Environment
🏝️ Several atolls are growing despite rising sea levels
Scientists have discovered that many coral islands are growing or maintaining their size despite rising sea levels. Over 1000 islands have been studied and shown surprising resilience to sea level rise.
🌳 Deforestation in the Amazon reaches lowest level since 2018
Deforestation in the Amazon has decreased by 40 percent compared to 2023. May 2024 recorded the lowest deforestation level since March 2018. The accumulated deforestation over the past year has decreased by 54 percent compared to the same period the previous year.
🐎 Wild horses return to the Kazakh steppes after 200 years
The world's last wild horses, Przewalski's horses, have returned to their original home in Kazakhstan. The horses come from zoos in Berlin and Prague. The plan is to transport a total of 40 horses to central Kazakhstan over the next five years.
🌎 The last ozone-depleting chemical is now decreasing
The levels of the ozone-depleting chemical HCFC have been declining since 2021. The ozone layer is recovering, and the dangerous ozone hole is shrinking. The Montreal Protocol, adopted in 1987, has been crucial in reducing the use of ozone-depleting substances.
🐦CyberTracker helps indigenous communities document biodiversity
CyberTracker's software, developed in collaboration with indigenous communities, enables nearly anyone to collect complex biodiversity data. Even individuals who are illiterate can collect detailed data.
🌼 A periodic table for flowering plants has been created – includes 9,500 species
Researchers analyzed 1.8 billion genetic letters from over 9,500 species of flowering plants. The research reveals the evolutionary history of flowering plants.
🛰️ NASA has discovered a way to predict flash droughts months in advance
Flash droughts occur suddenly and quickly, but now researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found a way to detect them early. Plants' "glow" diminishes before a flash drought, and this change can be observed by satellites.
🐳 Researchers begin to understand the basics of sperm whale language
Scientists have identified the fundamental components of sperm whale communication. Through the analysis of over 8,700 clips of sperm whale clicks, a complex communication system resembling a phonetic alphabet has been revealed.
🌎 Global Overshoot Day occurs later this year
According to the Global Footprint Network, ecological "overshoot" occurs when human demand exceeds the regenerative capacity of natural ecosystems. The later in the year this day occurs, the better. (But the model also has clear flaws.)