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...

For most of us, water is that stuff that comes out of a tap or shower head. Or, less sustainably, from an endless array of <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/edible-biodegradable-food-packaging/">plastic</a> bottles. We hardly give it a thought.

But for 1.8 billion people worldwide, water is as potentially deadly as it is a critical need. That’s because they must drink and bathe in untreated water contaminated with animal and human feces. Unsafe water sources put adults and children at a high risk for such serious and even fatal illnesses as cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio.

The United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 annually to be <a href="http://www.worldwaterday.org/">World Water Day</a> to give voice to the world organization’s goal of ensuring global access to safe, drinkable water by 2030.

In 2017, the year’s theme from UN-Water is “wastewater.” The theme examines the damage of untreated wastewater to health and the environment, and highlights the potential to safely reuse and repurpose it. For instance, treated wastewater can be used for industry and agriculture and to safely water gardens and public green spaces.

Visit the World Water Day website to learn more about the global threat of unsafe water, to read inspirational stories and to see how you can help.

---

By Earth.com Staff Writer David Searls

March 22 -- Today is World Water Day

For most of us, water is that stuff that comes...

Across the country, utilities are required to carefully monitor their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drilling-oil-fracking-problems/">gas</a> lines and fix any leaks that are a safety concern. However, finding and fixing these leaks is a constant challenge. Smaller or more remote leaks that are not as dangerous can easily go undetected and unrepaired for long periods of time. Besides being a safety hazard, leaking natural gas contributes methane – a potent greenhouse gas – to the atmosphere. 

Conventional techniques for detecting and locating methane leaks from pipelines are often inefficient and laborious. In a plan to increase the efficiency of gas leak detection, scientists at <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> have teamed up with Google Earth Outreach to set up their Street View cars with methane analyzers. 

These analyzers were put in three Street View cars that drove around the cities of Boston, Indianapolis, Staten Island, Syracuse, and Burlington. Findings reported in the ACS journal <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a> show that Boston, Staten Island, and Syracuse had leaks that released 25 times more methane per kilometer of road than Burlington and Indianapolis.

This difference is likely due to those cities having a larger proportion of old, corroded distribution lines. Both Indianapolis and Burlington can likely point to their implementation of “accelerated pipeline replacement programs” and high number of more modern pipelines for their significantly lower leak rate. 

Programs like this could provide better data to prioritize millions of dollars of infrastructure repair on the pipelines that need it most. In addition, the researchers calculate that repairs to just the largest 8 percent of leaks would reduce pipeline methane emissions by 30 percent. This would be good news for the people that live near any leaky pipes as well as the atmosphere that affects us all.

---

By Connor Ertz, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: American Chemical Society

Scientists and Google team up to analyze methane leaks

Across the country, utilities are required to carefully monitor their...

As the world becomes more technology-driven and our population continues to increase, demand is also increasing for rare earth metals. These elements are metals found in rare earth minerals and are – as you might have guessed… rare. They are used in the catalytic converters and batteries that drive our car, in the production of screens and lamps, and as a contrast agent in MRIs, among many other uses. 

In 2013, American researchers reported that surfaces coated with rare earth oxides become water-repellent (hydrophobic), opening up many more applications for the already popular metals. 

Recently, researchers from the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html">University of Basel</a>, the <a href="http://www.nanoscience.ch/nccr/">Swiss Nanoscience Institute</a>, and the <a href="https://www.psi.ch/">Paul Scherrer Institute</a> published new information on rare earth metal hydrophobicity in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

They worked with the company <a href="https://www.glastroesch.com/en/home.html">Glas Tröesch</a> in order to study the hydrophobic properties of rare earths in more detail. By coating glass samples with rare earth oxides, nitrides, and fluorides, they could analyze how the surfaces then reacted to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-splashes-science/">water</a> exposure. 

Interestingly, the researchers were unable to detect any hydrophobic properties when the coating was freshly deposited. Only after rare earth oxides came into contact with air did the glass surfaces begin to exhibit hydrophobic properties.

The scientists determined that gaseous hydrocarbons were absorbed from the air by the surface and then reacted with the oxides, making carbonates and hydroxides. The presence of these compounds increased the surfaces’ roughness and reduced wetting by water.

Professor Ernst Meter, from the Department of Physics at the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html">University of Basel</a>, expressed his shock at this discovery, saying, “We were surprised that the hydrophobic effect was caused by the surface aging.” They were even more surprised that this chemical reaction was able to take place at room temperature.

Although the examined materials are unsuitable for industrial production of water-repellent glass surfaces, knowing that rare earth metals can react with compounds in the ambient air is important for this growing industry. Catalytic processes – like the ones that take place in your car’s catalytic converter and thus help reduce harmful emissions – frequently take place at room temperature. Continuing research into the properties of these important rare earth metals will only serve to benefit an already booming industry as we move into the future.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html">University of Basel</a>

Rare earth metals increase water-repellent properties over time

As the world becomes more technology-driven and our population continues...

The much-needed good news for the climate is that, as the result of reducing coal-fueled energy dependence for cleaner energy sources, a flattening of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions occurred for the third year in a row. That means no real improvement – but no loss.

That’s the best way of reading the report filed last week by the <a href="https://www.iea.org/">International Energy Agency</a> and the <a href="http://www.irena.org/">International Renewable Energy Agency</a>. The more challenging aspect of the report was the part saying that the share of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-fuel-tax/">fossil fuels</a> used for energy must be cut in half and emissions must fall by more than 70 percent by the year 2050 to reduce carbon dioxide warming from dangerous levels.

“Limiting the rise in global mean temperature to well below 2 degrees Centigrade [3.6 degrees Fahrenheit] would require an energy transition of exceptional scope, depth and speed,” the report stated.

Highlighting the challenge, the IEA gave some milestone scenarios for achieving that goal. In less than 35 years, 95 percent of our energy would have to come from low-carbon sources. That ratio is 30 percent today. Even more intimidatingly, while about one percent of the world’s vehicles are electric today, that number will have to skyrocket to 70 percent in a few decades.

The report further estimates that it will take $3.5 trillion in annual investment worldwide to hit the target. However, a report released last week by the <a href="http://web.unep.org/">U.N Environment Program</a> gave some supportive news on that front. The report estimated that greater sustainability in energy and materials could add $2 trillion to the world’s economy by 2050.

--

Written by David Searls, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source:<a href="https://www.iea.org/"> International Energy Agency</a>,<a href="http://web.unep.org/"> United Nations Environment Program</a>

Greenhouse emissions flat, but much more to do

The much-needed good news for the climate is that, as...

If you want to see the final scrap of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, an ice age <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/south-georgia-island-2/">glacier</a> that covered millions of square miles of North America some 2.5 million years ago, you’ll have to visit a Delaware-size chunk of it on Baffin Island in Canada’s Arctic before it’s gone.

Granted, you still have a little time. Glaciologists with <a href="http://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a> in Canada wrote in an article published today in the journal <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/">Geophysical Research Letters</a> that the Barnes Ice Cap will melt, due to climate change, in about three centuries. It will take that long because the ice sheet is still the thickness of the length of more than five football fields – but it’s melting quickly.

Researchers built computer models to estimate, under various global warming scenarios, when the cap would completely melt. For their mid-range estimate, they assumed that greenhouse gas emissions would peak by about 2040 before we got the carbon dioxide-induced warming under control. Therefore, their estimations of the time for total melt varied from about 200 to 500 years. While the ice cap has grown and shrunk with various changes in climate over the last couple million years, this is the first time complete meltdown is forecast.

“This is the disappearance of a feature from the last glacial age, which would have probably survived without anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr. Adrien Gilbert, a glaciologist at Canada’s <a href="http://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a> and the study’s lead author.

The most ominous news is that the eventual loss of the Barnes Ice Cap probably serves notice to the eventual fate of similar sheets of ice making up Greenland and Antarctica.

-- 

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/"> Geophysical Research Letters</a>

Final North American ice sheet to disappear in 300 years

If you want to see the final scrap of the...

Keeping track of ocean waves – and therefore wind speed and direction – is important to forecasting weather phenomena that can benefit mariners, coastal farmers and others who live and work near the sea. We can do this to some extent by observing buoys and wave activity from ships, but that only provides a very localized picture. Now, scientists have recently discovered that something as simple as the sun glitter pattern on large bodies of water can be observed by satellite and used for tracking wave activity. They used the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission to map the motion of the sea surface from a large-scale observation point.

The team of scientists found a way to map the height, direction and movement of waves by tracking the patterns sunlight made on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-waves-cause-great-dying/">waves</a> in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Dorre Island in western Australia. They further developed their techniques through the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency’s</a> Scientific Assessment of Ocean Glitter project.

The findings have already helped scientists successfully map wave activity in the Agulhas Current, a historically treacherous current around the southernmost coast of Africa.

We found that ocean surface currents transform dominant surface waves, which are the tallest surface waves in a given area, driven by local wind and large-scale swells,” said Vladimir Kudryavstev of the <a href="http://www.rshu.ru/eng/">Russian State Hydrometeorological University</a>’s Satellite Oceanography Laboratory. “They also showed how wave packets can be deflected and trapped by ocean surface currents, creating surface waves that are much higher than normal.”

Soon, there will be two Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites in orbit, and both will assigned to add to wave data.

 “The development of new approaches to exploit advances in technologies that are now carried on the Sentinel-2 satellites means that we are not only able to gain further scientific knowledge of surface ocean dynamics, but we are also able to develop the next generation of the operational products for Copernicus,” said ESA’s Craig Donlon.

Sun glitter findings were written up in papers for two issues of <a href="https://publications.agu.org/journals/">AGU Publications</a>.

-- 

By Earth.com staff writer David Searls

Source:<a href="https://publications.agu.org/journals/"> AGU Publications</a>

Sun glitter can be used to track ocean waves

Keeping track of ocean waves – and therefore wind speed...

We know that the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is rising across the world, and that colder temperatures restrain physiological conditions leading to the disease onset. Can we draw conclusions from these two facts? A team of Dutch researchers from <a href="https://www.lumc.nl/">Leiden University Medical Center</a> decided to find out.

First, a few pertinent numbers. Some 415 million adults globally have diabetes as of 2015. That number is projected to rise to 642 million by 204o.

Another and perhaps related fact is that cold <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mercury-levels-fish-climate-change/">temperatures</a> stimulate the body’s production of brown adipose tissue. BAT production triggers modest weight loss and improved insulin action and sensitivity that works to ward off the onset of diabetes. So, could the opposite be true – that warming global temperatures might stymy BAT production, negatively impacting glucose metabolism?

That’s what the research team led by Professor Patrick Rensen set out to learn. They armed themselves with data from the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/">National Diabetes Surveillance System</a> of the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC) regarding diabetes prevalence in all 50 states and territories between the years 1996 and 2009. Other data sources tabulated for their study came from the <a href="http://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> on the rate of raised fasting blood glucose and obesity in 190 nations, and nationwide annual temperature numbers from the Climatic Research Unit at the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> in Britain.

They found in crunching the numbers that, on average, a 1°C increase in temperature resulted in an age-adjusted increase of diabetes incidence of 0.314 per 1,000 adults. A related finding was that the global prevalence of glucose intolerance increased by 0.17 percent per the same rise in temperature. The association held true when obesity was taken into account.

“These findings emphasize the importance of future research into the effects of environmental temperature on glucose metabolism and the onset of diabetes, especially in view of the global rise in temperatures with a new record set for the warmest winter in the USA last year,” wrote the researchers.

Their study was published in the journal <a href="http://drc.bmj.com/">BMJ Open Diabetes Research &amp; Care</a>.

Written by David Searls, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://drc.bmj.com/"> BMJ Open Diabetes Research &amp; Care</a>

Are rising temps leading to diabetes increase?

We know that the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is...

Ocean warming and the resulting acidification of coral reefs has been a major point of research for scientists in recent years. Increasingly, dead zones in reefs have also become a common phenomenon as climate change continues to wreak havoc on these delicate ecosystems.

A new study by <a href="https://ssec.si.edu/">Smithsonian</a> scientists published in <a href="http://www.nasonline.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> reveals that dead zones affect dozens of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-worlds-coral-dead/">coral reefs</a> and threaten hundreds more. The research team observed a massive coral reef die-off near the Caribbean coast of Panama, hypothesizing that this event was caused by a dead zone, rather than by ocean warming or acidification.

A dead zone is characterized by a low oxygen area in the ocean that results in the loss of marine live, leaving once fertile reefs looking ghostly and deserted.

Andrew Altieri, a staff scientist at the <a href="https://www.stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a> and lead author of the study, explains: “Ocean warming and acidification are recognized global threats to reefs and require large-scale solutions, whereas the newly recognized threats to coral reefs caused by dead zones are more localized.” However, Altieri believes that these dead zones can be reduced by limiting sewage and agricultural runoff into the ocean.

In September of 2010, the team noticed that reefs in Almirante Bay, Bocas del Toro Province, were showing clear signs of stress. The corals were turning white and dying, which is indicative of coral bleaching caused by warming events. The scientists also observed a bloom of bacterial slime and saw the dead bodies of crabs, sea urchins, and sponges littering the ocean floor.

What the team found to be even more odd was the obvious depth line that separated the seemingly healthy part of the reef towards the top from the dying reef below. In measuring the water quality, they were able to determine that the deeper waters had much lower oxygen levels compared to water close to the surface. The team had found clear evidence of a dead zone.

According to the researchers, dead zones like this may be common in the tropics, but have gone mostly unreported. Altieri elaborates: "The number of dead zones currently on our map of the world is 10 times higher in temperate areas than it is in the tropics, but many marine biologists work out of universities in Europe and North America and are more likely to find dead zones close to home.” 

This study shows the devastating impact dead zones are having on coral reefs in many tropical areas, finding 20 separate instances where dead zones are implicated in the mass mortality of coral reefs around the world. Despite this, the issue of low oxygen – more formally known as hypoxia – is rarely discussed as a threat to our reefs.

The authors of this study believe that increasing the capacity to monitor oxygen levels in reefs will ultimately help improve coral reef health and our understanding of the effects of dead zones. With so many threats to some of our most important and fragile ecosystems, it’s time to build on our understanding of how we can save them for the future.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2017-03/stri-dzm031717.php">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a>

Dead zones may seriously damage coral reefs

Ocean warming and the resulting acidification of coral reefs has...

In 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan triggered one of the worst nuclear disasters in human history. Now, traces of Fukushima radiation have been found on U.S. shores – but scientists say while there’s cause to monitor the situation, there's no need for alarm. 

The worries follow the discovery of trace amounts of radioactive cesium linked to the Fukushima disaster in the Pacific Northwest, including a salmon in British Columbia. Reports that Fukushima radiation levels were high enough to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fukushima-radiation-levels-high/">melt the robots</a> used to monitor the site didn’t help. 

With debris from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami still reaching the West Coast of the U.S. regularly, it’s natural people will worry about radiation making the same journey.

While it’s certainly reasonable to worry about radiation in the ocean, especially near the disaster site, the amount reaching North American shores is negligible, said Dr. Ken Buesseler, a researcher at the <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute</a>.

“It’s even less than things like CT scans or flying in a plane or even living at high altitude. Personally I'm not concerned about those levels,” he told the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a>.

Buesseler is a senior scientist at WHOI and directs the <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=119836">Center for Marine and Environmental Radioactivity</a>. His statements to the AP echo what he wrote a year ago in a <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/fukushima-radiation-continues-to-leak-into-the-pacific-ocean/">column for PBS</a>. 

“Although just barely discernible by our most sophisticated instruments, these signs, and the many more signs from samples we’ve collected on both sides of the Pacific, show that releases have continued, but that at current rates, it would take 5,000 years to equal the amount of cesium released in the accident’s first few months,” he wrote then.

The state of Hawaii has also been monitoring the situation. In 2013, the <a href="http://health.hawaii.gov/">Hawaii Department of Health</a> released a statement that noted, in part, “While there may be significant quantities of radioactive material released into the sea near the Fukushima reactor site, the massive amount of water in the Pacific Ocean would rapidly dilute and disperse the materials to negligible levels.”

In short, while scientists stress the need to continue watching radiation levels, especially closer to Japan’s coast, North American residents don’t need to panic about radiation contaminating the West Coast.

However, Buesseler argues that the Fukushima radiation disaster shows how easily a similar nuclear event can happen anywhere. It also demonstrates the need for an oceanic monitoring system like <a href="https://www.epa.gov/radnet">RadNet</a>, run by the Environmental Protection Agency to monitor radiation levels in the air and drinking water.

“Fortunately, accidents on the scale of Fukushima are rare, but there is a great deal more we can and should do to prepare should something similar happen here. We can’t simply cast our lot on good fortune,” he said. 

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists say Fukushima radiation is no threat in U.S.

In 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami off the coast...

For years, the Salton Sea south of Los Angeles has been evaporating. The enormous inland sea has been shrinking, leading to fish kills, toxic dust storms laced with heavy metals and pesticides, and causing migrating birds and human settlements to pick up and leave.

For 15 years, the evaporation has been slowed by water contributions from San Diego, but those annual boosts will come to an end this year. 

Now, the State of California has come up with a 10-year plan to mitigate the environmental disaster. The plan would divert water from the Alamo and New rivers into the lake. 

The Salton Sea project would also build ponds around the lake to create wildlife habitat. The lake itself is too salty – and growing saltier due to evaporation – to easily support life. 

“Under this plan, we’ll build the backbone infrastructure we need to limit airborne dust and create lower-salinity zones that sustain tilapia,” California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird said in a <a href="http://resources.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Press-Release-Natural-Resources-Agency-Releases-10-Year-Plan-to-Protect-Public-Health-and-Habitat-at-the-Salton-Sea.pdf">press release [PDF]</a> about the plan. “We are committed not only to getting started quickly on these projects, but also to learning as we go and adjusting so that our future work is as efficient and effective as possible.”

The plan will cost an estimated $383 million – a steep cut from the original $3 billion plan proposed in 2007, but much more expensive than the $80.5 million set aside in the state budget. A $14 million grant from the <a href="https://wcb.ca.gov/">Wildlife Conservation Board</a> and a $7.5 million grant from the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a> will also support the efforts.

Why the need for human intervention at the Salton Sea?

The lake’s location has been a unique site for centuries, alternative between lake and desert. In 1905, the Colorado River breached a man-made canal that was intended to feed irrigation. Instead, it created a lake about 35 miles long, 15 miles wide, but only about 50 feet deep.

Farmers in the Imperial Valley kept the lake filled with the runoff from irrigation. The Salton Sea became a favorite resort location and the site of speedboat races and other recreation until the 1960s.

Then, the lack of a natural outflow began to take its toll, and the lake became saltier. In 2003, as Southern California farmers began relying on other water sources instead of the over-tapped Colorado River, less water flowed into the Salton Sea.

Now, the shrinking lake has caused problems due to the soil heavy with pesticides, arsenic and selenium. The salty lake has led to major erosion along the edges, and wind stirs up <a href="http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/salton/ShrinkingSeaNToxicDust.html">toxic dust storms</a>. 

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California unveils plan to rescue the Salton Sea

For years, the Salton Sea south of Los Angeles has...

An area of Canada just north of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/map-phczs-great-lakes/">Great Lakes</a> region yielded an interesting discovery about the Earth's crust. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uottawa.ca/en">University of Ottawa</a> and <a href="https://carnegiescience.edu/">Carnegie Science</a> found traces of rock nearly as old as 4.3 billion years, comparatively close to the 4.6-billion-year age of the planet. Their findings were reported in the latest issue of Science.

What they actually found were the isotopes of the older rock in a sample of much “younger” granite, at least geologically speaking. The older rock would have been the “parent” of the younger granite that yielded the discovery, which is about 2.7 billion years old.

The older rock crust is notable since it comes so close to Earth’s age, and has left researchers wondering whether traces of our planet’s original crust might someday be found. It’s long been presumed that most of that early crust has been ground into the planet’s interior by geological forces.

“There’s a complex history of crustal recycling and re-melting, so the rocks are always constantly recycling and re-melting that way – and erasing lot of information about their earliest life, or where they’re coming from,” said Professor Jonathan O’Neil, one of the study’s co-authors and a member of the <a href="https://www.uottawa.ca/en">University of Ottawa’s</a> Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

The finding can help earth scientists gain a better understand of how the continents were formed.

“Whether this result implies that plate tectonics was not at work during the earliest part of Earth history can now be investigated using our tool of studying neodymium-142 variation to track the role of truly ancient crust in building up younger, but still old, sections of Earth’s continental crust,” said study co-author Richard Carlson from <a href="http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/">Carnegie Science</a>.

[caption id="attachment_131572" align="aligncenter" width="543"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Screen-Shot-2017-03-17-at-11.13.37-AM.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-131572" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Screen-Shot-2017-03-17-at-11.13.37-AM.png" alt="" width="543" height="331" /></a> Credit: Dave Weatherall, University of Ottawa[/caption]

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Source:<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/?_ga=1.144562165.1192164342.1488566123"> Science</a>

Nearly 4.3 billion-year-old trace of Earth's crust found

An area of Canada just north of the Great Lakes...

No, jet contrails are not the insidious ‘chemtrails’ that some believe are controlling our climate or even our minds. However, they are responsible for environmental damage of another kind. That’s why scientists at <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> measured the effects of various fuel mixes and found that a biofuel blend could reduce the impact on air quality and climate.

Contrails are burned fuel that turn sooty as they interact with the cold atmosphere and have an adverse effect on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/winter-pollution-china-worsening/">climate</a> in the process.

"Those soot particles serve as nuclei for water vapor in the very cold atmosphere to condense on and for the artificial-looking linear contrails that we see when we look out the window," Dr. Richard Moore, from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/langley">NASA’s Langley Research Center</a> in Virginia, told the<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio"> BBC World Service</a>. “We know these contrails and cirrus clouds have a warming effect on the Earth's climate, and it's currently thought the warming effect associated with those clouds is more significant than all of the carbon dioxide emitted by aviation since the first powered flights began.”

While other fuel data has been accumulated from the use of engines running full throttle on grounded jets, this was the first time that tests were conducted with a plane at cruising speeds in the colder atmosphere.

The DC-8 was given a tank of conventional kerosene-based aviation fuel and another using a 50-50 mix of conventional and biofuel. The biofuel consisted of ingredients from the Camelina oilseed plant.

The results? After taking into effect varying flying conditions, the biofuel blend produced 50 percent less black carbon by number and as much as 70 percent by mass.

“We were testing in what we call the soot-rich regime,” study participant Professor Bernadett Weinzierl told <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news">BBC News</a>. “Models tells us if you reduce the number concentration of black carbon then you will reduce the number concentration of ice crystals. So this could be a way to mitigate the climate impacts of aviation.”

The study was described in the current edition of the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html">Nature</a>. 

--

By David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39286079">BBC News</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html">Nature</a>

Jet fuel with biofuel blend could reduce environmental impact

No, jet contrails are not the insidious ‘chemtrails’ that some...

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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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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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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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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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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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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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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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