ENVIRONMENT

Nov 14 2024ENVIRONMENT

Measuring Grassland Health: A New Way to Assess Ecological Quality

Have you ever wondered how healthy our grasslands are? Scientists are using a clever method to figure this out. They're looking at how grasslands change over time, called natural evolution time series. This helps them understand the effects of development and human activities on ecosystems, which is

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Nov 14 2024ENVIRONMENT

Checking Arctic Climate Models: What's Right, What's Wrong

Scientists have taken a close look at how well 39 climate models from the CMIP6 project match up with real-world data on Arctic energy and water budgets. They checked things like seasonal patterns, long-term averages, and trends in both the atmosphere and ocean. Turns out, many models have some seri

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Nov 14 2024ENVIRONMENT

Saving the World's Breadbasket: Drought-Resistant Wheat

Wheat is a staple food, feeding about one-fifth of the world's population. It's been around since the dawn of agriculture and is crucial for global food security. But climate change is throwing a wrench in the works. As droughts become more frequent and intense, wheat yields are dropping. This could

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Nov 14 2024ENVIRONMENT

Earth Data Dilemma: Boosting Climate Research with EIFFEL Ontology

Climate change is a hot topic, and Earth Observation (EO) datasets play a big role in understanding it. These datasets, available from open satellite portals, offer a vast amount of historical data. When combined with local data, they help improve our ability to predict and understand trends. Howeve

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Nov 14 2024ENVIRONMENT

Assessing Urban Cyclists' Exposure to PM2. 5 in Mendoza, Argentina

In a bid to curb carbon emissions, many cities have been pushing folks to ditch cars and hop on bikes instead. Unfortunately, pedaling through traffic might not be as healthy as it sounds. Cyclists often breathe in more polluted air than others, especially in congested cities. To shed some light on

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Nov 13 2024ENVIRONMENT

Exxon's CEO Wants Trump to Stay in Paris Climate Pact

Exxon Mobil's CEO, Darren Woods, has a piece of advice for President-elect Donald Trump: stick with the Paris Climate Agreement. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Woods shared his thoughts on Trump's plan to withdraw from the accords for the second time. He pointed out that this back-and

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Nov 13 2024ENVIRONMENT

Weather Woes Drive Immigration: A Closer Look

Extreme weather events, like droughts and storms, are pushing people from Mexico to cross the border into the U. S. illegally. As climate change worsens, these weather patterns are making life tougher for farmers and anyone dependent on agriculture. Also, those who have migrated are less likely to r

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Nov 13 2024ENVIRONMENT

Secret Climate Talks Without Top Polluters

The annual UN climate conference is happening in Azerbaijan, but the world's biggest polluters and strongest economies aren't sending their top leaders. China, the US, India, and Indonesia—countries responsible for over 70% of global heat-trapping gases—are notably absent. Climate scientist Bill Har

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Nov 13 2024ENVIRONMENT

The Metal-Munching Pistia Plant

Meet Pistia stratiotes, a common water plant with an extraordinary ability. Unlike most plants, it doesn't shy away from manganese, a metal that's typically harmful. Scientists have exposed it to high levels of manganese, and the plant just keeps thriving. It stores this metal mainly in its shoots a

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Nov 12 2024ENVIRONMENT

East Coast on Fire: Unusual Drought and Wildfires

Over the weekend, a small fire ignited in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. This 2-acre blaze needed around 100 firefighters and warned residents to stay away. Simultaneously, the Jennings Creek wildfire in New Jersey burned thousands of acres, causing smoke to drift across New York City and tragically claim

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