Global warming slows down the Earth's rotation! Our time will also change as a result...｜Environmental Trumpet

Hello everyone, this is the 8th issue of the Environmental Trumpet column. In this column, you can see different topics such as climate, pollution, energy, agriculture, etc., and learn about the recent changes in our environment and what good and bad news there are.

In this issue, we have collected the following environmental research and news worth reading:

1 Climate change slows down Earth's rotation, affecting global timekeeping

2 Sulfur hexafluoride, which has a stronger greenhouse effect, continues to grow

3 France plans to legislate to strictly control fast fashion, possibly levying a tax of 10 euros per piece

4 Can't feel global warming? Measure it with an "outdoor day"

5. The humble coffee grounds may solve agricultural pollution

6 Billie Eilish to release new environmental album

Climate change affects timekeeping

Over the years, climate change has caused countless natural disasters, but this time, it has reached out to people's time. An article published in Nature on March 27 predicted that under the influence of climate change, the melting of polar ice is slowing down the Earth's rotation, causing the first negative leap second in history to be delayed by three years .

As polar ice melts, water flows from the poles into the ocean near the equator, slowing down the Earth's rotation, which in turn affects the timekeeping method based on the Earth's rotation. | Majkl Velner /Unsplash

There are two commonly used timekeeping systems in the world, namely Universal Time (UT) based on the rotation of the earth and International Atomic Time (TAI) based on the period of atomic oscillation. Due to the unevenness of the earth's rotation speed, there will be a time difference between the two timekeeping systems over time, so the concept of "Coordinated Universal Time" (UTC) came into being. "Coordinated Universal Time" is based on the length of the second of the International Atomic Time and is as close to the world time as possible in terms of time. This means that people need to constantly fine-tune "Coordinated Universal Time" to ensure that it is always close to the world time in terms of time. This is the role of leap seconds: by adding or deleting leap seconds, people can maintain the accuracy of "Coordinated Universal Time".

Since 1972, 27 leap seconds have been added to Coordinated Universal Time. Scientists originally predicted that due to the accelerated rotation of the earth in recent years, people will soon usher in the first time to delete leap seconds (i.e. negative leap seconds), which will have a huge impact on the computer industry. Technologies such as the Internet and positioning systems rely on accurate time. The emergence of negative leap seconds means that all computers need to be reprogrammed, and improper handling will cause system failures.

However, climate change is accelerating the melting of polar ice, and extremely low levels of water are flowing into the oceans near the equator, which is slowing down the Earth's rotation and therefore slowing down the moment when the computer chaos comes. Without global warming, we might experience a negative leap second in 2026.

Sulfur hexafluoride, which has a stronger greenhouse effect, continues to grow

When it comes to energy conservation and emission reduction, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the focus of people's attention. However, while people are trying their best to control the emission of these gases, another gas with a stronger greenhouse effect has begun to spread quietly around the world, which is sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).

SF6 is mainly used in high-voltage electrical switchgear in power grids . Its global warming potential (GWP) is more than 24,000 times that of CO2, and its greenhouse effect is much more severe than that of CO2. With the sharp increase in global electricity demand, SF6 emissions have also increased sharply .

As electricity demand soars, sulfur hexafluoride emissions also increase | Arthur Böttcher

As a leader in the power industry, China also continues to emit large amounts of SF6. Researchers from MIT, Fudan University, Peking University, University of Bristol, and the Meteorological Observation Center of the China Meteorological Administration found that from 2011 to 2021, China's SF6 emissions increased significantly from 2.6×109g to 5.1×109g, accounting for 57% of global emissions. The study was recently published in Nature Communications.

Since SF6 is very stable in the atmosphere , once it is emitted, it can exist in the environment for thousands of years. Large amounts of SF6 may offset efforts to reduce emissions. How to reduce SF6 leakage in the industry and find green raw materials that can replace SF6 have become the key to controlling emissions of this gas.

France plans to impose additional taxes on "fast fashion"

Nowadays, if you walk into any shopping mall, you will always come across stores such as Zara, H&M and Uniqlo. These brands have quickly set off a "fast fashion" trend with their affordable prices, trendy designs and high-frequency updates.

Fast Fashion ZARA｜Unsplash

However, a bill recently promoted by France may bring a chill to this trend. In order to combat resource waste, pollution and labor abuse in the fashion industry, France intends to impose a series of penalties and restrictions on low-cost, fast-circulation clothing manufacturers. If the bill is passed, by 2030, the new bill will impose a tax of up to 10 euros on fast fashion products .

Clothes are difficult to recycle and reuse, and strict regulation of fast fashion may help reduce waste and urge clothing companies to transform into green ones. However, how to define the scope of fast fashion brands remains a problem. The introduction of the bill will also lead to higher clothing prices, which will ultimately be paid by consumers.

Can't feel global warming? Measure it with an 'Outdoor Day'

For many years, the topic of "global warming" has been constantly appearing in every corner of the world. The global average temperature has risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius, the monthly average temperature has hit a new high, and it is the warmest winter in history... With such rhetoric coming out in an endless stream, people's hearts may have become calm. After all, life remains unchanged, but is this really the case?

To better describe the impact of global warming on human life, a recent article published in the Journal of Climate proposed a different approach to the study - measuring changes in the number of " outdoor days ".

The impact of global warming is reflected in the amount of time people spend outdoors. | Tamara Bellis /Unsplash

Outdoor days are days each year when the outdoor temperature is suitable for people to engage in outdoor activities. Using this definition, researchers counted people's ideas about the ideal temperature for outdoor days around the world and predicted changes in the number of outdoor days in various regions in the future.

Through open surveys, researchers found that under the influence of global warming, the number of outdoor days in many areas of the southern hemisphere will continue to decrease, while the number of outdoor days in the northern hemisphere may increase , indicating that global warming is quietly changing people's daily habits. The proposal of outdoor days allows people to feel the impact of global warming more personally, and also helps people quantitatively assess the risks that climate change brings to agriculture in different regions.

Coffee grounds could solve agricultural pollution problem

Millions of tons of coffee grounds are discarded every year. For ordinary families, a small amount of coffee grounds may be used for cleaning and removing odors, but for such a large amount of coffee grounds, how can people recycle them? Recently, a study published in the Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology found that coffee grounds may have another special use: solving agricultural pollution problems.

Coffee grounds have many uses | Andrea Tummons /Unsplash

Bentazone is a commonly used herbicide in agriculture. According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), high concentrations of bentazone are currently found in groundwater and surface water in many places, threatening human health. Researchers used zinc chloride to activate coffee grounds and found that it has a good adsorption effect on bentazone, which is very close to the adsorption effect of commercial activated carbon . In this way, coffee grounds no longer need to be landfilled underground to cause secondary pollution, and can also reduce the harm of herbicides to nature.

Billie Eilish to release new environmental album

As fans of Billie Eilish celebrate the release of her new album on May 17, they can also take comfort in the fact that the album was produced using sustainable materials, from the record to the packaging .

Billie Eilish promotes sustainability during second album tour | Native.eco

The record will be made of recycled vinyl or bio-vinyl materials , ensuring audio quality while reducing carbon emissions in the album production. The album cover and cassette will also be made of 100% recyclable and reusable materials , and the merchandise for the subsequent tour will be made of leftover records, recycled polyester materials and non-toxic dyes.

This is not the first time that Billie has publicly advocated for sustainable development. She has previously held a climate action event called "Overheated" in London to promote the green transformation of the music industry. In her opinion, it is unreasonable to sacrifice the environment for music, which is why she decided to release environmentally friendly albums in large quantities.

Author: Xiao Xiaoze

Editor: Little Towel, Mai Mai

Title image source: Unsplash