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...

In a new study published on Friday in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>, researchers reveal that the sub-Antarctic island of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/south-georgia-island-2/">South Georgia</a> was once covered by a massive ice cap during the last ice age. They believe that roughly 20,000 years ago – during the peak of the last ice age – ice thickened and extended tens of kilometers from the island, which is much further than previously thought.

So why does this ice cap discovery matter? Well, according to co-author Duanne White, from the <a href="http://www.canberra.edu.au/">University of Canberra</a>, this research shows that “South Georgia’s glaciers were sensitive to climate change in the past… our work has really shown that they were dynamic and underwent big changes over geological time.” This could be indicative of large geological changes occurring in the future if climate change continues at its current rate.

The research team – a mixture of scientists from the UK, Germany, and Australia – traveled by ship to the island of South Georgia. They braved the seas in a territory where explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton once landed during his expedition to Antarctica, where he attempted to rescue the team of his famous Endurance expedition. Unlike Shackleton in his wooden lifeboat, the researchers wisely decided to use the British Antarctic Survey’s RRS James Clark Ross and the German RV Polarstern for the 2012 and 2013 trips respectively.

They carried sonar mapping gear mounted to the hulls of their ice-breaking vessels and called upon weighted gravity corers to retrieve samples of sediment from around the island. The team focused on hundreds of distinct ridges carved into the seabed by glaciers, which served as proof that the ice had once pushed far beyond South Georgia’s expansive continental shelf.

Lead author Dr. Alastair Graham, of the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>, explained: “Although the island is small framed against Antarctica’s great ice sheets, the discovery of an extensive past ice cap on South Georgia is an important result.” According to Dr. Graham, the vitality of ocean ecosystems is directly related to patterns of glaciation. Their observations of how past seabed ecosystems survived the ice age and how climate cycles affect biodiversity have major implications on today’s ecosystems.

This belief was echoed by co-author Dominic Hodgson, from <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a>, who said: “Studying the longer-term history of glacial changes in the region is key to understanding the sensitivity of glaciers to climate change, and their impacts on biodiversity and species survival.”

Technological advancements made in geological research are now allowing scientists to look into our past in order to predict outcomes in the future. As we gain a greater understanding of how past climate change has affected specific ecosystems, we can better prepare for what lies ahead.

More information on this important work can be found in their article: “Major advance of South Georgia glaciers during the Antarctic Cold Reversal following extensive sub-Antarctic glaciation.”

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>

South Georgia’s past ice cap gives a look into the effects of climate change

In a new study published on Friday in the journal...

The nose knows climate. That’s one conclusion that can be drawn by a <a href="http://psu.edu">Pennsylvania State University</a> study of noses and nostril shapes by ancestral location on the planet.

Researchers from <a href="http://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a> conducted the study because it’s known that physical characteristics that are in direct contact with the environment assume appearances related to that contact, due to natural selection. For example, skin pigmentation varies because of global variations in the intensity of the sun on the skin.

What the researchers found was that nostril width on human noses corresponded beyond the odds of random genetic mutation to the climate of the individual’s ancestry. Those who came from hot, humid climates had wider nostrils while those from cold, dry climates tended to have narrower nose shapes. The relationship, however, wasn’t as strong as that between geographic location of ancestry and skin pigmentation.

The nostril shape findings supported previous research, which has found in studying human skulls that narrower nasal inlets tend to do a better job of warming and humidifying cold, dry air.

Dr. Arslan Zaidi, a postdoctoral scholar in genetics at the school led the team in examining at least 40 study participants with ancestry from each of four geographic areas with disparate climates: West <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/green-heart-africa/">Africa</a>, East Asia, Northern Europe and South Asia.  They used 3D facial imagery to study nose shapes and dimensions and found that only nostril widths were statistically similar among groups. The strongest correlation between nostril shape and ancestral location was among Northern Europeans, who typically had narrow nostrils.

“People are more similar than they are different. What this research does is offer people a view of why we’re different,” said Zaidi in an interview with the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>. “There’s an evolutionary history to it that, I think, kind of demystifies the concept of race.”

The research was reported in yesterday’s issue of PLOS Genetics.

The next question researchers might address with this data is whether life in another climate than that of ancestry can lead to or exacerbate respiratory illnesses.

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Source:<a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/"> PLOS Genetics</a>

Climate shapes human noses, study finds

The nose knows climate. That’s one conclusion that can be...

Is Oklahoma Republican Senator James Inhofe stacking the deck at the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a>? If so, that could be bad news for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmentalists-to-california-stop-offshore-fracking-2/">environmentalists</a>.

Fellow Oklahoman Scott Pruitt, his state’s former attorney general and current new head of the EPA, has hired more than a half dozen former aides to Inhofe at the agency. Among those, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, are the agency’s new chief of staff, deputy chief of staff and top advisers on air, climate and legal issues.

The reason this is notable is that Inhofe is among Washington D.C.’s leading climate change deniers. In fact, he’s the author of the 2012 book The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future.

The senator says that he’s looking forward to a greater sense of fairness at the agency, according to a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-james-inhofe-is-upending-the-nations-energy-and-environmental-policies/2017/03/14/2bebdbfa-081c-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html?wpisrc=nl_heads-draw6&amp;wpmm=1">Washington Post interview</a>.

“It gives me a level of comfort to know that we have a bureaucracy that’s actually going to be serving instead of ruling,” he said in describing his former staffers as qualified professionals who will protect the environment. “They are going to be very realistic. They’re going to do it in a way that will not be punitive. The previous administration was almost looking for ways to punish people.”

That enthusiasm for the new EPA wasn’t shared by Inhofe’s critics, including Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters.

“Inhofe was like the original climate-denier in chief,” said Karpinski. “He was one of the first people spouting this gibberish — fact-free but dangerous gibberish. Now he and his cronies have far more reach and are far more dangerous than they’ve ever been. . . . That’s good news for the polluters but horrible news for public health.”

In addition to the EPA appointees, two more of Inhofe’s former aides now sit as top domestic and international energy and environmental advisers to the Donald Trump administration.

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Source:<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/"> Washington Post</a>

Climate change denier Inhofe filling top EPA spots

Is Oklahoma Republican Senator James Inhofe stacking the deck at...

Are we looking at a future with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-african-elephants-sleep-less-mammal/">elephants</a> the size of horses? How about pocket-size dogs? It probably won’t get that bad, but global warming could realistically result in some mammals being reduced rather remarkably in size. That’s the result of a study of fossils found at the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming led by Abigail D’Ambrosia, a researcher at the <a href="http://www.unh.edu/">University of New Hampshire</a>. Her team’s results were documented in the latest issue of Science Advances.

The shrinkage of mammals over time – millions of years – was dramatic. One of D’Ambrosia’s team’s findings, based on the teeth size of fossils, was that an early, very small horse, experienced a 17 percent size reduction.

“These guys were probably about the size of maybe a dog, then they dwarfed,” said D'Ambrosia. “They may have gone down to the size of a cat.”

Another example found by the team was the earliest known primate. It lost about four percent of its body size during that warming trend, interrupting a period of steady growth.

An earlier study of fossils at the same site drew the same conclusions regarding mammal shrinkage during an earlier period of heat-up, some 56 million years ago.

Animal shrinkage can actually be seen today. There’s a scientific principle known as Bergmann’s rule that states that larger animals are generally found in colder regions and smaller animals in hotter environments. Think of such Ice Age behemoths as the woolly mammoth. In warmer climes, smaller animals can burrow to cool off. Also, smaller warm-blooded animals are more adaptable to heat because they tend to have more skin or fur per pound, so the body heat can more easily be vented.

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Source:<a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/"> Science Advances</a>

Do mammals shrink when the planet warms?

Are we looking at a future with elephants the size...

The breathtakingly blue corals that made up one <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/brazilian-coral-reef-found/">reef</a> of the tropical Maldives island nation in Southeast Asia are dead. They’re gone, as are about half of the global coral populations worldwide, lost over just the last 30 years. The phenomenon is a present-day sign of climate change, but it can also be blamed for natural climate conditions such as the warming caused by the El Nino of 2015-2016.

Scientists say things will only get worse. It’s predicted that, even if we “cured” climate change today, 90 percent of the world’s coral will be gone by 2050.

Coral consists of thousands of tiny invertebrate animals, some of which are the size of a pinhead. In addition to serving as a protective habitat to a quarter of marine populations, coral produces oxygen and provides a valuable source of much-needed tourism dollars to many oceanic regions. Furthermore, the coral reefs form a coastline barrier against storm damage and erosion and have been used in medical research to treat cancer, arthritis and various bacterial and viral infections.

Rising sea temperatures are the direct culprit of the die-off. Coral gets its coloration from the existence of tiny algae that live within the organisms and provides nourishment in a symbiotic relationship. The temperature rise brought about by climate change expels the algae from the coral, causing the coral to bleach white. It can sometimes be brought back if temperatures fall before the coral totally bleaches. Severely bleached coral, however, can’t be saved. In the Maldives, 73 percent of coral reefs have sustained at least some bleaching damage.

“This isn't something that's going to happen 100 years from now,” said Julia Baum, marine biologist at the <a href="http://www.uvic.ca/">University of Victoria in Canada</a>. “We’re losing them right now. We’re losing them really quickly, much more quickly than I think any of us ever could have imagined.”

One piece of hopeful news is that a consortium of business, technology and government interests has funded a project called 50 Reefs to attempt to save a much of this delicate marine ecosystem as possible.  

--

By <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer David Searls

Source: Daily Mail,<a href="http://www.mrc.gov.mv/"> Maldives Marine Research Center,</a> <a href="http://www.uvic.ca/">University of Victoria in Canada</a>

Half of the world's coral is now dead

The breathtakingly blue corals that made up one reef of...

We’re all seen photos of pedestrians in Chinese cities wearing masks to avoid breathing the polluted air. The thick haze of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/smog-china-temperature-inversions/">smog</a> floating over such major metropolitan areas of China has been particularly dense this winter. Now, a new study is suggesting that global climate change is worsening the impact of the industrial winter pollution in China.

The cascading effect starts with sea ice loss in the Arctic Ocean and increased snowfall in parts of Eurasia – both caused by climate change. What this does in turn is reduce the prevalence of Chinese winter monsoons, and that keeps the industrial pollution from being vented. Instead, it continues to hang over the cities.

That’s the conclusion drawn by the modeling and data analysis done by researchers from <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> and reported in the March 15 edition of the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>. The research is believed to be the first to link sea ice and snowfall levels to regional air pollution.

“Emissions in China have been decreasing over the last four years, but the severe winter haze is not getting better,” said Yuhang Wang, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. “Mostly, that's because of a very rapid change in the high polar regions where sea ice is decreasing and snowfall is increasing. This perturbation keeps cold air from getting into the eastern parts of China where it would flush out the air pollution.”

The East China Plains, which includes Beijing and other massive population centers, is also where much of this winter smog stagnation occurs. Much like Southern California, this region is sandwiched between an ocean and a mountain range. Therefore, the smog gets trapped overhead in the winter without the strong ventilating effect of the monsoons.

Long-term air quality measurements aren't available in China, so the researchers extrapolated numbers based on visibility measures and satellite data. To analyze the historical records, they created a Pollution Potential Index (PPI) that used air temperature gradient anomalies and surface wind speeds as a proxy for ventilation conditions in the region.

--

By David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/"> Science Advances</a>

Winter pollution in China worsening due to climate change

We’re all seen photos of pedestrians in Chinese cities wearing...

Not only are <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/carbon-dioxide-atmosphere/">carbon dioxide</a> counts in the atmosphere increasing – they’re doing so at unheard of rates. That’s what scientists learned through ongoing data collection at the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s</a> Mauna Loa Baseline Atmospheric Observatory. The latest report stated that the years 2015-2017 showed the greatest increase in CO2 parts per million (ppm) over a two-year average that has ever been recorded in 59 years of recordkeeping. It also marks the fifth consecutive year of the CO2 count rising at least 2ppm per year.

Scientists have long warned that 400ppm was the tipping point, with serious global ramifications. Last month’s count stood at 406.42 ppm.

“The rate of CO2 growth over the last decade is 100 to 200 times faster than what the Earth experienced during the transition from the last Ice Age,” said Pieter Tans, lead scientist of NOAA’s Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network. “This is a real shock to the atmosphere.”

Another way of looking at it is that after the 2015 count, the world had added 43 percent more CO2 than was in the atmosphere before the Industrial Revolution.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning that it traps heat in the atmosphere, making it a main trigger to global warming.  Last year was the warmest on record.

--

By David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">NOAA</a>, Daily Mail

World past ‘tipping point’ for CO2 and count is rising faster

Not only are carbon dioxide counts in the atmosphere increasing...

When the Philippines volcano Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, it released about 10 million metric tons of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/sulfur-dioxide-emissions-volcanoes/">sulfur</a> into the atmosphere, reducing global temperatures about one degree Fahrenheit for an entire year. This helps prove the plausibility of such an occurrence triggering the quick glaciation of the Earth some 717 million years ago, according to a study released by <a href="http://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> researchers and published in <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/">Geophysical Research Letters</a>. The sudden pole-to-pole freeze, also known as Snowball Earth, happened at about the same time as violent volcanic activity that happened between modern day Greenland and Alaska, said Harvard professors Francis Macdonald and Robin Wordsworth.

Macdonald is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences at the university while Wordsworth is assistant professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science. Neither scientist thought the timing of the two events – the volcanoes and the freeze – was coincidental.

“These types of eruptions have happened over and over again throughout geological time but they’re not always associated with cooling events. So, the question is, what made this event different?” Wordsworth wanted to know.

One major difference was that the sulfur dioxide from the eruptions got into the tropopause – the altitude separating the stratosphere from the troposphere. And this was at a lower height than it is today, due to the era’s cooler climate. At that altitude, the chemical fog was able to remain for about a year.

It’s long been known the effect volcanic activity can have on climate conditions on the ground. But instead of the one-time eruption in the Philippines, this was a 2,000-mile-long chain of volcanoes that were almost constantly erupting. The researchers demonstrated that this constant bombardment of aerosols from the sulfuric dioxide thrown into the air could have had a devastating weather impact after ten years or more.

“Cooling from aerosols doesn’t have to freeze the whole planet; it just has to drive the ice to a critical latitude,” said MacDonald. “Then the ice does the rest.”

The final piece of the puzzle was location. Because of continental drift, the volcanic ring of fire was located near the equator back then, at just the right place to cause maximum damage and create Snowball Earth.

“It’s easy to think of climate as this immense system that is very difficult to change and in many ways that’s true,” said Wordsworth. “But there have been very dramatic changes in the past and there’s every possibility that as sudden of a change could happen in the future as well.”

--

By David Searls, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016GL072335/abstract?campaign=wolacceptedarticle"> Geophysical Research Letters</a>

Cascade of events led to Snowball Earth

When the Philippines volcano Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, it...

The coast of Louisiana, especially in the west, will be lost to rising sea levels brought about by climate change if steps aren’t taken to buttress the state’s wetlands. The wetlands act as a buffer, but won’t be effective along several sites under study, according to research conducted by <a href="https://tulane.edu/">Tulane University’s</a> Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>. The study also portended trouble for coastal regions all over the world.

The rate of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-sea-levels-salt-marshes/">sea level</a> rise in the area has been about half an inch per year for up to the last decade. But the rate is accelerating in several study sites, according to the team.

"In the Mississippi Delta, about 65 percent of study sites are probably still keeping pace, but in the westernmost part of coastal Louisiana, more than 60 percent of sites are on track to drown," said Tulane geology professor Torbjörn E. Törnqvist, a co-author of the study.

The research team analyzed measurements of shallow subsidence rates at 274 sites across the coast and combined these with published GPS measurements of deeper subsidence rates. They also used published satellite observations of sea rise in the Gulf of Mexico, and were able to calculate how rapidly sea level is rising to impact the coastal wetland surface.

“These researchers have developed a new method of evaluating whether coastal marshes in Louisiana will be submerged by rising sea levels,” said Justin Lawrence of the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>, a funding source for the study. “The findings suggest that a large portion of coastal marshes in Louisiana are vulnerable to present-day sea-level rise. This work may provide an early indication of what is to occur in coastal regions around the world later this century.”

--

By David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/"> Nature Communications</a>

Rising sea levels swiftly endangering western Louisiana coast

The coast of Louisiana, especially in the west, will be...

Smell walking has arrived in the world’s cities – some of them, at least. The scent-guided tours are doing more than just just building odor-based maps. They could also help detect air pollution.

Though humans don’t have the sense of smell dogs or cats do, the human nose can pick up odors related to car exhaust and other harmful emissions. 

The city of Guangzhou in China has even gone so far as to hire “smell specialists” to evaluate sealed containers of air from different parts of the city, according to the <a href="http://env.people.com.cn/n/2015/0812/c1010-27446210.html">People’s Daily Online</a>. The goal is to determine air quality.

It sounds strange, but there may be some real science behind it. 

“Smells impact our behavior, attitudes and health,” one team of researchers wrote in their study, which was presented at the <a href="http://researchswinger.org/publications/icwsm15_smell.pdf">2015 International Conference on Web and Social Media</a> [PDF]. “Street food markets, for example, have dramatically changed the way we perceive entire streets of global cities.”

The team, led by Dr. Daniele Quercia of the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>, has since created a smell dictionary, analyzed thousands of smell-related images on social media, and built smell maps of London and Barcelona. People can zero in on neighborhoods to find out where to go to literally smell the roses, which areas smell like fish or manure, and more.

More importantly, Quercia’s team found that images that are tagged with emissions-related keywords like “traffic” roughly match up with air quality indicators, at least in London.

The researchers believe smell walking could go far beyond just mapping the scents of cities.

The scent maps – including the streets that have worse air quality and higher emissions levels – could be used to help walkers, runners and cyclists plan their routes. Dog walkers and parents or guardians with small children could choose parks that have better air quality. 

The maps could be used to create smartphone and tablet apps that point city visitors to the most <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/people-places-and-things/200912/the-smell-is-right-using-scents-enhance-life">relaxing spots</a>, near lavender bushes, citrus trees or bakeries that smell of vanilla. 

Quercia’s team of researchers want smell walking to become as much a part of city planning and guidebook creation as vision and hearing. 

“We hope to empower designers, researchers, city managers by offering them a number of methodological tools and practical insights to re-think the role of smell in their work,” they wrote.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Smell walking helps build maps, fight air pollution

Smell walking has arrived in the world’s cities – some...

One detail of President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget has climate scientists worried. The budget could make deep cuts to Environmental Protection Agency funding, including hundreds of millions of dollars that support research.

Environmentalists say the deep cuts to academic research and fact-finding projects could have huge consequences if they make it into the official federal budget, which the president will unveil on Thursday.

Among the cuts suggested in the proposed budget is a 40 percent reduction of funding for the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">EPA</a>’s Office of Research and Development, according to sources who spoke to the media. The agency’s Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program could see up to half its funding slashed, they said. 

“A budget is a statement of priorities, and with this proposal, Trump is telling America he doesn’t care about what happens to children who are forced to drink toxic water and breathe polluted air,” Sierra Club president Michael Brune said in a <a href="http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/02/trump-budget-attacks-core-american-values-public-health">press release</a> upon the unveiling of the federal budget outline. 

It’s not just environmental activists who are concerned. Scientists around the U.S. have released statements expressing worries over the Trump administration’s attitude toward scientific research. 

“There are important research grant programs at EPA, NOAA, USDA and other parts of the government,” Dr. Robert Cook-Deegan of <a href="http://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> said in February at the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/news/science-policy-faces-uncertainties-under-new-administration">2017 AAAS Annual Meeting</a>. “There are a lot of people in those programs worried about climate and energy research. All we have right now are question marks.”

Cutting the EPA’s budget would jeopardize public health, Elliot Negin wrote at the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gutting-epas-budget-and-staff-would-endanger-the-health_us_58b75494e4b0563cd36f6496">Huffington Post</a>. 

“If anything, the environmental challenges of today suggest that the EPA needs more money and staffing to carry out its congressionally mandated mission, especially since Congress has already reduced its budget between fiscal years 2010 and 2016 by 28 percent in real dollars,” wrote Negin, a senior writer for the <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>. Staff has also shrunk by about 10 percent in the past 10 years, he said.

The proposed slash of research funding in the federal budget would come with other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trumps-budget-epa-programs/">deep cuts at the EPA</a> – up to 24 percent of the agency’s budget.

Those cuts would trickle down to states that rely on the EPA not just to fund clean air and water programs, but to provide educational materials, scientific studies and training not easily available elsewhere, Negin said.

“We must not return to an era when mercury, smog, lead, hazardous wastes, acid rain, sulfur dioxides, radon and pesticides galore went unregulated. To curtail testing our water or monitoring our air quality is to court disaster,” Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defence Council, said in a <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/media/2017/170227-0">press release</a> in response to the proposed cuts. “Since its creation in 1970, EPA has proven to be a health-protection agency extraordinaire, providing us with clean air, water and lands. There is no turning back.”

However, a bill currently in the House of Representatives, <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/861">H.R. 861</a>, would go even farther and dissolve the Environmental Protection Agency by December 31, 2018 if passed.

The president has also proposed huge cuts to the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>’s research into Earth’s changing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/steep-budget-cuts-noaa/">oceans and atmosphere</a>. President Trump has previously criticized <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>’s Earth Sciences program, though no official cuts have been proposed at this time.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New federal budget could cut climate change research funds

One detail of President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget has...

We already know that CO2 stored in soil is a major contributor to carbon release into the atmosphere. In fact, the soil contains more than three times the amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/giant-molten-carbon-lake/">carbon</a> than what’s found in the atmosphere at any one time.

What researchers conducting soil warming experiments for the <a href="https://energy.gov/">U.S. Department of Energy’s</a> National Laboratory found was that microbes break down the soil at a faster rate when warmed and that the added heat most affects deeper soil. What this could say about the future is that, as climate change continues to intensity, it might lead to a faster rate of CO2 release from soil and act as a sort of feedback loop to further intensify the effects of climate change.

Soil warming experiments have been conducted before, but this was the first that tested warming conditions on much lower soil depths. The researchers surrounded soil plots with heating cables buried more than two meters below the surface of the plots. Half the plots were heated 4 degrees C – replicating the predicted level of temperature increase by the year 2100 – for two years while the other half were left unheated.

What they found was that the heated plots resulted in between 34 and 37 percent more carbon release than the unheated plots. Furthermore, 40 percent of the increase came from soil more than 15 centimeters down. And it’s estimated that soil below 20 centimeters down contribute more than half of the planet’s soil organic carbon.

“There's an assumption that carbon in the subsoil is more stable and not as responsive to warming as in the topsoil, but we've learned that's not the case,” said study co-author Margaret Torn. “Deeper soil layers contain a lot of carbon, and our work indicates it's a key missing component in our understanding of the potential feedback of soils to the planet's climate.”

The research was reported in the March issue of the journal Science.

 --

By David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/"> Science</a>

Soil releases CO2 faster at deeper depths as climate warms

We already know that CO2 stored in soil is a...

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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

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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

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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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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

[sendtonews key="JrMLDXHmjl-1911953-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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