High in Alaska’s Brooks Range, streams that once ran so clear you could drink from them are now the color of rusty tea. The water looks hazy, smells metallic, and can stain rocks orange for miles.&nbsp;



Fish are struggling, insect life is smothered, and the change has arrived with startling speed. Scientists say the culprit isn’t industry. It’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thawing-permafrost-could-tip-earths-climate-balance/">thawing permafrost</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-frozen-ground-wakes-up">When frozen ground wakes up</h2>



For millennia, Arctic permafrost - permanently frozen soil - locked minerals in place. As the region warms, that icy seal is failing. Water and oxygen seep into freshly thawed ground and set off a chain reaction in sulfide-rich rocks (pyrite is a prime example).&nbsp;



The chemistry is textbook: sulfides oxidize, sulfuric acid forms, and the acid leaches metals like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/iron-was-lifes-first-essential-metal-and-shaped-early-evolution/">iron</a>, aluminum, and cadmium from surrounding rock. Those metals then flush into rivers and streams.



“This is what acid mine drainage looks like,” said Tim Lyons, a biogeochemist at the University of California, Riverside. “But here, there’s no mine. The permafrost is thawing and changing the chemistry of the landscape.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-astounding-changes-in-water-chemistry">Astounding changes in water chemistry</h2>



A new study zeroes in on the Salmon River, a key waterway in the Brooks Range, documenting just how far the contamination has progressed.&nbsp;



But the authors stress the pattern isn’t isolated. Similar transformations are underway across dozens of Arctic watersheds that share the same mix of geology and thaw.



“I have worked and traveled in the Brooks Range since 1976, and the recent changes in landforms and water chemistry are truly astounding,” said David Cooper, a <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado State University</a> research scientist and co-author of the study.



The alarm first sounded in 2019. Ecologist Paddy Sullivan of the <a href="https://www.alaska.edu/alaska/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alaska</a> was flying into the backcountry to study northward-shifting forests when his bush pilot mentioned the Salmon hadn’t cleared after snowmelt - it looked, he said, “like sewage.”&nbsp;



Sullivan’s field observations led to a collaboration with Lyons, <a href="https://www.alaskapacific.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alaska Pacific University</a>’s Roman Dial, and others to trace the cause and measure the ecological fallout.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toxic-metals-in-alaska-s-rivers">Toxic metals in Alaska's rivers</h2>



The team’s analysis confirmed a geochemical cascade. Permafrost thaw exposes sulfide-bearing rocks, oxidation generates acidity, and the resulting acid mobilizes a suite of metals.&nbsp;



In small doses many metals are harmless or even essential. But at higher concentrations they become toxic to aquatic life - and the Salmon River’s waters now exceed the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> thresholds for several metals detrimental to fish and invertebrates.



Iron is the most visible signal. As iron oxidizes, it forms fine, orange precipitates that cloud the water and coat the streambed. That haze blocks sunlight that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-algae-that-once-cooled-earth-are-now-disappearing/">algae</a> and aquatic plants need, and the sludge blankets the gravel and cobbles where insect larvae live and fish spawn. 



Cadmium is more insidious: it can accumulate in fish organs, potentially affecting predators from Dolly Varden <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trout-living-in-polluted-rivers-evolved-to-tolerate-high-metal-levels-in-the-waters/">trout</a> and grayling to birds and bears.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ripple-effects-in-the-food-chain">Ripple effects in the food chain</h2>



For now, the researchers say metal levels in edible fish tissue are not considered hazardous to humans. But indirect risks loom large.&nbsp;



Chum salmon - central to the diets and culture of many Indigenous communities - lay their eggs in clean, oxygenated gravel. When those spaces fill with fine sediment and metal precipitates, the oxygen drops and eggs can suffocate. 



Changes in insect communities ripple up the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-twilight-zone-stabilizes-the-marine-food-chain/">food chain</a>, weakening the foundation that supports juvenile fish and the species that eat them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-irreversible-shift-in-alaska-s-rivers">Irreversible shift in Alaska's rivers</h2>



Unlike mine sites - where engineers can install liners, drains, or neutralizing systems - these rivers wind through remote, roadless country, and the sources of contamination are everywhere thaw has reached the right rock. There is no single pipe to plug, no settling pond to build.



“Wherever you have the right kind of rock and thawing permafrost, this process can start,” Lyons said. And once it does, it tends to keep going. The only true “off switch” would be for the permafrost to refreeze - an unlikely prospect in a warming climate.



“There’s no fixing this once it starts,” Lyons said. “It’s another irreversible shift driven by a warming planet.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingerprints-of-global-warming">Fingerprints of global warming</h2>



The experts hope their findings will help communities, land managers, and fisheries prepare - by expanding water quality monitoring, identifying vulnerable spawning grounds, planning alternative harvests if runs falter, and adapting management practices as conditions change.



The broader message is sobering. The Brooks Range is about as far from cities and smokestacks as you can get. Yet its rivers are wearing the unmistakable fingerprints of global warming.



“There are few places left on Earth as untouched as these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alaskas-rivers-are-rusting-and-the-changes-are-visible-from-space/">rivers</a>,” Lyons said. “But even here, far from cities and highways, the fingerprint of global warming is unmistakable. No place is spared.”



Rivers once known for their wild clarity are telling a new story - one where ancient ice, long trusted to keep the land’s chemistry in check, is finally letting go.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425644122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: Taylor Rhoades



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Alaska's rivers are turning orange, and the changes are irreversible

High in Alaska’s Brooks Range, streams that once ran so clear you could drink from them are now the color of rusty tea. The water looks hazy, smells metallic, and can stain rocks orange for miles.&nbsp; Fish are struggling, insect life is smothered, and the change has arrived with startling speed. Scientists say the culprit isn’t industry. It’s thawing permafrost. When frozen ground wakes up For millennia, Arctic permafrost - permanently frozen soil - locked minerals in place. As the region warms, that icy seal is failing....

Happy Earth Day! The planet is warming, seas are rising and violent weather is becoming too common to be called extreme. But there’s still good news out there on Planet Earth.

For instance, there’s a carbon capture technology that could revolutionize fossil-fuel energy. Solar-powered tech that can pull drinkable water out of the air from even the most water-restricted regions. A non-electric passenger train that only releases harmless steam. And a more planet-friendly way of…well, just read on.

Conquering the valley of death

Carbon capture isn’t new. The idea is to sequester carbon, a byproduct of fossil-fueled energy production, before it can be released into the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. It’s under development for coal-fueled energy plants, but it’s very expensive. That’s because it’s a two-cycle process wherein the nasty stuff must be siphoned off and rerouted to a second bolt-on unit.

But what if you could use carbon in a highly-pressurized state rather than steam to run combustion turbines in natural gas energy production, which is already recognized as being cleaner than coal? What if you could, in effect, then recycle that CO2 in a continuous loop and reuse it to run those turbines for zero emissions of CO2? And what if you could collect other usable gases in the process, further reducing operational costs?

8 Rivers Capital is a venture capital and private equity firm with the mission of inventing and commercializing good tech solutions to some of today’s leading problems. The firm started working on the concept of carbon capture back in 2009, with the help of Rodney Allam. The British chemical engineer and retired director of technology had first gotten interested in the challenge and potential of pressurizing CO2 after seeing a 1938 Russian paper presented at a tech conference in the 1990s.

“We started out trying to solve the coal problem,” 8 Rivers spokesperson Walker Dimmig told Earth.com.

At the time, there was still a lot of interest in coal-fueled energy generation, especially outside of the U.S. But “dirty” coal lost ground when natural gas became cheaper, could be processed with less of an environmental impact and looked more like the future of fossil-fueled energy.

8 Rivers started NET Power with investors CB&amp;I, Toshiba and Exelon. Bill Brown, the new company’s CEO, has the same title at 8 Rivers. The team is using the technology developed by Allam – the Allam Cycle – and believes that energy plants using it will cost about the same as a conventional natural gas energy plant.

“But we also learned that the gases we produce, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon, have a great deal of value. That’s the kicker,” said Dimmig.

Those gas byproducts with commercial value can also be sequestered and rerouted to customers, further reducing plant cost.

Now they must walk the valley of death. That’s the gap between theoretically solving a tech problem and commercializing it. Scientists and engineers can invent all kinds of cool stuff, but if the technology is too expensive or cumbersome to use it’s of little real-world value.

Will it work? The technology has merited favorable news reports by The New York Times, Forbes, Vox and National Public Radio. But the proof is in the proving. That’s why 8 Rivers is building a scaled-down power plant in La Porte, Texas that will go online later this year and be run by the energy company Exelon. The NET Power team envision carbon capture natural gas energy plants as being a logical planet-friendly option to renewable energy technologies still in development.

Bottom line, according to Dimmig: “It could lower the cost to the consumer while running clean.”

Steam dreams become reality

While NET Power is still traversing the valley of death, Germany has already figured out how to use hydrogen – a chemical industry waste product – to run passenger trains instead of heavily polluting diesel fuel. The world’s first hydrogen-fueled train was invented by a French company, Alstom, and will go into operation in northern Germany in December of this year.

The so-called hydrail requires the placement of a 200-pound hydrogen tank, which is nothing for a passenger train to carry. The hydrogen interacts with oxygen in the air to produce electricity which is stored in a large battery. The technology releases only steam and runs nearly silently.

Roughly 20 percent of all of Europe’s many rail lines are diesel-fueled, so the hydrail, as long as it can be fully proven out with the German train test, will be scaled up quickly. It has the potential to remove a large air pollution source throughout the EU.

Sun and air equals water

Imagine getting water that’s safe for drinking, cooking and hygiene from even the most drought-wracked pockets of the world. Now imagine this technology runs itself with an absence of wells or pipeline infrastructure. And the “recipe” is only sun and air. That describes Zero Mass Water in a nutshell.

“Even here in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, SOURCE produces clean, great-tasting drinking water from air using only the power of the sun,” company founder and CEO Cody Friesen told Earth.com by email. “We’ve installed SOURCE in a wide variety of climates from the arid desert to the humid equatorial jungle, and at a range of elevations including at the Dead Sea.”

Friesen is the Fulton Engineering Professor of Innovation at Arizona State University and a senior sustainability scientist at the school’s Global Institute of Sustainability. Furthering his credentials, Friesen also invented Fluidic Energy, a company that produces long duration, cost-effective batteries powering remote villages worldwide.

A SOURCE device looks like a solar panel with a water collection box and pulls ever-present water vapor from the air. One off-grid device can harvest more than five quarts of clean water per day, on average.

Think of the places on Earth where droughts have lasted years or decades, not months.

“Places that are experiencing drought still have moisture in the air (at times, a lot of moisture),” Friesen wrote. “SOURCE taps into this inexhaustible supply, making drinking water in places where the resource is scarce. It is the only technology that is both free of waste and free from water or energy infrastructure (that’s right, no pipe connection, just air as an input; and no electrical connection, just the sun for energy).”

Currently, each device costs a few thousand dollars, so Friesen’s next goal is to whittle away at costs so an array of devices can be installed in even the most impoverished communities. He’s also asking that current customers donate an extra ten percent of the sale price for placement of the devices in less fortunate regions of the world to “democratize” water resources.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/black-panel-close-up-1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-342234" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/black-panel-close-up-1-300x225.jpg" width="750" height="562" /></a>

The green reaper strikes

Undertaker Elizabeth Fournier proudly sports her self-described title, “green reaper.” Her website, naturally, is <a href="http://www.cornerstonefuneral.com">cornerstonefuneral.com</a>. She owns a funeral home in Boring, Oregon, a community she says is “anything but.”

Fournier got into green funerals about ten years ago, when a client asked that a loved one be buried on a piece of family property. To her surprise, she found that there were no regulations in her county against the practice. From then on, she became known as an undertaker not afraid to go non-traditional—and more earth-friendly in her services.

“I became everyone’s go-to girl for death,” Fournier told Earth.com in explaining how her childhood helping others bury loved pets put her on her career path.

A green or natural burial can include a simple wooden casket constructed of perhaps pine or cedar. No metal hardware or concrete liner. No multi-thousand-dollar plush box of hardwood construction that will never again see the light of day. As for the shroud, Fournier recommends such natural biodegradable products as silk, wool, cotton or linen. A sheet off the bed will do fine.

“You become part of the Earth,” she explained.

If Fournier’s preferred ways of departing sound like a return to the past, it is. As she explains it, journeyers along the Oregon Trail would bury their loved ones at the side of the road. Probably no casket at all, and a simple cross left behind to memorialize the departed. Embalming became a practice during the Civil War, when families wanted their dead soldiers returned from the battlefield for home burial.

Traditional burial practices waste endangered hardwoods. They put metals into the ground where they can poison water sources. Cremation is little better from an environmental perspective. Now the method used with 78 percent of the nation’s deaths, according to Fournier, cremation burns a lot of natural gas as fuel and can release toxic metals and chemicals from the body into the atmosphere.

Fournier stresses that she still provides traditional funeral and burial arrangements, and that everyone’s needs vary. It’s also important to look into the rules, regulations or even the availability of green burial services where you live because they vary greatly on a county-by-county basis. But if possible, and desired, green burial can be as good and loving to the planet as it is to the deceased.

-- 

Original Feature by <a href="mailto:dsearls@earth.com">David Searls</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Good News! A round-up of environmental preservation progress

Happy Earth Day! The planet is warming, seas are rising...

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are in no in better shape ecological shape than the rest of the world, according to a new international study that debunks a popular view.

In the study, published in <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>, 23 researchers compared Antarctic biodiversity and its management with that of the rest of the world.

Although the region is doing relatively well in some areas, such as invasive species management, it is lagging behind in others, such as protected area management and the regulation of bioprospecting, and other threats are looming, the study found.

“Biodiversity in the Antarctic region has often fallen between the cracks - no pun intended, given the cracks in ice cover that are developing," said study co-author Peter Stoett, professor of political science at <a href="http://www.concordia.ca/">Concordia University</a>.

He called the findings “fairly grim.”

Increased tourism and overfishing remain issues but the larger threats are warmer oceans, <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/camp-century-buried-waste/">melting ice</a> cover and transnational pollution according to the study.

Stoett and his co-authors met in Monaco and focused on 20 biodiversity targets - known as the Aichi Targets - set by the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/">Convention on Biological Diversity</a> to help assess progress in halting global biodiversity loss. This is the first  time the Aichi targets have been applied to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

"Overall, the biodiversity and conservation management outlook for Antarctica and the Southern Ocean is no different than that of the rest of the planet," says professor Steven Chown, the study's lead author and head of the School of Biological Sciences at <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a>, in Melbourne, Australia.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>

Antarctica has a big biodiversity problem

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are in no in better...

Wind blasts and shock waves would inflict the most casualties if an asteroid hit the earth, according to a new study, the <a href="http://dailym.ai/2oVLA82">Daily Mail</a> reported.

The study published in <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017GL073191/full">Geophysical Research Letters</a> explored seven effects associated with asteroid strikes--heat, pressure, shock waves, flying debris, tsunamis, wind blasts, seismic shaking and cratering.

Wind blasts and shock waves would likely account for 60 percent of the lives lost, the study’s simulation found.

Shock waves are caused rise from a spike in atmospheric pressure and can rupture internal organs, while wind blasts carry enough power to hurl human bodies and flatten forests, the story said..

"This is the first study that looks at all seven impact effects generated by hazardous asteroids and estimates which are, in terms of human loss, most severe," said Clemens Rumpf of the <a href="http://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a>, who led the new study, the Daily Mail reported.

Rumpf plans to present his study at the 2017 International Academy of Astronautics Planetary Defense Conference in Tokyo, Japan, later this year, the newspaper said.

"Deadly asteroid impacts are rare," Rumpf said. "The Earth is struck by an asteroid more than 190 feet wide wide approximately once every 1,500 years. Those more than 1,300 feet wide strike once every 100,000 years."

“The likelihood of an asteroid impact is really low," Rumpf added. “But the consequences can be unimaginable.”

Land-based asteroid strikes would be more dangerous than those in the seas, the study found.

Overall, <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/tsunamis-zap-sound-waves/">tsunamis</a> would account for 20 percent of lives lost, the study found.

The heat generated by an asteroid accounted for nearly 30 percent of deaths, it said.

“Information about the dominance of each impact effect can enable disaster managers to plan for the most relevant effects in the event of an asteroid impact,” the study said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://dailym.ai/2oVLA82">Daily Mail</a>

What happens if an asteroid really does strike Earth?

Wind blasts and shock waves would inflict the most casualties...

Seafloor erosion now threatens five large coral reefs tracts in Florida, the Caribbean and Hawaii, a new study found.

Coastal communities protected by the reefs face higher risks of storms, waves and erosion, according to the study by the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">US Geological Survey</a> published Thursday in <a href="http://www.biogeosciences.net/14/1739/2017/">Biogeosciences</a>, a journal of the <a href="http://www.egu.eu/">European Geosciences Union</a>. 

Seafloor erosion has already increased water depths more than what most scientists expected to occur decades from now, the study found.

'"At current rates, by 2100 seafloor erosion could increase water depths by two to eight times more than what has been predicted from sea level rise alone," said the study’s lead author, USGS biogeochemist Kimberly Yates.

Intense research is underway to determine whether coral colonies can grow fast enough to keep up with rising sea depths.

Worldwide, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-saving-coral-reefs/">coral reefs</a>, which serve as natural barriers against storms, waves and erosion, protect more than 200 million people in coastal communities. Reefs provide about one-quarter of all fish harvests in the tropical oceans, and are recreation and tourism sites.

“This study tells us that they have a critical role in building and sustaining the physical structure of the coastal seafloor, which supports healthy ecosystems and protects coastal communities,” said John Haines,coordinator of the <a href="https://marine.usgs.gov/">USGS Coastal and Marine Geolog</a>y program. 

 No specific cause of the seafloor erosion was identified in the new study. Coral reefs worldwide are declining due to a combination of factors, including, coastal development and overfishing, the authors said.

Seafloor elevation has decreased at all five reef tracts the study, in amounts ranging from 0.09 metres to 0.8 meters. All five lost large amounts of coral, sand, and other sea floor materials to erosion.

"We saw lower rates of erosion--and even some localized increases in seafloor elevation--in areas that were protected, near refuges, or distant from human population centers," Yates said. "But these were not significant enough to offset the ecosystem-wide pattern of erosion at each of our study sites."

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:  <a href="http://www.biogeosciences.net/14/1739/2017/">Biogeosciences</a>

Coral reefs threatened by seafloor erosion, study finds

Seafloor erosion now threatens five large coral reefs tracts in...

Five major wildlife protection groups Wednesday asked the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> to put giraffes under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2017/04/19/wildlife-groups-petition-add-giraffes-endangered-species-list/100659562/">USA Today</a> reported.

Listing the giraffe as endangered would ban most imports of giraffe parts into the U.S. and limit exports, the story said. It would also help regulate the domestic trade in giraffe trophies and parts; and help reduce trophy hunting of giraffes, the story said.

“Giraffes have been dying off silently for decades, and we have to act quickly before they disappear forever,” Tanya Sanerib, a senior attorney at the<a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/"> Center for Biological Diversity</a>, one of the groups that prepared the petition, told the newspaper. There are now fewer giraffes than elephants in Africa, Sanerib said

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunting-reduces-populations/">Hunting</a>, habitat loss and other factors have caused giraffe populations to drop by 40 percent over the past 30 years, the story said. There are now only 97,000 giraffes living in the wild down from between 151,000 and 163,000 in 1985, according to the newspaper.

Other groups filing the petition include <a href="http://www.hsi.org/">Humane Society International</a>,<a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/"> the Humane Society of the United States</a>, and the<a href="http://www.ifaw.org/united-states/get-involved/tell-us-government-to-protect-giraffes?ms=UONDG170407020&amp;cid=7012A000000rnE7"> International Fund for Animal Welfare</a>.

“I can’t – and won’t – imagine Africa’s landscape without giraffes,” Elly Pepper, deputy director of the Natural Resource Defense Council’s wildlife trade initiative, told USA today. "Giving giraffes Endangered Species Act protections would be a giant step in the fight to save them from extinction.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has 90 days to respond to the petition, the story said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:  <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2017/04/19/wildlife-groups-petition-add-giraffes-endangered-species-list/100659562/">USA Today</a>

Wildlife groups seek endangered status for giraffes

Five major wildlife protection groups Wednesday asked the U.S. Fish...

The <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-201703">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) said Wednesday the average global temperature in March was 56.8 degrees Fahrenheit, the second highest for the month since it began keeping records.

It was also first time the monthly temperature was 1.8 degrees  higher than the 20th century average of 54.9 degrees without an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-unpredictable/">El Nino</a> warming effect in the tropical Pacific, according to the NOAA, which has been keeping records since 1880.

This March trailed only the same month last year, which was .32 degrees warmer and still holds the record. But there was an El Nino event last year unlike so far in 2017.

France, Germany and other parts of Europe saw record heat while most of the Arctic - except Alaska and Canada - was unusually warm, NOAA climate scientist Ahira Sanchez-Lugo told the Associated Press, according to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4426000/Cant-blame-El-Nino-global-temps-spike-March.html">Daily Mail</a>.

“The planet is getting to the point where it'll likely be that much warmer than the 20th century average,” Sanchez-Lugo said.

“If El Nino were the main driver of record warmth, there is no way the last three months (of this year) would have been as warm as they have been,” said <a href="http://berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a> climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, according to the Mail.

“'These records are going to continue for the rest of our lives,” said climate scientist Andrew Dessler of <a href="http://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-201703">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4426000/Cant-blame-El-Nino-global-temps-spike-March.html">Daily Mail</a>

March second warmest on record, agency says

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Wednesday the...

The 2010 <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/mutant-fish-bp-oil-spill/">BP Horizon oil spill</a> inflicted an estimated $17.2 billion in damage to the natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a new study.

"This is proof that our natural resources have an immense monetary value to citizens of the United States who visit the Gulf and to those who simply care that this valuable resource is not damaged," said Kevin Boyle, a professor of agricultural and applied economics in the <a href="https://www.cals.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech College of Agriculture  and Life Sciences </a> and one of the authors of the study.

The study was launched in May 2010, one month after the oil spill, by 18 researchers commissioned by the.<a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>. 

The researchers conducted a national survey to place a dollar value on the natural resources damaged by the 134-million-gallon spill, the largest in U.S. history. The first round of surveys was administered face-to-face with trained interviewers while the remaining surveys were completed by mail.

 Survey participants were asked how much they would pay in a hypothetical one-time tax  to prevent a repeat of the damage the spill did to beaches, marshes, animals, fish, and coral.

The average household was willing to pay $153 for a prevention program which multiplied by the number of households sampled totaled $17.2 billion.

The research, to be published in <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a> this week, is the first comprehensive study of the spill’s financial impact on natural resources.

"Our estimate can guide policy makers and the oil industry in determining not only how much should be spent on restoration efforts for the Deepwater spill, but also how much should be invested to protect against damages that could result from future oil spills," said Boyle. "People value our natural resources, so it's worth taking major actions to prevent future catastrophes and correct past mistakes."

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:  <a href="https://www.cals.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences </a>

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.uscg.mil/">US Coast Guard</a>

BP Oil Spill damage to natural resources estimated at $17.2 billion

The 2010 BP Horizon oil spill inflicted an estimated $17.2...

Human influences account for the decline in water retained from melting snow on mountains in the Western United States, a new study found.

Over the last three decades, the annual maximum amount of water contained from the mountains has declined 20 percent, the study said. Natural influences alone could not account for the losses, the researchers said.

Their analysis attributed the drop to human factors such as changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-reduce-greenhouse-gases/">greenhouse gases</a>, aerosols, ozone and land use.

"These results add to the evidence of a human influence on climate that will have severe impacts on our water supply," said Benjamin Santer, a climate scientist at <a href="https://www.llnl.gov/">Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory</a> and a co-author of the paper.

Data examined by the researchers showed that 307 of the 354 snow runoff measuring stations or about 87 percent of all stations, have a negative trend in annual maximum water from snow runoff.

The researchers estimate another 60 percent loss of maximum water from melted snow over the next 60 years. 

Runoff from melting snow in the mountains strongly influences the levels of rivers and streams . 

"The projected losses have serious implications for the hydropower, municipal and agricultural sectors in the region," said John Fyfe, a senior research scientist at the <a href="http://www.cccma.ec.gc.ca/">Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis of Environment and Climate Change Canada</a>, and lead author of the study, scheduled for publication in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.llnl.gov/">Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory</a>

Decline in Western U.S. snow runoff due to human influences

Human influences account for the decline in water retained from...

The brown marmorated stink bug arrived in the United States around 20 years ago with the first specimen collected in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This invasive insect attacks fruits, vegetables, and crops. The non-native bugs are pests indoors as well, searching for homes to occupy in the fall and winter. Once they gain access to a home, stink bugs are proving to be a challenge to remove. New research shows the bugs are dodging traps in large numbers during late fall and winter.

Entomologists conducted a study to test the effectiveness of trapping stink bugs using one of the leading techniques. The traps were baited with aggregation pheromones, which are those that attract other members of a species to a particular location.

The lead author on the study is Rob Morrison, PhD., a research entomologist for the <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/">United States Department Of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service</a> (USDA-ARS). Morrison teamed up with fellow entomologists at the <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/">USDA-ARS </a>Appalachian Fruit Research Station, <a href="https://www.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech University</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_State_University">North Carolina State University</a>. The team tested stink bug traps in infested homes in 2014 and 2016. Traps were set up in buildings that were both heated and unheated. 

“Just eight to 20% of the stink bugs we saw crawling around hallways were captured,” says Morrison.

The study, set to be published next week in the Journal of Economic Entomology, reveals that the brown marmorated stink bug, or Halyomorpha halys, are not attracted to the aggregation pheromone during late fall and early winter. The bugs are largely unresponsive to the aggregation <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/pheromones-human-exist/">pheromones</a> until the days become significantly longer in late April to early May. In addition to capturing only a small percentage of the stink bugs, the traps failed to give a consistent indication of the amount of stink bugs present in each location. This means the traps are not accurate enough for monitoring purposes.

The findings of the study show the best approach to stink bugs is prevention.

"To prevent brown marmorated stink bugs from gaining access to your house, seal all holes and cracks, including where the roof meets the structure, and where the house meets the foundation," Morrison says.

The results of the study raise concerns about just how serious the spread of stink bugs may become. Morrison and his colleagues will continue to work toward containment of the insects.

"The brown marmorated stink bug may rely on a yet-to-be-identified chemical stimulus or other communication method during the fall when they disperse to overwintering sites and when they emerge during the spring," explains Morrison. "Both are areas of active research."

--

By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/">United States Department Of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service</a>

Stink bugs found to cause extra trouble during the winter

The brown marmorated stink bug arrived in the United States...

Scientists have long known that air pollution can exacerbate and raise rates of asthma symptoms, but little evidence has been found linking direct biological and molecular factors to these respiratory health issues.

Recently, researchers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> published a study revealing the direct biological effect of air pollution on the upper respiratory system in mice. These findings have wide-sweeping implications for the health and quality of life of people who live in urban and industrial areas with poor air quality, particularly in the developing world.

“In the U.S., regulations have kept a lot of air pollution in check, but in places like New Delhi, Cairo or Beijing, where people heat their houses with wood-burning stoves, and factories release pollutants into the air, our study suggests people are at higher risk of developing chronic sinus problems,” explains Dr. Murray Ramanthan, associate professor of otolaryngology at <a href="http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/">Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine</a>.

The symptoms of chronic sinus problems – known as chronic sinusitis – include congestion, pain and pressure in the face, and a stuffy or runny nose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic sinusitis affects more than 29 million people in the U.S. alone. Studies done on individuals suffering from this problem have reported mental health problems associated with chronic sinusitis, including depression and chronic fatigue.

The research team at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins</a> set about determining the biological effect of air pollution on the upper airways by exposing mice to either filtered air or concentrated Baltimore air. The polluted air contained particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or less, which excluded most allergens like dust and pollen. Despite being concentrated, these aerosolized particles were still 30 to 60 percent lower than the average concentrations of particles in similar size cities like New Delhi, Cairo, and Beijing.

After prolonged exposure, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/scientists-reverse-paralysis-mice/">mice</a> had their noses and sinuses flushed with water, which was then examined under a microscope to look for inflammatory and other cells. The researchers noticed that mice exposed to the polluted air had significantly more white blood cells, which suggested increased inflammation. 

The researchers also examined layers of cells along the nasal passages and sinuses of the mice, and found that the surface layer was 30 to 40 percent thicker in mice that breathed the polluted air. According to Ramanathan, this is another sign of inflammation that extends to humans and other animals as well.

“We’ve identified a lot of evidence that breathing in dirty air directly causes a breakdown in the integrity of the sinus and nasal air passages in mice,” says Ramanathan. “Keeping this barrier intact is essential for protecting the cells in the tissues from irritation or infection from other sources, including pollen or germs.”

Moving forward, Ramanathan and his colleagues plan on continuing their study of the molecular changes that occur in the sinus and nasal barriers as a result of poor air quality. Hopefully, research such as this will lead to a better understanding of how air pollution impacts health, and will ultimately generate a greater effort to improve air quality in cities.

More information on this study can be found in the <a href="http://www.atsjournals.org/journal/ajrcmb">American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/som/">Johns Hopkins Medicine</a>

Study: City air pollution can cause serious respiratory problems

Scientists have long known that air pollution can exacerbate and...

Communities, women’s groups, and environmental activists are joining forces with Indigenous Peoples today as part of the <a href="http://www.landrightsnow.org/">Land Rights Now</a> initiative. Protests, events, and meetings will take place this week to draw attention to the global campaign that aims to help protect the land ownership rights of Indigenous Peoples. The goal of the initiative, launched in March 2016, is to double the quantity of land owned and managed by Natives and local communities by 2020.

"The power of the <a href="http://www.landrightsnow.org/">Land Rights Now</a> initiative is its unifying call to respect the rights of approximately 2.5 billion people, which includes around 400 million Indigenous Peoples," said Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the <a href="http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/SRIndigenousPeoples/Pages/SRIPeoplesIndex.aspx">UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples</a>. "Recognizing these rights also means reducing conflict, fighting against climate change, promoting sustainable development, preserving cultures, and protecting the world's most fragile ecosystems."

Governments are taking control of the future of land that they do not have the right to govern, as the struggle for Indigenous Peoples to secure their land rights becomes a global issue. Dams, coal mines and palm oil plantations are among the projects that are in the works that would demolish the conservation efforts of many generations of Indigenous peoples. Natives are attempting to gain the acknowledgement and support of both the government and the private sector for their efforts to preserve biodiversity and prevent climate change. Communities of Brazil, Kenya, Guatemala, and Taiwan are demanding their rights to land be recognized before it is too late.

"We have the right to decide our own future and survival, and are carrying out projects that protect our territory and protect our planet from the impacts of climate change," said Manari Ushigua, President of the Sápara Federation in Ecuador.

The Save Lamu Coalition has united in Kenya to protest the construction of of a coal plant in Lamu, a coastal town in Kenya. The community here depends on the land and coastal waters that would be immensely damaged by the coal plant.

"We're not anti-development, but no one in the world has ventured into coal mining and faced no long-term consequences," noted Ishaq Abubakar of the Lamu Youth Alliance.

Lamu activist Walid Ahmed added, "The whole world is worried about global warming and climate change. It can't be these things do not matter for Lamu."

Brazil, once known as a leader in preserving Indigenous land rights, is now blatantly disregarding these rights with infrastructure plans that threaten the livelihood of the Munduruku and other Amazonian communities. Part of the Amazon forest, which happens to be one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, would be devastated by the development of a proposed mega-dam. 

"Indigenous lands help regulate the planet's climate, for they are obstacles to deforestation. There is ten times less deforestation in indigenous lands than in non-titled lands," said Sônia Guajajara, National Coordinator of Brazil's Association of Indigenous Peoples. "The section of the Amazon Forest under our protection stores 13 billion tons of carbon. Without these reserves, Brazil will not comply with the goals established in the Paris Climate Agreement."

Indigenous movement leaders have enlisted the help of Justice Minister Osmar Serraglio, a former member of Brazil’s agribusiness legislature. They are urging Serraglio to help end the Brazilian government’s attack on Indigenous People’s rights and land. Activists also want Serraglio to stop efforts to pass a Constitutional Amendment that will slow the legal designation of land to the Natives.

"The [Brazilian] government is coming here to get rid of everything--the natives, the forest and the river," said Chief Juarez Saw of the Munduruku.

In Guatemala, palm oil production is taking precedence over the Natives’ land ownership rights, and many have been forced to leave their land. Communities of Raxruha in the Alta Verapaz region have been impacted the most, but the effects of this industry are approaching surrounding villages. The Network of Communities Affected by Palm Oil has organized to demand the government to stop violating land ownership rights. They also point out that the social and environmental damage that has been done must be repaired.

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preparing-new-era-wildfires/">forests</a> have provided a way of life for the Guatemalan Natives that preserve them for generations. These resourceful  forests are being rapidly replaced by palm oil plantations that are damaging the environment. For many of the Natives, their lives have been completely uprooted. Any opposition by the Natives to the acquisition of their land is met with violence and force.

Margarita Osorio is a local women's leader and land rights activist. "The destruction of the forests began when they started planting palm oil. We feel challenged and intimidated by the way they criminalize and threaten us," said Osorio.

Recent legislature took away any chance for Natives of Taiwan to protect their land rights. The government can take away their land with no contention, and they have. The Pinuyamayan people in the community of Kasavakan have already lost ten acres of forest. They are teaming up with other Indigenous organizations to oppose the new regulation.

"Now we have no way to exercise our Free, Prior and Informed Consent when a development project is conducted in so-called 'private lands,'" said Tuhi Martukaw, a member of the community. "It is ten acres today but what worries the community is what comes next. The concern is that this ruling will split apart Indigenous Peoples lands and make way for massive development projects that don't take the existing communities into consideration." 

Indigenous Peoples have been responsible for the conservation of the land and forests they inhabit for ages. Research shows they have maintained a high level of biodiversity and lower deforestation rates in their ancestral community forests. Despite the immeasurable protection these groups have provided for natural resources, governments across the globe are disregarding the land rights of Natives with plans of destructive projects. The disturbance of these well-preserved habitats is not only a threat to the Indigenous Peoples, but also a threat to the climate and the Earth’s most valuable substances. 

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.landrightsnow.org/">Land Rights Now</a>

Urgent action taken to secure land rights of Indigenous peoples

Communities, women’s groups, and environmental activists are joining forces with...

Despite a low human population, plastic waste is “abundant and widespread” in seas east of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-crack-greenland-glacier/">Greenland</a> and north of Scandinavia, according to the study by the <a href="http://www.aaas.org">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>.

The study’s authors said the potential effects of the plastic pollution flow on the Arctic's unique ecosystem are “especially concerning.” While plastic pollution has long been a problem in bodies of waters, such as the Mediterranean Sea, near more densely populated areas, it was not expected to accumulate in low-population areas at polar latitudes, the study said.

A 2013 polar expedition by researcher, Andrés Cózar  used nets to collect floating plastic debris, including fishing lines and a variety of plastic films, fragments and granules.

In the new study, researchers used 17,000 satellite buoys to estimate that there are hundreds of tons of plastic waste in the Arctic waters on the surface alone. Much more plastic debris has likely accumulated on the seafloor, the study said.

The debris likely travelled on currents from the coasts of northwest Europe, the U.K. and the east coast of the U.S.

Although Arctic floating plastic currently accounts for less than 3% of the global total, a current known as the  “global ocean conveyor belt” will cause the pollution  to continuously accumulate from lower latitudes, the study said.

“The results stress the importance of properly managing plastic litter at its source, because once it enters the ocean, its destination can be unpredictable,” the American Association for the Advancement of Science said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.aaas.org">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>

Plastic waste is being dumped into the already-troubled Arctic

Despite a low human population, plastic waste is “abundant and...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

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

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</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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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