The Pacific Ocean Is Getting Colder as Parts of the Earth Heat Up

We used to talk all the time about Global Warming. Then over the last few decades, the concept got rebranded as Climate Change, and with good reason.

Warming in and of itself is not necessarily concerning. It’s the dramatic fluctuations in normal weather patterns, which we experience with greater and greater frequency and severity, in addition to the overall temperature increase, that is really sounding the alarm. In fact it turns out that as some parts of the Earth are getting warmer, other parts are losing heat.

To understand this new discovery, published in Geophysical Research Letters by researchers from the University of Oslo, it may be helpful to reflect back on 3rd grade science class.

Remember how the Earth is made up of layers, with a molten magma core surrounded by the mantle?

The mantle and the core are the notable layers in this new research because it’s not just the sun that heats the surface of our planet.

It turns out, the core heats us from the inside, as well, like how a hot bowl of soup can warm you all over on a cold day.

As Popular Mechanics explains:

Over the extremely long term, this interior will continue to cool until Earth is more like Mars. The surprise in the new study is how unevenly the heat is dissipating, but the reason makes intuitive sense: Parts of Earth have been insulated by more landmass, creating something of a Thermos layer that traps heat.

To understand how it is possible for one side of the Earth to be cooling faster than the other, it helps to picture an AuthaGraph map of the world.

This more accurate representation demonstrates the unequal distribution of land and water across the Earth.

For their study, the Oslo scientists divided the Earth into an African hemisphere (mostly land) and a Pacific hemisphere (mostly water).

Then they used computers to model and analyze 400 million years of continental drift and temperature data, to understand the relative insulation of each hemisphere across time.

Just like bubbles seem to keep you and your bath water warmer for longer, land insulates better than water alone.

The seafloor is far thinner than the bulky landmass, and temperature from within Earth is “quenched” by the enormous volume of cold water that’s above it.

When you think about it that way, it all kind of makes sense.

Earth, as seen from Apollo 17

Image credit: NASA via Unsplash

And yet, they found a bit of a contradiction.

The research shows that the Pacific hemisphere has cooled around 50 Kelvin more than the African hemisphere.
(If my math is right, that’s something like a drop of 550 degrees Fahrenheit, but please don’t quote me.)

Due to continental drift, or the Lost City of Atlantis, or who-knows-what, it looks like the Pacific side of the world was not always the cooler of the two.

Think about the Ring of Fire, the higher volcanic activity in and around the Pacific Ocean.

Lava from Kilauea on Hawaii flows into the ocean.

Image credit: Marc Szeglat via Unsplash

Popular Mechanics points out:

The Pacific’s high tectonic activity today points to a heat disparity.

The meltier the mantle, the more the plates can slide and slam together.

Maybe that’s where everything is connected and Climate Change really comes into play.

As sea levels rise, adding more water to the mix, and the ice shelf breaks off, adding more cold ice into the water, maybe that is helping the ocean cool down even faster.

That’s the fun thing about science–there’s always more to figure out.

It’s pretty fascinating though, right? Tell us what you think in the comments.

The post The Pacific Ocean Is Getting Colder as Parts of the Earth Heat Up appeared first on UberFacts.

A Melting Glacier Revealed 28 New Virus Groups and Scientists are Worried

There are a whole lot of reasons to lament the demise of glaciers around the world – for one, they are the visual proof that the earth is warming, no matter what the weather outside your window or the politicians in their offices want to claim.

For another, many of them have been around for millennia, and as they melt, things are thawing out of them that modern human beings have never encountered.

In 2015, researchers from China and the United States drilled a 164-foot hole into a Tibetan glacier, gathering 2 ice core samples to study in a lab. The 15,000-year-old glacier is melting, and the scientists have so far found 33 virus groups in their core sample.

28 of them are completely new to science.

These scientists and researchers are not alone; their peers around the world are desperately trying to identify potential microbial threats in the melting ice before they escape and put us on the spot.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The meltwater from glaciers and ice caps could release these potentially harmful pathogens into streams, rivers, and pretty much any other type of waterway…and once a previously unknown microbe finds its way into human beings, there’s no telling what might happen.

The permafrost around the world is melting, too, and presents similar microbial challenges. It’s also releasing an alarming amount of methane gas and carbon dioxide – it is estimated to hold twice as much carbon as currently resides in our atmosphere.

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For 141 years since its first ascent, mountaineers from around the world traveled to climb la Meije in the Massif des Ecrins of France. Meanwhile, the permafrost that held its stones together was melting. On August 7, 2018, rockfall destroyed much of the normal route. In this On Belay story from Alpinist 68—which is now available on newsstands and in our online store—two locally based guides—Benjamin Ribeyre and Erin Smart—recount a search for a new way up the peak amid the uncertainties of the planet’s future. . You can now read the story at Alpinist.com. . Did you know—only a small fraction of our many long-form stories from the print edition are ever uploaded to Alpinist.com. Be sure to pick up Alpinist 68 for all the goodness: https://shop.holpublications.com/products/alpinist-magazine-issue-68 . The south face of la Meije (3983m) and the upper Etancons Valley is pictured here with the Glacier Carre covered in snow during spring, Massif des Ecrins, France. [Photo] Manu Rivaud . @benjaminribeyre @erinsmart_mountainguide #lameije #glaciercarré #frenchalps #snowmelt #rockfall #climatechange #meltingpermafrost #alpinistfeature #theclimbinglife #alpineclimbing #mountaineering

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Researchers have pulled samples of smallpox, Spanish flu, bubonic plague, and even anthrax from thawing permafrost, along with pollutants like mercury, all previously trapped inside permanently frozen ground.

There are important buildings in jeopardy, too, as thawing ground begins to result in more slumping or sagging of previously hardened earth. In Sweden, for example, there is a nuclear waste containment facility that could be in danger, and in Norway, the world’s global seed vault, built to safeguard seeds against exactly this kind of environmental impact, could itself be threatened.

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Humans are very good at self sabotaging ourselves, controlling and manipulating others, colonizing and dominating over other live and sentient beings. All these behaviours are driven by fear, anger, greed, hunger for power, status and control. 🧐🤯 Would we still buy into all this nonsense if we fully realized that we are destroying ourselves, all living beings and our planet? What if we only have few years to live? Would we contemplate life and death? Seek reconciliations between peoples with different religions, nations, genders, classes, generations? ❤ Let's make universal love our compass. ❤ Let's live in present. ❤ Let's seek and adapt inner peace and love. ❤ Let's be human again. ❤ Let's share love and show compassion. ❤ Love, enjoy, live. Now. #love #behuman #awakeninghumanity #humanrights #climatecrisis #sixthmassextinction #climaterefugees #consumerismkills #foodshortages #heatwave #flooding #reducereuserecycle #circulareconomy #govegan #carbondrawdown #risingsealevel #meltingpermafrost #plasticfreelife #socialcollaps #noplanetb🌎 #universalconsciousness

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Basically, we’ve only encountered the tip of the iceberg (pun intended) when it comes to the potential disastrous effects of global warming – not only on the planet, but on humanity, too.

I don’t know about you, but the idea that I could get smallpox is one more reason I want to do my part.

The post A Melting Glacier Revealed 28 New Virus Groups and Scientists are Worried appeared first on UberFacts.

Tardigrades Are the Most Resilient Animals on Earth, but Even They Will Struggle with Climate Change

Tardigrades are tough little sons of guns; they can survive freezing temperatures, being boiled, and even the vacuum of space. They don’t need to drink water or breathe air to stay alive. But scientists seem to have hit on one thing that might be a killer for them–global warming.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

Ricardo Neves, from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, led a team of researchers to study how well a species of tardigrade, Ramazzottius varieornatus, could handle different environments.

Neves told Newsweek,

One of the [things] that makes tardigrades so interesting is their extraordinary ability to survive in environments characterized by severe conditions, such as environments without oxygen or water and temperatures close to the absolute zero. Moreover, we were aware of previous studies reporting on their ability to endure high temperatures (up to 151 C) for short exposure times (up to one hour). However, it remained to be seen whether tardigrades could endure exposure to high temperatures for periods exceeding one hour, which we tested in our study.

This particular species of tardigrades can be found in roof gutters where they can easily reproduce and feed in freshwater. When there’s no water and conditions are dry, the R. varieornatus survive by entering a state of suspended animation called cryptobiosis.

Tardigrade

When the team examined the creatures under different temperature ranges and time lengths, they discovered that, despite what pop-science websites have touted, tardigrades do have a weakness.

Fifty percent of the tardigrades in an active state died when the temperature was 37.1 C (98.78 F). Given a period to acclimatize, they could survive at 37.6 C (99.68 F). In a state of cryptobiosis, they survived temperatures up to 82.7 C (180.86 F) for one hour. When exposed for 24 hours, they could survive a maximum temperature of 63.1 C (145.58 F).

The record high in Denmark is 36.4 C (97.52 F), which is close to the maximum temperature half of the tardigrades in an active state could survive. This points to a potential struggle for survival as temperatures around the globe rise.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

What was once considered an animal that could literally survive anything is now showing its own vulnerability to climate change. Neves said tardigrades have shown they can acclimatize, but he also wonders how other living beings will cope.

He, and the rest of the world, are going to find out. Like it or not, the Earth is warming and humanity is not doing enough to stop it from happening.

The post Tardigrades Are the Most Resilient Animals on Earth, but Even They Will Struggle with Climate Change appeared first on UberFacts.

Venice, Italy Is Underwater After the Highest Tide in 50 Years

If you’ve paid attention to the news the last week or so, you’ve seen the heartbreaking and devastating floods in one of Europe’s most-visited cities. Venice, Italy is a breathtaking destination, famous for its canals and historic buildings.

Recently, the highest tide in 50 years has inundated the city, and the mayor of Venice has blamed the catastrophe on one thing: climate change.

Paquebots(Navires spécialisé dans le transport de personnes.)L' année dernière, des conditions similaires ont frappé…

Posted by Olivier Godfurnon on Thursday, November 14, 2019

More than 85% of Venice flooded during this event, and the famous St. Mark’s Basilica was flooded for only the sixth time in 1,200 years. Four of those six floods have been in the past 20 years. Official records about such events in Venice have only been kept since 1923, and these high tides (called acqua alta in Italian) reached the highest levels in the city since 1966.

Posted by Sonny Tuttle on Monday, November 18, 2019

Luca Zaia, the governor of the Veneto region of which Venice is a part of, said, “We are faced with total, apocalyptic devastation. The art, the basilica, the shops and the homes, a disaster…Venice is bracing itself for the next high tide.” Zaia also described Venice as being “on its knees.”

Posted by Władimir Gromakowski on Sunday, November 17, 2019

The images coming out of Venice are shocking and sad, to say the least. People and animals trudging through the high waters, attempting to find higher ground and to save their personal belongings.

Posted by Sonny Tuttle on Monday, November 18, 2019

Posted by Sonny Tuttle on Monday, November 18, 2019

Venice is built on top of a marshy, shallow lagoon, which doesn’t help the situation. Sea levels have been rising around Venice (and everywhere) for years because of climate change, but the city is also sinking, increasing the impact.

Unless drastic action is taken, the problem looks like it will only get worse as time marches on until the city disappears into the ocean. Or something.

The post Venice, Italy Is Underwater After the Highest Tide in 50 Years appeared first on UberFacts.

Venice, Italy Is Underwater After the Highest Tide in 50 Years

If you’ve paid attention to the news the last week or so, you’ve seen the heartbreaking and devastating floods in one of Europe’s most-visited cities. Venice, Italy is a breathtaking destination, famous for its canals and historic buildings.

Recently, the highest tide in 50 years has inundated the city, and the mayor of Venice has blamed the catastrophe on one thing: climate change.

Paquebots(Navires spécialisé dans le transport de personnes.)L' année dernière, des conditions similaires ont frappé…

Posted by Olivier Godfurnon on Thursday, November 14, 2019

More than 85% of Venice flooded during this event, and the famous St. Mark’s Basilica was flooded for only the sixth time in 1,200 years. Four of those six floods have been in the past 20 years. Official records about such events in Venice have only been kept since 1923, and these high tides (called acqua alta in Italian) reached the highest levels in the city since 1966.

Posted by Sonny Tuttle on Monday, November 18, 2019

Luca Zaia, the governor of the Veneto region of which Venice is a part of, said, “We are faced with total, apocalyptic devastation. The art, the basilica, the shops and the homes, a disaster…Venice is bracing itself for the next high tide.” Zaia also described Venice as being “on its knees.”

Posted by Władimir Gromakowski on Sunday, November 17, 2019

The images coming out of Venice are shocking and sad, to say the least. People and animals trudging through the high waters, attempting to find higher ground and to save their personal belongings.

Posted by Sonny Tuttle on Monday, November 18, 2019

Posted by Sonny Tuttle on Monday, November 18, 2019

Venice is built on top of a marshy, shallow lagoon, which doesn’t help the situation. Sea levels have been rising around Venice (and everywhere) for years because of climate change, but the city is also sinking, increasing the impact.

Unless drastic action is taken, the problem looks like it will only get worse as time marches on until the city disappears into the ocean. Or something.

The post Venice, Italy Is Underwater After the Highest Tide in 50 Years appeared first on UberFacts.

Record Cold Temperatures Don’t Mean Climate Change Isn’t Taking Place

It’s cold outside! Really cold!

We aren’t even into December yet, but much of the country has already seen frigid temperatures and huge snowstorms this fall.

So, predictably, some climate change deniers and skeptics have rushed out (as they are wont to do) and cried from the rooftops that global warming and climate change don’t really exist. Just look at this cold, snowy weather we’re having…right?

WRONG. These short-term bouts of unusually cold weather don’t really have any effect on long-term temperature averages. Let’s look at the reasons why.

 

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If you’ll recall, a polar vortex developed in early 2019 and then split apart, sending a swath of cold air to the Great Lakes region. Amy Butler, an atmospheric scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, explained it this way, “Like a rock in a stream—in this case, the jet stream—[the polar vortex lobe] helped keep the jet stream pushed southward, which encourages cold air to be transported from Canada and the Arctic into mid-latitudes.”

The split polar vortex and other factors combined to create these cold conditions in early 2019, and some experts believed that the cold temperatures wouldn’t last long. And although the frigid conditions were uncomfortable and seemed to last a long time, the average monthly temperatures last December and January were actually above average for that time of year.

 

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In other words, random cold spells will always take place and weather is chaotic, but that does not mean that climate change isn’t occurring right now as we speak. Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at the University of California, Irvine, said, “The weather frequently changes from day-to-day or even hour-to-hour, while changes in our climate occur in the long-term, such as over 30 year periods. Therefore, we cannot say that one cold outbreak or weather event is evidence for or against climate change.”

And people tend to remember exceptional (read: cold) weather events rather than the normal, average days. But the fact is that winters have been warming. Over the past year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recorded 11,404 daily record lows across the globe. But the organization also recorded 21,907 new record HIGH temperatures.

 

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Bob Henson, meteorologist with Weather Underground, said, “That ratio [of record highs to lows] has been getting bigger over the past few decades. Cold doesn’t go away, it’s just less frequent.”

The post Record Cold Temperatures Don’t Mean Climate Change Isn’t Taking Place appeared first on UberFacts.

Italy’s Schools Will Require That Children Learn About Climate Change Starting in 2020

It looks like Italy is taking a big step in the fight against global warming and climate change, and for that, we should be thankful…and we should hope that this kind of curriculum spreads across the globe.

Lorenzo Fioramonti is Italy’s education minister, and he is now requiring that, starting in September 2020, all children in his country will receive education about climate change. All students will be required to have 33 hours of lessons each year dedicated to climate change and environmental sustainability.

Fioramonti also wants to eventually make climate change education part of math and geography curriculum so students will take sustainability into consideration when they study these subjects as well. The lessons will teach students the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and will be formed with help from environmental experts.

Fioramonti said, “The entire ministry is being changed to make sustainability and climate the centre of the education model. I want to make the Italian education system the first education system that puts the environment and society at the core of everything we learn in school.”

Italy’s education minister also believes that older people need to educate themselves and play a role in this movement, so all citizens can work together toward sustainability. Fioramonti said he wants to “build a strong bridge between old and new generations around sustainable development as a social glue.”

An NPR poll found that 80% of American parents are in favor of their kids learning about the issue. Wouldn’t that be nice…?

The post Italy’s Schools Will Require That Children Learn About Climate Change Starting in 2020 appeared first on UberFacts.

10 Simple Ways You Can Help out the Environment

There are always little things you can do to help out the environment. Even if they seem inconsequential to you, taking small steps adds up – especially when countless other people are out there doing the same thing.

So try to implement these habits into your daily lives, and we’ll all be better for it in the long run.

Cause we’ve got a crisis on our hands, and every little bit helps.

1. Turn down the brightness on your monitor.

Desk Upgrade

You can save up to 20% of your monitor’s energy just by adjusting your brightness from 100% to 70%. Go on and do it now…I’ll wait.

2. Think about your music streaming.

Headphones

A study says that today’s music streaming might produce up to double the greenhouse gas emissions as compared to music streaming in the early part of this century. Consider downloading music instead of streaming and do a little research about which streaming companies use cleaner energy.

3. Streaming devices are important, too.

RCS_7989 - IPad - Game Changer

A gaming console might use 30 to 45 times as much power to stream a movie than a regular media player.

4. Order more.

Package

If you buy things online, order more than one item at a time. This cuts down on delivery and packaging in the long run.

5. Search engines matter.

Search engine optimization

Different search engines give back to the environment in different ways. For instance, Ecosia donates ad revenue to plant trees and, according to their website, they run net carbon negative. Do some research and see which ones are doing green work.

6. Unplug it.

Apple...Unplugged

When you’re not using your charger, unplug it. Simple as that. Phone and laptop chargers draw electricity even if you’re not actively charging a device, so give those breakers…a break.

7. Or use a surge protector.

Surge protector

Surge protectors with an On/Off switch are a good option too for those hard-to-reach plugs.

8. Get on that bike.

Kamilah on a Bike

Biking may actually be faster than driving a car in some American cities, so hop on that bicycle of yours to get to where you’re headed.

9. Spam is bad.

email-spam

Roughly 62 TRILLION spam emails are sent each year. Something you may not think about often: sending email actually has a carbon footprint from servers working. Which means those spam emails equal about 20 tons of CO2 each year. So go ahead and hit the “Unsubscribe” button, please.

10. Buy used and vintage clothes.

Thrift Store

According to The Economist, “From the pesticides poured on cotton fields to the washes in which denim is dunked, making 1kg of fabric generates 23kg of greenhouse gases on average.” Seems like kind of a waste, doesn’t it? So consider heading to the thrift store instead of grabbing a new flannel.

 

Give us some of your tips as well in the comments!

We’re in this together, so let’s all do our part, okay?

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Ireland Plans on Planting 440 Million Trees to Help Fight Climate Change

Climate change is altering the world. Some of these changes we can anticipate, but others we are learning about in real time. And even though everyone who’s examined the evidence knows that climate change is occurring and that it is bad, some nations are sitting idly by and acting like their hands are tied.

Others are fighting for the future.

That is exactly what the country of Ireland is trying to do. Over the next 22 years, Ireland has committed to planting 22 million trees each year, totaling to 440 million trees by the year 2040.

Many believe that “revegetating” the natural environment can help to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The tree-planting initiative is part of the Irish government’s overall plan to combat climate change, which involves getting to carbon neutral by 2050.

The plan calls for farmers to plant trees, and they will be incentivized for doing so. It’s a bit tricky: some argue that farmers should not be required to plant trees on their own land because it will take away property from their economic crops and cattle. Others have suggested that farmers let land revegetate on its own, so forests can develop naturally.

While there would be greater species diversity if a forest naturally revegetated, it would also take longer for trees to mature that way.

It’s estimated that there are about 3 trillion trees on Earth and that roughly 15 billion are cut down every year by humans.

The action plan from the Irish government says:

“Taking decisive action to confront climate disruption will be a major challenge to every dimension of our society, but the benefits are huge – warmer homes, cleaner air, a sustainable use of the world’s scarce resources, more connected communities, authentic values, and quality jobs in enterprises which can compete in a decarbonised world. This is everyone’s journey. From Government to businesses, communities to householders, climate action is collective action. The Climate Action Plan sets out the Government agenda; see what you can do to play your part.”

If Ireland can do it, it seems like the United States could manage the same, don’t you think?

The post Ireland Plans on Planting 440 Million Trees to Help Fight Climate Change appeared first on UberFacts.

July 2019 Was the Hottest Month on Record…so Far

If you thought July was hotter than usual, you were right.

According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), July was not only the hottest July of all time, but the hottest month since we began keeping such records back in 1880.

The average global temperatures were nearly a full degree Celsius over the 20th-century average.

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So I want to talk about packaging 📦When I first had the idea about selling my artwork one of my biggest concerns was my packaging and how it would effect the environment! Therefore, after doing some research I found a company @ecocraft_ltd . Eco craft produce bio-degradable packaging bags made from potato/corn starch. They look and feel exactly like cellophane bags,however, are sustainable making my products have a better impact on the environment,meaning less single use plastic!! 🌍 Therefore, all my prints will be packaged using these green bags along with all my postage envelopes that can be recycled. 💛💛💛 • • #illustration #illustrationartists #climatechange #climatechangeisreal #fightforclimatechange #fightagainstplastic #thereisnoplanetb

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July 2019 came right after the hottest June ever recorded, which saw temperatures climb 2 full degrees Celsius over average for the time.

9 of the 10 hottest Julys have occurred since 2005, so despite statements from some public leaders that global warming is a hoax, the data points to the contrary. This July, as a matter of fact, was the 415th consecutive month with above-average temperatures across the globe.

Also according to NOAA, satellite data for July shows the lowest polar ice levels ever recorded – one more reason for concern, if you ask Professor of Climate Science Richard Allan.

“Just as one swallow does not make a summer, one record month does not tell us much on its own since the fickle nature of weather systems and the slow sloshing about of the ocean can sometimes temporarily warm or cool the planet. However, the clustering of recent record hot years and months, the longer-term warming trend and our understanding of the physics of the atmosphere and oceans confirms that our climate is heating up, it’s our fault, and the way to stop this is to reduce and begin removing emissions of greenhouse gases.”

Full stop.

Now, let’s agree to do something about it before it’s too late.

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