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Harvesting Fresh Water From Ocean Air | Earth Wise

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Roughly three-quarters of the world population has access to a safely managed water source.  That means that one-in-four people do not have access to safe drinking water.  Even in the wealthy United States, persistent drought in the west is creating problems in places like Phoenix, Arizona.

Water is plentiful on Earth but more than 99% of it is unusable by humans and many other living things because it is saline, frozen, or inaccessible.  Only about 0.3% of our fresh water is found in the surface water of lakes, rivers, and swamps.

There is an almost limitless supply of fresh water in the form of water vapor above the oceans, but this source is untapped.  Researchers at the University of Illinois have been evaluating the feasibility of a hypothetical structure capable of capturing water vapor from above the ocean and condensing it into fresh water.

Existing ways to obtain fresh water like wastewater recycling, cloud seeding, and desalination have met only limited success and present various problems with regard to cost, environmental impact, and scalability.

The researchers have proposed hypothetical large offshore structures measuring 700 feet by 300 feet to capture water vapor that is continually evaporating from the ocean in subtropical regions.   Their modeling concluded that such structures could provide fresh water for large population centers in the subtropics.  Furthermore, climate projections show that the amount of water vapor over the oceans will only increase over time, providing even more fresh water supply.

This is only a theoretical study at this point, but the researchers believe it opens the door for novel infrastructure investments that could address global water scarcity.

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Researchers propose new structures to harvest untapped source of fresh water

Photo, posted June 28, 2009, courtesy of Nicolas Raymond via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Renewable Energy Booming in India | Earth Wise

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India is the country with the second largest population in the world – over 1.4 billion people – second only to China – and will undoubtedly pass China soon based on population trends in the two countries.   India is the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide, after China and the U.S.  With its rapidly growing population and an economy heavily dependent on coal and oil, emissions in India are on a steep upward trajectory.  Currently, fossil fuels account for about 60% of India’s installed energy capacity.  It is essential that actions are taken to curb its rapid increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

To that end, India’s renewables sector is booming.  The country is projected to add 35 to 40 gigawatts of renewable energy each year until 2030.  That’s enough energy to power up 30 million more homes each year.  The country has established a target of producing 50% of its electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by the end of this decade.

 India is expected to reach over 400 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030

according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis and Climate Energy Finance.  The Indian government’s own projections estimate that the country will reach 500 gigawatts of renewable capacity in that timeframe.

As is the case with China, a country with an enormous population undergoing major economic growth and modernization has vast energy needs.  While it is imperative for the entire world that India puts a cap on its growing greenhouse gas emissions, it is a difficult challenge for an energy-hungry country.

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Renewable energy booms in India

Photo, posted November 14, 2011, courtesy of Amaury Laporte via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

El Paso’s Water Future | Earth Wise

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El Paso, Texas is part of the Paso del Norte region, which includes Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and Las Cruces, New Mexico.  The population on both sides of the border is booming, approaching 3 million people.  The region’s primary water source is the Rio Grande River.  But that river is declining.

Rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall have led to diminishing flow in the river.  Eighty percent of the river’s flow has historically been diverted to agriculture, but the reduced flow of the Rio Grande has forced many farmers to reduce planting or change to less water-hungry crops.  The river is expected to continue to decrease its flow as time goes by.

The city of El Paso gets 40% of its water supply directly from the Rio Grande.  Urban water authorities in the region are scrambling to find ways to provide cities with alternative supplies of water.

El Paso now gets some of its water from a desalination plant, which is the world’s largest inland municipal desalination plant.  The water comes from brackish groundwater rather than from the sea.  The briny waste from the plant is piped to an injection well many miles way and is permanently stored 4,000 feet underground.

El Paso continues to seek new water sources and reduce its water use.  It gets much of its water from wells drilled in nearby aquifers.  It is working to make this use of groundwater more sustainable.  The city recycles used residential water through its so-called purple pipe system, which cleans up waste water and delivers it for non-potable use on golf courses and park lawns. 

Like many places in the increasingly dry west, El Paso’s water future is uncertain. 

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As Rio Grande Shrinks, El Paso Plans for Uncertain Water Future

Photo, posted April 29, 2018, courtesy of R. Baire via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Climate Change And Crabs | Earth Wise

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Globally, there are more than 6,000 species of crabs.  In Alaska’s waters alone, there are 18 species, including 10 that are commercially fished.  The perils of crab fishing in this region, including freezing temperatures, turbulent seas, and raising full pots that can weigh well over a ton, have been highlighted for many years in the reality TV series Deadliest Catch.        

One of those commercially-fished species is the Alaska snow crab.  Alaska snow crabs are a cold-water species found off the coast of Alaska in the Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi Seas. 

In October, officials in Alaska announced that the upcoming winter snow crab season would be canceled for the first time ever due to a sharp population decline. While the number of juvenile snow crabs was at record highs just a few years ago, approximately 90% of snow crabs mysteriously disappeared ahead of last season.  Officials also canceled the Bristol Bay red king crab harvest for similar reasons for the second year in a row.

The closures dealt a severe blow to crab fishers in the region.  According to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Alaska’s crab fishing industry is worth more than $200 million. 

The canceled seasons also raise questions about the role of climate change in the snow crab population crash. While the causes of the decline are still being researched, scientists suspect that warmer temperatures are responsible.  Temperatures in the Arctic region have warmed four times faster than the rest of the planet. 

As the climate continues to change, the warming waters around Alaska may become increasingly inhospitable to snow crabs and other species.   

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Alaska’s Bering snow crab, king crab seasons canceled

Alaska cancels snow crab season for first time after population collapses

Photo, posted November 16, 2010, courtesy of David Csepp / NOAA via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Carbon Inequality | Earth Wise

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Everyone contributes to climate change through the generation of greenhouse gas emissions, but individual contributions vary greatly.   A study at the Paris School of Economics has determined that just 1 percent of the population is responsible for nearly a quarter of global carbon emissions growth since 1990.

The study estimated emissions from individuals’ consumption and their financial investments, and also from government spending in their country.  Individuals are responsible for carbon emissions as a result of their own activities, but they also bear their share of responsibility for the emissions of the firms that they own or invest in. 

In 2019, people living in sub-Saharan Africa produced an average of 1.8 tons of CO2 equivalent per capita.  In North America, the average per capita was more than 10 times higher.  Meanwhile, the top 10% of North America’s emitters produced more than 75 tons each.

From 1990 to 2019, the bottom 50% of emitters was responsible for just 16% of emissions growth, while the top 1% was responsible for 23%.  The top 0.1% saw emissions growth of 80%.

The inequality between rich and poor is driven more by inequality within countries than by inequality between countries.  This is particularly true for wealthy countries.  For example, over the study period, the top 1% saw their emissions grow by 26% while emissions actually declined 5-15% among low and middle earners even in wealthy nations.

Economic inequality drives a lot of the dynamics taking place within many countries around the world, and this even applies to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

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Global carbon inequality over 1990–2019

Photo, posted December 11, 2017, courtesy of Bernal Saborio via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Coping With Climate Change | Earth Wise

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Extreme weather events including prolonged drought and heavy rainfall are becoming more common and more severe as global temperatures rise.  As the climate continues to change in the coming decades, how will animals respond? 

Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark have examined how different mammals react to climate change. They analyzed data on population fluctuations from 157 mammal species around the world.  They compared these fluctuations with weather and climate data from the same time period.  The research team had 10 or more years of data for each species studied. 

The researchers found that mammals that live for a long time and/or produce less offspring –  like llamas, elephants, bears, and bison – are more climate resilient than small mammals with short lives — like mice, possums, lemmings, and rare marsupials. 

For example, large, long-lived mammals can invest their energy into one offspring, or simply wait for better times if conditions become challenging.  On the other hand, small, short-lived mammals like rodents have more extreme population changes in the short term. In the event of a prolonged drought, large portions of their food base may rapidly disappear, and they are left to starve because they have limited fat reserves.

However, the research team notes that the ability of a species to withstand climate change must not be the only factor when assessing a species’ vulnerability.  In fact, in many cases, habitat destruction, poaching, pollution, and invasive species pose a larger threat to animal species than climate change. 

While the study only examined 157 species, the findings enable researchers to also predict how animals they know less about will react to climate change.

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Which animals can best withstand climate change?

Photo, posted July 8, 2018, courtesy of Ray via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The Great Salt Lake Is Disappearing | Earth Wise

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Utah’s Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere.  According to data from the US Geological Survey, the surface water elevation of the Great Salt Lake has fallen to the lowest level since records began in the mid-1800s.  The average elevation is now 4,190 feet above sea level.   With this drop in water level, the surface area of the lake is little more than half of its historical size.  The lower water level has exposed about 700 square miles of previously submerged lakebed.

The lake now contains about a quarter of the volume of water that it did at its high point in 1987.  The precipitous drop in water is a result of water usage from the lake coupled with climate change-fueled drought.   Increased water demand is due to the rapidly growing population of metropolitan Salt Lake City.  Utah’s population is projected to increase by almost 50% by 2060.

The Great Salt Lake goes though seasonal cycles of water loss and replenishment.  Rain and snow generally refill its level.  However, because of the ongoing megadrought in the West, water evaporation and depletion continue to exceed the amount of water entering the lake.  The water levels are expected to further decrease until fall or early winter, when incoming water is expected to equal or exceed evaporation.

The decline of the Great Salt Lake is a serious threat to the economy, ecology, and people of northern Utah.  The lake generates snowpack, is a refuge for hundreds of migratory birds and other wildlife and generates millions of dollars in the economy through mineral extraction and tourism.

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Utah’s Great Salt Lake is disappearing

Photo, posted October 6, 2020, courtesy of Julie Girard via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Saving Lives With Air Conditioning | Earth Wise

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This summer, extreme heatwaves struck the United States, Europe, and Africa.  Thousands of people died as a result.  In July, the impact of extreme heat in places ill-prepared for it was evident.  In the U.K., where air conditioning is uncommon, public transportation shut down, schools and offices closed, and hospitals cancelled non-emergency procedures.

Air conditioning, which we mostly take for granted in this country, is a life-saving tool during extreme heat waves.  However, only about 8% of the 2.8 billion people living in the hottest – and often poorest – parts of the world have AC in their homes.

A new study at Harvard modeled the future demand for air conditioning as the number of days with extreme heat continues to increase across the globe.  The researchers identified a massive gap between current AC capacity and what will be needed by 2050 to save lives, particularly in low-income and developing countries.

If the rate of greenhouse gas emissions continues on its present course, the study concluded that that at least 70% of the population in several countries will require air conditioning by 2050.  The number will be even higher in equatorial countries like India and Indonesia.  At this point, even if the goals of the Paris Climate Accords are met, an average of 40-50% of the population in many of the world’s warmest countries will still require AC.

The research looked at various scenarios.  One in which emissions continue to increase leads to widespread need for air conditioning even in temperate countries.  In Germany, 92% of the population would need it, and here in the U.S., 96% would need it.

Planning for future power systems must take into account the essential needs of a warming world.

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In a hotter world, air conditioning isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifesaver

Photo, posted July 24, 2021, courtesy of Phyxter Home Services via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Return Of The Fin Whale | Earth Wise

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The fin whale is the second largest whale species and therefore the second largest creature on Earth.  They can grow to more than 80 feet in length.  From 1904 to 1976, there was massive industrial whaling in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica.  During that period, whalers killed about 700,000 fin whales, reducing their population by 99%.  The species was nearly extinct.

In 1982, the International Whaling Commission voted to ban commercial whaling.  Since that time, fin whales started to make a comeback in their historical feeding grounds.

During a nine-week expedition in the waters around the Antarctic Peninsula, researchers encountered the largest gathering of fin whales ever documented.  About 150 fin whales were seen diving and lunging against the water’s surface.  It was a feeding frenzy triggered by large amounts of krill in the water.  The actions of the whales are known as a “whale pump” that drives the krill to the surface.  Not only does it provide huge amounts of food for the whales but also for other animals, including seabirds and seals.

Forty years after the commercial whaling ban, the number of fin whales has been increasing.  Large groups were observed in a 2013 survey.  Aerial surveys in 2018 and 2019 recorded 100 groups of fin whales, usually composed of a just a handful of individuals.  They did document eight large groups of up to 150 individuals.

Not all species of whales have rebounded so successfully since the whaling ban.  The rebound in fin whale population is not only good for the whales, but for the entire ecosystem in the Southern Ocean.  It is a glimmer of good news in a time of great challenges for global biodiversity and for marine life in particular.

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Once Facing Extinction, Massive Fin Whales Have Returned to Antarctic Waters

Photo, posted November 15, 2007, courtesy of Gregory Smith via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Sea Urchins And Climate Change | Earth Wise

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There is a thriving population of black sea urchins in bubbling volcanic vents off the coast of Ishia, a small island in the Gulf of Naples.  The oceanic environment there is very acidic, high in carbon dioxide, and very warm.   The environment represents a proxy for what is gradually happening to oceans around the world.

Researchers from the University of Sydney have determined that the ability of sea urchins to prosper in such an environment means that these animals, which are already abundant in the Mediterranean Sea are likely to spread further afield as oceans continue to warm and become more acidic.  The Mediterranean Sea is warming 20% faster than the global average.

Sea urchins are already an environmental problem in many places around the world.  When their numbers increase disproportionately, they decimate kelp forests and algae, leading to the demise of other species that depend on these things for food or shelter.  The result is something called an urchin barren, which is a rocky, sandy, urchin-filled seafloor devoid of other life.

Urchin barrens are increasingly common in many places, including the east coast of Australia and the coastline in the Americas stretching from Nova Scotia to Chile.

In Australia, for example, sea urchin populations have multiplied, and their range has expanded considerably, overgrazing kelp and damaging abalone and lobster farms.

Tests run by the Sydney researchers found that it is difficult to stress sea urchins.  They appear to tolerate conditions that other creatures simply cannot.   The only real positive is that understanding the urchins’ remarkable survival abilities might offer insights into adaptations that other animals might need in order to survive as the oceans become warmer and more acidic.

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Colonising sea urchins can withstand hot, acidic seas

Photo, posted January 31, 2010, courtesy of Anna Barnett via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Some Good Monarch News | Earth Wise

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Eastern monarch butterflies spend their winter months in central Mexico.   Every spring, they embark on a lengthy, multigenerational migration that takes them into the United States and even into southern Canada, where they breed.  The butterflies go through several generations before they eventually migrate back to Mexico.

Twenty-five years ago, overwintering monarchs in Mexico blanketed nearly 45 acres of forest.  The acreage covered, which has been surveyed annually since 1993, is a rough indicator for the actual number of butterflies that survive the difficult migration process. In 2013, the monarchs occupied only 1.6 acres of Mexican forest.  The butterflies were deemed to be on the edge of extinction.

Last December, the monarch survey found 7 acres covered by the butterflies, an increase of 35% over the previous winter.  The population appears to be steadily rebounding, although the numbers are still substantially lower than the levels seen in the 1990s.

The butterflies are struggling with multiple problems.  There continues to be a lack of milkweed, the only food source for the caterpillars, in their breeding grounds along their migratory route.  More extreme weather driven by climate change is another challenge, and illegal logging in their overwintering habitat in Mexico has also become a threat.

After the butterfly population crashed in 2013, conservation efforts shifted into high gear with lots of milkweed planting in the US and Canada, and crackdowns on timber poachers in Mexico.

The remarkable multigenerational migration of monarchs is a delicate phenomenon that can be disrupted by many different things.  Eastern monarchs are still in serious danger, but the current trend seems to be positive.

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Warming Trends: Butterflies Bounce Back, Growing Up Gay Amid High Plains Oil, Art Focuses on Plastic Production

Photo, posted August 12, 2021, courtesy of Paul VanDerWerf via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Red Pandas And Climate Change | Earth Wise

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Red pandas are small mammals native to the mountainous forests of China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.  Unlike their name suggests, they are not related to giant pandas.  In fact, red pandas are distant relatives of raccoons. Renowned for their tree-climbing abilities, red pandas live at moderately high elevations in the Himalayas where they forage widely for bamboo shoots and various fruits.

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, red pandas are endangered.  Scientists estimate that there are less than 10,000 red pandas remaining in the wild today, and these numbers are continuing to fall. 

Habitat loss is the main threat to red panda’s survival.  Human expansion into the area, combined with the effects of climate change, has led to the fragmentation and loss of livable land.  Red pandas also face dangers from hunting and poaching.

According to new research recently published in the journal Landscape Ecology, human impacts are driving red pandas closer to extinction than previously thought.  Using GPS telemetry, a research team from the University of Queensland in Australia tracked red pandas in Nepal over a 12-month period.  The researchers found that human activities, such as infrastructure development, were causing red pandas to restrict their movements, which is further fragmenting their habitat and interfering with natural interactions between the animals. 

As the amount of wild forest dwindles, red pandas are being forced into situations where they must decide whether to live closer to predators or adapt to co-exist with humans.

The research team recommends minimizing human-induced disturbances in red panda habitats and to maintain habitat continuity in ecologically sensitive areas. 

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Red pandas face a fractured future

IUCN: Red Panda

Photo, posted November 27, 2016, courtesy of Mathias Appel via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Is It Too Late To Save The Vaquita? | Earth Wise

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The vaquita porpoise, the world’s smallest marine mammal, is on the brink of extinction.  Scientists estimate that just 10 or fewer vaquitas are left despite international conservation efforts. Found only in Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California, the vaquita is the most endangered marine mammal on the planet. 

According to the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, the number one threat facing vaquitas is gillnets. The porpoises get trapped in these nets and drown.  Gillnets are often used illegally in the region to catch shrimp and fish, including the critically-endangered totoaba.  The totoaba’s swim bladder is considered a delicacy in Asia and can fetch thousands of dollars.  Despite Mexico banning both totoaba fishing and the use of gillnets in the vaquitas’ habitat, many say the bans are not always enforced.  

But there is a reason to be hopeful.  According to a genetic analysis led by researchers at UCLA, the critically-endangered species actually remains relatively healthy and can potentially survive if illegal fishing practices cease immediately. 

In the study, which was recently published in the journal Science, the research team analyzed the genomes of 20 vaquitas between 1985 and 2017 and ran simulations to predict the species’ extinction risk over the next 50 years.  The researchers concluded that if gillnet fishing ends immediately, the vaquita has a very high chance of recovery.  If the practice continues, however, even moderately, the likelihood of a recovery plummets. 

According to the research team, the surviving vaquitas are actively reproducing and seem healthy.  But poachers’ gillnets will continue to pose an existential threat to the species until more measures are taken to protect the vaquita. 

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Only 10 vaquita porpoises survive, but species may not be doomed, scientists say

Photo, posted October 18, 2008, courtesy of Paul Olson / NOAA via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Plight Of Monarch Butterflies | Earth Wise

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The monarch butterfly is one of the world’s best-known butterflies and has become the symbol for a whole class of imperiled pollinators.  Populations of the iconic orange-and-black insects have declined dramatically in recent decades. 

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the eastern monarch population has dropped 88% between 1996 and 2020.  Habitat loss, pesticide use, and global climate change are some of the factors driving monarch butterfly population declines. 

According to a new study led by scientists at Emory University, monarch butterflies are also increasingly plagued by a debilitating parasite.  The study, which was recently published in The Journal of Animal Ecology, reviewed 50 years of data on the infection rate of wild monarch butterflies by the protozoan Ophryocystis elektrosirrha (or O.E.).  The research team found that the O.E. infection rate had increased from less than 1% of the eastern monarch population in 1968 to as much as 10% today.

The O.E. parasite invades the gut of monarch caterpillars.  If the adult butterfly leaves the pupal stage with a severe parasitic infection, it begins oozing fluids from its body and dies. If the infection is lighter and the butterfly survives, it will not fly as well or live as long as uninfected butterflies.  

The study found that one of the contributors to the rise in parasitism is the increased density of monarchs in places where they lay their eggs.  The increased density may be due to several factors, including the loss of habitat, the widespread planting of non-native milkweed, and by people raising large numbers of monarchs in confined spaces. 

If the infection rate continues to increase, monarch butterfly populations will likely continue to plummet. 

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Monarch butterflies increasingly plagued by parasites

Plight of the Monarch

Saving The Monarch Butterfly

Photo, posted September 18, 2008, courtesy of Roy Niswanger via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Koalas Are Endangered | Earth Wise             

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The koala is one of the world’s most iconic animal species and is widely considered to be the symbol of Australia.   Koalas are not bears; they are marsupials. 

Being iconic symbols is not sufficient to prevent koalas from going extinct.  In the 1920s, hundreds of thousands of koalas were shot for the fur trade, greatly reducing their population.

More recently, drought, bush fires, disease, and habitat loss have drastically reduced the numbers of koalas.  Since 2018, there has been a 30% decline in koala populations across Australia.  It is difficult to get an accurate count of the animals because they don’t move around much, and they live high up in tree canopies where they are hard to spot.

 Estimates are that the koala population has dropped from between 45,000-82,000 in 2018 to between 32,000-58,000 in 2021.  The koala is now extinct in 47 Australian electorates and in many others, there are only handfuls of animals remaining.   The population decline was accelerated by devastating wildfires in late 2019 into early 2020.  Some estimates are that koalas could be extinct by 2050.  Conservation organizations around the world have been demanding greater protection for koalas for years.

Given this dire situation, the Australian government recently declared the koala an endangered species, reclassifying it from being a vulnerable species.  The government plans to adopt a recovery plan that will include new laws protecting koalas and their natural woodland environments.  The details of the plan remain to revealed.

According to the Australian Koala Foundation, however, the new status of the koala means very little in and of itself.  If the clearing of the koala habitat continues, the species has little chance of surviving in the wild.

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‘In rapid decline’: Australia has lost 30% of its koalas in just 3 years, foundation says

Australia Declares Koalas an Endangered Species

Photo, posted September 18, 2019, courtesy of Guido Konrad via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Poverty And Climate Change

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According to the World Health Organization, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 extra deaths per year between 2030 and 2050.  But climate change does not affect everyone the same.  In fact, the poorest people on the planet, who are often the least to blame for climate change, typically bear the worst of the impact.

Wealthier people and countries have more resources to shield themselves from the impacts of climate change.  For example, higher incomes allow people to purchase air conditioning as temperatures rise,  food as food prices soar, and homes in safer places.  Wealthy nations can also compensate citizens when climate change harms livelihoods. 

According to new research, people with lower incomes are exposed to heat waves for longer periods of time compared to those with higher incomes due to a combination of factors including location and access to heat adaptations like air conditioning.  This inequality is expected to increase as temperatures rise. 

The study, which was published in the AGU journal Earth’s Future, found that lower income populations face a 40% higher exposure to heat waves than people with higher incomes.  By the end of the century, the poorest 25% of the global population will be exposed to heat waves at a rate equivalent to the rest of the population combined.

On the other hand, the highest-income quarter of the population will experience comparatively little change in exposure to heat waves as their ability to keep up with climate change is generally greater.

The research team hopes its findings will prompt innovations into affordable cooling solutions for the world’s most vulnerable population. 

Climate change and poverty are, and will remain, inextricably linked. 

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Poorest people bear growing burden of heat waves as temperatures rise

Photo, posted October 27, 2019, courtesy of Jack via Flickr.

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Bald Eagles And Lead Poisoning | Earth Wise

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The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States.  It was once a common sight over much of the continent but was severely affected in the mid-20th century by a variety of factors, particularly the use of the pesticide DDT, which caused thinning of its eggshells and sterility.  In the 18th century, the bald eagle population was 300,000 – 500,000.  By the 1950s, there were only 412 nesting pairs in the 48 contiguous states.

The bald eagle was declared an endangered species in the US in 1967 and additional regulations strengthened protections for the bird.  The banning of DDT in 1972 was a major factor in the recovery of the species.

Bald eagle populations have been rebounding for decades but another issue is weakening that rebound – lead poisoning from gunshot ammunition.  According to a new study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, poisoning from eating dead carcasses or parts contaminated by lead shot has reduced population growth by 4% to 6% annually in the Northeast.

Bald eagle numbers in the lower 48 states quadrupled between 2009 and 2021 to more than 316,000, according to a report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  But even though the population has seemingly recovered, some combination of factors such as habitat loss, climate change, infectious disease, and lead poisoning could reverse the trends and lead to population declines.

The hope is that the study could help educate and inform policy on ammunition choices for hunters.  There are alternatives such as copper-based ammunition.  Human health can also be affected when bullets fragment inside game species and are then consumed.

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Bald eagle rebound stunted by poisoning from lead ammunition

Photo, posted March 28, 2013, courtesy of Ben Johnson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Deadly Urban Heat On The Rise | Earth Wise

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According to a new study by the Columbia Climate School, exposure to deadly urban heat has tripled since the 1980s.  The increase is the combined result of both rising global temperatures and booming urban population growth.

The study looked at more than 13,000 cities worldwide and found that incidents of extreme heat and humidity have increased dramatically.   It defined extreme heat as 30 degrees Celsius on the wet-bulb temperature scale that takes into account the effect of high humidity.  In 1983, there were 40 billion person-days under such conditions.  By 2016, the number was 119 billion.  More specifically, in 2016 1.7 billion people were subjected to such conditions on multiple days.

Sheer urban population growth accounted for two-thirds of the increase, while actual warming contributed a third.  Over recent decades, hundreds of millions of people have moved from rural areas to cities, which now hold more than half the world’s population.  And because of the urban heat island effect, temperatures in cities are generally higher than in the countryside.

In the United States, about 40 sizable cities have seen rapidly growing exposure to extreme heat, mainly clustered in Texas and the Gulf Coast.  Globally, nearly a quarter of the world’s population is affected by the increased incidence of extreme temperatures.

A study last year showed that combinations of heat and humidity literally beyond the limits of outdoor human survival have been popping up around the world.  A wet-bulb temperature reading of 30 – equivalent to 106 degrees Fahrenheit on the “real feel” heat index – is the point at which even most healthy people find it hard to function outside for long, and the unhealthy might become very ill or even die.

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Exposure to Deadly Urban Heat Worldwide Has Tripled in Recent Decades, Says Study

Photo, posted March 5, 2007, courtesy of Michael Phillips via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Right Whales And The Warming Atlantic | Earth Wise

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The warming of the Atlantic Ocean has driven the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale population from its traditional and protected habitat.  This has exposed the whales to more lethal ship collisions, increased entanglements with commercial fishing gear, and greatly reduced calving rates.

Since 2010, the calving rate has declined, and the right whale population has dropped by an estimated 26%.  Ten years ago, there were about 500 North Atlantic right whales; now there are an estimated 356.

These are some of the best studied whales in the oceans; scientists basically recognize each individual whale and when they are the victims of ship collisions or fishing entanglements, it is easy to identify which animal was killed.

Because of the warming climate, the Atlantic Meridian Overturning Circulation – an important system of surface and deep currents – has slowed down, causing the Gulf Stream to move north.  This has injected warmer and saltier water into the Gulf of Maine.  The warming Gulf of Maine has reduced the abundance of copepods, tiny crustations that are the favorite snack of right whales.   This has reduced whale calving rates and forced the whales to move north to the cooler waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

For the past 6 years, more and more right whales have been observed feeding in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where there were no protections in place to prevent ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement.  In 2017 alone, 17 right whale deaths were confirmed.

According to a recent report from Cornell University and the University of South Carolina, unless its management is improved, right whale populations will decline and potentially become extinct in the coming decades.

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Web Links

Warming Atlantic forces whales into new habitats, danger

Photo, posted December 8, 2016, courtesy of Sea to Shore Alliance/NOAA via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Snakes Near A Plane | Earth Wise

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San Francisco International Airport is the seventh-busiest airport in the United States.  In a typical year, approximately 55 million people pass through SFO on their way to destinations throughout North America and beyond.

At some point during their journey to or from the terminals at SFO, each one of those people will pass by a seemingly unremarkable 180-acre parcel of land.  Surrounded by highways and train tracks, the soggy and overgrown vacant lot isn’t just home to rows of power lines.  It’s also home to the world’s largest population of the beautiful and highly endangered San Francisco garter snake.   

According to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, there are approximately 1,300 San Francisco garter snakes at SFO’s West of Bayshore property – the greatest concentration of these snakes ever recorded.

Conservationists have long known that the San Francisco garter snake was in trouble.  In fact, it landed on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s very first endangered species list, which was published in 1967.  Over the years, agricultural, commercial, and urban development have destroyed much of its wetland habitat, as well as much of its primary food source, the California red-legged frog.  The snakes have also been a popular target for poachers and collectors.

Since 2008, SFO has been working with the USFWS on a recovery strategy for the species.  Together, they’ve made enhancements to the West of Bayshore habitat, including building rainfed ponds and deepening existing wetlands.  They have also added fences to protect habitat and prevent illegal collection.

But low population counts at other locations means the recovery for the San Francisco garter snake is far from over. 

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Web Links

Combining genetic and demographic monitoring better informs conservation of an endangered urban snake

A San Francisco Airport Site Is Crawling With Snakes—And That’s a Good Thing

Photo, posted April 16, 2011, courtesy of Brian Gratwicke via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

WAMC Northeast Public Radio

WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states (more...)