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...

Air quality in the United States has improved quite a bit, even over the last decade. However, while summertime <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-americans-air-pollution/">pollution and haze</a> are steadily declining, wintertime pollution levels in the eastern U.S. remain stagnant. 

Now, researchers from the <a href="http://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> have learned why, thanks to a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

“In the past 10 years or so, the summer air pollution levels have decreased rapidly, whereas the winter air pollution levels have not. Air quality in summer is now almost the same as in winter in the eastern US,” said Viral Shah, a corresponding author of the study. “We have pinpointed the chemical processes that explain the seasonal difference in response to emissions reductions.”

Both sulfate and nitrate particles can form smog and cause high levels of pollution. Sulfates come from sulfur dioxide and nitrates from nitrogen oxides.

In the United States, air quality regulations have lowered sulfur dioxide levels by 68 percent between 2007 and 2015, and nitrogen oxides levels also decreased by a third in that same time. 

Despite levels decreasing, wintertime pollution levels are still higher than they are in the summer and the researchers discovered that winter climate conditions cancel out the effects of air quality regulations. 

Data was collected for the study during a six-week observational survey of pollution plumes where the researchers flew through plumes in several major cities including New York City and Washington, D.C. 

Focusing on pollution during the winter helped improve air quality models and show why winter pollution is unaffected by overall better air quality regulations. 

“We now have a better tool to look at what is the best strategy to improve wintertime air quality on regional scales in the eastern US, and potentially other places, like Europe and Asia,” said Lyatt Jaeglé, the second author of the paper. 

During the summer, sunlight stops some nitrates and sulfates from forming particles, however, during the winter cold temperatures and less sunlight results in an increase of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides moving to the liquid phase and converting to sulfate and nitrate particles. 

This is causing wintertime air pollution levels to decrease much slower than in the summer. 

“It's not that the reductions aren't working. It's just that the reductions have a canceling effect, and the canceling effect has a set strength,” said Shah. “We need to make further reductions. Once the reductions become larger than the canceling effect, then winter will start behaving more like summer.”

The models in the study predict that wintertime air quality won’t catch up with summer until 2023, and the researchers say that the results call for more emissions reductions to improve pollution and air quality year-round. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Lyatt Jaeglé/<a href="http://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>

Eastern U.S. air pollution levels remain stagnant during winter

Air quality in the United States has improved quite a...

Many people think of environmentalists as granola-eating pacifists.  The stereotype is more shrill than hard-edged. The fact is that environmentalism is part of a culture war fighting for a cause that many are deeply passionate about.  There are environmentalists that have risked life, health and reputation to save something greater than themselves, and here are a few examples to prove it. 

In July 1905, America still in the infancy of its conservation movement, Guy Bradley, then only 35 years old, was shot.  Guy Bradley fell back into his small boat and floated away from the coast of Florida, bleeding to death before he was found.  Bradley was one of a new breed of American wildlife law enforcement officers. At the time, birds were being massacred for their feathers, simply to decorate women’s hats.  

Guy Bradley had himself hunted birds for their plumes until it was made illegal, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Bradley">writing</a> to the president of the Audubon Society, “I used to hunt plume birds, but since the game laws were passed, I have not killed a plume bird. For it is a cruel and hard calling not withstanding being unlawful. I make this statement upon honor.”  

Upon receiving his commission as a game warden in Florida, Gut Bradley was paid a monthly stipend of $35, the equivalent of $917 in today’s money.  Bradley was charged with monitoring a long stretch from the Ten Thousand Islands through the Everglades of Florida. Bradley set about educating locals about the new anti-bird hunting laws and setting up spies to inform him of any wrongdoing.  Mostly Bradley worked alone, an easy target for unlawful gangs. 

Bradley had previously arrested his killers, a father and sons for poaching birds for their feathers in the region, fueling a long standing grudge that finally boiled over into murder.  Today, Guy Bradley is memorialized with a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/guy-bradley-trail.htm">trail</a> in the Everglades.  The death of Guy Bradley catalyzed the passing of more bird protection laws and better enforcement, perhaps being instrumental in saving some bird species from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lost-extinctions-animals/">extinction</a>.  

When most people think of environmentalism, they think of saving species or stopping climate change.  Few I think consider the saving of indigenous cultures as part of environmentalism. I would argue that saving cultures evolved with a specific environment and part of the greater natural whole is of utmost importance.  

Brazil is a hotspot of cultural diversity; and according to <a href="https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/Languages">Povos Indigenas no Brazil</a>, of the world’s 7,000 languages and dialects, 150 are spoken by native peoples in Brazil.  To differing degrees these languages represent different cultures of people that are at a huge disadvantage compared to the mainstream Portuguese speaking European Brazilians.  Over the years rubber barons have enslaved natives, torturing them physically and threatening death to their children to collect rubber. Missionaries have brought disease that inadvertently devastates native peoples.  Logging, gold prospecting and oil extraction all negatively affect native populations of Brazil. 

Early on, the government of Brazil had a program intent on reaching the tribes of people living in the vast green lowland rainforests.  The program intended to ease transitions of people just coming into contact with the outside world and help them survive in peace with the mainstream culture of Brazil.  It was in this tradition that Sydney Possuelo began working, initially under the Villas Boas brothers, who first succeeded in having large tracts of land set aside for indigenous people in Brazil, creating the Xingu Indigenous Reservation.  In his book, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=SaQukI3z4YUC&amp;q=teeth#v=snippet&amp;q=pistol&amp;f=false">The Unconquered</a>, Scott Wallace vividly recounts some of Sydney Possuelo’s struggles to protect indigenous people:

“After he’d faced down an angry mob eager to invade Kayapó lands along the Xingu.  He was knocked to his knees and had his arms pinned back by two men while a third shoved a loaded pistol in his mouth.  He lost four teeth that night, but he stood his ground…”

Since Possuelo’s early days contacting native peoples in an effort to help them, he’s changed course.  Working as director of FUNAI (Fondaçao Nacional do Indio), Sydney Possuelo was able to double the area of officially designated lands in merely two years during the 90s.  Eventually Possuelo resigned as the director of FUNAI to instead work to protect uncontacted indigenous people, without disturbing them. According to <a href="http://www.korubo.com/AMAZONDOC/possuelo.html">Korubo.com</a>, by 2001, Sydney Possuelo had located 40 tribes, without contacting them, allowing the decision of contact to be theirs.

In 2006, Sydney Possuelo was fired from FUNAI because he contradicted a statement by the FUNAI president who said that there was too much land set aside for very few Indians.  Possuelo continues his crusade to help indigenous people of Brazil working in a non-profit organization. Taken together the land Possuelo has helped set aside is not only land for indigenous people but acts as land for wildlife as well.  Indigenous land is protected from environmentally hazardous extraction industries and even from anthropology which while recording cultures may actually destroy them just by contact. 

In February this year, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/05/leading-ivory-trade-investigator-killed-in-kenya">The Guardian</a> reported that an American man living in Nairobi, Kenya was stabbed to death in his home.  The initial police reports said that the murder was likely part of a botched murder but there were possibly deeper motives at play.  Esmond Bradley Martin had been investigating the illegal ivory trade in Kenya for years and had the year before had success in China making ivory imports illegal.  Others working to stop the illegal trade in elephant ivory and rhino horns have been killed recently, including one man shot point blank in a taxi. 

Esmond Bradley Martin was one of the first to seriously investigate the trade in ivory and horns, getting some of the first solid numbers on the trade.  It seems likely that someone didn’t like the interference into their illegal and immoral trade. From his humble beginnings working largely independently, Esmond Bradley Martin was working for CITES and federal governments by the end of his life, making real impacts by all accounts.  

<a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2017/02/11/why-latin-america-is-the-deadliest-place-for-environmentalists">The Economist</a> reported that Latin America is the deadliest place in the world to be an environmentalist, and it’s been true for many.  Isidro Baldenegro López was murdered in the Sierra Madre last year for standing up against loggers. Isidro’s father was also killed by loggers decades earlier and witnessed by his son.  Both men were Raramuri/Tarahumara Native Americans, defending not only the environment but their traditional lands.

Isidro Baldenegro López organized blockades, marches and protests featuring the wives of murdered activists.  Isidro spent 15 months in prison related to his environmental activism but was acquitted of all charges. In 2003, Isidro Baldenegro López was successful in getting logging banned by a court ruling.  It’s clear that Isidro knew his life could be at stake and fought on against oppression of his people and the land. 

A large chunk of environmentalists killed or threatened are indigenous too.  According to The Economist, one third of environmentalists murdered in 2015 were part of indigenous groups.  Whether someone dies fighting for the survival or a species or for the protection of their people’s own land, it’s not hard to see that often environmentalism is a fight between the haves and the have nots.  For some the land is all there is. For some this is enough to risk their lives for. These are all people who should be remembered, they are true heroes. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Noteworthy heroes of the environment

Many people think of environmentalists as granola-eating pacifists.  The stereotype...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a> have found that microclimates may provide protection against climate change for many native plants and animals along the British countryside.

The intolerable temperatures that are predicted by the end of this century are expected to push some native species northwards. Many plants, butterflies, and beetles have already started to vanish from the warmer regions of their habitats. 

On the other hand, the researchers have found that locally variable habitats such as hummocky hillsides or shaded valleys could help a range of native species survive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lifestyle-changes-limit-global-warming/">global warming</a>.


The team analyzed five million records of plants and animals collected by members of the public in England, and discovered that a number of these microclimates are already providing refuge for plants and animals that are the most sensitive to warming, which could be extremely beneficial.


For example, the researchers estimate that the use of an alternative habitat has reduced the likelihood of local extinctions of Dark Green Fritillary butterflies by 63 percent in the parts of the country that have warmed the most.


“It is tempting to think it might be quite nice for the UK to warm up by a few degrees, but this will actually be really bad news for many of our native animals and plants that are adapted to our cooler, wetter climate,” said study lead author Dr. Andrew Suggit.

“However, refugia within the varied topography of the British landscape can have a local temperature difference of as much as seven degrees in daytime maximum temperature, making them extremely important alternative habitats for many climate-sensitive species.”

The researchers suggested that microclimates could be artificially created for plants and animals that are not mobile enough to shift their geographical range, and also in areas where the conditions are not variable.

“Refugia buffer species from adverse climate change, and so they could play an important role in our response to this huge challenge,” said Dr. Suggit. 

“This includes making sure that important refugia are protected. Where refugia do not occur naturally, pre-existing engineering or infrastructure projects could be adapted to ensure that variable terrain is left behind and available for our wildlife to use.”

Dr. Ilya Maclean from the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> is the director of the research.  

“The public can also do their bit by encouraging a good mix of sunny and shady spots in their gardens, and by planting species that offer a lot of cover alongside those that offer less,” said Dr. Maclean. 

“Now that we know a substantial amount of warming will unavoidably take place this century, it's about giving our plants and animals as many options as possible to avoid the adverse heat.”

Co-author Dr. Mike Morecroft added: “This study has provided us with the best evidence yet that refugia can make a real difference to the fate of species threatened by climate change.”

“We now have a good understanding of where they are and which species most need the lifeline they provide. We're working to incorporate this new knowledge into our conservation planning and management.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Robert Thompson

Microclimates help protect species from global warming

Researchers at the University of York have found that microclimates...

A new study from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> has found that suicide rates are likely to rise as the planet continues to grow warmer. The average global temperature <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-warn-global-warming/">increases</a> that are predicted to occur through the year 2050 could result in an additional 21,000 suicides in the United States and Mexico.


Study lead author Marshall Burke is an assistant professor of Earth System Science in the School of Earth, Energy &amp; Environmental Sciences at Stanford.

“When talking about climate change, it's often easy to think in abstractions. But the thousands of additional suicides that are likely to occur as a result of unmitigated climate change are not just a number, they represent tragic losses for families across the country,” said Professor Burke.


A link between suicides and hotter weather has been recognized for centuries, but there are many other factors that contribute to suicide that also vary across the seasons, such as less daylight and lower employment rates.


“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death globally, and suicide rates in the U.S. have risen dramatically over the last 15 years. So better understanding the causes of suicide is a public health priority,” said Professor Burke.

To distinguish between the role of temperatures and other suicide factors, the experts compared historical data across thousands of regions in the United States and Mexico. The team also analyzed the language in over half a billion posts on Twitter to search for evidence of a connection between hotter temperatures and mental well-being.

The researchers found a strong correlation between hotter weather and suicide rates. There was also a substantial increase found in the use of depressive language on social media when the temperatures were hot and oppressive.

“Surprisingly, these effects differ very little based on how rich populations are or if they are used to warm weather,” said Professor Burke.

Using projections from global climate models, the team calculated that a rise in temperature by the year 2050 could increase suicide rates by 1.4 percent in the United States and 2.3 percent in Mexico.

"We've been studying the effects of warming on conflict and violence for years, finding that people fight more when it's hot,” said study co-author Solomon Hsiang. “Now we see that in addition to hurting others, some individuals hurt themselves. It appears that heat profoundly affects the human mind and how we decide to inflict harm.”

The study authors emphasized that rising temperature and climate change should not be viewed as direct motivations for suicide. Instead, the likelihood of situations that can lead to self-harm will increase.

“Hotter temperatures are clearly not the only, nor the most important, risk factor for suicide,” said Professor Burke. “But our findings suggest that warming can have a surprisingly large impact on suicide risk, and this matters for both our understanding of mental health as well as for what we should expect as temperatures continue to warm.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Suicide rates will rise with warming temperatures, study shows

A new study from Stanford University has found that suicide...

The <a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/permian/permian.php">Holocene Epoch</a> is the name given to the last 11,700 years of Earth’s history and marks the current geological age we are living in. However, it turns out the Holocene can be split into three distinct categories and we are actually living in an entirely new age called the Meghalayan. 

Scientists at the <a href="http://www.stratigraphy.org/">International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS)</a> are responsible for categorizing Earth’s geological calendar and splitting up its history into periods marked by major global changes. 

For example, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cambrian-explosion-fossil-sponges/">Cambrian explosion</a>, a period when life flourished on Earth occurred during the Cambrian Period and the end of the Paleozoic Era, coincided with the largest mass extinction event in history.

In order to label a period of Earth's history, there are certain ICS qualifications including evidence that the new classification or age  was driven by a huge event that had global ramifications. 

Now, geologists have gotten approval for the Meghalayan to describe the last 4,200 years as well as two other distinct ages, the Greenlandian, the earliest phase of the Holocene and the Northgrippian. 

At the end of the Northgrippian, a two-century-long drought wiped out many civilizations and this marks the start of the Meghalayan according to the ICS.  

Evidence pointing to the Meghalyan was found in stalagmites in a cave in India, according to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/meghalayan-age-earth-history-1029492">Newsweek </a>

“In these stalagmites there is a very highly detailed record of climate change, which is shown by the geochemistry of the precipitated material—the carbonate formed by the dripping of water in the cave,” Philip Gibbard, the ICS Secretary-General told Newsweek. “This indicates a major change in the global climate, especially in the mid and low latitudes, at around about 4,200 years ago.”

The new periods in the Holocene won out over the recently proposed “Anthropocene Epoch,” a suggested age defined by humankind's impact on the globe and now the Meghalayan period is the subject of much debate. 

Still, there are concerns that there just isn’t enough evidence to officially introduce the new age in Earth’s history.

“After the original paper and going through various committees, they've suddenly announced [the Meghalayan] and stuck it on the diagram” Mark Maslin, an expert in the Anthropocene Epoch debate told the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44868527">BBC</a>. “It's official, we're in a new age; who knew? We have lots of new definitions that perhaps now contradict the Anthropocene Working Group and go against what most scientists perceive to be the most important change on Earth in the last 10,000 years.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Geologists announce we are living in a new age of Earth’s history

The Holocene Epoch is the name given to the last...

Humans and other mammals may be miserable during Britain’s heat wave, but toxic cyanobacteria is enjoying the heat just fine.

Cyanobacteria – also known as blue-green algae – grows when it’s sunny and hot. In fact, new research is finding that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-algae-extinction/">algae populations of all types may explode</a> when temperatures are high as a sort of cooling system for the planet.

But blue-green algae isn’t harmless. Large blooms of the toxic cyanobacteria can be deadly for pets and cause rashes, nausea, fever, headaches and other dangerous symptoms in humans who have been exposed.

Veterinarians warn people not to let their pets splash in ponds or drink the water during walks. Humans, especially children, should also avoid swimming in ponds with algae. The toxic cyanobacteria can also affect livestock.

Algae blooms – including cyanobacteria – have been discovered in four lakes in Cumbria in the recent heat wave, prompting the government to issue a warning. Swimmers should be cautious at the four lakes – Windermere, Ullswater, Coniston Water and Killington Reservoir – and report any sightings of the toxic cyanobacteria, the UK’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/blue-green-algae-remains-present-in-four-lake-district-locations">Environment Agency</a> stated.

“Blue green algae is a completely natural summertime occurrence, however it can be toxic and as such, users of these lakes must remain cautious,” the agency’s Jim Ratcliffe said. “As well as having a negative effect on the appearance, quality and use of the water, it can also move around – you could see it one day, but it may have moved the next.”

The Environment Agency <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/algal-blooms-advice-for-the-public-and-landowners/algal-blooms-advice-for-the-public-and-landowners">published a guide last year</a> on what people should do if they see or are exposed to blue-green algae.

The agency would take samples at affected lakes weekly throughout the summer, Ratcliffe said. Staff will also test the water at any lakes where citizens report seeing the algae.

The algae problem should retreat once Cumbria’s rainy season begins again, the UK government’s statement said.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Toxic cyanobacteria grows in UK ponds during heat wave

Humans and other mammals may be miserable during Britain’s heat...

In recent weeks, Texas and parts of the southeastern U.S. have found their sunny summer sky dimmed – not by clouds, but from Sahara dust blown over the Atlantic Ocean.

The intercontinental dust bowl has blown anywhere from 2 to 9 trillion pounds of desert dust from North Africa to the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding area.

The gloomy dust cloud may have a silver lining, though. All that sand and grit seems to be putting a serious damper on hurricane season. 

“Dust may decrease the sea surface temperature, leading to suppression of hurricanes. For the dust intrusion over the past few days, it was obvious that dust suppressed cloud formation in our area,” said Dr. Renyi Zhang, who co-authored the study with <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a> colleagues Bowen Pan and Tim Logan.

By analyzing satellite imagery and data from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>, the trio was able to determine that the Sahara dust – more accurate, a mixture of desert sand and mineral particles – is creating a temperature inversion as it is carried high into the air by wind. 

The dust reflects and absorbs sunlight when it’s high in the atmosphere, cooling ground-level temperatures. However, the minuscule particles also heat up, warming temperatures high above the ground. This seems to create a more stable atmosphere and prevent clouds from forming, Zhang said.

If the international dust devil lasts, it could quash some hurricanes and keep others from becoming severe, the researchers theorized. Dust is continuing to move into the Gulf of Mexico region, but dust storms can be challenging to predict, Zhang noted.

"If we have more frequent and severe dust storms, it's likely that we have a cooler sea surface temperature and land surface temperature,” Pan said. “The storms have less energy supply from the colder surface therefore will be less severe."

Their study has been published in the <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0776.1">Journal of Climate</a>. Research funding was provided by NASA, the <a href="https://ccst.us/">California Council on Science and Technology</a>, and the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Sahara dust could weaken Gulf of Mexico hurricanes

In recent weeks, Texas and parts of the southeastern U.S....

A peace treaty in Colombia may have ended decades of violence, but scientists are warning that the pact has also led to mass deforestation across some of the most biodiverse regions in the world.

For 52 years, civil war in Colombia displaced more than seven million people and claimed at least 220, 000 lives. This war ended with a peace deal in 2016, which was a formal agreement between the Colombian government and guerrilla groups including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). 

While the war was ongoing, a region of Colombia known as the Andes-Amazon “biodiversity bridge” was controlled by FARC soldiers and was essentially too dangerous to enter.


The region is referred to as a “bridge” because it links the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/taller-older-rainforests-drought/">Amazon rainforest</a> to the Andes and contains hugely significant ecosystems. The area, which spans three national parks, is home to thousands of exotic species. Some of these rare animals have existed here for as long as 22 million years.


After the FARC soldiers were disarmed, large landowners began clearing the forest at an alarming rate to make way for farms and for the illegal growth of coca crops. In 2017 alone, 219,973 hectares of forest were lost from the region, according to official Colombian sources.

Experts and conservationists from Colombia and the UK are urging the new government in Colombia to formally protect the area and to take immediate action to stop the deforestation and development.


Study co-author Chris Jiggins is a professor of Evolutionary Biology at <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/">St John's College</a>,

“This is a critical moment for Colombia - there are new threats to these areas but there's still some forest left,” said Professor Jiggins. 

“The systematic clearance of trees breaks an important link between the Andes and the Amazon that has played a vital role in the evolution of animals and plants. But if action is taken sooner rather than later we could preserve the area and maintain links between these irreplaceable ecosystems."

Study first author Dr. Nicola Clerici is an associate professor at the <a href="http://www.urosario.edu.co/">Universidad del Rosario</a> in Colombia.

“We are appealing for the attention of international conservation organizations and Governments to funnel both research and development funds and resources to promote and nourish projects focused on the preservation and sustainable management of this strategic Andes-Amazon bridge,” said Dr. Clerici.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1755263x">Conservation Letters</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: Chris Jiggins

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Colombian peace treaty ends violence but prompts deforestation

A peace treaty in Colombia may have ended decades of...

A team of scientists has been investigating the behavior of low-lying marine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-sunny-fire-danger/">clouds</a> over the southeast Atlantic Ocean. The experts have observed a large clearing in cloud coverage off the coast of subtropical Africa, which they believe is being caused by a type of wave mechanism and not just by the wind.

Study co-author David Mechem is an associate professor of Geography and Atmospheric Science at the <a href="https://ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a>.

“Low clouds are important because they help cool the climate,” said Professor Mechem. “These are huge sheets of white clouds that reflect sunlight back to space. When we try to do climate predictions for 50 years in the future, it's important to get these clouds right.”


The team, which also included lead author Sandra Yuter and colleagues from <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a>, has been collaborating on research for the past few years. 

The focus of the study recently shifted to solving the mystery of reduced cloud cover in the southeast Atlantic. Due to a lack of observations across this region, the analysis was based primarily on satellite data.

“This is what we stumbled into - dramatic clearing events,” said Professor Mechem. “We fixated on this because of its potential importance for climate models to represent this feature.”

“What we think is going on is that the air flow from land to ocean overnight is triggering atmospheric waves that then move west.”

During the day, the land along the southwest African coast heats up faster than the ocean, which causes wind to blow off the ocean toward land. When the land cools down at night, the wind blows back toward the ocean.

The researchers compared the wave movement to floating on a raft in the ocean far away from the shore, where you would bob up and down as the waves roll by.

“Air comes off the continent, interacts with the air over the ocean, and excites these waves, which move through the cloud field, promoting mixing and enhanced cloud evaporation,” said Professor Mechem.


Identifying the behavior across these low-lying marine clouds is important for the development of accurate climate models.


“We have to know how they will respond to a warming climate,” said Professor Metchum. “Will you have more or fewer? This itself is just a natural event, but we'll be trying to go back and see if there's any trend in the number of these events.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image: Example of a westward-moving cloudiness transition in the southeast Atlantic off the coast of Africa. (left) regional view and (right)showing detail of the sharp edge of the transition boundary.

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/explore-earth-your-way-with-worldview">NASA Worldview</a>

Wave movement may reduce cloud cover over the Atlantic Ocean

A team of scientists has been investigating the behavior of...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.med.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine</a> has found that greening vacant lots can have a positive impact on the mental health of people who live in the city. 

The researchers demonstrated that transforming abandoned <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-thrive-living-cities/">city</a> lots can reduce feelings of depression among residents.

Across the United States, 15 percent of urban land is classified as “vacant” and is often filled with trash and overgrown vegetation.

For the investigation, 541 vacant lots throughout Philadelphia were randomly assigned to one of three conditions including greening, a trash clean-up, or no intervention.

Before and after the trial, the research team assessed the mental health of 342 Philadelphia residents who lived within a quarter of a mile radius of the vacant lots.

The study revealed that people living close to the lots that were greened had a 41.5-percent decrease in feelings of depression compared to those who lived near the lots that had not been cleaned. In addition, individuals living near green lots reported a nearly 63-percent decrease in poor mental health compared to those living near lots that received no intervention.


“Dilapidated and vacant spaces are factors that put residents at an increased risk of depression and stress, and may explain why socioeconomic disparities in mental illness persist,”  said lead author Dr. Eugenia C. South.

“What these new data show us is that making structural changes, like greening lots, has a positive impact on the health of those living in these neighborhoods. And that it can be achieved in a cost-effective and scalable way - not only in Philadelphia but in other cities with the same harmful environmental surroundings.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Greening empty lots helps reduce depression for city residents

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of...

If you were asked which sectors and companies played the biggest role in increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reforestation-efforts-greenhouse-gas/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> and climate change, you would probably answer with fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil or Shell. 

However, a new report has found that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cowspiracy-film-review/">meat and dairy industries</a> are quickly overtaking oil companies as the biggest polluters, and that carbon emission estimates from dairy and meat processing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-higher-methane-emissions/">have been severely underestimated. </a>

The report was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.iatp.org/">Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy</a> in Minnesota and <a href="https://www.grain.org/">Grain</a>, a non-profit located in Barcelona. 

It’s well known that <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/04/11/301794415/gassy-cows-are-warming-the-planet-and-theyre-here-to-stay">methane from cows</a> accounts for a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. 

Unfortunately, gassy cows are a huge driver of emissions, and this new report shows that as much 80 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas budget could be taken over by livestock by 2050. 

Already, five major meat and dairy corporations produce more annual greenhouse gas emissions than ExxonMobil, Shell or BP, the researchers found.  

For the report, the researchers examined 35 of the biggest meat and dairy companies and found that many underreported their total emissions, purposely leaving out supply chain data. 

The researchers calculated total production of milk in liters and how many tons of beef and pork the meat was reported by each company in the last year and multiplied these number by meat and dairy emissions metrics. 

The results show that dairy and meat industries are some of the biggest culprits of greenhouse gas emissions and the researchers say that companies must decrease their production. 

“There's no other choice. Meat and dairy production in the countries where the top 35 companies dominate must be significantly reduced,” Devlin Kuyek, a researcher at Grain, told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5967163/Meat-dairy-industry-course-contribute-global-pollution-levels-OIL.html">Daily Mail</a>. “These corporations are pushing for trade agreements that will increase exports and emissions, and they are undermining real climate solutions like agroecology that benefit farmers, workers, and consumers.”

Eight countries including the US, Canada, and New Zealand produce 60 percent of the world’s meat and dairy emissions, and companies in these countries must be the first to reduce production and control their emissions. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Meat and dairy production cause the most greenhouse gas emissions

If you were asked which sectors and companies played the...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-happens-to-wind-power-when-theres-no-wind/">we reported recently</a>, difficulties can arise when long periods of “wind drought” cause energy-producing wind turbines to come to a standstill. At that time, the UK was dealing with a week of calm resulting in a two percent drop in power generation. 

Now, conditions in Britain have far from improved and the turbines have been still for the past six weeks due to wind shortages. 

According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5966121/Britains-turbines-producing-40-electricity-winds-disappear-six-weeks.html">Daily Mail</a>, the cause of the wind shortage is a large area of high pressure hovering over the UK. Coincidentally this is also what’s behind the unusually warm summer that Scotland, Ireland, and Britain are currently experiencing. 

“It's like a lid, it keeps everything still,” Graheme Madge, a spokesperson for the <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">Met Office</a>, told the Daily Mail. “From the forecast looking out over the next couple of weeks, there doesn't seem to be any significant change on the way.”

This month, generation of electricity dropped by 40 percent and was 30 percent lower compared to how much energy wind generated last year during this time, even with new wind farms and advancements in wind power technology in the UK. 

One good thing about the wind shortages is that it’s happening during the summer when electricity needs are relatively low. However, the wind drought and its low production has many concerned about switching all energy needs to renewables. 

If the UK and other countries are to become 100 percent dependent on renewables, then there must be strategies in place for periods like this, when low wind affects energy production. 

Although solar power was able to pick up some of the slack from the drop in energy from wind turbines, according to the Daily Mail, it simply is not enough to fully compensate for the energy wind turbines produce. 

Last year, wind energy provided 15 percent of Britain's power, twice as much as coal, but this year those numbers dropped to less 2 percent on June 2nd. 

Hopefully, as dependence on renewables increases and advancements continue, wind shortages like this will not have the same dire effect that they do currently. 

“The renewable energy family continues to perform well, powering over 30 percent of Britain's commercial and domestic needs over the last year, waste-to-energy, biomass plants, wind and solar are setting generation records and enjoy record levels of public support,” Frank Gordon from the <a href="https://www.r-e-a.net/">Renewable Energy Association</a> told the Daily Mail. “Advances in energy storage technologies ensure energy stability to the grid, storing excess energy produced by renewables such as wind and solar for periods when we experience less wind or sun.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

UK wind drought drastically reducing turbine energy production

As we reported recently, difficulties can arise when long periods...

<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...

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</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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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



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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 



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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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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