda. 



They also show the kindergarten rule threshold is higher with congestion than without it, so crowding of public services slows the crossing.



"We call this threshold the kindergarten rule level of pollution abatement in terms of GDP per capita," wrote Noda. The result gives policymakers a clear income target, not just a slogan about decoupling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-income-growth-and-sdgs">Income growth and SDGs</h2>



Target 8.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (<a href="https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SDGs</a>) asks countries to decouple growth from environmental degradation. 



The authors argue their framework helps explain when that is possible in practice, and how policy levers change the timing.



The UN defines the <a href="https://metadata.un.org/sdg/8.4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">target</a> as improving resource efficiency and decoupling growth from environmental harm through 2030. The paper’s threshold view fits that mandate with a concrete yardstick.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-results-still-matter">Why results still matter</h2>



Earlier <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652621009112" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> in the same research stream focused on developed, innovation-driven economies and showed that zero emissions could be achieved alongside continued growth. 



That study examined whether sustained economic expansion could occur while also maintaining <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-net-zero-world-will-require-75-trillion-of-investment-and-1-billion-electric-cars/">zero net pollution emissions</a>.



The new paper shows the same compatibility can hold in aid dependent settings where innovation is not the main growth engine. 



That extension fills a real gap, because many low income countries face tighter fiscal and technological limits.



Build or buy cleaner technology so the threshold falls. Treat tied aid for environmental programs as a growth tool and not just a cost center.



Set tax policy to raise the growth rate of income per person, then sustain it long enough to pass the threshold. Guard against congestion by scaling services with population, so gains are not diluted.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/10.1142/S0217590825500304" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Singapore Economic Review</a>.



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Net-zero emissions and rising income levels can both be achieved simultaneously

Balancing cleaner air with rising incomes is not a luxury question for developing countries. It is a real-world, and real-life, policy problem that shapes health, jobs, and the future of their cities. A new study lays out when zero emissions can go hand in hand with steady growth, even when governments rely on foreign aid. Zero emissions and economic growth The work comes from Hideo Noda at the Tokyo University of Science (TUS) with coauthor Fengqi Fang, a Ph.D. candidate in Business Administration from the Graduate School...

Where did all of the plastic come from? Plastic: the fall from hero of innovation to city-wide bans. 

In 1983, Norman Mailer told <a href="https://www.harvardmagazine.com/">Harvard Magazine</a>, “I sometimes think that there is a malign force loose in the universe that is the social equivalent of cancer, and it’s plastic. It infiltrates everything. It’s metastasis. It gets into every single pore of productive life…” Where did all of the plastic come from? 

The idea Mailer had thirty years ago has recently come to public focus in the form of company and city wide bans on the practice of single-use plastics, mainly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/starbucks-plastic-straws/">straws</a>. Now that action is finally being done to address the overuse of plastics and abundance of plastic pollution in our oceans, let’s look back and see how the material grew in popularity to become the massive problem that it is today. After all, <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=texas&amp;cvid=3770fa915754407682649a746df95ac9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Texas</a> sized islands of pollution weren’t built in a day. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-meadows-remove-plastic-debris-from-the-ocean/">Plastic</a> is so ingrained into modern lifestyles it is hard to imagine when there was a time without it and how we may return to a more ethical use of plastic in an effort to go green and save our oceans. Understanding the diversity, amount, and history of plastic may be an important component of figuring out realistic ways of eliminating and replacing it.

The first man-made plastic was created in 1862 but it was not until the 1900s when plastic was used commercially beginning with military use in weaponry and equipment. By the 1940s, nylon, acrylic, neoprene, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and polyethylene were commonly found around America. 

Between 1940 and 1945, the demand for plastic increased rapidly and tripled in production due to the war, government funding, oversight and the material’s versatility. This led to more inventions in the sector and the variety of plastics took off to include polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or vinyl, polyvinylidence chloride (SaranTM), Teflon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS). 

PVC is generally found in vegetable oil bottles and food wraps; PET is commonly used in beverage and food containers; HDPE is mostly utilized in the making of milk and detergent bottles; LDPE is a component in plastic bags and shrink wrap; PP can be found in margarine and yogurt containers; and PS often makes egg cartons and disposable utensils. 

Although the first bottled soda water in America was invented in 1835, plastic bottles for soft drinks weren’t common practice until 1970, and the first PET bottle was made three years later. The first plastic straws were made using toxic polystyrene, but now safer and more flexible polypropylene or polyethylene is used instead. 

Milo Cress, a 17 year-old on a mission to calculate how many straws Americans use on a daily basis, estimated that 500 million straws — clear plastic straws, bendy straws, straws on juice boxes, cocktail straws and plastic drink stirrers included —  are wasted everyday by Americans. Though straws make up a small percentage of overall plastic use, banning them is a meaningful step against the 8 million metric tons of plastic building up in our oceans.

The companies and cities around the world listed below are actively banning plastic straws in a conscious effort to reduce plastic waste: 
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">New York City, Hawaii, and California have pending straw ban legislation.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">California: Alameda, Carmel, San Luis Obispo, Davis, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Oakland, Richmond, and Berkeley</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Washington: Seattle and Edmonds</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">New Jersey: Monmouth Beach</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Florida: Miami Beach and Fort Myers Beach</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Vancouver, Canada  </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Scotland plans to be rid of plastic straws by 2019</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Taiwan is banning single-use plastic items, including straws, cups and shopping bags, by 2030</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">In the U.K. Queen Elizabeth II banned plastic straws and bottles from all royal estates,  cafes, and gift shops and Prime Minister Theresa May announced a Britain-wide ban on the sale of plastic straws, stirrers, and plastic cotton swabs. British businesses like Waitrose, London City Airport, McDonalds UK, and Costa Coffee are banning straws. </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">American Airlines </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Alaska Airlines</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Hyatt </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Bon Appétit, a large food service company, is getting rid of plastic straws in all 1,000 of its cafes across 33 states, including locations like AT&amp;T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Getty Museum, Vassar College, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Portland in Oregon. The company plans to fully switch to paper straws by September 2019.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Ryanair aims to be “plastic free” by 2023</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Marriott is implementing a straw ban globally by the end of 2019</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Disney to eliminate plastic straws from all locations by 2019</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Starbucks </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">McDonald’s</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Seaworld Entertainment </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Royal Carribean by the end of 2018 </li>
</ul>
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By <a href="mailto:bianca@earth.com">Bianca Vierra</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Where did all of the plastic come from?

Where did all of the plastic come from? Plastic: the...

Research from the <a href="https://carnegiescience.edu/">Carnegie Institution for Science</a> has found that blue diamonds, such as the world-famous Hope Diamond at the National Museum of Natural History, formed up to four times deeper in the Earth's mantle than most other diamonds.

“These so-called type IIb diamonds are tremendously valuable, making them hard to get access to for scientific research purposes, and it is very rare to find one that contains inclusions, which are tiny mineral crystals trapped inside the diamond,” said study lead author Evan Smith.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diamonds-found-buried/">Diamonds</a> contain remnants of minerals from the rocks that they crystallized in, which can tell scientists about the conditions under which they formed.

Type IIb diamonds get their blue color from the element boron, an element that is mostly found on the Earth's surface. However, the analysis of mineral grains found in 46 blue diamonds indicate that they crystallized in rocks that only exist under the extreme pressure and conditions of the Earth's lower mantle.

The research team established that blue diamonds form at least as deep as the transition zone between the upper and lower mantle, which is around 410 to 660 kilometers below the planet's surface. The scientists also found clear evidence that some of the diamonds came from deeper than 660 kilometers, or 410 miles, which means they formed in the lower mantle. 


It is a mystery how the boron got down into the Earth's lower mantle when it is usually found in the shallow crust. The experts theorize that it came from the seafloor and was transferred during the movement of tectonic plates in a process known as subduction.

The researchers also propose that boron from the Earth's surface was incorporated into water-rich minerals like serpentine, which crystallized during geochemical reactions between seawater and the rocks of the oceanic plate.

The new discovery reveals that the water-bearing minerals can make their way far deeper into the mantle than previously realized, indicating that a super-deep hydrological cycle may exist.

“Most previous studies of super-deep diamonds had been carried out on diamonds of low quality,” explained study co-author Stephen Shirey. “But between our 2016 finding that the world's biggest and most-valuable colorless diamonds formed from metallic liquid deep inside Earth's mantle and this new discovery that blue diamonds also have super-deep origins, we now know that the finest gem-quality diamonds come from the farthest down in our planet.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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: Evan Smith/GIA

Some blue diamonds formed 400 miles below Earth’s surface

Research from the Carnegie Institution for Science has found that...

A new study from the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii at Mānoa</a> School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) has revealed that common plastics emit several greenhouse gases as they degrade in the environment.


The production rate of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americans-plastic-straws/">plastic</a> is expected to double over the next two decades, and the degradation of plastic is already known to release a variety of chemicals that can have a negative impact on ecosystems.

The SOEST researchers have made the unexpected discovery that plastics produce methane and ethylene when exposed to sunlight. The team tested the most common plastic materials used to make food storage products, textiles, construction materials, and various plastic goods. 

All of these plastics were found to produce the harmful emissions, including polycarbonate, acrylic, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, high-density polyethylene, and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). 

Polyethylene, which is used in shopping bags, is the most produced and discarded synthetic polymer across the globe. The investigation revealed that this plastic produced more of both methane and ethylene than any of the other materials tested.


The team also found that the emission rate of the gases from virgin pellets of LDPE increased over the course of 212 days, and that LDPE debris found in the ocean also emitted greenhouse gases when exposed to sunlight. Once the process had been initiated during daylight hours, the emission of these gases continued in the dark.


Study lead author Sarah-Jeanne Royer is a postdoctoral scholar in the <a href="http://cmore.soest.hawaii.edu/">Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education</a> (C-MORE).

“We attribute the increased emission of greenhouse gases with time from the virgin pellets to photo-degradation of the plastic, as well as the formation of a surface layer marked with fractures, micro-cracks and pits,” said Royer. 

“With time, these defects increase the surface area available for further photochemical degradation and therefore contribute to an acceleration of the rate of gas production.”

According to the experts, tiny particles known as “microplastics” - which are produced in the environment as larger pieces of plastic break down - may further accelerate gas production.

“Plastic represents a source of climate-relevant trace gases that is expected to increase as more plastic is produced and accumulated in the environment,” said study senior author David Karl. “This source is not yet budgeted for when assessing global methane and ethylene cycles, and may be significant.”

Greenhouse gases have a direct influence on climate change, and inadvertently impact sea level rise, global temperatures, ecosystem health, and extreme weather events such as storms and droughts.

“Considering the amounts of plastic washing ashore on our coastlines and the amount of plastic exposed to ambient conditions, our finding provides further evidence that we need to stop plastic production at the source, especially single use plastic,” said Royer.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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: Sarah-Jeanne Royer

Common plastics emit harmful greenhouse gases as they degrade

A new study from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa...

A persistent algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico has become a huge threat to sea turtles, a species which is already endangered. According to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/">Wall Street Journal</a>, there has been a massive spike in the number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-turtles-flippers-hands/">sea turtles</a> that have washed up on Florida's southwestern shore.

Hundreds of sick, dead, or injured sea turtles have been found stranded on the beaches. The red tide event, which has been poisoning the waters for ten months, is having the biggest impact on sea turtles in this region since a similar algae bloom struck in 2005 and 2006.

Kelly Sloan is a sea turtle researcher at the <a href="http://www.sccf.org/">Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation</a>. She explained why the impact on the sea turtles could be long-lasting.

“Most of them have been mature adults, and only 1 in 1,000 make it to adulthood,” Sloan told the <a href="https://www.news-press.com/">News-Press</a>. “It takes a loggerhead 25 to 30 years to mature, so that really does have a significant impact on their recovery.”

Sloan told the news agency that she is “very confident” that the turtles were killed by the red tide because many showed neurological symptoms that have been linked with toxic red seawater blooms.

Scientists are collecting tissue samples from some of the sea turtles to test for brevetoxins, which are neurotoxins that can impact the health of both humans and animals.

Heather Barron is a medical and research director at the <a href="http://www.crowclinic.org/">Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife</a>. Dr. Barron told the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/">Wall Street Journal</a>: “To have so many adults that are dying in their prime years of breeding is going to have repercussions for decades to come.” 

Dr. Barron also pointed out that the bloom will affect the breeding season of the sea turtles, which occurs between April and October.

According to the <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/">National Ocean Service</a>, a harmful algal bloom (HAB) occurs nearly every summer along Florida’s Gulf Coast. HABs are caused by algae that produce toxins and turn the water red. The blooms can be fatal to fish and make shellfish dangerous to eat. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Persistent algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico is killing Sea Turtles

A persistent algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico has...

When I took mycology class, it was like getting a glimpse into a secret world hidden all around us.  If you create a small batch of clear, gelatin like medium and poor it into a petri dish, you have a sure fire place to grow molds.  In college mycology class, we placed our little dishes with thin layers of gel everywhere, in a living room, in the kitchen, even under the bed and mold spores found their way to them.  Within a day of exposure, you could see little growths. 

Growing molds doesn’t seem very exciting, certainly not very hard.  It seems like mold jumps out of cheese, old bread, fruits; appearing everywhere.  The thing to remember is this: if mold starts growing on that old piece of bread or that cheese left too long, it had to get there from somewhere.  The lasting lesson of our little culture dishes is that mold spores are always floating through the air. When we created our medium, we sanitized and sealed the petri dishes with the medium within, this means any mold already there was killed.  Any mold we found on the dish later came from the surrounding air, air we’re constantly breathing in and walking through. 

<a href="http://www.moldbacteriaconsulting.com/fungi/airborne-mould-spores-could-they-be.html">MoldBacteriaConsulting.com</a> dryly cites the amount of mold spores a person can be easily exposed to:

“One cubic meter of outdoor air may contain as many as 1,000,000 spores. The volume of air we inhale at rest is estimated at 10 litres per minute. Therefore, in an hour we inhale close to 600,000 spores. The air in some working environments including mouldy buildings may contain up to 1,000,000,000 spores per cubic meter of air.”  

One lecture in mycology focused on all of the infections a person could get from fungi. A yeast infection is a type of fungal disease, as your skin can be infected by tiny fungi if your immune system is compromised.  In the tropics, it’s not uncommon for an infection to occur under a toenail. The reason we don’t all suffer from constant fungal disease is our immune system is pretty good at fighting back the spores and a lot of fungi don’t like the high mammalian body temperature.  

Sometimes fungi do evolve particularly as pathogens though.  I’ve crawled into caves to find bats hiding in the small cracks in stone as part of a team looking for answers.  The bats in hibernaculas (caves and other shelters where bats hibernate through winter) have become especially vulnerable to a type of fungi.  The fungi infect bats, giving them noses that look as if they’ve been dusted by a white powder. The disease known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/white-nose-syndrome-bats/">White Nose Syndrome</a> disrupts a bat’s hibernation, causing the animal to wake early and fly outside to search for food.  Often in the cold days of winter, bats can’t find the insects they’re accustomed to eating and they either starve to death or die slowly of exposure.  It seems the fungi, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that causes White Nose Syndrome doesn’t hurt bats until hibernation occurs.         

Debates have raged between cavers and scientists over how the fungi disease has arrived in the United States but it seems like it might be here to stay, at least in some locations.  Originally, Pseudogymnoascus destructans was found in Europe where bats generally don’t show signs of White Nose Syndrome, but was carried to the US where the disease is now rampant.  Scientists often blame incautious cavers for spreading the disease from cave to cave by not properly decontaminating equipment. Cavers on the other hand feel they can play a role by documenting occurrences of the disease and educating the public, arguing that knowledge and first hand caving experience is important.

<a href="https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/static-page/what-is-white-nose-syndrome">Whitenosesyndrome.org</a> tells the story of how the disease was found in the US, first discovered in the US in a cave near Albany New York in 2007 from the presence of sick and dying bats.  A photo a caver took of a bat with a white nose from 2006 shows that the disease was already in the US for a year before scientists confirmed its presence. 

It’s likely that White Nose Syndrome rode on a caver’s boot, an unwashed flashlight, a helmet or other caving equipment from Europe to the US.  Once here, White Nose Syndrome has been spreading, although it’s yet to get a real foothold in most of the western US that is many scientists’ greatest concern.  It’s possible that the climate in the west isn’t amicable to Pseudogymnoascus destructans, it’s also possible that educating cavers on the importance of decontaminating their equipment has slowed the spread of the disease.  

The data I’ve collected on cave ecology in Arizona and bat sound recording devices I’ve set up in Colorado has been part of an effort to understand bat behavior and cave environments before White Nose Syndrome takes hold.  It’s thought that if we can find places the disease doesn’t take control and see the early signs of White Nose Syndrome infection, we might be able to prevent outbreaks.

Another fungal disease in amphibians mirrors certain aspects of White Nose Syndrome. Amphibians dying in larger than normal numbers in Australia through the late 90s and early 2000s have been attributed to Chytridiomycosis.  Chytridiomycosis is a disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (BD).  Infections from BD have become widespread across many frog species, some salamanders and even a caecilian (strange worm-like amphibian from the tropics).  According to <a href="https://amphibiaweb.org/chytrid/chytridiomycosis.html#whatis">AmphibiaWeb</a>, Chytridiomycosis has led to extinction or severe decline in at least 200 frog species.

Skin of infected tadpoles and froglets develops into thicker skin that doesn’t allow as much exchange of gas as normal frog skin.  Eventually deformities in the skin thickness can lead to death from cardiac arrest. Some species of frog can survive low levels of BD infection, which allows them to spread the disease to more susceptible species that die with low levels of exposure.  Since the discovery of Chytridiomycosis, the disease has been found throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and in pockets of Asia. Sometimes the disease is spread by the pet trade, when infected frogs are caught and transported internationally to become captive pets.  

Similar to Chytridiomycosis in frogs, a fungal disease has been infecting snakes in North America.  The disease caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola has been simply dubbed, Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), and was only recently discovered in 2013.  The symptoms of SFD vary depending on the species of snake infected. Snakes facial swelling, clouded eyes, skin problems and problems with venom glands, possibly liver and lungs can be affected by SFD as well.  

According to the <a href="https://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/other_diseases/snake_fungal_disease.jsp">USGS</a>, reported cases of SFD are increasing and the disease is probably more widespread than currently documented across 13 US states.  SFD is thought to most impact already small, isolated and threatened species of snake, potentially pushing some species over the brink into extinction. 

What’s strange about all of these fungal diseases is that they’ve only fairly recently spread or even been documented at all.  It seems there must be a common factor that drives the spread of dangerous fungi across the world. There is a parallel in human diseases as well.  

AIDS victims with their limited immune systems often suffer from increased fungal infections. According to an article on <a href="https://ensia.com/features/19036/">Ensia.com</a>, cryptoccosis, a fungal disease, became diagnostic of AIDS in the 1980s.  Oddly in 1999, several people uninfected by HIV on Vancouver Island, Canada were diagnosed with cryptoccosis.  It appears that a new strain of the fungal disease had developed, and it appeared far from the tropics where most fungal diseases do well.  Other fungal diseases such as those that hit crops are also spreading.

The common thread to all of these fungal diseases appears to be environment.  As our climate changes, it appears that fungi and the diseases they cause have been spreading to new environments or evolving to take advantage of the new situation.  As the climate changes, we may expect a new crop of diseases. It’s not just fungi either. <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/vibrio-zika-west-nile-malaria-diseases-spreading-climate-change/">National Geographic</a> reported in 2017 the possibility of many tropical diseases such as West Nile and Malaria becoming more widespread (that is, spreading towards the poles) as climate continues to warm.  

As our Earth becomes sicker from the spread of toxic carbon, it should really come as no surprise that the planet’s inhabitants might also become sicker.                 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer          

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Climate change may be increasing risk of fungal diseases

When I took mycology class, it was like getting a...

A new study has investigated the nesting habitat preferences of the Red Knot across the Arctic. The researchers determined that there is plenty of breeding habitat to support the population of these birds today, but climate change could pose a threat in the future.

The rufa subspecies of Red Knot travels from its breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to winter in South America each year. This journey is a remarkable distance of 15,000 kilometers each way. The numbers of rufa populations have fallen in recent decades, and experts set out to determine if unsuitable breeding grounds may be driving this decline.

“Using the power of satellite remote sensing, data mining analysis, and geospatial modeling, we were able to extrapolate from the field and radio-telemetry surveys to map potential nesting habitat for these birds across wide expanses of the Canadian Arctic,” said study co-author Richard Lathrop of <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>.

“These same tools and techniques could be applied to advance our knowledge about other Arctic-nesting shorebirds.”

The team attached radio tags to 365 knots captured while migrating through Delaware Bay in 1999-2006, and collected data from airplanes to learn where and in what sort of habitat the tagged birds nested across the south and central Canadian Arctic. The researchers also carried out detailed ground-based surveys on Nunavut's Southampton Island. 

“It took many person-hours over many years of intensive field surveys to find the several dozen occupied Red Knot nests that we located and documented,” explained study co-author Larry Niles of the <a href="http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/">Conserve Wildlife Foundation</a>. “The area we aerially searched for radio-tagged birds spanned over 1700 km in length, the same distance as from Georgia to Maine.”

The scientists found that knots preferred to nest in sparsely vegetated areas on sedimentary bedrock, near to the coast or interior wetlands where they forage.

The study revealed that there are over 74,000 square kilometers of suitable rufa Red Knot habitat across their Central Arctic breeding range, which is estimated to be enough space for at least that many breeding pairs. Currently, the entire population is only around 42,000 individuals, which means a lack of available breeding habitat is not driving the decline of the species.

On the other hand, suitable breeding conditions for a number of Arctic shorebirds such as knots are expected to become unsuitable in coming decades due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-record-breaking-heatwave/">climate change</a>. This means that insight into species-habitat relationships will be critical for informing conservation efforts.

Brad Andres is a national coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Shorebird Conservation Plan, who was not involved in the study. 

“Implementing effective conservation actions for long-distance migrant birds often involves the systematic elimination of insignificant factors to identify important biotic and abiotic contributors to population dynamics,” said Andres. 

“For the first time, Lathrop and his colleagues have described environmental conditions conducive for nesting by rufa Red Knots and provide evidence that breeding ground habitats are likely not limiting the recovery of the population. Their work also furnishes a baseline to evaluate the ability of a changing Arctic climate to provide breeding habitat for this shorebird of high conservation concern.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/content/condor-ornithological-applications">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</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: M. Peck

Endangered shorebirds have enough space to breed… for now

A new study has investigated the nesting habitat preferences of...

Scientists have detected high levels of sunscreen chemicals in the waters of Shenzhen, China. The experts have also demonstrated that these chemicals can affect the development of zebrafish embryos.


<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hawaii-bans-sunscreens-corals/">Sunscreens</a> are widely used to prevent sunburn and to protect skin against premature aging and cancer. Manufacturers are now adding ultraviolet (UV) filters to a range of personal care products beyond sunscreens, including moisturizers and makeup. 

While these substances have been detected in the environment, most studies have found that individual sunscreen chemicals are not present at levels that are high enough to threaten the health of humans or animals.

Kelvin Sze-Yin Leung theorized that combinations of UV filters may be more harmful than individual compounds, and wanted to investigate whether these chemicals could have long-term effects that have not been recognized in previous research.

Leung and his team analyzed the levels of nine common UV filters in the surface waters of Shenzhen, China, which is a rapidly growing city with more than 20 recreational beaches. 

The experts found seven of the nine chemicals in the waters surrounding public beaches and in a harbor. The researchers were surprised to find that some of these chemicals were also present in a reservoir and in tap water. 

In the lab, the scientists fed zebrafish brine shrimp that had been exposed to three of the most prevalent chemicals. The adult fish appeared to be unaffected by the substances, but their offspring showed abnormalities. 

These outcomes were mostly observed for longer-term exposures of 47 days and elevated levels of the chemicals, which were higher than what is likely to occur in the environment. 

The effects of different UV filters and combinations of these substances varied in unpredictable ways, suggesting that further research is needed to determine how these chemicals may impact the health of animals and humans.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sunscreen chemicals can hurt developing fish embryos

Scientists have detected high levels of sunscreen chemicals in the...

The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-altitudes-bone-development/">Himalayan Plateau</a>, is the highest plateau in the world. It may also hold the key to understanding the deep geological processes that occurred when the Indian and Asian tectonic plates collided into each other 50 million years ago. 

This collision helped shape the landscape of what is East Asia today, and unlocking the mysteries the Plateau could help predict and understand earthquakes, especially in volatile areas where little is known about the mantle beneath. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> created one of the most detailed models of the geology below the Tibetan Plateau in a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers used high-resolution earthquake data and seismic waves to create the model and seismic wave tomography images of Tibet descending 160 kilometers deep. 

“The continental collision between the Indian and Asian tectonic plates shaped the landscape of East Asia, producing some of the deadliest earthquakes in the world,” Xiaodong Song, a co-author of the study, said in a <a href="https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/677194">University of Illinois News Bureau release</a>. 

It turns out the upper mantle layer of the Indian tectonic plate has been torn into four pieces and each piece dives under Asia at a different angle and distance from where the tear in the plate originates. 

The tears help explain some of Tibet’s unusual earthquake activity and why deep mantle earthquakes occur in some places but not others.

The torn parts of the mantle are exposed to more heat and have more give but the pieces of crust between the tears generate earthquakes as the plates move and shift. 

“What were previously thought of as unusual locations for some of the intercontinental earthquakes in the southern Tibetan Plateau seem to make more sense now after looking at this model,” said Jiangtao Li,” a co-author of the study. “There is a striking correlation with the location of the earthquakes and the orientation of the fragmented Indian upper mantle.”

The researchers are hopeful that their model will help geoscientists with understanding how the Indian upper mantle shapes the Tibetan Plateau and make earthquake predictions more accurate. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earthquakes linked to a tear in Earth’s mantle below Tibet

The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Himalayan Plateau, is...

Death tolls across India, Japan, Greece, and Canada are still rising as these regions suffer through record-setting temperatures, humidity, and wildfires. Thousands have died, with tens of thousands more suffering from heatstroke-related illnesses. Both the prevalence and temperatures of heatwaves continue to rise as well, with heatwaves are thought to have been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths since the year 2000. And it doesn’t appear to be getting better anytime soon.

A new study published in <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</a> is the first global study to predict future heatwave-related deaths, and its findings are quite concerning. The researchers developed a model to estimate the number of deaths related to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ways-heatwaves-kill/">heatwaves</a> in 412 communities in 20 countries between 2031 and 2080. Projections show excess mortality in relation to heatwaves in the future, although scenarios vary in relation to levels of greenhouse gas emissions, preparedness and adaptation strategies, and population density across the regions studied. 

“Future heatwaves in particular will be more frequent, more intense and will last much longer,” says Yuming Guo, an associate professor at <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a> and lead author of the study. “If we cannot find a way to mitigate the climate change (reduce the heatwave days) and help people adapt to heatwaves, there will be a big increase of heatwave-related deaths in the future, particularly in the poor countries located around the equator.”

Under the extreme scenario assessed in the study, there was a 471 percent increase in deaths caused by heatwaves in the Australian cities of Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne when compared to the period of 1971-2010. “If the Australia government cannot put effort into reducing the impacts of heatwaves, more people will die because of heatwaves in the future,” says Guo.

Past research has shown that in light of our changing climate, it is highly likely there will be an increase in the frequency and severity of heatwaves. But this is one of the first studies to show the impacts on mortality at a global scale. 

“This research, the largest epidemiological study on the projected impacts of heatwaves under global warming, suggests it could dramatically increase heatwave-related mortality, especially in highly-populated tropical and sub-tropical countries,” says Antonio Gasparrini, an associate professor at the <a href="https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/">London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine</a>, and a co-author on the study. “The good news is that if we mitigate greenhouse gas emissions under scenarios that comply with the Paris Agreement, then the projected impact will be much reduced.”

The researchers hope that the morbid projections of their study will spur planning and decision-making for the adaptation and implementation of strategies to combat climate change. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Heatwaves will soon become more severe and more frequent

Death tolls across India, Japan, Greece, and Canada are still...

In California, more than a dozen wildfires are burning through thousands of acres across the state, putting a strain on resources and the firefighters working to contain the blazes. 

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-rage-yosemite-park/">Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County</a> caused park closures and evacuations in Yosemite National Park, and two fires in Mendocino County have burned more than 30,00 acres between them. 

Currently, the most devastating fire in California is the Carr Fire, which has destroyed more than 103,000 acres. The fire is so hot and massive that according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/30/us/carr-fire-california/index.html">CNN</a>, it’s creating its own weather system. 

The Carr fire is responsible for the deaths of six people and 19 people are still missing in Shasta County, California where the fire is located. 

It’s now the 7th most destructive fires in the history of California, according to <a href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/">Cal Fire</a>. To make matters worse, dangerous triple-digit heat wave with high winds will create hazardous conditions for the firefighters going forward. 

California is no stranger to wildfires but in recent years the fires have been getting worse, spreading further, destroying more property and burning at quicker rates. 

“We are seeing more destructive, larger fires burning at rates that we have historically never seen,” Jonathan Cox, <a href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/">California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection</a> battalion chief told CNN. 

The Carr Fire is especially volatile because it is creating plumes of pyrocumulus clouds that, according to CNN, can act like thunderstorms and generate lightning and even rain. 

Although no rain is the forecast in Shasta County, the growing pyrocumulus clouds could create lighting strikes that start more fires and create high-speed winds. 

Unfortunately, the Carr fire is setting the stage for a bleak future in California. According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/30/california-wildfires-climate-change-new-normal">The Guardian</a>, future fires will burn hotter and spread further, and continue to act unpredictably. 

2018’s devastating fire season may be the new “normal” for California and the western states due, largely, to increasing summer temperatures and long heat waves linked to climate change. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

Carr Fire becomes 7th most destructive in California history

In California, more than a dozen wildfires are burning through...

Phytoplankton spread across hundreds and even thousands of kilometers in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans every summer. According to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>, blooms off the coast of Scandinavia are particularly intense this year.

The ancient organisms can be found in just about any body of water, but they thrive in the stagnant water of lakes and ponds. <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/phytoplankton-blooms-across-lake-okeechobee/">Phytoplankton</a> are known to create unique toxins that can be fatal to animals, but the human health impacts of these toxins are not fully understood.

The largest outbreaks in reservoirs and lakes have made hundreds of people sick, and officials in some regions restrict recreational activities during phytoplankton blooms. A heatwave triggered a massive algae bloom in the Baltic last week that shut down beaches along the coast.

In humans, high doses of the toxins can cause liver damage and attack the nervous system. It is still relatively unknown how exposure to low levels of the toxins may affect human health, but small studies have found that even small doses of some of the toxins may be linked to liver cancer or neurodegenerative disease.

The prevalence of algae blooms in the Baltic Sea in recent years has caused more frequent “dead zones,” or oxygen-deprived regions, across the basin.

The phytoplankton, which are also known as cyanobacteria, are driven primarily by fertilizer and sewage runoff.  They reproduce quickly, consuming the abundant nutrients in the Baltic and depleting the water of oxygen.

A study published earlier this month in the journal <a href="https://www.biogeosciences.net/">Biogeosciences</a> referred to the algae blooms in the Baltic as being “unprecedentedly severe.”


The researchers pointed out that the Baltic has a limited ability to flush out pollutants, which makes it exceptionally vulnerable to these events. As a result, oxygen in the Baltic Sea has recently reached its lowest levels in nearly 1,500 years.

According to researchers from the <a href="http://www.utu.fi/en/">University of Turku</a>, one particular dead zone is estimated to span about 27,000 square miles this year.

On July 18, 2018, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on NASA’s Landsat 8 captured the image of a green phytoplankton bloom in the Gulf of Finland with a striking swirling pattern. The giant bloom, which is over 15 miles across, appears to be projected from the circular motion of an ocean eddy that is pumping nutrients up from the water’s cold depths to the surface.

The Baltic Sea is surrounded by nine countries and has an estimated 16 million people living along its coastline.
--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/92462/summer-blooms-in-the-baltic-and-barents">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

Algae blooms in the Baltic Sea causing oxygen levels to plummet

Phytoplankton spread across hundreds and even thousands of kilometers in...

Many previous studies have demonstrated how the conservation of habitats can benefit farmers by helping to control pests. But now, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California Davis</a> has found that natural ecosystems surrounding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agricultural-irrigation-cloud-formation/">agricultural fields</a> are not always an effective pest-control tool.

Study lead author Daniel Karp is an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology.

“There's a widespread assumption among ecologists that when you have more natural habitat around farm fields you get more enemies of the crop pests, and that these enemies will control the pests and provide a benefit to growers," said Karp.

Karp collaborated with Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer of the Natural Capital Project at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> to investigate. The experts organized an international team of ecologists, economists, and practitioners at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center. 

The interdisciplinary study has produced the largest pest-control dataset of its kind, involving 132 studies from more than 6,700 sites in 31 countries worldwide.

The study revealed that the efficiency and success of this system is highly variable across the globe. While the researchers found a lot of evidence that natural habitat does help farmers control pests, there was just as much evidence to the contrary that showed negative impacts on crop yields.

The findings indicate that there is no universal approach for farmers when it comes to natural habitat and pests.

“This paper isn't telling farmers to clear habitat by any means,” said Karp. “There may be a lot of other benefits from natural habitat, such as pollination or carbon sequestration. But we need to be forthright about knowing when habitat conservation will be advantageous in terms of pests and when other means of pest control are needed.”

Karp’s team, which consists of 153 co-authors, has made the pest-control database publicly available, which will lead to further scientific insights. Karp hopes the database will grow over time and lead to the development of accurate predictive models.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">PNAS</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: Matthias Tschumi

Natural ecosystems don’t always help control pests

Many previous studies have demonstrated how the conservation of habitats...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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