Plastic Burning Makes It Harder for New Delhi Residents to See, Study Suggests
26 February
Health + Wellness
New Delhi's smog is particularly thick, increasing the risk of vehicle accidents. SAJJAD HUSSAIN / AFP via Getty Images
India's New Delhi has been called the "world air pollution capital" for its high concentrations of particulate matter that make it harder for its residents to breathe and see. But one thing has puzzled scientists, according to The Guardian. Why does New Delhi see more blinding smogs than other polluted Asian cities, such as Beijing?
<p>To answer this question, scientists looked at the chemical composition of the region's smog and found that its density is likely linked to the burning of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastics</a>. The specific <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/chemicals" target="_self">chemicals</a> released by this burning and other industrial processes are responsible for around 50 percent of the low visibility, the study authors wrote.</p><p>How did they reach this conclusion? The study, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-020-00677-x" target="_blank">Nature Geoscience in late January</a>, measured the chemical composition of the particulate matter in the cities of Delhi and Chennai. These are both cities in the Indo Gangetic Plain, a region blanketed in dense smog, particularly in December and January, a PTI story published by <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/plastic-burning-fog-visibility-reduction-delhi-7163964/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Indian Express explained</a>.</p>
<p>The researchers found that the smog in both cities, though particularly in Chennai, had high amounts of chloride. The researchers then looked at which chemicals also spiked along with the chloride, and found it matched what would be released by the burning of plastic, The Guardian explained.</p><p>"We realised that despite absolute PM2.5 mass burden over Delhi being much less than other polluted megacities around the world, including Beijing, the pollution and atmospheric chemistry of Delhi is much more complex to understand," lead author and IIT Madras Department of Civil Engineering associate professor Sachin S Gunthe told PTI. "This work put forward importance of measurements and modelling approaches to scientifically conclude that half of the water uptake and visibility reduction by aerosol particles around Delhi is caused by the hydrochloric acid (<a href="https://indianexpress.com/about/hcl-technologies/" target="_blank">HCl</a>) emissions, which is locally emitted in Delhi potentially due to plastic contained waste burning and other industrial processes."</p>
<p>The low visibility is a deadly and costly problem for New Delhi, the study authors wrote. It increases car accidents and flight delays. Particulate matter in general caused 12,000 excess deaths in New Delhi in 2017, according to one estimate. But the burning of plastics poses other, unique risks, The Guardian explained. It can release highly toxic dioxins that contaminate the food chain and react with smog to increase levels of ground-level ozone, which have been linked to crop yield reductions of 20 to 30 percent.</p><p>However, the study's findings have one bright side.</p><p>"Given that we find plastic burning as a potential cause of the reduced visibility, we hope these findings will help policy makers to efficiently enforce and implement policies that are already in place towards regulating open burning of plastic contained-waste and other potential chlorine sources," Gunthe told PTI.</p>
<p>Still, the problem of plastic waste is larger than two cities in India. Around 90 percent of waste in low income countries is either left in dumps or burned outdoors, according to The Guardian. The emissions from the burning of plastics can also contribute to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>. This means the ultimate solution needs to be a global one.</p><p>"Better waste management needs to be a priority but eliminating plastic pollution also requires a rethink of global plastic production and use," Gary Fuller concluded for The Guardian.</p>
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A rare bird not seen for 170 years has turned up in Borneo's South Kalimantan province in Indonesia. robas / Getty Images
In October 2020, two men living in Indonesia's South Kalimantan province on Borneo managed to catch a bird that they had never seen before. They photographed and released it, then sent the pictures to birdwatching organizations in the area for identification.
<p>To the men's surprise, the bird wasn't just new to them. Ornithologists identified it as the black-browed babbler (<em>Malacocincla perspicillata), </em>a bird last documented around 170 years ago. It is so rare that the data on the <a href="http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=1428&Bird_Image_ID=28450" target="_blank">only collected specimen</a> lists it as "presumed extinct."</p><p>"It feels surreal to know that we have found a species of bird presumed by experts to be extinct," Muhammad Rizky Fauzan, who found the bird along with Muhammad Suranto, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/25/black-browed-babbler-found-in-borneo-180-years-after-last-sighting" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. "We didn't expect it to be that special at all — we thought it was just another bird that we simply have never seen before."</p><p>Ornithologist Panji Gusti Akbar was equally surprised when he saw Fauzan and Suranto's picture of the bird on WhatsApp, <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/02/mystery-bird-not-seen-in-172-years-makes-surprise-reappearace-in-borneo-forest/#:~:text=Mystery%20bird%20not%20seen%20in%20172%20years%20makes%20surprise%20reappearance%20in%20Borneo%20forest,-by%20Elizabeth%20Claire&text=The%20black%2Dbrowed%20babbler%20was,sometime%20between%201843%20and%201848" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mongabay reported</a>.</p><p>"I contacted as many leading ornithologists as possible, and they all agreed that there is no other bird that [it] looks [like] other than a black-browed babbler," Akbar told Mongabay. "It just blew my mind."</p>
<p>The black-browed babbler was first captured on an expedition to the East Indies in the 1840s, according to The Guardian. Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon's nephew, named and described it. German naturalist Carl A.L.M. Schwaner collected the only known specimen, now located at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands, Mongabay reported.</p><p>Lead author Akbar detailed the new find in a <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c1a9e03f407b482a158da87/t/6034c09a3440914018d3c306/1614071211606/Black-browed-Babbler.pdf" target="_blank">paper published in BirdingAsia</a> on Thursday. The report noted that this is the longest an Asian bird has been lost to science. The authors also detailed the rediscovered bird's physical characteristics and the differences between the one in the recent photograph and the taxidermied specimen.</p><p>"The facial appearance of the bird was very distinct, with the crown being chestnut brown, demarcated by a broad, black eye-stripe extending across the malars (cheekbone) to the nape and necksides," the report authors wrote.<br></p><p>There are three major differences between the live and stuffed specimens. The former has maroon irises instead of yellow; its legs are slate gray instead of brown; and its bill is a different color.</p>
<p>"These three parts of a bird's body are known to lose their tint and are often artificially colored during the taxidermy process," Akbar told The Guardian.</p><p>The researchers do not have enough information to determine the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> status of the rediscovered species, but they hope to do further study. However, The Guardian noted massive <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" target="_self">deforestation</a> in lowland Borneo, and Akbar believes habitat loss poses a threat. The bird's reemergence is another argument for preserving Borneo's unique <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/rainforest" target="_self">rainforest</a>.</p><p>"It's sobering to think that when the black-browed babbler was last seen, Charles Darwin's Origin of Species hadn't even been published and the now extinct passenger pigeon was still among the world's commonest birds," Ding Li Yong of BirdLife International and study coauthor said in a <a href="https://www.orientalbirdclub.org/club-news/2021/2/25/black-browed-babbler-rediscovered" target="_blank">press release</a>. "Who knows what other riches lie deep within Borneo's fabled rainforests, especially in the Indonesian part of the island?"</p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Could a 'Digital Twin of Earth’ Help Scientists Predict the Future of Climate Change?
25 February
Science
A "digital twin of Earth." European Space Agency
As the weather grows more severe, and its damages more expensive and fatal, current weather predictions fall short in providing reliable information on Earth's rapidly changing systems.
<p>That's why a team of European scientists and ETH Zurich computer scientists are putting their heads together to "marry" the earth sciences and computer sciences to create a "<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-00986-y?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nclimate%2Frss%2Fcurrent+%28Nature+Climate+Change+-+Issue%29" target="_blank">digital twin of Earth</a>." The simulation will provide an information system for scientists and policymakers to test scenarios with different sustainable development options, <a href="https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2021/02/a-highly-accurate-digital-twin-of-our-planet.html" target="_blank">ETH Zurich reported</a>.</p><p>"If you are planning a two-metre high dike in The Netherlands, for example, I can run through the data in my digital twin and check whether the dike will in all likelihood still protect against expected extreme events in 2050," Peter Bauer, deputy director for Research at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and co-initiator of the project Destination Earth, told ETH Zurich.</p>
<p>Over the past 20 years, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather">extreme weather</a> events have been on the rise, according to a <a href="https://www.undrr.org/news/drrday-un-report-charts-huge-rise-climate-disasters" target="_blank">report by the United Nations</a>. From 2000 to 2019, 1.23 million people were killed by 7,348 major natural disasters. Twenty years before that, in comparison, there were 4,212 natural disasters, killing 1.19 million. This increase comes with a heavy price tag. Extreme natural weather cost $2.97 trillion in global economic losses in the past two decades, compared to the $1.63 trillion, two decades prior.</p><p>These numbers are expected to grow, urging researchers to design large-scale policy solutions across nations.</p><p>As part of their plans to become climate neutral by 2050, the European Union launched the Destination Earth initiative to track and plan for the future of extreme weather, monitor the health of the planet and support and inform EU environmental policy, according to a <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/destination-earth-destine" target="_blank">EU policy report</a>.</p>
<p>In an effort to advance the "digital revolution of earth-system sciences" a team of scientists and researchers, including Bauer looked at the steady advancement of weather models since the 1940s, <a href="https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2021/02/a-highly-accurate-digital-twin-of-our-planet.html" target="_blank">ETH Zurich reported</a>. Their <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-021-00023-0" target="_blank">paper</a> was published Monday in <em>Nature Computational Science.</em></p><p>The climate problem is a complex one, requiring weather predictors to cover more than just local regions, but encompass the "complex processes of the entire Earth system," ETH Zurich reported. Yet, while their findings are not meant to "invalidate the steady progress achieved in weather prediction over the past decades," the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-021-00023-0" target="_blank">authors stress</a> the urgent need to develop a "high resolution" and "more realistic representation" of Earth's changing atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, land surfaces and biosphere.</p>
<p>"We are willfully destructive," Mami Mizutori, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction <a href="https://www.undrr.org/news/drrday-un-report-charts-huge-rise-climate-disasters" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said in a statement</a> about the UN report on natural disasters. "Disaster risk is becoming systemic with one event overlapping and influencing another in ways that are testing our resilience to the limit. The odds are being stacked against us when we fail to act on science and early warnings to invest in prevention, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction."</p><p>While the "digital twin of Earth" model is a bold step forward, it is necessary to ensure nations are prepared to handle the future of extreme weather, the authors wrote.</p><p>"The apparent effects of climate change on our environment — in particular on the frequency of occurrence and the intensity of environmental extremes — require urgent political response and much faster progress in delivering skillful predictions of future change," the authors wrote.</p>
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Melting ice in places such as Greenland could stop a critical ocean current. Paul Souders / Getty Images
The climate crisis could push an important ocean current past a critical tipping point sooner than expected, new research suggests.
<p>The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) helps move heat from the tropics to the Northern Hemisphere, and is one of the reasons why Europe has relatively mild winters, <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/a-major-ocean-current-might-be-on-the-verge-of-a-climate-change-tipping-point" target="_blank">Science Alert explained</a>. However, the current has begun slowing down in recent years, and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scientists" target="_self">scientists</a> want to know what it would take for the current to stop. A study published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/118/9/e2017989118" target="_blank">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Monday</a> calculates that this moment could come sooner than expected.</p><p>"It is worrying news. Because if this is true, it reduces our safe operating space," Johannes Lohmann of the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen and study co-author said in a <a href="https://www.tipes.dk/steady-now-unfortunate-timing-and-rate-of-change-may-be-enough-to-tip-a-climate-system/" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>Essentially, the new findings come down to timing. The AMOC is threatened by increasing freshwater into the North Atlantic as the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/greenland" target="_self">Greenland</a> ice sheet melts. A certain amount of freshwater will cause the current to stop. But Lohmann wanted to test what would happen if that water were added quickly instead of gradually.</p><p>"These tipping points have been shown previously in climate models, where meltwater is very slowly introduced into the ocean," Lohmann told <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/a-major-ocean-current-may-be-hurtling-towards-collapse-1846337333" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gizmodo</a>. "In reality, increases in meltwater from Greenland are accelerating and cannot be considered slow."</p>
<p>So researchers used an ocean model called Veros to calculate when the current would stop if freshwater were gradually added, the press release explained. Researchers then added freshwater at increased rates and found that quickly added freshwater would stop currents before reaching the initial freshwater threshold.</p><p>This has serious implications for the AMOC current itself. If it were to completely halt, tropical monsoon patterns would shift, rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere would decrease and the North Atlantic would get stormier. It also raises concerns about other climate tipping points, such as polar ice sheets collapsing or the Amazon rainforest drying out. If the AMOC can stop before the previously calculated tipping point is reached, is the same true for other systems?</p><p>"The results show that the safe operating space of elements of the Earth system with respect to future emissions might be smaller than previously thought," the study authors wrote.</p>
<p>However, outside scientists urged caution. Dave Sutherland, an associate professor in Earth sciences at the University of Oregon, told Gizmodo that the findings were important and timely, but that the models did not take all details into account, such as the location of the meltwater entering the ocean from Greenland.</p><p>Lohmann agreed that more testing is needed, but also pressed the urgency of climate action.</p><p>"Due to the potentially increased risk of abrupt climate change in parts of the Earth system that we show in our research, it is important that policymakers keep pushing for ambitious short- and mid-term climate targets to slow down the pace of climate change, especially in vulnerable places like the Arctic," Lohmann told Gizmodo.</p>
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Algal blooms from fertilizer pollution are among the causes behind global coastal darkening. Gooddenka / Getty Images
Coastal waters around the world are growing darker from pollution and runoff. This has the potential to create huge problems for the ocean and its marine life.
<p>Coastal darkening is a change in the color and clarity of water. According to <a href="https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/the-environmental-threat-youve-never-heard-of/" target="_blank">Hakai Magazine</a>, the underlying causes include fertilizer pollution creating algal blooms, along with boats stirring up silt. Both of these issues block light. Even heavy rains can contribute when they loosen organic matter from decaying plants and soil, carrying them to the ocean as a brown, light-blocking slurry, Hakai Magazine noted.</p><p>According to <a href="https://sciencenorway.no/environmental-surveillance-ocean/the-sea-along-norways-coast-has-gotten-darker-thats-bad-news-for-fish-seagrass-and-kelp/1804006" target="_blank">Science Norway</a>, sunlight hitting these particles gets absorbed or blocked, instead of penetrating further down the water column. The result is that the underwater world is darker. Science Norway also reported that the amount of loose organic material that ends up in the sea has increased during the last 30 years.</p><p>"It's affecting the quality of the sea we know," Oliver Zielinski, who runs the <a href="https://uol.de/en/icbm/collaborative-projects/coastal-ocean-darkening" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coastal Ocean Darkening project</a> at the University of Oldenburg in Germany, told Hakai Magazine.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://uol.de/en/icbm/collaborative-projects/coastal-ocean-darkening" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">project's website</a>, "Light availability in the coastal ocean is closely coupled to its physical, biological and chemical processes and is experiencing changes on all spatial and temporal scales." This will have profound ecological implications that are just beginning to be understood.</p>
<p>First, physical impediments create biological changes in water. A study from the Coastal Ocean Darkening project published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.547829/full" target="_blank">Frontiers in Marine Science</a> showed that as more organic matter blocked sunlight from penetrating the water, phytoplankton concentrations dropped. Because phytoplankton are the base of the oceanic food chain, decreasing numbers and shifting concentrations of specific types could have catastrophic, cascading consequences for the entire ecosystem, Hakai Magazine reported.</p><p>Over time, other biological changes in marine life might be observed, the study found. Decreased light availability benefits creatures such as jellyfish that don't rely on sight to hunt, while hindering those that are visual hunters, such as fish, Hakai Magazine reported. A <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230774741_Coastal_water_darkening_and_implications_for_mesopelagic_regime_shifts_in_Norwegian_fjords" target="_blank">2009 study</a> found that coastal water darkening was implicated in regime shifts of predominant animals in Norwegian fjords. For example, jellyfish enjoyed a "mass occurrence" after more than 70 years of coastal darkening in the fjords. </p><p>A 2021 report of Norwegian fjords found that darkening makes life difficult for plankton, kelp, seagrass and fish because all depend on light to make their food, reported Science Norway. Reductions in vast ecosystems, such as kelp forests and seagrass beds because of light scarcity, have negative consequences for fish species that use these areas as nurseries, the report added.</p><p>The Coastal Ocean Darkening study predicted that ongoing and future <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate change</a> would intensify this darkening. The climate crisis and warming ocean temperatures will <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-extreme-weather-2639274656.html" target="_self">result in more extreme weather</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-crisis-hurricanes-wetter-2639175731.html" target="_self">increased rainfall</a>, Science Norway reported. These, in turn, will intensify runoff into coastal ecosystems, causing browner, darker water. Human activity and changes in land use could also result in "large pulses of soil and sediment" smothering coastal ecosystems and reducing light penetration and water clarity, Hakai Magazine reported.</p>
<p>A separate study from the Norwegian Institute for Water Research published by the <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b03093" target="_blank">American Chemical Society</a> found that ocean darkening is also changing the chemical makeup of the water. When less light penetrates, methyl mercury, which results when sunlight breaks down toxic chemicals, lingers and accumulates in the water. This allows methyl mercury and other organic contaminants to readily transfer into the fish food web and, eventually, humans, Hakai Magazine reported.</p><p>So, what can be done?</p><p>Science Norway suggested stricter land-use regulations for areas that drain to rivers and other bodies of water. Reducing nutrient runoff to these areas will also reduce the amount that eventually makes it to the sea.</p><p>"For example, the authorities could impose stricter regulations on when farmers are allowed to plow their fields, or a requirement to preserve wetlands," said Helene Frigstad, the project manager behind the 2021 report on Norwegian fjords.</p><p>With this relatively unknown environmental phenomenon already altering waterways along the world's coasts, more research is needed to pinpoint exact consequences and potential solutions.</p>
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Yves Adams / Instagram
A rare yellow penguin has been photographed for what is believed to be the first time.
<p>Belgian <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> photographer Yves Adams snapped the shot in December 2019 on an island in South Georgia during a two-month expedition, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/yellow-penguin-photo-south-atlantic-b1804738.html" target="_blank">The Independent reported</a>. However, he first posted the photograph on Instagram this month.</p><p>"While unpacking our rubberboats merely after landing on a remote beach on the island of South-Georgia, this leucistic King penguin walked up straight to our direction in the middle of a chaos full of Sea elephants and Antarctic fur seals, and thousands of other King penguins," Adams wrote in his post. "How lucky could I be!"</p>
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<p>Leucism is a genetic mutation that causes some but not all of an animal's melanin to disappear, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/yellow-penguin-south-georgia.html" target="_blank">Live Science explained</a>. King penguins typically have black and white feathers with a yellow bow-tie-like stripe on the collar. Melanin, or dark pigment, is responsible for the darker feathers. While pigment anomalies in penguins are rare, they can be either melanistic (all black), albanistic (all white) or leucistic (a mix of both).</p><p>Dee Boersma, a University of Washington conservation biologist who was not a part of Adams's expedition, told Live Science that she agreed with his diagnosis.</p>
<p>However, Kevin McGraw, an integrative behavioral ecologist at Arizona State University who also was not a part of the expedition, was less sure, as he told Live Science:</p><blockquote>"It does look albino from the perspective that it lacks all melanin" in its plumage, feet and eyes, McGraw said. Still, "we'd need feather samples for biochemical testing if we aimed to unequivocally document," whether melanin is present, he said.</blockquote><blockquote>Animals can be albino but still have non-melanin pigment, he added.</blockquote>
<p>McGraw added that the mutation might put the unique penguin at a disadvantage, since penguins use their coloring for choosing mates and protecting themselves from both predators and the sun.</p><p>"It's conceivable that such color aberrations could impact both survival and reproduction," McGraw said.</p><p>For whatever the reason, the white-and-yellow coloring is rare enough that it has never been seen before, as far as experts are aware. A white chinstrap penguin was spotted in Antarctica in 2012, The Independent reported.</p><p>The rarity made Adams feel especially lucky to get a chance to photograph this individual. He said that it was one of at least 120,000 penguins in the colony.</p><p>"It was heaven that he landed by us. If it had been 50 metres away, we wouldn't have been able to get this show of a lifetime," Adams told The Independent.</p>
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The Crystal building in London, England is the first building in the world to be awarded an outstanding BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) rating and a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum rating. Alphotographic / Getty Images
By Stuart Braun
We spend 90% of our time in the buildings where we live and work, shop and conduct business, in the structures that keep us warm in winter and cool in summer.
But immense energy is required to source and manufacture building materials, to power construction sites, to maintain and renew the built environment. In 2019, building operations and construction activities together accounted for 38% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, the highest level ever recorded.
<p>To ensure that the Paris climate targets are met, the building and construction industry needs to become a climate leader by moving towards net-zero construction. Its CO2 emissions need to be cut in half by 2030 for building stock to be carbon-free by 2050, according to a recent <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/building-sector-emissions-hit-record-high-low-carbon-pandemic" target="_blank">report</a> by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).</p><p>In response, a raft of new net-zero building initiatives are focused on curbing emissions across the whole building lifecycle.</p><p>DW looks at five key points in understanding the push to carbon-free construction.</p>
<h3>1. Urbanization Is Skyrocketing, and That's a Problem</h3><p>A rapidly urbanizing world is compounding the massive impact of buildings and infrastructure on the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a>. According to urban climate-action initiative <a href="https://www.c40.org/networks/clean-construction-forum" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">C40 Cities,</a> 2.5 billion more people will flood cities (mostly in Asia and Africa) in the next three decades, while 60% of buildings required by 2050 still have to be built.</p><p>With the equivalent of a city of around 1.5 million people being constructed each week, carbon-heavy construction is skyrocketing, meaning the sector must rapidly decarbonize if global heating is to remain within the IPCC's limit of 1.5- to well below 2 degrees Celsius <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/will-it-soon-be-too-late-to-save-the-climate/a-49889771" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">above 1990 levels.</a></p><p>This will not be easy.</p><p>A <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/energy/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-efficient-buildings/energy-performance-buildings-directive_en?redir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">European Union directive</a> to achieve nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEBs) in all new structures by the end of 2020 was on track to achieve an 80% CO2 reduction, according to Lukas Kranzl, a senior scientist at the Vienna-based Energy Economics Group that is <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/projects/en/projects/zebra2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">monitoring</a> the nZEBs. Kranzl says this won't be enough to meet the Paris targets.</p><p>"We will need [almost] complete decarbonization in the building sector before 2050," he told DW, meaning that 95-100% emission cuts will be required.</p>
<h3>2. Independent Initiatives Might Have the Solution</h3><p>While Kranzl fears that some EU member states are not on the path to building and construction decarbonization, new independent initiatives are bringing together cities, companies and organizations to achieve net-zero building across the whole lifecycle.</p><p>The World Green Building Council's (WorldGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment is one such global initiative in which diverse stakeholders pledge to reach net-zero emissions for all new buildings by 2030, and all buildings by 2050.</p><p>Created in partnership with C40, the target was upgraded in September 2019 to include <a href="https://www.worldgbc.org/sites/default/files/WorldGBC_Bringing_Embodied_Carbon_Upfront.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">embodied carbon</a>, which is to say emissions generated, not only during operational life but "during the manufacturing, transportation, construction and end of life phases of all built assets." Embodied carbon itself contributes around 11% of all global carbon emissions.</p><p>According to Victoria Burrows, director of Advancing Net Zero at the World Green Building Council, this shift reflects a "wholesized approach to carbon emissions in the building and construction sector."</p><p>While net-zero buildings were previously focused on operational performance, especially in terms of energy efficiency via solar power or passive design, embodied emissions include the significant "upfront" emissions created during the extraction and manufacture of building materials. The whole lifecycle measure includes "use stage" and "end of life" carbon generated through building maintenance and final deconstruction.</p>
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<h3>3. Cement Causes More Pollution Than You Would Think</h3><p>When addressing embodied emissions, the construction phase that generates around 25% of greenhouse emissions is fundamental to the net-zero building revolution.</p><p>Reducing reliance on <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/carbon-intensive-cement-industry-feeling-the-heat/a-50546807" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">carbon-intensive cement</a>, the most widely used building material on earth that alone accounts for around <a href="https://reader.chathamhouse.org/making-concrete-change-innovation-low-carbon-cement-and-concrete#" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">8% of global CO2 emissions,</a> will be key.</p><p>Designers of carbon-neutral building are replacing cement framing in larger buildings with new sustainable cross-laminated <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/wood-renewable-construction-material-of-the-future/a-42012053" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">timber,</a> for example. Achieving a 20% reduction in building weight is matched by a similar reduction in "embodied energy." The end result is a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352710219302542" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">26.5% reduction in the "global warming potential"</a> of the building.</p><p>A new five-story apartment building in Boston's Roxbury district is leading the way. Its designers <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2020/mass-timber-sustainable-building-boston-0305" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">are using the revolutionary timber framing</a> to significantly reduce emissions from steel and concrete and achieve a net-zero standard.</p>
<h3>4. Scandinavia Is Becoming a Net-Zero Pioneer</h3><p>A report released by C40 in October 2019 showed that the construction industry alone could cut emissions from buildings and infrastructure by 44% by 2050. Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm have since <a href="https://www.c40.org/press_releases/mayors-of-copenhagen-oslo-and-stockholm-commit-to-clean-construction" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">committed to take a leadership role</a> in creating a global market for low-emission construction materials and zero-emission machinery.</p><p>Oslo, for instance, aims to make all city-owned construction machinery and construction sites operate with zero emissions by 2025. Meanwhile, Copenhagen's bold plan to be climate-neutral by 2025 will draw heavily on its commitment to zero-carbon construction. This will be achieved in part through "fossils- or emission-free construction machinery in construction projects," said Frank Jensen, mayor of Copenhagen.</p><p>With Stockholm also part of a cross-border tender for sustainable procurement of mobile construction machinery, such unified demand is designed to send a signal to the market, according to Victoria Burrows. The end result will be to "create a ripple effect" that will help kickstart the net-zero building transition.</p>
<h3>5. Diverse Sectors Embracing Carbon-Free Construction</h3><p>The success of the net-zero carbon buildings commitment hinges on involving stakeholders across the whole building supply chain, says Burrows. With building and construction able to "cut across many other sectors" in the fight against climate change, she notes that cement and engineering firms, cultural institutions like the Sydney Opera House, universities and city governments are committing to net-zero building.</p><p>So, too, are real-estate companies that might once have prioritized profits over reducing emissions. British global property giant Grosvenor Group and Canada's Avison Young, another international real-estate powerhouse, are among many others implementing a net-zero building roadmap — with or without government targets.</p><p>In December, Grosvenor Europe committed to reducing its carbon impact by 50% by 2030. It will partly achieve this by cutting energy use in its buildings by one-third, and the embodied carbon intensity of its developments by one half.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/5-things-to-know-about-carbon-free-construction/a-52747374" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A mix of public and private forests in Oregon's Coast Range. Beverly Law / CC BY-ND
By Beverly Law and William Moomaw
Protecting forests is an essential strategy in the fight against climate change that has not received the attention it deserves. Trees capture and store massive amounts of carbon. And unlike some strategies for cooling the climate, they don't require costly and complicated technology.
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<p>Yet although <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/one-trillion-trees-world-economic-forum-launches-plan-to-help-nature-and-the-climate/" target="_blank">tree-planting initiatives are popular</a>, protecting and restoring existing forests rarely attracts the same level of support. As an example, forest protection was notably missing from the $447 million <a href="https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/32B4E9F4-F13A-44F6-A0CA-E10B3392D47A" target="_blank">Energy Act of 2020</a>, which the U.S. Congress passed in December 2020 to jump-start technological carbon capture and storage.</p><p>In our work as <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=J2KWqAoAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">forest carbon cycle</a> and <a href="https://fletcher.tufts.edu/people/william-moomaw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate change</a> scientists, we track carbon emissions from forests to wood products and all the way to landfills – and from forest fires. Our research shows that protecting carbon in forests is essential for meeting global climate goals.</p>
<p>Ironically, we see the U.S. <a href="https://www.energy.gov/fe/services/petroleum-reserves/strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a> as a model. This program, which was created after the 1973 oil crisis to guard against future supply disruptions, stores nearly 800 million gallons of oil in huge underground salt caverns along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. We propose creating strategic forest carbon reserves to store carbon as a way of stabilizing the climate, much as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve helps to stabilize oil markets.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY4MzgzMi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTg1ODQwMH0.JF8lhBwySz0BppVO069s8lOcNJCXwb_oaur7elED1TI/img.png?width=980" id="7f070" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a93dd3b614971259e1420df421cfb12b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="736" />
The U.S. has more than 800 million acres of natural and planted forests and woodlands, of which nearly 60% are privately owned. USDA / USFS
<h3>Carbon Stockpiles That Grow</h3><p>Forests pull about one-third of all human-caused carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere each year. Researchers have calculated that ending <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation">deforestation</a> and allowing mature forests to keep growing could <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25138" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">enable forests to take up twice as much carbon</a>.</p><p>Half of a tree's stems, branches and roots are composed of carbon. Live and dead trees, along with forest soil, hold the equivalent of <a href="http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca9825en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">80% of all the carbon currently in Earth's atmosphere</a>.</p><p>Trees accumulate carbon over extremely long periods of time. For example, redwoods, Douglas firs and western red cedars in the coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest can live for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0901970106" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">800 years or more</a>. When they die and decompose, much of that carbon ends up in soil, where it is stored for centuries or millennia.</p><p>Mature trees that have reached full root, bark and canopy development deal with climate variability better than young trees. Older trees also store more carbon. <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-old-growth-forests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Old-growth trees</a>, which usually are hundreds of years old, store enormous quantities of carbon in their wood, and accumulate more carbon annually.</p>
<p>There are many fallacies about forest carbon storage, such as the concern that wildfires in the American West are <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/California-wildfires-emitted-a-huge-amount-of-15775044.php" target="_blank">releasing huge quantities of carbon</a> into the atmosphere. In fact, fires are a relatively small carbon source. For example, the massive Biscuit Fire, which burned 772 square miles in southwest Oregon in 2002, emitted <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720064115" target="_blank">less than 10% of Oregon's total emissions that year</a>.</p><p>Another false claim is that it's OK from a climate perspective to cut trees and turn them into furniture, plywood and other items because <a href="https://oregonforests.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/OFRI_CarbonSpecialReport_DIGITAL.pdf" target="_blank">wood products</a> can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1904231116" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">store substantial amounts of carbon</a>. These assertions fail to count <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s13021-016-0066-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cradle-to-grave emissions</a> from logging and manufacturing, which can be substantial.</p><p>The wood products industry releases carbon in many ways, from manufacturing products and burning mill waste to the breakdown of short-lived items like paper towels. It takes decades to centuries for newly planted forests to accumulate the carbon storage levels of mature and old forests, and many planted forests are <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3691-2013" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">repeatedly harvested</a>.</p>
<p>In a review that we conducted with colleagues in 2019, we found that overall, U.S. state and federal reporting <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab28bb" target="_blank">underestimated wood product-related carbon dioxide emissions by 25% to 55%</a>. We analyzed Oregon carbon emissions from wood that had been harvested over the past century and discovered that 65% of the original carbon returned to the atmosphere as CO2. Landfills retained 16%, while just 19% remained in wood products.</p><p>In contrast, protecting high carbon-density western U.S. forests that have low vulnerability to mortality from drought or fire would sequester the equivalent of about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2039" target="_blank">six years</a> of fossil fuel emissions from the entire western U.S., from the Rocky Mountain states to the Pacific coast.</p>
<h3>Focus on Big Trees</h3><p>In a recently published analysis of carbon storage in six national forests in Oregon, we showed why a strategic forest carbon reserve program should <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2020.594274" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">focus on mature and old forests</a>. Big trees, with trunks more than 21 inches in diameter, make up just 3% of these forests but store 42% of the above-ground carbon. Globally, a 2018 study found that the largest-diameter 1% of trees hold <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12747" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">half of all the carbon stored in the world's forests</a>.</p><p>Findings like these are spurring interest in the idea of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2019.00027" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">proforestation</a> – keeping existing forests intact and letting them grow to their full potential. Advocates see proforestation as an effective, immediate and low-cost strategy to store carbon. Older forests are more resilient to climate change than <a href="https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v64i0.17159" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">young</a> tree plantations, which are more susceptible to drought and severe wildfires. Like the 2,000-year-old redwoods in California that have <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/2-000-year-old-redwoods-survive-wildfire-california-s-oldest-n1237949" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">survived recent wildfires</a>, many tree species in old forests have lived through past climate extremes.</p><p>Creating forest carbon reserves would also conserve critical habitat for many types of wildlife that are threatened by human activities. Connecting these reserves to other parks and refuges could help <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-climate-corridors-help-species-adapt-to-warming-world-61190" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">species that need to migrate</a> in response to climate change.</p>
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<h3>Using Forests to Meet Climate Goals</h3><p>More than half of U.S. forested lands <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/inf/nrs_inf_31_15-NWOS-whoowns.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">are privately owned</a>, so strategic forest carbon reserves should be established on both public and private lands. The challenge is paying for them, which will require a major shift in government and societal priorities. We believe that transferring public investment in oil and gas subsidies to pay private land owners to keep their forests growing could act as a <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/or/technical/cp/?cid=stelprdb1262209" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">powerful incentive</a> for private land owners.</p><p>Many researchers and conservation advocates have called for comprehensive actions to <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-solve-climate-change-and-biodiversity-loss-we-need-a-global-deal-for-nature-115557" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slow climate change and reduce species losses</a>. One prominent example is the <a href="https://www.ncel.net/2020/02/27/30x30-land-and-water-conservation-in-the-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">30x30 initiative</a>, which seeks to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw2869" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">conserve 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030</a>. In an executive order on Jan. 27, 2021, President Biden directed his administration to develop plans for conserving at least 30% of <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">federally controlled lands and waters</a> by 2030.</p><p>Recent projections show that to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, governments will have to increase their pledges to reduce carbon emissions by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00097-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">as much as 80%</a>. We see the next 10 to 20 years as a critical window for climate action, and believe that permanent protection for mature and old forests is the greatest opportunity for near-term climate benefits.</p>
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<em>Beverly Law is professor emeritus of global change biology and terrestrial systems science at Oregon State University.<br/>
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<em><span style="background-color: initial;">William Moomaw is p</span>rofessor emeritus of international environmental policy at Tufts University.</em>
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<em>Disclosure statements: Beverly Law receives funding from U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. She is a Fellow of the Earth Leadership Program. </em><em>William Moomaw receives funding from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. He is affiliated with the Woodwell Climate Research Center, the Climate Group – North America, the Earthwatch Institute and the Nature Conservancy.</em>
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<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/keeping-trees-in-the-ground-where-they-are-already-growing-is-an-effective-low-tech-way-to-slow-climate-change-154618" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em></p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154618/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>From Your Site Articles
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The Milky Way seen from the Izu Peninsula, Japan, on the Pacific Ocean coast. Krzysztof Baranowski / Moment / Getty Images
When you look up at the Milky Way, you may be looking at stars surrounded by planets with oceans like ours.
<p>A study published in<em> <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/7/8/eabc0444" target="_blank">Science Advances</a> </em>on Feb. 17 found that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/water" target="_self">water</a> could have been part of Earth's early formation, increasing the likelihood that this would be the case for other planets, too.</p><p>"All our data suggest that water was part of Earth's building blocks, right from the beginning. And because the water molecule is frequently occurring, there is a reasonable probability that it applies to all planets in the Milky Way," study lead author professor Anders Johansen from the Centre for Star and Planet Formation at the GLOBE Institute at the University of Copenhagen said in a <a href="https://healthsciences.ku.dk/newsfaculty-news/2021/02/the-milky-way-may-be-swarming-with-planets-with-oceans-and-continents-like-here-on-earth/" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p>
<p>Scientists previously theorized that water arrived on planets like Earth after they formed through collisions with ice asteroids. This would make the presence of water on any planet in the galaxy a matter of chance. But, in recent years, new theories have emerged. Another <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/origin-water-earth-2647413989.html" target="_self">paper published in August 2020</a> found that water may have been part of Earth's original building blocks.</p><p>That paper, led by the French-based Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, drew its conclusions by looking at the composition of a type of meteorite that has a similar composition to early Earth.</p>
<p>The new study, on the other hand, was based on computer models. The researchers modeled planet formation to see how long it would take using which building blocks. They calculated that Earth, Venus and Mars were all made through a process called "pebble accretion," in which millimeter-sized particles of dust and ice gather together into planets.</p><p>"Up to the point where Earth had grown to one percent of its current mass, our planet grew by capturing masses of pebbles filled with ice and carbon. Earth then grew faster and faster until, after five million years, it became as large as we know it today," Johansen said in the press release.</p>
<p>This theory does not require water to be brought to a planet from outside. Instead, what determines the presence of liquid water on the planet is how far it is from its sun. It also increases the likelihood that liquid water would form on other planets in our galaxy, since they could have formed in the same way from the same materials.</p><p>This, in turn, increases the chance that these planets would host extraterrestrial life.</p><p>'With our model, all planets get the same amount of water, and this suggests that other planets may have not just the same amount of water and oceans, but also the same amount of continents as here on Earth. It provides good opportunities for the emergence of life," study co-author professor Martin Bizzarro, also at the University of Copenhagen, said in the press release.</p>
<p>This is not the first study to suggest that other planets in our galaxy were likely to have oceans. A<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/are-planets-with-oceans-common-in-the-galaxy-it-s-likely-nasa-scientists-find" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> NASA-led study published in June of 2020</a> looked at the likelihood that other planets in the Milky Way would have ice-covered oceans similar to those on Saturn's moon Enceladus and Jupiter's moon Europa. They calculated that 14 of the 53 planets they studied could be ocean worlds.</p>
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Earth’s Magnetic Field Broke Down 42,000 Years Ago, Causing Massive and Sudden Climate Change
23 February
Science
Illustration of Earth's magnetic fields. Elements of this image furnished by NASA. Elen11 / iStock / Getty Images Plus
By Chris Fogwill, Alan Hogg, Chris Turney and Zoë Thomas
The world experienced a few centuries of apocalyptic conditions 42,000 years ago, triggered by a reversal of Earth's magnetic poles combined with changes in the Sun's behavior. That's the key finding of our new multidisciplinary study, published in Science.
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<p>This last major geomagnetic reversal triggered a series of dramatic events that have far-reaching consequences for our planet. They read like the plot of a horror movie: the ozone layer was destroyed, electrical storms raged across the tropics, solar winds generated spectacular light shows (auroras), Arctic air poured across North America, ice sheets and glaciers surged and weather patterns shifted violently.</p><p>During these events, life on Earth was exposed to intense ultraviolet light, Neanderthals and giant animals known as megafauna went extinct, while modern humans sought protection in caves.</p>
<p>The magnetic north pole – where a compass needle points to – does not have a permanent location. Instead, it usually wobbles around close to the geographic north pole – the point around which Earth spins – over time due to movements within Earth's core.</p><p>For reasons still not entirely clear, magnetic pole movements can sometimes be more extreme than a wobble. One of the most dramatic of these pole migrations took place some 42,000 years ago and is known as the Laschamps Excursion – named after the village where it was discovered in the French Massif Central.</p><p>The Laschamps Excursion has been recognized around the world, including most recently in <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-found-the-first-australian-evidence-of-a-major-shift-in-earths-magnetic-poles-it-may-help-us-predict-the-next-155040" target="_blank">Tasmania, Australia</a>. But up until now, it has not been clear whether such magnetic changes had any impacts on climate and life on the planet. Our new work draws together multiple lines of evidence that strongly suggest the effects were indeed global and far-reaching.</p>
<h3>Ancient Trees</h3><p>To investigate what happened, we analyzed ancient New Zealand <a href="https://theconversation.com/lord-of-the-forest-new-zealands-most-sacred-tree-is-under-threat-from-disease-but-response-is-slow-100447" target="_blank">kauri trees</a> that had been preserved in peat bogs and other sediments for more than 40,000 years. Using the annual growth rings in the kauri trees, we have been able to create a detailed timescale of how Earth's atmosphere changed over this time. The trees revealed a prolonged spike in atmospheric radiocarbon levels caused by the collapse of Earth's magnetic field as the poles switched, providing a way of precisely linking widely geographically dispersed records.</p>
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<p>"The kauri trees are like the Rosetta Stone, helping us tie together records of environmental change in caves, ice cores, and peat bogs around the world," said professor Alan Cooper, who co-led this research project.</p><p>Using the newly-created timescale, we were able to show that tropical Pacific rain belts and the Southern Ocean westerly winds abruptly shifted at the same time, bringing arid conditions to places like Australia at the same time as a range of megafauna, including giant kangaroos and giant wombats <a href="https://theconversation.com/dna-evidence-proves-climate-change-killed-off-prehistoric-megafauna-45080" target="_blank">went extinct</a>. Further north, the vast Laurentide Ice Sheet rapidly grew across the eastern U.S. and Canada, while in Europe the Neanderthals spiraled into extinction.</p>
<h3>Climate Modeling</h3><p>Working with a computer program that simulated the global interactions between chemistry and the climate, we investigated the impact of a weaker magnetic field and changes in the Sun's strength. Importantly, during the magnetic switch, the strength of the magnetic field plummeted to less than 6% of what it is today. A compass back then would struggle to even find north.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY3Njc4NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzE0OTcyNX0._6giz_hkdx8BolumooinqSERhaRFMZEnSqsHFHaVG5I/img.jpg?width=980" id="c8f93" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b649fb72ee55c49e794cdcf3f90b1eb9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="676" />
An ancient kauri tree log from Ngāwhā, New Zealand. Nelson Parker, author provided
<p>With essentially no magnetic field, our planet totally lost its very effective shield against cosmic radiation, and many more of these very penetrating particles from space could access the top of the atmosphere. On top of this, the Sun experienced several "grand solar minima" throughout this period, during which the overall solar activity was generally much lower but also more unstable, sending out numerous massive solar flares that allowed more powerful ionizing cosmic rays to reach Earth.</p><p>Our models showed that this combination of factors had an amplifying effect. The high energy cosmic rays from the galaxy and also enormous bursts of cosmic rays from solar flares were able to penetrate the upper atmosphere, charging the particles in the air and causing chemical changes that drove the loss of stratospheric ozone.</p><p>The modeled chemistry-climate simulations are consistent with the environmental shifts observed in many natural climate and environmental change archives. These conditions would have also extended the dazzling light shows of the aurora across the world – at times, nights would have been as bright as daytime. We suggest the dramatic changes and unprecedented high UV levels caused early humans to seek shelter in caves, explaining the apparent sudden flowering of cave art across the world 42,000 years ago.</p><p>It must have seemed like the end of days.</p>
<h3>The Adams Event</h3><p>Because of the coincidence of seemingly random cosmic events and the extreme environmental changes found around the world 42,000 years ago, we have called this period the "Adams Event" – a tribute to the great science fiction writer Douglas Adams, who wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and identified "42" as the answer to life, the universe and everything. Douglas Adams really was onto something big, and the remaining mystery is how he knew?</p>
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<em>Chris Fogwill is a professor of glaciology and palaeoclimatology, and the head of school geography, geology and the environment and director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures, Keele University.<br/>
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<em>Alan Hogg is a professor and director of the Carbon Dating Laboratory, University of Waikato.</em>
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<em>Chris Turney is a professor of earth science and climate change, director of the Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre, director of Chronos 14Carbon-Cycle Facility, and UNSW director of the ARC Centre for Excellence in Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, UNSW.<br/>
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<em>Zoë Thomas is an ARC DECRA fellow, UNSW.</em>
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<em>Disclosure statements: Chris Fogwill receives funding from UKRI and the Australian Research Council. A huge thanks to professor Alan Cooper, honorary researcher at the South Australian Museum, who co-led this study, adjunct professor Ken McCracken and Dr. Jonathan Palmer at the University of New South Wales, Drew Lorrey at the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Dr. Janet Willmshurst at Landcare Research and our co-authors on the published article.</em>
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<em>Professor Alan Hogg works for University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand. He is an associate investigator in a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden grant - MFP-NIW1803: Dr. Andrew Lorrey, NIWA, Auckland, principal investigator.</em>
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<em>Chris Turney receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is a scientific advisor to cleantech graphite company CarbonScape (<a href="https://www.carbonscape.com/" target="_blank">https://www.carbonscape.com</a>).</em>
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<em>Zoë Thomas receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</em>
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<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/earths-magnetic-field-broke-down-42-000-years-ago-and-caused-massive-sudden-climate-change-155580" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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This is among the first high-resolution, color image to be sent back by the Hazard Cameras on the underside of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover after its landing on Jezero crater on Mars on February 18, 2021. NASA / Getty Images
U..S space agency NASA has released a video and the first ever audio clip from Mars, a faint wind sound captured by the Perseverance rover.
<p>Several images of the landing were <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/mars-perseverance-sends-back-first-color-images/a-56633251" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">released earlier</a>, but it took days for the video signal to be relayed to Earth. </p><p>The 3 minute 25 second video clip released on Monday shows the last few kilometers of Perseverance's trip.</p>
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<p>After the parachute opens during the descent, the spacecraft touches down on the dusty red surface of the planet.</p><p>"These are really amazing videos," Michael Watkins, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said at a briefing for reporters. "This is the first time we've ever been able to capture an event like the landing on Mars. We all watched them over the weekend many, many times."</p><p>NASA also released several new higher resolution panoramic images during the press conference.</p>
<div id="76947" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="10dd970dcf8dc0b6fa4bc8849d0df6c6"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1363954814497943552" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Scan this image for the various pieces of my landing system, which did their jobs perfectly before coming to rest o… https://t.co/Izucl5yA5f</div> — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover)<a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/statuses/1363954814497943552">1614027143.0</a></blockquote></div>
<h2>What Does Mars Sound Like?</h2><p>Though the two onboard microphones weren't turned on during the descent, the rover was able to capture audio once it landed.</p><p>The short audio clip may not be spectacular, but it is the first sound recording from another planet.</p><p>NASA is building a "Martian playlist," collected on the website, Sounds of Mars.</p><p>"Stay tuned," said NASA. "We may soon hear the sounds of another world."</p>
<div id="4739f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c4ef05cbef85acd40fb1eae0c9ef982b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1363937472971907072" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Now that you’ve seen Mars, hear it. Grab some headphones and listen to the first sounds captured by one of my micro… https://t.co/nEnrUY7Js9</div> — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover)<a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/statuses/1363937472971907072">1614023008.0</a></blockquote></div>
<h2>Mission Update</h2><p>The newly launched rover is operating as expected, said Jessica Samuels, Perseverance's surface mission manager.</p><p>"I am happy to report that Perseverance is healthy," she said.</p><p>In another mission update, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/mars-nasa-releases-first-video-and-audio-of-rover-landing/a-56657373" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the small helicopter Ingenuity</a>, which was delivered by the rover, sent its first status report to the control center in Pasadena, California. According to NASA, it too appears to be "functioning perfectly."</p><p>Still attached to the underside of Perseverance, the helicopter will begin exploring Mars in 30 to 60 days, offering viewers a bird's-eye view of the surface.</p><p>It would be the first flight of an air vehicle over another planet.</p><h2>What's Next?</h2><p>Perseverance's main mission is to search for traces of past microbial life on Mars and study the planet's climate and geology.</p><p>The rover itself weighs about 2,200 pounds and is the size of a small car.</p><p>On Thursday it set off on another mission, a risky maneuver to a dried-up lake called Jezero Crater. With a diameter of about 28 miles, Perseverance will explore the crater over the next two years.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/mars-nasa-releases-first-video-and-audio-of-rover-landing/a-56657373" target="_blank"> Deutsche Welle</a></em><em>.</em></p>
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Pollution from factories in Estonia in the early 1990s. Bernard Bisson / Sygma via Getty Images
In the late 1980s, scientists noticed something odd. Less of the sun's brightness was reaching Earth's surface, leaving us with a darker planet.
<p>This phenomenon, known as "global dimming," is now in reverse, according to <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/variations-in-sunlight-have-more-to-do-with-human-pollution-than-clouds" target="_blank">Science Alert</a>. But a mystery remained. What was driving the shifts in brightness? Was it human-caused <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a> or natural variations in cloud cover?</p><p>A new study published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020GL092216" target="_blank">Geophysical Research Letters</a> this month comes down firmly on the side of air pollution.</p>
<p>"Although we'd already assumed as much, we'd been unable to prove it directly until now," study lead author and ETH Zurich professor Martin Wild said in a <a href="https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2021/02/human-impact-on-solar-radiation-levels-for-decades.html" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>In order to prove it, Wild and his team looked at "one of the longest and best‐maintained records of sunlight measured at Potsdam, Germany," they wrote in the study. The record covered the period from 1947 to 2017, according to the press release.</p>
<p>The researchers were able to filter out the impacts of clouds and study brightness on both cloudy and sunny days. This enabled them to determine that overall patterns in both dimming and brightening remained consistent without cloud cover.</p><p>"This implies that aerosol pollutants play a crucial role in these variations and points to a discernible human influence on the vital level of sunlight required for sustainable living conditions," the paper authors wrote.</p>
<p>The findings match up with the historical record. Global dimming was originally worse in the northern hemisphere, which saw dimming of four to eight percent between 1961 and 1990, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/may/11/global-dimming-pollution" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. In one part of the former Soviet Union, the sky dimmed by nearly 30 percent between the 1950s and the late 1980s, Science Alert pointed out.</p><p>However, the trend in Europe and North America began to reverse just as these regions enacted clean air legislation in the 1990s, The Guardian reported. At the same time, the economy of the former communist countries collapsed, also reducing pollution, according to ETH Zurich.</p>
<p>The dimming trend in the southern hemisphere, meanwhile, has been smaller since mid century but has continued with regional variations, according to The Guardian. China and India have continued to dim as their rapid industrialization progresses.</p><p>Aerosol pollution can dim the sun because these tiny particles reflect and absorb solar radiation before it reaches Earth. This can have profound impacts on planetary systems, ETH Zurich noted. For one thing, it alters the water cycle because it impacts evaporation, cloud formation and then precipitation. During the period of widespread global dimming, less water evaporated and less rain fell.</p>
<p>It also may have masked the impacts of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>, since less sunlight leads to a cooler planet.</p><p>"Glacial retreat accelerated when the atmosphere began brightening again," Wild said in the press release.</p><p>Areas that began to brighten again also grew quickly warmer, according to The Guardian.</p><p>This has led some to suggest intentionally dimming the planet through <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/solar-geoengineering-climate-crisis-2647709342.html" target="_self">solar geoengineering</a> to combat climate change, according to Science Alert. However, some warn this could have unintended consequences. Another study found that regional dimming linked to Arctic mining inhibited tree growth.</p>
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