High Mountain Asia, often called the “Third Pole,” holds the largest store of ice outside the Arctic and Antarctic. Its glaciers have shaped landscapes, nourished rivers, and sustained communities for thousands of years. But today, these frozen giants are shrinking at a troubling pace. 



Scientists have long agreed that warming temperatures drive the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-of-the-worlds-glaciers-can-be-saved-with-strong-climate-action/">retreat</a>, yet new evidence reveals another culprit: shifting rainfall and snowfall patterns, especially those tied to the South Asian monsoon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glaciers-losing-ice-faster">Glaciers losing ice faster</h2>



The numbers are staggering. Glaciers across the region are losing more than 22 gigatons of ice each year, equivalent to nearly nine million Olympic swimming pools. 



While rising temperatures explain much of the retreat, researchers from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Utah</a> and <a href="https://www.vt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Virginia Tech</a> show that the timing and type of precipitation now play a major role. Rain falling instead of snow fuels melt, and shorter or weaker monsoon seasons reduce the ice that glaciers can accumulate.



“These findings highlight that glaciers dominated by the South Asian monsoons, such as the Central Himalaya, Western Himalaya and Eastern Himalaya, are especially vulnerable,” said Sonam Sherpa, assistant professor at the University of Utah and lead author of the study. 



“If the timing and intensity of the monsoon continues to alter, it could accelerate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glaciers-from-the-rockies-to-the-alps-are-melting-much-faster-than-expected/">ice</a> loss and threaten water availability for millions downstream.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-billions-rely-on-glacier-water">Billions rely on glacier water</h2>



The glaciers of High Mountain Asia supply freshwater to more than 1.4 billion people. These rivers sustain agriculture, hydropower, and drinking water across South and Central Asia. 



As glaciers retreat more rapidly, rivers will depend less on glacial melt and increasingly on rainfall as their main source of water.



“Looking ahead, a faster retreat of mountain glaciers will shift the main source of river flow from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glaciers-are-melting-from-hidden-underwater-waves/">glacier</a> melt to rainfall, thereby heightening the risk of droughts in downstream regions for future generations,” said Susanna Werth, assistant professor at Virginia Tech and co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monsoon-impacts-on-glaciers">Monsoon impacts on glaciers</h2>



To understand these shifts, the researchers used satellite gravimetry from NASA’s GRACE and GRACE-FO missions. These satellites can “weigh” changes in water storage, including ice, by measuring gravity variations.



Scientists corrected the data to account for groundwater use, soil moisture, surface water, and snow. They paired this with climate reanalysis models, dividing the year into four phases: winter, premonsoon, monsoon, and postmonsoon. 



By analyzing rainfall and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glacier-melting-threatens-global-water-supplies-and-coastal-communities/">snowfall</a> separately, they revealed how timing and precipitation type affect glacier mass.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monsoon-timing-speeds-ice-loss">Monsoon timing speeds ice loss</h2>



The experts found that glaciers respond more strongly to seasonal precipitation than to annual totals. 



Cycles repeating every 3 to 4.5 years and 5 to 8 years match the natural rhythm of South Asian monsoons. In the Central Himalaya, glacier loss was tied to reduced premonsoon rainfall.



In the Eastern Himalaya, declining postmonsoon snowfall accelerated retreat. In the Western Himalaya, increased summer rain caused rain-on-ice events that sped melting. These details show that the seasonality of rain and snow is as important as overall precipitation amounts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glacier-loss-differs-by-region">Glacier loss differs by region</h2>



Different climate systems influence each subregion. Monsoon-fed glaciers in the Central and Eastern Himalaya show the highest rates of ice loss.



Glaciers dominated by the Westerlies, such as those in the Pamir–Hindu Kush and Karakoram, show slower declines or in some cases slight gains.



The Tien Shan, influenced by Siberian systems and western cyclones, also shows significant losses. These contrasts highlight how winds and precipitation phase shifts shape glacier health differently across the mountains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hazards-on-the-rise">Hazards on the rise</h2>



Rapid melting brings hazards that are both immediate and long-term. Glacial lake outburst floods are becoming more common as ice retreats, creating unstable lakes held back by fragile moraine walls. Landslides and river floods often follow, putting downstream communities at risk.



“This risk is not only about long-term water shortages but also about immediate threats to lives and infrastructure,” said Sherpa.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glacier-loss-under-stronger-monsoons">Glacier loss under stronger monsoons</h2>



Climate projections suggest stronger and more intense monsoons in the coming decades, with possible changes in their timing. 



By 2100, ice loss in monsoon-dominated basins could reach 38–58 percent, depending on future emissions.



Such a shift would profoundly affect river flows, agriculture, and disaster risks. The study emphasizes that improved monitoring networks are urgently needed to capture rain, snow, and temperature changes across high-altitude regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-communities-downstream">Protecting communities downstream </h2>



High Mountain Asia’s glaciers are retreating under the combined weight of heat and shifting monsoons. Seasonal timing and the balance of rain versus snow now shape their fate more than annual totals. 



Protecting communities downstream will require better observation and planning that accounts for these seasonal fingerprints. 



The research makes clear that what happens in these mountains will ripple far beyond their valleys, potentially impacting the lives of more than a billion people.



The study is published in the <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11107312/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing</a>. 



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Shrinking glaciers in the Himalayas are not just threatened by heat

High Mountain Asia, often called the “Third Pole,” holds the largest store of ice outside the Arctic and Antarctic. Its glaciers have shaped landscapes, nourished rivers, and sustained communities for thousands of years. But today, these frozen giants are shrinking at a troubling pace. Scientists have long agreed that warming temperatures drive the retreat, yet new evidence reveals another culprit: shifting rainfall and snowfall patterns, especially those tied to the South Asian monsoon. Glaciers losing ice faster The numbers are staggering. Glaciers across the region are losing...

Best neighborhoods for eco-friendly hipsters

You may have seen them around your city: bearded young men with suspenders holding up their skinny jeans, and women with trendy haircuts in plaid shirts and leggings. They bring fresh business to coffee shops and artisan bakeries, shop at the local farmers market, and boost the indy music scene. Maybe this sounds like you.

But hipsters also drive up housing prices – but the tradeoff is that they may also help the local environment. So what makes a hipster city? And which hipster havens are the greenest?

We analyzed a few key factors – the presence of trendy neighborhoods, greenhouse gas emissions, walkability, bikeability, available incentives, and more – so you don’t have to. Read on for the most eco-friendly hipster havens in the U.S.:
<ol>
 	<li> Boston, Massachusetts</li>
</ol>
Boston has a lot of nicknames: Beantown, the Cradle of Liberty, the Hub of the Universe. It’s also called America’s Walking City, and <a href="https://www.redfin.com/how-walk-score-works">WalkScore</a> rated Boston as the third most walkable city in America in 2016. It also scores high for its low greenhouse gas emissions per capita, and top scores for public transportation and bike-friendliness. Be sure to check out some hipster favorites like <a href="http://pavementcoffeehouse.com/">Pavement Coffeehouse</a> and <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/brendan-behan-pub-jamaica-plain">Brendan Behan Pub</a> while wandering the city. 
<ol start="2">
 	<li> San Francisco, California</li>
</ol>
Like Boston, San Francisco boasts low carbon emissions, high walkability, good public transportation, and a certain je ne sais quoi. Residents also have plenty of incentive programs if they want to greenify their homes, and more than a dozen farmers markets to choose from. The Mission District, with its <a href="http://www.precitaeyes.org/">colorful murals</a> and fantastic Mexican restaurants, is a favorite neighborhood, but the Financial District and the Marina have plenty to offer, too. However, cost of living can be high in the City by the Bay.
<ol start="3">
 	<li> Chicago, Illinois</li>
</ol>
The Windy City is also a top scorer, though greenhouse gas emissions are just a little higher than the first two options on our list. It makes up for it with top scores in walkable neighborhoods, cycling options, and public transportation. Cost of living is more affordable, too, with the average home selling for about $250,000, according to <a href="https://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Chicago-Illinois/market-trends/">Trulia</a>.
<ol start="4">
 	<li> Philadelphia, Pennsylvania</li>
</ol>
The City of Brotherly Love has a number of rising neighborhoods, along with the established hipster zip of Northern Liberties, aka NoLibs. One potential draw to the latter neighborhood: it’s where Edgar Allen Poe once lived. Like most of the cities on this list, Philadelphia rates high in walkability and public transportation, along with favorite draws like coffee shops and food trucks.
<ol start="5">
 	<li> Brooklyn, New York</li>
</ol>
This longtime hipster hot spot is a borough of the most walkable city in the U.S. New York also has one of the best subway systems in the world, which plays home to its <a href="http://web.mta.info/mta/aft/muny/">Music Under New York</a> program. And, of course, Brooklyn residents have full access to all of New York’s environmental incentive programs, along with hundreds of restaurants featuring world cuisine. 
<ol start="6">
 	<li> Berkeley, California</li>
</ol>
Berkeley’s trendy crowd may be a little younger and more vibrant than most. University of California, Berkeley has been ranked among the most hipster campuses in America by <a href="http://www.collegemagazine.com/10-hipster-colleges/">College Magazine</a> for years. It has a new feather for its beanie, though: <a href="http://www.realtytrac.com/news/home-prices-and-sales/top-30-hipster-zips-for-profitable-home-flips/">RealtyTrac</a> named Northwest Berkeley one of the hottest hipster zips for flipping houses in March of this year. It’s also easy to get around without getting into a car.
<ol start="7">
 	<li> Minneapolis, Minnesota</li>
</ol>
Minneapolis is the top city for cycling in the U.S., according to WalkScore. Head over to <a href="http://angrycatfishbicycle.com/">Angry Catfish Bicycles + Coffee Bar</a> to dip your toes in the local scene. Housing prices are on the rise in the Twin Cities region, but with an average home price <a href="https://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Minneapolis-Minnesota/market-trends/">slightly above $230,000</a>, Minneapolis is still one of the more affordable places to live on the list.
<ol start="8">
 	<li> Los Angeles, California (tie)</li>
</ol>
The City of Angels was once one of the smoggiest cities in the U.S. Now, the city has dropped its greenhouse gas emissions to just 8 metric tons per person each year, according to the <a href="http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/sled/#/">U.S. Department of Energy</a>. The city is full of innovative restaurants and food trucks, and incredible arts and music scenes – but the average home will cost about $700,000, <a href="https://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Los_Angeles-California/market-trends/">Trulia</a> says. Favorite areas for hipsters are Silverlake, known for it’s large hill built homes and artisanal coffee shops. Echo Park notorious for it’s vibrant music community and weekly farmers markets and Highland Park which boasts a high walk score, artist's community and great public transport links. The original LA hipster zones of Hollywood and West Hollywood are still popular with eco-conscious city dwellers these areas host high walk scores, great public transport links, Griffith Park hiking opportunities and regular farmers markets.
<ol start="8">
 	<li> Miami, Florida (tie)</li>
</ol>
Wynwood has long been the top haven for hipsters in Miami, but Hialeah is offering some new competition for the trendiest hangout spot. Both are great spots to take in urban murals, from the <a href="http://www.thewynwoodwalls.com/">Wynwood Walls</a> to the <a href="http://leahartsdistrict.org/">Leah Arts District</a>. Cyclists may not care for Miami, but walkers and straphangers will be pleased.
<ol start="8">
 	<li> Washington, D.C. (tie)</li>
</ol>
D.C. scores high in transportation and pretty well in most other areas when it comes to the environment. But when it comes to places where hipsters can combine their love of indie music, trendy bars, fashion and politics, nothing beats the nation’s capital. Make sure to check out the H Street corridor and Shaw for their restaurants and bars.
<ol start="8">
 	<li> Seattle, Washington (tie)</li>
</ol>
Probably the most iconic hipster haven in the U.S., Seattle is also among the greenest. It was solidly in the top 10 most walkable cities in 2016, by WalkScore’s accounting, and also rates well on other criteria. Plus, it’s a member of <a href="https://www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/index.cfm">Tree City USA</a>, a favorite of nature lovers anywhere, and the <a href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/155686-which-us-city-has-the-most-coffee-shops-these-are-the-best-places-for-coffee-lovers">top coffee stop</a> in the U.S.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Best neighborhoods for eco-friendly hipsters

Best neighborhoods for eco-friendly hipsters You may have seen them...

President-elect Donald Trump has long been suspicious of climate change. In 2012, he famously <a href="https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/265895292191248385">called it a Chinese hoax</a> on his Twitter account, and in 2014, he pointed to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/427226424987385856">the abnormally cold winter</a> as evidence of that.

But in the weeks following Election Day, he has softened his stance, telling <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">The New York Times</a> that he does, in fact, see “connectivity” between human activity and rising global temperatures. 

On Monday, his daughter Ivanka Trump – who is expected to play a role in his policy planning and has declared climate change one of her top issues – met with former Vice President Al Gore, a vocal climate change activist. To the surprise of many, including his own staff, Donald Trump sat in.

Earlier Monday, Trump spokesman Jason Miller told reporters that the president-elect would not be involved in the meeting. However, Gore told reporters that he had a “lengthy and very productive” chat with the soon-to-be leader of the U.S. after meeting with Ivanka Trump. 

In fact, Gore said, he spent more time with Donald Trump than Ivanka, and he plans to continue the conversation in the future.

It’s a change of stance for Gore, who before the election said that a Trump presidency would be “devastating” for the planet and the environment. 

Gore is a long-time climate change advocate. Ten years ago, he released his documentary about global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth.” In 2007, he shared a Nobel Peace Prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their work on the subject.

Gore didn’t offer any clues to the substance of his meeting with the Trumps, and climate change advocates said it’s unclear whether or how much President-elect Trump has changed his stance on the issue since Election Day.

Several of Trump’s Cabinet picks are global warming skeptics who have expressed doubt about whether humans could affect the Earth’s climate, and sometimes whether the climate is radically changing at all. 

And while Ivanka Trump has made it one of her issues, it’s unclear how much of a role she will be able to play in the Trump administration. The president-elect has said he will pass control of his businesses on to his children for the next four years to avoid conflicts of interest, which would likely limit Ivanka Trump’s involvement in her father’s presidency.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Donald Trump meets with Al Gore on climate change

President-elect Donald Trump has long been suspicious of climate change....

Climate change could significantly reduce freshwater species populations.

Among the unknown variables of climate change is the question of exactly how freshwater species will be affected. Saltwater organisms have much less to worry about if warming continues, as their habitat will increase in size as polar ice caps melt and sea levels rise. But many of the water bodies that freshwater species inhabit will begin to dry up, as we already see in the southwestern United States.

According to a study by a team of researchers published in <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2427">Freshwater Biology</a>, at least one third of freshwater species are likely to lose more than 50% of their range due to climate change.

The team analyzed the ability of freshwater species to alter their distributions and/or relocate in response to climate change. They studied 527 freshwater species in New South Wales, Australia using a projection model.

"Early action is often viewed as critical to preventing species loss under climate change but relies on models predicting into the future that are surrounded by uncertainty,” said coauthor Dr. Alex Bush. “Whilst predictions for a specific species may be considered unreliable, we can identify where the impact of climate change on freshwater biodiversity in New South Wales is most consistent, as well as where different sources of uncertainty are influential.”

The predictive findings aim to better equip scientists and environmental conservationists in preserving freshwater species through the drastic landscape alterations brought on by climate change.

"We hope that by better communicating the distribution of modeling uncertainty, more strategic approaches can be employed to improve adaptive management and balance risks," expressed Bush.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Freshwater species could reduce habitat from climate change

Climate change could significantly reduce freshwater species populations. Among the...

A massive rift in the Antarctic Ice Shelf may create an iceberg the size of Delaware.

The Larsen C Ice Shelf, part of the larger Antarctic Ice Shelf, has developed a massive rift that extends over 300 feet wide, 70 miles long, and 1500 feet deep. The shelf has been gradually melting since the 1960s and is expected to completely vanish by the end of this decade.

“The crack completely cuts through the Ice Shelf but it does not go all the way across it – once it does, it will produce an iceberg roughly the size of the state of Delaware,” <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> said in an official statement.

The Larsen B Ice Shelf, formerly located on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula, dissolved in 2002 after developing a similar kind of rift. This fracture caused a 1,235 square mile chunk to break off into thousands of smaller icebergs. Scientists believe Larsen B had been stable for 12,000 years and had only begun melting a few years before dissolving. Water flowing into the cracks of the Larsen B Antarctic Ice Shelf began increasing due to rising temperatures, causing the fissure to rapidly develop.

The rift in the Larsen C Ice Shelf now cuts through the glacier, but not all the way across. If the shelf were to disintegrate, it could cause the global sea level to rise by 2.5 feet.

According to a recent study on the opposite side of the Antarctic Ice Shelf, more than 386 square miles of ice have been lost in the last four decades. Overall, however, the Antarctic ice sheet has actually been growing. According to photos, the ice sheet gained 112 billion tons of ice each year between 1992 and 2001, slowing between 2003 and 2008 to 82 billion tons of ice annually.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Antarctic Ice Shelf rift could create Delaware-sized iceberg

A massive rift in the Antarctic Ice Shelf may create...

New dead zone discovered in the Indian Ocean

Scientists have found a new dead zone in the Indian Ocean, and its widespread environmental implications are causing concern.

Ocean dead zones are areas where the water contains little or no oxygen caused by the occurrence of microbial processes that remove large amounts of nitrogen. Scientists had previously been aware of dead zones off the western coasts of North and South America, as well as off the coast of Namibia and the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea. But now, a team of scientists has discovered a new dead zone in the Indian Ocean.

The new dead zone is located in the Bay of Bengal in the northeastern Indian Ocean, stretching about 60,000 km in depths of 100 to 400 meters. The news was published in a report in <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo2847.html">Nature Geoscience</a> by a team of scientists from the <a href="http://www.sdu.dk/en/">University of Southern Denmark</a> (SDU), the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/institutes">Max Planck Institute </a>(MPI) for <a href="http://www.mpi-bremen.de/en/Home.html">Marine Microbiology in Bremen</a> and the <a href="http://www.nio.org/">National Institute of Oceanography</a> (NIO) of India.

“The Bay of Bengal has long stood as an enigma because standard techniques suggest no oxygen in the waters, but, despite this, there has been no indication of nitrogen loss as in other 'dead zones' of the global ocean,” said Laura Bristow, lead author of the study. We have this crazy situation in the Bay of Bengal where the microbes are poised and ready to remove lots more nitrogen than they do, but the trace amounts of oxygen keep them from doing so".

Coauthor Wajih Naqvi added that if the last amounts of oxygen were removed, “the Bay of Bengal could become a major global player in nitrogen removal from the oceans."

Nitrogen behaves as a key factor in marine life, and so removing nitrogen could significantly impact the balance of marine ecosystems. 

As climate change progresses and the atmosphere warms, global dead zones are expected to expand. What is unclear is whether this will also lead to the removal of the last traces of oxygen in the water.

According to Bristow, "Time will tell, but the Bay of Bengal is at a "tipping point," and we currently need models to illuminate how human activities will impact the nitrogen cycle in the Bay of Bengal, and also globally."

New dead zone in the Indian Ocean could impact future marine nutrient balance

New dead zone discovered in the Indian Ocean Scientists have...

Your world: our top instagram profiles of the week

Sometimes, the most breathtaking images of the planet are the...

It’s been 70 years since the rare Pacific fisher, a member of the weasel family, has been seen in the wild near Mount Rainier, Washington.

Last week, that all changed. 

Ten of the small, dark-brown mammals were carried out to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/mora/">Mount Rainier National Park</a> in wooden crates, where they scurried out into the forest. Onlookers cheered them on as they sniffed out their new home, and First Nations and Native American tribal representatives sang and drummed to welcome them.

Some of the fishers were captured on First Nations land in Canada, and First Nations members traveled with them to Mount Rainier, where they were released on land designated for the local Nisqually people’s use. 

The little weasels had been captured in British Columbia, Canada and brought down to Washington in an attempt to reintroduce the species that was once native to the area. Wildlife biologists in the national park see it as part of an effort to correct past mistakes.

The Pacific fisher was found throughout much of the Pacific Northwest and forested areas of the West Coast generally until the fur trade became popular. Between trapping and deforestation of their home habitats, the Pacific fisher shrunk in numbers. 

Washington had no more Pacific fishers to call its own by the mid-1900s. However, they’ve been making a recent comeback, thanks to the <a href="http://wdfw.wa.gov/">Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife</a>, <a href="http://www.conservationnw.org/">Conservation Northwest</a>, the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/">National Park Service</a>, and other organizations.

In 2008, a group of 90 Pacific fishers was reintroduced to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/olym/">Olympic National Park</a>. That first wave has made themselves right at home, reproducing, growing in numbers, and expanding their range. 

The second surge – which this group of fishers has volunteered for – involved relocating furry immigrants from Canada to the Cascades in Washington. Organizers hope to release 80 fishers each to the North Cascades and southern Cascade Mountain regions.

So far, the program appears to be a success, though it’s too early to tell if the little visitors will become a permanent, self-sustaining population.

But environmental groups and conservationists are concerned that the Washington weasels will simply be wiped out again, because the state has declined to give them endangered status. 

While the Pacific fishers no longer lived in historic ranges in Washington, Oregon, and California, the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> said the decision was a sound one, since the wee weasels are plentiful elsewhere and in no danger of going extinct. 

The furry little weasels hunt porcupines – one of the only species that does – along with snowshoe hares and rodents.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pacific fishers weasel their way back into Washington state's hearts

It’s been 70 years since the rare Pacific fisher, a...

By the end of the century, torrential downpours in some areas of the U.S. could lead to more flash floods, mudslides, and other disasters, according to a new study from the <a href="http://ncar.ucar.edu/">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a>.

The torrential downpours are expected to hit the Southwest, Gulf Coast, and parts of the Atlantic Coast the hardest, researchers said, and could increase rainfall in some areas up to 70 percent. A storm that drops 2 inches of rain today could drop 3.5 inches in the future, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate3168.html">the study</a> found.

The additional rain is expected if the Earth continues its current warming trend, because warmer air can hold more water, the research team said. Increases in intense downpours have already been recorded across the U.S., they pointed out. 

Average global temperatures have been <a href="http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/">on the rise</a> since about 1880, except for a dip in the 1910s.

The NCAR researchers built a new dataset using current trends to create a new computer climate model that could simulate intense downpours. They then used the dataset to examine changes in storms and downpours over recent years, and to predict how these changes might affect future storm intensity. 

They used predictions of a climate that is 9 degrees Fahrenheit warmer in 2100, which some scientists warn may be the case if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate.

The team found that summertime storms could increase all over the country, but areas like Nebraska, North Dakota, and Iowa are likely to see less of an effect than the Gulf Coast or Southwest. The latter regions could see storms that are 200 to 400 percent more intense in the summer months, the researchers said. 

Storms could occur in hotter weather than they do normally, too, the scientists found. 

The next step is determining how rain-fueled extreme weather events might affect infrastructure in those areas, and working to make changes before disaster strikes, said Anjuli Bamzai, director of the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> Directorate of Geosciences, which co-funded the research. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>. Additional funding came from the <a href="http://www.rpsea.org/">Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

U.S. could see more torrential downpours, flash floods by 2100

By the end of the century, torrential downpours in some...

Australia is taking a new look at charging power companies for the greenhouse gases they produce, two and a half years after scrapping the national carbon tax.

The possibility of charging companies that use fossil fuels like coal and natural gas comes as the government looks for new ways to meet its carbon gas reduction goals, Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said.

It’s a shift from the government’s previous stance on greenhouse gases. In July 2014, the country’s 3-year-old carbon tax on industrial polluters was repealed, and officials rejected the idea of a national polluter-pays system. 

The taxes were replaced with taxpayer-funded incentives to companies encouraging them to cut emissions. The fund, which was originally $1.9 billion in U.S. dollars, now holds less than $300 million.

Australian electric companies produce a full third of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, and the government is now seeking ways to curb that pollution. Possibilities could include a tax or an international trade in carbon credits, Frydenberg said. 

Australia is among the worst carbon gas emitters in the world, according to a <a href="https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/greenhouse-gas-rise-leads-to-scathing-report/2642598/">2015 study</a> by <a href="http://next10.org/">Next 10</a>. Among other findings, the study noted that Australia is the top coal consumer in the world, per capita, as well as the fifth-highest coal producer. 

It also found that, unlike most other developed nations worldwide, Australia not only did not reduce per capita greenhouse gas emissions, they actually went up 21 percent.

Australia seeks to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 26 percent lower than its 2005 levels over the next 14 years, according to officials. The government plans to begin a review of its current environmental policies in February.

The incentives alone are not enough to help the country reach its targets, said John Connor, who heads the <a href="http://www.climateinstitute.org.au/">Australian Climate Institute</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Australia weighs charging power companies for greenhouse gases

Australia is taking a new look at charging power companies...

The mayors of four major international cities have unveiled plans for a diesel ban by 2025. 

To prepare for the diesel ban, the leaders of Mexico City, Paris, Madrid, and Athens plan to offer incentives to those who switch to alternative vehicles, and to launch campaigns encouraging walking and cycling.

The mayors committed to a move away from diesel at the sixth biennial <a href="http://www.c40.org/">C40 Mayors Summit</a> in Mexico City. C40 is a network of more than 80 megacities that have joined together to try to fight pollution. C40 represents more than 600 million city residents worldwide.

The cities are banding against diesel after the fuel came under fire from the <a href="http://www.who.int/en/">World Health Organization</a> for adding to air pollution. While more fuel efficient, diesel exhaust contains more nitrogen oxides than other vehicle types. Nitrogen oxides are linked to higher rates of asthma, lung disease, and heart disease.

It also contains particulate matter such as fine soot, which can enter the lungs and cause lung and heart disease and death.

WHO has linked about three million deaths each year to air pollution.

As evidence of the harm caused by air pollution mounts, more cities and nations are taking step to reduce the problem. Mexico City, Paris, Madrid and Athens are vowing to encourage drivers to switch from diesel to electric, hydrogen, and hybrid vehicles, including incentives programs.

Mexico City’s mayor, Miguel Angel Mancera, says the city will expand public transportation and fund more cycling paths and infrastructure. Mexico City has some of the world’s worst air pollution.

Paris, another city with major air pollution problems, has already taken similar steps with restrictions keeping vehicles registered before 1997 out of the city. It also occasionally closes public roadways with traffic problems for short periods.  

In Barcelona, Spain, another C40 member, making bicycles publicly available reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 9,000 metric tons per year.

Diesel engines were initially encouraged because they produce less carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas linked by a number of agencies to climate change. However, manufacturers have been unable to cut down the nitrogen oxides and clean up the particulate matter in diesel exhaust.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Four major cities plan diesel ban

The mayors of four major international cities have unveiled plans...

Many vegetarians and vegans go a step beyond choosing not to eat meat. They often avoid other animal products, like leather shoes and jackets, silk ties, wool coats, and in England, money like the five pound note.

Wait, what?

The Bank of England has folded to pressure from vegans and vegetarians and will change its new fiver, after it was revealed the note contains trace amounts of animal fat.

“We are aware of some people’s concerns about traces of tallow in our new five pound note. We respect those concerns and are treating them with the utmost seriousness,” the bank said in <a href="http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Pages/news/2016/085.aspx">a statement</a> released on its website.

The new five pound note was released in September, the first polymer banknote released by the Bank of England. A plastic ten pound note is expected to come out this summer.

The switch led to sturdier currency that is easier to clean, rip-resistant, and lasts more than twice as long as traditional paper notes.

But beyond the issues that might be expected from plastic currency – they can stick together, they can melt at temperatures about 248 Fahrenheit (like in very hot dryer cycles), and folding them can damage the polymer – they were found to have trace amounts of animal fat. 

The fat comes from tallow used by Innovia, the company contracted by the Bank of England, in the plastic pellets that are part of the polymer fiver’s production process. Tallow usually comes from cattle and sheep fat leftover from butchering. 

After the strange ingredient came to light, the Bank of England began receiving complaints from vegans and vegetarians, and a <a href="https://www.change.org/p/bank-of-england-remove-tallow-from-bank-notes">petition on Change.org</a> has gathered more than 126,000 signatures. 

The bank said it didn’t realize tallow was used in the production process when it signed the contract to produce the banknotes. 

The bank plans to address the production issue and remove tallow from the process if possible.

“Innovia is now working intensively with its supply chain and will keep the Bank informed on progress towards potential solutions,” the bank said in its statement.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bank of England bows to vegan pressures on new five pound note

Many vegetarians and vegans go a step beyond choosing not...

Not all shorebird parents handle their family responsibilities the same way, a <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v540/n7631/full/nature20563.html">new study</a> of the feathered families revealed.

The study found that bonded shorebird parents tackle their parenting schedules very differently across species – and also within the same species, scientists said.

An international team of biologists found what they called “unexpected diversity” among shorebirds’ synchronized biorhythms, the pattern of when and how often parents switch incubation duties at their nests. 

Some flighty birds switched every hour or two, the study found. Others went nearly 48 hours before trading places. The average time most birds spent on the nest was between two and 24 hours.

The team was led by Dr. Brett Sandercock of <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/">Kansas State University</a> and Dr. Eunbi Kwon, postdoctoral researcher at <a href="https://www.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech University</a>. The pair are part of the <a href="https://www.manomet.org/program/shorebird-recovery/arctic-shorebird-demographics-network-asdn">Arctic Shorebirds Demographic Network</a>, and their portion of the team’s data came from birds nesting within the Arctic Circle. 

The study used data from 729 nests in 91 shorebird populations worldwide. 32 shorebird species were studied and most of them laid three to four eggs in a ground nest.

To monitor the birds, the scientists used light-sensitive geolocator tags. The tags normally track location, but in this case, the scientists used them to track when birds were on the nest – signaled by long periods of darkness – and when they had a chance to briefly fly the coop – signaled by light, which is plentiful in Arctic summers.

The researchers hoped to find out how, when, and why birds determine the length of time each half of a mating pair will stay on the nest. While more research needs to be done, Sandercock said, initial data points to predation risk and nest location, as well as each species’ evolutionary history.

For example, if birds switch frequently, it will be easier for predators to spot their nest than if they switch only once every 24 hours or more, he explained. The day-night schedule of the Arctic could also play a role; very long days and only a couple of hours of night in the summer would discourage the birds from following a day-night pattern, Sandercock said.

The study was published in the December 1st issue of the journal <a href="http://nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Shorebird parents show not all families look alike

Not all shorebird parents handle their family responsibilities the same...

<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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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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"

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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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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