From coastlines to capital cities, healthcare workers are warning about the immediate need for a treaty to end plastic pollution.



The danger of a global health disaster is at its highest level as United Nations-led negotiations to form a plastic treaty continue to remain dead-locked due to ongoing disputes.



Plastic pollution not only endangers human health, but threatens to harm our planet itself. Without decisive action, the consequences could be irreversible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-treaty-negotiations">Plastic treaty negotiations</h2>



At the forefront of this urgent plea for action are researchers from the Revolution Plastics Institute at the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Portsmouth</a>.



The experts recently spotlighted the matter in an article published by the British Medical Journal, following their participation in the plastic treaty negotiations in Busan last December.



The negotiations concluded without any agreement being reached, and this pushed further discussions into 2025.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-skyrocketing-plastic-production">Skyrocketing plastic production</h2>



With global annual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-production-increases-create-identical-plastic-pollution-increase/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plastic production</a> currently at an alarming 400 million tonnes and expected to double by 2040, the scientists see health care professionals playing an increasingly crucial role.



The need of the hour, they say, is for more robust scientific evidence showing the impact of plastic pollution on human health. 



Such data will fortify the treaty process and guide the creation of targeted policies to reduce human exposure to plastic pollution.



"The treaty to end plastic pollution represents a historic opportunity to protect human health. If the treaty is to meet this challenge, its text must include specific measures to mitigate the health effects of plastic pollution, human health targets and metrics to measure progress towards improved health outcomes," noted Professor Steve Fletcher, the director of the Revolution Plastics Institute.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-health-versus-plastic-pollution">Human health versus plastic pollution</h2>



The article focuses on two critical health concerns linked to plastic pollution. 



First, there are the omnipresent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-are-infiltrating-the-human-body-even-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microplastics</a> - tiny particles found in the air we breathe, waterways, polar ice, soil, and in our food.



Humans are constantly ingesting, inhaling, and absorbing these particles. They have been detected in numerous organs and tissues, from the brain and blood to the placenta and liver. Microplastics have even been found in breast milk and semen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-open-burning-of-plastic-waste">Open burning of plastic waste</h2>



The other critical issue is the harmful health effects of inhaled <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-can-make-other-pollutants-more-toxic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">toxic pollutants</a> that are released from the open burning of plastic waste. This danger is particularly acute in areas with deficient waste management systems.



The emissions from such open burns, which are loaded with toxic chemicals, particulate matter, and microplastics, are associated with serious health conditions. These include respiratory infections, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/steep-rise-in-cardiovascular-disease-expected-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular diseases</a>, and chronic conditions like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).



Dr. Cressida Bowyer, the Deputy Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute, has extensively studied the perils of open burning of plastic waste. 



"With 16% of global municipal waste burned openly, rising to 40–65% in low-and middle-income countries, vulnerable populations bear the brunt of this crisis. The toxic fumes from burning plastic are a silent but deadly contributor to global health burdens. Urgent action is needed to eliminate this dangerous practice and protect public health," she warned.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vulnerable-populations-are-affected-the-most">Vulnerable populations are affected the most</h2>



The longer the world waits to finalize a binding plastic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-plastics-treaty-countries-with-nothing-to-lose-delayed-progress/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treaty</a>, the more devastating the health impacts of plastic pollution will become.



Studies show that vulnerable populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are disproportionately exposed to the harmful effects of plastics. 



This disparity is most apparent in regions with inadequate waste management systems, where open burning of plastic waste is rampant and environmental contamination intensifies daily.



Beyond its environmental toll, plastic pollution worsens global health inequalities. Microplastics and toxic chemicals from mismanaged plastic waste seep into the food chain, water sources, and also into the air.



Toxic emissions, especially in urban areas, have been linked to respiratory diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treaty-needed-to-end-plastic-pollution">Treaty needed to end plastic pollution</h2>



Health experts warn that without the necessary steps of action, these health crises will intensify and spread aggressively, straining health systems and threatening the health of future generations.



But dealing with plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue; it is an important step to ensuring the global public's health.



The message is clear. As responsible stewards of the planet and protectors of human health, it's time for all health professionals to take a determined stand against the harms of plastic pollution.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.q2890" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Medical Journal</a>.



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Plastic treaty is a 'historic opportunity' to stop a human health crisis

From coastlines to capital cities, healthcare workers are warning about the immediate need for a treaty to end plastic pollution. The danger of a global health disaster is at its highest level as United Nations-led negotiations to form a plastic treaty continue to remain dead-locked due to ongoing disputes. Plastic pollution not only endangers human health, but threatens to harm our planet itself. Without decisive action, the consequences could be irreversible. Plastic treaty negotiations At the forefront of this urgent plea for action are researchers from the...

Soft shelled turtles, considered a delicacy in China, are likely spreading cholera, a new study said.

The research was motivated by discovery that consumption of cholera-carrying soft shelled turtles had caused outbreaks of the disease in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/japan-china-fossil-fuel-sea-floor/">China</a>, said corresponding author Biao Kan. 

"Cholera is a life-threatening diarrheal disease," said Kan, professor of Pathogenic Biology and Infectious Disease control, at the <a href="http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/">Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention</a> in Beijing.

Researchers inserted genes producing bioluminescent proteins into Vibrio cholerae enabling them to directly observe the pathogens colonizing the turtles. Investigators dipped the the turtles into a phosphate-buffered saline solution containing the now bioluminescent bacteria, serogroup 0139.

Over the next four days, the researchers checked the turtles at 24-hour intervals. They first detected light signals at 24 hours. At 96 hours, the entire dorsal side of the turtles' shells was emitting bioluminescence. 

During the last decade, China has seen less than 200 cases of cholera annually, according to Kan. But he said that of the 39 diseases surveilled under China's Law of Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, cholera is in the most dangerous category, along with plague.

He also noted that the O139 serogroup, the major strain spread by the turtles, is an emerging disease in China.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://aem.asm.org/">Applied and Environmental Microbiology</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.asm.org/">American Society for Microbiology</a>

Soft shelled turtles likely spreading cholera in China

Soft shelled turtles, considered a delicacy in China, are likely...

16 of the 17 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2016-rising-temperatures/">hottest</a> years on record have happened during this century. According to <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/heat-is-on-for-2017-21011">Climate Central</a>, this number of record-setting hot years is due to “heat that has accumulated from human-caused warming.” Regions are heating up across the globe, and a new report shows that India is particularly feeling the heat, and all of the risks that come along with it. 

Climatologist Omid Mazdiyasni of the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California Irvine</a> led a team of experts in assessing the heat-related vulnerability of India.

"It's getting hotter, and of course more heat waves are going to kill more people," said Mazdiyasni. “We knew there was going to be an impact, but we didn't expect it to be this big.”

The researchers examined decades of records from the Indian Meteorological Department to project the likelihood of extreme heat events and heat-related mortality. 

The study revealed that India's temperature increased by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit between 1960 and 2009. Using a new probabilistic model, the researchers showed this spike in summer temperatures increases the probability of India experiencing “heat-related mortality events of more than 100 people” by 146 percent. 

The study, published in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, established that the number and duration of heat wave days have increased by 25 percent across most of the country. Southern and Western India have faced 50 percent more heat waves in 1985-2009 than they saw in the previous 25 years.

The researchers say heat-related deaths will increase with future global warming, especially in low-latitude countries that are underdeveloped.

“Although India is particularly susceptible to heat waves given its geography and current state of human development, there are many countries that are similarly vulnerable to the extreme heat events in the ever-warming world. Our results suggest that even moderate and practically unavoidable increases in mean temperatures, such as 0.5°C, may lead to large increases in heat-related mortality, unless measures are taken to substantially improve the resilience of vulnerable populations,” explained the authors of the study. 


The heat waves will have a negative effect on air quality, hurt crops, intensify droughts, and increase energy consumption, according to the authors. Poor populations exposed to the extreme heat will have higher mortality rates. Health problems will develop and existing health issues will become more severe, particularly for those who lack resources such as clean water, shelter, and health care. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/">Associated Press</a>

Climate change brings deadly heat to India

16 of the 17 hottest years on record have happened...

Hawaii has become the first state to enact legislation implementing parts of the Paris Climate Agreement after President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the accord last week, the <a href=" http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/ stories/U/US_PARIS_ACCORD_ HAWAII?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp; TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2017- 06-07-05-31-12">Associated Press</a> reported.

The Hawaii legislature passed a law to document sea level rise and set strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Gov. David Ige signed the bill on Tuesday, which aligns the state's goals with the Paris climate accord.

The Hawaiian islands are seeing the impacts of climate change first-hand, Ige said. Tides are getting higher, biodiversity is shrinking, coral is bleaching and coastlines are eroding, the governor added.

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-bleaching-havoc-hawaiian/">we reported</a> just last week, coral bleaching has been wreaking havoc at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (HBNP), a popular destination on O’ahu. 

At least a dozen U.S. states including Hawaii have pledged to continue reducing fossil-fuel emissions despite Trump's decision.

The news also comes after the governors of New York, California, and Washington <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ny-ca-washington-climate-pact/">teamed up</a> to form a pact to continue the goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement.

Ige also signed a bill Tuesday to reduce carbon emissions in the agriculture sector.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PARIS_ACCORD_HAWAII?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2017-06-07-05-31-12"> Associated Press</a>

Hawaii passes law to align with Paris Climate Agreement

Hawaii has become the first state to enact legislation implementing...

Climate change is often seen as posing the greatest risk to coastal areas, but the nation's inland cities face perils of their own, including more intense storms and more frequent flooding, the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a> reported.

Inland areas will also have to confront the issue of bridges that were built too low for rising river water levels. A century-old train trestle in Des Moines, Iowa was restored a decade ago, but now has to be raised 4.5 feet with a crane after experts concluded that the river's flooding risk was nearly double earlier estimates. The most likely culprit? Climate change.

"It was like a bomb was dropped off in our lap," city engineer Pam Cooksey said of the revised flood forecasts from the <a href="http://www.usace.army.mil/">Army Corps of Engineers</a>. The findings suggested that the bridge could act as a dam during bad storms, sending waves of backed-up floodwater into the refurbished business district.

Bridges are also being raised even in states such as Texas, where many political leaders are still debating whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/calculating-cost-climate-change-2/">climate change</a> is even real.

In Milwaukee, bridges have been raised as part of $400 million in flood-management projects across a metro area with 28 communities. In Reno, Nevada, officials spent about $18 million to replace a bridge over the Truckee River last year and plan to replace three more after flood-danger projections were increased by up to 15 percent.

Because the cities are inland, many residents were not expecting to experience direct effects of climate change.

"A lot of these are not the kind of places that people are used to thinking of being in the forefront of climate change," said Jim Schwab, manager of the Hazards Planning Center at the American Planning Association, which is working with nearly a dozen cities on flood-mitigation options.

Many communities are "still feeling their way through this particular problem," he said.

The <a href="https://www.fema.gov/">Federal Emergency Management Agency</a> (FEMA) says it's now routinely providing money to help cities raise bridges, although no dollar total is available. Typically, more than 1,500 bridges are reconstructed each year for an assortment of reasons.

Hundreds and possibly thousands of bridge-raising projects have been completed recently or are planned, Schwab said. A cursory check by the AP in a handful of states found at least 20 locations where bridges have been raised or construction will begin soon.

In Texas, where politicians including Sen. Ted Cruz have questioned whether the climate is growing warmer and if humans have caused the change, Austin has raised two bridges in the past five years and plans to improve three more stream crossings, said Pam Kearfott, a supervising engineer in the city's watershed protection department.

Officials "try to stick to the technical basis for change" and ignore the politics, she said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/"> Associated Press</a>

Inland areas face climate change perils, too

Climate change is often seen as posing the greatest risk...

Despite years of record-breaking harvests, the number of young lobsters is declining in the Gulf of Maine, a <a href="https://umaine.edu/">University of Maine</a> marine scientist warned in a new report. The American Lobster Settlement Index, compiled by Rick Wahle and released this month, shows monitoring sites from New Brunswick to Cape Cod had some of the lowest lobster levels since the late 1990s or early 2000s.

The decline in baby lobsters represents an "early warning" of what might happen to the future of the lobster harvest, which is the source of a major fishery and a focus of the tourism industry in New England, Wahle said. 

Lobsters take several years to grow to legal harvesting size, so the drop in young lobsters would start to affect lobstermen in future years, he said.

"If we were to see a collapse in the lobster catch, it would mean that we're already seven to eight years into a decline in the population," Wahle said.

For more than a decade, lobster egg production has been rising but the number of baby lobsters has been falling, Wahle said. Scientists and fishermen are working to better understand the changes and their potential ramifications for the environment and the economy.

One factor could be a declining amount of a type of crustacean called copepod that baby lobsters like to feed on. Another possibility is an increase in predators of young lobsters, he said.

Maine accounts for the largest percentage of the U.S. lobster catch yearly, and the industry has been booming in recent years. The catch climbed to more than 130 million pounds last year, a record total according to state statistics that go back to the 19th century.

Wahle is co-chairing an international conference on lobster management this week in Portland. Environmental factors such as the impact of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-baby-lobsters-cant-survive-warming-oceans/">warming ocean waters</a> on the lobster population are among the focuses of the event.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BABY_LOBSTERS?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2017-06-05-15-26-00">AP</a>

Baby lobster numbers decline in Maine

Despite years of record-breaking harvests, the number of young lobsters...

Climate change is causing extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent, and capable of unprecedented destruction and loss of life. The Paris Climate Agreement brought leaders together to create a plan to reduce carbon emissions on a global scale, and to begin the process of healing the Earth's atmosphere. 

It is difficult to place an exact value on the environmental and economic benefits of curbing carbon emissions. However, scientists across the globe have begun estimating how costly it is to continue pumping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the current rate. 

A <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/04/climate-change-will-blow-a-25tn-hole-in-global-financial-assets-study-warns">study</a> conducted in 2016 by the London School of Economics revealed that climate change has the potential to reduce the world's financial assets by 2.5 trillion dollars. The worst case scenarios modeled by the team led to losses as great as 24 trillion dollars, which would devastate the global economy. According to the researchers, this massive depletion of the planet's resources would be a direct result of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wmo-list-deadliest-weather-events/">extreme weather</a> events, loss of income, and other complications of global warming. 

A <a href="https://www.epa.gov/cira/climate-action-benefits-key-findings">report</a> released by the EPA in 2015 provided a breakdown of the potential cost of climate change across 20 regions in America. The study projected the economic impact of global warming through the year 2100, and then estimated how those costs would be cut by controlling greenhouse gas emissions. Most significantly, 57,000 lives could be saved by a lack of air pollution, and up to 12,000 less people would die from extreme hot or cold temperatures. 

The EPA’s evaluation also determined the costs associated with storm surge and rising sea levels may be lessened by 3.1 billion dollars by the year 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. There would be 40%-59% less severe drought, with a savings of as much as 3.1 billion dollars. Up to 11 billion dollars would be preserved with less agricultural damages, and between 6.0 - 7.9 million acres could be spared from forest fires.

A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/24/world/europe/extreme-weather-disasters-united-nations-paris.html">report</a> by the United Nations in 2015 revealed that 600,000 people have lost their lives to natural disasters in the last two decades. Storms killed the most people, including a cyclone that hit Myanmar in 2008 and claimed 138,000 lives. 148,000 people died as a result of heat waves, while floods impacted 2.3 billion people. The report, created in preparation for the climate meeting in Paris, said that weather-related disasters doubled compared to the previous decade, at an estimated expense of 1.9 trillion dollars. 

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, has worked extensively to keep climate change at the forefront of the global agenda. 

“Climate change has happened because of human behavior, therefore it’s only natural it should be us, human beings, to address this issue. It may not be too late if we take decisive actions today,” said Ki-Moon.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Sources: <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/04/climate-change-will-blow-a-25tn-hole-in-global-financial-assets-study-warns">London School of Economics</a>, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/cira/climate-action-benefits-key-findings">EPA</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/24/world/europe/extreme-weather-disasters-united-nations-paris.html">New York Times</a>

Earth.com Feature: Calculating the cost of climate change

Climate change is causing extreme weather events that are becoming...

The Hawaiian island of Kauai is known as “the Garden Isle” due to its lush tropical rainforest and the species that inhabit the island. But some of its animals may actually be in peril, a new study reveals.

A recent study published in <a href="http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/loi/cond?code=coop-site">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</a> assessed two decades of radar data for two endangered seabirds that call the island home; the Hawaiian Petrel and the Newell’s Shearwater. This new analysis gives reason to be worried about the population sizes of both species.

Due to the nocturnal nature of the birds – along with their penchant for nesting in hard to reach areas – scientists have had to monitor their movements using radar. In order to determine the population trends and overall distribution of the birds in recent years, André Raine of the Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project and his team analyzed past and present radar surveys. They also assessed data showing the numbers of shearwater fledglings that have been rescued after being drawn to artificial lights.

The results are not good. Their data shows that both species have seen significant population declines over the last two decades. Hawaiian Petrels have declined 78% based off radar detections, while Newell’s Shearwaters have fallen by 94%. This decline in shearwater radar detections is corroborated by the decreasing numbers of rescued fledglings over the same time period.

Researchers aren’t shocked by the decline in shearwater population, as it is consistent with previously published work. However, past assessments of radar data for petrels seemed to show their population as stable, maybe even increasing. Raine and his colleagues believe this difference may be due to the fact that for their study, they purposefully standardized their data based on sunset times, which meant that their chosen time periods – and thus bird movement periods – were constant during the survey period.

The scientists believe that these drastic declines may have been influenced by the damage done by Hurricane Iniki in 1992. This natural disaster caused significant ecological changes, such as the opening of new routes for invasion by exotic plants and predators, as well as numerous other infrastructure changes on Kauai.

“Conservation effort needs to be focused on reducing power line collisions, fall-out related to artificial lights, the control of introduced predators, and the overall protection of their breeding habitats,” says Raine. “Many of these efforts are now underway on Kauai, and I am hopeful that these will continue and expand over the next few years.”

The researchers know that protecting these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-species-location-data-risk/">endangered</a> seabird populations also means protecting the ecosystem as a whole. The loss of just one species could have far-ranging effects in any habitat, especially one as diminutive and isolated as Kauai.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/content/auk-ornithological-advances">American Ornithological Society Publications Office</a>

Image Credit: A. Raine

Drastic decline in endangered seabird populations on Kauai

The Hawaiian island of Kauai is known as “the Garden...

Creating highly protected marine reserves can help mitigate against the impacts of climate change, a new study found.

Reserves can help marine ecosystems and people adapt to ocean acidification, sea-level rise, increased intensity of storms, shifts in species distribution, and decreased productivity and oxygen availability, according to the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York </a>study.

Reserves also can promote uptake and long-term storage of carbon from greenhouse gas emissions, especially in coastal wetlands, which helps reduce the rate of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/costly-heat-island-cities/">climate change</a>, the researchers said.

The study, published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>, evaluated existing peer-reviewed studies on the impact of marine reserves around the world.

Currently, only 3.5 per cent of the ocean has been set aside for protection, with just 1.6 per cent fully protected from exploitation.

International groups are working to raise the total to 10 per cent by 2020, while delegates to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's 2016 World Conservation Congress agreed that at least 30 per cent should be protected by 2030.

 Many studies show that well-managed marine reserves can protect wildlife and support productive fisheries, but we wanted to explore this body of research through the lens of climate change to see whether these benefits could help ameliorate or slow its impacts,” said the study’s lead author, York professor Callum Roberts.

Marine reserves can promote rapid recovery of exploited species and degraded habitats while safeguarding intact ecosystems, the study said.

The benefits are greater in large, long-established, well-managed reserves that have full protection from activities such as fishing, oil and mineral extraction. Relative isolation from damaging human activities adds further conservation benefits, the researchers found.

The ability of protected areas to offer strong climate change resilience benefits is likely to be contingent on these characteristics, according to the study.

Protecting more of the ocean will also improve the outlook for environmental recovery after greenhouse gas emissions have been brought under control, the researchers found. 

This strengthens the case that the United Nations ocean protection target be raised from 10 per cent to 30 per cent coverage of MPAs, which will require many more large-scale MPAs and protected areas beyond national jurisdiction, the study said.

"This study should be proof positive to decision makers that creating effectively managed marine reserves can deliver a multitude of benefits,” said Matt Rand, director of the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project, which supported part of the research. “Marine reserves are climate reserves." 

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York </a>

How marine reserves can help fight climate change

Creating highly protected marine reserves can help mitigate against the...

MSU soybean and corn fields at sunset in July, 2006.

Tiny bits of decomposing leaves in soil emit nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that's more potent than carbon dioxide, according to a new <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> study.

The findings, published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>, could help scientists refine nitrous oxide emission predictions and guide future agriculture and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rainfall-carbon-emissions-soil-microbes/">soil</a> management practices.

"Most nitrous oxide is produced within teaspoon-sized volumes of soil, and these so-called hot spots can emit a lot of nitrous oxide quickly," said Sasha Kravchenko, Michigan State Plant, Soil and Microbial scientist and lead author of the study. "But the reason for occurrence of these hot spots has mystified soil microbiologists since it was discovered several decades ago."

It's difficult to study and label an entire field as a source of greenhouse gas emissions when the source is grams of soil harboring decomposing leaves, Kravchenko said. Changing the view from binoculars to microscopes will help improve N2O emission predictions, which traditionally are about 50 percent accurate, at best, the researcher added. 

Nitrous oxide's global warming potential is 300 times greater than carbon dioxide, and emissions are largely driven by agricultural practices, the study said.

"This work sheds new light on what drives emissions of nitrous oxide from productive farmlands," said John Schade, a program director for the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>'s Long-Term Ecological Research program, which co-funded the research with NSF's earth sciences division. "We need studies like this to guide the creation of sustainable agricultural practices necessary to feed a growing human population with minimal environmental impact."

Kravchenko and her team took soil samples from MSU's Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Ecological Research site. Then, in partnership with scientists from the <a href="http://www.uchicago.edu/">University of Chicago</a> at Argonne National Laboratory, they examined the samples at Argonne's synchrotron scanning facilities, a much more powerful version of a medical CT scanner.

The X-ray scanner penetrated the soil and allowed the team to accurately characterize the environments where N2O is produced and emitted.

"We found that hotspot emissions happen only when large soil pores are present," Kravchenko said. "The leaf particles act as tiny sponges in soil, soaking up water from large pores to create a micro-habitat perfect for the bacteria that produce nitrous oxide."

Not as much N2O is produced in areas where smaller pores are present. Small pores, such as in clay soils, hold water more tightly so that it can't be soaked up by the leaf particles, the study said.

The researchers hope the findings will help scientists develop ways to reduce the emission of nitrous oxide from agricultural soils.

Future research will review which plant leaves contribute to higher N2O emissions. Plants with more nitrogen in their leaves, such as soybeans, will more than likely give off more N2O as their leaves decompose. Researchers also will look at leaf and root characteristics and see how they influence emissions, the authors said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>

Image Credit: <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>

Decomposing leaves in soil emit greenhouse gas

Tiny bits of decomposing leaves in soil emit nitrous oxide,...

A team of engineering experts has banded together to create the most extensive map of local air pollution ever developed. 

The team, led by engineers from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> with <a href="https://www.google.com/">Google</a>, <a href="https://aclima.io/">Aclima</a> and the <a href="https://www.edf.org/">Environmental Defense Fund,</a> has created a block-by-block pollution map of Oakland, California. The map was created using Google Street View cars equipped with sensors created by Aclima to map air quality. 

The result is a map that can detail variations in air quality within each block, covering 78 square miles in the city of Oakland. 

"Air pollution varies very finely in space, and we can't capture that variation with other existing measurement techniques," Dr. Joshua Apte of UT Austin said in a press release. "Using our approach and analysis techniques, we can now visualize air pollution with incredible detail. This kind of information could transform our understanding of the sources and impacts of air pollution."

The local air pollution map is thousands of times more accurate than government air quality monitors have been in the past. Most cities only have monitors every 100 square miles or so, the researchers said. 

The Google cars created a map showing air quality about every 100 feet, the researchers said. It also showed some wide variations from the estimates of local air pollution created by less accurate traditional monitors.

"What surprised us is that there are consistently locations that can be as much as six times more polluted on one end of the block than on the other," said Dr. Kyle Messier of UT Austin, a co-author of the study. "Among other things, this demonstrates that people are getting disproportionate exposures of unhealthy air at some locations."

The technique can be used in other cities to better monitor urban air pollution and help local governments and city residents develop plans for dealing with it. For example, the parent of a child with asthma could use the local air pollution map to choose a school with cleaner air, Apte said.

The study was specifically designed to be cost-effective, so that it could be repeated in other locations.

The research will be published in the journal <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.7b00891">Environmental Science and Technology</a>. It was funded by the Environmental Defense Fund.

[caption id="attachment_451116" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/142013_web.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-451116" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/142013_web-300x251.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="251" /></a> Credit: American Chemical Society[/caption]

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By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Credit: <a href="http://acs.org">American Chemical Society</a>

Engineers band together to create local air pollution map of Oakland

A team of engineering experts has banded together to create...

Despite scientific evidence that suggests the amount of ice in Antarctica is growing, there is concern about the impact of climate change in this region. Melting ice is making glaciers increasingly unstable. Researchers from <a href="http://www.swansea.ac.uk/">Swansea University</a> are monitoring an enormous rift in an Antarctic ice shelf that is about to produce an iceberg the size of Delaware.

Ice calving is when ice splits off from the edge of a glacier, which usually happens when the glacier expands. An ice shelf in Antarctica, known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/massive-iceberg-larsen-c-ice-shelf/">Larsen C,</a> is close to shedding one of the biggest icebergs in recorded history with an area of 1900 square miles. 

A rift in Larsen C suddenly grew by 11 miles in December of 2016, and is now close to 125 miles long. The tip of the opening has shifted in the direction of the front of the ice. The rift has only 8 more miles of ice shelf left before the enormous mass of ice breaks off into the sea. Satellite images also revealed a second division has formed that is 8 miles long. 

In 2002, ice calving caused an ice shelf known as Larsen B to become unbalanced and break into thousands of icebergs. The ice shelf is believed to have been stable for  12,000 years until global warming caused it to explode in a matter of 35 days. Research shows the ice shelf had only begun melting a few years before it collapsed. 

Experts believe the properties of the ice shelf changed and caused the instability.  Melting ice fills crevices with water which then pushes glaciers apart until they shatter. The breakdown of Larsen B is one of the largest on record and believed to have impacted its neighboring ice shelves, including Larsen C. 

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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 

Source: <a href="http://www.swansea.ac.uk/">Swansea University</a>

Antarctic ice shelf splitting off to form massive iceberg

Despite scientific evidence that suggests the amount of ice in...

Coastal nesting birds around the world may be be driven to extinction by rising sea levels and more frequent flooding from climate change, according to a 20-year study of Eurasian oystercatchers.

"Our study species, the Eurasian oystercatcher, lives in an area where flooding is becoming more common, posing a threat to the survival of the population,” said Liam Bailey of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_National_University"> Australian National University</a>. "Our study found no evidence that Eurasian oystercatchers have increased the elevation of their nests, even among birds that lost a nest during a flood.” 

The presence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/habitat-fragmentation-predators/">predators</a> or unsuitable vegetation might discourage birds from nesting higher, Bailey said.

A recent study using thousands of bird surveys along the east coast of the United States found consistent declines in coastal marsh birds, the university said.

"Researchers predict that rising sea levels and increased flooding events may drive the saltmarsh sparrow, a coastal species in the U.S. to extinction, possibly even within the next 20 years," Bailey said.

“Like the Eurasian oystercatcher, this species does not appear to be adapting to the changing tidal conditions," he added.

A similar study showed strong declines in coastal bird species along the coast of Northern Europe.

The research team will investigate other possible strategies that birds may use to avoid flooding, such as encouraging birds to lay their nests earlier in the year when floods are less common.

"Our work is part of a growing amount of research that shows the vulnerability of coastal bird species,” he said. “These species may need additional conservation focus in the future."

The research was published in the <a href="http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B</a>.

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By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_National_University">Australian National University</a>

Coastal nesting birds face extinction from rising seas, flooding

Coastal nesting birds around the world may be be driven...

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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

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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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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



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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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

[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

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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

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