Rivers worldwide now carry an invisible but potent threat - antibiotic pollution. A new study from McGill University uncovers the staggering extent of this contamination.



Researchers estimate that rivers annually receive approximately 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics - nearly a third of human consumption. Wastewater systems, designed to purify, fail to prevent these residues from infiltrating natural waterways.



As a result, antibiotic traces linger, endangering both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aquatic</a> ecosystems and public health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-carry-antibiotic-residues">Rivers carry antibiotic residues</h2>



The flow of antibiotics through river <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">systems</a> remains relentless. Wastewater treatment plants struggle to eliminate these compounds effectively. Residues from hospitals, households, and pharmaceutical facilities continue to infiltrate rivers, accumulating over time. 



Heloisa Ehalt Macedo is a postdoctoral research fellow at <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McGill</a> and lead author of the study.



"While the amounts of residues from individual antibiotics translate into only very small concentrations in most rivers, which makes them very difficult to detect, the chronic and cumulative environmental exposure to these substances can still pose a risk to human health and aquatic ecosystems," said Macedo.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antibiotics-rivers-and-human-health">Antibiotics, rivers, and human health</h2>



Even at low concentrations, antibiotic residues disrupt aquatic life. Fish, algae, and microbial communities all face risks from chronic exposure. 



The accumulation of these residues alters natural microbial diversity, potentially fostering antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Over time, these changes ripple through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-plastic-pollution-lurks-beneath-the-surface-of-rivers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a>, affecting entire food webs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-amoxicillin-a-leading-contaminant">Amoxicillin: A leading contaminant</h2>



Amoxicillin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic, emerges as the primary contaminant in rivers. Researchers utilized a global model, corroborated by data from 877 river sites, to identify hotspots of contamination. 



Southeast Asia, where antibiotic use continues to rise, faces particular risk. Poor wastewater treatment facilities fail to mitigate the amoxicillin surge, allowing residues to reach dangerous levels in river systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unintended-environmental-consequences">Unintended environmental consequences</h2>



Antibiotics, though vital for treating infections, carry unintended environmental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-face-serious-threats-from-chemical-pollution-and-ocean-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consequences</a>. The researchers stress that the study does not discourage antibiotic use. Instead, it highlights the unforeseen impacts on river ecosystems. 



"This study is not intended to warn about the use of antibiotics - we need antibiotics for global health treatments - but our results indicate that there may be unintended effects on aquatic environments and antibiotic resistance, which calls for mitigation and management strategies to avoid or reduce their implications," said study co-author Bernhard Lehner.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unaccounted-sources-of-contamination">Unaccounted sources of contamination</h2>



Livestock farms and pharmaceutical factories, major sources of antibiotic residues, remain unaccounted for in the study. Despite their exclusion, the findings reveal extensive contamination from human antibiotic consumption alone. 



"Our results show that antibiotic pollution in rivers arising from human consumption alone is a critical issue, which would likely be exacerbated by veterinarian or industry sources of related compounds," said Jim Nicell, an environmental engineering professor at McGill.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-highest-river-antibiotic-contamination">Highest river antibiotic contamination</h2>



The consequences of antibiotic pollution do not spread evenly. India, China, and Pakistan account for 47% of rivers with the highest antibiotic dose concentrations. 



Rivers in densely populated regions suffer the most, as inadequate wastewater systems struggle to cope with rising antibiotic use. The study estimates that 750 million people live in close proximity to these contaminated rivers, facing the risk of exposure to antibiotic-laden water.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-and-mitigation">Monitoring and mitigation</h2>



Monitoring programs play a pivotal role in combating river contamination. Identifying hotspots of antibiotic pollution enables targeted intervention, preventing further environmental degradation. 



"Monitoring programs to detect antibiotic or other chemical contamination of waterways are therefore needed, especially in areas that our model predicts to be at risk," said Nicell.



However, detection alone is not enough. Upgrading wastewater treatment facilities becomes imperative, particularly in low-income regions where untreated waste flows directly into rivers. 



Implementing advanced filtration systems could significantly reduce antibiotic concentrations, safeguarding both aquatic life and human health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-challenge">A global challenge</h2>



Antibiotic pollution in rivers represents a pressing environmental crisis. The McGill study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive mitigation strategies. 



Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach, encompassing both monitoring programs and wastewater treatment upgrades.



Unchecked, antibiotic residues will continue to accumulate in river systems, threatening biodiversity and public health. Effective solutions must target the root causes - rising antibiotic consumption, inadequate waste management, and insufficient regulation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/4/pgaf096/8113371" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PNAS Nexus</a>.



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Human antibiotics detected in hundreds of rivers worldwide

Rivers worldwide now carry an invisible but potent threat - antibiotic pollution. A new study from McGill University uncovers the staggering extent of this contamination. Researchers estimate that rivers annually receive approximately 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics - nearly a third of human consumption. Wastewater systems, designed to purify, fail to prevent these residues from infiltrating natural waterways. As a result, antibiotic traces linger, endangering both aquatic ecosystems and public health. Rivers carry antibiotic residues The flow of antibiotics through river systems remains relentless. Wastewater treatment plants struggle...

As heat waves become more frequent due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-confuses-climate-change/">climate change</a>, agricultural regions and urban areas will suffer the most from extreme heat. Researchers at <a href="https://www.ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a> are reporting that clever land use combined with reflective surfaces could be a practical and effective approach to combat seasonal heat.

The scientists have developed a strategy based on the different reflective properties of ground surfaces. For example, adding reflective material to roofs and streets has been proven to cool down temperatures. In addition, fields that are left unplowed after harvest are more effective in reflecting sunlight.

Sonia Seneviratne is a professor of Land-Climate Dynamics at ETH and the first author of the study.

“These measures could help to lower extreme temperatures in agricultural regions and densely populated areas by up two to three degrees Celsius,” said Seneviratne.

The study authors explained that these types of methods produce stronger effects as the temperatures grow hotter. The cooling effects only work on a local level and in the short term, but Seneviratne said that the contribution can still be very significant.

The research team used model simulations to examine how radiation management in agricultural and urban areas in North America, Europe, and Asia would affect the climate. They looked at average temperatures, extreme temperatures, and precipitation.

The study showed that these methods would have no influence on average temperatures and would only slightly alter precipitation, but would significantly reduce extreme temperatures. However, this approach was not found to be suitable for Asia, India, and China, where the levels of the crucial monsoon rains decreased in the simulations.

Unlike other proposed climate engineering techniques such as spraying aerosols into the atmosphere, these radiation management strategies have been tested and proven to work.

“Regional radiation management can be effective, but even here, we have to consider any potential effects on food production, biodiversity, CO2 absorption, recreation areas and much more before we can actually implement it,” explained Seneviratne. 

“Even this climate technique is no silver bullet; it's just one potential tool among several others in the battle against climate change.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reflective surfaces can help battle upcoming heat waves

As heat waves become more frequent due to climate change,...

In July 2017, the Gulf of Mexico’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dead-zones-coral-reefs/">dead zone</a>, an area with low oxygen levels, reached its largest size ever, <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-is-largest-ever-measured">measuring</a> roughly the area of New Jersey. The dead zone is a major cause for concern, as it poses a threat to life in marine ecosystems.

One of the biggest contributors to the dead zone is fertilizer runoff from agricultural operations in the Midwest. Nitrate concentrations from fertilizer make their way into waterways and can get into drinking water and eventually end up in the Gulf of Mexico, further adding to the dead zone. 

Tackling the dead zone and agriculture runoff has been a priority for many researchers, but now, a new study has found a promising solution to the problem. 

The research has found that multiple wetlands, or “wetland complexes” in a watershed, are five times more effective at reducing nitrate levels in waterways than other land management strategies. 

The study, conducted by researchers funded by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> and published in the journal Nature Geoscience, emphasizes the importance of wetland restoration and conservation. 

“This study demonstrates that retaining or restoring wetlands in intensively managed agricultural watersheds would reduce nitrate in rivers and improve local water quality, while also reducing nitrate exports to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic [dead] zone,” said Tom Torgerson, director of the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13535/nsf13535.htm">National Science Foundation Water, Sustainability, and Climate program.</a>

For the study, the researchers collected water samples from over 200 waterways in the Minnesota River Basin over a period of four years. 

The samples were analyzed and compared to geospatial information on land use in the river basin which showed how the wetlands specifically reduced concentrations. 

The researchers discovered that wetlands in a watershed reduce fertilizer runoff, but the arrangement of the wetlands dictates their effectiveness. 

Wetlands are extremely important in flood management and are a vital part of the ecosystem, but wetlands are shrinking in place of agriculture and economic development. 

The study shows that wetlands could be the solution to reducing nitrate concentrations in waterways and need to be preserved, restored and protected. 

“Our work shows that wetland restoration could be one of the most effective methods for improving water quality in the face of climate change and the increasing global demand for food,” said Jacques Finlay, an ecologist at the<a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/"> University of Minnesota</a> and a co-author of the study. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wetlands are the key to reducing nitrate runoff in waterways

In July 2017, the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone, an...

Despite President Donald Trump’s pledge to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, nearly 200 countries still remain committed to honoring the goal to reduce carbon emissions and stop the increase in global temperatures. 

But as we reported, 2017 was the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2017-second-hottest-year-2/">second hottest year</a> on record, and there are concerns that some of these countries may fall short of their targets.

A new study, conducted by energy economists from the<a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/pik-frontpage"> Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact</a>, examined two potential side-effects or consequences of implementing strict climate policies. 

The study, titled “Divestment prevails over the green paradox when anticipating strong future climate policies,” was published in the journal Nature Climate Change and focused on the possible reactions of fossil fuel owners and their investors in the wake of climate change mitigation policies. 

If policies are implemented, it could trigger a green paradox, where fossil fuel owners will increase emissions and do what they can to maximize profits while they can. Meanwhile, investors who realize that their returns will soon diminish could pull their money from coal power plants. 

The researchers weighed both of these possible outcomes and found the possibility of divestment would be much more likely and would, in turn, reduce emissions. 

For the study, the research team used computer simulations of energy markets, predicting future dynamics by running several different scenarios of various CO2 taxes. 

The scenarios also factored in different timelines, delays in implementing policy, and if different regions enacted clashing policies. 

The results show that emissions could be effectively reduced even without strict regulation policies thanks to divestment.

“We find that ten years before carbon pricing policies are actually introduced, investors start pulling their money out of the coal power sector,” said Nico Bauer, the study’s lead author. “We find this divestment reduces emissions by between 5 to 20 percent, depending on the strength of the climate policy, already in the time before the climate policy gets implemented.”

There were some important caveats and assumptions to this result according to the study. 

Emissions could be reduced if the policies are credibly announced, and if investors understand the susceptibility of coal to carbon pricing, which could more than double the cost of using coal. 

Divestment will also only be effective if country leaders can enact uniform climate policies across the globe so that one region will not have more leeway regarding emission standards than any other. 

“The Paris agreement delivered a strong signal that policymakers take climate change seriously and are ready and willing to deliver on the necessary emissions reductions,” said Paul Ekins, a co-author of the study. “By anticipating the implementation of policies to tackle climate change, market forces will likely reduce emissions, helping us on the first step towards achieving deep emissions reductions - as long as the policy signals are strong, clear and credible.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Divestment from fossil fuels could counter lack of govt policy

Despite President Donald Trump’s pledge to withdraw the United States...

Researchers have found that large-scale, international efforts to regulate the climate by modifying properties of the land surface in highly populated and agricultural areas could be very successful. 

The study from the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a> suggests that this type of climate engineering could reduce extreme temperatures by up to 3 degrees Celsius in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Examples of such modifications include transforming buildings, roads, and other infrastructure to lighter colors that absorb less heat and engaging in no-till farming.


These particular climate engineering strategies have been tested and are effective. Some of the other proposed techniques of regulating the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-confuses-climate-change/">climate</a>, such as injecting aerosols into the atmosphere or building giant mirrors in space, have not been proven to work and are likely to shift the climate in unexpected ways.

“Extreme temperatures are where human and natural systems are most vulnerable,” said co-author Andy Pitman. “Changing the radiative properties of land helps address this issue with fewer side effects.”

“This research suggests that by taking a regional approach, at least in temperate zones, policy and investment decisions can be pragmatically and affordably focused on areas of greatest need.”

The researchers modelled the effects of changing the radiative properties of high population areas and agricultural land across North America, Europe, and Asia. They found little change in average temperatures or in precipitation, yet found substantially lower extreme temperatures.

“Regional land-based climate engineering can be effective but we need to consider competing demands for land use, for instance for food production, biodiversity, carbon uptake, recreational areas and much more before putting it into effect,” said lead author Prof Sonia Seneviratne.


“We must remember land-based climate engineering is not a silver bullet, it is just one part of a possible climate solution, and it would have no effects on global mean warming or ocean acidification. There are still important moral, economic and practical imperatives to consider that mean mitigation and adaptation should still remain at the forefront of our approach to dealing with global warming.”

&nbsp;

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</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: Francisco Moreno (Unsplash)

The safest climate engineering strategies to reduce extreme temps

Researchers have found that large-scale, international efforts to regulate the...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-confuses-climate-change/">climate change</a> continues and progresses, scientists expect many organisms to respond to these changes in three ways; moving to new regions, changing the timing of their life stages, or shrinking in size. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> have now found evidence of certain beetles experiencing that third strategy.

Until now, most of the evidence of organisms shrinking has come from laboratory work in a tightly controlled environment. Michelle Tseng, an assistant professor of botany and zoology at <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">UBC</a>, wanted to know whether this was happening out in the wild. Her and her students did this by examining beetle specimens in UBC’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum collection, along with historical weather data.

“In nature, there is so much going on that can affect body size so we weren’t sure we were going to see anything,” says Tseng. “This research provides evidence that climate change is affecting even the smallest organisms out there.”

The students examined eight species of beetles from the Lower Mainland and Okanagan, photographing more than 6,500 species and entering data about each insect. “We got data from 100 years of caught specimens,” says Sina Soleimani, a student who co-authored the paper and is now pursuing a doctor of pharmacy at UBC. “It’s cool that people have been collecting these insects since 1910 and noting all of their collection information. That’s probably what makes our paper stand out.”

Along with measuring the beetles’ size, the students also used a climate database to analyze changes in the environment in the regions where these beetles lived. The database showed that the Lower Mainland has had a 1.6 C° increase in autumn temperatures and the Okanagan has had a 2.25 °C increase in autumn temperatures in the past 45 years.

From the size data, the research team found that the larger beetle species were shrinking while the smaller ones were not. The four largest species of beetles shrank 20 percent in that same time period. This shows clear evidence that these beetles are responding to changes in their environment, likely due to the climate change that is happening globally. While these organisms are adapting, it shows how much of an impact climate change can have on even the smallest of species.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

These beetles are shrinking in response to climate change

As climate change continues and progresses, scientists expect many organisms...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-dioxide-emissions-fuel/">Carbon dioxide</a> (CO2) can be a very dangerous gas, which is why many animals have built-in avoidance behaviors that help keep them away from its noxious fumes. As humans, we can even experience fear and panic attacks when there is too much CO2 in the air. But what makes this reaction possible? Researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan may have just found the neuronal pathway behind this behavior.

Through experiments with zebrafish – a widely used animal model – the researchers tested neural response in the effects of carbon dioxide. In the larval stage, zebrafish have behaviors that are easy to characterize, as their transparent brains make imaging neuronal activity much easier. They are known to have a fast response when touched on the head – fleeing within 10 milliseconds. However, their avoidance response to carbon dioxide only occurred after 4 to 5 seconds (about 400 to 500 times slower). Furthermore, the escape routes the fish took to avoid CO2 were less predictable than their movements after being touched, and their avoidance speed was much slower.

These results led the researchers to believe that it had to be due to an unknown sensation-response pathway in the brain. By using transgenic zebrafish made especially for calcium imaging (calcium is a key molecule in the transmission of neuronal signals), they were able to identify this pathway.

In the presence of carbon dioxide, a series of responses occurred in the zebrafish brain, with the earliest being in the olfactory bulb – the part of the brain in which mammals process smell. The next response was in trigeminal sensory neurons, a nerve that carries touch and pain sensations from the face. And the final response was in the habenula, a part of the brain involved in learning associations with unpleasant experiences.

To determine which of these systems was imperative for the response to CO2, the researchers used a laser to remove each one separately. Only when the trigeminal pathway to the nose was damage was a zebrafish’s response to carbon dioxide affected. This was a surprising finding, as damaging the olfactory pathway itself did not affect avoidance behavior. This means that a non-olfactory component in the nose is necessary for avoiding CO2.

Calcium imaging of the zebrafish nose showed a cluster of cells that respond to carbon dioxide, and further testing found that these cells were part of the terminal nerve and their removal blocked the avoidance response to CO2. Interestingly, the zebrafish nose appears to contain terminal nerve chemosensors that are unrelated to smell and can control behavioral responses to noxious chemicals.

“We were surprised to find that the terminal nerve acts as a carbon dioxide sensor in zebrafish,” says lead author Tetsuya Koide. “Although it was identified as an additional cranial nerve in humans and other vertebrates more than a century ago, ours is the first to report its function in chemosensation.”

Since humans and other vertebrates also have this terminal nerve system, the researchers are looking to further characterize its chemosensory functions in species other than zebrafish, and possibly even humans. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humans have built-in instinct to avoid carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide (CO2) can be a very dangerous gas, which...

A new study led by scientists at the <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> (WHOI) has produced detailed evidence of how ocean acidification is threatening the survival of coral reefs. The researchers found that rising acidity in the ocean makes it difficult for corals to build thick skeletons, leaving them more susceptible to deterioration.

“Our research incorporates the nuances of coral skeletal growth, enabling more precise projections of how, where, and by how much, ocean acidification will affect tropical reef-building corals,” said lead author Nathaniel Mollica.

Corals grow their skeletons up toward the sunlight and thicken them for strength. The researchers developed a numerical model simulating this skeletal growth mechanism and paired it with projected changes in ocean acidity.

The study revealed that coral skeletal density will decline across many reefs, with the most prevalent impact in the Indo-Pacific region. By the end of this century, the density of coral skeletons will be reduced by up to 20 percent in parts of the Coral Triangle. 

The researchers found that reefs in the Caribbean, Hawaii, and northern Red Sea will experience a reduction in coral density by less than ten percent through 2100.

“This very important study determined the specific way a coral species is affected by ocean acidification and modeled the effect of future environmental conditions,” said co-author David Garrison.

As the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-acidification-food-webs/">ocean acidifies</a>, there are fewer carbonate ions present. This makes it more difficult for corals to make a form of calcium carbonate called aragonite, which is what they use to build up their skeletons.

The corals continue to grow upward, but densification of the skeleton suffers. This means that corals in regions of the ocean with more acidity build thinner skeletons.

The study authors noted that there are other threats to coral growth as well, such as rising ocean temperatures.

“Our next step is to expand our model to incorporate the effects of multiple stressors on corals' skeletal growth,”said co-author Weifu Guo. “Knowing the details of how the different facets of ocean change will affect corals will enable us to quantitatively project the trajectory of reef-building corals under 21st century climate change.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ocean acidification is eating away at the skeletons of coral

A new study led by scientists at the Woods Hole...

In an interview with Piers Morgan for British television station <a href="https://www.itv.com/">ITV</a>, President Donald Trump once again reminds the world that he does not take climate change seriously. 

When asked about the existence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>, the President said: “There is a cooling, and there’s a heating. I mean, look, it used to not be climate change, it used to be global warming. That wasn’t working too well because it was getting too cold all over the place.”

President Trump, who often accuses the media of sharing fake news, does not seem to have his own facts straight on the subject of climate change, which is a regional or global change in climate patterns that is largely attributed to carbon dioxide emissions. 

While the President suggests that climate change and global warming are interchangeable terms, they are not. According to the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA), “global warming is one symptom of the much larger problem of human-caused climate change.”

Another reality that the President seems to be confused about is that Arctic sea ice reached record lows in 2016 and 2017. Trump said in the interview: “The ice caps were going to melt, they were going to be gone by now, but now they’re setting records. They’re at a record level.”

Last month, the Trump administration removed climate change from the country's National Security Strategy (NSS), claiming that it does not pose a threat to the United States. Prior to this, President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Accord shocked leaders and activists across the globe.

President Trump told Piers Morgan that the Paris Agreement would have been a disaster for the United States. However, the President did admit that there could be a way back for the United States.

“I believe in clean air. I believe in crystal-clear, beautiful… I believe in just having good cleanliness in all. Now, with that being said, if somebody said go back into the Paris accord, it would have to be a completely different deal because we had a horrible deal,” said Trump.

President Trump: The Piers Morgan Interview was produced by ITV Studios Daytime and also by Morgan's company, Ferret Productions.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trump confuses climate change facts in new interview

In an interview with Piers Morgan for British television station...

A team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> has taken a closer look into what actually happens after influential companies make zero-deforestation pledges. The study revealed that such promises often fall short of having a positive impact, and the experts have some recommendations for policy solutions.

“The time is ripe to increase the scope and impact of zero-deforestation commitments by transnational companies,” said study lead author Eric Lambin. “They align with a growing availability of monitoring data from satellites and other sources as well as a proliferation of national and international public policies aimed at conserving forests to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”


Hundreds of corporations have made public pledges to help end <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deforestation-amazon-fish-yields/">deforestation</a> in response to increased expectations from customers and pressure from environmental groups. The researchers are explaining why some of these promises are more dependable than others.

They say that many companies use vague language in stating their goals or have widely varying targets across many different sectors. Some companies have aligned to make collective public pledges, but they rarely specify who will be accountable for the transformation. 

The study co-authors refer to previous studies which revealed that less than 50 percent of sustainability pledges have been implemented among companies in the Sustainability Consortium, a non-profit organization with members including General Mills, Mars, and Walmart.

The experts say that a private zero-deforestation initiative can be undermined by many external factors, regardless of the approach. For example, when an intervention restricts the production of commodities in one place, it can simply encourage displacement of production to other locations.

The researchers highlight several policy approaches to making sustainability projects more effective, verifiable, and customized for each particular region. They suggest that policy makers endorse and reinforce company standards in order to complement the new regulations.

“These companies stand poised to break the link between commodity production and deforestation,” said coauthor Holly Gibbs. “To do that, more immediate action is needed to demonstrate commitment to change and to clear the haze surrounding these efforts.”

The study is published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: crustmania / Flickr

Large companies are falling short of zero-deforestation promises

A team of researchers led by Stanford University has taken...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> are reporting that warm-blooded animals have a better chance of adapting to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-california-vegetation/">climate change</a> than cold-blooded animals. The research was based on over 270 million years of data on animals such as birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

“We see that mammals and birds are better able to stretch out and extend their habitats, meaning they adapt and shift much easier,” said lead author Jonathan Rolland. “This could have a deep impact on extinction rates and what our world looks like in the future.”


The researchers compared data from the current distribution of animals with fossil records and phylogenetic information for 11,465 species. The team reconstructed where animals have lived over the past 270 million years and analyzed what temperatures they needed to survive in these regions.

The study revealed that the Earth's changing climate throughout history significantly impacted where animals resided. For example, warm and tropical conditions 40 million years ago made the planet suitable for many species to thrive. 

Birds and mammals were able to adapt during the subsequent cooling phase of the planet, which enabled them to move into extreme northern and southern regions.

“It might explain why we see so few reptiles and amphibians in the Antarctic or even temperate habitats,” said Rolland. “It's possible that they will eventually adapt and could move into these regions but it takes longer for them to change.”

According to Rolland, animals that can regulate their body temperatures might be better able to survive in these places because they can keep their embryos warm and take care of their offspring.

“These strategies help them adapt to cold weather but we rarely see them in the ectotherms or cold-blooded animals,” said Rolland.

The research team believes that understanding the past evolution and adaptations of species can provide important insight into how future climate change may impact Earth’s biodiversity.

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Birds and mammals are the most likely to survive climate change

Researchers from the University of British Columbia are reporting that...

Greenhouse gas emissions and warmer temperatures have brought the Earth to a point of no return as far the impacts of global warming are concerned. 

But even though the effects of climate change are being felt with increasing severity, reducing emissions is vital to the preservation and conservation of resources as well the biodiversity of ecosystems. 

Now, new research has found that unless emissions are reduced to meet the same goals at the Paris Accord, almost half of all California’s natural vegetation will be at risk from climate stress, and that’s excluding factors like increased wildfires or insect attacks. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the<a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/"> University of California, Davis</a> and published in the journal Ecosphere. 

The results show that if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-water-conservation-benefits/">California</a> were to cut carbon emissions to meet the projected goals set by the Paris Accord, the amount of vegetation at risk would be cut in half. The Paris Accord aimed to halt global temperatures from increasing past two degrees. 

“At current rates of emissions, about 45-56 percent of all the natural vegetation in the state is at risk, or from 61,190 to 75,866 square miles," said James Thorne, the lead author of the study. “If we reduce the rate to Paris accord targets, those numbers are lowered to between 21 and 28 percent of the lands at climatic risk.” 

The researchers created maps of California under different climate scenarios, and each map highlights the risk to the state’s wide range of vegetation. 

The business-as-usual map shows that over half of all vegetation in southwestern California, the Central Valley, and the Sierra Nevada is at risk. 

The maps were commissioned by the <a href="https://www.dfg.ca.gov/">California Department of Fish and Wildlife </a>and is helping aid policymakers, state agencies, and land managers in creating a plan for mitigating the effects of climate change and persevering California’s natural resources. 

“In California, we have good information on the vulnerability of fish and wildlife to climate change,” said Whitney Albright, a project manager with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “But we were missing this crucial piece of climate risks to underlying habitat. This study helped fill the information gap. We've already started to use its data in our conservation planning efforts.” 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change puts half of California vegetation at risk

Greenhouse gas emissions and warmer temperatures have brought the Earth...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> have discovered that changes in the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean have influenced rainfall in the Western Hemisphere for thousands of years. This is a significant breakthrough that will help scientists understand how the interaction of these systems affected Earth’s climate in the past, leading to better predictions for the future.

“The mechanisms that seem to be driving this correlation [in the past] are the same that are at play in modern data as well,” said lead author Kaustubh Thirumalai. “The Atlantic Ocean surface circulation, and however that changes, has implications for how the rainfall changes on continents.”

The changing currents in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-snakes-atlantic-ocean/">Atlantic Ocean</a> are a key component of Earth’s climate, shifting warm water from the tropics toward the poles. 

The research team took a detailed approach to tracking ocean circulation changes by studying three sediment cores extracted from the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico. The cores provided the researchers with insight into factors which affected the strength of the Atlantic Ocean current over the past 4,400 years in 30-year increments.


“If we go back in increments of 30, we're well positioned to understand things on the order of centuries,” said Thirumalai. “And the question we decided to ask was what can those reconstructions of temperature and salinity tell us about the greater Atlantic Ocean surface circulation.”

The study revealed that the Atlantic Ocean surface circulation was much weaker during the Little Ice Age compared to how it is today. 

Next, the researchers set out to determine if ocean currents in the Atlantic corresponded with rainfall in the Western Hemisphere, and how this association may have changed over time. The experts found that Atlantic Ocean surface currents correlated with rainfall patterns both in the past and the present.

“It was remarkable,” said Thirumalai. “These patterns that are based on decadal analysis of modern data, and then the hydroclimate proxies that give the salinity in the oceans and the rainfall on land seem to show the same picture.”

The findings of this research highlight a strong association between activity in the Atlantic Ocean and rainfall patterns, as well as the far-reaching impacts of this interaction.

“The study demonstrates a robust century-scale link between ocean circulation changes in the Atlantic basin and rainfall in the adjacent continents during the past 4,000 years,” said study co-author Terry Quinn. “And hence it provides a baseline for predictions on how that part of the climate system may behave in the future.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Atlantic Ocean currents influence rainfall patterns

Experts at the University of Texas at Austin have discovered...

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

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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

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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"

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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



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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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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