Via Flickr Simone Garza February 28,2022 A recent analysis of satellite images revealed the sea ice surrounding Antarctica is at a record low after forty years of observations. On Feb. 22, sea ice covered only 750,000 square miles around the Antarctic coast. This report is extremely low compared to 2017 as the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado’s analysis showed an ice record of 815,000 square miles. Antarctic sea ice amounts vary by year, but have increased slightly on average since the late 1970s. In contrast, sea ice extent in the Arctic, typically warming nearly three times faster than other regions, has decreased more than 10 percent every decade over the same period. Although disturbance of normal weather patterns and erosion of arctic coastlines is the explanation for the shrinking of sea ice in the Arctic, it is unclear what the impact of climate change is on the Antarctic, according to the center. Edward Blanchard-Wrigglesworth, a climate scientist at the University of Washington, said scientists predict that global warming will lead to a decrease in Antarctic sea ice over time. There has been research involving the El Niños in 2015 and 2016, which is a climate pattern that causes unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, that showed when sea surface temperatures were unusually high it led to decreased sea ice coverage in 2016. Marilyn Raphael, a professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles, who studies Antarctic sea ice, said another possible effect could trace back to wind around the western side of the Amundsen Sea continent. A region of low air pressure regularly develops over the sea and has been strong this year. This may have driven ice more to the north, meaning there is warmer water where it could melt rapidly. Sea ice is essential because it maintains the Earth’s energy and keeps polar regions cool by reflecting sunlight back to space. Sea ice is also vital for polar ecosystems, as it releases nutrients in the water when ice melts in the summer. Sea ice also helps prevent global warming by confining existing heat in the ocean, to refrain from warming the air above. Via Flickr. Eleanor Hildebrandt February 25, 2022 The megadrought in the southwestern is the worst the country has seen in at least 1,200 years. A new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change found the past two decades in the American Southwest have been the driest in well over a millennium. The researchers believe global warming has worsened the drought’s severity. One of the study’s authors and climate scientist at Columbia University Jason Smerdon said human-made climate change makes the drought more extreme because it causes a “thirstier” atmosphere that is able to pull more moisture from trees, vegetation, and soil. Smerdon called the development “a slow-motion train wreck.” Temperatures in the Southwest in the 21st century have been almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average temperature from 1950 to 1999. The researchers used tree rings to estimate soil moisture conditions of past climates to compare to today’s. Researchers found several significant megadroughts have occurred in the southwestern in the past 1,200 years. Some of the droughts have lasted up to 30 years. The team believes the area has not experience such dry conditions since the late 1500s, and not with such consistency since 800 Via Flickr Josie Taylor February 24, 2022 A new landmark United Nations report has reported that the risk of wildfires around the world will likely surge by over 50% in coming decades as climate change further intensifies what the report described as a “global wildfire crisis.” The scientific assessment was made as a result of deadly wildfires around the world, like in Australia and even the Arctic. It is the first by the organization’s environmental authority to evaluate wildfire risks worldwide. The report, produced by more than 50 researchers from six continents, estimated that the risk worldwide of highly devastating fires could increase by up to 57% by the end of the century, primarily due to climate change. Some regions are expected to experience much more severe fires than others. It is a stark warning about the increased heat and dryness that human-caused global warming is bringing about. In a moderate scenario for global warming, the likelihood of extreme, catastrophic fires could increase by up to 33% by 2050 and up to 52 percent by 2100, the report estimates. If emissions are not curbed and the planet heats up more, wildfire risks could rise by up to 57% by the end of the century. Via Flickr Elyse Gabor February 22, 2022 According to the Iowa DNR’s 2022 draft inventory, Iowa has more contaminated water now than in 2020. The reasons for the water bodies making the DNR’s list were due to large numbers of bacteria and fish killings. As shown in the state’s 2020 list of Category 5 impairment, the DNR reported that the state recorded 585 sources of water with a total of 778 contaminates. In 2022, the DNR’s findings have gone up to 594 sources of water with a total of 783 containments. Over half of Iowa’s rivers and streams have impairments, or at least one reason they do not meet the standard for safe drinking water, water activities, or the support marine life. Just under 70 percent of lakes and reservoirs in the state do not meet these standards as well. There are still over 150 other water sources that contain contaminated water; however, the state has not been required to set a limit on pollution for these sites. According to an executive team member for the Sierra Club’s Iowa chapter Wally Taylor, the bacteria found in Iowa’s water was due to animal waste and large-scale animal production. Via Flickr Josie Taylor February 21, 2022 According to a new government report, the US coastline will see sea levels rise in the next 30 years by as much as they did in the entire 20th century. The projected increase is especially alarming given that in the 20th century, seas along the Atlantic coast rose at the fastest clip in 2,000 years. By 2050, seas lapping against the shore will be 10 to 12 inches to meters higher, with parts of Louisiana and Texas projected to see waters a foot and a half meters higher, according to a 111-page report issued Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and six other federal agencies. The report did have some good news, like the worst of the long-term sea level rise from the melting of ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland probably won’t kick in until after 2100. The report “is the equivalent of NOAA sending a red flag up” about accelerating the rise in sea levels, said University of Wisconsin-Madison geoscientist Andrea Dutton, a specialist in sea level rise who wasn’t part of the federal report. The coastal flooding the is seeing now “will get taken to a whole new level in just a couple of decades.” The reason why sea level rises more in some places than others is because of sinking land, currents and water from ice melt. The will get slightly more sea level rise than the global average. While higher seas cause much more damage when storms such as hurricanes hit the coast, they are also becoming a problem on sunny days. Cities such as Miami Beach, Florida; Annapolis, Maryland; and Norfolk, Virginia, already get a few minor floods a year during high tides, but those will be replaced by several “moderate” floods a year by mid-century. Via Flickr. Eleanor Hildebrandt February 17, 2022 New research from across the found many bald and golden eagles have lead poisoning. The study examined 1,200 eagles from Alaska to Florida and found 46 percent of bald eagles and 47 percent of golden eagles had chronic lead poisoning. The eagles tested reside in 38 different states. According to the research, they are continually exposed to toxic heavy metals throughout their life spans. Fish and Wildlife Service National Raptor Coordinator Brian Millsap coauthored the study. He said the research shows that “lead reduces the rate of population growth for both of these protected species.” While bald eagles were taken off the endangered species list in 2007 according to NBC News, Millsap said the golden eagle’s population is not as stable. He said the population could tip into overall decline due to the lead exposure. The study is the first of its kind. Todd Katzner, a supervisory research wildlife biologist with the Geological Survey and the study’s lead author, said the study illuminates how the lead in the environment can negatively impact eagles within the continent. The eight-year research project found lead can have lethal effects on the birds at a population level. The study suggests the exposure could impact the growth of both eagle species’ population moving forward. Scientists believe lead can be entering the birds’ bodies via their food consumptions. The concentrations of lead spiked in the winter months, when it is harder for birds to find meals and eagles start to scavenge for meals for longer. The lead exposure also leads to a reduced growth in bald eagles by nearly four percent. Via Flickr Simone Garza February 17, 2022 Fuel stations may need additional financial support for proposed new requirements of all gas stations to sell a gasoline blend with 15 percent ethanol. E15 fuel is a budget-friendly combination of 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent ethanol that burns cleaner than gasoline. The impact of advocating for E15 fuel at Iowa gas pumps is to reduce emissions from gas vehicles which would reduce cases of asthma and respiratory illnesses. Ethanol also lowers greenhouse gas emissions between 40 to 50 percent in contrast to petroleum. Iowa House File 2128 was proposed earlier in the 2022 Legislative session, focusing on putting an E15 option at all fuel stations in the state. Iowa Democrats and Republicans have voiced support for the legislation in recent weeks, including the bill receiving unanimous support from a Senate agriculture subcommittee last week. The current proposal will provide approximately $50,000 for stores that need to upgrade both pumps and tanks to allow higher concentrations of ethanol, which can break down specific rubbers and plastics. The bill states if costs to a fuel station business exceeds $72,000, the business will be exempt from the legislation. Some gas station owners, however, are still concerned about going out of business according to the Dispatch. Glenn Hasken, chief operating officer of Molo Companies in Dubuque, told Iowa Capital Dispatch that he believes the state should offer up to $200,000 for store upgrades because the current bill is not palatable to small operators. A January 2022 study of Iowa’s ethanol use said the switch from 10 percent ethanol to 15 percent within the state would generate up to $73 million of new yearly revenue. Casey’s General Store lobbyist Tom Cope has previously opposed the legislation, but would support the legislation if more funds were offered to businesses. Cope is also working to broaden the waiver for old tanks that cannot conform to E15 fuels. Via Flickr Elyse Gabor February 15, 2022 According to the DNR, a facility near Rock Valley polluted a creek after it leaked around 376,000 gallons of contaminated water. The facility was constructed by Colorado company, Gevo, which creates environmentally friendly fuels from manure. The polluted water moved to a crop field and drained into Lizard Creek. The creek flows into Rock River, and as of now, the extent of contamination is unknown. Gevo creates renewable fuel by extracting methane from manure produced by cattle. The gas is then transported to California, where it fuels low-emissions cars. The company plans to operate this year. The Rock Valley digester, one of three manure holding sites in the area, was contaminated early last week. As the leak began to seep into the ground, someone discovered the polluted water and traced it back to the new facility. According to Gevor spokesperson Heather Manuel, facility workers are trying hard to find the source of the leak. The company will also be checking all digesters moving forward. The DNR is unsure of what caused the leak to happen. They are also unclear as to how long the digester has been leaking. Via Flickr Simone Garza February 12,2022 Funding from the Great American Outdoors Act is beginning to reduce the backlog of deferred maintenance projects in national parks. Deferred maintenance postpones the conservation of these parks related to repairs on the property. On Wednesday, Feb. 9, an official from the Department of the Interior told senators at a hearing that 56 out of 420 parks accounts for 80 percent of the currently deferred maintenance projects. In 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act set aside $ billion dollars over five years to manage deferred maintenance projects at national parks. The Great American Outdoors Act also guarantees $900 million per year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, to protect rivers, lakes, and national parks from commercial development. The fund was established in 1964. More than 150,000 miles of streams and rivers flow through national parks in the while more than four million acres of water, including reservoirs or lakes, are also found in national parks. Visiting national parks can be beneficial to human health by improving heart health and circulation, and lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose. In 2020, the Forest Service had 168 million visitors, an increase of 18 million from the prior year. Deferred maintenance can impact visitors’ ability to experience all aspects of a given national park. Delayed land acquisition was also mentioned by Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, as the process can take anywhere between six months to three years to complete backlogged projects. National parks are also beneficial for the ecosystem, with carbon-reducing and sustainable landscapes. The parks help create clean air and water with less pollution and minimizing storm water runoff. Via Flickr. Eleanor Hildebrandt February 11, 2022 Gray wolves will soon regain federal protections across the country following a district court ruling. On Thursday Senior District Judge Jeffery S. White in northern California ruled a Trump-era decision to end protection of wolves did not adequately consider the threats still present to the species. Prior to the ruling, the Biden administration defended the policy decision in court. The New York Times reported the decision applies to 44 states. Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming’s wolves will remain unprotected, since the species lost protections before the Trump administration’s decision. New Mexico’s wolves, however, never lost protection because they are considered a separate population. When wolves were formally removed from the endangered species list in October 2020, hunting increased sharply in various states. Wisconsin cut its wolf hunting season short because more than 200 wolves were killed in less than 60 hours. The state’s quota is 119. Wolves were one of the original species protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The protection of the animals, however, has remained controversial in the Western where some ranchers lose livestock to the predators. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland expressed concern for the population prior to the ruling, saying she was alarmed by the number of wolves being killed in an essay for USA Today. The Fish and Wildlife Service is currently reviewing the decision from the court and the service’s conservation of wolves is expected to begin again soon.