Pictojam
#climatechange
Beavers are Front Line Warriors Against Climate Change
Beavers build dams, which gives them a unique niche in the ecosystem. The are sometimes seen as a nuisance, but only because the confound human plans for the land. The effects of the dams and ponds that beavers build help keep the earth from warming as fast as it would without them. New studies show that they can even assuage the damage of wildfires, drought, and even heat waves! Now if we could just agree on letting them have their way with the wilder parts of the world, beavers could prove to be more useful than we ever knew. -via Vox#beaver #climatechange #environment
Climate Change is Making Meerkats Sick
Meerkats are native to the Kalahari Desert, across several nations in Africa. Tuberculosis is endemic to the species, and only occasionally does an outbreak make a population ill. But that's been changing. As annual temperatures rise in the desert, TB outbreaks in meerkat colonies are on the rise. Scientific American's 60-Second Science explains the ways that higher temperatures can contribute to disease. First, the heat puts stress on the meerkats, who have to spend more time hiding from the heat instead of finding food. They may be suffering from drought and famine as temperatures go higher. A second factor is that meerkat colonies under pressure are more likely to disperse. Males in particular normally disperse to find mates in other colonies, and with deaths in the population, they are more likely to wander off and bring tuberculosis to a new colony. Read more about the rising prevalence of TB in meerkats and how climate change is contributing to outbreaks. -via Digg(Image credit: safaritravelplus) #meerkat #tuberculosis #climatechange
Acorns of 1,000-Year-Old Oak Trees Used to Create "Super Forest"
We believe that planting trees is one of the best solutions to combating climate change. However, planting trees without careful thinking could prove more harmful than helpful. It could harm biodiversity and agriculture. These things said, it is essential to think about which trees should be planted.One of the trees planned for planting in the woodlands of the United Kingdom is the 1000-year-old native oak tree in Blenheim Palace. This tree not only absorbs carbon emissions. It also could serve as a habitat for a combination of species.While the new shoots will take a hundred years before they are considered full-grown trees, the people behind the project believe that the trees are worth the investment and worth the wait.(Images: Phil Coomes via BBC)#ClimateChange #TreePlanting #OakTree
Scientists Discovered Marine Microbes That Sequester Carbon Naturally
Phytoplanktons can be our essential allies in our battle against climate change because of their role in carbon pumping (a process that transforms carbon dioxide into organic carbon, which then decomposes in the depths of the sea). However, these photosynthesizing microalgae are not perfect. As they depend on the nutrients found in their environment, parts of the ocean empty of nutrients could be unsuitable for most phytoplanktons. This is where this recently discovered microbe can come in handy.The single-celled marine microbe called Prorocentrum cf. balticum acquires nutrients similar to how phytoplankton do. However, the microbe has an additional method of getting nutrients, and that is through eating other microbes. As it photosynthesizes, it releases a carbon-rich exopolymer that attracts other microbes. These other microbes are then entrapped and immobilized on the exopolymer. The tiny ocean predator then eats some of this before leaving the exopolymer. Because of its now heavier weight, the carbon-rich exopolymer then sinks. In other words, this newly discovered microbe can sequester carbon naturally.Dr. Michaela Larrson, a marine biologist, likens this process to "taking a multivitamin," as the other microbes consumed are packed with nutrients. Researchers say this species could sink 0.02-0.15 gigatons of carbon annually.(Image Credit: Cohen et al. (2022)/Larsson et al. 2022/Dr. Michaela E. Larsson)#ClimateChange #CarbonPumping #Phytoplankton #Protists
This A380 Airbus Plane Flies on Cooking Oil
Burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal is a big factor in climate change. It is, in fact, the main cause of climate change. Because of that, efforts to create or look for, and apply alternatives have been made. One instance of this is the 2030 Ambition Statement of the World Economic Forum. The statement declares the organization's ambition to "[accelerate] the supply and use of [sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)] to reach 10% of global jet aviation fuel supply by said year. Recently, an A380 Airbus was tested with 100% SAF. On March 25, one of its four engines operated on SAF as it took off from Toulouse's Blagnac airport. The test was a success, and it proved that "an aircraft as large as the A380 can successfully operate on unblended SAF." Unlike other types of SAF, 100% SAF is not mixed with any fossil fuels. It is made from hydro-processed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), used cooking oil, and other waste fats. These characteristics make 100% SAF a great alternative to fossil fuels. (Image Credit: Airbus) #A380Airbus #SustainableAviationFuel #WorldEconomicForum #ClimateChange #Decarbonization
New Species of Rainfrog in Panama Named after Environmental Activist Greta Thunberg
In 2018, in celebration of its 30th anniversary, US-based nonprofit environmental organisation Rainforest Trust hosted an auction offering naming rights to newly discovered species. One of those species was a rainfrog discovered in Panama, Central America, and the auction winner decided to name the frog in honour of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The ‘Torture Orchard’ Climate Change Laboratory
California produces a huge portion of America's fruits, nuts, and vegetables. California is also contending with rising temperatures, wildfires, and drought. Can orchards that have been established for decades survive the worsening conditions? Could new varieties of trees be developed to protect crops? Can different crops replace the vulnerable orchards we have? While tomato crops can be switched out in a year, and grapevines in a few years, fruit and nut trees require an investment of decades, so scientists have to think far ahead in plans to save the crops for future generations.
Visualizing the Devastating Sea Level Rise due to Climate Change in Various Locations Around the World
François Hollande, the former president of France once said, "We have a single mission: to protect and hand on the planet to the next generation."The video shows snapshots from the future which shows a catastrophic sea level if we remain in denial of climate change. If nations today keep their current ways which are harmful to the environment, the planet’s temperature will soon rise about 3 degrees Celsius, but if pollution is cut in half by 2030, global warming could be stopped after rising about 1.5 degrees Celsius.The comparison between the scientific projections of the sea levels, depending on the path that will be taken by nations, shows how small actions lead to big results. In this case, the future of our environment now depends on our hands. Ask yourself about the environment where the future generation will live, and act upon that vision. Video credit: Climate Central #SeaLevel #ClimateChange #World #Future #Environment #GlobalWarming
Calcium Carbonate Concrete: A New Kind of Concrete Made From Waste Material and Carbon Dioxide Pollutant
Concrete is a dominant material in the construction industry. In order to produce this, companies release carbon dioxide into our atmosphere that can further accelerate climate change. Researchers are now proposing a new way to reduce emissions caused by concrete by introducing a sustainable and environmentally-friendly material, the calcium carbonate concrete.The future construction material is made from waste concrete and carbon dioxide from the air or industrial exhaust gases. Its functionality was proven to work by Professor Ippei Maruyama and C4S (Calcium Carbonate Circulation System for Construction) project manager Professor Takafumi Noguchi from the Department of Architecture at the University of Tokyo. Image credit: Maruyama et al.#concrete #carbondioxide #globalwarming #climatechange #calciumcarbonate
World's Whitest Paint May Reduce or Even Eliminate the Need for Air Conditioning
For years, scientists have been looking for ways to slow down climate change. Along the way, these people made intriguing stuff, like this paint developed at Purdue University by mechanical engineering professor Xiulin Ruan and his students. What makes this type of paint intriguing, you ask? The answer is its color and its excellent ability to block out most solar radiation. Currently the whitest paint in the world, it can reflect 98.1% of solar radiation. Typical commercial white paint can only reflect 80-90% of sunlight, and it cannot make surfaces cooler than their surroundings. This new paint formulation, however, can. And, according to Ruan, this paint could rival the cooling power of most air conditioners today.The paint appears in the 2022 edition of Guinness World Records.Check out more details over at Purdue University.(Image Credit: Purdue University photo/John Underwood)#GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #ReflectivePaint #GuinnessWorldRecords #SolarRadiation
This Carbon-Removal Machine In Iceland Is The Largest In The World, And It Will Remove Up To 4000 Tons of Carbon Dioxide Yearly
The simplest and probably the most cost-effective method to reduce carbon dioxide from our atmosphere is by planting trees. However, one weakness of this method is the amount of land needed for it. But because carbon dioxide is a growing problem in today’s world, some companies have started looking for other methods to reduce carbon dioxide. One such method that they have found is by building big carbon dioxide-removing machines, also known as “direct air capture” (DAC) machines.Just recently, the Swiss company Clineworks, with their Icelandic partner Carbfix, have launched the Orca, their new direct air capture and storage plant, which is stationed in Iceland. The Orca is said to be the largest DAC and storage plant in the world. It is said that this humongous machine will capture 4000 tons of CO₂ per year, which is about the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by 870 cars. The plant opened on September 8 of this year.The plant is composed of eight boxes about the size of shipping containers, each fitted with a dozen fans that pull in air. CO2 is filtered out, mixed with water, and pumped into deep underground wells, where over the course of a few years it turns to stone, effectively removing it from circulation in the atmosphere.While the Orca is certainly a big milestone, the DAC industry still has a long way to go if they plan to achieve the International Energy Agency’s Sustainable Development Scenario goal of 10 million tons of carbon dioxide captured annually.(All Images Credit: Climeworks)#GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #CO2 #CarbonDioxide #CarbonEmission #DirectAirCapture
Animals Cope With Global Warming By Changing Their Shapes
With the world slowly getting hotter each moment that passes by, how do animals cope with the heat? Unlike we humans who have air-conditioners which could keep an enclosed environment cool, animals don’t have this revolutionary piece of technology. So how are they able to withstand the scorching heat? To solve this temperature problem, animals have resorted to “changing the sizes and shapes of certain body parts”.The animals’ shapes-shifting changes make sense, researchers say. In biology, an established concept called Bergmann's rule states that creatures that live in colder climates tend to be larger and thicker than those closer to the equator—to better conserve heat. The rule is named after Carl Bergmann, a nineteenth century biologist who first described the pattern in 1847. Thirty years later, another biologist, Joel Asaph Allen further expanded the concept, stating that animals that adapted to cold climates have shorter limbs and bodily appendages—to keep the warmth in. For similar thermoregulatory reasons, the reverse is also commonly true—in hotter climates warm-blooded animals’ appendages become larger, relative to their body size.The team of researchers from Deakin University in Australia and Brock University in Canada found that, since 1871, parrots have enlarged their beak surface by up to 10 percent, while roundleaf bats have very slightly increased their wing size since the 1950s.Learn more about this study over at Smithsonian Magazine.(Image Credit: Alexandra McQueen)#GlobalWarming #ClimateChange #AnimalAdaptation #Adaptation #Birds #Bats
Climate Change-Themed Mini Golf Course in Brooklyn, New York
This is not your usual windmill and castle mini golf putting green!A new climate change-themed 18-hole mini golf course called the Putting Green has opened in the Two Trees River Ring site in Brooklyn, New York. It's a collaborative community project where local artists and designers, community and school groups, as well as environmental advocacy groups and public agencies designed the course.The designs focus on various themes centered on climate change, including green infrastructure, animal habitat, energy and emissions concerns. By playing the course, it is hoped that visitors can explore their own roles in understanding and solving the climate change crisis.The Putting Green was constructed in an environmentally conscious way, including using repurposed planks from a dismantled Domino Sugar factory for decking wood and planters, using recycled tires, recycled bricks and steel drum to construct the golf courses, and planting native species throughout.#golf #minigolf #climatechange #brooklynNYC #environment
Huge Antarctic Lake Disappeared in Just 3 Days, Dumped 26 Billion Cubic Feet of Water Into the Ocean
It took only 3 days for a huge lake in the Antarctic to disappear! In June 2019, the ice shelf beneath the lake collapsed, sending an estimated 21 to 26 billion cubic feet (736 million cubic meter) of water into the ocean.Glaciologist Roland Warner of the University of Tasmania was monitoring the wildfires in Australia when he decided to take a look at satellite imagery to the south. "Looking down to Antarctica, for a break from watching the destruction, I noticed a spell of several clear days on Amery Ice Shelf and decided to see how the summer surface melt season was progressing," he tells Vice. "The collapsed surface feature caught my eye."Just to give you an idea of the scale, 21 to 26 billion cubic feet of water is twice the volume of the San Diego Bay, or is about 295,000 Olympic size swimming pool!#Antarctica #iceshelf #satelliteimagery #ocean #lake #ClimateChangeImage: Geophysical Research Letters
Heat Wave in the Arctic Circle: Ground Temp in Siberia Reaches Over 100° F
"Hot" and "Arctic Circle" are two words that don't usually go together, but recently, the surface temperature there reaches into the triple digits.According to Europe's Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), the ground temperature for Saskylakh, Russia, which is well inside the Arctic Circle, reached 39°C or 102°F on June 20, 2021.The image above was taken by Sentinel-3 satellites, an Earth observatory satellite series by the European Space Agency's Copernicus Programme.#heatwave #Siberia #ArcticCircle #ClimateChange #globalwarming #CopernicusEU
Privacy & Cookie Policy
DMCA Policy
Website Accessibility Statement