Tag: environment

Plastic-eating bacteria discovered in the ocean

Source:King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)

Summary:Beneath the ocean’s surface, bacteria have evolved specialized enzymes that can digest PET plastic, the material used in bottles and clothes. Researchers at KAUST discovered that a unique molecular signature distinguishes enzymes capable of efficiently breaking down plastic. Found in nearly 80% of ocean samples, these PETase variants show nature’s growing adaptation to human pollution.Share:

    

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Plastic-Eating Bacteria Discovered in the Ocean
Bacteria armed with the M5 motif on their PETase enzyme can feast on plastic, a trait now seen thriving across the world’s oceans. Credit: © 2025 KAUST

Far beneath the ocean’s surface, researchers have found bacteria that can digest plastic, using specialized enzymes that evolved alongside humanity’s synthetic debris.

A large-scale global study by scientists at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) revealed that these marine microbes are widespread and genetically prepared to consume polyethylene terephthalate (PET) — the tough plastic used in everyday items like drink bottles and fabrics.

Their remarkable ability stems from a distinct structural feature on a plastic-degrading enzyme called PETase. This feature, known as the M5 motif, acts as a molecular signature that signals when an enzyme can truly break down PET.

“The M5 motif acts like a fingerprint that tells us when a PETase is likely to be functional, able to break down PET plastic,” explains Carlos Duarte, a marine ecologist and co-leader of the study. “Its discovery helps us understand how these enzymes evolved from other hydrocarbon-degrading enzymes,” he says. “In the ocean, where carbon is scarce, microbes seem to have fine-tuned these enzymes to make use of this new, human-made carbon source: plastic.”

How Nature’s Recyclers Evolved

For decades, scientists believed PET was almost impossible to degrade naturally. That belief began to shift in 2016, when a bacterium discovered in a Japanese recycling plant was found to survive by consuming plastic waste. It had developed a PETase enzyme capable of dismantling plastic polymers into their building blocks.

Yet it remained unclear whether oceanic microbes had developed similar enzymes independently.

Using a combination of artificial intelligence modeling, genetic screening, and laboratory testing, Duarte and his team confirmed that the M5 motif distinguishes true PET-degrading enzymes from inactive look-alikes. In experiments, marine bacteria carrying the complete M5 motif efficiently broke down PET samples. Genetic activity maps showed that M5-PETase genes are highly active throughout the oceans, especially in areas heavily polluted with plastic.

Global Spread of Plastic-Eating Microbes

To understand how widespread these enzymes are, the researchers examined more than 400 ocean samples collected from across the globe. Functional PETases containing the M5 motif appeared in nearly 80 percent of the tested waters, ranging from surface gyres filled with floating debris to nutrient-poor depths nearly two kilometers below.

In the deep sea, this ability may give microbes an important edge. The ability to snack on synthetic carbon may confer a crucial survival advantage, noted Intikhab Alam, a senior bioinformatics researcher and co-leader of the study.

The discovery highlights a growing evolutionary response: microorganisms are adapting to human pollution on a planetary scale.

Although this adaptation reveals nature’s resilience, Duarte cautions against optimism. “By the time plastics reach the deep sea, the risks to marine life and human consumers have already been inflicted,” he warns. The microbial breakdown process is far too slow to offset the massive flow of plastic waste entering the oceans each year.

Turning Discovery Into Real-World Solutions

On land, however, the findings could accelerate progress toward sustainable recycling. “The range of PET-degrading enzymes spontaneously evolved in the deep sea provides models to be optimized in the lab for use in efficiently degrading plastics in treatment plants and, eventually, at home,” says Duarte.

The identification of the M5 motif offers a roadmap for engineering faster, more effective enzymes. It reveals the structural traits that work under real environmental conditions rather than just in test tubes. If scientists can replicate and enhance these natural mechanisms, humanity’s battle against plastic pollution may find powerful new allies in one of the planet’s most unexpected places: the deep ocean.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104013023.htm

Exclusive-Climate Fund Backs $6 Billion Jordan Water Project With Its Largest Deal

By Reuters

U.S. News & World Report

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People arrive to attend the Pledging Conference of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the First Replenishment in Paris, France, October 25, 2019. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

By Simon Jessop, Andrea Shalal and Suleiman Al-Khalidi

LONDON/AMMAN (Reuters) -The world’s largest multilateral climate fund has made its largest financial commitment to date to help build a $6 billion water desalination project in Jordan, its top executive said.

 

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The Green Climate Fund’s backing comes ahead of the COP30 event in Brazil in November and a decade after the Paris Agreement, which named the fund as a primary way to finance efforts to curb global warming.

“It will transform the country,” Mafalda Duarte told Reuters, adding that the commitment to Jordan’s Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project marked the fund’s “highest investment in a single project”.

A grant and loan totalling $295 million was approved at a board meeting in South Korea on Wednesday with the aim of drawing in financing from others, including the International Finance Corporation and private lenders.

ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST DESALINATION PROJECTS

The desalination project, one of the largest in the world, will eventually directly serve nearly half the population of Jordan, which has the second-lowest water availability of any country on the planet.

That was slated to get worse, with a 4 degrees Celsius rise in temperatures and a 21% decrease in rainfall projected by the end of the century, leading to increased evaporation, reduced groundwater and more frequent droughts.

MORE:  Places the U.S. Government Warns Not to Travel Right Now

Such a scenario has led Jordan’s leader to describe the Meridiam and SUEZ-led project as a strategic priority.

The U.S., which considers Jordan a key regional ally, has pledged $300 million in grants and $1 billion in loans for the project, Jordanian government officials told Reuters, while other countries in the region were expected to contribute.

“The project is a strategic project to desalinate and transport 300 million cubic meters of water every year to most parts of the kingdom,” Jordan’s Minister of Water and Irrigation, Raed Abu Soud, told Reuters.

24 PROJECTS UP FOR GCF BOARD MEETING APPROVAL

A senior official involved with the project said the GCF money would allow it to lower the cost of water by 10 cents a litre and help the government save $1 billion over its lifetime.

It would also allow the IFC to offer better loan terms, which will mean cheaper private sector financing, he added.

The project in Jordan is one of 24 up for discussion at the GCF board meeting. If all are approved, they would total $1.4 billion and mark the fund’s biggest ever financial disbursement.

The GCF this year moved to speed up its decision-making as part of a broader overhaul of the world’s multilateral financial system – and the COP30 talks will look at ways to do even more.

While MDBs were still not doing enough to mobilise private sector capital, their stakeholders needed to be realistic about how much risk they can take, Duarte said.

(Editing by Alexander Smith and Thomas Derpinghaus)

Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-10-29/exclusive-climate-fund-backs-6-billion-jordan-water-project-with-its-largest-deal

A Wrinkle in the Negotiations Over Allocating the Colorado River 

There is urgency for the seven states that rely on the Colorado River to reach an agreement on how to keep water levels high enough in its two major reservoirs. Climate change is threatening water delivery and power systems as the region becomes drier.

Lake Mead, 2022  |  Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

The states—Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California—have until next month to agree on alternatives to keep the system afloat for the next couple of decades and submit them to the Bureau of Reclamation. If they don’t, the bureau will propose its own plan for cuts to allocations from the river, which supplies 40 million people and agriculture.

However, there’s a wrinkle in the negotiations. A report released by the bureau on February 8 concluded that 1.3 million acre-feet of water was lost annually to evaporation and transpiration in the three Lower Basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada. Water lost to evaporation and transpiration has not been considered under the current rules. Despite evaporation and transpiration, the three lower states have continued to draw down from the reservoirs that are threatened by aridification.

Now, all of the Colorado River Basin states, except California, have submitted a letter to the federal government proposing that in times of low water levels, there would be cuts in allocations—most heavily to California—that take evaporation and transpiration into account. The Los Angeles Times reports that agencies in Southern California would be required to endure the largest cuts, up to 32 percent for evaporation losses if Lake Powell and Lake Mead hit crisis levels. California has proposed a more modest plan that it argues does not rewrite the rules of the river, which are based on historic water rights. Because of the winter snowpack last year, recent storms, and conservation, water levels at Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir, are currently about 40 feet higher than was projected.

Added to the federal government’s deadline for the states to come up with a plan for cutbacks, is the fear that a different administration after the November election could change those involved at the federal level.

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https://h2oradio.org/this-week-in-water/the-lies-of-the-plastics-industry-exposed

Earth has hit its first climate tipping point, scientists warn

Source:Goethe University FrankfurtSummary:Global scientists warn that humanity is on the verge of crossing irreversible climate thresholds, with coral reefs already at their tipping point and polar ice sheets possibly beyond recovery. The Global Tipping Points Report 2025 reveals how rising temperatures could trigger a cascade of system collapses, from the Amazon rainforest turning to savanna to the potential shutdown of the Atlantic Ocean circulation.Share:

    

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Earth Has Hit Its First Climate Tipping Point
Rising temperatures have pushed coral reefs to the brink and may have already destabilized parts of the polar ice sheets. Scientists warn of cascading climate failures but see hope in emerging positive social and technological shifts. Credit: Shutterstock

In a recently released report, a team of international climate scientists warns that saving many tropical coral reefs from destruction caused by rising ocean temperatures will now require extraordinary effort. The researchers also conclude that some regions of the polar ice sheets may have already crossed their tipping points. If this melting continues, it could cause irreversible sea level rise measured in several meters.

Scientists Warn of Cascading Climate System Failures

Among the lead authors of the Global Tipping Points Report 2025 (GTPR 2025) is Nico Wunderling, Professor of Computational Earth System Sciences at Goethe University’s Center for Critical Computational Studies | C3S and researcher at the Senckenberg Research Institute Frankfurt. Together with several co-authors, he led the chapter on “Earth System Tipping Points and Risks.”

Wunderling explains: “The devastating consequences that arise when climate tipping points are crossed pose a massive threat to our societies. There is even a risk of the tipping of one climate system potentially triggering or accelerating the tipping of others. This risk increases significantly once the 1.5°C threshold is exceeded.”

The World Nears a Cascade of Climate Tipping Points

According to the report, scientists have identified roughly two dozen parts of the global climate system that could reach tipping points. The first of these, involving tropical coral reefs, appears to have already been surpassed. The report projects that the global average temperature will rise 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels within the next few years. This would mark the start of a period in which multiple tipping points could be crossed, with profound outcomes such as rapid sea level rise from melting ice sheets or global temperature disruptions caused by a breakdown of the Atlantic Ocean circulation. The authors also recommend actions to prevent further temperature increases.

The coordinating lead author of the GTPR 2025 is Tim Lenton, Professor at the University of Exeter’s (UK) Global Systems Institute. More than 100 scientists from over 20 countries contributed to the report, which was released ahead of the 30th World Climate Conference beginning November 10, 2025, in Belém, Brazil. First published in 2023, the Global Tipping Points Report has already gained recognition as a leading reference for assessing both the risks and potential benefits of negative and positive tipping points within the Earth system and human societies.

Understanding Climate Tipping Points

Climate tipping points have become a major focus in climate research only within the past two decades. The GTPR authors describe a climate-induced tipping point as a level of warming at which key natural systems — such as coral reefs, the Amazon rainforest, or major ocean currents — undergo self-reinforcing and often irreversible change.

For example, once tropical coral reefs surpass their temperature threshold, they begin to die even if humanity later stabilizes or reduces global warming. The scientists warn that more tipping points may soon follow, as some lie near or at 1.5°C of warming. Systems already at risk include the Amazon rainforest (which could shift toward savanna), the ice sheets of Greenland and West Antarctica (which could raise sea levels by several meters), and the Atlantic Ocean circulation (whose collapse could sharply cool Europe).

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251029002920.htm

Scientists predict a wetter, greener future for the Sahara Desert

Source:University of Illinois ChicagoSummary:UIC researchers predict that the Sahara Desert could see up to 75% more rain by the end of this century due to rising global temperatures. Using 40 climate models, the team found widespread precipitation increases across Africa, though some regions may dry out. The results suggest a major rebalancing of the continent’s climate. Scientists stress that adaptation planning is essential to prepare for both wetter and drier futures.Share:

    

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A Wetter, Greener Future for the Sahara Desert
Climate models suggest that global warming could dramatically increase rainfall in the Sahara and other parts of Africa. Credit: Shutterstock

The Sahara Desert is known as one of the driest places on Earth, receiving only about 3 inches of precipitation each year — roughly one-tenth of what falls in Chicago.

However, new research from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) suggests that this could change dramatically within the next few decades. By the latter half of the 21st century, rising global temperatures may bring much more rain to the region. The study, published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, predicts that the Sahara could receive up to 75% more precipitation than its historical average. Similar increases are also projected for parts of southeastern and south-central Africa under extreme climate scenarios.

Rising Rainfall Could Reshape Africa 

“Changing rainfall patterns will affect billions of people, both in and outside Africa,” explained lead author Thierry Ndetatsin Taguela, a postdoctoral climate researcher in UIC’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “We have to start planning to face these changes, from flood management to drought-resistant crops.”

Taguela emphasized that understanding how temperature increases influence rainfall is vital for developing adaptation strategies. His research used an ensemble of 40 climate models to simulate African summer rainfall during the latter half of the 21st century (2050-2099) and compared the results with data from the historical period (1965-2014). Two climate scenarios were examined: one assuming moderate greenhouse gas emissions and another assuming very high emissions.

In both scenarios, rainfall across most of Africa was projected to rise by the end of the century, although the changes vary by region. The Sahara Desert showed the largest increase at 75%, while southeastern Africa could see about 25% more rainfall and south-central Africa about 17% more. In contrast, the southwestern part of the continent is expected to become drier, with precipitation decreasing by around 5%.

Surprising Outlook for a Dry Region 

“The Sahara is projected to almost double its historical precipitation levels, which is surprising for such a climatologically dry region,” said Taguela. “But while most models agree on the overall trend of wetter conditions, there’s still considerable uncertainty in how much rainfall they project. Improving these models is critical for building confidence in regional projections.”

The increase in precipitation is largely linked to the warming atmosphere. Higher temperatures allow the air to hold more moisture, which contributes to heavier rainfall in some areas. Shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns also affect how and where rain falls, sometimes leading to both wetter and drier regions across the continent.

“Understanding the physical mechanisms driving precipitation is essential for developing adaptation strategies that can withstand both wetter and drier futures,” Taguela said.

Taguela conducts his work as part of UIC’s Climate Research Lab, led by Akintomide Afolayan Akinsanola. Their team continues to investigate how changing atmospheric conditions could reshape Africa’s environment, agriculture, and long-term sustainability.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251102205025.htm

Scientists just found hidden life thriving beneath the Arctic ice

Source:University of Copenhagen

Summary:Melting Arctic ice is revealing a hidden world of nitrogen-fixing bacteria beneath the surface. These microbes, not the usual cyanobacteria, enrich the ocean with nitrogen, fueling algae growth that supports the entire marine food chain. As ice cover declines, both algae production and CO2 absorption may increase, altering the region’s ecological balance. The discovery could force scientists to revise predictions about Arctic climate feedbacks.Share:

    

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Hidden Life Thriving Beneath the Arctic Ice
Measurements of nitrogen fixation in the Arctic Ocean aboard RV Polarstern. Credit: Rebecca Duncan

The rapid loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is often seen as an environmental catastrophe. Yet researchers have found that the same melting process could help sustain life in unexpected ways. As the ice retreats, it creates conditions that encourage the growth of algae, the foundation of the Arctic’s marine food web.

Algae form the base of most ocean ecosystems, but they depend on nitrogen to grow — and nitrogen is scarce in Arctic waters. Now, an international team led by the University of Copenhagen has discovered that more nitrogen may become available than scientists once believed. This shift could reshape the future of marine life in the region and influence how much carbon the ocean can absorb.

A Hidden Source of Nitrogen Beneath the Ice

The study is the first to confirm that nitrogen fixation — a process in which certain bacteria transform nitrogen gas (N2) dissolved in seawater into ammonium — occurs beneath Arctic sea ice, even in its most remote and central areas. Ammonium not only helps these bacteria thrive but also nourishes algae and, by extension, the creatures that depend on them.

“Until now, it was believed that nitrogen fixation could not take place under the sea ice because it was assumed that the living conditions for the organisms that perform nitrogen fixation were too poor. We were wrong,” says Lisa W. von Friesen, lead author of the study and former PhD student at the Department of Biology.

Less Ice, More Life

Unlike most other oceans where cyanobacteria dominate nitrogen fixation, the Arctic Ocean relies on an entirely different group of bacteria known as non-cyanobacteria. The researchers found the highest nitrogen fixation rates along the ice edge — where melting is most intense. While these bacteria can operate beneath the ice, they flourish along the melting boundary. As climate change accelerates ice retreat, this expanding melt zone could allow more nitrogen to enter the ecosystem.

“In other words, the amount of available nitrogen in the Arctic Ocean has likely been underestimated, both today and for future projections. This could mean that the potential for algae production has also been underestimated as climate change continues to reduce the sea ice cover,” says von Friesen.

“Because algae are the primary food source for small animals such as planktonic crustaceans, which in turn are eaten by small fish, more algae can end up affecting the entire food chain,” she adds.

Could This Help the Planet Absorb More CO2?

This new nitrogen source could also influence how much carbon dioxide the Arctic Ocean takes in. More algae mean more photosynthesis, which enables the ocean to capture greater amounts of CO2.

“For the climate and the environment, this is likely good news. If algae production increases, the Arctic Ocean will absorb more CO2 because more CO2 will be bound in algae biomass. But biological systems are very complex, so it is hard to make firm predictions, because other mechanisms may pull in the opposite direction,” explains Lasse Riemann, professor at the Department of Biology and senior author of the study.

The researchers emphasize that nitrogen fixation should now be considered in models predicting the Arctic’s future. “We do not yet know whether the net effect will be beneficial for the climate. But it is clear that we should include an important process such as nitrogen fixation in the equation when we try to predict what will happen to the Arctic Ocean in the coming decades as sea ice declines,” adds Riemann.

How Nitrogen Fixation Works

In the Arctic, non-cyanobacteria perform nitrogen fixation. These microorganisms consume dissolved organic matter — often released by algae — and in turn, produce fixed nitrogen that promotes further algal growth. This exchange creates a small but vital nutrient loop beneath the ice.

Algae play a double role in the ecosystem: they are both the starting point of the marine food chain and natural absorbers of CO2. As they grow, they pull carbon dioxide from the air, which can later sink to the ocean floor as part of their biomass.

Behind the Discovery

The study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, involved scientists from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), Linnaeus University (Sweden), Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany), Aix Marseille University (France), National Oceanography Centre (United Kingdom), Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Germany), Stockholm University (Sweden), and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden).

Their findings are based on two major research expeditions aboard the icebreakers IB Oden and RV Polarstern. Samples and measurements were collected at 13 sites across the central Arctic Ocean, including regions off northeast Greenland and north of Svalbard.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251020092826.htm

Is it ‘Zero Day’ for California Water?

Long before talk of climate change, California planned a system of canals and reservoirs to carry water to its dry areas. It’s no longer enough.

The Conversation

By The Conversation

U.S. News & World Report

Is it ‘Zero Day’ for California Water?

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FRESNO, CA - JULY 8: A portion (looking south) of the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal, an aqueduct to convey water to augment agriculture irrigation on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley, is viewed on July 8, 2021, thirty minutes east of Fresno, California. Due to a lack of rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada during the past two years, California is experiencing one of the driest and hottest periods of weather in recorded history, forcing municipalities and farmers in the Central Valley to rethink their uses of water. As of this date, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a water "State of Emergency" for most state counties and has asked residents to reduce their use of water by 15%. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

George Rose|Getty Images

A portion (looking south) of the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal, an aqueduct to convey water to augment agriculture irrigation on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley, is viewed on July 8, 2021, thirty minutes east of Fresno, Calif.

By Lara B. Fowler

On Dec. 1, 2021, California triggered headlines heard around the world when officials announced how much water suppliers would be getting from the State Water Project. “California water districts to get 0% of requested supplies in an unprecedented decision,” one headline proclaimed. “No state water for California farms,” read another.

MORE: Solar Panels Over California’s Canals and Climate Payoff

The headlines suggested a comparison with the “Zero Day” announcement in Cape Town, South Africa, during a drought in 2018. That was the projected date when water would no longer be available at household taps without significant conservation. Cape Town avoided a water shutoff, barely.

While California’s announcement represents uncharted territory and is meant to promote water conservation in what is already a dry water year, there is more to the story.

California’s drought solution

California is a semi-arid state, so a dry year isn’t a surprise. But a recent state report observed that California is now in a dry pattern “interspersed with an occasional wet year.” The state suffered a three-year drought from 2007 to 2009, a five-year drought from 2012 to 2016, and now two dry years in a row; 2020 was the fifth-driest year on record, and 2021 was the second-driest.

Coming into the 2022 water year – which began Oct. 1 – the ground is dry, reservoirs are low and the prediction is for another dry year.

Over a century ago, well before climate change became evident, officials began planning ways to keep California’s growing cities and farms supplied with water. They developed a complex system of reservoirs and canals that funnel water from where it’s plentiful to where it’s needed.

Part of that system is the State Water Project.

First envisioned in 1919, the State Water Project delivers water from the relatively wetter and, at the time, less populated areas of Northern California to more populated and drier areas, mostly in Southern California. The State Water Project provides water for 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland, with about 70% for residential, municipal and industrial use and 30% for irrigation. There are 29 local water agencies – the state water contractors – that helped fund the State Water Project and in return receive water under a contract dating to the 1960s.

While the State Water Project is important to these local water agencies, it is usually not their only source of water. Nor is all water in California supplied through the State Water Project. Most water agencies have a portfolio of water supplies, which can include pumping groundwater.

What does 0% mean?

Originally, the State Water Project planned to deliver 4.2 million acre-feet of water each year. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, or enough water to cover a football field in water 1 foot deep. An average California household uses around one-half to 1 acre-foot of water per year for both indoor and outdoor use. However, contractors that distribute water from the State Water Project have historically received only part of their allocations; the long-term average is 60%, with recent years much lower.

Based on water conditions each year, the state Department of Water Resources makes an initial allocation by Dec. 1 to help these state water contractors plan. As the year progresses, the state can adjust the allocation based on additional rain or snow and the amount of water in storage reservoirs. In 2010, for example, the allocation started at 5% and was raised to 50% by June. In 2014, the allocation started at 5%, dropped to 0% and then finished at 5%.

This year is the lowest initial allocation on record. According to the state Department of Water Resources, “unprecedented drought conditions” and “reservoirs at or near historic lows” led to this year’s headline-producing 0% allocation.

READ: California Water Supply Looks Promising in 2020, State Officials Say

That’s 0% of each state water contractor’s allocation; however, the department committed to meet “unmet minimum health and safety needs.” In other words, if the contractors cannot find water from other sources, they could request up to 55 gallons per capita per day of water to “meet domestic supply, fire protection and sanitation needs.” That’s about two-thirds of what the average American uses.

The department is also prioritizing water for salinity control in the Sacramento Bay Delta area, water for endangered species, water to reserve in storage and water for additional supply allocations if the weather conditions improve.

Under the current plan, there will be no water from the State Water Project for roughly 10% of California’s irrigated land. As a result, both municipal and agricultural suppliers will be seeking to conserve water, looking elsewhere for water supplies, or not delivering water. None are easy solutions.

The problem with pumping groundwater

To weather previous droughts, many water suppliers relied on groundwater, which led to increased costs for wells, declines in groundwater levels, land subsidence and degraded water quality. California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was enacted in 2014 to help address overpumping of groundwater, but it hasn’t turned these conditions around.

Those who can afford to dig deeper wells have done so, while others have no water as their wells have gone dry. During the 2012-2016 drought, the Public Policy Institute of California found that a majority of affected households that lost water access from their wells were in “small rural communities reliant on shallow wells – many of them communities of color.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom called on residents to voluntarily conserve 15% of their water during summer 2021. Statewide reductions were only 1.8% in July but jumped to 13.2% in October. This year’s snowpack, which acts as a natural reservoir, is far below normal.

Irrigators who depend on the federal Central Valley Project are facing similar drought conditions. Imports from the Colorado River system are also limited, as this basin is also facing its first-ever shortage declaration due to drought.

MORE: Western States Maintain Best Air Quality Levels

What’s next?

As someone who has worked in California and the Western U.S. on complex water issues, I am familiar with both drought and floods and the challenges they create. However, the widespread nature of this year’s drought – in California and beyond – makes the challenge even harder.

This “zero allocation” for California’s State Water Contractors is an unprecedented early warning, and likely a sign of what’s ahead.

A recent study warned that the snowpack in Western states like California may decline by up to 45% by 2050, with low- and no-snow years becoming increasingly common. Thirty-seven cities in California have already issued moratoriums on development because of water supply concerns.

If voluntary conservation does not work, enacting mandatory conservation measures like San Jose’s tough new drought rules may be needed. The state is now weighing emergency regulations on water use, and everyone is hoping for more precipitation.

Lara B. Fowler, Senior Lecturer in Law and Assistant Director for Outreach and Engagement, Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, Penn State

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2021-12-10/california-faces-unprecedented-water-restrictions

“Liquid Air” Could Help the World Get Off Fossil Fuels Faster

Renewable energy is soaring around the globe, but one obstacle to its growth has been how to store the electricity to use it when the sun isn’t shining or the wind’s not blowing. The solution to that problem may be blowing in the wind—in the air we breathe.

Credit: Highview Power

“Liquefied air” to be exact. It’s air that has been cooled to the point it liquefies and can be stored in a tank, acting like a battery. When electricity is needed, the air is heated and expands to drive turbines that generate power. It’s super-efficient because liquifying the air generates heat. This heat can then be used to help restore the liquid to a gas.

The liquid air energy storage (LEAS) technology was first developed in the 1970s but wasn’t put into use because it’s expensive. The growth of renewables means it could now be cost effective—and a faster way to get off fossil fuels. To that point, the BBC reports, the world’s first commercial-scale liquid air energy storage facility is being built in Manchester, England. Its developer, Highview Power, expects the system to come online in 2027 and have the capacity to store enough electricity from renewables to power nearly half a million homes.

If it catches on, it could be a game changer for the storage aspect of the renewable energy paradigm. Currently, electrical grids rely on pumped hydro and lithium batteries for storage, but those have drawbacks. Pumped hydro relies on water and only works in certain locations. Lithium mining has environmental impacts, and the batteries last only around ten years. In contrast, liquid air storage facilities use above-ground tanks, which can be situated practically anywhere, and they store energy for longer. The best part, the process runs on air—an abundant natural resource. 

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https://h2oradio.org/this-week-in-water/how-liquid-air-could-help-solve-the-climate-crisis

China’s coastal cities are sinking as seas rise at record speed

Sea levels are rising faster than at any time in 4,000 years, and China’s sinking coastal cities are on the front lines.

Source:Rutgers University

Summary:Sea levels are rising faster than at any time in 4,000 years, scientists report, with China’s major coastal cities at particular risk. The rapid increase is driven by warming oceans and melting ice, while human activities like groundwater pumping make it worse. In some areas, the land itself is sinking faster than the ocean is rising. Still, researchers see progress as cities like Shanghai adopt new technologies to stabilize the ground and prepare for the future.Share:

    

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Sea Levels Are Rising Faster Than in 4,000 Years
Scientists have found that modern sea level rise is accelerating faster than at any time in the past 4,000 years, and China’s coastal megacities are among the most at risk. Credit: Shutterstock

A team of scientists led by Rutgers University researchers has found that sea levels today are climbing more quickly than at any time in the past 4,000 years, with China’s coastal cities facing some of the most severe risks.

To uncover this trend, the researchers analyzed thousands of geological records from natural indicators such as ancient coral reefs and mangrove formations. These environments preserve long-term evidence of past sea levels. Using this data, the team reconstructed ocean changes stretching back almost 12,000 years to the start of the Holocene epoch, which began after the last major ice age.

Fastest Rate of Rise Since 1900

Published in Nature, the study reports that global sea levels have risen by an average of 1.5 millimeters (about one-sixteenth of an inch) per year since 1900. This pace is faster than any century-long period recorded in the last four millennia.

“The global mean sea level rise rate since 1900 is the fastest rate over at least the last four millennia,” said Yucheng Lin, who conducted the research as a postdoctoral associate at Rutgers and is a scientist at Australia’s national research agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Hobart.

Lin worked under the guidance of Robert Kopp, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers. “Dr. Lin’s work illustrates how geological data can help us better understand the hazards that coastal cities face today,” said Kopp, who also authored the study.

What’s Driving the Acceleration

According to Lin, two main processes are responsible for today’s rapid sea level rise: thermal expansion and melting ice. As climate change warms the planet, oceans absorb heat, causing the water to expand. At the same time, melting glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica add vast amounts of water to the seas.

“Getting warmer makes your ocean take up more volume,” Lin said. “And the glaciers respond faster because they are smaller than the ice sheets, which are often the size of continents. We are seeing more and more acceleration in Greenland now.”

China’s Coastal Cities Face a Double Threat

While sea level rise is a global concern, China faces a particularly dangerous combination of natural and human factors. Many of its largest cities — including Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong — sit in delta regions made of soft, water-saturated sediment that naturally sinks over time.

Human activities have accelerated this sinking.

“We’ve been able to quantify the natural rate of sea level rise for this area,” Lin said. “But human intervention, mostly groundwater extraction, makes it happen much faster.”

Subsidence, the gradual sinking or settling of the Earth’s surface, can occur through natural geological changes or from human-driven causes such as overuse of groundwater.

Delta Regions Under Pressure

To assess the risk to China’s deltas, the researchers combined geological records, measurements of land subsidence, and data on human impacts. They focused on the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta, two areas that are home to several megacities and key industrial zones.

In Shanghai, parts of the city sank more than one meter (around three feet) during the 20th century because of extensive groundwater pumping, Lin said. That rate is vastly higher than the current global average for sea level rise.

Delta regions are naturally flat and fertile, making them ideal for farming, transport, and urban development. But those same features make them exceptionally vulnerable to flooding.

“Centimeters of sea level rise will greatly increase the risk of flooding in deltas,” Lin said. “These areas are not only important domestically, they’re also international manufacturing hubs. If coastal risks happen there, the global supply chain will be vulnerable.”

Efforts to Slow the Sinking

Despite the alarming data, Lin noted that there are reasons for optimism. Some Chinese cities have begun taking effective steps to manage the problem. Shanghai, for example, has slowed its rate of subsidence by controlling groundwater extraction and reinjecting freshwater into underground aquifers.

“Shanghai now is not sinking that fast anymore,” Lin said. “They recognized the problem and started regulating their groundwater usage.”

The research team also created vulnerability maps to help local governments and city planners identify high-risk zones and prepare for future sea level rise.

A Global Lesson

Although the study focuses on China, its implications reach far beyond. Many major coastal cities, including New York, Jakarta and Manila, are built on low-lying plains and face similar threats.

“Deltas are great places, good for farming, fishing, urban development and naturally draw civilizations to them,” Lin said. “But they are really flat yet prone to human-caused subsidence, so sustained sea level rise could submerge them really fast.”

Modeling the Past to Protect the Future

The paper is an application of PaleoSTeHM, an open-source software framework for statistically modeling paleo-environmental data that Lin developed as a postdoctoral associate.

Praveen Kumar, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, also contributed to the study.

The National Science Foundation and NASA supported the research.

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251023031627.htm

The Federal Climate Information Website Will No Longer Be Updated

In June, the Trump administration announced that the government’s 15-year-old website, climate.gov, which was the primary source of information about climate change and science, would no longer be updated. Links to the old site redirect viewers to an address at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). As of 2021, the old website was receiving 900,000 visits per month and was a trusted source of information about the climate, according to NPR. The jobs of those who authored stories, created photos, and designed materials were eliminated.

Climate change effects include wildfire, ocean acidification, desertification, and coastal flooding caused by storms and sea level rise. |  Credit: CalFire

However, as the Guardian reports, a group of climate communications experts is rebuilding the climate.gov content at climate.us through a new nonprofit. The organization will offer services about climate to others such as local governments that are trying to adapt to global warming. The website is in development, and the organization has a presence on social media accounts like BlueSky and Facebook. 

According to Rebecca Lindsey, who was the managing editor of the government’s old site, the new entity includes several of her former federal colleagues, many of whom are grieving over losing not only a job but also a vocation. Lindsey added that there is a need for content that helps people develop climate literacy. Being outside of government gives the new group new opportunities to have fun by using platforms like TikTok.

The organization has launched a crowdfunding effort and hopes to get more permanent operating support from a foundation. Lindsey said that all of the climate information released prior to July 1 is still up on a government site, but you have to know where to look for it.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service is trying to rapidly hire 450 people, including some meteorologists to fill jobs that were cut by DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency. Hundreds of forecasters were cut at NOAA after Trump took office, and there were warnings that there could be dangerous consequences if weather predictions were slowed.

However, applicants for the new meteorologist positions are being asked how they would promote Trump’s agenda by identifying one or two of his executive orders that they find significant, and how they would implement them if hired. Some experts are alarmed that the ideology of a potential weather forecaster could be considered. One told the Associated Press that he questioned whether forecasts would be made better based upon someone’s ideology.

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https://h2oradio.org