A new study from the Silent Spring Institute reveals a troubling reality: almost one-third of Americans have been exposed to unregulated contaminants in their drinking water.&nbsp;



These harmful chemicals, not covered by current federal safety rules, could affect people’s health.&nbsp;



The study also shows that Hispanic and Black communities are more likely to face unsafe levels of these pollutants, often living closer to sources of pollution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extent-of-contaminated-water-nbsp">Extent of contaminated water&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers analyzed data from the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) collected between 2013 and 2015. The team looked at 4,815 public water systems across the country.&nbsp;



The study revealed that 27% of these systems - serving about 97 million people - had detectable levels of at least one unregulated chemical.



Public water systems are required by law to test for nearly 100 specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/u-s-drinking-water-often-contains-unsafe-levels-of-toxic-contaminants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contaminants</a>. These tests ensure that dangerous levels of those substances do not enter our taps.&nbsp;



However, thousands of other chemicals are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. These unregulated chemicals can slip into groundwater and surface water, sometimes reaching the water we drink.



“We know there are thousands of other harmful chemicals that are not regulated that make their way into groundwater and surface waters, and some of these chemicals can ultimately end up in drinking water supplies,” explained Laurel Schaider, a senior scientist at the <a href="https://silentspring.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Silent Spring Institute</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-chemicals-are-in-our-water">Which chemicals are in our water?</h2>



Among the harmful substances found in drinking water are:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>1,4-dioxane: A solvent that is considered a probable human carcinogen. It can also be found in everyday consumer products.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-filtration-system-removes-forever-chemicals-from-water/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PFAS</a> (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances): Chemicals used to make non-stick coatings and water-resistant fabrics. They are linked to various health issues, including cancer and thyroid problems.</li>



<li>Chlorodifluoromethane (Freon 22): A gas once used in refrigeration and manufacturing products like Teflon.</li>



<li>1,1-dichloroethane: A chemical used in making paints, plastics, and pesticides, which is also associated with cancer.</li>
</ul>



These chemicals are not regularly monitored by water systems, which means their levels could rise without triggering safety actions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disproportionate-impacts-across-communities">Disproportionate impacts across communities</h2>



The study found that communities with higher percentages of Hispanic and Black residents are more likely to have drinking water with these unregulated chemicals.&nbsp;



These communities often live closer to places that release pollution, such as industrial sites, waste treatment plants, airports, and military areas.



“Our findings show that the percentage of Hispanic and Black residents in a community is a consistent predictor of poorer water quality,” said Aaron Maruzzo, lead author of the study and a scientist at Silent Spring Institute.



This situation cannot be explained by income or socioeconomic status alone. The researchers suggest that systemic issues like racism and the historical practice of redlining - which led to placing industrial facilities near communities of color - contribute to the unequal distribution of pollution and contaminated water.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contaminated-water-across-the-nation-nbsp">Contaminated water across the nation&nbsp;</h2>



<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0442-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Past research</a> by Silent Spring Institute has shown that Hispanic residents are more likely to drink water with high nitrate levels, which can lead to health problems like colorectal and bladder <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trained-dogs-can-detect-bladder-cancer-in-other-dogs/">cancer</a>.&nbsp;



Other studies found that community water systems serving majority Hispanic and Black populations often have higher PFAS levels.



The new study is notable because it examines disparities in exposure to PFAS and other unregulated contaminants across all U.S. states, Tribal lands, and territories, offering a comprehensive look at nationwide water quality issues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-growing-pfas-problem">The growing PFAS problem</h2>



PFAS chemicals are more widespread in drinking water than previously thought. As recent tests reveal, many more people may be affected by these substances than the data from 2013 to 2015 indicated.&nbsp;



This makes the study’s estimate of 97 million residents likely an undercount, highlighting an even larger problem.



In April 2024, the EPA set new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strict-pfas-limits-will-make-drinking-water-safer-for-100-million-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drinking water</a> standards for six PFAS chemicals, marking a step forward. However, the study underscores a larger need for federal action: regulating more harmful contaminants and addressing the disproportionate exposure that communities of color face.



“Ultimately, we need to do a better job at protecting source waters and reducing discharges of pollutants into water bodies that feed into our drinking water supplies,” Schaider emphasized.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moving-toward-safer-and-fairer-water-quality-nbsp">Moving toward safer and fairer water quality&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers hope that by making their inventory of unregulated contaminants publicly available, policymakers will be better equipped to create realistic plans for preventing and mitigating water contamination.&nbsp;



This data can guide efforts to ensure safe drinking water for everyone, especially those most at risk.



The study casts a spotlight on a critical public health issue: the uneven burden of contaminated drinking water on minority communities. 



Addressing this challenge involves not only setting stricter regulations for a wider range of chemicals but also tackling the environmental injustices that place these populations at higher risk. 



By improving source water protection and reducing pollution, society can work toward equitable access to safe drinking water for all Americans.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP14721" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.



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Nearly 100 million Americans exposed to contaminated drinking water

A new study from the Silent Spring Institute reveals a troubling reality: almost one-third of Americans have been exposed to unregulated contaminants in their drinking water.&nbsp; These harmful chemicals, not covered by current federal safety rules, could affect people’s health.&nbsp; The study also shows that Hispanic and Black communities are more likely to face unsafe levels of these pollutants, often living closer to sources of pollution. Extent of contaminated water&nbsp; The researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collected between 2013 and 2015. The...

As we’ve reported, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-death-events/">Great Barrier Reef</a> now lives under threat of coral bleaching events prompted by warming ocean waters. But what about coral reefs off the coast of the United States?

The <a href="https://www.coralrestoration.org/">Coral Restoration Foundation</a> (CRF), in collaboration with the<a href="https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/conserve/research/corals"> Georgia Aquarium</a>, is currently taking on one of the largest coral restoration efforts in the world. 

The Florida Reef Tract is a vital reef at the core of an extremely diverse and vibrant ecosystem, and the work being done by the CRF could lay the groundwork for bringing reefs back from the brink worldwide 

The Florida Reef Tract is one of the largest in the world, and although it’s size pales in comparison to the famous Great Barrier Reef, the Florida Reef Tract has significant economic and environmental importance.

However, the reef is struggling to adapt to the damaging effects of climate change, human activities, and 2017’s particularly devastating hurricane season. 

A unique blend of local and global stressors, including pollution and ocean acidification, have become too much for the reef to overcome and are causing <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/coral-reef-bleaching-global-warming-unesco-sites/?beta=true">staggering reef loss</a> around the world. 

So far, the Florida Reef Tract has lost almost 97 percent of its staghorn and elkhorn coral cover, two coral species that previously dominated the reef but are now critically endangered. 

Enter the Coral Restoration Foundation, which has worked to cultivate coral nurseries along the ocean floor, growing corals that will eventually be attached to local reefs in an effort to restore the reef and promote natural reef growth and spawning. 

On World Oceans Day, June 8th, the CRF along with aquarists and volunteers from the Georgia Aquarium hosted the <a href="http://www.worldoceansday.org/events-current-year/coralpalooza-2018">4th annual Coralpalooza</a>, a huge coral planting event where several hundred coral clippings were attached to sections of the Florida Reef Tract.  

The CRF currently has seven offshore coral tree nurseries in South Florida which are home to ten different species of coral. 

Once the corals in the nursery are big enough, they are attached directly to the reef using an epoxy that helps the clipping cement itself to the reef. 

“The coral nurseries are anchored to the bottom with a PVC and fiberglass frame that allows the corals to dangle and twist,” Steve Hartter, the senior aquarist at the Georgia Aquarium, told <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>.

According to the CRF, the organization has planted more than 66,000 corals onto the Florida Reef Tract. 

Nursery maintenance occurs four times a year, and Hartter compared the nurseries to an underwater farm given the way the nurseries are laid out on the ocean floor and the clippings harvested. 

Spawns are also captured from the nurseries as a way to help promote genetic diversity and boost healthy coral growth. Collecting and analyzing this material has offered important insights into coral genotypes. 

For example, some genotypes are better suited to adapting to climate change than others which could aid in reef preservation down the line. 

“Genetic diversity is an important component of population health.  A diverse population is more likely to be able to adapt to changes or threats that coral species face,” said Hartter. “This is particularly important with ecosystems like coral reefs, where multiple threats such as climate change, ocean acidification, eutrophication, and disease outbreaks are occurring simultaneously.”

Coral spawns are an important part of the recovery process because some corals like Staghorn and Elkhorn are not able to self-fertilize. 

“With Staghorn and Elkhorn populations in such dire condition, natural spawning and recruitment is becoming increasingly rare, as the spawn cannot reach each in the ocean currents while still active,” said Hartter. “By out planting corals with different genotypes in close proximity, this will increase successful natural spawning in the future.”

The CRF is doing groundbreaking work in recovering the Florida Reef Tract and with coral planting events like Coralpalooza, that work is making its way into the public’s eye. 

If coral reefs are to have any kind of chance to adapt and recover from climate change in the coming years, the methods employed by the Coral Restoration Foundation could prove vital for worldwide reef management. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.coralrestoration.org/">Coral Restoration Foundation</a>

Coral recovery offers hope to degraded Florida Reef Tract

As we’ve reported, the Great Barrier Reef now lives under...

Many countries around the world have powerful nuclear arsenals, which has of course caused tension and worry surrounding how these weapons could be used.

While a nuclear attack would have devastating consequences for the country targeted, it would also have lasting worldwide effects.

Now, a new study has found that the use of 100 nuclear weapons would put a nation past its tipping point and kill millions, cause mass food shortages, and change the global landscape. 

While it only would take 100 weapons, there are around 15,000 nuclear weapons in the world, according to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5841569/Scientists-warn-best-case-scenario-nuclear-war-devastating-global-effects.html">Daily Mail</a>. The United States alone has a <a href="http://time.com/4893175/united-states-nuclear-weapons/">nuclear arsenal</a> of nearly 7,000 warheads. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.mtu.edu/">Michigan Technological University</a> modeled the extent of damage that different nuclear attacks would cause. 

The study was published in the journal Safety, and the researchers argue that nations should have no more than 100 nuclear weapons in their arsenal rather than the thousands that some do. 

“No country should have more nuclear weapons than the number necessary for unacceptable levels of environmental blowback on the nuclear power’s own country if they were used,” the researchers told the Daily Mail. 

Three different hypothetical scenarios of nuclear attacks were investigated for the study, the launch of 7,000 weapons, 1,000 weapons, and 100 weapons. 

The environmental impacts of the different attacks were also calculated with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pope-warns-oil-execs-climate-change-could-destroy-civilization/">climate</a> and crop simulations in order to assess the damage to agriculture that would occur. 

An attack of 100 nuclear weapons, the best case scenario, could still kill 30 million people in a densely populated city and cause food shortages and mass starvation. 

“With 100 nuclear weapons, you still get nuclear deterrence, but avoid the probable blowback from nuclear autumn that kills your own people,” Joshua Pearce, a member of the research team told the Daily Mail. “If we use 1,000 nuclear warheads against an enemy and no one retaliates, we will see about 50 times more Americans die than did on 9/11 due to the after-effects of our own weapons.”

According to the study, a large scale attack could cause soot from the explosions to block out sunlight which would severely impact agricultural production. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study identifies nuclear war tipping point for global devastation

Many countries around the world have powerful nuclear arsenals, which...

A new report from <a href="https://www.ippr.org/north">IPPR North</a> has found that toxic levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uk-fines-air-pollution/">air pollution</a> in Manchester are threatening human health as well as the region's economy. People living in the Greater Manchester area have an average reduced life expectancy of six months, according to the study.

At the current rate, an estimated 1.6 million life years will be lost over the next century. IPPR North Director Sarah Longlands said that the “human cost of the air pollution crisis” in Manchester cannot be overemphasized.

“People’s lives are being cut short, our children’s health is being put at risk and this is before you even consider the £1bn annual economic burden that poor quality air places on the local economy,” said Longlands.

“For too long, the debate on air pollution has been focused on London. But now for the first time, we understand the full extent of the problem in Greater Manchester. We simply cannot allow this to continue.”

According to the report, the rate of emergency hospital admissions for asthma in Central Manchester is more than double the national average. The city ranks as the second worst in England for PM10 particulate pollution, which can cause damage to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Alison Cook is the Director of Policy at the British Lung Foundation.

“Air pollution is a threat to us all. Children, the elderly and people with a lung condition are the most vulnerable,” said Cook. “Breathing in dirty air is linked to lung cancer, asthma, heart disease and stroke. It can also stunt children’s lung development, leading to chronic health problems later in life.”

“Greater Manchester is one of the most polluted areas in the UK. This report provides more detail on the health impact of air pollution on the city than we’ve had before. Ambitious and concrete measures from the Mayor and central government must now follow, such as rolling out charging Clean Air Zones in the most polluted areas.”

The IPPR North report is based on research by <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King's College London</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Manchester air pollution impacting human health and the economy

A new report from IPPR North has found that toxic...

Marine Plastics found at Whitsand Bay near Plymouth.

As we have reported, marine litter has reached as far <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-crisis-antarctic/">as Antarctica</a> and as deep as the Mariana Trench, the deepest known point in the ocean. 

The global ocean litter crisis now poses serious threats to marine wildlife, and still every year, <a href="http://time.com/3707112/plastic-in-the-ocean/">millions of tons of plastic</a> end up in the world’s oceans. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-crisis-antarctic/">University of Plymouth</a> examined the public's perception of marine litter and the results show a growing awareness of the scope of the problem and what’s at stake. 

The study was published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin and it’s the first of its kind to focus on the general public’s view on the marine litter crisis. 

“Marine litter is an issue without borders. But human behavior in its many forms is the sole source of the problem, and changing perceptions and behavior is key to preventing litter from continuing to escape into the natural environment,” said Sabine Pahl, the study’s corresponding author. “This research gives us useful insights so that we can attempt to motivate action on land that makes a positive change to our coastlines and oceans now and in the future."

People are quick to blame the litter problem on retailers, industry, and government, but have little faith in government agencies to reduce marine pollution. 

Instead, the study showed that people place greater faith in scientists and environmental conservation organizations to develop lasting solutions to the plastics problem. 

More than 1,100 Europeans took part in the study, and they were asked about personal attitudes toward the global marine litter crisis, what key factors contributed to the problem, and who was mostly to blame.

The results of the study were promising and indicated a growing awareness of the marine litter problem as well as the real root cause of plastic pollution and who is most affected. 

More than 95 percent of the participants said they had seen litter on the coast and many said this motivated personal choices to change litter behavior. 

The researchers also found that participants had more concern for marine wildlife and understood the dangers that litter poses to animals. Threats to wildlife outweighed any other concerns about the impacts of plastic pollution on tourism or the shipping industry. 

When asked about who was to blame for the litter crisis and the sources of the pollution, participants agreed that a lot of it came from pollution being dumped directly into the sea. 

Plastic packaging and single-use plastics, as well as attitudes toward litter, were identified as the main factors contributing to the litter crisis.  

The results show that general attitudes toward plastic pollution are shifting and that protecting marine wildlife is becoming a high priority. 

“It is encouraging to see there is growing public awareness of the marine litter problem, but there are clearly challenges to be overcome in convincing people that we all need to be part of the solution,” said Richard Thompson, a member of the research team.“There needs to be an holistic approach which includes governments and industry, scientists and the public, and this research is a useful step in finding ways to communicate that more widely."

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a>

As the ocean litter crisis worsens, who is to blame?

As we have reported, marine litter has reached as far...

An upcoming report from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> (USGS) warns that a region of the Eastern Seaboard will be particularly vulnerable to devastating blackouts in the event of a solar storm. 

An explosion in the Sun’s atmosphere can cause solar wind to travel at high speeds. When this intense burst of energy interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, it can trigger a geomagnetic storm. 

Beneath regions of Interstate 95 from Virginia to Maine, there is a layer of 300 million-year-old rocks that would have a dangerous reaction to a solar storm. 

The rocks would behave like a shield, bouncing solar energy from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-sunny-fire-danger/">Sun</a> back toward the Earth instead of allowing it to pass through. Such an event could cause major communication systems and power grids to fail.

According to USGS research geophysicist and study lead author Jeffrey Love, the Eastern Seaboard is at risk for blackouts not only due to its abundance of these insulating rocks, but also due to the region’s proximity to the North Pole, where intense solar activity is most likely to strike.

Prior to this study, the central United States was the main focus of solar storm risk assessments, and the threat to the Eastern Seaboard was not yet known.

A study in 2016 reported that the upper Midwest is the region that faces the highest threat from a geomagnetic storm. The researchers found that surges could be up to 100 times more powerful in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin compared to other areas of the United States.


The largest solar storm in recent history struck in 1859, when auroras could be seen across the globe. A solar storm in 2012 passed through the Earth's orbit without a direct hit on the planet.

On March 10, 1989, astronomers witnessed a powerful explosion on the sun that was followed by the release of a billion-ton cloud of gas within minutes. Three days later, the resulting geomagnetic storm tripped circuit breakers across the power grid in Quebec, leaving the entire city without electricity for over nine hours. 

A large geological shield of ancient rocks beneath the city of Quebec may be similar to those in the vicinity of Interstate 95, but this has not yet been established.

The research from the USGS will be used to develop tests to measure how resilient the nation's power grids are to solar storms, which is required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Major east coast cities face threat of blackout from solar storms

An upcoming report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) warns...

A international team of scientists has found that mud volcanoes play a major role in the global methane cycle that has been largely overlooked and underestimated. Sediment samples collected by the researchers at a depth of 200 meters in an underwater mud volcano contained microorganisms that were found to produce about 90 percent of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/methane-emissions-lakes-double/">methane</a> released from that depth.

In a process called subduction, Earth's thin oceanic crust is shifted underneath the thicker continental crust. Underwater mud volcanoes are located at these active plate margins, containing a mix of liquids and gases that are forced up from below the Earth's surface.

The experts wanted to better understand how the subduction of oceanic plates may influence the microbial activity associated with the global methane cycle. The investigation was focused on a cluster of underwater volcanoes located near Japan.

With the help of a Japanese drilling ship, the team recovered sediment from 200 meters deep in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. In the samples, the researchers discovered bright fragments of gas hydrate, a methane-water compound which under certain temperature-pressure conditions is not in liquid or gas form, but is actually in a solid form. 

An extensive analysis revealed that 90 percent of the methane was produced by microorganisms in the seabed, while only a small part was formed at great depths through chemical processes. The extremely active microbes are fed by fluids pushed through the powerful sediments after subduction.

“If these mud volcanoes are not completely unique in the world, and there's no indication at all for this, then the role of mud volcanoes in the global methane cycle has been massively underestimated,” said Kallmeyer. 

“Furthermore, the study shows that indicators for the formation processes of methane - biological or chemical to date - do not work in the investigated mud volcano. If this applies to others, then the global models on the origin of atmospheric methane need to be rethought.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mud volcanoes play a huge role in the global methane cycle

A international team of scientists has found that mud volcanoes...

Researchers have found that the summer monsoon season in South Asia has a dual impact on the atmosphere. While the monsoons are clearing the air of some pollutants, they are filling it up with others.

Since 2010, emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-dioxide-record-broken/">carbon dioxide</a> have decreased in East Asia, North America, and Europe. Meanwhile, air pollutant levels are still on the rise in South Asia, primarily due to the abundant use of coal-fired power plants. 

During the dry winter season, a large pollution haze, which is referred to as an “atmospheric brown cloud,” moves over South Asia toward the Indian Ocean. The haze impacts air quality, climate, and the water cycle, yet its effects during the summer monsoon season have been unclear. 

A research team led by Jos Lelieveld speculated that a gigantic clockwise-circulating anticyclone, resulting from air rising in the summer weather system, would carry air pollution emissions upward from South Asia. 

To test their theory, the researchers measured levels of hydrogen peroxy radicals, volatile organic compounds, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and aerosols over South Asia in July and August of 2015 from an aircraft flown at high altitude.

The experts found that monsoon convection does, in fact, transport pollutants toward the upper troposphere and beyond, where they react with other gases and are globally redistributed. 

The team was surprised to find, however, that the summer monsoon simultaneously purifies the air as well. Some pollutants are oxidized into less volatile and water-soluble substances they can be flushed out of the atmosphere through rain.

According to the study authors, this cleansing mechanism provided by monsoons may prevent larger impacts of pollution across the region.

The research is published by the <a href="http://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> (AAAS) in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Summer monsoons in South Asia both pollute and purify the air

Researchers have found that the summer monsoon season in South...

Biodiversity is a word like sustainability or evolution, a complex concept wrapped into a buzzword few fully understand.  It’s important to understand biodiversity, though, because often it is seen as a measure of success within conservation biology, and conservation biology is one of the most influential arms of the environmental movement.  

Scientists have different measures for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-loss-extinction-effect/">biodiversity</a>, which yield different results. The most straightforward measure of biodiversity is simply species richness; that is just the number of species present in a certain area.  If you ignore that the concept of species itself is rather complicated, with multiple and sometimes contradictory definitions, species richness is easy to wrap your mind around. 

A professor once explained how species richness is deceptive by equating it to student diversity at my college.  I went to college at a relatively small western Colorado institution, which was almost entirely white and local. The college could brag that it had students from over 100 countries.  My professor pointed out that 100 students from 100 countries and 1000 other students from the US still leaves little diversity. On the other hand, 100 total students from 100 countries is a quite diverse group.  Part of diversity is looking at the structure of the whole not just the individual components, how different each subset is from the whole is important.

There are also different levels of biodiversity.  Ecosystem diversity is for instance the diversity of different ecosystems in a greater landscape.  For instance a desert with a river running through it containing not only aquatic but also riparian habitats is more diverse than just a single desert environment.  Add mountains containing ‘sky islands’ and perhaps small agricultural areas and the ecosystem diversity increases. Large areas of monocrop agriculture are one of the least ecosystem diverse areas because the ecology is all the same and very poor at that.

At the other end of the spectrum from ecosystem diversity is genetic diversity.  Genetic diversity is the diversity within a single species or closely related species.  To a degree genetic diversity can be a measure of genetic health or inbreeding within a species.  Genetic diversity can also show recent speciation, meaning how closely related species evolved from a common species in recent time.    

Even if we can all agree on what biodiversity is in a certain area for our own goals, whether biodiversity is always the most admirable end is a legitimate question.  Biodiversity sounds good if all you’re trying to do is foster the greatest number of plant, animal, fungi, etc. species but that doesn’t always match up with a wild natural environment.  If one were to create a large zoo or aquarium in the Sahara Desert, it would likely have more biodiversity (at least in terms of species richness) than the surrounding sand dunes, but it would also destroy a lot of desert.  

Sometimes grazing livestock can also increase biodiversity in an area.  If all we want is more biodiversity, this is a good thing. If what we want is a more self-organized, wild landscape, encouraging grazing for the sake of biodiversity is deeply unsettling.  Part of the problem here is that livestock sometimes act as replacements to wild herbivores. Bison certainly deeply affected the American landscape, especially out west. Now cows, sheep and other livestock fulfill some of the ecological niche of bison.  As long as the livestock are there, we can’t even consider reintroducing bison to something remotely resembling their former range. In Yellowstone, bison have been culled in response to fear from ranchers that their cattle would contract brucellosis from bison.  This is despite the fact that cattle introduced brucellosis to bison. There is also a lot of political pressure from ranchers to cull or exterminate native wolf populations. Even if cattle help biodiversity in the short term, they hurt landscapes in the long term, especially when ranch politics are involved.  

Diversity in some cases makes sense.  Small scale fires in forests can create patches of different environments, meadows, scrublands.  These patches of different microhabitats increase the biodiversity of the forest as a whole. In this way, fire creates a more natural, self-managed overall environment, a wilder landscape.  On the other hand, biodiversity will always be greater in tropical rainforests and reef systems than in the desert, arctic or alpine environments. Greater biodiversity isn’t always a better thing.

Part of the idea of biodiversity when applied to the Americas in management of wilderness areas is also connected to how we view humans, specifically Native Americans.  As I have noted in previous articles, there is a hypothesis that humans caused mass extinctions of megafauna. Whatever the role of early Native Americans in extinctions in North America, biodiversity dropped with the extinction of megafauna.  If we wanted merely to increase biodiversity, we could perhaps do it by introducing elephants, lions and other species as surrogates for extinct megafauna of North America. We do this with the assumption that perhaps human interaction with landscape, altering it and causing extinctions is an invalid ecological interaction.  We would separate humans from the environment as something ‘other’. Conversely, everything else the same, the introduction of one more species increases biodiversity but most people take exception if that one species is Homo sapiens.  

Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan notes in Cultural Parallax in Viewing North American Habitats, that it takes time for a culture to become truly native to an environment and the relationship between a culture and that environment is always in flux.

Other native animals can be a mixed blessing if we only consider biodiversity.  A study in Victoria, Australia found that grazing by kangaroos and livestock in dry areas decrease diversity of plants while in well-watered, fertile areas diversity of native plants is increased. 

Another study published in <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America</a> showed that increases in global temperature are usually followed with an increase in biodiversity.  After the increase in biodiversity there is usually an accompanying extinction event but the increase still outpaces the extinction.  This means that global climate change could potentially boost biodiversity on the earth. The timescale involved in increased biodiversity wouldn’t help species alive today, instead it would shape the future evolution of species.  The rate of climate change may also outpace speciation. No matter the specifics, it becomes clear that the picture is more complex than just biodiversity.

If environmental goals are more like those of a gardener, biodiversity is a fine overall goal.  More species means less extinction. Extinction is a natural process though, no matter how ugly it seems to us, the key is to limit our own unthinking massacre of other species.  The vast majority of animal species once alive on earth are now extinct. There are even estimates of the normal lifespan of a species. 

In a world with limited resources and being a species with limited knowledge we should act only when wisdom permits.  Acting to protect every species from every action is creating a false dichotomy in nature and only works in the pitifully small timescales humans understand, not the long term scales on which the earth moves.  At the heart of using biodiversity measures is the idea that we as humans should be actively trying to create the best environment. The world’s environments fluctuated and maintained themselves before us and they’ve done so with us acting as a part of those environments.  The levels of control we now try to assert earth are unprecedented it may be time to allow the earth its wildness again. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Biodiversity is key, but not always the best measure of success

Biodiversity is a word like sustainability or evolution, a complex...

In the last decade, four major icebergs have broken away from the tongue of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-antarctic-glaciers-retreat/">Pine Island Glacier</a> in Western Antarctica. German researchers have discovered that the glacier had lost contact with the ground at key points, causing it to suddenly retreat toward the coast.

The Pine Island Glacier is one of the fastest-flowing ice streams in the Southern Hemisphere. Combined with neighboring glaciers in Western Antarctica, the ice stream transports more than 300 gigatons of ice to the Amundsen Sea. This rapid flow of ice contributes between five and ten percent of the global sea-level rise. 

For decades, masses of warm water from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current have shifted beneath the floating region of the Pine Island Glacier, melting its ice shelf from below. This has caused the tongue of the glacier to lose around 5.3 meters of thickness every year for about 25 years.

However, it has been unclear why the front of the glacier barely retreated for many years after the melting trend was first observed in 1947. In 2015, a calving event abruptly shifted the edge of the ice shelf 20 kilometers toward the coast and greatly reduced the total area of the glacier's tongue.

Study first author Dr. Jan Erik Arndt is a researcher at the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research</a> (AWI).

“The direction and speed of a given glacier's flow chiefly depend on the topography of the ground below it,” said Dr. Arndt. “But for most of the ice shelves in the Antarctic, we know very little about the features of the underlying seafloor.” 

“As such, our Polarstern expedition in February 2017 was an unprecedented opportunity to map 370 square kilometers of an area that had previously largely been covered by the Pine Island Glacier's ice shelf.”

The team’s maps revealed an unknown submarine ridge and two mountains, the peaks of which reach up to a water depth of 370 meters. 

The 400-meter thick ice shelf of the Pine Island Glacier had likely been grounded on the ridge for several decades, which satellite images confirm. In the older images, the surface of the ice was visibly raised at the precise points where the peaks of the ridge are directly under the ice shelf. 

“But after 2006, these landmarks are nowhere to be seen,” explained study co-author Dr. Karsten Gohl. “By that time, the ice shelf must have melted so extensively from below that it was either too light to produce any impression on the surface of the ice, or the ice sheet must have already lost contact with the mountains beneath it.”

When an ice shelf loses contact with its “pinning points,” the ice stream is released and flows rapidly out to sea.

The scientists found that mountains can stabilize ice shelves like giant brakes, but that they also have the potential to set off calving events. In 2007, satellite images show that the edge of the Pine Island ice shelf crashed into one of the underlying mountains with such a force that the entire face of the ice shelf broke off. The calving event of 2015, they concluded, was caused by a similar event when the ice shelf made contact with the ridge.

“The roughly 50-kilometer-long edge of the Pine Island Glacier's ice shelf currently runs between an island to the north and another glacier to the south, which once again give the ice a bit of support,” said Dr. Arndt. 

If the melting beneath the glacier persists, the process could make the ice shelf so thin that it becomes unstable. According to the study authors, however, the ice thickness at the calving front of the glacier currently measures approximately 400 meters, and instability is not a threat at this point.

The research is published in the online journal <a href="https://www.the-cryosphere.net/">The Cryosphere</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

Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=91066">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

Why the Pine Island Glacier began to suddenly shrink

In the last decade, four major icebergs have broken away...

A massive wind farm is now operating off the coast of England that will generate enough power to fuel half a million homes. The Race Bank wind farm has the fifth-largest capacity in the world, featuring 91 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-living-near-wind-turbines-have-an-effect-your-health/">turbines</a> with 250-foot blades that can generate 573 megawatts of energy.

Stretched out across 50 square miles of the North Sea off of the UK’s eastern coast, the wind farm features a new “state-of-the-art” ship called a Service Operation Vessel (SOV). The SOV operates as a means of transport for crew members, but it is also a a warehouse, a workshop, and provides employees with a temporary home.

The Danish energy firm Orsted officially launched the project on Wednesday off the coast of Norfolk and Lincolnshire. The organization said that the vessel will be monitored around the clock by technicians - a staff of 250 that is expected to double over the next five years.

Lord Haskins of the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) referred to the initiative as “great news” and said that he hopes it will improve the region's economy.


Matthew Wright is the managing director at Orsted UK. 

“Race Bank is a fantastic infrastructure project and underlines Orsted's contribution to the UK's energy transition,” said Wright. “It's also another clear signal of our firm commitment to Grimsby and the Humber, and the UK supply chain for offshore wind.”

“Race Bank is a hugely significant and innovative project, featuring the first ever turbine blades to be made in Hull and becoming our first wind farm in the UK to be operated using a new Service Operation Vessel.”

Wright added that the project is a “positive step towards delivering the UK's decarbonized energy system of the future.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Image Credit: PA

World’s fifth-largest wind farm launched off the coast of England

A massive wind farm is now operating off the coast...

Human encroachment into animal territory has many negative effects on the species that once called these habitats home. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-activity-cancer-animals/">Our presence</a> generates fear in wild animals, and they can respond by changing their behavior to avoid contact with us. This risk avoidance may have significant effects on their fitness and physiology, trickling down the food chain and negatively impacting the survival of a population.

As further proof of this, a new study led by Kaitlyn Gaynor of the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkley</a>, has found that human activity is causing many mammals around the world to become more active at night – where they are less likely to encounter humans. 

Gaynor conducted a large-scale review of 76 studies covering 62 species from six continents in order to determine the impact of humans on the daily activity patterns of mammals. The studies monitored animal activity using GPS trackers and motion-activated cameras, allowing researchers to gather data to compare nighttime activity of each species during times of high and low human disturbance.

The results of the study, published in <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6394/1232">Science</a>, showed that higher levels of human disturbance – which can be anything from hunting to hiking to agriculture – resulted in nocturnal mammal activity increasing by a factor of 1.36. This change can result in a major fitness cost to individual animals, as they engage in behavior to avoid predators at the expense of reproduction. 

“Eventually, long-term disturbances may result in lower fitness, lower juvenile survival, or lower reproduction rates, with negative consequences at [the] population level,” says Ana Benítez-López in a related Perspective. 

However, these changes in animal behavior may actually help humans and animals coexist. This study shows that animals at least have the ability to adapt to our presence. Unfortunately, it may ultimately come at a cost of lower reproduction rates and higher stress for some species.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human activity causing mammals to be nocturnal to avoid people

Human encroachment into animal territory has many negative effects on...

A new study has revealed that ice loss in Antarctica has increased the global mean sea level by 7.6 millimeters since 1992. The researchers also found that three millimeters of this sea level rise has occurred in the last five years alone.

The findings are the result of a major climate assessment known as the Ice Sheet Mass Balance Inter-comparison Exercise (IMBIE). The comprehensive evaluation was conducted by an international team of 84 scientists from 44 organizations.

Satellite surveys showed that, prior to 2012, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-future-global-climate/">Antarctica</a> lost ice at a steady annual rate of 76 billion tons and contributed 0.2 millimeters per year to sea level rise. However, between 2012 and 2017, the rate of ice loss tripled. The continent lost 219 billion tons of ice annually and contributed 0.6 millimeters per year to the global mean sea level in those years.

Isabella Velicogna is a professor of Earth System Science at the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a> and a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“Gravity measurements from the joint NASA and German Aerospace Center (DLR) GRACE mission help us track the loss of ice mass in the polar regions and impacts on sea level at points around the planet,” said Professor Velicogna. “The data from these spacecraft show us not only that a problem exists but that it is growing in severity with each passing year.”

The research team was led by Professor Andrew Shepherd of the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> and Dr. Erik Ivins of NASA's <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>.

“We have long suspected that changes in Earth's climate will affect the polar ice sheets,” said Professor Shepherd. “Thanks to the satellites our space agencies have launched, we can now track their ice losses and global sea level contribution with confidence.”

“According to our analysis, there has been a step increase in ice losses from Antarctica during the past decade, and the continent is causing sea levels to rise faster today than at any time in the past 25 years. This has to be a concern for the governments we trust to protect our coastal cities and communities.”

Antarctica contains enough ice to raise the global mean sea level by 58 meters, and researchers must determine how much ice the continent is losing in order to estimate the impacts of climate change, both now and in the future.

According to the experts, the accelerated rate of ice loss has been caused by a combination of glacier speedup in West Antarctica and at the Antarctic Peninsula, and reduced growth of the ice sheet in East Antarctica.


The most dramatic change was found in West Antarctica, with ice loss rising from 53 billion tons per year in the 1990s to 159 billion tons per year beginning in 2012. Furthermore, in the Antarctic Peninsula, ice shelf collapse has boosted annual ice loss by 25 billion tons since the early 2000s.

“Satellites have given us an amazing, continent-wide picture of how Antarctica is changing,” said study co-author Dr. Pippa Whitehouse. “The length of the satellite record now makes it possible for us to identify regions that have been undergoing sustained ice loss for over a decade.”

“The next piece of the puzzle is to understand the processes driving this change. To do this, we need to keep watching the ice sheet closely, but we also need to look back in time and try to understand how the ice sheet responded to past climate change.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ice loss in Antarctica has raised the entire global sea level

A new study has revealed that ice loss in Antarctica...

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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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

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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

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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

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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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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

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