Methane: Record levels of greenhouse gas are a ‘fire alarm moment’, scientists say

Average atmospheric concentrations of methane reached 1900 parts per billion last September, the highest in nearly four decades of records Environment 7 January 2022 By Adam Vaughan Wetlands such as the Pantanal in Brazil are a major source of methane emissions CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images Rising levels of the powerful greenhouse gas methane … Read more

What Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday’ Glacier Could Mean For The World

The massive Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by 65cm if it were to completely collapse. And, worryingly, recent research suggests that its long-term stability is doubtful as the glacier hemorrhages more and more ice.   Adding 65cm to global sea levels would be coastline-changing amounts. For context, … Read more

Even Drastic CO2 Cuts Won’t Bring Back The Climate We’ve Lost

We’re so far down the road of climate change, that even making drastic cuts to atmospheric carbon dioxide levels won’t be enough for the world’s weather systems to fall back into their previous patterns, according to a new study.   But the research also suggests we still can have a huge impact on how severe … Read more

Tsunamis’ Magnetic Fields Can Be Detected Before Sea Levels Change

Seconds count when it comes to tsunami alerts, and scientists may have found a warning sign that can be detected even earlier than sea level rises: the magnetic fields created by these gigantic rushes of waves.   Even though the difference might only be a minute or two, that can save lives. Magnetic field data … Read more

Study Finds Alarming Levels of Microplastics in The Feces of People With IBD

Motes of weathered plastic increasingly dust every corner of our planet, permeating our food, our air, and our water. From the moment we’re born – if not long before – we’re exposed to its effects, and we don’t fully know what that’s doing to our health and wellbeing.   A recent investigation by a team of researchers … Read more

Here’s How Much Exercise Works Best For Controlling Your Blood Pressure

When it comes to exercise for heart health, you don’t want to peak too early in life. Recent research suggests that if you want to protect yourself against high blood pressure as you age, you need to play the long game and keep your exercise levels up through middle age.   But social factors can … Read more

Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Appears Effective Against Omicron Variant

US vaccine maker Moderna expressed confidence Monday that its booster shot was effective against the Omicron variant, after the announcement of laboratory results it described as “reassuring”.   “We’ll be able to rely on this vaccine to address the near term surge of Omicron cases,” Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna, said on a conference call. … Read more

It Turns Out That Everything We Know About The Runner’s High Could Be Wrong

Many people have experienced reductions in stress, pain, and anxiety, and sometimes even euphoria after exercise. What’s behind this so-called ‘runner’s high’? New research on the neuroscience of exercise may surprise you.   The runner’s high has long been attributed to endorphins. These are chemicals produced naturally in the body of humans and other animals … Read more

Archaeologists Find 2,000-Year-Old Lesson on Sea Level Changes Destroying Societies

Archaeologists have linked rising and lowering sea levels in the Atlantic Ocean to the ebbs and flows of ancient civilizations in southern Brazil. The findings, which incorporate several lines of past archaeological evidence, suggest even large, resilient, and cooperative coastal communities can easily go out with the tide.   When analyzing and dating a series … Read more

Glimpse of The Future as La Niña Raises Sea Levels in Western Pacific by Up to 20 cm

Severe coastal flooding inundated islands and atolls across the western equatorial Pacific last week, with widespread damage to buildings and food crops in the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands.   On one level, very high tides are normal at this time of year in the western Pacific, and … Read more