In an era characterized by rapid technological development and growing environmental concerns, photosynthesis stands as a remarkable example of nature's enduring efficiency and sustainability.



This fundamental process, which has powered life on Earth for billions of years, exemplifies a balance that modern science strives to emulate.



Consequently, the need for innovative and sustainable solutions has become more pressing than ever, driven by the urgency to combat climate change and reduce our reliance on finite resources. 



One potential answer lies in harnessing and replicating the natural processes that sustain ecosystems.



Mimicking photosynthesis may hold the key to transforming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-hydrogen-energy-production-just-got-a-lot-easier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">energy production</a>, creating renewable pathways, and promoting a cleaner, more resilient future for generations to come.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-artificial-photosynthesis-and-clean-energy">Artificial photosynthesis and clean energy</h2>



In a decisive step towards the future, a team of brilliant minds from the <a href="https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology</a> (JAIST) and the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Tokyo</a> have taken a leaf out of nature's book. 



They have created an inventive new hydrogel that could drastically improve clean energy production by harnessing the power of natural processes.



This bioinspired hydrogel is capable of producing hydrogen and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-oxygen-discovery-deep-ocean-no-photosynthesis-baffles-scientists/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxygen</a> through a process that closely mirrors photosynthesis, offering a unique method for energy generation. 



Sunlight, instead of electricity, is used to split water molecules, leading to the generation of hydrogen - a clean, renewable, and efficient source of energy that holds great potential for future energy systems.



This is a remarkable breakthrough, as explained by Professor Kosuke Okeyoshi, who led the research team. He emphasized the significance of this achievement in advancing renewable technologies.



"Hydrogen is a fantastic energy source because it is clean and renewable. Our hydrogels offer a way to produce hydrogen using sunlight, which could help sustainably reshape energy technologies," said Professor Okeyoshi.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-science-behind-the-sun-soaked-gel">Science behind the sun-soaked gel</h2>



The hydrogels were developed by Professor Okeyoshi, his doctoral student Reina Hagiwara at JAIST, and Professor Ryo Yoshida at the University of Tokyo. They function based on their meticulously planned polymer networks.



These networks govern the vital electron transfer required for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/removing-carbon-dioxide-from-seawater/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water-splitting</a>. Packed with functional molecules, like ruthenium complexes and platinum nanoparticles, the hydrogels replicate photosynthesis. 



"The biggest challenge was figuring out how to arrange these molecules so they could transfer electrons smoothly," noted Professor Okeyoshi. "By using a polymer network, we were able to prevent them from clumping together, which is a common issue in synthetic photosynthesis systems."



“What’s unique here is how the molecules are organized within the hydrogel," said Hagiwara. "By creating a structured environment, we’ve made the energy conversion process much more efficient.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bright-prospects-for-clean-energy">Bright prospects for clean energy</h2>



This innovative hydrogel tackles one of the key limitations of previous artificial photosynthesis systems - molecule aggregation. 



By averting this, the researchers were able to enhance the activity of the water-splitting process and produce more hydrogen than older methods.



This discovery has significant implications for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bronze-age-technology-is-a-modern-solution-for-clean-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clean energy</a>. The dawn of a future where renewable hydrogen could drive industries, transport, and energy storage systems is closer than ever.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-artificial-photosynthesis">The future of artificial photosynthesis</h2>



Nevertheless, there are still hurdles to overcome. “We have shown the potential, but now we need to refine the technology for industrial use. The possibilities are exciting, and we’re eager to continue pushing forward," said Professor Okeyoshi.



Going forward, the team aims to accomplish precise integration within the hydrogels to further increase their energy conversion efficiency. 



Their continued efforts will be pivotal in bringing this innovative technology closer to practical, sustainable energy solutions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scaling-up-and-potential-applications">Scaling up and potential applications</h2>



While this breakthrough marks an exciting step forward, the path to practical implementation still poses challenges. 



Transitioning this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-hydrogel-can-extract-unlimited-amounts-of-water-from-the-air-even-in-deserts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrogel</a> technology from research to real-world applications will require further innovation and testing. 



Ensuring that the hydrogels can be produced at a larger scale and integrated into existing energy systems is key to unlocking their potential.



The promise of sunlight-driven hydrogen production could extend to various industries - powering vehicles, supporting energy storage, and fueling large-scale facilities.



If successfully adopted, this technology could significantly contribute to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and advancing global sustainability efforts.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/cc/d4cc04033c" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chemical Communications</a>.



Image Credit: Kosuke Okeyoshi from JAIST



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Artificial photosynthesis could transform power generation

In an era characterized by rapid technological development and growing environmental concerns, photosynthesis stands as a remarkable example of nature's enduring efficiency and sustainability. This fundamental process, which has powered life on Earth for billions of years, exemplifies a balance that modern science strives to emulate. Consequently, the need for innovative and sustainable solutions has become more pressing than ever, driven by the urgency to combat climate change and reduce our reliance on finite resources. One potential answer lies in harnessing and replicating the natural processes that...

According to the <a href="https://www.sneb.org/">Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior</a> (SNEB), environmental sustainability should be the basis of dietary guidance, whether in establishing national standards or working with individuals. The long-term sustainability of the food system is critical for improving the nutritional health of a population.

The position paper from SNEB is based on recent scientific discoveries regarding the environmental impacts of foods and diets. The authors describe the current issues we are facing, as well as the challenges that we will encounter in meeting future food needs.  

Dr. Diego Rose, a professor in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at <a href="https://tulane.edu/">Tulane University</a> is the paper’s lead author. 

“Based on the best science we have today, it is clear that current environmental problems - including global climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, water shortages, and water pollution--demand urgent attention, threaten long-term food security, and are in part caused by our current food choices and agricultural practices,” explained Dr. Rose.

“The position paper was motivated by the severity of current environmental problems, including global climate change. A number of studies have been published about the difficulty of getting to 2050 with an adequate worldwide food supply due to factors such as population increase and change in dietary habits.”

“The paper was also inspired by the information published in the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's scientific report to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services in 2015, which included a chapter dedicated to sustainability. We wanted to pass this vital information along to others.”

The experts at SNEB are urging for environmental sustainability considerations to be included in future federal dietary guidance. These guidelines should contain specific advice, such as substituting <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/meat-consumption-climate-change-2/">meat</a> from animals with other protein foods.

“In discussing dietary recommendations, nutritionists can discuss both the health and environmental impacts of food choices to promote behavior change among consumers,” said Dr. Rose. “People want to know what to eat today, so it is incumbent on those of us who are knowledgeable about nutritional science and education techniques to provide the best advice, based on the available evidence to date.”

The paper is published in the <a href="https://www.jneb.org/">Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Why food sustainability must become a key part of dietary guidance

According to the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB),...

The closure of coal-fired power plants has accelerated under President Trump, despite his pledges to end the “war on coal” and replace the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pruitt-clean-power-plan/">Clean Power Plan</a>. In fact, more coal plants have been retired in the first two years of Trump's presidency than the first four years that Obama spent in office. 

In 2017 and 2018, 20 gigawatts of coal-fired plants were shut down, compared to 15 gigawatts during Obama's first term. 

According to the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/">U.S. Energy Information Administration</a> (EIA), almost all of the large energy plants retired between 2008 and 2017 were powered by fossil fuels. The EIA reported that U.S. coal use dropped four percent in 2018, hitting its lowest level in almost 40 years. 

A company called <a href="https://www.industrialinfo.com/">Industrial Info</a> is tracking 15 different decommissionings and demolitions at fossil-fuel power plants that are expected to be launched across the country this year. As a result, the EIA predicts that coal consumption in the United States will decline by an additional eight percent in 2019.

Meanwhile, miners and their families have been holding onto hope that coal would make a comeback under President Trump.


“He's trying to get their votes. He isn't telling them the truth,” Art Sullivan, a coal mining consultant with decades of experience in the mining industry, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>. “And that really disturbs me because these are really good people. These are the people that I have spent my life working with. And if they have the truth they will make the right decisions.”

Climate scientists including Michael Mann of <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a> are warning that it is up to wealthy nations like the United States to eliminate carbon emissions by 2030 to save life on our planet as we know it. He said that this would require that 80 percent of coal reserves to remain underground. 

“I think there's enough resilience in the (Earth's) system that we can withstand one four-year term of Donald Trump,” Mann told CNN. “I'm not sure we can withstand two.”

“We've undergone transitions like this before. We got off whale oil because something better came along. That was fossil fuels. Now something better has come along and that's renewable energy and there's nothing that can stop that transition.”
--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 
Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

More coal plants closed under Trump than during Obama’s first 4 years

The closure of coal-fired power plants has accelerated under President...

Surface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coal-mining-aquatic-life/">coal mining</a> in the Appalachian region of the United States is degrading habitats and impacting biodiversity through mountaintop removal. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.uky.edu/">University of Kentucky</a> conducted a study examining how mountaintop and ridgeline removal will impact native timber rattlesnakes and other diverse species of plants and animals that call the area home. 

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 

The Appalachian region is rich in biodiversity and is one of the most diverse non-tropical ecosystems in the world. 

Thousands of species can be found in the Appalachians and surface coal mining poses a serious risk to local habitats and animals that like to hibernate in mining areas. The gentle timber rattlesnake is one such animal. 

Surface coal mining involves the complete removal of forest cover and topsoil, and the mountain is effectively flattened to make mining easier. 

For the study, the researchers implanted radio transmitters in timber rattlesnakes that lived along the Cumberland Plateau and tracked the snakes’ movements to make note of hibernacula or hibernation sites.

“Snakes of the eastern U.S. vary in their hibernacula selection behavior, and for many species, not much is known about hibernacula preferences,” said Thomas Maigret, the lead author of the study. “For example, many aquatic snakes prefer damp hibernacula near the streams where they reside during the summer. But for other species, any warm, protected crevice they can fit into seems to suffice.”

Maigret and his colleagues also reviewed satellite imagery, mining maps, and permit data to see how future coal mining operations might impact the timber rattlesnake’s hibernation sites. 

The mining data showed that timber rattlesnakes preferred to hibernate in prime mining spaces proving that there’s a high risk of timber rattlesnakes being displaced by mining. 

“Other species with habitat preferences similar to timber rattlesnakes - including some snakes - may also be affected disproportionately by mining,” said Maigret. “On the other hand, species associated with middle or lower slopes will not be affected by mining to the same extent.”

Surface coal mining operations are not required to reforest an area after the mining is complete as part of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. As a result, forests and biodiversity are not able to easily recover after surface mining and mountaintop removal. 

Still, Maigret says that timber rattlesnakes are incredibly resilient and adaptable, which provides some hope that their populations will not face serious declines near mining areas. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Thomas Maigret

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Surface coal mining strips away mountaintops, reduces biodiversity

Surface coal mining in the Appalachian region of the United...

A new study by Christine Carmichael of the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a> is the first to explore what makes some people opposed to city tree planting programs. In Detroit, for example, around 25 percent of eligible residents rejected the option of having free <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/urban-trees-vanishing-us/">trees</a> planted in their neighborhoods between 2011 and 2014. 

“This research shows how local government actions can cause residents to reject environmental efforts - in this case, street trees - that would otherwise be in people's interests,” said Carmichael.

Her investigation revealed that the opposition in Detroit resulted from negative experiences with street trees in the past. In low-income neighborhoods, in particular, residents were left to deal with an estimated 20,000 dead or hazardous trees when Detroit lost its maintenance program due to budget cuts.

Many people rejected the idea of the new trees because they believed responsibility for maintaining the trees would eventually fall on them. “Even though it's city property, we're gonna end up having to care for it and raking leaves and God knows whatever else we might have to do,” said one resident.

The Greening of Detroit, a non-profit contracted by the city to plant trees, selected tree species that could survive in urban environments to avoid the previous issues.  They also guaranteed maintenance of trees for three years after planting, but the residents remained skeptical. 

Carmichael found that many residents also wanted greater decision-making power in selecting which trees were planted. “By not giving residents a say in the tree planting program, they were re-creating the same conflicts that had been happening in the city for a long time.”

Carmichael said that simple steps could reduce tensions, such as allowing residents a choice over which kind of tree will be planted in front of their home. More follow-up communication would also help to guarantee that trees are cared for, and that residents do not feel burdened with tree maintenance.

Monica Tabares of The Greening of Detroit explained that increased spending by Detroit's forestry department, as well as a change in the organization's leadership, has now led the group to focus more on community engagement.

After Carmichael presented the study findings to The Greening of Detroit, the organization has begun training the youth they hire to water street trees and interact with residents. “As a result of our refined focus, our program has brought thousands of residents together to not only plant trees, but gain a greater understanding of the benefits of trees in their communities.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/usnr20/current">Society and Natural Resources</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Christine Carmichael/UVMGund

Why free trees are not always welcomed by city residents

A new study by Christine Carmichael of the University of...

It’s a new year, and with the arrival of 2019 comes the departure of former Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and a National Park system still shut down.  Toilets and trash cans are overrunning or left unattended in National Parks across the US as the government shutdown continues under a failure of the federal government to reach a consensus on a budget.  

Parts of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are also closed during the shutdown, another <a href="https://www.waste360.com/public-agencies/amid-government-shutdown-epa-set-run-out-funds">7000 EPA employees</a> are considered essential and are forced to work without pay. Overall, it’s been a strange year with many changes in policy that were disturbing to environmentalists to say the least.  

In 2018, we largely saw a business and pollution-friendly roll back of federal environmental regulations.  <a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/trump-environmental-policies-rollbacks/">Politico</a> reports that the change in federal regulations has been responded to in many cases with tighter state environmental regulations.  For instance, with a federal relaxing of Obama-era emissions regulations, 13 states and D.C. have decided to align their emission standards with those of stricter California.  The Trump administrations says it will revoke California’s right to set its own emissions regulations, making the states that would follow California abide by the new lax regulations.  This move would force California into a legal fight with the federal government. 

But some states have embraced the easier environmental policies of the Trump administration.  One major change that was embraced by Utah was an attempt by the Trump administration to shrink the size of two of the state’s national monuments.

Drilling restrictions in Sage Grouse habitat were pushed back, giving more leeway to oil and gas extraction in 11 western states where the Greater Sage Grouse lives.  The move has also contributed to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fracking-boom-trump-policy/">fracking boom</a> in Wyoming and other western states.  Not only grouse, but other animals also seem to be threatened by policy changes in the White House.

The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have pushed to change the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lawmakers-endangered-species-act/">Endangered Species Act</a>.  Critics claim that this move is merely a handout to business that will hurt endangered species and protected land.  One of the proposed changes in the act would weigh the economic cost of conserving a given species as part of the rationale of protecting or not protecting it.  Other changes that the Trump administration proposed in a bill include making it harder to list a species as endangered and easier to take a species off the list.    

Attacks on threatened animals continued with a new interpretation of the Migratory Birds Act Treaty under then Secretary of the Interior <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ryan-zinkes-departure-environment/">Ryan Zinke</a>.  The new interpretation allowed wind farms and others to ignore the potential impact of actions on birds as long as they didn’t purposefully endanger birds.  The new interpretation would let companies off the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in cases of huge disasters such as oil spills that kill birds, other animals and threaten human safety.  

The Trump administration and industry haven’t always gotten their way though. <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/how-trump-is-changing-science-environment/">National Geographic</a> reported in December of last year that a federal judge in Montana blocked the beginning of the Keystone XL Pipeline.  The Keystone XL pipeline of course has been plagued with controversy from the beginning. The judge stated that the Trump administration didn’t consider the problem of climate change when permitting the project.  Of course, this is only one example of how the Trump administration has had environmental decisions tied up in court.

The administration also requested that the <a href="https://www.youthvgov.org/">Youth Climate Change Lawsuit</a> be dismissed.  The lawsuit is an unprecedented move by 21 young people to sue the government over its failure to address climate change and secure a safe environment for the future.  The Supreme Court refused to halt the lawsuit and it is ongoing. 

Likewise, the reduction of Bear’s Ears National Monument and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/grand-staircase-escalante-bee-diversity/">Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument</a> is waiting to be contested in court as well.  It seems in some ways how court decisions play out will determine the legacy of the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle environmental protections and regulations.

In October 2018, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/03/trump-administration-roll-back-major-obama-era-environment-policies">The Guardian</a> reported that the Trump administration is rushing to roll back all major Obama-era environmental policies, but it goes deeper than that.  Trump’s direct attack on the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Birds Act Treaty signal an attack on all protections for non-human species.  His attack on National Monuments in Utah is an attack on the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/legal/american-antiquities-act-of-1906.htm">Antiquities Act</a>, a law over 100 years old created to protect land and archaeological remains.  The Antiquities Act is the spine of the National Park System and the base for every National Monument or park in the US.  This system is also the model for many state parks in the US and park systems the world over. Lands to escape the pressures of modernity and other species to share the planet with are things perhaps that not everyone appreciates.  Clean air and water are human and even organismal universals, though. 

Trump has stepped beyond the selling out recreation and species conservation in 2018.  Under first the EPA leadership of corrupt Scott Pruitt and then former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler, Trump has tried to limit clean air and water regulations.  Regulations were eased on power plant emissions as well as toxins seeping from oil wells. In perhaps the greatest afront to environmentalists, the Trump administration pushed to open the remote and wild Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil extraction.

<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/365772-congress-votes-to-open-alaska-refuge-to-oil-drilling">The Hill</a> reports that the House and the Senate both passed bills to open the wildlife refuge to drilling.  When we have low gas prices and a large output of domestic oil already, it begs the question why the US would risk another oils spill disaster in a more sensitive environment further removed from outside help and drilling in more dangerous conditions.  As with all things Trump, it comes down to the president’s love for green, just not the type that grows on trees. For the rest of us, we need to hold on as we start into another year of less regulated destruction for profit. 2018 was a strange and terrifying year for environmental policy, it seems unlikely that 2019 is headed in a much better direction.           

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

How U.S. environmental policy changed in 2018

It’s a new year, and with the arrival of 2019...

Roadside hedges are a way to spruce up a street, and they might help cut pollution, too, according to researchers.

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/global-centre-clean-air-research">Global Centre for Clean Air Research</a> looked at how trees, shrubs and a combination of trees and shrubs affected air pollution. They found that roadside hedges were the most effective landscaping when it came to lowering air pollution concentrations along streets.

"Many millions of people across the world live in urban areas where the pollution levels are also the highest. The best way to tackle pollution is to control it at the source. However, reducing exposure to traffic emissions in near-road environments has a big part to play in improving health and well-being for city-dwellers,” said Dr. Prashant Kumar, the study’s senior author.

More than half of the Earth’s people live in urban areas, where pollution levels can be unhealthy. 

"The iSCAPE project provided us with an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of passive control measures such as green infrastructure that is placed between the source and receptors,” Kumar said.

The researchers found that trees alone didn’t reduce pollution at breathing height – the average height of a walking person’s face. Trees grew too tall to affect pollution at the sidewalk level. Roadside hedges were more effective, but even a combination of trees and hedges were better than trees alone.

The team’s work, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.12.036">Atmospheric Environment</a>, points to a hole in urban greening strategies. Most focus on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-trees-lining-california-streets-provide-1-billion-in-benefits/">adding trees to urban landscapes</a> – and they’re important, too – but urban planners should be looking at roadside hedges, too, the researchers said.

"This study, which extends our previous work, provides new evidence to show the important role strategically placed roadside hedges can play in reducing pollution exposure for pedestrians, cyclists and people who live close to roads,” Kumar said. “Urban planners should consider planting denser hedges, and a combination of trees with hedges, in open-road environments.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Roadside hedges help clean up urban air pollution

Roadside hedges are a way to spruce up a street,...

Things may be heating up a bit on the surface here on Earth, but in the deep Pacific Ocean, life is a lot cooler – if a little outdated. 

The water in the deepest parts of the Pacific are still recovering from the Little Ice Age, a period of cooling in the 17th century that followed the Medieval Warm Period, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aar8413">Science</a>.

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> and the <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> teamed up to create a model of how the climate affects the deep Pacific. What they found was surprising.

"These waters are so old and haven't been near the surface in so long, they still 'remember' what was going on hundreds of years ago when Europe experienced some of its coldest winters in history," said Dr. Jake Gebbie, the WHOI oceanographer who led the study.

The Little Ice Age was a cooling period that lasted from the 1500s to the 1800s at various points on the globe. The timing differs depending on region, but led to widespread disasters in some areas, such as the disappearance of Norse colonies in Greenland and the agricultural failures and starvation across Europe. Those disasters, in turn, may have triggered hardships from warfare to witch trials.

The decades of historical, scientific and statistical research on the Little Ice Age made it an excellent data source for the WHOI and Harvard team’s models of the deep Pacific waters.

"Climate varies across all timescales," said Dr. Peter Huybers of Harvard University, who co-authored the paper. "Some regional warming and cooling patterns, like the Little Ice Age and the Medieval Warm Period, are well known. Our goal was to develop a model of how the interior properties of the ocean respond to changes in surface climate."

The models found that, unlike the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-climate-variability/">atmosphere</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pacific-ocean-warming-arctic/">ocean surface waters</a> around the Earth, the deep Pacific may still be cooling from the Little Ice Age.

"If the surface ocean was generally cooling for the better part of the last millennium, those parts of the ocean most isolated from modern warming may still be cooling," Gebbie said.

To test their model, Huybers and Gebbie compared the results to temperature data taken in 1870 and the 1990s. 

"The close correspondence between the predictions and observed trends gave us confidence that this is a real phenomenon," Gebbie said.

The model changes what scientists know about how the ocean absorbs and holds heat from the atmosphere, the pair said.

"Part of the heat needed to bring the ocean into equilibrium with an atmosphere having more greenhouse gases was apparently already present in the deep Pacific," Huybers said. "These findings increase the impetus for understanding the causes of the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age as a way for better understanding modern warming trends."

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image credit: Larry Madin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Deep Pacific Ocean waters are still cooling from the Little Ice Age

Things may be heating up a bit on the surface...

For some Magellanic penguins in Argentina, loneliness is their lot in life. That’s because male penguins outnumber females nearly three to one at the breeding colony at Punta Tombo.

It wasn’t always that way.

"Two decades ago, there were about 1.5 adult male Magellanic penguins for every adult female at Punta Tombo," said Dr. Natasha Gownaris, a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> who was lead author of the study.

While studying the Magellanic penguins at the breeding colony, Gownaris and Dr. P. Dee Boersma found that more female juvenile penguins die while out at sea than their male counterparts.

Magellanic penguins spend most of their lives out at sea, swimming off the coast of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina throughout the fall and winter months and into early spring. In the summer, they congregate at breeding colonies like Punta Tombo, where they pair off and nurture their chicks.

The pairs’ findings show that juvenile females may face more risk from predators and diminishing food supplies than their male counterparts. That skews the balance between the sexes, and that in turn affects the penguin population as a whole at Punta Tombo, the largest of the breeding colonies.

"Magellanic penguins are serially monogamous – with one male pairing with one female each breeding season – and both parents working together to rear the chicks. So, having fewer females means you have fewer pairings each year overall," Gownaris said.

From 1983 to 2010, Boersma and fellow researchers banded more than 44,300 Magellanic penguin chicks at Punta Tombo. Only 3,296 of those chicks returned to the breeding colony. Researchers were able to determine the sex of 57 percent of those.

"From a conservation standpoint, this study shows us how important it is to try to protect the places where these penguins feed throughout the year, both in the breeding season and the non-breeding season," said Gownaris. "It all comes down to food for this species."

Magellanic penguins aren’t the only penguin species struggling with food competition and survival. King penguins have declined in recent years due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/king-penguin-colony-declined/">climate-linked food shortages</a>.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eap.1826">Ecological Applications</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">Wildlife Conservation Society</a>, <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/community/worldwide-giving/exxonmobil-foundation/overview">ExxonMobil Foundation</a>, <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/marine-fellows">Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation</a>, <a href="https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/environment/">Disney Conservation Fund</a>, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/">National Geographic Society</a>, the <a href="http://www.chasefoundation.com/">Chase Foundation</a> and the Cunningham Foundation.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image credit: Dr. Natasha Gownaris, University of Washington

At Punta Tombo, male Magellanic penguins compete for mates

For some Magellanic penguins in Argentina, loneliness is their lot...

Retailers must be more transparent about their palm oil sources. The production of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/palm-oil-deforestation-emissions/">palm oil</a>, a commonly used ingredient in cosmetics, food, cleaning products, and biofuel, causes massive deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions when not harvested sustainably — which massive quantities aren’t. However, many consumers are not aware when and if sustainably sourced palm oil is in their daily products. 

A new study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>, published in <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aaf0e4/meta">Environmental Research Letters</a>, proves that companies must be more upfront about their usage of palm oil due to the fact that, generally, consumers are not informed about palm oil labelling on products. Retailers must be more transparent about their palm oil sources

“The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has made efforts to improve the sustainability of palm oil production by creating an environmental certification system for palm oil. But currently only 19 percent of palm oil is RSPO-certified,” said the study’s leader, Dr. Rosemary Ostfeld. “This means the majority that finds its way into products people buy daily is still produced using conventional practices.”

Dr. Ostfeld and her team surveyed 1,695 British consumers and found that 77% of them were aware of what palm oil is. Furthermore, 44% considered palm oil “environmentally unfriendly.” But almost none of those surveyed knew that the RSPO label represented a product made with sustainably-sourced palm oil.

"In terms of label recognition versus action, 82 percent of people recognised the Fairtrade label, but only 29 percent actively buy Fairtrade products,” Dr. Ostfeld said. “Only five percent recognised the RSPO label - the same as a fictional label we put into the survey as a control. Of that small number, only one percent said they actively include products with the label in their shopping.”

Dr. Ostfeld believes that the lack of consumer recognition of this label could be blamed on the fact that major companies and retailers don’t use it. “This may be due in part to reluctance to draw attention to their use of palm oil, or it may be because they fall short of the 95 percent physical certified palm oil content that used to be needed to use the label,” Dr. Ostfeld hypothesized.

No matter the reason, the research team found that labelling alone will not necessarily encourage a consumer to choose to sustainable palm oil product over a non-sustainable one. Government policy is needed to make sure the palm oil industry is not overstepping its bounds.

“We recommend governments require consumer goods companies and retailers to buy identity-preserved certified palm oil, which can be traced back to the individual plantation,” Dr. Ostfeld said. “If national targets must be met with identity-preserved certified palm oil, demand for it will increase. It will also enable unsustainable practices to be uncovered more easily.”

Dr. Ostfeld also recommends that companies become transparent about their palm oil suppliers, which will lead the public to make more informed choices and encourage companies to stick with ethical suppliers.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Retailers must be more transparent about their palm oil sources

Retailers must be more transparent about their palm oil sources....

While extensive research has shown the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-asthma-attacks/">negative impacts of pollution</a> on public health and wellbeing, few studies have examined how air pollution affects worker productivity. 

But now, a new study published in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics is the first of its kind to comprehensively show how long-term exposure to pollution in a factory setting has a dramatic impact on both health and productivity for employees. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://nus.edu.sg/">National University of Singapore</a> conducted the research and spent over a year interviewing factory managers in China, gathering productivity information from textile mills, and analyzing data. 

“Our aim with this research was to broaden the understanding of air pollution in ways that have not been explored,” said Alberto Salvo, an author of the study. “We typically think that firms benefit from lax pollution regulations, by saving on emission control equipment and the like; here we document an adverse effect on the productivity of their work force.” 

The researchers reviewed the daily records of two textile factories where the workers were paid per piece of fabric made and compared the records to daily pollution levels using measurements of fine particles. 

Having such detailed records of productivity allowed the researchers to find out how a factory’s pollution impacted its employees both on a day to basis and over a longer period. 

On most days, the factories had pollution levels that were above levels deemed safe by the<a href="https://www.epa.gov/"> US Environmental Protection Agency</a>. 

The researchers found on a day to day basis, pollution exposure had little influence on worker productivity, but exposure over a period of 30 days adversely affected the employees. 

“We found that an increase in PM2.5, by 10 micrograms per cubic meter sustained over 25 days, reduces daily output by 1 per cent, harming firms and workers,” said Haoming Liu, a co-author of the study. “The effects are subtle but highly significant.”

One explanation for why productivity is impacted by pollution exposure could be that the highly polluted factory environments reduce well-being. 

“Besides entering via the lungs and into the bloodstream, there could also be a psychological element,” said Liu, “Working in a highly polluted setting for long periods of time could affect your mood or disposition to work.”

Previous research found that in California, fruit packers exposed to a certain level of air pollution were immediately six percent less productive, but this study found that effects are more subtle for workers in China.  

“Laborers in China can be working under far worse daily conditions while maintaining levels of productivity that look comparable to clean air days,” said Liu. “Therefore, our finding that pollution has a subtle influence on productivity seems realistic.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earthcom">Earth.com</a>

Air pollution found to impact worker productivity

While extensive research has shown the negative impacts of pollution...

The mysterious collapse of the Akkadian Empire may finally have been solved thanks to paleoclimatologists from Oxford who examined stalagmites in the Gole-e-Zard Cave in Northern Iran. 

4,300 years ago, Sargon of Akkad formed the Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia. It was the first empire in the world spanning across what is now Southern Iraq, Syria, and Turkey along the Euphrates River. 

But the empire ultimately collapsed and Akkadian people migrated out of the area leaving behind few clues as to why. 

In a new piece in <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-climate-change-caused-the-worlds-first-ever-empire-to-collapse-109060">The Conversation</a>, Vasile Ersek discussed how he and a team of <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford</a> researchers found evidence that widespread drought and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-ancient-societies/">climate change</a> were to blame. 

Ersek and colleagues are not the first researchers to point to drought as the cause of Akkad’s downfall, but what makes this study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, different from past research is the evidence found in cave stalagmites. 

Akkad was dependent on agriculture in the northern regions, but about a century after the Empire’s formation, the area was fraught with food and water shortages.

Previous research conducted by <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale</a> archeologists found evidence of drought that reduced agricultural productivity in the northern regions and this led to people fleeing. The once fertile areas of Akkad were replaced by sand and dust, and sediment cores from the Red Sea confirm this fact. 

However, drought as the cause remained highly contested by researchers saying that there was not enough evidence to prove that widespread climate change drove people out of Akkad and ruined the once great empire. 

Ersek, along with a team of researchers led by Stacy Carolin, dated stalagmites in the Gol-e-Zard Cave to see if the mineral composition of the stalagmites could provide more insight into the climate conditions at the time of Akkad’s collapse. 

Stalagmites, like sediment cores, serve as accurate records of climate conditions in years past. 

The researchers found thousands of years of dust activity in the stalagmites, and the stalagmites with high concentrations of magnesium pointed to periods of high dust activity indicative of desert drought. 

“Combining these methods, our new study provides a detailed history of dustiness in the area, and identifies two major drought periods which started 4,510 and 4,260 years ago, and lasted 110 and 290 years respectively,” Ersek wrote in the Conversation. “The latter event occurs precisely at the time of the Akkadian Empire’s collapse and provides a strong argument that climate change was at least in part responsible.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Drought and climate change brought down the Akkad Empire

The mysterious collapse of the Akkadian Empire may finally have...

A new study has revealed that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/greenland-ice-sheet-melting/">Greenland Ice Sheet</a> releases tons of methane into the atmosphere. The research suggests that melting glaciers have a far greater impact on the atmosphere than previously realized. 


An international team of researchers led by the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> camped for three months next to the Greenland Ice Sheet and sampled meltwater during the summer. When the scientists used advanced sensors that measure methane in meltwater runoff, they discovered that methane was continuously carried beneath the ice.

The researchers estimated that at least six tons of methane was transported to their study site from just one region of the Ice Sheet.

“A key finding is that much of the methane produced beneath the ice likely escapes the Greenland Ice Sheet in large, fast flowing rivers before it can be oxidized to CO2, a typical fate for methane gas which normally reduces its greenhouse warming potency,” explained study co-author Professor Jemma Wadham. 

Methane had previously been detected in Greenland ice cores and in an Antarctic lake, but this is the first time that meltwaters have been found to continuously flush out methane from the ice sheet bed.

“What is also striking is the fact that we've found unequivocal evidence of a widespread subglacial microbial system,” said study lead author Guillaume Lamarche-Gagnon. “Whilst we knew that methane-producing microbes likely were important in subglacial environments, how important and widespread they truly were was debatable.” 

“Now we clearly see that active microorganisms, living under kilometers of ice, are not only surviving, but likely impacting other parts of the Earth system. This subglacial methane is essentially a biomarker for life in these isolated habitats.”

Most research on Arctic methane sources has been focused on permafrost, which contains large reserves of organic carbon that can be converted to methane when the soils thaw. The latest research shows that ice sheet beds are also atmospheric methane sources.

“The new sensor technologies that we used give us a window into this previously unseen part of the glacial environment,” said study co-author Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw. “Continuous measurement of meltwater enables us to improve our understanding of how these fascinating systems work and how they impact the rest of the planet.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Melting ice sheets release massive amounts of methane

A new study has revealed that the Greenland Ice Sheet...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

[sendtonews key="sFFhiK9OOn-1720418-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

[sendtonews key="yPSXGZek1I-2312529-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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Aerial,Photo,Of,River,In,Amazon,Rainforest,Jungle,In,Peru

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists are using autonomous sound sensors to monitor deforestation in the Amazon. By recording soundscapes, the experts can determine which animals are present through their distinct sounds.&nbsp;



Using this method, sounds can be used as scientific measurements to analyze the effects of deforestation. The researchers will gain a better understanding of how the acoustics of a forest can be used to measure its health.&nbsp;



"From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look lush and green, like a place buzzing with activity and full of sounds. But inside the rainforest, the animal life may tell a different story, of a harsh environment and a quieter soundscape," says NASA.



Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center&nbsp;



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

[sendtonews key="u0TYxxqfF7-2186404-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA’s...