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...

Atmospheric scientists in Idaho are flying high with a new project. They’re hoping cloud seeding can increase <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/western-mountains-heavy-snowfall/">snowfall</a>.

For a little over two months, the team of scientists plans to release artificial ice nuclei such as silver iodide particles into clouds about 50 miles north of Boise.

They hope that the project (dubbed Seeded and Natural Orographic Wintertime Clouds – the Idaho Experiment, or SNOWIE) will add to data scientists are collecting worldwide on cloud seeding.

Cloud seeding is a type of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/black-carbon-aerosols-enhance-humidity-near-the-earths-surface/">weather modification</a> where substances are released into clouds, either from ground-based generators or from the air, to encourage cloud growth or precipitation like rain or snow.

Though cloud seeding has been used since the 1940s, there’s very little scientific data about the practice and whether or not it works.

"Scientists are still uncertain about cloud seeding for increasing precipitation, despite ongoing operations around the globe," Nicholas Anderson said in a <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=190748&amp;WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&amp;WT.mc_ev=click">press release</a>. "SNOWIE is the most comprehensive study to date on cloud seeding in winter."

Anderson is a program director at the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>, which is co-funding the SNOWIE project along with the <a href="https://www.idahopower.com/">Idaho Power Company</a>.

For SNOWIE, scientists aboard an Idaho Power aircraft are releasing silver iodide into the <a href="http://www.earth.com/cement-absorbs-co2-emissions-atmosphere/">atmosphere</a>. Another team of researchers on an NSF-funded turbo-prop plane are collecting data to help understand the effects. The project will run until March 17.

The scientists hope to gather data about whether or not cloud seeding measurably increases snowfall and cloud formation. If it does, this could allow <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/can-renewable-energy-fuel-africa/">hydroelectric</a> power companies like Idaho Power to seed for more snowfall high in the mountains need river headwaters.

"Improved information about cloud seeding, and winter precipitation in general, is especially important for water resources, such as those related to hydropower and for agriculture,” Anderson said.

—

SNOWIE includes researchers from the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a>, <a href="http://www.cu.edu/">University of Colorado</a>, the <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</a>, the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a>, and the <a href="http://www.cswr.org/">Center for Severe Weather Research</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Cloud seeding offers scientists high hopes for snow

Atmospheric scientists in Idaho are flying high with a new...

Want to make sure your pet pooch can keep up with your active lifestyle? The new Fitbark can help.

The health monitor is the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/awww-looks-just-like-dog/">doggy</a> version of the popular Fitbit, the wearable tech that keeps humans on the move.

“We're on a mission to get dogs and humans healthy together,” the <a href="https://www.fitbark.com/explore/">website devoted to the device</a> proclaims.

Fitbark is a bone-shaped clip-on for canine collars. It connects to a smartphone app, where owners can fill out information about their dogs for a better reading.

Then, the new Fitbark goes to work, monitoring your dog’s activity – through miles traveled and calories burned – and sleep patterns. It works with any mobile device that can connect to Bluetooth devices, as long as they’re running either iOS 8, Android 5, or above.

FitBark can be used with any dogs, according to the device’s creators.

“FitBark is so tiny that it won’t bother dogs of any size, including 3-pound Chihuahuas and 200-pound Leonbergers,” they wrote on their website.

It can even be used with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/non-profit-instagram-big-cats/">cats</a>, pigs, and other pets, but the app doesn’t provide baseline data for animals other than dogs, they said.

FitBark can also help to monitor some health conditions seen in dogs as they age, such as osteoarthritis.

The creators of FitBark are also using it to add to our understanding of dogs’ health. They’ve discovered some interesting trends in the data collected by dogs owners who have adopted the new FitBark tech.

For one, they learned that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/deal-puppy-talk/">puppies</a> only spend about 11 to 13 hours a day sleeping. Human babies, on the other hand, sleep an average 16 to 20 hours a day.

They found that Maltese dogs are more restless during fireworks, while beagles and golden retrievers tend to be calmer. They even found that 6 p.m. is the most popular time for people to walk their dogs, and Swiss dogs are the most active.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

New Fitbark promises to keep canines active

Want to make sure your pet pooch can keep up...

The glaciers and ice shelves of western Antarctica have been melting for years. Now, the eastern part of the continent is making up for lost time. Now, an international team of scientists are trying to predict how oceans could rise as a California-sized glacier melts in eastern Antarctica.

Australian scientists <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/12/e1601610">studying the Totten Ice Shelf</a> have confirmed that it’s melting – rapidly. The cause is warming ocean temperatures, they said.

Scientists are trying to predict how the ice shelf's collapse could affect the glacier behind it – and sea levels around the world.

The expedition aboard the Australian research vessel Investigator launched on Saturday. The team will map the seafloor ahead of the glacier as it retreats.

Their goal is to use the completed map to study the history of how the Totten Glacier has grown and retreated through the millennia. Then they’ll work to figure out how much the glacier might melt in the next few decades.

The main concern, the scientists said, is that the Totten Ice Shelf could melt or collapse completely. As long as the ice shelf is in place, it holds the glacier back. But if it's gone, the glacier could begin calving icebergs into the ocean.

The ice shelf itself won’t add much to sea levels if it melts, since most of it is in the water already. However, Totten Glacier is mostly on land. That could mean an 11- to 19-foot rise sea levels if the glacier melts or begins crumbling into the ocean.

The 51-day research trip also involves collecting sediment samples left behind by the glacier.

The expedition was organized by Dr. Leanne Armand of <a href="https://www.mq.edu.au/">Macquarie University</a>, and she’s leading a team of 22 scientists from Australia, the United States, and Europe, along with 20 crew members. The research trip is supported by <a href="https://www.csiro.au/">CSIRO</a>, an Australian agency dedicated to scientific and industrial research that owns the RV Investigator.

They’ll map the ocean floor using specialized seismic equipment on loan from the <a href="http://www.ogs.trieste.it/en">Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale</a> in Italy.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Studying how oceans could rise as massive glacier melts

The glaciers and ice shelves of western Antarctica have been...

You may think you’ve been feeding puss perfectly with gourmet cat food twice a day – but scientists beg to differ and have outlined a new cat feeding schedule. The proper feeding schedule for your furry friend is actually closer to five bite-size meals a day, which more closely replicates how kitty dines in the wild.

Large meal sizes mean that our favorite pets are getting overweight and sluggish, and suffering from diseases like diabetes in their older years.

The new report suggests that:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Cats should be fed five times a day, which includes a night feed.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Dining on many small meals throughout the day stops cats from overeating.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Eating “little and often” replicates the way that cats naturally eat in the wild.</li>
</ul>
Chomping down on large-portioned meals means a cat overrides its inclination to stop eating when it feels full. As our feline companions are active after dark, scientists also suggest using timed feeders to assure cats get their energy after we go to bed. 

In addition to adopting the new cat feeding schedule the experts also suggested gamifying meal times to give the impression of a hunt. In the wild, cats can hunt for up to 12 hours a day. Without the stimulation of the hunt, cats become bored and frustrated, and engage in attention-seeking behaviours.

The scientists suggested creating “puzzle feeders” for the pets to help stimulate them mentally.

Puzzle feeders were the subject of a recent <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/loi/jfm">Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery</a> review. These nifty tools helped reduce feline stress, curbed weight loss, reduced aggressive behavior, and eliminated attention seeking. The same journal also advised to keep water bowls separate from food, as in the wild cats prefer to drink water far away from a food source. It is presumed that water near food is considered contaminated by the cats.

Feline behavior specialist Sarah Ellis said: “The way we feed our cats generally does not match the lifestyle they were designed for. Cats have undergone little in the way of selective breeding during the domestication process and therefore have an instinctive need to hunt. This modern lifestyle could be dangerous to pets, but by making a few simple changes to the way we feed them, we can help our cats to live longer, healthier and happier lives. The plan, based on scientific evidence, helps every cat owner mimic the conditions cats would usually contend with to get their food.”

This research and the subsequent cat feed plan was authored by Dr. Sarah Ellis and Dr. Lizzie Rowe for the charity <a href="http://www.icatcare.org/">International Cat Care</a>. You can read all their excellent tips for taking care of your nearest and dearest furry friend on their website. Follow this new cat feeding schedule and see your pussy prosper!

By Frances Levine/ Earth.com Editor-in-Chief

What's new pussycat? Science suggests new cat feeding schedule

You may think you’ve been feeding puss perfectly with gourmet...

The Asian shot hole borer has a name longer than it is. This tiny bug has a big appetite, though, and a new favorite food: avocado trees.

The little beetles are native to southeast Asia, but traveled to Los Angeles in 2003. More than a dozen years later, they’re expanding into other areas of Southern California.

Among those areas are the avocado tree orchards of Ventura County.

“Shot hole borers will bore into almost everything, including avocado trees, which is why they are getting a lot of attention,” graduate student Shelley Bennett said in a <a href="http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2017/017516/holy-guacamole">press release</a>. “But these beetles also affect many native tree species.”

Bennett works in the <a href="http://rivrlab.msi.ucsb.edu/">Riparian InVasion Research Laboratory</a> at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The lab studies invasive insect species, among other topics. One team has been tracking Asian shot hole borers in California.

The two species of shot hole borer seen in the state are tiny – usually less than a tenth of an inch. They have a big appetite, though.

Worse, both species of beetle carry a pathogenic fungus that causes a disease called Fusarium dieback.

For the beetles, the fungus is vital. It’s carried by pregnant females, who plant it beneath a tree’s bark before laying their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae, which eat the fungus as they grow to adulthood.

Once they’re adults, each females collects some fungus of her own before heading out into the world.

But for trees that are susceptible to Fusarium dieback, the fungus that causes it is devastating. The disease affects the vascular systems of more than 130 tree species, cutting off the flow of nutrients that keep them alive.

Aside from the avocado trees, the beetle has been spotted in oak and sycamore trees in Santa Barbara County, and along the Santa Clara River which runs through parts of Southern California.

The spread of the invasive insects could lay waste to Southern California’s avocado groves, valued at more than $400 million.

Worse, they could cause damage to the state’s riparian habitats – natural areas along rivers that offer habitat for native animal and plant species.

The <a href="http://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a> researchers are working with scientists from the <a href="http://ucanr.edu/">UC Cooperative Extension</a>, the <a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/">California Department of Food and Agriculture</a>, and other agencies to come up with a solution.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Tiny shot hole borers want our guacamole!

The Asian shot hole borer has a name longer than...

Western Antarctica has been rapidly losing ice over the past few decades, and the strong Antarctic ocean waves may be adding to the complex melting process, a new study claimed.

Over the past 50 years, western Antarctica has lost four ice shelves, with an area similar in size to the state of Massachusetts. It’s about to add a “Delaware” of ice to that amount.

A massive rift across the ice shelf Larsen C is <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-shelf-break-away/">poised to crack free</a>. The rift, which is more than 300 feet wide, has been quickly growing since August 2016. If it breaks away, it would create one of the largest icebergs on record. And when the iceberg calves, scientists worry it could cause the rest of the shelf to collapse.

Most scientists have blamed climate change for the ice loss. But it’s a little more complicated than just warmer air temperatures melting ice, according to the new study.

Scientists from <a href="http://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> have discovered that strong ocean waves are also having a profound effect on Antarctic ice loss. Those strong waves are linked to a cyclical climate pattern, they said.

The Southern Annular Mode is a variable climate cycle similar to the El Niño/La Niña events, more formally known as the Southern Oscillation. Essentially, the Southern Annular Mode is a pattern of shifting water and surface temperatures.

By studying “microseismic” data collected on the southern continent, the Colorado State researchers were able to track how the Southern Annular Mode strengthens ocean waves.

Those stronger waves and climate change-linked <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-antarctic-glaciers-retreat/">thinning of ice shelves</a> worked together to cause them to collapse, the scientists said.

They believe this interaction led to the disintegration of four ice shelves. It also likely played a role in the sudden and dramatic collapse of Larsen A, they said.

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016JF004098/abstract">Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface</a>. The <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> funded the research.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Antarctic ocean waves add to ice shelf collapse

Western Antarctica has been rapidly losing ice over the past...

The multimillion-dollar sushi market in places like the UK and Southern California may be damaging our oceans as well as our bodies, according to leading marine biologists. Not only has the trendiness of the fish dish led to a sharp decline in the tuna population, but it’s also responsible for filling our bodies with harmful microbeads.

Sushi’s reputation as an exotic, low-calorie, vitamin rich food has won it the endorsement of Hollywood celebrities and health food aficionados alike. But according to Dr. Daniel Pauly and Dr. Kirk Zeller from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca">University of British Columbia</a> in Canada, sushi’s popularity as a source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids has placed bluefin and yellowfin tuna populations at "crisis" levels.

“Historically we have had the ‘Popeye effect’ where everyone ate spinach; then vitamin D was good and vitamin C would save us from having cancer,” Pauly said. “Now it is omega-3 – all these things are going to save us, make us healthy and we are going to live forever. None of this is true – what we  need is a balanced diet.”

Pauly is also convinced that plastic microbeads – used in personal care products and makeup – can be found in the sushi served in sushi bars. The microscopic plastic fragments, recently banned in the U.S. and the UK, attract and carry pesticides and industrial chemicals.  

“Microbeads are poison pills which soak up all the pollutants and they are consumed by little fish which are then eaten by tuna,” Pauly said.

Bluefin tuna, often served in high-end Japanese restaurants, and yellowfin tuna, usually used in supermarket sushi rolls, are in high global demand, and the global tuna population is falling. 

“We are in permanent crisis if you look at it in historic terms. Bluefin tuna was extremely abundant, especially in the Mediterranean. What has become of that? We have 2 to 3 percent of what we had 200 years ago,” added Pauly.

Zeller also warns that sushi is not as healthy as it was once purported to be. High levels of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in waterways are suspected to cause cancer in people.

—

By Darryl Joseph / Earth.com Staff Writer

Sushi demand killing tuna population, feeding us microbeads

The multimillion-dollar sushi market in places like the UK and...

About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the Earth. It ushered in the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and ushered in the Age of Mammals. And global cooling was the key, according to a new scientific study.

What scientists know is that the Cretaceous Period ended approximately 65.5 million years ago with a mass die-off of dinosaurs, plants, and other animals.

The impact of the asteroid that formed the Chicxulub crater in Mexico likely caused the seas to churn and dust to fill the sky. For years, scientists have assumed it was the initial dust cloud that caused the extinction.

It may have played a role. However, the new study suggests the driving force behind the death of the dinosaurs was global cooling.

Climate scientists from the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a> were able to reconstruct how the asteroid strike would have affected the Earth’s atmosphere.

The impact caused sulfur-bearing gases to evaporate, the researchers said. Tiny aerosol droplets of sulfuric acid then reformed high in the Earth’s atmosphere. Those aerosols blocked the sun’s warmth and dulled its light long after the dust clouds settled, they said.

“Depending on aerosol stratospheric residence time, global annual mean surface air temperature decreased by at least 26 [degrees Celsius], with 3 to 16 years subfreezing temperatures and a recovery time larger than 30 years,” the scientists wrote.

In the tropics, the average yearly temperature likely dropped from about 80.6 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit, they said.

This would have caused a massive glacial expansion and utter havoc on the food chain.

That cooling would have added on to the freezing, dark misery brought by the dust clouds. Both would have piled on local events like tsunamis, fires, and other disasters sparked by the impact.

The oceans would have been affected, too, if less directly.

“The surface cooling triggered vigorous ocean mixing which could have resulted in a plankton bloom due to upwelling of nutrients,” the scientists wrote.

They came to their conclusions after running a complex simulation of the Earth’s climate following the asteroid strike. Previous studies missed the significance of global cooling because they focused on the dust cloud or only one aspect of the climate effects, the scientists said.

If the Cretaceous extinction event hadn’t happened, humans wouldn’t be around today. But the event shows just how important a stable climate is, the scientists said.

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016GL072241/abstract">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

How global cooling may have done in the dinosaurs

About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the...

A new<a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/"> Greenpeace</a> report finds that every single city in northern India has failed to meet international air quality standards. The study estimates that more than 1 million people die each year from India's air pollution. Poor air quality also takes 3% off the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

While levels of the most dangerous airborne pollutants decreased by at least 15% in China, the U.S. and Europe from 2010 to 2015, the study finds that India’s air quality grew more toxic by 13% during that same period. 

According to data compiled for 2015 by state pollution control boards and under freedom of information laws, “there are virtually no places in India complying with<a href="http://www.who.int/en/"> World Health Organization</a> and national ambient air quality (NAAQ) standards, and most cities are critically polluted.”

“Except for a few places southern India which complied with NAAQ standards, the entire country is experiencing a public health crisis dude to high air pollution levels.”

Citing the Lancet’s <a href="http://thelancet.com/gbd">global burden of disease</a> study, the report finds that about 3,283 Indians die each day from exposure to outdoor air pollution, meaning deaths due to poor air quality amount to “only a fraction less than the number of deaths caused by tobacco usage.”

In the state of Uttar Pradesh, the level of PM10 (airborne pollutants like dust and mold) in all 20 cities observed were 100% higher than international limits. The report also found that the limit in Ghaziabad, an Uttar Pradesh city that borders the Indian capital Delhi, exceeded the limit by 400%.

Open fires, road dust, exhaust fumes from vehicles, industrial emissions, and the burning of crop residue are some of the primary factors contributing to India’s poor air quality. 

Delhi’s high court has taken action this week, prohibiting administrators in the northern agricultural state of Punjab to cease this year with their annual crop burning, which is responsible for sending huge clouds of smog across northern India. 

“We are of the view that the air quality of Delhi and nearby states is already deteriorating day by day and has attained alarming proportions,” the court said Thursday.

India's air pollution leads to public health crisis

A new Greenpeace report finds that every single city in...

Stop whatever you’re doing, and take a big, deep breath of air. If the oxygen you just inhaled is mostly free of smog and soot, you may have a 19th century building project – the Houses of Parliament – to thank. 

The construction of the building that houses the British government lasted from 1840 to 1870. During that three-decade period, it led to new clean air laws, according to research by Dr. Timothy Hyde, an architectural historian at the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>.

While studying archival materials, Hyde came across documents showing that construction at the Houses of Parliament was hindered by heavy air pollution.

The air quality in London was notoriously bad at the height of the Industrial Revolution. "London fog" wasn't fog at all, but a heavy, wet smog. It got so bad that the pollution was eating away at the stones for the 19th century building project as they were laid, Hyde said.

The British government, desperate to save its new home base, launched scientific studies into the problem.

The reason they were so willing to stop and take another look at London’s industrialization?

“The rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament was the single most important architectural project in the 19th century in Great Britain, and was understood as such by the public and the protagonists,” Hyde said in a press release from MIT.

The government formed committees of experts to examine the problem, including a number of notable scientific minds. By 1846, the scientists had submitted a report about the dangers of smoke pollution – and not just to limestone buildings.

The committees also pulled existing research that had gone mostly unnoticed into the spotlight, such as studies of air quality in the city of Manchester.

The experts confirmed that too much sulfuric acid in the air could cause acid rain. They also showed that this rain was destroying the limestone used in construction of the Houses of Parliament.

Of course, research into the public health effects of the Industrial Revolution was already gaining ground, Hyde admitted. However, this new, high-profile evidence of pollution helped to boost those studies. It also raised legal questions about destruction of property.

That spurred the British government to create new laws limiting smoke from factories, along with other clean air regulations, he said.

Hyde used his research to create a chronological reconstruction of environmental science advances of the time period, and how the Houses of Parliament played a role. His work has been published in <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13602365.2016.1255988">The Journal of Architecture</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

How a 19th century building project helped clear the air

Stop whatever you’re doing, and take a big, deep breath...

This week, the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) accused Fiat Chrysler Automobiles of violating the Clean Air Act by refusing to disclose that a number of their vehicles came equipped with software that increases nitrogen oxide emissions. 

The Clean Air Act requires car manufacturers to pass federal emissions tests in an effort to regulate air pollution. Included in the legislation is a mandate requiring automakers to disclose any engine software that can alter vehicle emission levels. Companies that fail to disclose such information are required to pay a steep fine. 

According to the EPA, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sold about 104,000 automobiles with 3.0 liter diesel engines that contained this software. The vehicles in question are Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks sold between 2014 and 2016.

“Failing to disclose software that affects emissions in a vehicle’s engine is a serious violation of the law, which can result in harmful pollution in the air we breathe,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “We continue to investigate the nature and impact of these devices. All automakers must play by the same rules, and we will continue to hold companies accountable that gain an unfair and illegal competitive advantage.” 

But now, Fiat Chrysler is fighting back. The automaker has released a <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fca-us-response-to-epa-300390245.html">counter-statement</a>, saying they are “disappointed” in the EPA for issuing the violation, and vow to work with the incoming Trump administration to resolve the matter “fairly.” 

“FCA US diesel engines are equipped with state-of-the-art emission control systems hardware, including selective catalytic reduction (SCR),” Fiat Chrysler said in the statement. “Every auto manufacturer must employ various strategies to control tailpipe emissions in order to balance EPA's regulatory requirements for low nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and requirements for engine durability and performance, safety and fuel efficiency. FCA US believes that its emission control systems meet the applicable requirements.”

Chrysler Fiat goes on to say that they have spent months responding to the EPA’s concern and explain its emissions control technology. The automaker claims to have proposed a number of solutions, including extensive engine software changes to further improve nitrogen oxide emission levels.

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By Rory Arnold, Earth.com Staff Writer

EPA accuses Fiat Chrysler of violating Clean Air Act

This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accused Fiat...

It’s an incredible Antarctic journey. A collection of 24-ton tractors, each carrying and towing still more tons of food, fuel, equipment, and more, sets out from the edge of Antarctica. 

Traveling through frigid temperatures, they trek inland hundreds of miles to deliver their supplies to scientists stationed at the Concordia Research Station.

The scientists and suppliers who undertake the journeys call them “raids,” and the most recent raid had a special driver.

Dr. Didier Schmitt works for the <a href="http://www.esa.int/ESA">European Space Agency</a>, and is also an author and columnist. He joined a raid that headed to Concordia on Christmas Day.

He wrote about the trip on the ESA’s <a href="http://blogs.esa.int/concordia/2017/01/09/traversing-the-antarctic-mad-max-style/">blog</a>, comparing it to the “Mad Max” movies. The space agency monitored the convoy’s progress with satellites.

“As the Astrolabe ship was stuck in the ice, large supply items could not be unloaded so we will be the smallest raid ever,” he wrote – though he was quick to point out that the 300-meter convoy would still be carrying 330 tons of supplies.

“No passengers are allowed. Every person is in charge of a vehicle. I only had a few hours for a test-drive the day before ... While Father Christmas delivers gifts with reindeers we do it with mammoth-tractors weighing 22 tonnes,” Schmitt wrote.

Though the trip was only 10 days long, that was plenty of time for the convoy to run into trouble. Even though it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the “raiders” faced snow storms.

To help prevent problems, drivers are selected with redundancy in mind. Everyone knows their job, as well as someone else’s. They also went through stringent medical testing.

“Like on the International Space Station,” Schmitt said.

The conditions only got tougher the closer they got to the research station.

“We are in the middle of nowhere with 24 hour sunlight and a sky that has very unusual features,” Schmitt wrote, four days into the 10-day incredible journey.

The European Space Agency occasionally sends staff members on the Antarctic “raids.” Each year, an ESA doctor joins the staff at Concordia to conduct experiments with the crew. The isolation and weather offer a sort of alien landscape right on Earth.

Research on the continent also supports Earth observation research, which is also done by satellite, the agency said. The extreme light conditions – 24-hour darkness in the winter, and 24-hour sunlight in the summer – allows ESA doctors to study how humans cope without natural day and night cycles.

-

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Photo credit: ESA

Writer shares convoy's incredible Antarctic journey

It’s an incredible Antarctic journey. A collection of 24-ton tractors,...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

[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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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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