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Earth Wise

A look at our changing environment.

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2:00

Beware of the blob

Earth Wise ·

2024/06/20

For the past 10 years, there have been several occurrences of a vast expanse of ocean stretching from Alaska to California in which water temperatures are as much as 7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal. Known jocularly as “the Blob,” the phenomenon can last for several years and decimates fish stocks, starves seabirds, creates blooms […]

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A month of extra-hot days

Earth Wise ·

2024/06/19

The past 12 months have been the hottest ever measured across the globe. This may not be everyone’s experience in every location, but the average person on Earth experienced 26 more days of abnormally high temperatures than they would have in the absence of climate change. Researchers considered a given day’s temperature to be abnormally […]

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Olive oil and climate change

Earth Wise ·

2024/06/18

Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained by mashing whole olives and extracting the oil. A superfood staple of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil is used in kitchens around the world for frying, sauteing, baking, and as a condiment. It can also be widely found in cosmetics, soaps, and pharmaceutical products. Globally, 2.6 million tons […]

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Cloud brightening

Earth Wise ·

2024/06/17

Solar geoengineering is a type of climate intervention: deliberate actions designed to affect the climate. There are several ways to try to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the surface of the earth and all of them are controversial. Perhaps the least controversial approach is cloud brightening. The idea is based on something called the […]

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California renewable energy

Earth Wise ·

2024/06/12

California has aggressively pursued the use of renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power. Last year, renewables supplied 54% of the state’s electricity needs. This year, California has been achieving some remarkable milestones with its renewable energy. As of May 26th, California had produced more than 100% of its electricity demand with wind, solar, and […]

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The largest carbon removal plant

Earth Wise ·

2024/06/11

Direct air capture (DAC) is process that removes carbon dioxide out of the air and stores it away where it can no longer trap heat in the atmosphere. It is intended to be a way of getting rid of the greenhouse gases that have built up in the atmosphere. In principle, it’s a great idea. […]

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Fireflies are in decline

Earth Wise ·

2024/06/10

If you are seeing fewer fireflies each year, you’re not alone. Like many insects, firefly populations are in decline. A new study by researchers from the University of Kentucky, Bucknell University, Penn State University, and the USDA has shed some light on the precarious situation facing firefly populations across North America. The research team used […]

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EV growth and oil demand

Earth Wise ·

2024/06/07

There has been lots of talk recently about the transition to electric vehicles sputtering out. Several automakers have delayed their EV programs citing reduced demand for the vehicles and lack of profitability. In the bigger picture, the auto industry as a whole is in a rough patch as rising interest rates and other factors have […]

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A setback for New York offshore wind

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/24

Three major offshore wind projects in New York have been cancelled because of the unavailability of technology critical to the projects. The projects were part of NYSERDA‘s third offshore wind solicitation and were provisionally awarded last October. The projects, which totaled more than 4 GW of clean energy, were supposed to begin commercial operation in […]

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Marine carbon dioxide removal

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/23

About 30% of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity is absorbed by the oceans. As a result, they are getting warmer and more acidic, and the currents that help shape global weather are shifting. To try to reduce global warming, people want to be able to store even more carbon dioxide in the oceans […]

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Global coral bleaching

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/22

The world’s coral reefs are in the midst of a global bleaching event being driven by extraordinarily high ocean temperatures. This is the fourth such global event on record and is predicted to be the largest one ever. Coral bleaching occurs when corals are stressed by heat and eject the symbiotic algae within them that […]

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Oases and desertification

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/21

Oases are important sources of water for people, plants, and animals in the world’s desert areas. In fact, oases sustain 10% of the world’s population despite taking up only about 1.5% of land area. They form when groundwater flows and settles into low-lying areas or when surface meltwater flows down from nearby mountains and pools. […]

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Wind farms and land use

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/20

Wind power has become one of the most affordable ways to generate electricity as well as being renewable and not contributing to global warming. But there has been the perception that wind farms require a lot of land compared with fossil fuel power plants. This issue of land use has made decision-makers reluctant to invest […]

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Climate change and fish migration

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/17

The warming climate is changing the distribution of fish species. Researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia have observed that tropical fish species are moving into temperate Australian waters. The Eastern Australian Current is strengthening as the climate warms and larvae of tropical fish are getting caught in the current and moving into more […]

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The global chocolate supply is threatened

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/16

The world is facing the biggest deficit of cocoa in decades. Most cocoa beans are grown in West Africa, where climate change-induced drought has ravaged crops. Harvests are forecasted to fall short for the third consecutive year. The harvest shortfall has triggered a steep rise in cocoa prices. In fact, cocoa prices have more than […]

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The Colorado River crisis

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/15

The Colorado River serves nearly 40 million people in seven U.S. states and Mexico. It provides water for 5 million acres of farmland. Increasing demand from growing populations, damming, diversion, and drought have been draining the Colorado at alarming rates. This critical resource supports countless economies, communities, and ecologies stretching from the Rocky Mountains to […]

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Carbon dioxide and wildfires

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/14

Climate change is a key factor in the increasing risk and extent of wildfires. Wildfires require the alignment of several factors, including humidity, temperature, and the lack of moisture in fuels, such as trees, shrubs, and grasses. All of these factors have strong ties to climate variability and climate change. While the global surge in […]

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An active hurricane season

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/13

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1st until November 30th. Forecasters at Colorado State University have issued forecasts of Atlantic basin hurricane activity since 1984 based on the pioneering work of Professor William Gray. This year’s forecast, issued in April, predicts a higher-than-average number of Atlantic storms. In fact, it may be one […]

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Where not to plant trees

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/10

Planting huge numbers of trees is often proposed as a way to reduce the severity of climate change. Studies have looked at the potential for Earth‘s ecosystems to support large additional areas of forest and have found that it would be possible to have at least 25% more forested area than we do now. This […]

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Plastic food packaging

Earth Wise ·

2024/05/09

Reducing the use of plastic is an important environmental goal. Plastic is made from fossil fuels and plastic pollutes the land and the oceans. It is estimated that 40% of plastic waste comes from packaging. Plastic packaging is extremely common in the supermarket and there is a growing desire to reduce its use. But it […]

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