<p>Wildfires in the western U.S. have become a growing crisis. They’re lasting longer, burning hotter, and spreading into areas that rarely burned in the past. </p>



<p>But another danger is rising, beyond heatwaves and droughts. Lightning - sudden, fierce, and incredibly powerful - is becoming one of the biggest wildfire risks.</p>



<p>In the coming decades, scientists warn that lightning will become an increasingly dominant spark for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">wildfires</a>, adding to the already mounting risks across the West.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lightning-is-fueling-more-wildfires">Lightning is fueling more wildfires</h2>



<p>Wildfires need a few things to get going: dry fuel, hot temperatures, low humidity, and a spark. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lightning-is-changing-the-atmosphere-in-surprising-ways/">Lightning</a> is one of the most powerful natural igniters.</p>



<p>In the western U.S., lightning already causes more than two-thirds of the area burned by wildfires. And now, new research shows that number is going to rise sharply due to climate change. </p>



<p>Warmer air holds more moisture, which means more unstable weather patterns. Those patterns, in turn, set the stage for more lightning.</p>



<p>A recent study has revealed that virtually all of the western U.S. - 98 percent of the region - will have more days with a greater likelihood of lightning-ignited wildfires starting as early as the 2030s. </p>



<p>For regions already accustomed to such fires, such as Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, the risk is even greater. As early as 2060, those states may have as many as 12 additional lightning-filled days per summer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-model-to-forecast-lightning">A model to forecast lightning</h2>



<p>Traditional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-models-underestimate-sea-ice-melt-and-global-warming/">climate models</a> don’t really track lightning. That’s why a team of researchers led by Dmitri Kalashnikov built their own system to fill in the gaps.</p>



<p>“The first step was to project lightning,” said Kalashnikov, a research scientist at the <a href="https://www.ucmerced.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California Merced</a>. “The typical climate models don’t directly simulate lightning. It’s too small a process.”</p>



<p>The researchers applied machine learning to forecast where lightning would hit based on variables that we can quantify - such as temperature, humidity, and the level of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/moisture-in-the-atmosphere-causes-extreme-weather-to-last-longer/">moisture in the air</a>. </p>



<p>The team merged those results with the Fire Weather Index (FWI), a mechanism that was developed back in 1968 to monitor how probable wildfire initiation and spread is from local weather.</p>



<p>The result is a forecast model tailored to the western U.S., designed to project conditions from 2030 to 2060 - decades earlier than most studies, which typically look only to the end of the century.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-lightning-in-the-northwest">More lightning in the Northwest</h2>



<p>The northwestern states of Idaho, Oregon, and Montana are projected to experience the greatest growth in lightning days. But strangely, they may not experience the most rapid expansion in wildfires. </p>



<p>Although lightning will grow, the conditions favoring fires (such as extreme heat or dryness) are not expected to worsen as quickly in the Northwest compared to other regions.</p>



<p>That doesn’t mean northwestern states are off the hook. Cloud-to-ground lightning, the kind that hits trees or grass directly, is still expected to rise significantly in those areas.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-lightning-greater-wildfire-risk">Less lightning, greater wildfire risk</h2>



<p>In contrast, the Southwest - including Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico - won’t see as much of a jump in lightning strikes. But the fire risk will still climb. </p>



<p>This is because even a small spark becomes a big threat when the land is extra dry, the heat is intense, and there’s little rain to cool things off.</p>



<p>The researchers found that these southern states are likely to experience the biggest increases in wildfires caused by lightning, despite the smaller bump in lightning activity. That’s because climate change is pushing up the number of fire-prone days overall.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dry-and-wet-lightning">Dry and wet lightning</h2>



<p>Kalashnikov said the next steps could involve separating the kinds of lightning events. “You can’t help but wonder what the future will look like, especially if you dig in and you realize that there’s actually a lot that we don’t understand,” he said.</p>



<p>One key factor will be figuring out how to distinguish between "dry lightning" and "wet lightning." Dry lightning happens without much rain, making it a fire hazard. </p>



<p>Wet lightning brings <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heavy-rainfall-poses-extreme-risks-in-the-western-us/">heavy rain</a>, which can reduce fire risk but increase flood danger. Understanding that difference could help emergency services respond more precisely to fire threats.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfire-risks-are-rising-fast">Wildfire risks are rising fast</h2>



<p>As climate patterns shift, the West isn’t just getting warmer and drier - it’s getting stormier in a dangerous way. Lightning is expected to spark more fires, and fires are expected to find more dry fuel waiting. It’s a feedback loop that could reshape fire seasons in the U.S.</p>



<p>This isn’t about something that might happen a hundred years from now. The changes are coming within the next few decades - some may already be happening. </p>



<p>And for the people living in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/double-hazard-wildfire-zones-identified-in-the-american-west/">high-risk areas</a>, that means more heat, more smoke, and a greater need for preparation.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025EF006108" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's Future</a></em>.</p>



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Lightning will ignite even more wildfires as the climate heats up

Wildfires in the western U.S. have become a growing crisis. They’re lasting longer, burning hotter, and spreading into areas that rarely burned in the past. But another danger is rising, beyond heatwaves and droughts. Lightning - sudden, fierce, and incredibly powerful - is becoming one of the biggest wildfire risks. In the coming decades, scientists warn that lightning will become an increasingly dominant spark for wildfires, adding to the already mounting risks across the West. Lightning is fueling more wildfires Wildfires need a few things to get...

The,Land,Is,Cracked,,The,Rain,Does,Not,Fall,In

<p>Researchers from institutions including the <a href="https://www.psu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pennsylvania State University</a> and <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purdue University</a> have recently found that if the Earth’s temperatures rise only one degree Celsius over current measurements, each year countless individuals will experience unbearable heat and humidity levels that will render their bodies incapable of cooling themselves.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Moreover, the experts found that temperature increases of more than 1.5 C above pre-industrial times will result in significant negative impacts on human health worldwide.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-thresholds-nbsp">Heat thresholds&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Humans have certain thresholds for the combined effects of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scorching-reality-extreme-heat-worsens-cognitive-decline/">heat</a> and humidity. Crossing these thresholds can lead to severe health issues, like heat strokes or cardiac incidents. As the climate continues to change, these boundaries could be exceeded, putting billions at risk.</p>



<p>Since the industrial era’s onset, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/summer-of-extremes-earth-just-endured-it-hottest-three-month-stretch-ever/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global temperatures</a> have risen approximately 1 C (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). This led to the 2015 Paris Agreement, where 196 countries committed to restricting global temperature rise to 1.5 C over the pre-industrial average.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-problems-nbsp">Complex problems&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The scientists analyzed several potential scenarios, looking at global temperature rises from 1.5 C up to 4 C. They aimed to identify regions where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-linked-to-vision-impairment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">human tolerance</a> levels for heat and humidity would be breached.</p>



<p>“To understand how complex, real-world problems like climate change will affect human health, you need expertise both about the planet and the human body,” said co-author W. Larry Kenney, a professor of Physiology and Kinesiology at Penn State.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>“I am not a climate scientist, and my collaborators are not physiologists. Collaboration is the only way to understand the complex ways that the environment will affect people’s lives and begin to develop solutions to the problems that we all must face together.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exceeding-human-limits-nbsp">Exceeding human limits&nbsp;</h2>



<p>A study by Penn State researchers last year pinpointed the wet-bulb temperature limit for young, healthy individuals at about 31 C (87.8 F at 100 percent humidity). Multiple factors influence this limit, such as exertion, wind speed, and solar radiation.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The researchers noted that only a handful of instances in human history have registered temperatures and humidity exceeding human limits, typically in areas like the Middle East and Southeast Asia.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-intolerable-heat-levels-nbsp">Intolerable heat levels&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The current study projects that with a 2 C temperature rise, billions residing in areas like Pakistan and India’s Indus River Valley, eastern China, and sub-Saharan Africa will regularly face intolerable heat levels.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The scientists express concern over the high-humidity nature of these heatwaves and the socioeconomic status of these regions. Moreover, the affected populations might lack access to essential cooling measures, exacerbating health risks.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uncertainties-remain">Uncertainties remain</h2>



<p>A temperature increase of 3 C above pre-industrial levels could make places like the US’ Eastern Seaboard and central areas, South America, and Australia too hot for humans. While the US might be spared the worst direct impacts, Daniel Vecellio, the study’s lead author, cautioned that models like these might not account for extreme, unprecedented weather events.</p>



<p>Another 2022 study by the team found that the previously theorized limits for heat and humidity tolerance were too high.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“The data collected by Kenney’s team at Penn State provided much needed empirical evidence about the human body’s ability to tolerate heat. Those studies were the foundation of these new predictions about where climate change will create conditions that humans cannot tolerate for long,” said co-author Matthew Huber, a professor of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at Purdue.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-implications-nbsp">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Huber’s graduate student, Qinqin Kong, emphasized the need for governments to address the threat of humid heat, which poses more danger than dry heat.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Around the world, official strategies for adapting to the weather focus on temperature only. But this research shows that humid heat is going to be a much bigger threat than dry heat. Governments and policymakers need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of heat-mitigation strategies to invest in programs that will address the greatest dangers people will face,” he said.</p>



<p>The experts advised the public to always be vigilant regarding extreme heat events, particularly for vulnerable groups like older people.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Models like these are good at predicting trends, but they do not predict specific events like the 2021 heatwave in Oregon that killed more than 700 people or London reaching 40C last summer,” said lead author Daniel Vecellio, a bioclimatologist who completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Penn State with Kenney.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uninhabitable-regions">Uninhabitable regions</h2>



<p>“And remember, heat levels then were all below the limits of human tolerance that we identified. So, even though the United States will escape some of the worst direct effects of this warming, we will see deadly and unbearable heat more often. And — if temperatures continue to rise — we will live in a world where crops are failing and millions or billions of people are trying to migrate because their native regions are uninhabitable.”</p>



<p>In order to address rising temperatures, the scientists stressed the urgent need for curbing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. If such proactive measures are not taken, countries with middle and lower economic statuses will be hit hardest.</p>



<p>Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the team drew attention to Al Hudaydah in Yemen, a bustling port city on the Red Sea with a population exceeding 700,000.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-billions-will-suffer">Billions will suffer</h2>



<p>According to the study’s findings, should global warming reach an increase of 4 C, residents of this city might endure temperatures exceeding human comfort thresholds for over 300 days annually, rendering it close to unlivable.</p>



<p>“The worst heat stress will occur in regions that are not wealthy and that are expected to experience rapid population growth in the coming decades. This is true despite the fact that these nations generate far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than wealthy nations. As a result, billions of poor people will suffer, and many could die. But wealthy nations will suffer from this heat as well, and in this interconnected world, everyone can expect to be negatively affected in some way,” Huber concluded.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2305427120" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em></a><em>.</em></p>



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Unbearable heat could make some parts of the world uninhabitable if warming continues

Researchers from institutions including the Pennsylvania State University and Purdue...

<p>Researchers at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Helsinki</a> have recently discovered unexpected changes in bird communities within protected areas due to climate change. The study was focused on shifts in Canadian bird communities from 1997 to 2019.</p>



<p>"An increasing number of species are under threat from climate change and many populations are at risk of decreasing in abundance. Consequently, some species have become endangered," wrote the study authors.</p>



<p>"Therefore, predicting how the range, distribution, abundance, and phenology of species may change in response to a warming climate is a timely and important step in planning actions to mitigate the negative impacts of climate warming."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-increasingly-similar-trends">Increasingly similar trends</h2>



<p>The experts found that bird communities in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protected-areas-provide-a-thermal-buffer-against-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protected and unprotected areas</a> are becoming increasingly similar, with both witnessing a rise in southern species and a decline in northern species. </p>



<p>One significant observation was that during the breeding season, communities within protected spaces began to mimic those in unprotected spaces in terms of their climate requirements.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protected-areas-are-not-immune-to-climate-change-nbsp">Protected areas are not immune to climate change&nbsp;</h2>



<p>“Protected areas are more effective in helping cold-dwelling northern bird species, but it was surprising to discover that southern species increased faster in abundance inside than outside protected areas,” explained Leena Hintsanen of the <a href="https://www.luomus.fi/en/natural-history-museum" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Finnish Museum of Natural History</a>.</p>



<p>This finding highlights that the impact of climate change in protected areas is greater than previously anticipated.</p>



<p>For example, while protected areas continue to be crucial for the conservation of northern species like the Lapland longspur, these spaces are not immune to the alterations brought about by climate change.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-requirements-nbsp">Climate requirements&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The 22-year study documented that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/do-birds-dream-of-flying-scientists-say-they-now-know-the-answer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird</a> communities within protected areas are increasingly reflecting those in non-protected areas due to their similar climate requirements.</p>



<p>Hintsanen explained that the trend poses significant challenges for conservation efforts aimed at preserving the vitality of various bird species in the face of global warming. </p>



<p>Communities that have comparable climate requirements tend to have a balanced proportion of species that prefer cold and warm climates, respectively.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-southern-species-moving-north">Southern species moving north</h2>



<p>Furthermore, the researchers noted that the observed changes in bird communities in both protected and unprotected areas are primarily driven by southern species, such as the grass wren and the northern cardinal.&nbsp;</p>



<p>These species are expanding their habitats further north as the climate warms, seeking environments that are conducive to their survival.</p>



<p>“This indicates that protected areas, in particular, are highly significant for the northern spread of southern species. However, protected areas cannot entirely guarantee protection for declining northern species,” explained Hintsanen.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rapid-changes">Rapid changes</h2>



<p>Past studies conducted in various countries, including Finland, have shown that protected areas generally slow down alterations in species communities.&nbsp;</p>



<p>However, the recent findings highlight the overwhelming influence of climate change on these areas, leading to faster-than-expected changes in bird communities.&nbsp;</p>



<p>According to Hintsanen, a complex network of factors might be contributing to the rapid changes observed in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-negatively-impact-wildlife-even-in-protected-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protected areas</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-data-nbsp">Long-term data&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Long-term data from bird surveys conducted since the 1960s in North America have been crucial for this kind of research, providing valuable insights into the effects of climate change on bird populations.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The digitalization of decades-old data has further empowered researchers to gain a better understanding of these impacts, shedding light on the subtle yet significant changes unfolding in the avian world due to the changing climate.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14134" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Conservation Biology</em></a>.</p>



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Bird communities in protected areas are rapidly changing

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have recently discovered unexpected...

<p>Tropical ecosystems are significantly dependent on emerging aquatic insects, which could expose them to greater risks, according to a new study led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London.</p>



<p>Published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.14322" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Ecology Letters</em></a>, the study is the first to directly analyze and compare the interconnectedness between land and water in tropical and temperate environments through the lens of aquatic insects.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



<p>The study was focused on English, Welsh, and Scottish forests as well as Amazonian and Atlantic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazons-rainforests-are-at-risk-of-transforming-into-dry-grassy-savannas/">rainforests</a> in Brazil.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The researchers used stable isotope analysis to trace signals of aquatic prey within the tissues of arthropod predators, such as spiders. This technique illuminated the predators' dietary patterns away from water bodies.</p>



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



<p>Notably, spiders in tropical locales exhibited higher consumption of aquatic insects compared to their UK counterparts. Such dietary diversity indicates that terrestrial fauna in the tropics heavily relies on aquatic insects.&nbsp;</p>



<p>According to the researchers, these results suggest that tropical environments are more vulnerable to future disruption to the interconnections between land and water.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-increasing-pressures-nbsp">Increasing pressures&nbsp;</h2>



<p>“Our findings show that we cannot simply apply knowledge from research in temperate zones to protect tropical ecosystems,” said study senior author Dr. Pavel Kratina.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“That tropical ecosystems are more vulnerable to disruptions to the links between land and water is worrying considering the increasing human pressures on tropical freshwater ecosystems, which are among the most threatened in the world.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-negative-human-impacts">Negative human impacts</h2>



<p>Emerging aquatic insects serve as pathways through which negative human impacts can travel from aquatic to terrestrial environments.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Activities that diminish insect populations, like stream pollution, inadvertently affect land-based predators by limiting their access to essential nutrition derived from insects.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Given that tropical aquatic insects are perilously declining due to human endeavors and climate shifts, the study forewarns of consequential ripple effects throughout tropical regions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-riparian-buffers-nbsp">Riparian buffers&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The study highlights the urgent need for robust protection measures for “riparian buffers,” or safeguarded land strips surrounding waterways that are crucial for maintaining the land-water connections.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Present buffer dimensions, ranging between 5 to 100 meters, are deemed insufficient to protect vast terrestrial biodiversity around water bodies.&nbsp;</p>



<p>With buffer regulations in Brazil having been eased in recent years, the researchers advocate for enhanced protection policies for these buffers and a more integrated approach considering the interconnectivity between different ecosystems, especially in tropical areas.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-challenges">Study challenges</h2>



<p>“Our research took us to remote parts of the world from the Amazon jungle and Iguaçu River basin in Brazil to Snowdonia national park in Wales and The Trossachs in Scotland,” said study lead author Dr. Liam Nash.</p>



<p>“We braved ticks, wasps, midges, and snakes to collect our samples, and saw animals such as harpy eagles and tapirs along the way. We ran into challenges with the pandemic, which saw me having to fly out of Brazil on one of the last available flights in March 2020 as travel rules were changing hourly! This work could not have happened without the help of experienced local field guides and close collaboration with scientists and students from Brazil.”</p>



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Tropical ecosystems at risk: The critical role of aquatic insects

Tropical ecosystems are significantly dependent on emerging aquatic insects, which...

<p>An escalating trend of carbon-capture tree plantations has been primarily driven by the urgency of the climate crisis.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In an opinion piece published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.012"><em>Trends in Ecology and Evolution</em></a>, experts warn that these initiatives might inadvertently endanger tropical biodiversity while offering minimal gains in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-influences-coastal-carbon-storage-capacity/">carbon</a> sequestration. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-net-zero-emissions">Net zero emissions</h2>



<p>"The escalating threat of climate change has spurred global commitments to achieve net zero emissions by the middle of this century," wrote the researchers.</p>



<p>"To reach a balance between reducing emission sources and enhancing greenhouse gas sinks, land-based carbon sequestration is viewed as an important strategy to offset emissions, most prominently via nature-based solutions."</p>



<p>"This, together with the commodification of carbon and the substantial growth of the voluntary carbon market, has resulted in a boom in the number of commercial tree plantation projects across tropical ecosystems with significant financial flows from private and public sectors towards carbon offsetting projects."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ecosystem-degradation-nbsp">Ecosystem degradation&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The experts argue that carbon-offset plantations might come with hidden costs. Instead, they say, we should prioritize conserving and restoring intact ecosystems.</p>



<p>“Despite the broad range of ecosystem functions and services provided by tropical ecosystems, society has reduced value of these ecosystems to just one metric - carbon,” wrote the authors, led by Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Current and new policy should not promote ecosystem degradation via tree plantations with a narrow view on carbon capture.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tropical-ecosystems-nbsp">Tropical ecosystems&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Tropical ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, and savannas, are favored for tree plantation because they promote rapid tree growth.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Yet, contrary to popular belief, tree plantations designed for carbon capture seldom contribute to biodiversity or social-economic welfare, noted the researchers.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Tropical ecosystems are renowned biodiversity hotspots that provide invaluable ecosystem services, including water quality maintenance, soil health preservation, and pollination.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-capture-plantations-nbsp">Carbon-capture plantations&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Unfortunately, many carbon-capture plantations, typically monocultures, predominantly cultivate five tree species: teak, mahogany, cedar, silk oak, and black wattle. Although economically viable, these plantations tend to support lower biodiversity levels.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For instance, the Brazilian Cerrado savannah experienced approximately 30% reduction in plant and ant diversity following a 40% increase in woody cover.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Such plantations also inadvertently inflict ecological harm, including stream flow reduction, groundwater depletion, and soil acidification.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-little-gain-in-carbon-sequestration-nbsp">Little gain in carbon sequestration&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The experts noted the limited effectiveness of even the most aggressive carbon-capture plantation endeavors in sequestering carbon.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“The current trend of carbon-focused tree planting is taking us along the path of large-scale biotic and functional homogenization for little carbon gain,” wrote the researchers. “An area equivalent to the total summed area of USA, UK, China, and Russia would have to be forested to sequester one year of emissions.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-subterranean-carbon-storage-nbsp">Subterranean carbon storage&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The paper also highlights that intact tropical grasslands and savannas already function as significant carbon sinks, predominantly storing carbon underground.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This subterranean storage, at risk of being lost if these areas are afforested, proves more resilient to environmental disruptions like droughts and fires compared to above-ground carbon stores in tree plantations.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-incentives-nbsp">Financial incentives&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Driven by substantial financial incentives, private firms are investing heavily in carbon-capture initiatives, a trend the authors believe is propelled more by economic considerations than ecological concerns.&nbsp;</p>



<p>While carbon metrics are straightforward to quantify and monetize, an excessive focus on tree-planting for carbon capture could potentially undermine efforts to protect intact ecosystems, leading to unfavorable compromises between carbon, biodiversity, and ecosystem functionality.</p>



<p>The experts say we should prioritize conserving intact ecosystems instead of focusing on commercial tree planting.</p>



<p>“An overarching view on maintaining original ecosystem functioning and maximizing as many ecosystem services as possible should be prioritized above the ongoing economic focus on carbon capture projects."</p>



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Tree plantations have hidden impacts on tropical biodiversity

An escalating trend of carbon-capture tree plantations has been primarily...

<p>A recent study suggests an uncertain future for coral reefs, as their growth struggles to match the pace of rising sea levels.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The study, which investigated 9,000 years of coral growth, highlights a discernible decrease in coral growth rates.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The research was focused on the analysis of 22 drill cores collected from the Belize barrier reef and atolls. The drill cores measured a total of 215 meters.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dwindling-accretion-rates">Dwindling accretion rates</h2>



<p>The team used radioisotope dating to estimate the age of the coral fragments. This method allows scientists to infer the age of a material through the decay rates of radioactive samples.</p>



<p>Next, the researchers calculated the distances between the samples in the drill cores to estimate growth rates.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Our data show that coral accretion rates in Belize decreased during the Holocene. While at 3.36 millimeters per year, the average accretion rates of reef margins are in the same range as other regions in the western Atlantic, they are somewhat lower than those in the Indo-Pacific," explained Professor Eberhard Gischler of Goethe University.</p>



<p>This discrepancy has significant implications for tropical island-nations that depend on or are protected by coral reefs and is particularly noteworthy in light of ongoing climate change discussions.</p>



<p>“The growth rates are at the lower end of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) predictions of future sea-level rise until 2100," said Gischler.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shift-in-coral-composition">Shift in coral composition</h2>



<p>The study corroborates the observed decline in live corals in the Caribbean. Today, many reefs in the region are not dominated by corals, but rather by fleshy algae and generalistic weedy taxa.</p>



<p>Older sections of the reef, as noted by Gischler and colleagues, predominantly feature stress-tolerant, reef-building corals.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“At the base of our cores, directly overlying Pleistocene reef limestone, Pseudodiploria brain corals and Orbicella star corals are most common, illustrating that members of the stress-tolerant taxa are clearly dominating,” said Gischler.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-centennial-scale-growth-gaps">Centennial-scale growth gaps</h2>



<p>The drill cores revealed intriguing centennial-scale gaps in the fossil records of the fast-growing Acropora palmata, or elkhorn coral.&nbsp;</p>



<p>These gaps, occurring approximately 2,000, 4,000, and between 5,500-6,000 years ago, might be indicative of environmental shifts such as higher temperatures, increased storm activity, or altered nutrient supply.</p>



<p>The 4,000-year-old gap coincides with a potential mass mortality event affecting grazing echinoids in the region.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The researchers propose that this could have led to increased abundance of fleshy algae or may be related to the 4.2 k-event, a significant climatic shift thought to have caused mid-latitude droughts and warmer sea surface temperatures.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-implications-nbsp">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



<p>"Studying the drill cores enables us to develop both detailed and systematic reconstructions of the environmental conditions that prevailed during the Holocene, based on which previous ecological and environmental conditions can be reconstructed, allowing us to determine whether the current coral and coral reef declines are in fact unprecedented,” explained Gischler.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Coral reefs are already under threat due to global warming, ocean acidification, water quality deterioration, and diseases.&nbsp;</p>



<p>These latest results suggest that tropical coral reefs may become one of the first victims of climate change as they fail to grow fast enough to keep up with rising sea levels.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38118-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a><em>.</em></p>



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Coral growth cannot keep pace with rising sea levels

A recent study suggests an uncertain future for coral reefs,...

Young,Mother,With,A,Baby,Boy,Doing,Housework.

<p>Contamination in U.S. drinking water exposes millions of Americans to health risks, including cancer, according to a new study led by Johnnye Lewis of the <a href="https://hsc.unm.edu/news/2023/10/u.s-drinking-water-often-contains-toxic-contaminants-unm-scientist-warns.html">University of New Mexico</a> (UNM). In collaboration with scientists from various parts of the country, Lewis warns that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-water-is-the-key-to-a-long-and-healthy-life/">drinking water</a> from many wells and community water systems contains unsafe levels of toxic contaminants.</p>



<p>While many Americans believe the water from their taps is unpolluted and safe for consumption, this research suggests this is not always the case.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Alarmingly, the experts report that people living in tribal areas or underserved communities are at a higher risk. The research also raises concerns about the exacerbating effects of climate change on sourcing safe drinking water.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-of-the-study-nbsp">Focus of the study&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The researchers investigated the presence of seven contaminants frequently found in drinking water: arsenic, fracking fluids, lead, nitrates, chlorinated disinfection byproducts, synthetic chemicals (specifically PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and uranium.</p>



<p>“There were several of us that have expertise in dealing with these particular contaminants, and we were seeing that they’re not always at safe levels in drinking water sources for a number of reasons,” said Lewis.</p>



<p>Several of the contaminants, such as arsenic, uranium, lead, and nitrates, are known or suspected to cause cancer. Prolonged exposure to many of these contaminants has also been associated with neurological and developmental disorders.</p>



<p>“Some of these, like uranium and arsenic - and even nitrates - are just common,” Lewis said. “They commonly occur in groundwater, and sometimes it is the source that you have access to.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emerging-new-threats">Emerging new threats</h2>



<p>On the other hand, chemicals such as fracking fluids and PFAS, which are human-induced, are emerging as new threats. Notably, PFAS, due to its nature, can persist in the environment for extended periods without breaking down.</p>



<p>The research emphasizes that the identified seven contaminants are just a drop in the bucket. Thousands of chemical agents potentially pollute drinking water, and the possibility of their combined effects poses further threats.</p>



<p>“We’re only really now starting to come up with good methods to assess what those mixtures do,” said Lewis. “There’s always a lot of uncertainty, because a mixture is not the same in one community as it is in the next.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-water-systems-nbsp">Public water systems&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The report highlights the varying capacities of water systems in detecting and eliminating these contaminants. Of the 150,000 public water systems in the United States, about a third are community water systems that cater to 320 million Americans – a staggering 95% of the population.&nbsp;</p>



<p>A significant 91% of these community water systems provide for fewer than 10,000 individuals, which amounts to 52 million people. Meanwhile, over 43 million Americans depend on private wells for their drinking water.</p>



<p>With these findings, the authors stress the urgent need for enhancing the nation's drinking water infrastructure, solidifying water standards, advancing water treatment procedures, and enforcing more rigorous chemical safety tests.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-implications-nbsp">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Highlighting the broader implications, Lewis pointed out that the changing climate, especially in the western U.S., is complicating the quest for clean water sources.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“For me the thing that is most concerning is that you start looking at drought and the stresses that that puts on looking for additional water sources,” said Lewis. “The potential for making sure those sources are clean could become more limited.”</p>



<p>The impact of climate change will most heavily burden those who are least equipped to handle it, such as people living in communities with minimal or no water monitoring.</p>



<p>"When we talk about racial injustice and societal injustice in communities that are underserved, they're the ones that are going to bear the brunt of this," said Lewis.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The study is published in the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-023-00597-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology</em></a>.</p>



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95% of U.S. drinking water contains unsafe levels of toxic contaminants

Contamination in U.S. drinking water exposes millions of Americans to...

Gliding,Frog,Look,Like,Laughing,On,Moss,,Flying,Frog,Laughing,

<p>Scientists warn the state of amphibians worldwide continues to rapidly deteriorate, according to a new study.&nbsp;Researchers found that over 40 percent of the world's more than 8,000 amphibian species could face extinction in the coming decades.&nbsp;This makes <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/why-are-some-endangered-amphibians-going-extinct/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amphibians</a> the most endangered group of vertebrates in the world today.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-commonly-documented-threats-nbsp">Commonly documented threats&nbsp;</h2>



<p>"When considering all threatened amphibians, the most commonly documented threats are types of habitat loss and degradation, with the top three being agriculture (77% of species impacted), timber and plant harvesting (53%), and infrastructure development (40%)," wrote the study authors.</p>



<p>"Climate change effects (29%) and disease (29%) are other common threat types. Although these are important findings, they do not account for the severity and scope of these threats."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extinction-threat-for-amphibians-is-escalating">Extinction threat for amphibians is escalating</h2>



<p>In tracing the evolutionary journey of <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/are-amphibians-cold-blooded/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amphibians</a>, the researchers found an escalating trend of extinctions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Researchers recorded a mere 23 species as extinct in 1980, and that number surged to 37 by 2022.</p>



<p>Distinct species like the gastric-brooding frogs, which had the unique capability of incubating their eggs in their stomachs, have unfortunately been lost forever.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-captives">Climate captives</h2>



<p>‘As humans drive changes to our planet, amphibians are becoming climate captives, unable to move very far to escape the climate change-induced increase in frequency and intensity of extreme heat, drought and hurricanes," said study lead author Jennifer Luedtke Swandby.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-amphibians-face-extinction">Why amphibians face extinction</h2>



<p>While habitat loss, largely due to agriculture, impacts an estimated 77% of <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/how-do-amphibians-breathe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amphibians</a>, it is only the main cause of decline and extinction for about a third of species.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Diseases, particularly chytridiomycosis caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, have historically been more destructive, causing abrupt declines.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Notably, the sharp-snouted day frog from Queensland, Australia, was wiped out within a decade of being infected, marking its extinction in 2021.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-crisis-to-blame">Climate crisis&nbsp;to blame</h2>



<p>However, the changing climate has now emerged as a dominant factor. The climate crisis accounts for declines and extinctions in more than 40% of amphibian species.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Climate change's multifaceted impacts, such as rising temperatures and prolonged droughts, are challenging amphibians' survival, given their reliance on moisture.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Moreover, changing weather patterns can catalyze the spread of diseases.</p>



<p>The findings of the study indicate that amphibians have the highest extinction risk among major animal groups listed on the conservation Red List.</p>



<p>Salamanders and newts emerge as particularly vulnerable within this group.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-amphibians-from-extinction">Protecting amphibians from extinction</h2>



<p>Despite these bleak statistics, there is a glimmer of hope. Over the past 40 years, focused conservation initiatives have revived 60 species.&nbsp;</p>



<p>An additional 57 species seem to be making a natural comeback, potentially developing resistance against diseases.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Yet, the conservation status of many remains uncertain, with over 600 awaiting assessment and 900 listed as "data deficient."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prioritizing-conservation-action-nbsp">Prioritizing conservation action&nbsp;</h2>



<p>‘Though thousands of amphibian species are known about, we know very little about their ways of life of many of them," said study co-author Dr. David Gower, an expert in amphibians at the Natural History Museum.</p>



<p>‘Without detailed information on their population trends or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loss-of-wildlife-happens-five-times-slower-in-protected-lands/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">where they live</a>, it is difficult to accurately categorize species on the Red List. Overcoming this is a major challenge in amphibian conservation biology.’</p>



<p>‘We’re in the process of adding new species to the global inventory and re-assessing the conservation status of known species," said Dr. Loader. "These assessment data help to prioritize conservation action in areas where we see most evidence of change and need.’</p>



<p>The full paper was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06578-4"><em>Nature</em></a>. Over 100 scientists from across the globe provided insights to back this comprehensive study.</p>



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Over 40% of amphibians face extinction due to escalating climate threats

Scientists warn the state of amphibians worldwide continues to rapidly...

Category,5,Super,Typhoon,Approaching,The,Coast.,The,Eye,Of

<p>The catastrophic consequences of intense tropical cyclones are no news. Torrential rains, deadly flooding, winds of immense destructive power, and storm surges that can wipe out coastal areas have all made headlines. However, a recent study from the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa</a> has unveiled a worrying trend. As the climate warms, devastating hurricanes and cyclones aren't just becoming more frequent or powerful – they're coming earlier.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-accelerating-clock-of-nature">Accelerating clock of nature</h2>



<p>The study was spearheaded by <a href="http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/MET/Hsco/chu-index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pao-Shin Chu</a>, an atmospheric sciences professor at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and the Hawai‘i State Climatologist. </p>



<p>His research reveals that since the 1980s, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-slowing-down-hurricanes-making-them-stronger/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Category 4 and 5 hurricanes</a> (those with wind speeds greater than 131 miles per hour) are making their presence felt three to four days earlier with each passing decade. Such a shift in the seasonal cycle means these severe storms are arriving not in their expected period, but much earlier, causing unforeseen challenges for affected communities.</p>



<p>Chu remarked, “When intense tropical cyclones occur earlier than usual, they disrupt the preparedness measures of communities. This unexpected arrival can coincide with other weather systems, such as local thunderstorms or seasonal monsoon rainfall, creating compounded extreme events. The result? An overwhelmed emergency response.”</p>



<p>While the characteristics of intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/how-to-plan-for-climate-change-hurricanes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hurricanes in a warming climate</a>, like their number, intensity, and lifespan, are already a matter of significant research, the shift in their seasonal timing was a less-explored area – until now.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-data-dive">The data dive</h2>



<p>To gain insights into these changes, Chu and his team delved deep into a variety of data sources. Using satellite imagery, historical cyclone tracks, rainfall records from <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NOAA</a>, and an array of statistical methods, the researchers discerned a significant repositioning of these intense cyclones from autumn months to summer since the 1980s. </p>



<p>This trend was especially pronounced in regions like the eastern North Pacific off Mexico's coast (the source of most hurricanes impacting Hawai‘i), the western North Pacific, the South Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic coast of Florida and the Caribbean.</p>



<p>The consistency of earlier <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/back-to-back-hurricanes-will-soon-become-common/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hurricane arrivals</a>, as revealed by both satellite data and traditional ground observations, took Chu by surprise. Citing an example, he mentioned Hurricane Harvey, which in August 2017, as a Category 4 storm, slammed into Texas and Louisiana, resulting in catastrophic flooding and claiming over 100 lives.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-change-connection">Climate change connection</h2>



<p>Probing further, the research team used various global climate model simulations, like the high-resolution CMIP6 models. They found that warmer oceanic conditions, which are conducive to the genesis of intense tropical cyclones, were developing earlier, mainly due to greenhouse gas forcing.</p>



<p>“In a world where carbon dioxide levels continue to rise unchecked, this trend of earlier cyclone arrivals will only intensify,” warned Chu.</p>



<p>Areas like South China and the Gulf of Mexico are already witnessing the repercussions, as the early advent of these cyclones is triggering extreme rainfall ahead of its usual time.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-be-prepared">Be prepared</h2>



<p>The implications of these findings are far-reaching. With tropical cyclones appearing earlier than expected, there's a heightened risk of their simultaneous occurrence with other severe weather events. </p>



<p>Chu emphasized the gravity of this situation, stating, “Given this advancing timeline of intense cyclones, the potential for their confluence with other high-impact weather phenomena should ring alarm bells. It's crucial to understand the shifts in hurricane activity due to global warming, as this knowledge is pivotal for disaster prevention, managing resources, and ensuring community readiness.”</p>



<p>This study underscores the importance of adaptive measures and enhanced preparedness as we grapple with the unpredictable twists and turns of a rapidly changing climate.</p>



<p>Their findings were published recently in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06544-0">Nature</a>.</p>



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Definitive link found between intensity of early hurricanes and climate change

The catastrophic consequences of intense tropical cyclones are no news....

<p>Forests, with their incredible capacity to absorb and store <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/canadian-fires-have-released-a-billion-tons-of-carbon-dioxide/">carbon dioxide</a>, have always been important in the battle against climate change.&nbsp;</p>



<p>However, a recent study based on data from ESA's SMOS satellite mission has thrown a fascinating twist into this narrative. Young trees, contrary to prior beliefs, are truly the champions of carbon capture.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-balance-nbsp">Carbon balance&nbsp;</h2>



<p>A critical aspect of understanding our complex climate system is knowing how much carbon is stored in different parts of the planet, particularly in land-based vegetation.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Historically, this has posed a challenge to scientists, leading to uncertainties in estimating the global carbon balance.</p>



<p>The new study, which is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-023-01274-4#citeas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Nature Geosciences</em></a>, has provided much-needed clarity. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellite-imagery">Satellite imagery</h2>



<p>Scientists, funded by ESA, utilized observations from the SMOS satellite to directly observe terrestrial carbon stock changes on both regional and global scales.</p>



<p>The implications of these findings are significant. They offer a more accurate gauge to monitor the progress towards the net-zero goals by 2050, which is an essential part of the Paris Agreement.</p>



<p>The team, led by researchers from the French Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE), discovered that from 2010 to 2019, land-based carbon stocks saw an increase of approximately 510 million tons per year.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-major-contributors-nbsp">Major contributors&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Boreal and temperate forests were the major contributors, while tropical forests, affected by deforestation and agricultural interference, showed only minor carbon gains.</p>



<p>An unexpected outcome from the study, conducted under ESA's Climate Change Initiative RECCAP-2 project, revealed that forests between 50 to 140 years of age were the heavy lifters in carbon absorption.&nbsp;</p>



<p>By contrast, forests over 140 years old were nearly carbon neutral, a finding that counters traditional vegetation model predictions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-friendly-forest-management-nbsp">Climate-friendly forest management&nbsp;</h2>



<p>"Vegetation models that predict terrestrial carbon stores do not represent forest demographics and tend to overestimate the carbon sequestration capacity of old-growth forests and underestimate of carbon absorbed by boreal and temperate forests," explained Hui Yang, from LSCE.</p>



<p>“Using space-based observations we can track and better understand long-term variations in terrestrial living-biomass. Our study highlights the importance of forest age in predicting carbon dynamics in a changing climate."</p>



<p>“Delaying and decreasing the harvesting of timber from young forests could be a way forward for climate-friendly forest management.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smos-satellite-nbsp">SMOS satellite&nbsp;</h2>



<p>ESA’s SMOS satellite, orbiting since 2009, uses its interferometric radiometer to capture "brightness temperature" images. These images are instrumental in deriving global maps depicting soil moisture and ocean surface salinity levels.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Thanks to recent advancements, the satellite can now produce robust measurements of L-band microwave vegetation optical depth (L-VOD) which, in turn, aids in the diagnosis of global changes in terrestrial carbon stocks.</p>



<p>Philippe Ciais, also from LSCE, elaborated on the immense value of L-VOD data: “Using L-VOD data from SMOS has provided valuable insights into global terrestrial carbon storage."</p>



<p>“The study's findings have important implications for climate change mitigation efforts, as they contribute to a more accurate estimation of the global carbon balance which is needed to inform and track progress towards achieving the Paris Agreement goals.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-upcoming-missions">Upcoming missions</h2>



<p>ESA's upcoming Earth Explorer mission named Biomass, launching next year, is poised to provide more comprehensive insights into forest carbon.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Equipped with an innovative P-band synthetic aperture radar, it will enhance our understanding of forests' role in the carbon cycle.</p>



<p>“The use of SMOS to understand more about carbon capture by forests is another example of one of our Earth Explorer research missions surpassing expectations," said Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s director of Earth Observation Programmes.</p>



<p>“With the carbon cycle so fundamental to our climate system and to the health of our planet, we are busy preparing the Biomass Earth Explorer mission, which is dedicated to measuring forest height and biomass."&nbsp;</p>



<p>"Information from this upcoming mission will not only shed new light on the carbon cycle, but also contribute to international efforts to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and land degradation.”</p>



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Young forests are unexpected heroes of carbon capture

Forests, with their incredible capacity to absorb and store carbon...

<p>According to Booking.com’s <a href="https://globalnews.booking.com/cost-vs-conscience-bookingcom-delves-into-the-dilemma-dividing-sustainable-travel-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sustainable Travel Report 2023</a>, 76% of travelers reportedly aspire to incorporate sustainability into their plans over the coming year. </p>



<p>This figure represents a notable increase of 16% from the 2021 data and 5% from 2022 data.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prominent-dilemma-nbsp">Prominent dilemma&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The report, which compiled responses from over 33,000 travelers across 35 countries, highlights a prominent dilemma faced by many: the conflict between cost-saving and making eco-conscious <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-travel-takes-a-greater-toll-on-astronauts-brains-than-previously-thought/">travel</a> choices.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eco-conscious-habits">Eco-conscious habits</h2>



<p>The push toward sustainable travel options reflects a broader trend, with environmentally-conscious habits gaining traction among travelers.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For instance, a significant 67% of respondents now consciously turn off air conditioning in their accommodations when not present - a leap of 29% from last year’s figures.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In addition, there is a 25% increase in travelers reusing towels multiple times, with 60% of participants reporting this practice.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-economic-constraints-nbsp">Economic constraints&nbsp;</h2>



<p>However, economic constraints pose a significant barrier to the adoption of sustainable travel options.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The report highlights that nearly half (49%) of travelers perceive eco-friendly options as prohibitively expensive - an 11% increase from 2022 data.&nbsp;</p>



<p>These individuals often find themselves at a crossroads, having to choose between managing their expenses and opting for sustainable travel.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sustainable-travel-options-nbsp">Sustainable travel options&nbsp;</h2>



<p>Despite economic hurdles, there's a segment of travelers, constituting 43%, who express a willingness to pay a premium for certified sustainable travel alternatives.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This group is actively seeking to make an impact through their travel choices, even if it necessitates higher expenditure.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discounts-and-incentives">Discounts and incentives</h2>



<p>The data reveals a demand for initiatives that marry financial and environmental considerations, with 49% of respondents expressing interest in economic incentives or discounts for eco-friendly options (up 12% from 2022).&nbsp;</p>



<p>Additionally, 42% would be encouraged to choose sustainable travel if rewarded with points redeemable for perks and discounts.</p>



<p>Travelers are contending with major concerns, notably the escalating cost of living and the ongoing climate crisis, which significantly influence their travel and spending plans.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adopting-more-sustainable-practices-nbsp">Adopting more sustainable practices&nbsp;</h2>



<p>As a result, there's an apparent urgency and commitment among travelers to act promptly in adopting more sustainable practices to preserve the planet for future generations, as voiced by 74% of participants in the study.</p>



<p>This sentiment is further echoed by 53% of respondents who acknowledge that recent developments and news on climate change have galvanized them to adopt more sustainable travel practices.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growing-dilemma">Growing dilemma</h2>



<p>Nevertheless, there is looming apprehension about the deteriorating environmental conditions, which are expected by 49% to worsen in the next six months.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In addition, 64% of travelers anticipate a worsening cost of living crisis, leaving them with a dilemma over their priorities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-travel-sustainable-badge">Travel Sustainable badge</h2>



<p>In response to these findings, Booking.com continues to take strides in promoting sustainable travel. The company's Travel Sustainable badge, launched in 2021, facilitates easier identification of sustainable accommodations for travelers.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This badge is awarded to various types of properties, including apartments, hotels, and even treehouses, that have successfully implemented a blend of sustainable practices meeting the requisite impact threshold for their specific destinations.</p>



<p>Booking.com has notably expanded its range of recognized third-party certifications and labels, allowing more properties to qualify for the Travel Sustainable badge.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Currently, over 500,000 properties worldwide are spotlighted for their sustainability efforts on Booking.com, bearing the Travel Sustainable badge.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The badge is not only indicative of Booking.com’s commitment to fostering sustainable travel but also serves as a crucial tool for travelers navigating the economic and environmental challenges outlined in the report.</p>



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Travelers are ready for more affordable eco-friendly options

According to Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report 2023, 76% of travelers...

<p>The recently measured ozone hole over <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-is-experiencing-rapid-plant-growth-concerning-scientists/">Antarctica</a>, as detected by the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, is one of the largest on record, according to a report from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-5P/Ozone_hole_goes_large_again">European Space Agency</a>. The hole reached an astounding 26 million square kilometers on September 16, 2023 - approximately three times the size of Brazil.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The Sentinel-5P satellite was launched in October 2017 as the European Union’s first Copernicus satellite dedicated to atmospheric monitoring.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-resolution-imaging-nbsp">High resolution imaging&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The satellite hosts a cutting-edge multispectral imaging spectrometer known as Tropomi. The instrument enhances atmospheric monitoring capabilities by identifying distinct "fingerprints" of various gases across different segments of the electromagnetic spectrum. This allows for more precise and higher resolution imaging of a wide array of pollutants.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The Tropomi's data is meticulously processed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) using algorithms co-developed by DLR and the Royal Belgium Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tropomi-measurements">Tropomi measurements</h2>



<p>“The Sentinel-5P total ozone products have an accuracy at the percentage level compared with ground-based data and this allows us to closely monitor the ozone layer and its evolution," said senior DLR scientist Diego Loyola.</p>



<p>"The Tropomi measurements are extending the global ozone data record of European satellite sensors covering almost three decades.”</p>



<p>The significant data from Sentinel-5P is provided to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) within three hours post-measurement. This rapid delivery aids CAMS in efficiently incorporating the data into their analysis and forecasting systems.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-one-of-the-biggest-holes-on-record-nbsp">One of the biggest holes on record&nbsp;</h2>



<p>“Our operational ozone monitoring and forecasting service shows that the 2023 ozone hole got off to an early start and has grown rapidly since mid-August," said Antje Inness, a senior scientist at CAMS.&nbsp;</p>



<p>"It reached a size of over 26 million sq km on 16 September making it one of the biggest ozone holes on record. Tropomi ozone data are an important dataset for our ozone analysis.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-driving-factors">Driving factors</h2>



<p>Understanding the reasons behind the ozone hole's substantial size is complex. Its size oscillation is closely related to the strength of strong wind bands circulating the Antarctic, a phenomenon resulting from Earth's rotation and the temperature disparity between polar and temperate latitudes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Strong wind bands act as barriers, trapping and cooling air masses over polar regions, thereby affecting the ozone hole's size. The recent unusual ozone patterns might also be linked to the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption in January 2022, which introduced substantial water vapor into the stratosphere.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hunga-tonga-eruption">Hunga Tonga eruption</h2>



<p>“The eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in January 2022 injected a lot of water vapor into the stratosphere which only reached the south polar regions after the end of the 2022 ozone hole," explained Antje.</p>



<p>“The water vapor could have led to the heightened formation of polar stratospheric clouds, where chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) can react and accelerate ozone depletion. The presence of water vapor may also contribute to the cooling of the Antarctic stratosphere, further enhancing the formation of these polar stratospheric clods and resulting in a more robust polar vortex.”</p>



<p>However, understanding the exact impacts of this eruption on the ozone hole requires further research, as there are no precedents in modern observations for such substantial water vapor injections into the stratosphere.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sentinel-5p-monitoring-is-crucial-nbsp">Sentinel-5P monitoring is crucial&nbsp;</h2>



<p>"The Sentinel-5P total ozone columns provide an accurate means to monitor ozone hole occurrences from space. Ozone hole phenomena cannot be used in a straightforward manner for monitoring global ozone changes as they are determined by the strength of regional wind fields that flow around polar areas,” said Claus Zehner, ESA’s mission manager for Copernicus Sentinel-5P.</p>



<p>Additionally, the presence of ozone-depleting substances, primarily chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), in the atmosphere still poses a significant threat to the ozone layer. These substances were prevalent in the 1970s and 1980s in various products but have since been phased out following the 1987 Montreal Protocol.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Although a gradual recovery of the ozone layer is anticipated, with predictions suggesting a return to normal levels by around 2050, monitoring and analysis continue to be crucial.&nbsp;</p>



<p>With advanced tools like the Tropomi on the Sentinel-5P satellite, scientists can now observe atmospheric changes with unprecedented accuracy and resolution, contributing valuable data to ongoing global efforts to understand and protect the Earth’s atmosphere.</p>



<p>Image Credit: European Space Agency </p>



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Antarctica's ozone hole is now one of the largest on record

The recently measured ozone hole over Antarctica, as detected by...

<p>While several studies have highlighted the ramifications of livestock farming for human consumption, a new study brings attention to a less-discussed realm. What are the environmental implications of meat-based foods that we feed our beloved pets, and how would the Earth benefit if our dogs and cats switched to vegan diets?</p>



<p>As the urgency for sustainability grows, consumers are becoming more conscious of their dietary choices and the environmental footprints they leave behind. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cowspiracy-film-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">livestock industry</a>, notoriously linked with large-scale land usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and overconsumption of freshwater, has long been scrutinized for its adverse environmental impact. New research brings attention to this issue, but from a slightly different perspective.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eye-opening-findings">Eye-opening findings</h2>



<p>The study, led by Andrew Knight from <a href="https://www.griffith.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Griffith University</a>, Australia, breaks new ground in the sustainability discourse. Knight’s analysis suggests that converting all cats and dogs, either in the US or globally, to a vegan diet – one without meat, dairy, or eggs – could have profound positive environmental outcomes.</p>



<p>The immediate question that arises is whether vegan diets are safe for pets. Recent research affirms that nutritionally sound vegan diets for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-on-vegan-diets-are-equally-healthy-as-those-that-eat-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cats</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-with-vegan-diets-may-have-better-health-outcomes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dogs</a> not only are safe, but may also be healthier when compared to conventional meat-based diets.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-positive-impact-by-the-numbers">Potential positive impact: By the numbers</h2>



<p>Using pet population data from 2020 (for the US) and 2018 (for global estimates), along with insights from a myriad of prior studies and governmental databases, Knight painted a hypothetical yet illuminating picture:</p>



<ol type="1" start="1">
<li>The livestock consumed by US dogs and cats stands at about one fifth of the consumption by humans. Globally, this figure drops to one tenth.<br></li>



<li>The hypothetical adoption of vegan diets by all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vegan-diet-for-dogs-given-the-thumbs-up-by-scientists/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US dogs</a> and cats could prevent the slaughter of close to 2 billion land-based livestock animals every year. On a global scale, this number could shoot up to almost 7 billion. Furthermore, billions of aquatic animals could also be spared.<br></li>



<li>Significant conservation of resources could be achieved. For example, the global shift of all dogs to vegan diets might free up land equivalent to the size of Saudi Arabia. Cats, if they were to follow suit, could save a land area as vast as Germany. For context, if humanity at large adopted veganism, land larger than Russia and India combined could potentially be conserved.<br></li>



<li>The shift could also yield drastic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-based-diets-are-proven-better-for-human-and-environmental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reductions in greenhouse gas</a> emissions. To draw a parallel, a global shift in dog diets could reduce emissions equivalent to the total emissions of the UK. For cats, the equivalent is that of Israel.</li>
</ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-assumptions-and-caveats">Assumptions and caveats</h2>



<p>As promising as these numbers seem, Knight brings a balanced perspective by pointing out potential underestimations and assumptions. The pet population and energy requirements used in the study may actually be conservative. This implies that the real-world environmental benefits could be even more substantial.</p>



<p>However, the study does ride on certain assumptions. For one, the global calculations were predominantly based on US dietary ingredient data, neglecting potential variations in ingredients between nations. </p>



<p>Moreover, the environmental impact data hails from between 2009 to 2011. More recent data might paint a different (possibly more accurate) picture. Knight also highlighted the need for future research to focus on the specific energy density of various animal-sourced ingredients. He used the broad averages in this study.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-switching-your-dogs-and-cats-to-vegan-diets">Switching your dogs and cats to vegan diets</h2>



<p>While Knight's research unequivocally underlines the environmental merits of vegan diets, he cautions pet owners about the health implications. For those considering this route, he stresses the importance of choosing vegan pet food that is labeled as nutritionally complete. It should also be sourced from trustworthy companies with high standards.</p>



<p>In an era where sustainability is not just a buzzword but a dire necessity, such studies carve pathways for more conscious living. The ripple effect of our dietary choices, whether for us or our pets, is vast. Knight’s analysis offers food for thought in our collective journey towards a greener planet.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0291791" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS ONE</a>.</p>



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Switching dogs and cats to vegan diets would help the Earth tremendously

While several studies have highlighted the ramifications of livestock farming...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHHxOej4QfE
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic pollution.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invisible-threat-in-urban-air"><strong>Invisible threat in urban air</strong></h2>



<p>City dwellers face an unseen danger with every breath. New findings from Emory University researchers suggest that fine particulate matter from <a href="http://earth.com/news/traffic-related-air-pollution-might-increase-alzheimers-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vehicle emissions may significantly elevate the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease</a>. The study examined brain tissue samples from 224 individuals who had confirmed diagnoses and volunteered their brains for scientific research.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disturbing-connections-emerge"><strong>Disturbing connections emerge</strong></h2>



<p>Scientists analyzed neuritic plaques — protein clusters that characterize Alzheimer's — while mapping each participant's exposure to PM2.5 particles based on residential location and surrounding traffic density. The correlation proved more alarming than anticipated. Individuals experiencing higher pollution exposure showed nearly double the likelihood of elevated plaque accumulation in brain tissue.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-timing-matters"><strong>Timing matters</strong></h2>



<p>The research team discovered that pollution exposure during the final year before death demonstrated the strongest association with brain changes. This timeline suggests relatively rapid impacts from environmental toxins on neural health. The connection remained robust even after accounting for various demographic and health factors.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-vulnerability-patterns"><strong>Genetic vulnerability patterns</strong></h2>



<p>Perhaps most concerning, people lacking the APOE gene—which naturally predisposes individuals to Alzheimer's — exhibited more than twice the susceptibility to pollution-related brain damage. Study author Dr. Anke Huels noted this indicates environmental elements like air contamination could trigger the disease in cases where hereditary factors don't explain.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-implications"><strong>Public health implications</strong></h2>



<p>These findings, published in <em><a href="https://www.neurology.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neurology</a></em>, underscore the critical importance of air quality regulations in urban planning. The research suggests that implementing stricter emission controls and promoting alternative transportation could serve as powerful tools in Alzheimer's prevention.</p>



<p>As cities worldwide grapple with growing traffic congestion and aging populations, this study highlights an urgent need for comprehensive approaches to environmental health that protect both our lungs and our minds.</p>



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Traffic fumes may trigger Alzheimer's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHHxOej4QfE Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



<p>Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



<p>The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



<p>At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.</p>



<p>"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.</p>



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



<p>The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.</p>



<p>The research, published in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a></em> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.</p>



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-earth-became-a-frozen-wasteland">When Earth became a frozen wasteland</h2>



<p>Imagine Earth as a giant snowball, frozen solid from the North Pole to the equator. This wasn't the plot of a science fiction movie – it was our planet's reality 700 million years ago during an extreme ice age that has puzzled scientists for decades.</p>



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



<p>Australian researchers from the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sydney</a> have finally cracked one of geology's greatest mysteries: what caused the Sturtian glaciation and why it persisted for an unprecedented 57 million years. This period occurred long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, when no complex plants or multicellular animals existed.</p>



<p>Dr. Adriana Dutkiewicz, the study's lead author, describes a world completely unlike today's climate. "Imagine the Earth almost completely frozen over," she explained. "The planet was blanketed in ice from poles to equator, and temperatures plunged."</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-combination-of-climate-factors">The combination of climate factors</h2>



<p>The research team discovered that this massive freeze resulted from a "double whammy" of geological events. First, plate tectonic activity reduced volcanic carbon dioxide emissions to historically low levels. Volcanic activity typically releases CO2 into the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that keeps Earth warm.</p>



<p>Simultaneously, weathering of volcanic rocks in what is now Canada actively absorbed atmospheric CO2, further reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. When atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dropped below 200 parts per million – less than half of today's levels – glaciation engulfed the entire planet.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-climate-implications">Modern climate implications</h2>



<p>Published in the journal <em><a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geology</a></em>, this research provides crucial insights into Earth's climate system. While geological climate changes occur over millions of years, the study emphasizes that human-induced climate change is happening at a pace ten times faster than previously observed natural changes, highlighting the urgent need to understand our planet's delicate climate balance.</p>



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What caused the planet's longest ice age

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY 57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists....

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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<p id="block-1f9a227a-ec37-4140-81b8-ffa4a7cc6689">-----</p>



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



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

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



<p>-----</p>



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



<p>-----</p>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



<p>-----</p>



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<p>-----</p>

Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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.</p>



<p>“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. </p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>“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;</p>



<p>“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.”</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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<p>Today's <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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. </p>



<p>"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."</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>"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.”</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



<p><em>Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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<p>Today's <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p>"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;</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: NASA Goddard</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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. </p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



<p>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;</p>



<p>"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.</p>



<p><em>Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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<p>Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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;</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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;</p>



<p>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. </p>



<p><em>Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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<p>Today’s <strong>Video of the Day</strong> 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.</p>



<p>“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.”</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>“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.</p>



<p><em>Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



<p><em>Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



<p><em>Video Credit: ESA</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



<p><em>Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;</em></p>



<p><em>-</em><em>--</em></p>



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



<p>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.</p>

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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