Happy,Young,Woman,Choosing,Meat,From,Glass,Cabinet,In,Grocery

In the bustling world of consumer food choices, the factors that influence our purchasing decisions are as diverse as they are complex. 



Recent research dives into the intricate web of considerations that shape our selections when it comes to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/12-of-americans-are-responsible-for-over-half-of-all-u-s-beef-consumption/">meat and d</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/12-of-americans-are-responsible-for-over-half-of-all-u-s-beef-consumption/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/12-of-americans-are-responsible-for-over-half-of-all-u-s-beef-consumption/">iry products</a>, revealing a thought-provoking hierarchy of priorities.



The study was conducted across five countries -- Czechia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. It was led by Dr Andy Jin from the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Portsmouth</a>. Jin, along with his colleagues, sought to identify the attributes that hold the most sway over consumers as they navigate the grocery aisles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hierarchy-of-importance">Hierarchy of importance</h2>



In an online survey, 3,192 participants were asked to rate the importance of 18 different factors on a scale from 1 (not at all important) to 5 (extremely important). 



These factors encompassed a wide range of attributes, including freshness, quality/taste, healthy eating, nutrition, price, processing, special offers, convenience of use/preparation, and familiarity of brand.



Interestingly, the study found that across all surveyed countries, consumers consistently prioritized freshness, quality/taste, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animal-welfare-concerns-more-people-than-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal welfare</a> as the most important attributes. 



"Our study highlights the complex interplay of factors that influence consumer behavior when buying meat and dairy products," Dr. Jin explained. 



"Consumers indicated that information related to animal welfare, food safety, and health and nutrition was considered more important than environmental sustainability when making food choices," he continued.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-choices-and-the-sustainability-conundrum">Food choices and the sustainability conundrum</h2>



While environmental factors such as food miles, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-diets-offer-health-benefits-and-lower-carbon-footprint/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon footprint</a>, and organic production were deemed less important in influencing purchasing decisions, sustainability labels were still perceived as helpful among consumers. 



This finding suggests that while consumers may not prioritize sustainability as highly as other factors, they still value the information provided by these labels.



The implications of this research extend beyond the realm of consumer behavior. Policymakers, producers, and retailers in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-food-system-must-change-if-nations-hope-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food industry</a>, who are striving to meet evolving consumer demands for more sustainable products, can glean valuable insights from these findings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-importance-of-environmental-sustainability">Importance of environmental sustainability</h2>



When it comes to food, consumers play a crucial role in promoting sustainability through their purchasing decisions and eating habits. By making informed choices, individuals can support environmentally friendly practices, reduce waste, and contribute to a more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-food-system-is-unsustainable-and-must-be-transformed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sustainable food system</a>.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Making eco-friendly food choices</h3>



Consumers can opt for products that have a lower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-meat-and-dairy-alternatives-will-dramatically-transform-the-global-food-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental impact</a>, such as:



<ul>
<li>Organic produce: Organic farming methods avoid the use of synthetic pesticides and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nitrogen-pollution-from-food-production-could-be-halved/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fertilizers</a>, promoting healthier soil and ecosystems.</li>



<li>Sustainably sourced seafood: Choosing seafood from well-managed fisheries or responsible aquaculture farms helps prevent overfishing and protect marine habitats.</li>



<li>Products with minimal packaging: Selecting items with reduced or eco-friendly packaging minimizes waste and reduces the demand for single-use plastics.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Local and seasonal food choices</h3>



Buying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/home-food-production-helped-combat-hunger-during-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">local and seasonal</a> produce offers several sustainability benefits:



<ul>
<li>Reduced transportation emissions: Local food travels shorter distances, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.</li>



<li>Supporting local economies: Purchasing from local farmers and producers helps maintain a thriving local economy and preserves agricultural land.</li>



<li>Minimizing food waste: Seasonal produce is more likely to be consumed before spoiling, reducing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reducing-food-waste-greater-food-security-less-environmental-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food waste</a>.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Adopting plant-based diets</h3>



Shifting towards a more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/increasing-plant-based-food-production-would-have-extremely-positive-impact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant-based diet</a> can significantly reduce an individual's environmental footprint:



<ul>
<li>Lower greenhouse gas emissions: Plant-based foods generally require less land, water, and energy to produce compared to animal-based products.</li>



<li>Reduced deforestation: Animal agriculture is a major driver of deforestation, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss.</li>



<li>Improved resource efficiency: Plant-based diets use resources more efficiently, as crops are directly consumed rather than being used as animal feed.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Minimizing waste through food choices</h3>



Consumers can adopt practices that minimize food waste, such as:



<ul>
<li>Proper meal planning: Planning meals in advance and buying only what is needed helps reduce food waste at home.</li>



<li>Storing food correctly: Proper storage techniques extend the shelf life of food, reducing the likelihood of spoilage.</li>



<li>Composting: Composting food scraps and other organic waste diverts waste from landfills and creates nutrient-rich soil for gardening.</li>
</ul>



By making sustainable food choices, consumers send a powerful message to producers, retailers, and policymakers. As more people prioritize <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agricultural-technologies-can-reverse-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sustainability</a> in their purchasing decisions, it creates a demand for more environmentally friendly products and practices, ultimately driving positive change throughout the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seed-systems-will-play-a-key-role-in-future-food-security/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food system</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bridging-the-gap-from-attitudes-to-behavior">Bridging the gap: From attitudes to behavior</h2>



Dr Jin emphasizes that labels alone are not sufficient to change behavior, particularly for consumers who have low or no behavioral intention to buy sustainable meat or dairy products. 



He suggests, "These results should be translated into additional policy measures, such as nudges or behavioral interventions, helping individuals translate their attitudes into behavior and facilitating the choice of sustainably produced products."



The study underscores the need for a multi-faceted approach to promoting sustainable food choices. 



While labels play a crucial role in providing information, they must be accompanied by targeted marketing strategies and policy initiatives that address the complex interplay of factors influencing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-human-diets-pose-many-risks-health-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consumer decisions</a>.



As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of food choices, it is clear that the path to sustainability is not a straightforward one. 



By understanding the hierarchy of priorities that guide consumer behavior, we can work towards developing more effective strategies to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices in the meat and dairy industry.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329324000818?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food Quality and Preference</a>.



-----



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Animal welfare is the biggest concern for people when making food choices

In the bustling world of consumer food choices, the factors that influence our purchasing decisions are as diverse as they are complex. Recent research dives into the intricate web of considerations that shape our selections when it comes to meat and dairy products, revealing a thought-provoking hierarchy of priorities. The study was conducted across five countries -- Czechia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. It was led by Dr Andy Jin from the University of Portsmouth. Jin, along with his colleagues, sought to identify the attributes that...

Feds: Difficult To Prosecute Companies Over Migratory Bird Deaths. Companies accused of causing migratory bird deaths may be harder to successfully prosecute after a federal appeals court recently ruled that a century-old wildlife protection law only applies if the killing is intentional.
The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals runs contrary to two other federal courts' interpretations of the 1918 Migratory <a href="http://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/save-the-baby-kiwi-birds/">Bird</a> Treaty Act and could save companies that operate wind farms, power transmission lines and other methods of energy production millions in research - at the risk of more bird deaths.
"If you have a dead migratory bird, you have a violation. Doesn't matter how, why or when; that's historically been the government's interpretation," said Barry Hartman of K&amp;L Gates, a Washington law firm that represents <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=duke+energy&amp;cvid=0fb30bf47abc469cba6f66da0b2aa8fe&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Duke Energy</a> Corp. "And what the court is saying is that interpretation doesn't extend to unintentional takes."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has maintained that no intent is required to violate the law, which makes it illegal to "pursue, hunt, take, capture" or "kill" more than 1,000 bird species. But companies have long claimed they should not be held responsible for actions that incidentally cause deaths - up to about a half-million annually by wind turbines alone, the federal agency says.
The nation's appellate courts have starkly different interpretations of the law, resulting in an uneven enforcement across the country, with companies in some energy-rich states facing a narrower liability toward migratory birds than operations in other regions.
In the Sept. 4 ruling, the 5th Circuit said a U.S. District Court was wrong to convict and levy a $2 million fine against Citgo Petroleum Corp. for the deaths of at least 35 protected birds that flew into two large, open-top petroleum tanks in 2003 in Corpus Christi. In overturning the lower court's decision, the 5th Circuit agreed with Citgo that the statute was misinterpreted as covering unintentional bird kills.
The ruling agrees with decisions from the 8th and 9th Circuits that hold the law only applies to the intentional killing of birds, but contrasts with two other circuit rulings - one of which upheld misdemeanor convictions of two Kansas oil rig operators after dead birds were found trapped in oil-treatment vessels.
"It was a very easy charge for the government to bring" without having to prove intent, said Benjamin Cowan, a Houston attorney who represents traditional and renewable energy companies. "They won't be able to do that anymore."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has also used the bird act to regulate wind energy, and the Department of Justice are reviewing the 5th Circuit ruling before deciding whether to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, service spokeswoman Laury Parramore said. She added they may also ask the appeals court to reconsider.
The federal service is considering adding new regulations to mitigate bird deaths from energy production.
Since 2013, the Department of Justice has prosecuted two energy companies whose Wyoming wind turbines killed migratory birds, as well as several oil and gas companies in North Dakota whose wastewater pits became death traps for ducks. In 2014, Duke Energy Corp. was sentenced to $1 million in fines and five years' probation and ordered to develop a mitigation strategy for bird deaths at wind farms.
Environmental groups say the ruling by the 5th Circuit - which covers the energy-producing states of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi - weakens the law's intent in some of the country's most crucial bird habitats; Texas leads the nation in wind energy production. The groups also say the ruling threatens the integrity of treaties signed with Great Britain, Canada, Japan, Mexico and Russia.
The first of these, signed by the U.S. and Canada in 1916, was enacted in an era when many bird species were threatened by the commercial trade of birds and feathers and was intended to protect against the "indiscriminate slaughter" of migratory birds.
Eric Glitzenstein, an attorney who represents the American Bird Conservancy, called the ruling "an extraordinarily narrow" interpretation of the statute.
"Ignoring the greatest threats to migratory bird populations from inherently hazardous industrial activities is really a setback to our commitment to migratory birds in a serious and unfortunate way," he said.
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Feds: Difficult To Prosecute Companies Over Migratory Bird Deaths

Feds: Difficult To Prosecute Companies Over Migratory Bird Deaths. Companies...

Volkswagen Emission Testing

Volkswagen Pollution Testing Center Under Scrutiny After Scandal. When Volkswagen opened its gleaming pollution testing center near the California coast, a top executive from the German automaker helped snip the blue ribbon and joined a tour of a lab so advanced that VW would brag the air inside was cleaner than in the surrounding strawberry fields.
Three years later, with VW admitting that it manipulated emissions results in 482,000 U.S. diesel vehicles to make them seem more environmentally friendly, questions are swirling around Volkswagen's only test center in <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north+america&amp;cvid=ec97ef97f27a477c96c4ca8936edaed1&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">North America</a>. Was anyone at the facility complicit in the scheme? Or were VW's own testers unaware of the deception like so many others?
The center in Oxnard, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, was built with the help of a $10 million, tax-exempt public bond and opened in 2012.


[caption id="attachment_2384940" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/05120204/volkswagen-america-headquarters_1big_ap.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2384940" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/05120204/volkswagen-america-headquarters_1big_ap-150x150.jpg" alt="Volkswagens only test center in North America in Oxnard, Calif." width="150" height="150" /></a> Volkswagens only test center in North America in Oxnard, Calif.[/caption]
Volkswagen saw the facility as key to its multibillion-dollar U.S. growth strategy, partly because vehicles would have the selling point of meeting the nation's strictest emissions standards. At the facility, VW runs cars through a battery of tests to check whether they're polluting as little as advertised.
While no evidence has surfaced that Oxnard played a role in the fraud, the test center is sure to attract interest from government investigators and private attorneys lining up to sue VW.
"That would be one of the top facilities on my list to get inside of, whether through a subpoena or a search warrant," said William Carter, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles who specialized in environmental crimes. "You'd want to explore what's there."
Carter said that investigators would want to know whether anyone in Oxnard knew about the "defeat devices" that Volkswagen has acknowledged installing on models from 2009 through 2015. The "device" was code in engine software that cheated diesel car emissions tests in the U.S.; 11 million engines worldwide contained the software. The scandal forced out VW's CEO and could lead to $18 billion in U.S. fines, an avalanche of lawsuits and criminal prosecutions both here and abroad.
California has launched its own criminal probe, but the state Attorney General's office would not say if Oxnard was a focus. A U.S. Justice Department spokesman said prosecutors are working closely with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigators but declined to say more.
Two Southern California law firms have cited the center in lawsuits against VW.
"I'm dying to know if they were doing anything in that facility" related to the defeat device, said attorney Graham LippSmith, who is seeking damages for fraud and negligence in federal court in Los Angeles on behalf of VW diesel owners in California.


[caption id="attachment_2384939" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/05120202/volkswagen-pollution-testing-center_2big_ap.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2384939" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/05120202/volkswagen-pollution-testing-center_2big_ap-150x150.jpg" alt="Volkswagen Passat with a diesel engine is evaluated" width="150" height="150" /></a> Volkswagen Passat with a diesel engine is evaluated[/caption]
Volkswagen declined to answer questions about what it calls Test Center California, instead providing a fact sheet first distributed at the 2012 opening attended by local dignitaries and VW officials. It denied a tour request, and security escorted out an Associated Press reporter who visited.
California officials who began investigating discrepancies in VW's diesel emissions months ago are familiar with the test center. The California Air Resources Board, in charge of enforcing the state's tough emissions standards, has likely received test results from the center but spokesman John Swanton could not be sure and would not say whether they included the 2009 to 2015 diesel models in question. Volkswagen Pollution Testing Center Under Scrutiny After Scandal
In recent weeks, agency staff visited Oxnard for ideas about how to upgrade their own aging emissions test center in El Monte, about 80 miles away, according to Swanton. The visit came while state and federal regulators were pressing VW to explain emissions test discrepancies but was not part of the investigation, he said.
The agency has researched other automaker test labs in California for ideas and was interested in the VW facility's top-notch environmental design, which includes rooftop solar paneling that provides one-third of its electricity.
And the agency is currently collaborating with VW to test emissions from a diesel research vehicle outside the lab. Air Resources Board engineers have been driving a red VW Golf up and down the coast to Oxnard, taking pollution readings using equipment strapped onto the back. The idea is to test ideas that VW is considering for a possible future diesel model, Swanton said.
Paperwork submitted to the City Council in 2010 as part of the approval process for a $10 million California Economic Development Authority tax-exempt bond to build the $27 million center said it would include "sophisticated emission-testing equipment" as part of VW's research to develop ultra-low emission vehicles, including diesel. VW came to Oxnard to replace a smaller, older facility nearby.
Civic leaders in Oxnard received a tour in 2012 that focused on how the precision lab assesses engine performance and its impact on emissions, said Steven Kinney, former president of the Economic Development Corporation of Oxnard.
The floors were so clean you could eat off them, Kinney said. He peered into a climate-controlled chamber where engineers could simulate sub-zero temperatures or desert conditions and saw cars undergoing emissions testing on treadmills.
At the Oxnard facility, and those like it that other automakers have in Southern California, cars would typically be several years old - tested for how they are performing as they age. Testing to certify that a new model meets U.S. and California emissions standards is typically done at an automaker's headquarters.
"They were proud of the fact that the air inside the facility was cleaner than the ambient air," he recalled.
Now, Kinney is left with questions: "How are they going to react to this? How much are they going to now open up the facility to broader public scrutiny?"
---
Pritchard reported from Los Angeles. Michael Biesecker contributed from Washington, D.C., and Don Thompson from Sacramento, California.
---
Contact Flaccus at <a href="https://twitter.com/gflaccus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://twitter.com/gflaccus</a> and Pritchard at <a href="https://twitter.com/lalanewsman" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://twitter.com/lalanewsman</a> .
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Volkswagen Pollution Testing Center Under Scrutiny After Scandal

Volkswagen Pollution Testing Center Under Scrutiny After Scandal. When Volkswagen...

Clouds of reef fish and corals, French frigate shoals, NWHI

Obama Designates Two New National Marine Sanctuaries. President Barack Obama declared new marine sanctuaries in Lake Michigan and the tidal waters of Maryland on Monday, while Chile blocked off more than 200,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean near the world-famous Easter Island from commercial fishing and oil and gas exploration.
The announcements came as top officials, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, attended an international conference on marine protection in the Chilean port city of Valparaiso. Several nations also outlined plans for tracing seafood imports to combat overfishing and stemming increased pollution in the ocean.
The new protected waters in the United States are the first to be designated as such in 15 years, the White House said in a statement.
The 875-square mile area of Wisconsin's Lake Michigan extends from Port Washington to Two Rivers, containing a collection of 39 known shipwrecks. Fifteen are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Mallows Bay-Potomac River in Maryland encompasses a 14-square mile area of the tidal Potomac River next to Charles County. Nearly 200 vessels, some dating back to the Revolutionary War, are found in the largely undeveloped area that provides habitat for endangered species of wildlife and fish.
The actions are the latest in a series of environmental steps by Obama, who last year set aside some 400,000 square miles of the central Pacific Ocean from commercial fishing, deep sea mining and other forms of resource extraction. The Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument is now the largest marine reserve in the world.
In a videotaped message to conference participants, Obama recalled his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia and said he always maintained "a special love for the ocean."
"Our economies, our livelihoods and our food all depend on our oceans," he said, "and yet we know that our actions are changing them. Greenhouse gas emissions are making our seas warmer and more acidic. Marine pollution harms fish and wildlife, affecting the entire food chain. Illegal fishing depletes the world's fisheries."
Obama said he would seek to protect more American waters in the coming months.
Chile made its own ambitious declaration, cordoning off a vast expanse of the South Pacific Ocean.
President Michelle Bachelet said the new marine park would protect the ancestral species of Rapa Nui, the name used by the native Polynesians of Easter Island, which is celebrated for its hundreds of human statues carved out of volcanic rock. She was joined by representatives of the island, who clapped their hands and sang after the announcement was made.
Bachelet called it the third-largest protected marine zone worldwide.
Britain, Gabon, Kiribati, New Zealand and Palau have taken steps as well to protect sections of the sea in recent months.
The "Our Ocean" conference also targeted marine pollution resulting from discarded plastics and increasing levels of ocean acidification, which damages coral reefs and shellfish populations. Such concerns are shared by the U.S., which imports 90 percent of the fish it consumes, and Chile, whose coastline of almost 2,500 miles is vital to the economy.
To address overfishing, the Obama administration announced a global initiative, "Sea Scout," to identify unregulated and unreported activity, and help prosecute illegal fishing organizations. The U.S. National <a href="http://www.earth.com/endangered-species/megalagrion-oceanicum/">Oceanic</a> and Atmospheric Administration is expanding a program for detecting boats that use lights to attract fishery catch at night and will implement it in Indonesia, the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=Philippines&amp;cvid=353301fec3bb4845b6a7206c62e11a6a&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Philippines</a> and three other countries next year.
The "traceability" initiative is supposed to start for the most commonly exported fish species such as tuna, cod, shrimp and crab in September 2016. It would apply to all fish a year later and is designed to provide a full accounting of where exporters are getting their catch and whether they are operating in a sustainable manner. Anyone who wants to export fish to the United States would have to adhere to the conditions. The program needs final approval from the U.S. Senate and several additional countries before entering into force.
"There is literally too much money chasing too much fish," Kerry told the conference. A third of the world's fish stocks are over-exploited, he said, calling overfishing a $10 billion-a-year industry.
---
Online:
Obama's remarks: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UDXsv-BLpI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UDXsv-BLpI</a>
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Obama Designates Two New National Marine Sanctuaries

Obama Designates Two New National Marine Sanctuaries. President Barack Obama...

Estimating The Impact Of Permafrost Carbon And Climate Change. Berkeley Lab scientist leads effort to shed light on a potentially huge player in the planet's climate...permafrost carbon

One of the big unknowns in predicting climate change is the billions of tons of carbon frozen in Arctic permafrost. As global warming causes soil temperatures to increase, some of this carbon will decompose and enter the atmosphere and accelerate climate change.

Although permafrost carbon has the potential to be a huge player in the planet's climate, it's difficult to predict the amount that will enter the atmosphere for a given increase in temperature. That's because the current way to estimate feedback between permafrost <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/warming-of-2c-would-unleash-230-billions-tons-of-soil-carbon/">carbon</a> and climate is by using complex Earth system models that include a wide range of atmospheric and land surface phenomena. When it comes to representing the dynamics of permafrost carbon, these models don't use data from direct observations of the amount of carbon that is currently frozen in Arctic permafrost.

[caption id="attachment_2384952" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/05173228/permafrost-graphic_1big_LLNB.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2384952" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/05173228/permafrost-graphic_1big_LLNB-150x150.jpg" alt="The new approach includes data from recently compiled soil carbon maps of permafrost in Alaska, Canada, and Russia." width="150" height="150" /></a> The new approach includes data from recently compiled soil carbon maps of permafrost in Alaska, Canada, and Russia.[/caption]

Now, a team of researchers led by a scientist from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has developed a simple model of permafrost carbon based on direct observations. Their approach could help climate scientists evaluate how well permafrost dynamics are represented in the Earth system models used to predict climate change.

The scientists present their research in a paper published online Oct. 5 in the journalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A.

"In the classic way of evaluating how well climate models account for permafrost carbon, scientists ask: Does the model predict soil carbon levels that are close to what is observed?" says Charlie Koven, a staff scientist in Berkeley Lab's Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division who led the research.

"But we flipped the question and started with: What are the actual, observed stocks of carbon in the soil? With this approach, we built the simplest possible model of Arctic permafrost carbon and its dynamics," Koven says.

Their approach takes into account recently developed soil carbon maps that identify the distribution and type of carbon in permafrost soils in Alaska, Canada, and Russia. It also includes a meta-analysis of several lab studies in which permafrost was held at a constant above-freezing temperature for months or even years. These incubation experiments quantify the rates of carbon lost due to permafrost thaw. A third component is a meta-analysis of soil thermal models that track soil dynamics in response to climate warming. These models account for the effects of melting snow, freezing and thawing of soils, and differences in soil thermal properties, to name a few phenomena.

The scientists ran their simplified model under two scenarios. In one scenario, fossil fuel emissions begin to curb dramatically by the middle of this century and the global temperature increases 1.8 degrees Celsius. In the other scenario, fossil fuel emissions continue at current rates unchecked and the global temperature increases 3.4 degrees Celsius.

They averaged the results from the two scenarios, and found that for every one degree Celsius of global warming, the amount of permafrost carbon that enters the atmosphere is equivalent to 1.5 years of global carbon dioxide emissions.

"We found for a given amount of warming, there is an extra amount of carbon released, which would lead to further warming--in other words, a feedback loop," says Koven.

Koven notes that their approach doesn't include many important processes that may increase or mitigate carbon release from permafrost soils.

"But the beauty of simple models is they are very easy to understand. We know exactly what goes into this," Koven adds. "The processes responsible for permafrost carbon-climate feedback have not been well represented in many models, and our approach is a way to start. It serves as a data-constrained estimate on the large-scale permafrost carbon response to warming."

The research was funded partly by the Department of Energy's Office of Science.
###
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit <a href="http://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.lbl.gov</a>.

Estimating The Impact Of Permafrost Carbon And Climate Change

Estimating The Impact Of Permafrost Carbon And Climate Change. Berkeley...

Court: EPA Must Revise Ship Ballast Water Dumping Regulations. A federal appeals court has ordered the government to rewrite regulations of ballast water discharges from ships, one of the leading culprits in the spread of invasive species across U.S. waterways.
The ruling Monday by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came in a lawsuit filed by environmental groups against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A federal appeals court has ordered the government to rewrite regulations of ballast water discharges from ships. Also showing a lot more environmental groups.
The groups say an EPA permit issued in 2013 isn't strong enough to prevent vessels from introducing more harmful organisms such as zebra mussels, which have caused heavy damage in the Great Lakes and spread as far as the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=west+coast+&amp;qs=n&amp;form=QBRE&amp;sp=-1&amp;pq=west+coast+c&amp;sc=8-12&amp;sk=&amp;cvid=7B4EB1169B0347B19F2931267D35F594">West Coast</a>. Court: EPA Must Revise Ship Ballast Water Dumping Regulations
The court says the <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/nasa-prepares-to-take-astronauts-back-to-the-moon/">EPA</a> erred in numerous ways, including by adopting international limits on live organisms in ballast water when technology was available to require tougher standards.The Environmental Protection Agency is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on December 2, 1970, after Nixon signed an executive order.
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Court: EPA Must Revise Ship Ballast Water Dumping Regulations

Court: EPA Must Revise Ship Ballast Water Dumping Regulations. A...

Estimating The Impact Of Permafrost Carbon And Climate Change. Berkeley Lab scientist leads effort to shed light on a potentially huge player in the planet's climate...permafrost carbon

One of the big unknowns in predicting climate change is the billions of tons of carbon frozen in Arctic permafrost. As global warming causes soil temperatures to increase, some of this carbon will decompose and enter the atmosphere and accelerate climate change.

Although permafrost carbon has the potential to be a huge player in the planet's climate, it's difficult to predict the amount that will enter the atmosphere for a given increase in temperature. That's because the current way to estimate feedback between permafrost carbon and climate is by using complex Earth system models that include a wide range of atmospheric and land surface phenomena. When it comes to representing the dynamics of permafrost carbon, these models don't use data from direct observations of the amount of carbon that is currently frozen in Arctic permafrost.

[caption id="attachment_2384952" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/05173228/permafrost-graphic_1big_LLNB.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2384952" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/05173228/permafrost-graphic_1big_LLNB-150x150.jpg" alt="The new approach includes data from recently compiled soil carbon maps of permafrost in Alaska, Canada, and Russia." width="150" height="150" /></a> The new approach includes data from recently compiled soil carbon maps of permafrost in Alaska, Canada, and Russia.[/caption]

Now, a team of researchers led by a scientist from the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has developed a simple model of permafrost carbon based on direct observations. Their approach could help climate scientists evaluate how well permafrost dynamics are represented in the Earth system models used to predict climate change.

The scientists present their research in a paper published online Oct. 5 in the journalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A.

"In the classic way of evaluating how well climate models account for permafrost carbon, scientists ask: Does the model predict soil carbon levels that are close to what is observed?" says Charlie Koven, a staff scientist in Berkeley Lab's Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division who led the research.

"But we flipped the question and started with: What are the actual, observed stocks of carbon in the soil? With this approach, we built the simplest possible model of Arctic permafrost carbon and its dynamics," Koven says.

Their approach takes into account recently developed soil carbon maps that identify the distribution and type of carbon in permafrost soils in Alaska, Canada, and Russia. It also includes a meta-analysis of several lab studies in which permafrost was held at a constant above-freezing temperature for months or even years. These incubation experiments quantify the rates of carbon lost due to permafrost thaw. A third component is a meta-analysis of soil thermal models that track soil dynamics in response to climate warming. These models account for the effects of melting snow, freezing and thawing of soils, and differences in soil thermal properties, to name a few phenomena.

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/scientists-study-earth-to-find-similar-worlds/">scientists</a> ran their simplified model under two scenarios. In one scenario, fossil fuel emissions begin to curb dramatically by the middle of this century and the global temperature increases 1.8 degrees Celsius. In the other scenario, fossil fuel emissions continue at current rates unchecked and the global temperature increases 3.4 degrees Celsius.

They averaged the results from the two scenarios, and found that for every one degree Celsius of global warming, the amount of permafrost carbon that enters the atmosphere is equivalent to 1.5 years of global carbon dioxide emissions.

"We found for a given amount of warming, there is an extra amount of carbon released, which would lead to further warming--in other words, a feedback loop," says Koven.

Koven notes that their approach doesn't include many important processes that may increase or mitigate carbon release from permafrost soils.

"But the beauty of simple models is they are very easy to understand. We know exactly what goes into this," Koven adds. "The processes responsible for permafrost carbon-climate feedback have not been well represented in many models, and our approach is a way to start. It serves as a data-constrained estimate on the large-scale permafrost carbon response to warming."

The research was funded partly by the Department of Energy's Office of Science.
###
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit <a href="http://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.lbl.gov</a>.

United Nations Releases First Draft Of Global Climate Pact. The United Nations on Monday released a first draft of the global climate pact negotiating text for the major conference on climate taking place in Paris in December.
The document is a step forward for the talks, slimming down the text from more than 90 pages earlier this year to just 20.United Nations Releases First Draft Of Global Climate Pact
Negotiators from 195 countries are to gather for a new session of talks Oct. 19-23 in Bonn, Germany.
A large number of proposals in the text are in parentheses, meaning they are still to be negotiated. The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nature-documentaries-climate-action/">document</a> notably includes a long-term goal for reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions, but details and deadline remain to be discussed.
The Paris conference on climate is aiming for an ambitious deal to keep the rise in worldwide temperatures since pre-industrial times below 2 degrees Celsius.
Financing is considered as key to an agreement, with poor countries expecting some assistance from rich ones to help them cut carbon emissions while developing their economy.
The text mentions that financing could be more than the $100 billion per year already promised by 2020, coming from both public and private sources.
The potential agreement would reflect "common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances", the draft specifies.
The text also provide for a review of national climate targets in the future. Countries would be required to communicate their emissions goals every five years, a process seen as crucial to implementing an agreement.United Nations Releases First Draft Of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=PACIFIC&amp;cvid=85e81936106b4071b352ead8ee051021&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Global</a> Climate Pact
"The whole process is a very useful next step," said former U.S. Sen. Tim Wirth, vice chairman of the United Nations Foundation. "But obviously, it's still not going to be enough."
Every five years nations have to be prepared to tighten their commitments, he said, and then there's the problem of enforcing the agreement.
"How well governments are meeting their commitments, that's always hard," said Wirth, who raised questions about how transparent emissions calculations will be and who watches nations.
Environmental groups monitoring the talks gave the draft mixed reviews.
Jennifer Morgan of the World Resources Institute said it would "serve as a helpful launching pad for reaching common ground" in negotiations leading up to the Paris conference.
Others said it didn't capture the momentum of climate action outside the negotiations, with countries, cities and corporations taking steps to reduce emissions and help people in the developing world deal with the consequences of global warming.
Greenpeace said the options for a long-term goal were not ambitious enough and excluded the group's demand for a transition to 100 percent renewable energy by mid-century.
---
Karl Ritter in Stockholm and Seth Borenstein in Washington, D.C., contributed to this story.
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United Nations Releases First Draft Of Global Climate Pact

United Nations Releases First Draft Of Global Climate Pact. The...

Hoesung Lee To Head UN Panel On Climate Change. A South Korean professor of climate change economics will lead the Nobel Prize-winning group of climate scientists that keeps track of global warming.
The United Nations-affiliated Intergovernmental Panel on <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=climate+change&amp;cvid=2877ff35b8d44f4dae56c57ce3e30ada&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Climate Change</a> announced Tuesday it had elected Hoesung Lee, one of its vice chairmen, to its top post.
Lee is president of the government affiliated Korea Energy Economics Institute and past dean of the College of Environment at Keimyung University.Hoesung Lee To Head UN Panel On Climate Change
Each country is allowed one vote for climate panel leader. Lee pledged to work more closely with business and industry and pay special attention to job creation, health, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/map-living-conditions-global-poverty/">poverty</a> reduction and technology development.
The previous chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, resigned in February after charges of sexual harassment were leveled against him in his native India.Climate variability includes all the variations in the climate that last longer than individual weather events, whereas the term climate change only refers to those variations that persist for a longer period of time, typically decades or more. In the time since the industrial revolution the climate has increasingly been affected by human activities that are causing global warming and climate
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Hoesung Lee To Head UN Panel On Climate Change

Hoesung Lee To Head UN Panel On Climate Change. A...

New Species Of Coral Can Protect Itself Against Climate Change. Scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE) have found a species of coral living in a dynamic reef system, which is able to protect itself from the impact of ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification, caused by rising CO2, is one of the greatest long-term challenges facing reefs. It reduces coral's ability to form their skeletons and build reef structures.

Now Coral CoE researchers from the University of Western Australia and the University of Queensland have found that coral colonies of P. cylindrica within Heron Island lagoon on the Great Barrier Reef have a unique internal solution to the problem.

"Our research shows that some corals living in dynamic reef systems (P. cylindrica) have the ability to maintain a nearly constant pH within their calcifying fluid, regardless of the pH of the surrounding environment," says lead author, Lucy Georgiou.

"This enables them to continue to form their calcium carbonate skeleton even under relatively low pH conditions."

Co-author, Professor Malcolm McCulloch, says the findings indicate physiological controls on the pH of the coral's calcifying fluid despite large declines in this highly dynamic <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=environmental&amp;cvid=f8c198ab53dd42469f865101953724a5&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">environment</a>.

"In contrast previous mesocosm experiments conducted under constant conditions of pH and temperature had indicated a partial dependence of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-great-barrier-reef-has-lost-half-its-corals-in-two-decades/">corals</a> calcifying pH on the external seawater,"

The regulatory mechanism allows the coral to grow at a relatively constant rate, suggesting they may be more resilient in this environment to the effects of ocean acidification than previously thought.New Species Of Coral Can Protect Itself Against Climate Change

The researchers were able to study the colony in its natural environment using the innovative Free Ocean Carbon Enrichment (FOCE) technique to simulate the impact of ocean acidification.

"It was really important to do this, as many reef systems are highly complex environments," says Ms Georgiou.

While the findings are positive, it's not yet known if the adaption is species specific and limited to colonies in dynamic reef systems.

"This is most likely only typical to corals from reefs such as Heron Island lagoon where temperature and pH fluctuations vary greatly on daily to seasonal basis" says Ms Georgiou.

"The next step in this research is to explore if P. cylindrica colonies from more stable environments also have the ability to adapt and if they too can 'hold up' to increased acidity," she says.

"We also need to explore what impact rising sea temperature has on the corals ability to maintain its internal pH.."

&nbsp;

---

<a href="http://www.coralcoe.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Arc Center of Excellence</a>

New Species Of Coral Can Protect Itself Against Climate Change

New Species Of Coral Can Protect Itself Against Climate Change....

Asia Haze

Neighboring Countries Angry Over Indonesia Forest Fires. For weeks now, the quality of life in parts of Southeast Asia has been left to sheer chance - the direction of the wind. Every day, it alone determines which city will be shrouded by peaty white smoke blowing from burning Indonesia forest fires.
Like neighbors who must tolerate the bad habits of the family next door, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have endured the annual problem of smoke that stings the eyes, irritates the throats and shuts down schools and airports. Now their patience is wearing thin, and harsh words are flying across the borders in a departure from region's non-confrontational etiquette.Neighboring Countries Angry Over Indonesia Forest Fires
"We all see it, breathe it; and there is no hiding," former Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong wrote on Facebook.
Some days, the smoke is so bad that the gleaming skylines of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur disappear in an all-encompassing grayness. More than 7,000 schools in peninsular Malaysia were shut on Monday and Tuesday, forcing some 4 million students to stay home. Fifteen final races of the Swimming World Cup meet in Singapore were canceled last week. Tourists are staying away. Respiratory problems are on the rise.
Some have tried to make light of the situation, including wedding couples in Singapore who have commissioned haze-themed photo shoots against famous backdrops.
"Indonesia needs to keep to its commitments. Regionally, countries are getting fed up that Indonesia is not coordinating this very well," Reuben Wong, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore, told The Associated Press.
Scientists predict the haze this year is on track to surpass 1997 levels when pollution soared to record highs in an environmental disaster that cost an estimated $9 billion in health costs and lost revenue. A bad bout of haze resembles wintry fog, but laced with tiny particles of ash that are particularly harmful to the elderly, children and those with chronic heart and lung conditions.
According to the Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space, a total of 1,687 fires are burning in Sumatra, a giant island that runs parallel to the western coastline of Malaysia and surrounds Singapore, and in Kalimantan, a province on Borneo island, which is also occupied by Malaysia's Sarawak and Sabah states. Sometimes the wind carries the smoke far north across Malaysia into southern Thailand.
The culprits are well known. Big corporations set fire to forests every year to clear land speedily so the peaty soil can be planted with rows upon rows of trees that will be eventually harvested for paper pulp and palm oil. Oil palm plantations earned revenue of $18.5 billion in Indonesia last year.
"For them, burning the forest is the fastest, cheapest and most profitable method instead of clearing with heavy equipment," said Raffles Brotestes Panjaitan, the director of forest fire control in Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry. "Our regulation is clear - no burning of forests - but they violate the law for the sake of profits."
He told the AP that the intentional burning, especially on peat land, and the absence of rain because of the El Nino effect have worsened the fires this year. He described the burning ground as a vast smoldering stove with coal burning up to 10 meters (33 feet) deep.
The Indonesian government says more than 191 individuals and 47 corporations are under investigation. The license of one company has been revoked and three others suspended, and 72 people have been arrested. The government has also deployed some 22,146 soldiers, policemen and fire personnel in six provinces to fight the fires, with aircraft conducting water-bombing and cloud-seeding operations. Another 6,000 soldiers are expected to be deployed soon.
In September 2014, Indonesia ratified a regional agreement under which it promised to take steps to ease the problem through its own efforts and with international cooperation, or be held liable for the impact of haze on its neighbors.
But a long-term solution is not around the corner.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has pleaded for the patience, saying the haze is "not a problem that you can solve quickly." He added: "You will see results soon, and in three years, we will have solved this."
The crisis led to a diplomatic spat of sorts when Vice President Jusuf Kalla said neighboring countries "already enjoy 11 months of clean fresh air from Indonesia" and shouldn't complain about one month of haze.
K. Shanmugam, a Singapore Cabinet minister, called the comment "shocking."
"How is it possible for senior people in the government to issue such statements, without any regard for their people, or ours, and without any embarrassment, or sense of responsibility?" he wrote on Facebook.
In Malaysia, a deputy minister suggested the government should seek compensation from Indonesia for financial losses, saying Malaysian street vendors saw their businesses plummet 30 percent in a month.
"It is ridiculous for them not to solve this problem," <a href="http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/ge/newsgeneral.php?id=1176645" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chew Mei Fun told national news agency Bernama</a> . "Children can't go to school. At the same time, nobody will come to visit Malaysia."
But while the fires are burning in Indonesia, its neighbors do share some responsibility. Some of the oil palm plantations conducting slash-and-burn work are owned by Malaysian and Singaporean companies, according to research by the nonprofit Centre for International Forestry Research.
"There are no easy solutions," said Heng Yee Kuang, an associate professor of international relations at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. "There needs to be better data collected on who is actually causing the forest fires."
---
Joshi reported from Bangkok. Ali Kotarumalos and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Neighboring Countries Angry Over Indonesia Forest Fires

Neighboring Countries Angry Over Indonesia Forest Fires. For weeks now,...

Neighboring Countries Angry Over Indonesia Forest Fires. For weeks now, the quality of life in parts of Southeast Asia has been left to sheer chance - the direction of the wind. Every day, it alone determines which city will be shrouded by peaty white smoke blowing from burning Indonesia forest fires.
Like neighbors who must tolerate the bad habits of the family next door, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have endured the annual problem of smoke that stings the eyes, irritates the throats and shuts down schools and airports. Now their patience is wearing thin, and harsh words are flying across the borders in a departure from region's non-confrontational etiquette.
"We all see it, breathe it; and there is no hiding," former <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/singapores-largest-wind-turbine/">Singapore</a> Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong wrote on Facebook.
Some days, the smoke is so bad that the gleaming skylines of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur disappear in an all-encompassing grayness. More than 7,000 schools in peninsular Malaysia were shut on Monday and Tuesday, forcing some 4 million students to stay home. Fifteen final races of the Swimming World Cup meet in Singapore were canceled last week. Tourists are staying away. Respiratory problems are on the rise.
Some have tried to make light of the situation, including wedding couples in Singapore who have commissioned haze-themed photo shoots against famous backdrops.
"Indonesia needs to keep to its commitments. Regionally, countries are getting fed up that Indonesia is not coordinating this very well," Reuben Wong, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore, told The Associated Press.
Scientists predict the haze this year is on track to surpass 1997 levels when pollution soared to record highs in an environmental disaster that cost an estimated $9 billion in health costs and lost revenue. A bad bout of haze resembles wintry fog, but laced with tiny particles of ash that are particularly harmful to the elderly, children and those with chronic heart and lung conditions.
According to the Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space, a total of 1,687 fires are burning in Sumatra, a giant island that runs parallel to the western coastline of Malaysia and surrounds Singapore, and in Kalimantan, a province on Borneo island, which is also occupied by Malaysia's Sarawak and Sabah states. Sometimes the wind carries the smoke far north across Malaysia into southern <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=thailand&amp;cvid=24dc3bc9ce31464ab7f61661f9550ee6&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Thailand</a>. Neighboring Countries Angry Over Indonesia Forest Fires
The culprits are well known. Big corporations set fire to forests every year to clear land speedily so the peaty soil can be planted with rows upon rows of trees that will be eventually harvested for paper pulp and palm oil. Oil palm plantations earned revenue of $18.5 billion in Indonesia last year.
"For them, burning the forest is the fastest, cheapest and most profitable method instead of clearing with heavy equipment," said Raffles Brotestes Panjaitan, the director of forest fire control in Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry. "Our regulation is clear - no burning of forests - but they violate the law for the sake of profits."
He told the AP that the intentional burning, especially on peat land, and the absence of rain because of the El Nino effect have worsened the fires this year. He described the burning ground as a vast smoldering stove with coal burning up to 10 meters (33 feet) deep.
The Indonesian government says more than 191 individuals and 47 corporations are under investigation. The license of one company has been revoked and three others suspended, and 72 people have been arrested. The government has also deployed some 22,146 soldiers, policemen and fire personnel in six provinces to fight the fires, with aircraft conducting water-bombing and cloud-seeding operations. Another 6,000 soldiers are expected to be deployed soon.
In September 2014, Indonesia ratified a regional agreement under which it promised to take steps to ease the problem through its own efforts and with international cooperation, or be held liable for the impact of haze on its neighbors.
But a long-term solution is not around the corner.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has pleaded for the patience, saying the haze is "not a problem that you can solve quickly." He added: "You will see results soon, and in three years, we will have solved this."
The crisis led to a diplomatic spat of sorts when Vice President Jusuf Kalla said neighboring countries "already enjoy 11 months of clean fresh air from Indonesia" and shouldn't complain about one month of haze.
K. Shanmugam, a Singapore Cabinet minister, called the comment "shocking."
"How is it possible for senior people in the government to issue such statements, without any regard for their people, or ours, and without any embarrassment, or sense of responsibility?" he wrote on Facebook.
In Malaysia, a deputy minister suggested the government should seek compensation from Indonesia for financial losses, saying Malaysian street vendors saw their businesses plummet 30 percent in a month.
"It is ridiculous for them not to solve this problem," <a href="http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/ge/newsgeneral.php?id=1176645" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chew Mei Fun told national news agency Bernama</a> . "Children can't go to school. At the same time, nobody will come to visit Malaysia."
But while the fires are burning in Indonesia, its neighbors do share some responsibility. Some of the oil palm plantations conducting slash-and-burn work are owned by Malaysian and Singaporean companies, according to research by the nonprofit Centre for International Forestry Research.
"There are no easy solutions," said Heng Yee Kuang, an associate professor of international relations at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. "There needs to be better data collected on who is actually causing the forest fires."
---
Joshi reported from Bangkok. Ali Kotarumalos and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Hoesung Lee To Head UN Panel On Climate Change. A South Korean professor of climate change economics will lead the Nobel Prize-winning group of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=climate+change&amp;cvid=0a8c9968cb194f958f0619e8d46a2d7b&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">climate</a> scientists that keeps track of global warming.
The United Nations-affiliated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change announced Tuesday it had elected Hoesung Lee, one of its vice chairmen, to its top post.
Lee is president of the government affiliated Korea Energy Economics Institute and past dean of the College of Environment at Keimyung University. Hoesung Lee To Head UN Panel On Climate Change
Each country is allowed one vote for climate panel leader. Lee pledged to work more closely with business and industry and pay special attention to job creation, health, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/map-living-conditions-global-poverty/">poverty</a> reduction and technology development.
The previous chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, resigned in February after charges of sexual harassment were leveled against him in his native India.Climate variability includes all the variations in the climate that last longer than individual weather events, whereas the term climate change only refers to those variations that persist for a longer period of time, typically decades or more. In the time since the industrial revolution the climate has increasingly been affected by human activities that are causing global warming and climate change.
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



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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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" 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.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 the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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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How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&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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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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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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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



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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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" 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</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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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" 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.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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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How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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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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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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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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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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