Household energy costs do not hit everyone equally. Some families spend a much larger share of their income keeping the lights and heat on, and that strain adds up over time.



A large national analysis looked at what happens when homes install rooftop solar, and the results point to real relief. The picture is nuanced, and the numbers tell an important story.



<a href="https://emp.lbl.gov/people/sydney-forrester" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sydney P. Forrester</a> of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (<a href="https://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LBL</a>) led the analysis. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48967-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> helps separate hopeful claims from what the data actually show.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-panels-and-energy-burden">Solar panels and energy burden</h2>



The term <a href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-07/16.%20How%20high%20are%20household%20energy%20burdens_0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">energy burden</a> refers to the share of a household’s gross income that goes to energy bills like electricity, gas, and heating fuel. 



By definition, a high burden begins above 6 percent of income, while a severe burden begins above 10 percent.



Those thresholds matter because a high or severe burden often forces tradeoffs that affect comfort, health, and stability. When energy takes too big a slice of income, it can crowd out essentials and reduce options.



Policymakers use this metric to track equity and target support to households under pressure. Clear definitions help programs focus on the people who need help most.



Cutting energy burden is not only about saving money. It is also about reducing the risk that families have to ration heat or power during unsafe conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-researchers-found">What the researchers found</h2>



The new study examined roughly 500,000 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-panels-could-power-every-home-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. households</a> that adopted rooftop solar. It found that the median energy burden fell from 3.3 percent to 2.6 percent across adopters.



The authors put it plainly, “rooftop solar reduces energy burden across a majority of adopters during our study period from a median of 3.3% to 2.6%,” wrote Forrester. That is a national view, not a single city snapshot.



Low income and moderate income households also saw declines. Median burden dropped from 7.7 percent to 6.2 percent for low income households, and from 4.1 percent to 3.3 percent for moderate income households.



The share of low income households facing high or severe burden fell from 67 percent to 52 percent after adoption. For moderate income households, the share fell from 21 percent to 13 percent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-panel-results-differ">Solar panel results differ</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-panels-are-1000-times-more-powerful-with-new-tech-breakthrough/">Solar</a> does not play out the same way in every region. The study reports larger average reductions in the West, smaller in the Midwest and Northeast, and increases for the median household in the South due to cheaper electricity that limits bill reductions.



Income levels shape outcomes as well. When energy already costs a high share of income, even moderate bill cuts can matter a lot.



Heating fuel type also influences results. Homes that rely on propane or fuel oil have higher burdens that solar cannot fully offset because those fuels are not displaced by on site generation.



Weather, housing stock, and local tariffs round out the picture. Those details explain why two similar systems in different places can yield very different financial outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-loans-leases-and-the-fine-print">Loans, leases, and the fine print</h2>



There is a difference between what the utility bill shows and what the full budget feels like. The study compared bill savings alone to net savings after including off bill costs like loan or lease payments and incentives.



On bills alone, the median customer saved about 1,987 dollars per year. After counting loans or leases, the median net savings was about 691 dollars per year.



That gap is not a trick, it reflects financing and incentive structures. It also shows why simple bill comparisons can overstate what households actually keep.



The ownership model matters. Lease customers, on average, saw slightly larger percentage point burden reductions than loan financed owners, but they tended to start with higher burdens.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-household-savings-from-solar-panels">Household savings from solar panels</h2>



Solar helps many households, but it is not a magic switch. You still need to look at total costs, incentives, and how your utility credits excess generation through <a href="https://seia.org/net-metering/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">net metering</a> if it applies in your area.



Comparing quotes from vetted installers can lower upfront costs and clarify long term terms. Transparent proposals make it easier to choose a system size and financing plan that fits your usage.



If your home uses natural gas, fuel oil, or propane for heat, solar will not touch those costs directly. You might see bill relief on electricity but still face high heating expenses in winter.



Pairing solar with weatherization and efficient electric heating can change the math. Insulation, air sealing, and heat pumps lower total energy needs, which lowers burden.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-policy-and-equity-angles">Policy and equity angles</h2>



“Policymakers at the federal and state level have begun to incorporate energy burden into equity goals and program evaluations,” wrote Forrester. That framing reflects a shift toward measuring whether programs reduce strain on households.



Results in the South underline a key point. Where electricity is cheap, solar may not reduce bills enough to cover financing costs in the short term, even if burdens remain relatively low.



For households with very high burdens, solar may help but not solve the problem. Pairing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-cells-made-from-moon-dust-work-incredibly-well-providing-hope-for-lunar-colonies/">solar</a> incentives with weatherization and targeted bill assistance can bring burdens below 6 percent.



Data like these help agencies set realistic goals. They also help identify groups that need tailored support, such as households heated by fuel oil or propane.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-panels-and-the-future">Solar panels and the future</h2>



The analysis used modeled hourly household loads tied to real homes, which allows coverage of many places but adds uncertainty. That approach is standard when metered data are not available at the needed scale.



Tariff assumptions reflect 2021 conditions and may differ from more recent rate reforms in some states. Changing compensation structures for exported solar can shift household outcomes.



Income estimates came from 2021 data to match the study period. That choice captures the right year for burden calculations but can differ from income at the time of adoption.



Future studies can track newer tariffs, time of use rates, and evolving incentive designs. They can also follow households over time to see how savings hold up across years.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48967-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



-----



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Solar panels save families an average of $2,000 a year, according to a new study

Household energy costs do not hit everyone equally. Some families spend a much larger share of their income keeping the lights and heat on, and that strain adds up over time. A large national analysis looked at what happens when homes install rooftop solar, and the results point to real relief. The picture is nuanced, and the numbers tell an important story. Sydney P. Forrester of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) led the analysis. The work helps separate hopeful claims from what the data actually show. Solar...

Everyone can relax. We finally know where the Hyolith sea creature belongs on the tree of life.  
The first fossil of the ocean floor dwelling creature was discovered 175 years ago.  The mysterious animal, with its cone-shaped shell, tentacles, and appendages for walking, has eluded scientific classification until now.
Scientists say the Hyolith belongs to an invertebrate group that includes the horseshoe worm.
“Hyoliths are small cone-shaped sea dwelling animals. They are known from all around the world, mostly from fossils of their shells, “ Joseph Moysiuk of<a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/"> University of Toronto</a> told<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news"> BBC News</a>.
Moysiuk analyzed more than 1,500 specimens excavated from rocks found in Canada and the U.S. to reach this conclusion about the animal’s classification.
“They appear in the fossil record about 530 million years ago and survived until about 250 million years ago.”
“But the question of where Hyoliths actually fit into the tree of life has been somewhat of a mystery for the last 175 years, since they were first described.”
Hyoliths had long been assumed to be related to today’s common mollusks – like squid, octopus, clams, and snails. However, the new research published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html">Nature</a> suggests that they are more closely related to another group of organisms known as lophophorata, which also include lamp shells (brachipods).
Researchers involved in the study analyzed soft tissue preserved in fossils from a site called Burgess Shale in Canada.
“Being able to place them on the tree of life, it solves this long paleontological mystery about what these creatures are,” said Moysiuk.
He adds, “We have been able to discover some new features of a very old group of fossil animals, and it’s allowed us to reveal the evolutionary history of this group of animals and where exactly they sit on the tree of life.”
Dr. Martin Smith of the <a href="https://www.dur.ac.uk/">University of Durham, UK</a>, also analyzed the fossils. He believes that understanding how the ancient creatures lived can offer insight into the impact of mass extinction events.
The Hyolith, which lived during the Cambrian period nearly 540 million years ago, was wiped out (along with most animal life) during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, 252 million years ago.
“Understanding the effects of such mass extinctions on ecology and diversity is particularly important as we seek to appraise and mitigate the implications of the current mass extinction event brought about by human activity,” said Dr. Smith.

Ancient Hyolith sea creature joins the tree of life

Everyone can relax. We finally know where the Hyolith sea...

The post-apocalyptic world of endless desert and dust bowls in Mad Max: Fury Road featured a tyrant who lorded over the starving and dehydrated masses by controlling a huge tank of drinkable water. The sci-fi film may have been more realistic than we knew, as a new affordable water crisis may be developing in the U.S.. 

A new study by <a href="https://msu.edu">Michigan State University</a> scholar and assistant geography professor Elizabeth Mack asserts that if water rates continue to rise as projected, the number of U.S. households unable to afford water could triple by nearly 36% in as few as five years. 

In her study, one of the first nationwide investigations of water affordability, Mack attributes the developing water crisis to a number of factors, including aging infrastructure, climate change, and declining populations in urban areas. 

“In cities across the United States, water affordability is becoming an increasingly critical issue,” Mack states. Her study, published online in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>, analyzes water pricing, consumption, socioeconomic and demographic data. 

The <a href="https://www.epa.gov">Environmental Protection Agency</a> recommends that spending on water and wastewater services combined should amount to no more than 4.5% of household income. If true, some 13.8 million U.S. households (nearly 12% of all households) may be unable to pay their water bills. She says that poor families are being hit especially hard by these statistics. 

Since 2010, water rates have gone up 41%. If that trend continues, an estimated 40.9 million households (35.6% of all households) will be unable to afford water and wastewater services in five years.

Regarding aging infrastructure, experts predict it will cost more than $1 trillion over the next 25 years to replace World War II-era water systems. Climate change is expected to introduce more severe weather events and require improvements to wastewater facilities. These fixes are estimated to cost the U.S. more than $36 billion by 2050.

In addition to that, shrinking populations in major cities results in fewer households paying for the large fixed cost of water service.  In Philadelphia, 40% of water accounts are past due. In Detroit, 50,000 households have been unable to pay their bills and had their water service terminated since the beginning of 2014.

The study says that governments, utilities and consumers will have to work together to fix the issue.

“Water is a fundamental right for all humans. However, a growing number of people in the United States and globally face daily barriers to accessing clean, affordable water,” says Mack. “The hope that is enhanced awareness of this issue in the developed world will highlight the severity of the issue, which is not isolated to people in the Developing world.”

Affordable water crisis developing in the U.S.

The post-apocalyptic world of endless desert and dust bowls in...

Northern California and Nevada residents can breathe a sigh of relief. The persistent drought that has plagued both regions appears to be over, for now.

The status change is thanks to a pineapple express. The atmospheric river that formed near Hawaii brought as much as 20 inches of rain to some locations over two weeks. It also added a huge amount of fluffy white snow to the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

For the first time since 2013, more than 40 percent of California is not in a state of drought, according to the <a href="http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA">U.S. Drought Monitor</a>. In fact, most of California north of Interstate 80 is not in a drought at all anymore.

“The snow just won't stop!” the Sacramento office of the National Weather Service <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/819603162676002816">tweeted</a>, along with a 24-hour list of snowfall totals.

The storms boosted several areas far beyond normal rainfall, in fact. Sacramento saw 197 percent of its normal rainfall from October 1, 2016 through Thursday. Redding, Crescent City, Eureka, and Stockton all topped 170 percent of normal. Grass Valley topped 200 percent, and San Francisco recorded 165 percent, the <a href="http://www.weather.gov/">National Weather Service</a> said.

Some reservoirs were so full, authorities were releasing water ahead of another expected storm system next week.

Drought conditions were looking similarly cheerful – despite the rain – in Nevada.

“Bye bye Drought. Don't let the door hit you on the way out,” the Reno office of the National Weather Service <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSReno/status/819574493328900096">tweeted</a>. An attached map from the U.S. Drought Monitor showed most of the state with normal rainfall, and nowhere with worse than moderate drought.

The bad news? The persistent drought in Southern California has continued, the National Weather Service <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSacramento/status/819585174128173057">tweeted</a>.

The worse news? After six years of drought, the storms left a path of destruction in their wake.

Officials are investigating four deaths linked to the storms that barreled through the region. A number of Northern California farmers have reported stranded livestock, too.

The town of Guerneville was flooded by the Russian River, and other Sonoma County residents fled as the river continued to rise. The tiny Sacramento County town of Wilton had to be evacuated as the nearby Cosumnes River threatened to pour over levees.

The Sacramento Weir was opened for the first time since 2005, flooding agricultural fields around the city but relieving pressure on river levees. A tornado touched down north of Sacramento, in Natomas.

Blizzard warnings in the Sierra Nevada brought the risk of an avalanche near Lake Tahoe and shuttered several ski resorts.

And there’s more to come.

Storms should settle down in Northern California and Nevada for the next few days, but pick up again next week, according to the private forecasting firm <a href="http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/river-of-moisture-to-resume-rounds-of-flooding-rain-feet-of-snow-in-california-during-late-january/70000542">Accuweather.com</a>.

Another atmospheric river is expected to carry water along the jet stream all the way from Japan to Oregon and Northern California, meteorologists said.

“While all of the storms may not tap into tropical moisture, they will still have a long time to grab moisture from the northern Pacific,” Senior Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

Residents of California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington should brace for floods and mudslides, meteorologists said. Northern California is most at risk for flooding.

Southern California is likely to catch some intermittent rain as well. It’s too early to predict when and how much the southern half of the state could see, Accuweather said, or whether it will put a dent in the area's persistent drought.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Northern California, Nevada say 'so long' to persistent drought

Northern California and Nevada residents can breathe a sigh of...

Scientists have spent years trying to work out how to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Sometimes the greatest discoveries happen when you're least expecting it. An interesting new development in the management of greenhouse gas emissions has been discovered accidentally by a team of scientists in Tennessee. While conducting experiments to remove contaminants from water, researchers at <a href="https://www.ornl.gov/">Oak Ridge National Laboratory</a> found a new method for removing carbon dioxide from the air. 

The discovery could be a very useful technique in counteracting carbon dioxide emissions that exacerbate the effects of climate change. 

The collaborative team of scientists from the <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> and the <a href="https://www.utk.edu/">University of Tennessee</a> had initially set out to test how well a compound known as guanidine could remove pollutants such as chromate, sulfate, and phosphate from water. But after exposing the guanidine to air, the team noticed crystals beginning to from in the solution.

“After analyzing their structure by X-ray diffraction, we were surprised to find the crystals contained carbonate, which forms when carbon dioxide from air reacts with water,” said researcher Radu Custelcean. 

Unlike existing carbon-capture methods, this new method involving crystallization requires significantly less energy to transfer the carbon from the guanidine solution into long-term storage. Traditional processes have required materials be heated to 900 degrees Celsius (1,652 degrees Fahrenheit) before the carbon could be released. This new method helps remove CO2 using much less energy than other methods.

“Through our process, we were able to release the bound carbon dioxide by heating the crystals at 80 - 120 degrees Celsius (176 - 248 degrees Fahrenheit), which is relatively mild when compared with current methods,” Custelcean added.

The guanidine solution can also be reused up to three times. 

While the new method is both simple and cost effective, the researchers emphasize that global cooperation would be required for it to make a dent in atmospheric carbon levels.

The team reported their findings in an article titled “CO2 Capture from Ambient Air by Crystallization with a Guanidine Sorbent” published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1521-3773?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+will+be+disrupted+21+May+from+10-12+BST+for+monthly+maintenance">Angewandte Chemie International Edition</a>.

--

By Rory Arnold / Earth.com staff writer

Scientists find a new CO2 removal technique

Scientists have spent years trying to work out how to...

Scientists in the exciting field of rhino dung research found white rhinos may communicate important personal information to each other using their poop.

Chemicals in the species' dung can give other rhinos information about an individual’s sex, age, general health, and territory, researchers from the <a href="http://www.ukzn.ac.za/">University of KwaZulu-Natal</a> said. If the dung is from a female, the chemical signature may even show whether she’s in heat.

White rhinos have terrible eyesight, so they depend on their sense of smell to acquire information about their environment, the scientists said. The researchers wanted to find out how much of a role dung played in acquiring that information and spreading it around.

"Mammals commonly communicate olfactorily via urine. However, the extent to which they communicate via dung, another waste product, is unknown," they wrote.

White rhinos have communal defecation grounds, called middens. These appear to play play an important role as a social and communication hub, the scientists said. Imagine it as an offline Facebook or Twitter, but with rhino poop.

In South Africa’s <a href="https://hluhluwegamereserve.com/">Hluhluew-Imfolozi Park</a>, researchers collected 150 rhino dung samples from free-ranging white rhinos. These samples were collected from both males and females. They all varied in age, territorial state, and breeding state.

The researchers then isolated chemicals in the dung samples, known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs, that seemed to provide messages to noses that could decode them.

In order to test the effects of specific chemicals, the researchers created three artificial dung odors. One represented a territorial male, another represented a female in heat, and the third was a neutral smell. They exposed male rhinos to the fake rhino dung and observed the individuals for three days following exposure.

"In response, males elicited behaviors associated with the specific odors," they wrote.

Communication via dung odors within the white rhino community seems to be widespread, the scientists said.

The research was published in the journal <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/284/1846/20162376">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.

— 

By Connor Ertz / Earth.com staff writer

Rhino dung serves as species' social media

Scientists in the exciting field of rhino dung research found...

Concern is growing in China over two conflicting public health threats that are affecting children. The issue of dangerous air pollution levels alongside the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of Chinese children have caused scientists to worry about the health of the country’s youth.

Brad Cardinal, kinesiology professor of the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at<a href="http://oregonstate.edu/"> Oregon State University</a>, wonders how we can “balance the virtues of physical activity with the hazards of air pollution.” In a new commentary published this month in the Journal of Pediatrics, Cardinal suggests that policy makers and health workers must find ways for Chinese children to increase their physical activity while avoiding the health risks associated with exposure to air pollution.

Air pollution is linked to asthma, chronic coughing, and a host of other respiratory problems in children, all of which are exacerbated by exercise. Scientists are concerned that the low air quality in China will force the nation’s children to stay indoors in order to avoid exposure to the pollution. 

The negative health effects of air pollution contributed to 1.2 million deaths in 2010. Children are also more susceptible to the health impacts of air pollution, as they tend to have higher rates of respiration and take shallower breaths.

Due to these risks, very few Chinese children participate in moderate or vigorous physical activity outside their schools. In fact, the number of overweight and obese children in the country has more than doubled in the last 25 years.

Both Cardinal and his co-author, Qi Si of<a href="http://www.zju.edu.cn/english/"> Zhejiang University</a> in China, believe that the issues of pollution and childhood obesity should be addressed together. In their commentary, they recommend these four steps they believe Chinese health officials and legislators should take:

1) Increase awareness among parents, children, health workers, educators, and policymakers about the causes of air pollution and its impacts on children and adolescents, as well as potential harm when coupled with lack of physical activity.

2) Place air quality systems at school sites so that pollution can be measured when and where children are engaging in physical activity.

3) Adjust the intensity of outdoor physical activity during the school day on the basis of air pollution monitoring results. Higher pollution stipulates less outdoor physical activity, while lower pollution means physical activity can be increased.

4) Educate children about exercising in polluted environments. This includes instruction on when to stop activity if they notice problems such as coughing, chest tightness, or wheezing.

For many of today’s children, schools are the center point for much of their physical activity. If steps are taken within the Chinese school system to educate children and parents on these two issues, it’s likely that progress can be made in combating this problem. “The goal is to get people thinking about these complex problems and real-world solutions," Cardinal said. "The hope is that someone will innovate appropriate solutions for addressing both of these problems."

—

Source: Oregon State University

Chinese children face obesity and respiration disease risks from air pollution

Concern is growing in China over two conflicting public health...

Garbage food

Edible foods trashed by UK families total billions. New figures released today by the waste and recycling advisory body<a href="http://www.wrap.org.uk/category/materials-and-products/food"> Wrap</a> claim UK households threw away £13 billion worth of edible food in 2015. This staggering figure amounts to around £470 per household, equating to nearly $13.7 billion in U.S. currency, or around $500 per household.

The data report revealed that an estimated 8 million metric tons of household food waste was thrown away in 2015, up from 7.7 million metric tons in 2012.

Of the food thrown away by UK households, over half was recorded as “avoidable” waste, which means it was edible before being thrown in the trash.

The report also added that these avoidable waste products generated over 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas production over their lifetime. To prevent that pollution you would need to take 25% of cars off UK roads.

Wrap cites the root cause of this food waste increase as the perfect storm of falling UK food prices coupled with rising household incomes since 2014. The report indicates these factors may have increased the notoriously thrifty UK population to be less frugal during regular shopping.

This data shows an abrupt stop in what had previously been a downward trend in UK household food waste. Between 2007 and 2012, the total amount of household food waste dropped by 15 percent and avoidable waste dropped by 21 percent. Wrap credits this to the rising food prices at the time, along with changes to labeling that simplified “use by” date advice, as well as active campaigning that raised awareness of food waste.

Regionally, Wales actually showed significant progress in cutting food waste in the UK with a 12% percent food waste reduction since 2009. This may be due to a devolved administration and a greater availability of civic-run food waste collections.

Trewin Restorick, the founder and chief executive of environmental charity<a href="https://www.hubbub.org.uk/"> Hubbub</a> – a major food waste project for<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/j-sainsbury"> Sainsbury’s</a> in Derbyshire – said, “Seeing food waste grow again is massively disappointing and should be a wake-up call for efforts to be redoubled. [The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs] needs to copy the leadership being shown in Wales and Scotland.”

&nbsp;

$14 billion worth of edible foods trashed by wasteful UK households

Edible foods trashed by UK families total billions. New figures...

They’re adorable, they’re furry, they’re: gibbon! And this week, it was announced that a new species of gibbon has been discovered living in the rainforests of southwestern China.

The new species has been officially named the Skywalker hoolock gibbon. As it happens, the discoverers are major Star Wars fans. But the name is also a reference to the Chinese characters of its scientific name, Hooklock tianxing, which means “Heaven’s movement.” 

The discovery was a collaborative effort made by a team of scientists from both the <a href="https://www.zsl.org/">Zoological Society of London</a> and <a href="http://www.sysu.edu.cn/">Sun Yat-sen University</a> in China.

“In this area, so many species have declined or gone extinct because of habitat loss, hunting, and general human overpopulation,” Dr. Sam Turvey from the Zoological Society of London told <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news">BBC News</a>. “So it’s an absolute privilege to see something as special and as rare as a gibbon in a canopy in a Chinese rainforest, and especially when it turns out that the gibbons are actually a new species previously unrecognizable by science.”

The team was led by Fan Peng-Fei from Sun Yat-sen University, who was the first to detect that the gibbons they were studying in a Gaoligongshan nature reserve were different. Peng-Fei noted that these gibbons had unusual facial features, such as white beards and eyebrows, and their voices sounded different.

The team ran a full set of genetic testing to confirm that the group they observed were indeed, a new species. They estimate that roughly 200 Skywalker gibbons are currently alive in southwest China.

But the researchers warn that the new species of gibbon should be classified as endangered due to ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation.

--

Photo: Fan Peng-Fei/ZSL

New species of gibbon found in Chinese rainforest

They’re adorable, they’re furry, they’re: gibbon! And this week, it...

Shere Khan, the tiger who hunted Mowgli the man-cub, may have actually been onto something.

When Rudyard Kipling published The Jungle Book in the early 1900s, close to 100,000 tigers could be found roaming Asia. Since then, the tiger population has dropped by 96 percent, to fewer than 4,000 cats. Poaching is listed as the most significant threat to the survival of tigers in the wild.

Tiger poaching has become an extremely lucrative business in India. The <a href="http://www.wpsi-india.org/wpsi/index.php">Wildlife Protection Society of India</a> (WPSI) reported a surge in estimated tiger killings, with 50 confirmed tiger poaching deaths last year, ranking 2016 the highest in 15 years. 

One of the biggest markets for tiger parts is in China, where the<a href="http://www.apple.com"> Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species</a> found they are being used “less as medicine and more as exotic luxury products.” Once used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various maladies, tiger pelts and skeletons are now sought after by the audaciously wealthy to be used as high-end decor and for making “bone strengthening wine,” respectively. 

Roving poachers set up outside India’s 50 tiger reserves, laying jaw traps to capture cats who outgrow the protected areas and seek their own territories. 

“No tiger can escape from these traps,” says Nitin Desai, WPSI’s central India director. Once the cat is caught, “poachers spear it in the throat to silence it. Then they club it to death with sticks.”

International cartels trafficking in illegal wildlife targeting tigers, African elephants, and rhinos have gained prominence around the world. The <a href="http://www.unep.org">United Nations Environment Program</a> valued the illegal wildlife trade at $15 to $20 billion a year, ranking it fourth in the world’s illegal activity after guns, drugs, and human trafficking.

The Indian police and WPSI have been working with limited funds to curtail this trend to protect the majestic cats from extinction. Kuttu Bahelia, the notorious leader of a family of roving poachers descended from a centuries-old tribe of expert hunters, has been captured. From 1990 to 2013, he and his clan reportedly killed hundreds of tigers and leopards in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He had been arrested in 2015, but escaped into the forest using the old “I need to use the bathroom” trick after a court appearance. 

Then, in late November of last year, the fugitive and his gang were tracked near India’s Nepalese border, a major trafficking route to China. The group scattered and ran off, but Kuttu was caught. 

Shere Khan would have been proud.

Source: <a href="http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_chinese_luxury_market_grows_upsurge_in_tiger_poaching_india/3069/">Yale Environment 360</a>, original article written by <a href="http://www.sharonguynup.com/Sharon_Website/HOME.html">Sharon Guynup</a> for <a href="http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_chinese_luxury_market_grows_upsurge_in_tiger_poaching_india/3069/">Yale Environment 360</a>

Luxe market demand encouragesTiger poaching to rise in Asia

Shere Khan, the tiger who hunted Mowgli the man-cub, may...

Imagine buzzing across the Hudson River or around the San Francisco Bay on a boat that actually floats above the water. It could happen sooner than you might think. Flying water taxis are now one step closer to becoming a reality now that its investors have received a new round of funding. 

Yachtsman Alain Thébault and Swedish windsurfer Anders Bringdal have teamed up to design these “flying water taxis” otherwise known as the Sea Bubble. The unique vehicles will float 2 feet above the water, capable of reaching speeds up to 18 miles per hour. 

The team raised $3.6 million for the project last month, and have just announced they are expecting an additional third round of funding. Thébault told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-11/flying-river-taxis-eye-customers-from-the-seine-to-san-francisco">Bloomberg</a> that the next installment could be up to 10 times that amount.

Production of the flying water taxis will begin next month, and testing will occur in Paris in the spring. Test vehicles will be able to carry up to 6 passengers at a time.

Thébault told <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/27/paris-to-trial-flying-river-taxis-in-the-seine-next-year/">The Telegraph</a> that he envisions SeaBubbles will ultimately be available to order on an app like Uber. 

The technology powering SeaBubbles was originally invented by Thébault in 1994 for a sail-powered vessel he called Hydroptere. Instead of floating along the the water like a typical boat, the Hydroptere channels a similar model that planes use to fly, where air passes over the wings and generates lift.

By floating above the water, the Sea Bubble avoids up to 40% of the drag imposed by water flow. Because the boat is electrically powered, it remains very quiet and produces zero emissions. 

Trips on the Sea Bubble will cost roughly $12. 

“The idea actually came from my daughters after I sailed from LA to Hawaii recently,” Thébault told <a href="http://www.thelocal.fr/20161027/paris-flying-river-taxis-to-be-tested-on-seine-sea-bubbles">The Local</a>. “They told me to invent a zero-emission cab because they were sick of seeing the pollution in Paris, London, and the US." 

“Next spring we will hold a public demonstration on the Seine in front of the National Assembly in Paris with five Sea Bubbles”

Flying water taxis could be coming very soon

Imagine buzzing across the Hudson River or around the San...

This spring, the first ever zero-emission boat will launch an epic, 6 year trip around the world. The vessel, named Energy Observer, is a former race boat that has received a $5 million green makeover. The boat is now equipped with wind turbines, solar panels, and a hydrogen fuel cell system. 

Energy Observer will set sail from the Saint-Malo port in Brittany, France where it is currently docked. From there, the zero-emission boat will make 101 stops in 50 different countries, beginning with Paris. 

The vessel was originally designed in 1983, and in its past life, enjoyed great success in sailing races. In 1994, it even won the Jules Verne Trophy, under captain Peter Blake. 

Then, in 2015, the <a href="http://www.energy-observer.org/">Energy Observer Project</a> was imagined by Frederic Dahirel and Victorien Erussard, along with filmmaker Jerome Delafosse. 

"I'm passionate about new technologies," Erussard said. "Building a self-sufficient boat could have seemed utopian, but this is going to be an incredible vessel. It's very promising for the future.

"We bank on the diversity of renewable energies. And if there is no sun or wind, or at night, we have the option to draw in our hydrogen reservoirs. We will produce this hydrogen in a decarbonized manner through electrolysis of the sea water."

The project was formally presented Wednesday at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.  

"This boat will demonstrate that there are many solutions for energetic transition," said French environmentalist Nicolas Hulot. "All solutions are within nature."

Mark Z. Jacobson, engineering professor at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>, has suggested that transportation across the world be equipped to utilize a combination of battery-powered energy and hydrogen fuel cell energy. 

"I believe that it is fantastic that a boat powered by hydrogen and electricity will travel the world," Jacobson told <a href="https://www.apnews.com/c87784a488604d0998f4d00e20500b4d/Zero-emission-boat-prepares-for-round-the-world-odyssey">The Associated Press</a>. "It is an important step forward and consistent with this proposed path to 100 percent clean, renewable energy worldwide for all purposes to solve energy security, job creation, air pollution, and climate problems."

First zero-emission boat set for epic, 6-year journey

This spring, the first ever zero-emission boat will launch an...

Cows’ ancestors, the aurochs, stood almost as tall as elephants, boasting powerful frames and fearsome horns to discourage predators. Our ancestors held aurochs in high esteem, immortalizing them in prehistoric cave paintings. They lived for thousands of years as the largest land mammals in Europe. As the human population number grew, aurochs’ numbers were decimated. In 1627, the last of their species perished – one of the first ever recorded cases of extinctions.

Conservationists believe the loss of this herbivore was tragic for biodiversity in Europe. They claim the aurochs' huge appetite provided a natural “gardening service,” maintaining landscapes and creating perfect conditions for other species to thrive.

That theory is now being put to the test as a "near 100% substitute" of the pre-cow is being returned to the ecosystem.

The <a href="http://www.taurosproject.com/">Tauros programme</a> was launched in 2008 by Ecologist Ronald Goderie, who sought to address failing ecosystems. This powerful historical herbivore in European history offered a solution.

"We thought we needed a grazer that is fully self-sufficient in case of big predators . . . and could do the job of grazing big wild areas," says Goderie. "We reasoned that this animal would have to resemble an auroch."

Casting aside gene editing or high-tech de-extinction approaches used by other scientists, Goderie used a method called back-breeding to create a replacement bovine which he called "Tauros."

As auroch genes still remain in various breeds of cattle, geneticists were able to advise that breeding some species together could produce offspring with qualities close to an auroch. They then bred the child.

With each generation, the animals got closer to the ancient auroch. The team were then able to test the offspring's DNA against the auroch’s complete genome, which was <a href="http://www.sci-news.com/genetics/science-genome-eurasian-wild-aurochs-bos-primigenius-03377.html">sequenced</a> at <a href="http://www.ucd.ie/">University College Dublin</a>.

"You could see from the first generation that apart from the horn size, there was enough wild in the breed to produce animals far closer to the auroch than we would have expected," says Goderie. Goderie predicts that in seven generations – by 2025 – the breeding would complete his desired outcome. Now in their fourth generation, pilot schemes in Europe show encouraging results.

The Tauros programme partnered with <a href="https://www.rewildingeurope.com/">Rewilding Europe</a>, which supports the restoration of natural processes through such projects. Rewilding Europe provided protected land across the continent in Croatia, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Romania. These cross-breeds were able to test themselves in the wild. 

"We see progress not only in looks and behavior but also in re-domestication of the animals," he says. "This is a challenging process as they have to adapt to the presence of large packs of wolves."

Sadly, herds of cows are slaughtered by local wolves at the Croatian site. But the Tauroi learned how to defend themselves and few perished. As selective breeding continues, it’s encouraging for the scientists to see these animals already servicing a function in the wild.

"We support the comeback of large herbivores as they are key species for the specific role of grazing and browsing," says Frans Schepers, who is the managing director of Rewilding Europe.

"Bovines can shape habitats and facilitate other species because of their behavior, and the more primitive and close to the wild the better because it means that eventually they can become part of the natural system. Without grazing everything becomes forest, or barren land when there is agriculture. The gradients in between are so important for biodiversity, from open soil to grassland and 'mosaic landscapes.’”

However, critics of the initiative are concerned that introducing new species could have terrible effects for regional ecology. The <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for the Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN) issued new guidelines.

"Typically emphasis is placed on technical feasibility, without sufficient emphasis on risks. Questions abound whether primarily wetland forests like the aurochs used to inhabit still exist, whether it could negatively impact wild or domestic plants or animals, and if it might endanger people," Dr. Axel Moehrenschlager expressed, IUCN Chair of the Reintroduction Specialist Group.

Aurochs, the extinct supercow, coming back to Europe

Cows’ ancestors, the aurochs, stood almost as tall as elephants,...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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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

[sendtonews key="gRpsplpwpe-2251464-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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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

[sendtonews key="eAVLRk51oJ-1826888-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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