Consciousness has long intrigued thinkers, from ancient philosophers to contemporary neuroscientists. It is a complex phenomenon we encounter daily, yet we often find it difficult to fully define or comprehend.



This elusive aspect of our existence encompasses our thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and self-awareness. 



Despite significant advancements in fields like cognitive science and psychology, the true nature of consciousness remains one of humanity's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/panpsychism-what-if-all-things-humans-plants-atoms-have-universal-consciousness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most profound mysteries</a>.



Researchers are actively investigating how consciousness emerges from brain activity, the distinctions between conscious and unconscious states, and the broader implications of consciousness on our understanding of reality and existence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hyperdimensional-paradigm">Hyperdimensional paradigm</h2>



Michael Pravica, a physics professor at the <a href="https://www.unr.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Nevada</a>, offers a fresh perspective on the age-old mystery of consciousness. 



He proposes that understanding this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/understanding-human-consciousness-through-eureka-moments/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complex phenomenon</a> may require us to look beyond our familiar dimensions.



Central to his theory is the concept of hyperdimensionality -- the intriguing possibility that our universe harbors more dimensions than the four we can perceive (three spatial dimensions and one of time).



Could this expanded view open new pathways for exploring the nature of consciousness? 



By examining these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-in-the-brain-does-consciousness-reside-scientists-think-they-might-know/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">broader dimensions</a>, we may uncover insights that have significant implications for our understanding of the universe and our place within it.



"The sheer fact we can conceive of higher dimensions than four within our mind, within our mathematics, is a gift... It's something that transcends biology," Pravica told Popular Mechanics. 



He believes that our ability to imagine and mathematically describe dimensions beyond <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-do-babies-start-gaining-their-consciousness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">our physical experience</a> hints at a deeper connection between consciousness and the fabric of the universe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-string-theory-and-higher-dimensions">String theory and higher dimensions</h2>



String theory is an ambitious framework in physics that seeks to unify all fundamental forces and particles into a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radical-new-theory-finally-unites-gravity-spacetime-and-the-quantum-realm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">single theoretical model</a>. It proposes that the basic building blocks of the universe aren't point-like particles but tiny, one-dimensional "strings" that vibrate at specific frequencies. 



These vibrations correspond to different particles, much like how different musical notes come from vibrations of a guitar string. To make the mathematics of string theory work, scientists have found that it requires additional spatial dimensions. 



These new dimensions extend beyond the three we experience daily. In some versions of the theory, there are up to ten or eleven dimensions in total.



The extra dimensions aren't easily observed because they might be compactified or curled up at scales so small they're beyond our current ability to detect. Imagine dimensions folded in on themselves like tiny loops at every point in space. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dimension-of-consciousness">Dimension of consciousness</h2>



While the concepts of hyperdimensionality and string theory have received overwhelming acceptance from physicists, attributing a link between higher dimensions and consciousness can stir up a tempest in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-reveals-common-altered-states-of-consciousness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scientific teapot</a>.



Interestingly, Pravica, an Orthodox Christian with a PhD from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard</a>, harnesses hyperdimensionality to bridge the gap between his scientific understanding and religious faith. He posits a fascinating theory: Jesus could be a hyperdimensional entity.



Pravica explained his perspective by citing a Biblical event. "According to the Bible, Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after being on Earth. How do you ascend into heaven if you're a four-dimensional creature?" he pondered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-science-fiction-or-fact">Science fiction or fact?</h2>



Not everyone in the scientific field is convinced by Pravica's approach. Some argue that linking consciousness to hyperdimensionality -- and by extension, to religious concepts -- blurs the line between empirical science and personal belief. 



One scientist commented that such theories are bordering "on science fiction." <a href="https://www.fordham.edu/academics/departments/physics-and-engineering-physics/faculty-and-staff/stephen-holler/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stephen Holler</a>, an associate professor of physics at <a href="https://www.fordham.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fordham University</a> in New York, shares this skepticism. 



He emphasizes the importance of acknowledging gaps in our scientific knowledge without resorting to non-scientific explanations. 



"Gaps in scientific knowledge are attributed to divine intervention, rather than being seen as opportunities for further inquiry and understanding," Holler told Popular Mechanics.



He further expresses concern that this approach might <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-consciousness-and-you-what-happens-when-machines-become-sentient/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hinder scientific progress</a>. "It's a poor explanation mechanism that arguably stifles the inquisitive nature required for good science and teaches that it’s not okay to say, 'I don’t know'," Holler added. 



His viewpoint highlights the delicate balance between remaining open to new ideas and maintaining rigorous scientific standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dimension-of-consciousness-0">Dimension of consciousness</h2>



The debate sparked by Pravica's theory brings to light the broader conversation about how we explore consciousness. Could considering extra dimensions <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-can-lead-to-altered-states-of-consciousness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offer new insights</a>, or does it complicate the matter further? 



While hyperdimensionality is a well-established concept in theoretical physics, its application to consciousness is relatively uncharted territory.



This discussion also touches on how personal beliefs can influence scientific exploration. Throughout history, many scientists have drawn inspiration from their philosophical or religious views. 



The key challenge lies in ensuring that such influences encourage curiosity rather than limit it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-consciousness-research">Future of consciousness research</h2>



As we continue to investigate the nature of consciousness, it's essential to keep an open mind while adhering to scientific principles. 



Theories like Pravica's invite us to think creatively and consider possibilities beyond conventional wisdom. They remind us that much about the human mind -- and the universe -- remains unknown.



Advancements in technology, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-connection-behind-brain-signals-and-human-consciousness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum computing</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-will-outsmart-humans-when-we-crack-the-neural-code/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial intelligence</a>, may soon provide new tools to study consciousness. 



These developments could help us understand how cognitive processes might interact with dimensions we have yet to explore fully.



The quest to comprehend consciousness is far from over. Ideas that challenge the status quo, like the hyperdimensional paradigm, play a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of knowledge. 



Whether or not such theories withstand scientific scrutiny, they provoke valuable discussions that drive progress.



-----



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Consciousness may stem from unseen dimensions beyond our reality

Consciousness has long intrigued thinkers, from ancient philosophers to contemporary neuroscientists. It is a complex phenomenon we encounter daily, yet we often find it difficult to fully define or comprehend. This elusive aspect of our existence encompasses our thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and self-awareness. Despite significant advancements in fields like cognitive science and psychology, the true nature of consciousness remains one of humanity's most profound mysteries. Researchers are actively investigating how consciousness emerges from brain activity, the distinctions between conscious and unconscious states, and the broader implications of...

Long History Of Popes Voicing Environmental Concerns. Anxiety has so gripped American conservatives over Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on the environmental concerns that you might think a pope had never before blamed fossil fuels for global warming. Or accused energy companies of hoarding the Earth's resources at the expense of the poor. Or urged the rich to consume less and share more.
But several of Francis' immediate predecessors have done just that, inspired by the Bible itself - raising the question of what all the fuss is about. Why would U.S. Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum, a devout Catholic who says he loves the pope, urge Francis to "leave science to the scientists" and stop talking about global warming? And why would conservative Catholic commentators attack the Vatican for hosting the U.N. secretary-general at a climate conference?
It turns out that environmental issues are particularly vexing for the Catholic Church, especially in the United States. They carry implications for Big Business and their Catholics supporters, as well as for the world's growing population, which brings up questions of<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=birth+control&amp;cvid=dd3d4d6f68714756ad779da0aacda5f4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> birth control.</a> For the religious right, the Vatican's endorsement of the U.N. agenda on global warming amounts to an endorsement of the U.N. agenda to give women access to contraception and abortion.
How Francis deals with population growth as it affects the environment is one of the key questions that will be answered when the encyclical, entitled "Laudato si (Be Praised), On the Care of our Common Home," is released June 18.
Despite such divisive issues, popes in recent decades have not shied from framing ecological concerns in moral terms, given that in the Bible itself God places mankind in the Garden of Eden with the explicit instructions to not only "till" the ground but to also "keep it."
Recent popes have made clear that human activity is largely to blame for the environmental degradation that is threatening the Earth's ecosystems. They have demanded urgent action by industrialized nations to change their ways and undergo an "ecological conversion" to prevent the poor from paying for the sins of the rich.
Some have even made their points in encyclicals, the most authoritative teaching document a pope can issue.
Take one of St. John Paul II's annual messages for the World Day of Peace:
"The gradual depletion of the ozone layer and the related greenhouse effect has now reached crisis proportions as a consequence of industrial growth, massive urban concentrations and vastly increased energy needs," John Paul wrote. "Industrial waste, the burning of fossil fuels, unrestricted deforestation, the use of certain types of herbicides, coolants and propellant: all of these are known to harm the atmosphere and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sea-stars-may-be-drowning-in-their-environment/">environment</a>. The resulting meteorological and atmospheric changes range from damage to health to the possible future submersion of low-lying lands."
The year was 1990, a quarter century ago.
Before him there was Pope Paul VI. In his 1967 encyclical, "Populorum Progressio" (Development of Peoples), Paul wrote that while creation is for man to use, the goods of the Earth are meant to be shared by all, not just the rich. Long History Of Popes Voicing Environmental Concerns
"No one may appropriate surplus goods solely for his own private use when others lack the bare necessities of life," Paul wrote nearly a half-century ago.
And then there was Pope Benedict XVI, dubbed the "green pope" because he took concrete action to back up his strong ecological calls: Under his watch, the Vatican installed photovoltaic cells on the roof of its main auditorium, a solar cooling unit for its main cafeteria and joined a reforestation project aimed at offsetting its CO2 emissions.
"The fact that some states, power groups and energy companies hoard non-renewable energy resources represents a grave obstacle to development in poor countries," Benedict wrote in his 2009 encyclical "Charity in Truth." "The international community has an urgent duty to find institutional means of regulating the exploitation of non-renewable resources, involving poor countries in the process, in order to plan together for the future."
In that encyclical, the German theologian addressed the population issue by denouncing mandatory birth control policies and noting that even populous countries have emerged from poverty thanks to the talents of their people, not their numbers. At the same time, though, he stressed "responsible procreation" - a theme Francis is likely to take up himself given that he has already said Catholics need not reproduce "like rabbits."
So what is so new about Francis' encyclical?
First, no pope has dedicated an entire encyclical to ecological concerns. And no pope has cited the findings of the U.N. International Panel on Climate Change in a major document, as Francis is expected to do. Francis, history's first Latin American pope, will also be bringing the point of view of the "Global South" to a social teaching document of the church, which is in itself new.
But on the whole, the church's environmental message has been articulated for years, though it has gotten lost in other issues.
"To be honest, we have been talking about this but not with enough emphasis," said the Rev. Agostino Zampini Davies, the Argentine theological adviser to CAFOD, the development agency of the Catholic Church of England and Wales.
Zampini Davies recently made a power-point presentation to the church's global Caritas aid agencies outlining what each pope and bishops' conference has said about the environment for the past half-century, a remarkable compilation that could have saved Francis' ghost-writers time and effort in drafting the encyclical.
Zampini noted that the 2004 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, a massive undertaking by the Vatican to pull all the church's social teachings in one book, gave scant attention to the environment - "a missed opportunity" Zampini Davies said that Francis is now correcting with an even more authoritative document.
Amid the alarm that Francis will go far beyond what past popes have said, U.S. Cardinal Donald Wuerl recently addressed a conference of business and church leaders on how sustainable actions can drive the economic growth needed to lift people out of poverty
"The teaching of Pope Francis and his efforts to address the environment are in harmony with those of his predecessors," he insisted.
---
Follow Nicole Winfield at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/nwinfield" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.twitter.com/nwinfield</a>
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Long History Of Popes Voicing Environmental Concerns

Long History Of Popes Voicing Environmental Concerns. Anxiety has so...

Next Up For EPA: Regulating Aircraft Emissions. The Obama administration proposed Wednesday to regulate aircraft emissions in much the same way as power plants, saying they are a threat to human health because they contain pollutants that help cause global warming.
Using its authority under The Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency's preliminary finding of endangerment to human health clears the way for possible U.S. adoption of international emissions standards.
The International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO, a U.N. agency, has been working for five years on developing global aircraft emissions standards for the first time. Final agreement on those standards is expected in February of next year.
But a final U.S. decision on adoption of international standards is likely to be left to the next presidential administration. EPA officials said the earliest the agency is likely to propose adoption of ICAO standards would be in 2017.
U.S. regulations would also apply only to engines used in large planes like airliners and cargo jets, turboprop planes and some business jets, and not to smaller jet aircraft, piston-engine planes, helicopters or military aircraft.
While ICAO negotiations on the standards are still underway, the standards ultimately aren't expected to go into effect until 2020 or afterward, and possibly as late as 2025, say environmentalists following the matter.
The international standards are also not expected to apply to airliners in service today or those that might be purchased before the effective date, said Vera Pardee, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. The center is one of several environmental groups that sued the EPA to force the agency to issue its finding that emissions endanger public health.
Airlines typically fly planes for 20 years or more before replacing them. That means it's likely to be decades before planes that meet the anticipated global standards are in widespread use.
Airline emissions account for about 2 percent of total annual global greenhouse gas emissions. That sounds small, but it's nearly as much as the emissions produced by Germany, the sixth-greatest greenhouse gas producing country, according to a study released last year by The International Council on Clean Transportation, an environmental group with offices in the U.S. and Germany.
Aircraft manufacturers have already made significant strides in increasing fuel efficiency. Since the early years of the jet age in the 1960s, the fuel efficiency of airliners has increased 70 percent, according to Boeing. There's plenty of incentive to be as efficient as possible: Fuel typically vies with labor as airlines' greatest expense.
The U.S. airline industry has a set a target of an average annual improvement in fuel efficiency of 1.5 percent, and so far has been successful in meeting that goal, said Nancy Young, vice president for environmental affairs at Airlines for America, trade association for major carriers.
Alaska, Frontier and Spirit airlines were tied for most fuel-efficient U.S. airlines, the study found. The least fuel efficient was American, which operates a fleet of MD-80 airliners, an older design that is being phased out.
Changes in the operating strategies of airlines in recent years have also contributed to greater efficiency. Airlines are packing more people into fewer flights.
However, global aviation emissions are rising because there is more air travel overall. U.S. airlines, which include several of the world's largest carriers, account for about 29 percent of global airline carbon emissions if both domestic and international flights are included. That's more than any other nation.
The world's two largest aircraft makers have recently introduced into service more fuel-efficient planes designed for long-distance international routes - the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350.
Airlines, aircraft makers and the Federal Aviation Administration have also been working with biofuels companies to develop alternatives to jet fuel that could potentially reduce the aviation's industry's vulnerability to the ups and downs of oil supplies and prices, as well as reduce carbon emissions.
"We're not dragging our feet," said Tim Neale, a spokesman for Boeing. "We're hard at work on lighter airplanes, and GE is hard at work on more efficient engines. And we're working a lot of these operational issues with the carriers so they operate the planes more efficiently."
Boeing and airline industry officials say they support ICAO's effort to develop a single global standard, since airlines fly globally. But Pardee said environmentalists hope that if the ICAO standard turns out to be weak, the EPA will move forward with stronger standards for U.S. airlines.
"The U.S. is clearly the worst carbon polluter in the sky and it has every duty and responsibility to lead," she said.
---
Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/AP-Joan-Lowy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://twitter.com/AP-Joan-Lowy</a>
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Next Up For EPA: Regulating Aircraft Emissions

Next Up For EPA: Regulating Aircraft Emissions. The Obama administration...

UN Climate Talks End Without Accomplishing Much. Two weeks of U.N. climate talks ended Thursday with negotiators trimming a draft global climate pact but leaving core sticking points to be untangled later, before a December summit in Paris where the landmark agreement is to be adopted.
Frustrated by the slow pace of the climate talks, some negotiators and observers called the Bonn meeting a squandered opportunity to capture the momentum of a declaration this week by seven world leaders including President Barack <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coal-plants-closed-trump/">Obama</a> endorsing a long-term goal of decarbonizing the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=global&amp;cvid=58ecb39d73f84cca8d31bf126f16cf5f&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">global </a>economy - moving away from a dependence on fossil fuels. UN Climate Talks End Without Accomplishing Much
"We must go faster," said European Union delegate Ilze Pruse.
Earlier, officials leading the Bonn talks called for patience, with co-chair Ahmed Djoghlaf telling reporters no one can craft a universal agreement with more than 190 countries overnight.
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together," he said.
He noted that some delegates worked so hard in Bonn they missed Saturday's Champions League soccer final in Berlin.
French climate envoy Laurence Tubiana likened the pain-staking U.N. process to giving birth, saying it's difficult to judge the outcome until everything is done.
"You have to wait until the baby is born to see its face," she said.
The Paris deal, which is supposed to take effect in 2020, would be the first where both rich and poor countries pledge to limit their emissions of greenhouse gases that scientists say are raising global temperatures, resulting in more intense heat waves, rising sea levels and other climate impacts.
A previous agreement, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, only required rich countries to take action.
In Bonn, negotiators reorganized sections as they shortened a 90-page text to 85 pages. The co-chairs were asked to streamline the text further by August.
The draft still contains multiple options on contentious issues, including how to differentiate between the obligations of rich and poor countries to fight climate change and what commitments of financial support to fight climate change poor nations want from the rich.
It remains unclear whether the pact will be legally binding.
Also undecided is whether the first round of emissions targets should cover the 2020-2025 period or 2020-2030. Most targets submitted so far are for the latter, while the United States insists on the former.
"The modest progress made in Bonn did not match the significant action taking place around the world," said Jennifer Morgan of the World Resources Institute, a Washington-based environmental group.
Norway, meanwhile, recently announced its $900 billion oil fund would divest from coal - the most polluting fuel - and Pope Francis is expected to release his high-level teaching document on ecology and climate change next week.
----
Karl Ritter can be reached on Twitter at twitter.com/karl-ritter
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UN Climate Talks End Without Accomplishing Much

UN Climate Talks End Without Accomplishing Much. Two weeks of...

The Greener a State's Legislator, The Cleaner The Air. States where the congressional delegation votes greener tend to have air that's cleaner, spewing less heat-trapping gas, a new study finds.
Researchers at <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-could-help-asian-carp-invade-lake-michigan/">Michigan</a> State University studied decades of voting trends and greenhouse gas emissions state by state. They found a correlation between the voting records of a congressional delegation and carbon dioxide emissions, although one that's nowhere near as big as population or a state's economic health, according to a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Study authors Thomas Dietz and Kenneth Frank used computer simulations to try to explain differences in state's carbon dioxide emissions. After taking into account the larger factors of population, employment and affluence, they charted carbon pollution against "environmentalism" and found a fairly smooth line linking the two subjects. As a state's environmentalism grew, greenhouse gases dropped.
The authors defined environmentalism as the ratings given a congressional delegation by the pro-environment advocacy group League of Conservation Voters - a definition that some outside experts didn't think is quite proper.
"For each 1 percent higher a state scored in environmentalism, it's about half a percent lower in greenhouse gas emissions," Dietz said. "Overall, environmentalism matters."
As an example, after controlling for population, affluence and economic factors, Utah has higher carbon dioxide emissions than Vermont, but the difference correlates with the congressional delegation voting record, said Frank. Similarly, Texas and Alabama have higher carbon pollution per person and per state domestic product than New York and California.
Frank acknowledged the study doesn't show a direct connection between voting records and emissions, but he said it makes logical sense that there would be such a connection. A state that votes greener is more likely to have business and government agencies that act accordingly, and to be more careful about how it burns fossil fuels, he said. The Greener a State's Legislator, The Cleaner The Air
Dana Fisher at the University of Maryland who wasn't part of the study said the link between congressional voting record and carbon dioxide emissions in states "makes a lot of sense. It basically means that these pro-environmental elected officials are supporting state-level policies that are less greenhouse gas intensive."
However, she said in an e-mail that how congressmen and women vote is not necessarily an accurate measure of environmentalism.
Philip Stark, chairman of statistics at the University of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=california&amp;cvid=7f05b1f594fd4bb4a75650302ac87787&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">California</a> Berkeley, was troubled by some of the calculations, the use of the League of Conservation Voters rating system and logical leaps made in the study.
For Andrew Weaver, a climate scientist at the University of Victoria elected to the British Columbia parliament, the study hit home. He said, "clearly this study does suggest that it does matter who you elect."
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The Greener a State's Legislator, The Cleaner The Air

The Greener a State's Legislator, The Cleaner The Air. States...

Tropical Storm Carlos is Lingering Off Mexican Coast. NOAA's GOES-West satellite is keeping an eye on slowly developing tropical storm Carlos as it lingers of the southwestern coast of Mexico. Carlos became the third tropical storm of the Eastern <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/noumea-in-the-south-pacific-archipelago-of-new-caledonia/">Pacific</a> Ocean season on June 11 when Tropical Depression 03E intensified.

On June 12 at 15:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. EDT) NOAA's GOES-West satellite captured a visible image of tropical storm Carlos that showed bands of thunderstorms being pushed south and west of the center as a result of northeasterly wind shear. Clouds and showers in the northern quadrant of the storm were lacking. The image was created by the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=a489d1606fe24dcaa242bd59f15bf46f&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">NASA</a>/NOAA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

At 11 a.m. EDT on June 12, the National Hurricane Center noted that a tropical storm watch is in effect from Acapulco to Zihuatanejo. A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within 36-48 hours. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area by Saturday night, June 13. Locally heavy rains could spread over portions of the southern coast of Mexico, primarily in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, during the next couple of days.

On June 12 at 11 a.m. EDT, tropical storm Carlos' maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph (95 kph). Carlos was centered near latitude 14.7 North, longitude 100.7 West. That puts the center of the storm about 160 miles (260 km) south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, and about 215 miles (345 km) south-southeast of Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

Carlos was stationary and is expected to move slowly northwest over the next couple of days. The estimated minimum central pressure is 997 millibars.

Ocean swells associated with Carlos are expected to increase near the coast of southern Mexico during the next few days. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Forecaster Blake at the National Hurricane Center noted that 'Carlos continues to be affected by northeasterly shear with the center on the north side of the convection. While an overnight microwave pass showed some increase in organization of the inner core, radar from Acapulco and the latest satellite images suggest that the system has become less organized since then.'

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), during the next day or two, the northeasterly shear is forecast to persist, so only a gradual intensification of Carlos is anticipated. Carlos is expected to become a hurricane over the weekend. For updated forecasts, visit NHC: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>.

Tropical Storm Carlos is Lingering Off Mexican Coast

Tropical Storm Carlos is Lingering Off Mexican Coast. NOAA's GOES-West...

Kayak Protestors Detained After Attempting To Stop Shell Oil Rig. The U.S. Coast Guard detained two dozen protesters who formed a blockade with kayaks and other vessels Monday to try to stop Royal Dutch Shell's drill rig as it left Seattle on its way to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean.
The protesters were scooped up from the water because they were violating the safety zone around the Polar Pioneer, which departed around 6 a.m., Coast Guard Lt. Dana Warr said. They would be released after receiving violation notices that carry a $500 penalty, he said. Kayak Protestors Detained After Attempting To Stop Shell Oil Rig
About a dozen "kayaktivists" paddled out around 4 a.m. to try to prevent the 400-foot-long rig from leaving, said Cassady Sharp, a <a href="http://www.earth.com/organizations/greenpeace-international/">Greenpeace</a> spokeswoman. Several dozen supporters in kayaks and canoes lined up behind them, she said.
Seattle Councilman Mike O'Brien was among those detained. He and others in kayaks paddled into Seattle's picturesque Elliott Bay before dawn to oppose Shell's plans to open a new frontier of fossil fuel exploration off Alaska's coast.
"That monstrous rig is headed to the Arctic to attempt to do something unconscionable," he said in a text message as he was processed by the Coast Guard at its offices. "I had done everything I know how to do as a citizen, an activist, and as a councilmember to stop Shell from drilling in the Arctic."
The petroleum giant has been using the port to load drilling rigs and a fleet of support vessels with supplies and personnel before spending the brief Arctic summer in the Chukchi Sea, which stretches north from the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia.
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said Monday that the vessels are on the way to Alaska.
"We remain committed to operating in a safe, environmentally responsible manner and look forward to exploring our Chukchi leases in the weeks to come," he said in an email.
The Coast Guard picked up Kelly Mears, 28, in a yellow double kayak as he and others unfurled a massive "Shell No" banner on the water.
"Ultimately, I think that it's pretty negligent decision to allow the vessel to drill in the Arctic," said Mears, who came from South Carolina in April to participate in a series of protests. "My personal moral compass wasn't allowing me to stand idly by and bemoan it as something that we can't escape from."
Monday's blockade was the latest protest since the Polar Pioneer arrived in Seattle in May. Activists say they are concerned about the risks of an oil spill in the remote Arctic waters and the effects that tapping new oil and gas reserves will have on global warming.
Activists also have chained themselves twice to a support ship in Bellingham, north of Seattle. They have tried to block entrances to the Seattle terminal where the rig was loaded. Several have been arrested.
Officials in Alaska, including the governor, have touted the economic benefits that drilling could bring there and to the Pacific Northwest.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates Arctic offshore reserves at 26 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 130 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Shell says developing these reserves could increase domestic oil supplies by more than 1 million barrels a day.
<a id="65727f3b-3f0e-457b-9707-c7ba2ed827d7" href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ARCTIC_DRILLING_PROTESTS?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2015-06-15-14-37-04#65727f3b-3f0e-457b-9707-c7ba2ed827d7" rel="item-license">© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a>Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms">Terms of Use</a>.

Kayak Protestors Detained After Attempting To Stop Shell Oil Rig

Kayak Protestors Detained After Attempting To Stop Shell Oil Rig....

Green Legislators Equal Clean Air. States where the congressional delegation votes greener tend to have air that's cleaner, spewing less heat-trapping gas, a new study finds.
Researchers at Michigan State University studied decades of voting trends and greenhouse gas emissions state by state. They found a correlation between the voting records of a congressional delegation and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-carbon-dioxide-sink/">carbon dioxide</a> emissions, although one that's nowhere near as big as population or a state's economic health, according to a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Green Legislators Equal Clean Air
Study authors Thomas Dietz and Kenneth Frank used computer simulations to try to explain differences in state's carbon dioxide emissions. After taking into account the larger factors of population, employment and affluence, they charted carbon pollution against "environmentalism" and found a fairly smooth line linking the two subjects. As a state's environmentalism grew, greenhouse gases dropped.
The authors defined environmentalism as the ratings given a congressional delegation by the pro-environment advocacy group League of Conservation Voters - a definition that some outside experts didn't think is quite proper.
"For each 1 percent higher a state scored in environmentalism, it's about half a percent lower in greenhouse gas emissions," Dietz said. "Overall, environmentalism matters."
As an example, after controlling for population, affluence and economic factors, Utah has higher carbon dioxide emissions than Vermont, but the difference correlates with the congressional delegation voting record, said Frank. Similarly, Texas and Alabama have higher carbon pollution per person and per state domestic product than New York and California.
Frank acknowledged the study doesn't show a direct connection between voting records and emissions, but he said it makes logical sense that there would be such a connection. A state that votes greener is more likely to have business and government agencies that act accordingly, and to be more careful about how it burns fossil fuels, he said.
Dana Fisher at the University of Maryland who wasn't part of the study said the link between congressional voting record and carbon dioxide emissions in states "makes a lot of sense. It basically means that these pro-environmental elected officials are supporting state-level policies that are less greenhouse gas intensive."
However, she said in an e-mail that how congressmen and women vote is not necessarily an accurate measure of environmentalism.
Philip Stark, chairman of statistics at the University of California Berkeley, was troubled by some of the calculations, the use of the League of Conservation Voters rating system and logical leaps made in the study.
For Andrew Weaver, a climate scientist at the University of Victoria elected to the British Columbia parliament, the study hit home. He said, "clearly this study does suggest that it does matter who you elect."
---
Online:
Journal: <a href="http://www.pnas.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.pnas.org</a>
---
Seth Borenstein can be followed at <a href="http://twitter.com/borenbears" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://twitter.com/borenbears</a>
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Green Legislators Equal Clean Air

Green Legislators Equal Clean Air. States where the congressional delegation...

Earth's Largest Groundwater Basins in Bad Shape. Earth's largest water basins aren't in ideal health. According to a new study by Earth scientists at the University of California, Irvine, more than a third of the world's biggest groundwater basins are under distress.

But while measurement trends suggests growing human consumption is depleting some of the world's largest aquifers, scientists say estimates about how much potable water remains are hard to come by.
<div></div>
"Available physical and chemical measurements are simply insufficient," lead researcher Jay Famiglietti, a professor at Irvine and a senior water scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explained in a press release. "Given how quickly we are consuming the world's groundwater reserves, we need a coordinated global effort to determine how much is left."

Famiglietti and his colleagues did their best to gauge aquifer health by analyzing data collected by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellites. Water weight affects the planet's gravitational forces, so by studying variations in Earth's gravity, scientists can measure water flows.

Of the 37 water basins studied, scientists labeled eight as overstressed -- meaning they weren't receiving any natural replenishment. Another five were also found to be distressed to varying degrees -- in poor health but with some water flowing back in.

Water flows in the Arabian Aquifer System, of the Middle East, and in the Murzuk-Djado Basin, of North Africa, were ranked as the two most distressed water basins. California's Central Valley, while not one of the eight overstressed basins, is America's most damaged aquifer.

Researchers point out that especially dry places are over-reliant on groundwater, and that population growth and global warming are likely to only make things worse. Earth's Largest Groundwater Basins in Bad Shape

"What happens when a highly stressed aquifer is located in a region with socioeconomic or political tensions that can't supplement declining water supplies fast enough?" said study author Alexandra Richey, a former UCI doctoral student. "We're trying to raise red flags now to pinpoint where active management today could protect future lives and livelihoods."

The health report was accompanied by a second study complaining of the inexact science of measuring aquifer reserves. Satellite data helped researchers get a better idea of what is flowing in and out, but measuring exactly how much is left is another story.

"We don't actually know how much is stored in each of these aquifers. Estimates of remaining storage might vary from decades to millennia," Richey said. "In a water-scarce society, we can no longer tolerate this level of uncertainty, especially since groundwater is disappearing so rapidly."

---

<a href="http://www.upi.com/">UPI</a>

Earth's Largest Groundwater Basins in Bad Shape

Earth's Largest Groundwater Basins in Bad Shape. Earth's largest water...

Arctic Mollusks Threatened by Ocean Acidification from Global Warming. The health of mollusks on both the East and West coasts has already been damaged by spikes in ocean acidification. And researchers say, as global warming continues, acidification will only get worse.

A new study by scientists at the National <a href="http://www.earth.com/endangered-species/megalagrion-oceanicum/">Oceanic</a> and Atmospheric Administration says acid levels in arctic waters are expected to rise high enough to dissolve shells by 2030.
<div></div>
"Our research shows that within 15 years, the chemistry of these waters may no longer be saturated with enough calcium carbonate for a number of animals from tiny sea snails to Alaska King crabs to construct and maintain their shells at certain times of the year," Jeremy Mathis, an oceanographer at NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, said in a press release. "This change due to ocean acidification would not only affect shell-building animals but could ripple through the marine ecosystem."

Mathis is the lead author of a new study on acidification trends, published this week in the journal Oceanography. Arctic Mollusks Threatened by Ocean Acidification from Global Warming

As the ocean absorbs excess CO2 from the atmosphere, the water's acidity levels increase. As acidity levels grow, it becomes more difficult for carbonates to reach saturation levels. Mollusks like clams and oysters use a form of calcium carbonate called aragonite to build and maintain shells. If proper saturation levels can't be maintained, these shells can be corroded, or worse yet, juvenile mollusks won't be able to form shells.

The new research involved collecting new data on temperature, salinity and acidity trends in the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas. The new data was integrated into new acidification prediction models.

"A key advance of this study was combining the power of field observations with numerical models to better predict the future," explained study co-author Scott Doney, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Mathis, Doney and their colleagues say a hit to shell-making creatures could send shock waves through important arctic ecosystems, disrupting food chains that support some of the world's most productive fisheries.

Researchers hope that studying the dynamics of arctic ocean chemistry will help them better predict how other parts of the ocean will react to growing levels of carbon dioxide.

"The Pacific-Arctic region, because of its vulnerability to ocean acidification, gives us an early glimpse of how the global ocean will respond to increased human-caused carbon dioxide emissions, which are being absorbed by our ocean," said Mathis. "Increasing our observations in this area will help us develop the environmental information needed by policy makers and industry to address the growing challenges of ocean acidification."

Arctic Mollusks Threatened by Ocean Acidification from Global Warming

Arctic Mollusks Threatened by Ocean Acidification from Global Warming. The...

A RIG CONTRACTED BY APACHE CORP DRILLS A HORIZONTAL WELL IN A SEARCH FOR OIL AND NATURAL GAS IN THE PERMIAN BASIN IN WEST TEXAS

Denton, TX Voters Pass Fracking Ban, Only to Have it Repealed. Leaders of a North Texas university town that was the first in the state to ban fracking repealed the voter-approved measure early Wednesday, sounding a tone of capitulation to the state's powerful oil and gas interests after a seven-month battle.
The Denton City Council called it a "strategic repeal" that would undermine pending lawsuits filed by the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=Texas&amp;cvid=f7e62266d8f046d4a8fd37587e5572c2&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Texas</a> General Land Office and the Texas <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/unhealthy-foods-spoil-the-benefits-of-a-mediterranean-diet/">Oil</a> and Gas Association shortly after the ban was passed.
Adam Briggle of the Frack Free Denton movement said fracking opponents are taking the fight statewide by pushing for the repeal of House Bill 40, the law Gov. Greg Abbott signed last month barring local ordinances that prevent fracking and other oil and natural gas activities harmful to the environment unless they are deemed commercially reasonable. Denton, TX Voters Pass Fracking Ban, Only to Have it Repealed
"Initially it was about health and safety and protecting our neighborhoods, and those continue to be our goals, but it's now also about democracy and supporting people's voices and their votes," he said.
Fracking, which involves blasting a mix of water, sand and chemicals into underground rock formations to release trapped oil and gas, has opened up vast reserves in North Texas but has also triggered concerns that the process could damage the environment and cause earthquakes.
Despite a corporate-backed campaign to quash the initiative, voters in Denton, 40 miles north of Dallas, approved the ban last November.
About 60 municipalities in Texas - the nation's biggest oil- and gas-producing state - have some form of ordinance on the books limiting drilling or fracking, according to the Texas Municipal League.
In signing the law, Abbott said he was protecting private property rights from the "heavy hand of local regulation."
Denton Mayor Chris Watts was among those who voted for the repeal, which was approved 6-1.
"It was probably one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make, to see the hard work and the heart and soul that was poured into the effort and to prevail at the ballot box, to then have a different level of government authority undo it," Watts said.
---
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Denton, TX Voters Pass Fracking Ban, Only to Have it Repealed

Denton, TX Voters Pass Fracking Ban, Only to Have it...

Average Hypoxic Dead Zone Predicted for Gulf of Mexico. Scientists are expecting that this year's Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone, also called the "dead zone," will be approximately 5,483 square miles or about the size of Connecticut-the same as it has averaged over the last several years.

The dead zone in the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=Gulf+of+Mexico&amp;cvid=b31cf66c569041a88bf4354e09e4d356&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Gulf of Mexico</a> affects nationally important commercial and recreational fisheries and threatens the region's economy. Hypoxic zones hold very little <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lakes-with-low-oxygen-levels-release-large-amounts-of-methane/">oxygen</a>, and are caused by excessive nutrient pollution, primarily from activities such as agriculture and wastewater. The low oxygen levels cannot support most marine life and habitats in near-bottom waters.

This year marks the first time the results of four models were combined. The four model predictions ranged from 4,344 to 5,985 square miles, and had a collective predictive interval of 3,205 to 7,645 square miles, which take into account variations in weather and oceanographic conditions. Average Hypoxic Dead Zone Predicted for Gulf of Mexico

The NOAA-sponsored Gulf of Mexico hypoxia forecast has improved steadily in recent years, a result of advancements of individual models and an increase in the number of models used for the forecast. Forecasts based on multiple models are called ensemble forecasts and are commonly used in hurricane and other weather forecasts.

[caption id="attachment_2382335" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/06/hypoxia-gulf-of-mexico_NOAA.jpg"><img class="wp-image-2382335 size-medium" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/06/hypoxia-gulf-of-mexico_NOAA-300x193.jpg" alt="hypoxia-gulf-of-mexico_NOAA" width="300" height="193" /></a> This image shows nutrient-based hypoxia formation. Credit: Nancy Rabalais, LUMCON[/caption]

The ensemble models were developed by NOAA-sponsored modeling teams and researchers at the University of Michigan, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences/College of William and Mary, Texas A&amp;M University, North Carolina State University, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The hypoxia forecast is part of a larger NOAA effort to deliver ecological forecasts that support human health and well-being, coastal economies, and coastal and marine stewardship.

"NOAA, along with our partners, continues to improve our capability to generate environmental data that can help mitigate and manage this threat to Gulf fisheries and economies," said Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "We are adding models to increase the accuracy of our dead zone forecast."

The Gulf of Mexico hypoxia forecast is based on nutrient runoff and river stream data from the USGS. The USGS operates more than 3,000 real-time stream gauges, 50 real-time nitrate sensors, and collects water quality data at long-term stations throughout the Mississippi River basin to track how nutrient loads are changing over time.

The USGS estimates that 104,000 metric tons of nitrate and 19,300 metric tons of phosphorus flowed down the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers into the Gulf of Mexico in May 2015. This is about 21 percent below the long-term (1980-2014) average for nitrogen, and 16 percent above the long-term average for phosphorus.

"Real-time nitrate sensors are advancing our understanding of how nitrate is transported in small streams and large rivers, including the main stem of the Mississippi River," said William Werkheiser, USGS associate director for water. "Long-term monitoring is critical to tracking how nutrient levels are changing in response to management actions and for improving modeling tools to estimate which sources and areas are contributing the largest amounts of nutrients to the Gulf. "

The confirmed size of the 2015 Gulf hypoxic zone will be released in early August, following a monitoring survey led by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium from July 28 to August 4.

---

<a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">NOAA</a>

Average Hypoxic Dead Zone Predicted for Gulf of Mexico

Average Hypoxic Dead Zone Predicted for Gulf of Mexico. Scientists...

Climate Change an Urgent Moral Crisis, Says Pope. In a sweeping environmental manifesto aimed at spurring action, Pope Francis called Thursday for a bold cultural revolution to correct what he said was a "structurally perverse" economic system in which the rich exploited the poor, turning Earth into an "immense pile of filth."
Francis framed climate change as an urgent moral crisis to address in his eagerly anticipated encyclical, blaming global warming on an unfair, fossil fuel-based industrial model that harms the poor the most.
The document released Thursday was a stinging indictment of big business and climate doubters, and aimed to inspire courageous decisions at U.N. climate negotiations this year as well as in domestic politics and everyday life. Citing Scripture and his predecessors, the pope urged people of every faith and even no faith to undergo an awakening to save God's creation.
"It is not enough to balance, in the medium term, the protection of nature with financial gain, or the preservation of the environment with progress," the pope wrote. "Halfway measures simply delay the inevitable disaster. Put simply, it is a matter of redefining our notion of progress."
Environmental scientists said the first-ever encyclical, or teaching document, on the environment could have a dramatic effect on the climate debate, lending the moral authority of the immensely popular Francis to an issue that has long been cast in purely political, economic or scientific terms.
"This clarion call should guide the world toward a strong and durable universal climate agreement in Paris at the end of this year," said Christiana Figueres, the U.N.'s top climate official. "Coupled with the economic imperative, the moral imperative leaves no doubt that we must act on climate change now."
Scientific data on Thursday backed up Francis' concerns. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released figures showing that last month was the hottest May around the globe in 136 years of global records. In addition, the first five months of 2015 made up by far the hottest year on record, with very real effects: some 2,200 people have died in India's heat wave.
Veerabhadran Ramanathan, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientist who has briefed the pope on climate issues, said the encyclical is a "game-changer in making people think about this."
"It's not politics anymore," he said, adding that science is often difficult to understand but that people respond to arguments framed by morality and ethics.
The energy lobby, however, was quick to criticize the encyclical's anti-fossil fuel message.
"The simple reality is that energy is the essential building block of the modern world," said Thomas Pyle of the Institute of Energy Research, a conservative free-market group. "The application of affordable energy makes everything we do - food production, manufacturing, health care, transportation, heating and air conditioning - better."
Francis said he hoped his paper would lead both ordinary people in their daily lives and decision-makers at the Paris U.N. climate meetings to a wholesale change of mind and heart, urging all to listen to "both the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor."
"This vision of `might is right' has engendered immense inequality, injustice and acts of violence against the majority of humanity, since resources end up in the hands of the first comer or the most powerful: the winner takes all," he wrote. "Completely at odds with this model are the ideals of harmony, justice, fraternity and peace as proposed by Jesus."
The timing of the encyclical was intentional: Nations across the world will meet in Paris at the end of the year to try to come up with a binding agreement to reduce heat-trapping gases. Some experts say it could be Earth's last chance to avoid a milestone of dangerous global warming: Another 1.1 degrees Celsius of warming from now (2 degrees Fahrenheit).
The encyclical "Laudato Si, (Praise Be): On Care for Our Common Home" is 180 pages of pure Francis, named for a prayer penned by his namesake, the nature-loving St. Francis of Assisi.
It's a blunt, readable booklet full of zingers by the Argentine "slum pope" that will make many conservatives and climate doubters squirm, including in the U.S. Congress where Francis will deliver the first-ever papal address in September.
No encyclical has ever drawn this much popular and sustained attention, even after having been leaked earlier this week. The hashtag (hash)LaudatoSi was trending Thursday on Twitter.
Deke Arndt, a top U.S. federal climate scientist and Catholic, was brought to tears by the eloquence of the document.
"There are certain things that science will never be able to say so beautifully," he said. "I think it speaks across the spectrum of human experiences ... It speaks to the soul and the inner part of us."
But the leading skeptic in the U.S. Congress, Republican Sen. James Inhofe, said he feared the encyclical will be used by "alarmists" to push policies that will lead to big tax increases. He said the poor will actually "carry the heaviest burden" of policies to phase out fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.
In the encyclical, Francis accepts as fact that the world is getting warmer and that human activity is mostly to blame.
Citing the deforestation of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/jaguars-in-the-amazon-are-threatened-by-climate-extremes/">Amazon,</a> the melting of Arctic glaciers and the deaths of coral reefs, he rebuked "obstructionist" climate doubters who "seem mostly to be concerned with masking the problems or concealing their symptoms." And he blamed politicians for listening more to oil industry interests than Scripture, common sense or the cries of the poor. Climate Change an Urgent Moral Crisis, Says Pope
"The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth," he wrote.
He praised a "less is more" lifestyle, one that shuns air conditioners and gated communities in favor of car pools, recycling and being in close touch with the marginalized. He called for courageous, radical and farsighted policies to transition the world's energy supply from fossil fuels to renewable sources, saying mitigation schemes like the buying and selling of carbon credits won't solve the problem and are just a "ploy which permits maintaining the excessive consumption of some countries and sectors."
What is needed, he said, is a "bold cultural revolution."
"Nobody is suggesting a return to the Stone Age, but we do need to slow down and look at reality in a different way, to appropriate the positive and sustainable progress which has been made, but also to recover the values and the great goals swept away by our unrestrained delusions of grandeur," Francis wrote.
Catholic Republican presidential candidates said they don't necessarily agree with the pope when it comes to coping with climate change and that he shouldn't be getting involved in it in the first place.
"I don't think we should politicize our faith," U.S. Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, a Catholic convert, said on the eve of the encyclical's release. "I think religion ought to be about making us better as people and less about things that end up getting into the political realm."
Yet one of Francis' core points was that there really is no distinction between human beings, their faith and the environment: they are all part of a single integral ecology.
"Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth," he wrote.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, whose office wrote the first draft of the encyclical, acknowledged that the pope was no expert in science but said Francis had consulted widely and was fully justified in speaking out about an important issue.
Within the church, many conservative Catholics have questioned the pope's heavy emphasis on the environment and climate change over other issues such as abortion and marriage.
Francis does address abortion and population issues briefly in the encyclical, criticizing those in the environmental movement who show concern for preserving nature but not human lives. The Catholic Church has long been at odds with environmentalists over how much population growth degrades the environment, since the issue boils down to access to contraception and abortion.
John Schellnhuber, the scientist credited with coming up with the 2 degree goal, says it's a "myth" that a growing population is responsible for environmental decay.
"It's not poverty that destroys the environment," he told the Vatican press conference launching the document. "It's wealth, consumption and waste. And this is reflected in the encyclical."
<a id="bdb359b1-27aa-4707-ad38-7fb531cf5c2c" href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/REL_VATICAN_ENCYCLICAL?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2015-06-18-12-36-15#bdb359b1-27aa-4707-ad38-7fb531cf5c2c" rel="item-license">© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a> Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms">Terms of Use</a>.

Climate Change an Urgent Moral Crisis, Says Pope

Climate Change an Urgent Moral Crisis, Says Pope. In a...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image 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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" 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 Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" 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 Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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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How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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 Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&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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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



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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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; 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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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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How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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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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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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