It’s too hot! Even the trees are starting to move | Environmental Trumpet

Hello everyone, this is the 15th issue of the Environmental Trumpet column. In this issue, we have collected the following environmental research and news worth reading:

1) It’s so hot! Even the trees are moving

2) Ocean pollution is so severe that sharks are forced to take drugs

3) Drink the northwest wind? You can still drink enough!

4) Cooking with an induction cooker can reduce indoor air pollution

5) Climate change is making the day longer

It’s so hot! Even the trees are moving

The world is getting hotter and hotter, and this is also strange to trees. As the world continues to warm, many trees are beginning to flee to cooler places to live. Recently, an article published in the Journal of Vegetation Science found that in Brazil, many tree species that are more sensitive to high temperatures have moved to higher altitudes to cope with the constantly high temperatures .

There are countless cases of global warming causing changes in biological habitats｜Pixabay

The researchers examined 96 Brazilian forest sample plots, studied 627 tree species, and compared the distribution data of these tree species in 2018/2019 with that of ten years ago in 2008/2009. They found that 27% of the populations moved upward and 15% moved downward.

In forests at higher altitudes, many trees cannot tolerate high temperatures. As the local temperature rises, they turn around and go up the mountain to live in higher altitudes with lower temperatures. In forests at lower altitudes, trees are relatively insensitive to temperature, but competition among species is extremely fierce. Many trees are forced to move down the mountain to ensure that they can thrive.

The migration of trees will not only affect the composition of tree species in the forest, but may also damage the ecological relationships in the original ecosystem. What is more worrying is that the migration of trees may be just the tip of the iceberg of the impact of high temperatures on biological changes. In the UK, people have found that many butterflies have migrated northward due to global warming to find places with suitable temperatures to ensure that their offspring can reproduce smoothly.

Ocean pollution is so severe that sharks are forced to take drugs

A study published in Science of the Total Environment found that sharks off the coast of Brazil have high concentrations of cocaine in their bodies , posing a threat to sharks and even human health.

Sharks are forced to take drugs｜Pixabay

In fact, people have noticed the problem of drug proliferation in the ocean in the past. Studies have shown that between 2011 and 2017, cocaine was detected in surface water and sewage in 37 countries, and traces of cocaine were also found in some mollusks and crustaceans. This time, scientists analyzed shark muscle and liver samples and found for the first time that cocaine and its metabolites also exist in sharks.

The reason why sharks are addicted to drugs is closely related to drug smuggling by humans. In order to save costs, drug dealers often consider smuggling drugs by sea. When they are chased by the police, drug dealers dump the drugs into the sea in an attempt to evade accountability. However, while destroying drugs may be fast, the ocean digests their effects slowly. Sharks have unknowingly become "drug addicts" in the midst of marine pollution.

Long-term exposure to cocaine can bring many health risks to sharks. High concentrations of cocaine may damage their DNA and affect their metabolic capacity. At the same time , sharks' vision, hunting ability and life span will also be affected . In addition, since people in some parts of Brazil also eat sharks, these drugs can also be transferred to humans through the food chain.

Drink the northwest wind? You can still drink enough!

In the near future, you won't be hungry even if you drink northwest wind! Recently, scientists have developed a new technology that can absorb moisture from the atmosphere and convert it into drinking water . The technology was published in Cell Reports Physical Science.

Concept and actual diagram of this technology | References [1]

According to the research, the new technology uses metal organic framework materials (MOFs) as water-absorbing materials. Compared with other materials, this material has a larger surface area at the same mass. Researchers said that this material has a large number of pores, and only 1 gram has a surface area equivalent to two football fields . Moreover, MOFs have a strong hydrophilic ability and will absorb a large amount of water vapor without absorbing other substances. After the material absorbs water vapor, it is eventually released in the form of liquid for human use.

The technology does not use solar energy as an energy source, but white gasoline . Compared with solar energy, white gasoline can ensure the stable operation of this technology around the clock. Compared with ordinary gasoline, white gasoline does not contain toxic substances such as lead, which reduces the impact on the environment. The study found that compared with the previous technology for collecting atmospheric water, the new technology can also stably collect water vapor in arid areas , achieving a breakthrough in water collection in arid areas.

At present, the technology research and development has successfully passed the concept verification stage. In the experiment, the new technology can collect 5 liters of water from the atmosphere every day using 1 kilogram of absorbent material . Although it cannot meet the daily water needs of households, it is very practical for field workers. Next, the research team plans to apply the technology to military water production. Billions of people around the world do not have access to clean water, and this technology is also a potential solution.

Induction cooker cooking can reduce indoor air pollution

Now, people have one more reason to cook with an induction cooker. A new study has found that switching from a gas stove to an induction cooker can reduce indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution by more than 50% , reducing the health risks of cooking.

When oil, coal, natural gas, etc. are burned at high temperatures, nitrogen compounds in the fuel react with oxygen in the air to produce NO2. Exposure to NO2 can bring many health risks to the human body. It can not only aggravate human respiratory diseases , but long-term exposure to NO2 is also associated with asthma, premature death, etc. When cooking, the air pollution level in the kitchen has exceeded the standard.

The "wok gas" from high heat cooking also comes with health risks | Tuchong Creative

The researchers conducted a study on 20 low-income families, some of whom replaced their gas stoves with induction cookers, while others continued to use gas stoves. The results showed that during cooking, the indoor NO2 concentration of families using gas stoves increased 10 times compared to normal , while the indoor NO2 concentration of families using induction cookers did not increase, effectively suppressing NO2 emissions. On weekdays, the average daily indoor NO2 concentration of families using induction cookers was 56% lower than that of families using gas stoves.

Considering the risk of gas leakage from gas stoves, it is safer to use an induction cooker. In addition, cooking with fossil fuels such as gas and natural gas will release greenhouse gases, and using an induction cooker to cook can also reduce carbon emissions during the cooking process. Cooking gas or health, see which one you choose!

Climate change is making the day longer

Running out of time? Climate change is giving you extra time! But you probably won’t notice the change, since a hundred years only adds a few milliseconds.

Melting polar ice caps could eventually have serious consequences for human timekeeping | Reuters

The lengthening of the day is related to the melting of glaciers . A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that the melting of glaciers caused water to flow from the poles to the equator, and the Earth's "waistline" became thicker and flatter, and the Earth's rotation speed slowed down, lengthening the day .

In the 20th century, the length of a day increased by an average of 0.3 to 1.0 milliseconds every 100 years, and in the 21st century, it increased to 1.3 milliseconds every 100 years. As greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, the length of a day will continue to increase, and by the end of the 21st century it may reach a rate of 2.62 milliseconds every 100 years . Researchers believe that climate change has become more important than traditional factors such as the moon's gravity.

Such a short period of time is not even enough to take one more breath, but it will have a huge impact on human life and production. Industries that rely on precise timing, such as the Internet and communications, will be affected, and the timing methods of satellites and navigation will also deviate.

References

[1]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266638642400393X?via%3Dihub

[2]https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1052354

[3]https://interestingengineering.com/science/shark-cocaine-drug-contamination-brazil

[4]https://interestingengineering.com/science/forests-in-brazil-are-migrating-uphill-to-escape-rising-temperatures

[5]https://phys.org/news/2024-07-gas-electric-stoves-indoor-air.html

[6]https://news.sky.com/story/climate-change-is-making-days-longer-scientists-discover-13178556

[7]https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2406930121

Author: Xiao Xiaoze

Edited by: Yellowtail Pollock

This article comes from GuokrNature (ID: GuokrNature)