It is no secret that some lifestyles demand more resources than others. But recent climate findings highlight how individuals with vast wealth have exerted a larger influence on global warming and temperature shifts than previously realized.



In a 2025 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02325-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a>, the world’s wealthiest 10% are reported to have caused two-thirds of observed global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a> since 1990. 



This work was led by lead author Sarah Schöngart, an alumna of the 2024 Young Scientists Summer Program, who is currently associated with <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a>, and published by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (<a href="https://iiasa.ac.at" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIASA</a>).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wealthy-emitters-drive-climate-warming">Wealthy emitters drive climate warming</h2>



Scientists indicate that the top 1% of high-income earners contributed 26 times the global average to monthly 1-in-100-year heat extremes worldwide, and 17 times more to intense drought <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">events</a> in the Amazon region.&nbsp;



“We found that wealthy emitters play a major role in driving climate extremes, which provides strong support for climate policies that target the reduction of their emissions,” explained Schöngart at the end of her remarks.



Researchers also noticed that emissions from the richest 10% in major economies, such as the United States and China, caused a two- to threefold increase in dangerous heat conditions across vulnerable tropical areas. 



These hotspots include Southeast Asia, southern Africa, and other regions with limited resources to handle amplified environmental stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consequences-for-vulnerable-regions">Consequences for vulnerable regions</h2>



“Addressing this imbalance is crucial for fair and effective climate action,” says coauthor <a href="https://iiasa.ac.at/staff/carl-schleussner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carl-Friedrich Schleussner</a>, who leads the Integrated Climate Impacts Research Group at IIASA. 



Communities in zones already prone to high temperatures and scarce rainfall are dealing with more frequent hazards linked to wealth-driven pollution.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Experts</a> have underscored how nations or groups with historically low <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-innovation-takes-the-lead-in-environmental-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> often face disproportionate impacts. Scientists note that these areas experience higher chances of weather disasters, yet have fewer means to respond or rebuild.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finances-fuel-climate-warming">Finances fuel climate warming</h2>



Several analysts believe that climate discussions should not only focus on personal consumption but also on the massive financial investments of wealthy individuals. 



When these investments support high-emission ventures, the world sees greater rises in heat extremes and drought occurrences.



Groups like the <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations Environment Programme</a> have called for policy measures that redirect funds to cleaner solutions. 



Advocates argue that this could help reduce future harm while encouraging fair contributions from top earners who have the greatest capacity to shift investments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rebalancing-climate-responsibility">Rebalancing climate responsibility</h2>



Income-based emission studies raise questions about how to share the costs of adaptation and recovery. 



Observers suggest that policies aimed at rebalancing responsibility might also improve public acceptance of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-impacting-earths-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> strategies, since people often want to see genuine efforts toward equity in carbon reduction.



“If everyone had emitted like the bottom 50% of the global population, the world would have seen minimal additional warming since 1990,” says Schleussner. 



This observation hints that tailored policies targeting disproportionate emissions could produce meaningful changes.



Scientists stress that tackling climate threats involves more than quick technical fixes. 



Those with higher incomes often have greater capacity to choose low-carbon lifestyles or to fund transformational climate solutions, making their role especially crucial in reducing warming trends.



Researchers emphasize that individuals in affluent groups have a unique chance to spark large-scale shifts. 



That could entail demanding cleaner supply chains, backing renewable energy, or encouraging sustainable investment portfolios, all of which can shape future climate outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-warming-inequality">Global warming inequality</h2>



The study estimates that the top 10% of earners contributed 6.5 times more to global warming than the average person, while the top 1% contributed 20 times more. 



For the top 0.1%, the figure skyrockets to 76 times the global average - an eye-opening statistic that illustrates how a small share of the population has driven a large share of climate disruption.



If everyone had emitted like the top 10%, global temperatures would have risen nearly 3°F (1.6°C) more since 1990. But if everyone had lived like the bottom 50%, there would have been almost no additional warming at all. 



That contrast highlights how the burden of global warming cannot be pinned on “humanity” in general - it’s coming from a concentrated source.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



Climate experts believe that ongoing conversations about carbon taxes and financial regulations might incorporate these findings for more equitable action. 



Some advocate for measures that hold top emitters accountable and support the communities that are most affected by intensifying weather events.



Others propose progressive policy instruments that reflect actual emissions contributions. 



Policymakers are increasingly exploring how to ensure elite pollution is addressed, while resources for adaptation and recovery become more accessible in low-income nations.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02325-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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Wealthy elite responsible for vast majority of global climate warming

It is no secret that some lifestyles demand more resources than others. But recent climate findings highlight how individuals with vast wealth have exerted a larger influence on global warming and temperature shifts than previously realized. In a 2025 analysis, the world’s wealthiest 10% are reported to have caused two-thirds of observed global warming since 1990. This work was led by lead author Sarah Schöngart, an alumna of the 2024 Young Scientists Summer Program, who is currently associated with ETH Zurich, and published by the International Institute...

The good news: Oklahoma earthquakes have seen a sharp decline, linked by geologists to new state regulations on wastewater injection. 

The bad news: The state saw more magnitude-5 quakes in 2016 than ever recorded in Oklahoma’s history, and that has scientists worried.

Scientists with the <a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> and other organizations have been tracking a sharp spike in earthquakes generally along with a rise in earthquake magnitudes in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas. 

They found that between 1973 and 2008, there were about 21 earthquakes per year above magnitude-3.0 in the central and eastern United States. From 2009 to 2013, that jumped to an average of 99 quakes rating 3.0 or higher. More than 650 magnitude-3.0 or higher tremors were reported in 2014 alone, more than 1,000 logged in 2015, and more than 500 from January to August of this year.

Many of these earthquakes are in Oklahoma, which now logs more quakes per year than California.

The Oklahoma earthquakes appear to be linked to deep injection of wastewater – a byproduct of hydraulic fracturing – into the ground. This practice protects groundwater supplies from the toxic waste produced by fracking, but also places pressure on seismic fault lines, according to scientists. 

These so-called <a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/induced/">induced earthquakes</a> have the potential to cause major damage to buildings and roadways in Oklahoma, such as the 5.8 shake-up in Pawnee in September, and the 5.0 tremor that hit Cushing in November.

This theory may hold water, as new regulations and limits on wastewater injection appear to have settled some of the Oklahoma earthquakes. 

After Kansas passed new regulations on wastewater injection in 2015, the state saw a dramatic <a href="http://kansaspublicradio.org/kpr-news/kansas-geologists-probe-decrease-kansas-earthquakes">decline in the number of earthquakes</a>. Oklahoma, which was then much less regulated, saw a climb.

Oklahoma followed its northern neighbor’s example this year, setting new regulations in May. Kansas tightened its existing regulations in August. 

Since the new regulations went into effect, Oklahoma has dropped from an average of 2.3 quakes per day at magnitude 3.0 or higher to less than one per day.

However, before fracking became widespread in Oklahoma, the state experienced only one 3.0 earthquake per year, USGS scientists pointed out. One per day is an improvement over the past few years, but still a problem.

Oklahoma has also experienced three quakes magnitude 5.0 or higher this year, including two after the new regulations went into effect, scientists noted. 

The state’s only recorded earthquake higher than 5.0 prior to 2011 was in El Reno, Oklahoma in 1952.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Oklahoma earthquakes drop off after new state regs

The good news: Oklahoma earthquakes have seen a sharp decline,...

A team of scientists from the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University Of Exeter</a> have developed a new laser imaging technique that boasts 3D maps of green spaces in never-before-seen detail. The new technology photographs vegetation from above but can see from the tops of trees all the way to the ground. Previous techniques could only pick up high-resolution photos of the top surface of vegetation, and all plant life beneath had to be estimated in lower resolution. As a result, details of woodland paths, shrubs, and shorter vegetation were missing from the larger picture.

The team, led by Dr. Karen Anderson of the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/esi/">Environment and Sustainability Institute</a>, utilized a system called waveform lidar, which allows mapping over large areas, including even the smallest details beneath the trees. Anderson emphasized how the previous mapping provided an inaccurate and sometimes biased analysis of green spaces.

"Vegetation canopies are very complex three-dimensional structures, and for the first time we can now measure what lies underneath the canopy over a very large area," said Anderson. "This has great potential to be used for a range of purposes, from promoting biodiversity in urban areas to mapping easy walking routes and monitoring the health of habitats from cities to rainforests."

Scientists hope a more accurate and detailed understanding of these green spaces can be used to promote biodiversity and, in turn, improve the quality of life in urban areas.  

Said Anderson, "Amongst other things, this approach allows us to understand how these urban green spaces are connected and we can then explore them in three dimensions, for example, from a bird's point of view . . . . The data might show us how we can manage the vegetation in certain places such that it could have a disproportionate effect on improving the environment."

"It also allows us to understand the impact of private gardens on urban biodiversity. Without this, it is almost impossible to gather data on what's in...people's gardens – and we know gardens have complex structures and perform a vital function in urban environments."

A better understanding of the 3D structure of vegetation also allows for a more accurate prediction of weather and climate. A similar technology using the same laser imaging technique will be added to the International Space Station in early 2019.

New laser imaging technique sheds light on plants

A team of scientists from the University Of Exeter have...

Social subgroups are key to environmental preservation, new study shows

Upon first thought, it may seem logical that societies succeed best with complete cohesiveness and unification. But recent research suggests that the formation of social subgroups is crucial to key evolutionary movements, especially environmental conservation. 

A team of researchers at the <a href="http://www.nimbios.org/">National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis</a> (NIMBioS) set out to analyze how societies with differing social structures manage their resources. The team created a mathematical model indicating societies that over-exploited their natural resources ultimately went extinct, while those that kept a careful eye on their consumption and resources fared much better.

The team then wanted to define which factors play the most important roles in determining how environmental resources are conserved. The model showed that the formation of social subgroups made a society four times more likely to conserve their resources and survive than societies with no subgroups – no surprise to risk and complexity analysts who have said the same for decades, calling out many social researchers for their assumptions to the contrary.

Tim Waring, lead author of the study and associate professor at the <a href="https://umaine.edu/mitchellcenter/">Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions and the School of Economics at the University of Maine</a>, explained that those societies that broke up into social subgroups evolved better methods of conservation because each subgroup could essentially divide and conquer. With each group focusing on a different specialization, they could learn and benefit from each other.

"Usually, we assume that everyone has to cooperate to save environmental resources, but what we found was that sustainable use of resources emerged more when societies were broken up into multiple groups, like states in the United States, or countries in Europe,” said Waring. "This between-group learning means that behaviors and institutions that help groups survive can spread among groups.”

As an example, Waring referenced the <a href="http://www.un.org/geninfo/bp/enviro.html">1992 Rio Earth Summit</a>, the first climate change talks held by the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a>. The conference took a top-down approach and was ultimately unsuccessful. But the <a href="http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cop21/">2015 UN Climate Change Conference</a> in Paris was generated by the efforts of smaller, grassroots movements. As such, it yielded the Paris Agreement, a massive global agreement containing specific steps meant to reduce climate change.

According to Waring, it all comes down to the ways in which humans organize and collaborate. “Part of the problem is that cooperation is harder to grow in larger groups,” he said. “But when smaller groups learn to cooperate and be sustainable, their practices can spread.”

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Social subgroups key to environmental preservation

Social subgroups are key to environmental preservation, new study shows...

A new species of tundra beetle has been found in Antarctica – but it’s been dead for millions of years.

The fossilized forewings of two different beetles were found on Beardmore Glacier, a 124-mile-long feature near the Transantarctic Mountains. They belonged to a beetle species that liked between 14 and 20 million years ago, when the southernmost continent was a lot warmer, according to Dr. Allan Ashworth of <a href="https://www.ndsu.edu/">North Dakota State University</a> and Dr. Terry Erwin of the <a href="https://www.si.edu/">Smithsonian Institution</a>.

They named the species Ball’s Antarctic tundra beetle after ground beetle expert Dr. George E. Ball, with the scientific name <a href="http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=10535">Antarctotrechus balli</a>. They don’t yet know whether the wings were functional or if the species could fly, but it’s leaving a footprint on study of the frozen continent either way.

The beetle is one of only a few insects ever found on Antarctica. Fossil impressions of wings and bodies have been found dating to the late Paleozoic and middle Mesozoic ages, and a handful of more recent insect fossils have been discovered. Ashworth and Erwin have discovered a cyclorraphan fly and listroderine weevil on Beardmore Glacier.  

Today, three species of flightless midges are the only insect life on Antarctica. The icy southern continent has very little vegetation and is very cold, making it inhospitable to bugs.

But the beetle find and the pair’s 2003 discoveries of the weevil and fly chill the notion that Antarctica has always been frozen.

When the beetle was alive, Erwin and Ashworth believe it lived along the banks of a meltwater stream, which likely had some sparse vegetation. Plant fossils associated with the beetle point to a tundra ecosystem. That tundra biome may also have provided habitat for Ashworth and Erwin’s earlier weevil and fly finds.

Though Ball’s Antarctic tundra beetle is now extinct, it seems to have some living relatives: the species Trechisibus, which live in South America, on South Georgia, a sub-Antarctic island, and on the Falkland Islands; and Tasmanorites, which live on Tasmania, an island off the south coast of Australia. 

Ashworth and Erwin described their find in the journal <a href="http://zookeys.pensoft.net/">Zookeys</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tundra beetle adds to evidence Antarctica wasn't always frozen

A new species of tundra beetle has been found in...

Melting West Antarctic Shelf could put New York underwater

Warnings of rising sea levels are nothing new, but recently scientists have grown especially concerned about the melting of a key glacier in the West Antarctic Shelf  that could have catastrophic consequences for major coastal cities.

A massive rift has been forming at the base of the Pine Island Glacier, a major part of the the ice shelf that holds the West Antarctic Shelf together. As a result, ocean water is flowing in and melting the ice from the inside out. 

A team of scientists from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> led by Dr. Ian Howat began studying the rift after a large iceberg of nearly 225 square miles broke off the glacier last year. Using new image-processing software, the team noticed a large rift forming at the base in 2013. But by 2015, the rift had broken through the surface and caused the entire iceberg to break off. 

According to Howat, “It’s generally accepted that it’s no longer a question of whether the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will melt, it’s a question of when. This kind of rifting behavior provides another mechanism for rapid retreat of these glaciers, adding to the probability that we may see significant collapse of West Antarctica in our lifetimes.” 

The team of researchers warn that a similar effect could happen across Antarctica, and has already been seen in Greenland. 

“Rifts usually form at the margins of an ice shelf, where the ice is thin and subject to shearing that rips it apart,” said Howat. “However this latest event in the Pine Island Glacier was due to a rift that originated from the center of the ice sheet and propagated out to the margins. This implies that something weakened the center of the ice shelf, with the most likely explanation being a crevasse melted at the bedrock level by a warming ocean.”

Because the West Antarctic sits below sea level, ocean water can easily flow inland before ever being noticed. Valleys that appear on the surface of the ice are usually indicators of melting beneath.

“The really troubling thing is that there are many of these valleys further up-glacier,” added Howat. “If they are actually sites of weakness that are prone to rifting, we could potentially see more accelerated ice loss in Antarctica.” 

Should the West Antarctic Shelf actually collapse, it would cause sea levels to rise by 10 feet, causing massive flooding in low-lying major cities like New York and London. 

While global warming seems to be the most likely culprit, there is also evidence that the Antarctic Ice Shelf has historically fluctuated between periods of high and low ice cover.

Said Howat, “We’re limited in what information we can get from space, so this will mean targeting air and field campaigns to collect more detailed observations.”

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Melting West Antarctic Shelf could put New York underwater

Melting West Antarctic Shelf could put New York underwater Warnings...

Turns out that for some life forms, breathing is overrated. New geology research has offered tantalizing new evidence of the existence of life before oxygen on planet Earth.

A research team from the <a href="http://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinatti</a> led by Dr. Andrew Czaja discovered fossilized evidence of bacterial life before oxygen at two different locations in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province. 

The fossils are the oldest evidence of the existence of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that existed when the amount of oxygen on Earth was miniscule. The researchers estimated the signs of life to be about 2.52 billion years old. 

The fossilized bacteria were larger than modern bacteria, but show some similarities in structure to single-celled organisms that live today in the oxygen-lacking but sulfur-rich deep ocean.

Plenty of them lived in the area that became the fossils discovered by the research team, Czaja said. They seem to have ingested hydrogen sulfide from volcanoes – the mineral that produces a smell similar to rotten eggs – have turned it into sulfate, the researchers said.

These aren’t the same bacteria that exist today, but may have played a similar role in recycling the waste products from other organisms, the researchers said.

The fossilized bacteria also indicate that there may have been diverse life forms and complex ecosystems already evolving in the years leading up to the Great Oxygenation Event, according to Czaja. 

The event happened about 2.3 billion years ago, scientists believe, and while there are several theories, no one knows why. However, one theory is that some shallow-water bacteria – different from the deep-water samples Czaja’s team found – may have developed oxygen-producing photosynthesis.

The ancient bacteria identified by the research team would have lived more than 2 billion years before plants or trees evolved on Earth. They were discovered in slices of chert, a hard, silica rock. 

The find shows that the bacteria likely lived deep in water or mud with very little light, something scientists have suspected but were not able to confirm until now. Czaja believes the fossils found by the team were from a deep seabed. 

The researchers findings were published in the December issue of the journal <a href="http://geology.gsapubs.org/">Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Evidence of life before oxygen found in ancient rocks

Turns out that for some life forms, breathing is overrated....

Tennessee wildfires killed at least four and forced thousands to flee for their lives as the firestorm engulfed the town of Gatlinburg late Tuesday and early Wednesday. 

Tourists also fled the vacation town of Pigeon Forge and Dolly Parton’s Dollywood resort as flames approached, whipped higher by 90 mph winds. 

"I have been watching the terrible fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and I am heartbroken,” Parton said in <a href="http://websterpr.com/news/dolly-parton-statement-east-tennessee-fires">a statement</a> released by her public relations firm. “I am praying for all the families affected by the fire and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe.”

As of Wednesday morning, Dollywood and Pigeon Forge had been spared the brunt of the Tennessee wildfires damage. 

Gatlinburg was not so lucky. 

The Tennessee wildfires roared into the town with little warning on Tuesday evening, charring buildings into embers and forcing residents to flee with nothing but the clothes they wore. 

Several of the town’s residents have been reported missing, though an exact number is not available at this time.

<a href="http://www.tennessean.com/">The Tennessean</a> shared <a href="http://knoxne.ws/2gGmOl5">harrowing video</a> from stepbrothers Michael Luciano and Anthony Fulton, who literally fled for their lives as fire blazed on all sides and even in front of them. At one point, they were nearly trapped when a tree fell, but they were eventually able to get through. 

Guests were also trapped for hours in the <a href="http://www.parkvista.com/">Gatlinburg Park Vista</a> hotel as the fire raged around the building, but firefighters were able to keep them safe until they could be evacuated early Wednesday morning.

Meteorologists at Accuweather.com, a private forecasting firm, were expecting a thunderstorm to bring rain to the area on Wednesday evening. However, it could also bring more high winds and lightning, upping fire risk.

It may be the last rain in the region for a while, said Dr. Luigi Romolo, regional climatologist at the <a href="http://www.srcc.lsu.edu/">Southern Regional Climate Center</a> based at Louisiana State University.

“Across the South, there is no real trend in the forecast for precipitation over the next few months,” he said. That means a few more months of a drought that has created ideal conditions for the spread of wildfires.

The fires in the Great Smoky Mountains have been burning for weeks. As of November 30, they had burned more than 149,000 acres across eight states, according to the <a href="http://www.nwcg.gov/">National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s</a> incident reporting system.

“Drought is actually a regular occurrence of climate,” Romolo said. However, drought combined with warmer than usual temperatures, which the south has been experiencing since late summer, can create extremely dry conditions that provide fuel for fires.

“Warmer temperatures create a greater demand for water from the ground. If it’s not raining, you’re not replenishing that water, and over time, plants and shrubs are going to suffer,” Romolo said.

Severe drought has plagued the areas worst-affected by the fires for months, according to the <a href="http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/">United States Drought Monitor</a>: eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina and South Carolina, and northern Georgia and Alabama. Fires are also burning in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. 

Still, it’s too soon to tell whether the drought and Tennessee wildfires are part of any wider pattern of climate change. Drought does happen naturally without any outside forces, Romolo pointed out, just as unusual amounts of rainfall can. 

Investigators believe most of the fires burning throughout the South, including the one that roared through Gatlinburg, are “human-caused,” though that can mean anything from an improperly quenched campfire or cigarette tossed out of a vehicle to intentional arson.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has launched a hotline for residents who were separated from their loved ones during the escape or who cannot get ahold of family and friends in the area: 1-800-TBI-FIND (1-800-824-3463).

The East Tennessee chapter of the <a href="http://www.redcross.org/local/tennessee/local-chapters/east-tennessee">American Red Cross</a> and the <a href="http://www.cfmt.org">Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee</a> are working to help the residents and towns affected by the fires.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tennessee wildfires burn Gatlinburg, threaten Dollywood

Tennessee wildfires killed at least four and forced thousands to...

Marine incentives that encourage smarter use of the oceans and protect ecosystems work, according to a new analysis.

Ocean researchers from Princeton University and Oregon State University decided to take a look at incentive-based programs – both positive and negative – that focused on protecting the oceans, to see how effective they are at bringing about changes to how humans affect the oceans.

They found that marine incentives programs were linked to a number of success stories, and that positive rewards work better than negative consequences in encouraging changes in behavior.

For example, some incentives tackled overfishing. In some locations, fishing is a “race to fish” operation. When some of these areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico’s red snapper fishery, turned to rights-based fisheries – where every fisher is guaranteed a portion of the catch and limits are imposed on each boat – overfishing went down and overall profits went up. Fishers were more invested in protecting the overall health of the fishery rather than scooping up as many fish as possible.

“Debt for nature” swaps have been another success story, in which countries “pay off” some of their foreign debt by protecting ocean waters.

In other cases, U.S. corporations have moved toward only buying certified sustainable fish, while the European Union has issued warnings and sanctions against countries that overfish or engage in unregulated fishing.

While both the “carrot” and the “stick” are effective, OSU and Princeton researchers said, positive reinforcement is better at changing behavior. For example, the changes in how U.S. retailers purchase fish come from their desire to boost their image with American consumers.

The researchers hope their analysis will help governments and environmental groups create more effective programs – based on awareness and education as well as economic incentives – for protecting the ocean. 

Without those kinds of programs, the ocean is in danger, and it will affect more than just fish, they said. Marine and coastal industries and resources are worth around $3 trillion a year, and billions of people rely on the oceans for their food and livelihoods, the researchers said.

Their analysis was published in the journal <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marine incentives programs offer hope for the oceans

Marine incentives that encourage smarter use of the oceans and...

In the fight against global warming, the state of California has begun implementing controversial new legislation targeted at reducing agricultural greenhouse gases.

Livestock, in particular dairy cows, emit a large amount of methane when they burp, pass gas, and produce manure. Methane is a significantly stronger heat-trapping gas than carbon dioxide, and livestock are responsible for up to 14.5% of human-created greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2013 <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> report. 

In September, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the legislation to regulate the agricultural greenhouse gases emitted from the state’s farms. According to Ryan McCarthy, adviser for the <a href="https://www.arb.ca.gov/">California Air Resources Board</a>, "If we can reduce emissions of methane, we can really help to slow global warming.”

The new legislation, set to go into effect in 2024, will require dairies to reduce methane emissions by 40% below the 2013 levels by 2030.

Many dairy farmers are strongly opposed to the new laws, fearing they will drive up already difficult costs. California farms have been struggling with a severe drought, along with rising labor costs and low milk prices. Said Paul Sousa, director of environmental services for Western United Dairymen, “It just makes it more challenging. We're continuing to lose dairies. Dairies are moving out of state to places where these costs don't exist.”

Sousa suggests the the new regulations will only force dairy farms to relocate to other states and ultimately lead to higher total methane emissions. Rob Vandenheuvel, general manager for the <a href="http://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/">Milk Producers Council</a>, agreed, adding, “We think it's very foolish for the state of California to be taking this position. A single state like California is not going to make a meaningful impact on the climate."

The state is also asking farmers to reduce emissions using methane digesters, machines that capture methane in large tanks and convert it into electricity. The California government has allocated $50 million to help the dairies acquire and set up methane digesters.

Said Ryan, “There’s a real opportunity here to get very significant emissions reductions at a fairly low cost.”

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California introduces legislation to limit agricultural greenhouse gases

In the fight against global warming, the state of California...

For some nonprofits, Giving Tuesday donations can be vital for their continued existence. The <a href="https://indianaforestalliance.org/">Indiana Forest Alliance</a> is hoping to raise funds that will help them save Crown Hill North Woods, an old-growth forest ecosystem in the middle of Indianapolis. 

Beyond providing a forest laboratory for schoolchildren in the city, Crown Hill is perhaps the only old-growth forest standing within a city in the U.S. It was recently sold to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which plans to cut down the trees and build a national cemetery.

“There are some trees there that are 400 to 500 years old,” said Paul Bryan, the IFA’s development director. “We found a land trust that is willing to buy the land back.”

In addition to raising money for that and other initiatives, the IFA is hoping to draw in new volunteers and generate publicity for next week’s <a href="https://indianaforestalliance.org/event/wild-scenic-film/">Wild &amp; Scenic Film Festival</a>, one of their special events.

They’re not alone in welcoming Giving Tuesday. <a href="http://www.cbf.org/">The Chesapeake Bay Foundation</a> in Maryland hopes to raise $15,000 this year to help educate people about the bay, restore habitats, protect oyster beds, and advocate for the region. At <a href="http://www.medinaraptorcenter.org/">Medina Raptor Center</a>, which rehabilitates and releases injured birds of prey and songbirds, all donations go to feeding and caring for their patients.

But how did Giving Tuesday get started, and how can you get involved?

The giving event was originally dreamed up in 2012 by the <a href="https://www.92y.org/">92nd Street Y</a> in New York. The founders imagined a day where people would donate not just money, but also their time as volunteers and advocates to causes they believe in.

 “On the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, they thought it was a great way to refocus the season on giving,” said Jamie McDonald, the Community and Higher Education campaign lead for Giving Tuesday, the organization that sprung up to support the event.

In just four years, organizations in more than 70 countries, as well as cities and towns all over the U.S., have joined in. Celebrities have gotten on board. So have companies like Constellation, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/">Microsoft</a>, and <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/">Sheraton Hotels and Resorts</a>.

Last year, more than 500,000 donors raised $116 million for their favorite causes.

“It’s really been a phenomenon,” McDonald said.

In some cases, donors can double their donations. <a href="http://www.nature.org/">The Nature Conservancy</a> start a Home for the Holidays Matching Fund, which doubles every dollar up to $100,000 donated on Giving Tuesday. Actress Candice Bergen stepped up and promised to match up to $100,000 in donations to the <a href="http://www.nature.org/">Natural Resources Defense Council</a>. 

On the other side of things, <a href="http://www.constellation.com/">Constellation</a> named 111 new recipients of its Community Champions grants in honor of the giving day. The energy company asked its customers to nominate community organizations focused on youth development, the environment and education for the grants, then awarded more than $53,000 in 15 states.

Nonprofits have reaped the rewards. Giving Tuesday has become the third largest giving day on the calendar in terms of money, and the second largest in terms of donations, McDonald said.

Even more importantly, nonprofits have seen an uptick in volunteerism, she said.

Some, like <a href="https://www.charitywater.org">charity: water</a>, are even seeking to turn a one-day boost on Giving Tuesday into a year-round surge of fundraising and volunteerism.

“This is a day that has become a meaningful day for many, many organizations,” McDonald said.

For the Indiana Forest Alliance, which receives all of their funding through donations, memorial gifts, and a few special events each year, Giving Tuesday can be a significant boost to their cash flow and introduce them to new donors. 

“Our best and most effective tool from here on out is the grassroots organizing we’re engaged in,” Bryan said – organizing supported entirely by volunteer efforts and donations. 

Giving Tuesday has been a huge monetary success for nonprofits, McDonald said, and that’s been wonderful for all the nonprofits involved. However, organizers are hoping to see it turn from a day for donations to a year-round movement of volunteerism and community building.

“That’s the kind of innovation that we see going forward, being able to carry Giving Tuesday into year-round impact,” she said.

There’s still time to get involved. Check out these <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/giving-tuesday-roundup/">ways to help the Earth</a> this Giving Tuesday – or all year.

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Giving Tuesday helps charities, but needs us to do more

For some nonprofits, Giving Tuesday donations can be vital for...

Coral deaths in the Great Barrier Reef have reached record numbers in 2016, and warming ocean temperatures may be to blame, scientists said.

One 400-mile stretch of the reef, a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a> off the northeast coast of Australia, has lost approximately 67 percent of its shallow-water corals in just nine months, according to dive surveys by the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a>. 

The central and southern portions of the reef saw far fewer coral deaths, the researchers said – 6 percent and 1 percent, respectively. This is good news for the tourists who head to those more popular areas of the reef, and for the industries that rely on those visitors, Australian officials said. 

But the damage to the northern region of the reef is extensive, and scientists at the research center, based at Queensland’s <a href="https://www.jcu.edu.au/">James Cook University</a>, believe the culprit is climate change and ocean warming linked to El Niño. 

In this and previous coral bleaching and die-off events in the reef, the areas affected were where water temperatures were the highest, the researchers said.

At least one expert on the reef – engineer Graeme Kelleher, who spent 16 years helming the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – blamed nearby coal mining operations and use of fossil fuels as well. 

The reef has lost 50 percent of its coral cover in just  30 years, he said. 

This is the third major coral die-off seen by the reef since 1998, and it was much worse than the 1998 event, scientists said. It could take 10 to 15 years for the northern portion of the reef to recover – if there are no further bleaching events.

Still, the Great Barrier Reef had seen a 19 percent increase in coral growth in recent years, Australian officials said, showing that its ecosystem is resilient. 

Australia will share the findings with the <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/">UNESCO World Heritage Centre</a>, and officials acknowledged that the die-off would probably land the reef on the organization’s “in danger” list. 

The country plans to spend $1.5 billion U.S. over the next decade to help improve the reef’s health.

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Great Barrier Reef sees record coral deaths this year

Coral deaths in the Great Barrier Reef have reached record...

Alaska has a new mystery that has some scientists stumped: disappearing caribou.

A massive herd of caribou that roams the Arctic region in the state has dwindled, with its population declining by more than half in just six years.

In 2010, the herd hit a peak population of about 70,000 caribou. By 2013, numbers had dwindled to about 50,000, and this year, <a href="http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/">Alaska Department of Fish and Game</a> surveys suggest the herd’s size has dropped to around 22,000.

Researchers can’t settle on a reason. They’ve ruled out hunting by wolves and bears as a factor, and while pregnancy levels are down among female caribou, it’s not enough to account for the population bleed.

Biologists can find so sign of diseases among the herd. They have seen a higher than normal death rate among the female caribou fitted with radio tracking collars, but no sign of what is causing those deaths, they said.

One change that may have played a role in 2013 was a later than normal spring. That seems to have led to poor nutrition among the caribou that year, scientists said. Researchers plan to study satellite and weather tracking data to see if other unusual weather patterns might have affected the mushrooms, lichen, sedges, and other plants the caribou eat, leading to malnutrition. 

Some of the herd may have split off to join other groups of caribou, but the scientists aren’t sure of the potential extent, or whether it would have caused such a sharp drop in numbers. Because not many of the adult caribou are fitted with the tracking collars, it’s difficult to account for all of the herd’s movements, they said.

The scientists declined to blame climate change for the herd’s population decline until they had studied more data. 

However, environmental groups believe that Alaskan polar bears have been affected by global warming in recent years. 

The advocacy group <a href="http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/">Polar Bears International</a> notes that loss of polar bear habitat due to sea ice melt has been linked to reduced size and weight among the bears, as well as a lower survival rate among cubs. 

The <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> is also working to determine what might be affecting the caribou. If summers have gotten warmer in the areas where they typically feed, booming insect populations could be driving them away, the agency’s wildlife biologists speculate.

However, studies comparing the caribous’ range to the 1970s have so far found no significant changes. 

Alaska residents have also questioned whether lax hunting rules for out-of-state visitors have played a role. The state fish and game department plans to reduce the number of caribou that can be killed from the herd this hunting season.

Two other north Alaskan caribou herds have seen declining numbers in recent years, although one seems to have stabilized, the department said.

Alaska biologists investigate mystery of disappearing caribou

Alaska has a new mystery that has some scientists stumped:...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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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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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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