The development of a big brain in humans and its connection to social bonding has been a hot topic of debate, and secrets found in fossil teeth may hold the answers.



Researchers have been studying the fossilized teeth of an early Homo from Georgia, dating back approximately 1.77 million years. The research was made possible by the European Synchrotron in Grenoble, France.



The findings suggest that despite having a small brain and reaching adulthood at a similar pace to great apes, these early humans had a prolonged childhood. 



This could mean that the large brain of modern humans resulted from an extended childhood along with cultural transmission across generations instead of vice versa.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-childhood-big-brains">Long childhood, big brains</h2>



A team of researchers - including specialists from Switzerland's <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Zurich</a>, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility and Georgia's National Museum - have challenged the theory that modern humans' extended childhood is directly linked to their large brains.



The team analyzed dental development in an early Homo that was almost an adult. The results suggest that though these early humans reached adulthood at a similar age as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/buronius-manfredschmidi-tiny-great-ape-species-lived-11-million-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">great apes</a>, their tooth development followed a longer timeline similar to modern humans.



This proposes the distinct possibility of a longer dependency on adults and an elongated childhood for these early humans.



Remarkably, the brain size of these early Homo specimens was only marginally larger than that of a chimpanzee. This made the researchers question the link between the prolonged development and cultural transmission across generations.



An extended childhood within a three-generation context might have allowed the immature members of the group to effectively assimilate growing amounts of knowledge. 



Eventually, this led to the development of larger brains and longer life spans, traits characteristic of modern humans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dental-development-in-early-homo">Dental development in early Homo</h2>



An enduring assumption has been that humans' extended growth period is a consequence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-brain-sizes-are-growing-possibly-lowering-dementia-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">increased brain volume</a> since a larger organ requires more energy resources to grow. But analysis of the fossil's dental growth has caused researchers to question this hypothesis.



The research team used synchrotron imaging to study the dental development of a near-adult fossil of early Homo from the Dmanisi site in Georgia, dated to around 1.77 million years ago. 



<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="CWxiqQg039-4024544-12187" type="single"]</div>



“Childhood and cognition do not fossilize, so we have to rely on indirect information. Teeth are ideal because they fossilize well and produce daily rings, in the same way that trees produce annual rings, which record their development,” noted study first author Christoph Zollikofer from the University of Zurich.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexpected-findings-and-a-new-perspective">Unexpected findings and a new perspective</h2>



“Dental development is strongly correlated with the development of the rest of the body, including brain development," explained study co-author Paul Tafforeau, scientist at the ESRF.



"Access to the details of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/search-results/?search=fossil%20hominid&amp;start=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fossil</a> hominid's dental growth therefore provides a great deal of information about its general growth."



After almost two decades of research beginning in 2005, the initial results startled researchers. 



“We expected to find either dental development typical of early hominids, close to that of the great apes, or dental development close to that of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neanderthal-genes-still-influence-modern-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modern humans</a>," said Tafforeau.



"When we obtained the first results, we couldn’t believe what we saw, because it was something different that implied faster molar crown growth than in any other fossil hominin or living great ape."



In the following years, the team conducted five series of experiments and completed four full analyses, employing various methods as dental synchrotron imaging technology advanced.



As the consistent results suggested significant implications for the "big brain - long childhood" hypothesis, the scientists needed to think creatively to interpret this fossil's findings.



“It's been a slow maturation, both technically and intellectually, to finally arrive at the hypothesis we are publishing today,” said Tafforeau.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-longer-childhood-evolution-s-early-experiment">Longer childhood: Evolution's early experiment?</h2>



The dental development of the studied fossil suggested that milk teeth were used longer than in great apes, implying that early Homo children were dependent on adult care for a longer duration.



This could be the first experiment evolution took towards a prolonged childhood. Despite having brains only slightly larger than australopithecines or great apes, early Homo are believed to have lived longer.



The survival of a very old individual with no teeth for several years indicates that the group sufficiently cared for him. This alludes to a three-generation structure, a key aspect of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-started-cumulative-culture-around-600000-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cultural transmission in humans</a>.



The new hypothesis begins with children's growth slowing down as cultural transmission increased. 



The accumulation of information from older to younger individuals had an advantageous effect on resource utilization and the development of complex behaviors, thus favoring a longer childhood. 



Once this mechanism was established, natural selection acted on cultural transmission, not just biological traits. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-brains-and-delayed-adulthood">Big brains and delayed adulthood</h2>



As the volume of transferrable information grew, evolution supported a larger brain and delayed adulthood, enabling a longer learning period in childhood and time to grow a bigger brain despite limited food resources.



The large brain of modern humans could be attributed to an extended childhood and a three-generation structure encouraging bio-cultural evolution. These mechanisms may have led to increased brain size, delayed adulthood, and longer lifespan. 



The study of this exceptional fossil could motivate researchers to rethink the evolutionary mechanisms that led to Homo sapiens.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08205-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



Image &amp; Video Credit: ESRF/Paul Tafforeau, Vincent Beyrand



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How did humans get big brains? Fossil teeth reveal new clues

The development of a big brain in humans and its connection to social bonding has been a hot topic of debate, and secrets found in fossil teeth may hold the answers. Researchers have been studying the fossilized teeth of an early Homo from Georgia, dating back approximately 1.77 million years. The research was made possible by the European Synchrotron in Grenoble, France. The findings suggest that despite having a small brain and reaching adulthood at a similar pace to great apes, these early humans had a prolonged...

Japan's Renewable Energy Plan for G-7 Not Green Enough. Japan may find itself the odd man out when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe presents his government's blueprint for combating climate change at this weekend's summit of the world's leading industrialized democracies.
The Group of Seven host, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/porpoises-are-steadily-declining-in-the-german-north-sea/">German</a> Chancellor Angela Merkel, has indicated she supports a pledge of eventual zero carbon emissions. Japan favors coal, gas and nuclear power over green energy despite rapid growth of investment in renewables since all its nuclear reactors were taken offline following the 2011 disaster in Fukushima. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=japan&amp;cvid=32c17997bcf24055b31c56a47629c405&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Japan's</a> Renewable Energy Plan for G-7 Not Green Enough
Curbing global warming will be among many items on the agenda when G-7 leaders meet Sunday and Monday at Schloss Elmau, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Munich.
Japan is the world's No. 3 economy and its fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Abe plans to explain to fellow leaders its target of a 26 percent reduction from 2013 levels of carbon emissions by 2030.
That compares with an intended 26-28 percent cut by 2025 from 2005 levels for the U.S., and the European Union's target of a 40 percent reduction from 1990 levels, or 35 percent from 2005.
Japanese officials defend their plan as comparable to or even exceeding the goals set by other major economies.
"Some committee members said it was too ambitious and they said it could not be done, but it was decided to set this target," said Masakazu Toyoda, a government adviser and chairman of the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan.
Solar and wind power generation are too unstable and costly to provide more than marginal power generation capacity, especially given the need to extend power grids from major cities like Tokyo to more remote areas considered most suitable for wind power, he says.
As for zero emissions, the world's carbon dioxide pollution level hit a record 396 parts per million in 2014, way above the 350 ppm level of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere seen by some scientists and environmental groups as a safe level.
In Toyoda's view, limiting emissions to 450 ppm by 2050, would be "very difficult to achieve."
"With additional effort to introduce advanced technology, the realistic target should be 550 ppm," he said in a briefing Thursday.
Japan's long-term energy plan is evolving and actual trends will depend on various factors, including nuclear plant restarts, the pace of decline in the population, changes in technology and expanded use of solar panels and other renewable energy by households and businesses.
The country does face unique challenges, as an island nation with scant conventional energy resources. Unlike European countries, it cannot draw from and feed into regional electricity grids.
Abe's government is seeking restarts of reactors that meet upgraded safety standards, and in the meantime fossil fuels remain the preferred option for bridging energy supply gaps.
Japan could do far better, given the trend toward wider, ad-hoc adoption of renewable energy in the private sector, said Tomas Kaberger, chairman of the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation and a former head of Sweden's energy agency.
"It's just a matter of very costly delays to an industrial development that will be inevitable for global competition reasons. Japan cannot be the last fossil country in the world," he said.
During climate change talks in Bonn, Germany, this week, the NGO Climate Action Network announced Japan as the winner of its "Fossil of the Day" award for "doing the most to block progress on climate action."
At a time when many countries, including China, are reducing reliance on cheap, plentiful but heavily polluting coal, Japan is viewing it with newfound enthusiasm.
Its current plan calls for coal to account for about 26 percent of total power generation in 2030; natural gas for 27 percent and oil for about 3 percent. Renewable energy would provide up to 24 percent of power and nuclear up to 22 percent, according to a document from the government's Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy.
That plan would raise Japan's total energy self-sufficiency rate to about 24 percent from the current 6 percent, it says.
More than 40 coal-fired power plants are planned or under construction in Japan. Abe's government is also promoting financing of such plants in its infrastructure development aid.
Critics contend the latest "energy mix" strategy is delaying an inevitable shift to renewable sources, while creating a raft of potentially obsolete, or "stranded" assets.
"These guys are risking a whole lot of public finance on something that may be overtaken by the accelerating cheapening of renewables," said Andrew DeWit, a professor at Tokyo's Rikkyo University.
Japanese local governments increasingly are investing in smart-city technologies such as high-tech electricity meters, heat recycling and other clean and renewable energy options, encouraged by efforts to decentralize power production to help boost sagging local economies.
Generating capacity from renewable energy, including solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal power was rising at an average annual rate of about 9 percent before 2012, and then jumped 32 percent in 2013 with the introduction of higher feed-in tariffs, mostly due to a boom in installation of solar panels.
But In October, major power companies suspended access to their electricity grids for renewable energy, saying further increases would make them too unstable.
And moves to reduce higher feed-in tariffs for solar and wind power, introduced after the Fukushima disaster, are deterring investors who need greater certainty over potential returns on projects, said Yasuyo Yamazaki, president of Kuni Umi Asset Management, a company that invests in solar and biomass energy projects.
Like many in Japan, he believes that reforms that eventually will separate power generation from transmission will help.
"Japan should be able to rely entirely on renewable energy for all of its needs," he said. "But there is a certain pathway we have to get through to get to our goal."
---
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Japan's Renewable Energy Plan for G-7 Not Green Enough

Japan's Renewable Energy Plan for G-7 Not Green Enough. Japan...

Study: Global Warming Has Not Stopped Or Even Slowed. Global warming has not stopped or even slowed in the past 18 years, according to a new federal study that rebuts doubters who've claimed that that heating trends have paused.
Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration readjusted thousands of weather data points to account for different measuring techniques through the decades. Their calculations show that since 1998, the rate of warming is about the same as it has been since 1950: about two-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit a decade.
The so-called hiatus has been touted by non-scientists who reject mainstream climate science. Those claims have resonated; two years ago, the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change felt the need to explain why the Earth was not heating up as expected, listing such reasons as volcanic eruptions, reduced solar radiation and the oceans absorbing more heat.
"The reality is that there is no hiatus," said Tom Karl, director of the National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina. He is the lead author of a study published Thursday in the peer-reviewed journal Science
One key to claims of a hiatus is the start date: 1998. That year there was a big temperature spike; some of the following years were not as hot, though even hotter years followed in 2005, 2010 and 2014, according to NOAA, NASA and temperature records kept in England and Japan. This year is on pace to break last year's global heat record.
Scientists keep updating the way they measure Earth's temperatures. This study focuses on the effects of the way ocean temperatures are taken. The old way, going back generations, is with ships. Sometimes people would dip a bucket in the way; other times they'd measure water that came into the engine. They also did it at various times of day.
The new way is on buoys at the same time of day. Karl said the buoy measurements are more accurate, but can't be compared directly to the ship measurements for a trend without making adjustments, because that would be comparing apples and oranges. So to come up with a trend using comparable numbers, NOAA increases the buoy temperatures a bit.
A few years ago NOAA made similar adjustments to make land temperatures more comparable decade-to-decade. But that also caused some non-scientists who reject climate change to cry tampering.
Several outside scientists contacted by The Associated Press said the new and previous adjustments are sound. Kevin Trenberth, climate analysis chief at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said the new work was "good and careful analysis" but only confirms what most scientists already knew, that there was no such hiatus.
A few years ago, a group out of University of California Berkeley - funded in part by the Charles Koch Foundation, whose founder is a major funder of climate doubter groups and the tea party- took what was initially billed as a skeptical look at the previous NOAA data. But they pronounced the earlier adjustments legitimate. The same scientists now say the new NOAA adjustments are also proper.
"NOAA is confirming what we have been saying for some time that the `hiatus' in global warming is spurious," Berkeley team chief and physicist Richard Muller said in an email. Muller said global warming continues but in "many fits and spurts."
John Christy of the University of <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/tornado-track-tuscaloosa-alabama/">Alabama</a> Huntsville, one of the minority of scientists who dispute the magnitude of global warming, said the Karl paper "doesn't make sense" because satellite data show little recent warming. "You must conclude the data were adjusted to get this result" of no warming pause, Christy wrote in an email. "Were the adjustments proper? I don't know at this point."
Others who reject warming, especially non-scientists, point to satellite records by Remote Sensing Systems that appear to show no change in temperature since 1998. Satellites measure a different part of Earth's atmosphere than ground and ocean monitors that NOAA, NASA and others use.
Carl Mears, senior research scientist for RSS, said those rejecting climate change based on his work or any one dataset are wrong and "seek to deny the reality of human-induced climate change by grasping at straws." Mears said the overall data consistently show long-term global warming and that it really hasn't stopped recently. The NOAA adjustments make sense, he said. Study: Global Warming Has Not Stopped Or Even Slowed
Karl said NOAA didn't adjust datasets in the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=arctic&amp;cvid=6943ae33ae8e4bcc9de685eb17342755&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Arctic</a>, where it is warming even faster, because there is a lack of reliable long-term records to compare. Had NOAA made those adjustments, the recent warming trend would be slightly larger, he said.
---
Online:
Science: <a href="http://sciencemag.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://sciencemag.org</a>
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information: <a href="http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov</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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Study: Global Warming Has Not Stopped Or Even Slowed

Study: Global Warming Has Not Stopped Or Even Slowed. Global...

California Pipeline Break "Extremely Unlikely" According to Texas Firm. A Texas company whose ruptured pipeline created the largest coastal oil spill in <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/tule-fog-across-californias-central-valley/">California</a> in 25 years had assured the government that a break in the line while possible was "extremely unlikely" and state-of-the-art monitoring could quickly detect possible leaks and alert operators, documents show.
Nearly 1,200 pages of records, filed with state regulators by Plains All American Pipeline, detail a range of defenses the company established to guard against crude oil spills and, at the same time, prepare for the worst should a spill occur. California Pipeline Break "Extremely Unlikely" According to Texas Firm
The company acknowledged the potential for <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=oil&amp;cvid=16742b90ecb44fc991776cfc4d1053b4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">oil</a> to leak from the 24-inch, 10.6-mile-long pipeline west of Santa Barbara. A team of experts organized by the company, however, assessed that risk as remote, according to the records, known as a spill response plan, and were released under the state's public records act.
"The pipeline and its operation are state-of-the-art," asserted the analysis submitted to the state. "Spills are still possible, though extremely unlikely."
On May 19, a 6-inch breach along a badly corroded section of the line caused up to 101,000 gallons of oil to spill, blackening beaches and creating a 9-mile ocean slick. The breach and the environmental damage have challenged the company's conclusions about safe operation and rigorous monitoring.
Last year, federal regulators endorsed the plan but the company is facing questions about whether it followed its own blueprint, or if it was outdated or inadequate. The analysis assessing the potential for a spill was initially conducted in 1994 and 1995, although sections have been modified as recently as last year.
Plains All American spokeswoman Meredith Matthews said it would be inappropriate to comment because of the ongoing federal investigation.
Kristen Monsell, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said the plan's list of endangered species is at least 20 years outdated and the company fell short in following through with its requirements. "It grossly understates the potential for an oil spill," Monsell said.
Members of Congress also want answers.
"We need to find out if the company lived up to the promises of its oil spill response plan," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said in a statement. "I'm concerned that they may not have moved quickly enough to detect and report the spill, which could have exacerbated the environmental damage."
The cause of the break has not been determined. But preliminary information released by federal regulators suggests that corrosion was the culprit.
Plains All American took a series of steps to ward off corrosion - the pipeline was treated with a urethane coating, as well as covered with foam insulation and an outer wrap. It was also shielded by what is known as cathodic protection, a low-level electric current that is run through the pipeline to inhibit corrosion.
An analysis concluded that the potential for a leak due to corrosion was "adequately mitigated."
Yet documents released by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration after the spill said testing conducted in early May found extensive external corrosion in some areas, although Plains said it had not received those results prior to the spill.
Additionally, federal inspectors said the area near the break had earlier been repaired because of corrosion. At the break point, over 80 percent of the wall thickness of the pipeline had been eaten away.
In 2010, the company agreed to spend over $40 million to prevent corrosion and improve leak detection on its pipelines as part of a settlement with federal officials, stemming from spills in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Kansas.
The Santa Barbara County pipeline, completed in 1990, is part of a network that moves crude oil to inland refineries. A handful of prior spills have taken place on the line, the largest about 1,200 gallons.
The plan repeatedly stresses the importance of notifying the government immediately of a leak. Under federal regulations, the company was to notify the National Response Center, a clearinghouse for reports of hazardous material releases, "at the earliest practicable moment." State law requires immediate notification of any release, or a threatened release.
Company calculations assume it should take no more than 15 minutes to discover a release and shut down the flow.
On May 19, an employee first confirmed the spill at 1:30 p.m. - two hours after the pipeline was shut down remotely. Despite its own plan calling for notifying the response center within an hour of a spill, Plains didn't contact the response center for nearly 90 minutes.
By then, the federal response led by the Coast Guard was underway, but the lag may reveal lapses in the company's planning, said Gerald Emison, a former deputy regional EPA administrator.
"It sounds like the company may not have followed its own protocol," said Emison. "The question is: Why didn't they?"
Company records describe an extensive system scrutinizing pipeline pressure and flow, which is controlled in Texas and set to trigger alarms if something goes awry.
However, it's not clear if it worked.
Pumps at an inland station were shut down at 10:45 a.m., but then restarted within 10 minutes. They were shut down again 20 minutes later. By 11:30 a.m., a Plains operator remotely shut down the entire pipeline because of what the company called pressure anomalies.
But it wasn't until 12:30 p.m. that Plains dispatched a worker to do a visual inspection. By that time, firefighters responding to a call about a petroleum smell near Refugio State Beach had discovered the spill.
---
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California Pipeline Break "Extremely Unlikely" According to Texas Firm

California Pipeline Break "Extremely Unlikely" According to Texas Firm. A...

Congress Forests

Republicans Resurrect Efforts to Increase Logging in National Forests. Drought has killed about 12 million trees in California's national forests. In the Rocky Mountain region, an epidemic of pine beetles has damaged trees over a stretch of 32 million acres. Altogether, up to 40 percent of the entire national forest system is in need of treatment to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire and disease.
As the national forests suffer from drought, density and infestation, House Republicans are resurrecting efforts to thin more quickly millions of acres and take down dead trees.
It's not a new battle by any means, but this time some of their proposals are winning positive feedback from the Obama administration, even as some environmental groups and House Democrats express concerns.
House Republicans have long sought more aggressive tree removal from national forest lands. Legislation in the last Congress would have required the government to increase significantly the amount of timber it offers for sale each year. The lawmakers say more aggressive timbering would make for a healthier forest and improve rural economies. But such mandates went nowhere in the Senate and prompted a veto threat from the White House.
This year, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/young-republicans-climate-change-2/">Republican</a>-led push is focused on slimming down and streamlining environmental reviews for projects and by making a lawsuit to stop a project potentially much more expensive to file.
The goal is to speed up timber harvests and the removal of underbrush the U.S. Forest Service deemed necessary. The House Natural Resources Committee is expected to vote on the bill on Wednesday.
When the U.S. Forest Service currently wants to undertake major work on a national forest, it talks with stakeholders such as the timber industry, local residents and environmental groups to develop a plan that addresses their concerns and uses the best science available. But, the process often takes too long and ends in a lawsuit, said a memorandum written by Republican staff for the House Natural Resources Committee. Republicans Resurrect Efforts to Increase Logging in National Forests
"These policies may be making environmental law firms rich, but they are killing our national forest," said Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees federal lands issues.
Democrats say they worry the legislation will reduce public participation and allow major projects to go forward without adequate review of the effect on the environment.
Under the proposed legislation, many projects fewer than 15,000 acres would be eligible for the streamlined review if the projects were designed to reduce hazardous fuel loads and disease, protect watersheds or improve critical habitat. That's five times the current limit of 3,000 acres.
Also, groups suing the federal government over a thinning project would often have to buy an insurance bond in the event they lose so that the federal government could recoup the expense of defending itself in court.
Tom Tidwell, chief of the U.S. Forest Service, did not take a position on the legislation during a hearing last week, but said he was encouraged by some goals of the bill.
Robert Bonnie, an undersecretary who oversees the Forest Service, told The Associated Press that some of the GOP's approaches are "interesting and we want to engage in the conversation."
But both men emphasized that the biggest problems they face are budgetary. Fires are eating up so much of the agency's budget that it has 39 percent fewer employees than it had nearly two decades ago.
"We're taking people out of the field that put together the projects to reduce fire in the first place," Bonnie said. "So even if you give the Forest Service a bunch of new tools and tool boxes, we don't have enough people on the ground to reach the type of scale we need. So we have to fix the fire budget."
Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., said that limiting environmental reviews can help in specific situations, "but this bill goes too far."
Nearly three dozen environmental groups wrote McClintock and Tsongas to oppose the bill, including the Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society and Defenders of Wildlife. "Under the pretext of `forest health' and `collaboration,' the bill does the opposite by moving toward analysis-free, high-risk production-based logging on our national forests and reducing collaboration," the groups wrote.
Kyle Tisdel, an attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center, said groups that end up suing the federal government to stop a project must take part in an extensive public participation process before they can go to court. He said the additional hurdle of requiring an insurance bond would have a substantial chilling effect on the public's ability to engage the government and take their case to a final arbiter.
"These organizations operate on shoestring budgets for the most part," Tisdel said.
The USDA's Bonnie also expressed concern about requiring groups suing the department to acquire a surety bond.
"It's important the public still have the ability to access the courts," Bonnie said. "The best approach we have to reduce litigation is these collaborative efforts on the ground."
---
This story has been corrected to show that projects would undergo a less extensive and detailed type of environmental review rather than be excluded from a review.
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Republicans Resurrect Efforts to Increase Logging in National Forests

Republicans Resurrect Efforts to Increase Logging in National Forests. Drought...

April Showers? More like May! Wettest Month on Record in US. Feeling soggy? Last month was the wettest on record for the contiguous United States, according to federal meteorologists.
On average 4.36 inches of rain and snow - mostly rain - fell over the Lower 48 in May, sloshing past October 2009 which had been the wettest month in U.S. records with 4.29 inches. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records go back to 1895. April Showers? More like May! Wettest Month on Record in US
<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/investigation-noaa-trump-dorian/">NOAA</a> climate scientist Jake Crouch calculated that comes to more than 200 trillion gallons of water in May.
Crouch said the record was triggered by a stalled pattern of storms that dumped massive amounts of rain in the central U.S., especially in <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=texas&amp;cvid=7c184dcdb8754cf194488a786d1607f0&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Texas</a> and Oklahoma, which had their rainiest months.
Oklahoma and Texas had been in a five-year drought and it was washed away in just one month, Crouch said: "It's like one disaster ending a catastrophe." April Showers? More like May! Wettest Month on Record in US
Colorado had its rainiest May on record. Arkansas, Nebraska and Utah had their second wettest month on record. Fourteen states had one of their 10 rainiest Mays on record, all of them west of the Mississippi River and east of California. April Showers? More like May! Wettest Month on Record in US
Still, parts of the Northeast were unusually dry. It was the second driest May for Massachusetts and the third driest May for Rhode Island and New Jersey.
Last month was 1.45 inches wetter than 20th-century average for May. It was only the seventh time the entire contiguous United States averaged four inches of rain or more.
The global climate phenomenon El Nino, which starts with a warming in the central Pacific and changes weather worldwide for a year or so, is usually associated with such heavy rainfall, Crouch said. He added that it is too early to say if it triggered the record moisture. Also, more heavy downpours are expected as the world warms, but Crouch said there's no way to connect climate change to a single, soggy month.
May's average temperature in the U.S. was 60.8 degrees, which is slightly warmer than the 20th-century average. However, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island had their warmest Mays on record.
---
Online:
NOAA: <a href="http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/summary-info/national/201505" target="-blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/summary-info/national/201505</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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April Showers? More like May! Wettest Month on Record in US

April Showers? More like May! Wettest Month on Record in...

Crude Oil Shipper Settles in Lac-Megantic Rail Disaster. MIAMI, June 9 (UPI) -- A company tied to the sale of the oil on the train that crashed in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, in 2013 said it agreed to contribute to a settlement for victims.

World Fuel Services Corp. said it agreed to contribute about $90 million to a compensation fund for victims of the 2013 derailment as <a class="tpstyle" href="http://ir.wfscorp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=101792&amp;p=irol-newsArticle&amp;ID=2057333" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">part of a settlement</a> with the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway and its bankruptcy trustees. Crude Oil Shipper Settles in Lac-Megantic Rail Disaster

"We believe that participating in the settlement and contributing to the compensation fund is in the best interests of our shareholders and will also aid in providing closure to those affected by this tragic accident," the company's chairman and chief executive officer, Michael Kasbar, said in a statement.

A World Fuel subsidiary sold the crude oil that was on the train at the time of the incident. More than 40 people were killed in Lac-Megantic after the derailment of a train carrying tankers of crude oil from North Dakota to Canadian refineries.

U.S. regulators in early 2013 started an operation dubbed Bakken Blitz to examine how shippers are classifying crude oils that may be more prone to detonate in some types of rail tankers. Supporters of the energy industry said they had questions about the concerns raised over Bakken oil, a grade found in North Dakota.

North American crude oil production has increased to the point that it's more than the existing pipeline infrastructure can handle, leaving energy companies to rely more on rail for transport. More rail disasters involving crude oil have occurred in recent years as a result.

In March, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada <a class="tpstyle" href="http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2015/03/09/Canada-under-pressure-after-oil-train-derailment/4341425905382/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dispatched investigators</a> to the site of a derailment of a train carrying crude oil through the village of Gogama in Ontario. The derailment was the second in the region in less than a month.

Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway blamed the air brakes on the locomotive holding the freight for the Lac-Megantic incident and later filed for bankruptcy protection.

Crude Oil Shipper Settles in Lac-Megantic Rail Disaster

Crude Oil Shipper Settles in Lac-Megantic Rail Disaster. MIAMI, June...

Researchers Rush to Understand Alaska's Warming Trend. A group of scientists from the Atmospheric Measurement Research (ARM) Climate Research Facility won’t be looking for gold or oil this summer as they crisscross Alaska’s North Slope in an airplane. Instead, the ARM Airborne Carbon Measurements V (ARM-ACME V) team—led by Sebastien Biraud from U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory—will run an aerial campaign from June 1 to September 15, measuring trace gas concentrations, aerosols, and cloud properties to find out why current climate models underestimate how rapidly the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=arctic&amp;cvid=8b84b04330e744e5babf08f7dc4b0bba&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Arctic</a> is warming. Researchers Rush to Understand Alaska's Warming Trend

Using the ARM Aerial Facility’s (AAF) Gulfstream-159 (G-1)research aircraft, the team will fly three possible flight paths between Prudhoe Bay, Oliktok Point, Barrow, Atqasuk, Ivotuk, and Toolik Lake measuring carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide—also known as trace gases—using two different types of gas analyzers and collecting air samples of trace gases with a 12-flask sampler. The aircraft payload also provides measurements of aerosol and cloud properties, atmospheric thermodynamics, and solar/infrared radiation.

Since arctic clouds are known to exert a significant influence on atmospheric radiation and may play a role in observed arctic warming, the ARM-ACME V campaign will also address populations of liquid droplets and ice crystals to help characterize the properties of cloud layers. Measuring aerosol concentration and radiation will help scientists examine how clouds and aerosols interact with each other and with different layers of arctic air.

This research will also link missions supported by multiple federal agencies, like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment missions and the DOE Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiment Arctic project, according to Biraud.

Verifying Ground-site Data
When passing over established ground sites, such as the two ARM sites at Oliktok Point and Barrow—the northernmost point in the United States—the G-1 will fly a spiral pattern up to a maximum of 10,000 or 20,000 feet, depending upon the strength of vertical mixing of gases. The data collected will be used to help put ground measurements being taken at these sites into a regional context. Other ground sites being covered include: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth System Research Laboratory at Barrow; the Long Term Ecological Research site at Toolik Lake; and two San Diego University sites at Atqasuk and Ivotuk.

The G-1 will follow a fourth flight path north, above the Arctic Ocean between Oliktok Point and Prudhoe Bay, alternately climbing and descending between 300 and 3,000 feet and spiraling up to 20,000 feet at the 75th parallel before returning. Such airborne observations are expected to help scientists accomplish a number of objectives that will enhance their understanding of Earth’s weather patterns in hopes of reducing the uncertainty of current global and regional climate simulations and projections.

[caption id="attachment_2382181" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/06/alaska-warming-pano_LBNL.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2382181" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/06/alaska-warming-pano_LBNL-300x233.jpg" alt="Airborne measurements taken during the ARM-ACME V campaign from June 1 to September 15 will include samples from as high as 20,000 feet to verify ground measurement readings over ARM facilities such as in Barrow (top) and Oliktok Point (bottom). (Credit: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)" width="300" height="233" /></a> Airborne measurements taken during the ARM-ACME V campaign from June 1 to September 15 will include samples from as high as 20,000 feet to verify ground measurement readings over ARM facilities such as in Barrow (top) and Oliktok Point (bottom). (Credit: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)[/caption]

The ARM-ACME V campaign flight patterns and instrumentation are designed to collect a unique data set of trace-gas concentrations and atmospheric properties, according to Beat Schmid, Technical Director of the AAF at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

"I believe our trace carbon-cycle gas observations are very accurate," he explains. "The data will be very detailed. I hope this plan will complement the work of other groups or agencies and add to our understanding of the carbon cycle in this sensitive region."

Improving Estimates for Emission Sources
By characterizing atmospheric gas mixing ratios (volume of gas per volume of air) across the North Slope, scientists hope to improve the estimates of the volume of gases like carbon dioxide and methane being emitted from biological sources such as Alaska’s permafrost layer which stores large amounts of carbon. Permafrost is thawing at an accelerated pace due to rising air temperature and this degradation releases carbon dioxide and methane—two greenhouse gases that affect the amount of radiant energy that can reach or leave the Earth. Scientists will also use soot spectroscopy observations to fine-tune their understanding of how heat-producing activities, such as biomass burning and oil and gas production, contribute to Arctic warming.

"Warming has two effects," according to Margaret Torn, co-principal investigator for the ARM-ACME V campaign. "As arctic tundra thaws, organic matter decomposes, releasing carbon dioxide and methane, two greenhouse gases. At the same time, the warming trend has a greening effect on Alaska that you can see from space. The additional photosynthesis occurring as a result of this greening takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. We want to determine when one effect is more important than the other—and why." Researchers Rush to Understand Alaska's Warming Trend

"These flights will also be looking at surface properties like albedo, which is the amount of solar radiation reflected by the Earth," Torn added. "When solar energy is reflected back into space, it reduces the amount of energy that is available to influence atmospheric convection and gas mixing. That affects the weather."

The ARM-ACME V campaign will also collect more detailed data on the distribution of aerosols that scientists can use to test the accuracy of climate simulation models. One goal is to learn more about the roles played by black and brown carbon in changing the balance between incoming energy from the sun and outgoing energy from the earth.

The G-1 research aircraft will be based at the airport in Deadhorse, <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/dust-streams-over-the-gulf-of-alaska/">Alaska,</a> just outside Prudhoe Bay. During the 15-week campaign, 16 team members will rotate in and out of Alaska in shifts of five for no longer than three weeks at a time. The team will make two or three four-hour flights per week, for a campaign total of 140 hours of observations.

"This is the leanest [staffed] G-1 deployment we have ever done!" shared Schmid.
ARM researchers have been taking airborne carbon measurements for a number of years that have contributed to understanding carbon exchange processes and how carbon dioxide and associated water and energy fluxes influence the amount of sunlight that is absorbed by the earth and how much energy is radiated back to space, as well convective processes and carbon dioxide concentrations over the ARM region. ARM-ACME campaigns have also focused on how greenhouse gases are transported on continental scales.

"Previous ARM-ACME campaigns over the Southern Great Plains documented greenhouse gases near the surface of the Earth that tell us about how land use, fracking and the ecosystem influence production of the gases," Torn concluded. "We also flew [measured] higher in the atmosphere, and those higher elevation measurements tell us how greenhouse gas concentrations are changing over a larger region."

---

<a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a>

Researchers Rush to Understand Alaska's Warming Trend

Researchers Rush to Understand Alaska's Warming Trend. A group of...

Land Management Practices to Become Important as Biofuels Use Grows. The handling of agricultural crop residues appears to have a large impact on soil's ability to retain carbon, making land management practices increasingly important, especially under a scenario where cellulosic materials become more heavily used as a feedstock for ethanol production, according to a recently published study led by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory.

“Plants and soil are carbon sinks,” said Argonne climate scientist Beth Drewniak, who led the study. “Soils lock carbon away for long periods of time. But when plant residues are harvested, not only are inputs of carbon and other nutrients to soil lost, but decomposition is accelerated, causing soils to lose additional carbon.” Land Management Practices to Become Important as Biofuels Use Grows

That fact becomes significant as the nation moves closer to a codified federal target of producing 136 billion liters of renewable fuels by 2022, of which 61 billion liters is expected to come from cellulosic ethanol, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Cellulosic biomasses are important alternatives to conventional ethanol feedstock like corn, which may actually increase greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, U.S. production of corn will be insufficient to meet large-scale demand for biofuels.

Carbon’s retention in soil helps keep carbon dioxide out of the air. Lands where conventional crops like corn and soybeans have been cultivated for extended periods have lost up to 65 percent of so-called soil organic carbon (SOC) when compared to grassland sites with their native vegetation intact, said Drewniak, corresponding author of the paper, “Modeling the impact of agricultural land use and management on U.S. carbon budgets,” recently published in the journal Biogeosciences.

While more modest carbon losses occurred when a greater percentage of the residue remained in the field, SOC increased by 2.6 percent when 90 percent of harvest residue is returned to the soil.

The study's results were generated using the Community Land Model (CLM)-Crop and are comparable to findings from physical studies. The CLM is a computer-modeling tool used to explore how land use and management techniques, including plant variety and fertilizer application, impact soil carbon levels at regional and global scales. CLM-Crop is used to examine the impact of land management practices on SOC storage in croplands in the continental United States during a 170-year period.

"Our simulations indicate that disturbance through cultivation will always result in a loss of soil carbon, and management practices will have a large influence on the magnitude of SOC loss," according to the paper.

For example, limiting or eliminating the use of fertilizer had the biggest impact on crop yields and SOC, combined. Fertilization, of course, increases yields, as well as the possibility to increase the amount of biomass returned to the soil as residue, allowing soil to keep nutrients absorbed during crop growth and improving the land's fertility.

Cellulosic biofuel production is expected to involve the use of crop residue—the stems and leaves of plants—but the increased use of residues for ethanol production could significantly reduce soil carbon storage capability, as well as plant productivity.

Soil is the Earth's single largest carbon storage container. With such an important role in the carbon storage cycle, it is critically important to understand how land management practices, beyond what is currently included in the CLM-Crops model, affect soil's carbon retention capability.

---

Funding for the study was provided by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program. Simulations for the study were made at the National Energy Research Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

Credit: <a href="http://www.anl.gov/">Argonne National Laboratory</a>

&nbsp;

Land Management Practices to Become Important as Biofuels Use Grows

Land Management Practices to Become Important as Biofuels Use Grows....

World's Biggest Polluters Make Offerings for Paris Climate Agreement. A global climate agreement being negotiated this week in Bonn is supposed to apply to all countries, from the polluters of large industrialized economies to tiny island nations.
But the major climate polluters are expected to lead the way by setting targets for reducing emissions of climate-warming gases including carbon dioxide, well in advance of the Paris summit where the agreement is supposed to be adopted six months from now.
To date, countries representing about one-third of global emissions have submitted what's known in U.N. lingo as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions. Early analyses by climate researchers and environmental groups show the combined impact falls short of the sharp cuts in emissions that scientists say are required to keep<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=global+warming&amp;cvid=5bd6f44a4a354b3b8e8c4597eb6635ac&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> global warming</a> in check.
Here's a look at what the biggest polluters have offered, each using their own timeframes and accounting methods:
EUROPEAN UNION: Collectively, the 28-nation EU is the world's third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The bloc has pledged to cut its emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. It's already halfway there, having slashed climate pollution by nearly 20 percent since 1990. Renewables like wind, solar and hydropower make up about 15 percent of its energy mix and the EU aims to boost that to 27 percent in 15 years.
UNITED STATES: The biggest climate polluter historically and current No. 2, the U.S. aims to make its 2025 emissions 26-28 percent lower than they were in 2005. That's equivalent to a 14-17 percent reduction below 1990 levels, according to Climate Action Tracker, a research group that analyzes countries' targets. In its submission to the U.N., the U.S. said it plans to achieve its target with a range of measures, including stricter standards on carbon pollution from power plants and motor vehicles and reducing the use of highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning.
MEXICO: Most developing countries aren't expected to cut their emissions in the next decade because they need fossil fuels - a key source of energy and emissions - to grow their economies. But they can slow the increase in emissions by boosting the share of renewables, increasing energy efficiency and other measures. Mexico has pledged for its 2030 emissions to be 25 percent lower than they would have been without any climate actions. It's willing to raise that target to 40 percent with financial and technological support from rich countries.
CHINA: The world's most populous country and top climate polluter is expected to submit its climate target to the U.N. by the end of June. But in a historic joint announcement with the U.S. in November 2014, it gave an indication of what the highlight will be: a pledge to peak its emissions around 2030. Some analysts project China's peak will come sooner. Much will depend on whether the country is able to reduce its dependency on coal for electricity generation. Coal generates the highest emissions of all fossil fuels. World's Biggest Polluters Make Offerings for Paris Climate Agreement
JAPAN: Japan, the world' fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, hasn't officially submitted a target to the U.N. but announced plans to reduce emissions by 26 percent from 2013 to 2030. Critics say that's less ambitious than what the U.S. and EU have offered. According to Climate Action Tracker, it corresponds to an 18 percent reduction below 1990 levels. The government wants to restart nuclear reactors that met upgraded safety standards following the 2011 disaster in Fukushima. Meanwhile, fossil fuels remain the preferred option, with more than 40 coal-fired power plants planned or under construction. Japan's plans call for fossil fuels to account for just over half of total power generation in 2030, with 24 percent from renewable energy and 22 percent from nuclear power.
RUSSIA: Moscow has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 25 to 30 percent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Russian emissions fell sharply with the collapse of the Soviet economy but have started climbing again. It's unclear how Russia plans to account for the effect on emissions of its vast forestry sector - forests absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Climate Action Tracker estimates that if forests are part of the Russian target, it would mean industrial emissions would only need to decrease by 6 to 11 percent compared to 1990.
CANADA: After withdrawing in 2007 from the Kyoto Protocol, the emissions treaty that the Paris agreement is meant to succeed, Canada has been widely viewed as a laggard in the U.N. climate talks. Ottawa has pledged to cut emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels in 2030. Observers of the climate talks have dismissed that target as too weak, but also raised questions about whether it can be achieved. There are doubts over whether Canada will meet an earlier, voluntary target to reduce its emissions by 17 percent in 2020, mainly because of growing emissions from tar sands projects.
OTHERS: India, Brazil and Australia are among the largest emitters that haven't yet presented their targets. U.N. officials hope that most countries will have done so by October so that they can be added up and their aggregate effect evaluated before the climate summit in Paris.
---
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

World's Biggest Polluters Make Offerings for Paris Climate Agreement

World's Biggest Polluters Make Offerings for Paris Climate Agreement. A...

Exxon's Request to Haul Oil Denied by California Officials. Officials denied a request Tuesday by Exxon Mobil to temporarily use tanker trucks to transport crude oil from offshore wells through Santa Barbara County after a recent pipeline break that has become the state's largest coastal oil spill in 25 years.
The move came on the same day that <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=california&amp;FORM=ANCMS9&amp;PC=HCTS">California</a> lawmakers formed a special legislative committee to investigate the May spill that caused as much as 101,000 gallons of oil to blacken beaches and create an ocean slick.
Santa Barbara County's Planning and Development director rejected Exxon's emergency permit application, saying it didn't meet the requirements for expedited review. Exxon can apply again through the regular permitting process, officials said. Exxon's Request to Haul Oil Denied by California Officials
Exxon normally moves oil from three offshore platforms through more than 10 miles of pipeline owned by Plains All American Pipeline. The movement has been stopped since the pipe ruptured on May 19, fouling beaches.
Environmental groups praised the decision.
"Trucking a million gallons of crude oil a day down winding coastal highways is a recipe for another disaster," said Kristen Monsell, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity.
Exxon Mobile spokesman Richard Keil said the company is disappointed and is reviewing its options.
The Western States Petroleum Association, an oil-industry lobbying group, said in a statement that the decision "reflects an unfortunate lack of understanding of, or sensitivity to, the energy realities California faces" and would force the state to import more oil.
In Sacramento, lawmakers announced the formation of the Select Committee on the Refugio <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/unhealthy-foods-spoil-the-benefits-of-a-mediterranean-diet/">Oil</a> Spill, which will hold hearings to investigate how to avert similar incidents.
Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat, said the spill was an avoidable tragedy.
The panel headed by Santa Barbara Democratic Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson will hold its first hearing later this month in Santa Barbara.
Jackson is also pushing legislation to increase the number of pipeline inspections and allow more boats to respond to future spills.
---
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Exxon's Request to Haul Oil Denied by California Officials

Exxon's Request to Haul Oil Denied by California Officials. Officials...

Jet Fuel Derived from Sugarcane Shrinks Airplane Emissions. Airplanes release a significant amount of CO2 with each takeoff and touchdown, and the EPA recently announced plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by the airline industry.

But researchers at the University of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=california&amp;cvid=9d773487d66c4d2ba7224986bb99cf87&amp;pglt=43&amp;FORM=ANNTA1&amp;PC=HCTS">California</a> at Berkeley have a solution: a sugarcane-derived jet fuel they say reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent.
<div></div>
Over the last quarter century, scientists have developed a variety of alternative fuels, sourced from all sorts of natural gases and biomasses. These fuels now power cars, trucks, buses and more. But <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/the-science-of-aging/">scientists</a> have yet to offer a viable alternative to the jet fuel that powers planes.

The demands of an airplane engine are many. Planes require fuel that is oxygen-free and stable at very low temperatures. Proper jet fuel must also possess the right boiling point and an ideal degree of lubricity so as not to erode the turbines over time.

A team of scientists led by Alexis Bell claim their new fuel meets all those qualifications -- and it's better for the environment. Jet Fuel Derived from Sugarcane Shrinks Airplane Emissions

"All of the carbon and any hydrogen required for the fuel are derived from biomass, rather than fossil fuels," Bell told Quartz.

Instead of using enzymes to break down and turn sugarcane biomass into fuel, Bell and his colleagues employ a substitute catalyst -- substances that elicit a desired chemical reaction but which don't actually participate.

After fermentation has broken the sugarcane down into carbon atoms like acetone, butanol and ethanol, the catalysts work to string together longer carbon atom chains called methyl ketones that can be used as the building blocks for effective fuel.

The work of Bell and his research partners, which has been funded by BP, was recently detailed <a class="tpstyle" href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/06/03/1508274112.abstract?sid=c63ba7c4-9764-447e-becc-1cf093d3e978" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in the journal PNAS</a>.

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<a href="http://www.upi.com/">UPI</a>

Jet Fuel Derived from Sugarcane Shrinks Airplane Emissions

Jet Fuel Derived from Sugarcane Shrinks Airplane Emissions. Airplanes release...

Paris Climate Agreement: What Countries Have Offered. Ethiopia on Wednesday became the latest country to present a plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions for a global climate pact that's supposed to be adopted in Paris later this year.
Ethiopia's emissions are just a tiny fraction of the world total, but the African country said that with support from developed nations it would bring them down slightly by 2030.
The submission, which came during climate talks in Bonn, means that U.N. now has targets covering 39 countries well in advance of the Paris summit.
However, early analyses by climate researchers and environmental groups show the combined impact falls short of the sharp cuts in emissions that scientists say are required to keep global warming in check.
Here's a look at what the biggest polluters have offered, each using their own timeframes and accounting methods:
EUROPEAN UNION: Collectively, the 28-nation EU is the world's third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The bloc has pledged to cut its emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. It's already halfway there, having slashed climate pollution by nearly 20 percent since 1990. Renewables like wind, solar and hydropower make up about 15 percent of its energy mix and the EU aims to boost that to 27 percent in 15 years.
UNITED STATES: The biggest climate polluter historically and current No. 2, the U.S. aims to make its 2025 emissions 26-28 percent lower than they were in 2005. That's equivalent to a 14-17 percent reduction below 1990 levels, according to Climate Action Tracker, a research group that analyzes countries' targets. In its submission to the U.N., the U.S. said it plans to achieve its target with a range of measures, including stricter standards on carbon pollution from power plants and motor vehicles and reducing the use of highly potent greenhouse gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning.
MEXICO: Most developing countries aren't expected to cut their emissions in the next decade because they need fossil fuels - a key source of energy and emissions - to grow their economies. But they can slow the increase in emissions by boosting the share of renewables, increasing energy efficiency and other measures. Mexico has pledged for its 2030 emissions to be 25 percent lower than they would have been without any climate actions. It's willing to raise that target to 40 percent with financial and technological support from rich countries.
CHINA: The world's most populous country and top climate polluter is expected to submit its climate target to the U.N. by the end of June. But in a historic joint announcement with the U.S. in November 2014, it gave an indication of what the highlight will be: a pledge to peak its emissions around 2030. Some analysts project China's peak will come sooner. Much will depend on whether the country is able to reduce its dependency on coal for electricity generation. Coal generates the highest emissions of all fossil fuels.
JAPAN: Japan, the world' fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, hasn't officially submitted a target to the U.N. but announced plans to reduce emissions by 26 percent from 2013 to 2030. Critics say that's less ambitious than what the U.S. and EU have offered. According to Climate Action Tracker, it corresponds to an 18 percent reduction below 1990 levels. The government wants to restart nuclear reactors that met upgraded safety standards following the 2011 disaster in Fukushima. Meanwhile, fossil fuels remain the preferred option, with more than 40 coal-fired power plants planned or under construction. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=japan&amp;cvid=7505d84402054d10a08425699cb2fc62&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Japan's</a> plans call for fossil fuels to account for just over half of total power generation in 2030, with 24 percent from renewable energy and 22 percent from nuclear power.
RUSSIA: Moscow has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 25 to 30 percent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Russian emissions fell sharply with the collapse of the Soviet economy but have started climbing again. It's unclear how Russia plans to account for the effect on emissions of its vast forestry sector - forests absorb carbon from the atmosphere. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mangrove-forests-in-oman-were-wiped-out-by-climate-change/">Climate</a> Action Tracker estimates that if forests are part of the Russian target, it would mean industrial emissions would only need to decrease by 6 to 11 percent compared to 1990. Paris Climate Agreement: What Countries Have Offered
CANADA: After withdrawing in 2011 from the Kyoto Protocol, the emissions treaty that the Paris agreement is meant to succeed, Canada has been widely viewed as a laggard in the U.N. climate talks. Ottawa has pledged to cut emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels in 2030. Observers of the climate talks have dismissed that target as too weak, but also raised questions about whether it can be achieved. There are doubts over whether Canada will meet an earlier, voluntary target to reduce its emissions by 17 percent in 2020, mainly because of growing emissions from tar sands projects.
OTHERS: India, Brazil and Australia are among the largest emitters that haven't yet presented their targets. U.N. officials hope that most countries will have done so by October so that they can be added up and their aggregate effect evaluated before the climate summit in Paris.
---
This story has been corrected to show that Canada left the Kyoto Protocol in 2011, not 2007.
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Paris Climate Agreement: What Countries Have Offered

Paris Climate Agreement: What Countries Have Offered. Ethiopia on Wednesday...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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.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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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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?

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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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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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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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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[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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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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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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