3.13.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Radio Wise Diary of Science and Nature. Your
reader is Kelly Taylor. I have some articles related to
the topics of science and nature, but first a reminder.
RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Dealing with a bit of a head

(00:24):
cold this week, so I appreciate you indulging my congestion.
Will carry on though with a story from Fox Weather.
Butterfly populations disappearing at dire rate. This is from March
the ninth. The United States has seen a stunning decline

(00:44):
in butterfly populations, with rates continuing to show decreases that
have been described as quote dire. A recent study published
in the journal Science calculated the decline at twenty two
percent since the year two thousand, with the potential for
cascading effects on other organisms quote. Numerous declines have been

(01:09):
documented across insect groups, and the potential consequences of insect
losses are dire. Study authors stated entomologists reached their conclusions
by analyzing seventy six thousand surveys across the lower forty
eight states, which counted for twelve point six million individual butterflies.

(01:32):
Of the species studied, two thirds showed declines of more
than ten percent, with every region outside the West Coast
experiencing plunging numbers. Quote species level declines were widespread, with
thirteen times as many species declining as increasing. The prevalence

(01:54):
of declines throughout all regions in the United States highlights
an urgent need to protect butterflies from further losses, the
study said. In addition to their beauty, biologists consider butterflies
to be critical to ecosystems as they play vital roles
as pollinators and food sources. Factors such as habitat loss,

(02:19):
climate change, and pesticide use are all suspected contributors to
the decline in butterfly populations. Rising temperatures and extreme weather
events are believed to have exacerbated the problem, with species
generally experiencing more significant declines in the southern parts of
the country. One of the hundreds of species impacted is

(02:40):
the monarch butterfly, which was recently estimated by the Xerxes
Society for Invertebrate Conservation to have a population of fewer
than ten thousand individuals. The species was once estimated to
have a population of between one and two million during
the nineteen nineties, but has significantly declined in numbers across

(03:05):
North America. Researchers warn that the continued depletion of butterfly
populations could have cascading effects on biodiversity. Previous studies have
documented declines in moths, bees, and beetles, potentially leading to
hardships for amphibians and birds. The study highlighted actions such

(03:31):
as preserving and restoring native habitats and performing manual relocations
as potential solutions. In addition to limiting the use of insecticides.
The United States Department of Agriculture suggested that the planting
of milkweed can help enhance some butterfly populations. Monarch butterflies

(03:53):
are known to only lay their eggs on milkweed, and
caterpillars only feed on milkweed leaves. Quote Many insects have
the potential for rapid population growth and recovery, but habitat restoration,
species specific interventions, and reducing pesticide use are all likely

(04:13):
needed to curb population declines, the study stated. Next up,
an article from Popular Mechanics whoops scientists may have miscalculated
our global warming timeline. This is March the ninth. Whatever

(04:38):
your stance is on climate change, it's real. Let's move on.
It's impossible to have missed the near ubiquitous call to
action to quote keep temperatures from exceeding one point five
degrees celsius compared to pre industrial levels. Over the past
few years, the somewhat bureaucratic phrase has become a rallying

(04:59):
cry for the climate conscious. This ambitious target first surface
following the Paris Climate Agreement and describes a sort of
climate threshold. If we pass a long term average increase
in temperature of one point five degrees celsius and hold
at those levels for several years, we're going to do

(05:19):
some serious damage to ourselves in our environment. Well. A
paper from the University of Western Australia has some bad news.
The world might have blown past that threshold four years ago.
Published in the journal Nature Climate Change. The paper reaches
this conclusion via an unlikely route, analyzing six sclero sponges,

(05:45):
a kind of sea sponge that clings to underwater caves
in the ocean. These sponges are commonly studied by climate
scientists and are referred to as quote natural archives in
quote because they grow so slowly, like a fraction of
a millimeter a year slow. This essentially allows them to

(06:06):
lock away climate data in their limestone skeletons, not entirely
unlike tree rings or ice cores. By analyzing strontium to
calcium ratios in these spoones, the team could effectively calculate
water temperatures dating back to seventeen hundred. The sponges watery

(06:27):
home in the Caribbean is also a plus, as major
ocean currents don't muck up or distort temperature readings. This
data could be particularly useful as direct human measurement of
sea temperature only dates back to roughly eighteen fifty, when
sailors dipped buckets into the ocean. That's why the Intergovernmental

(06:49):
Panel on Climate Change uses eighteen fifty and nineteen hundred
as its pre industrial baseline. According to the website Grist quote,
the big picture is that the global warming clock for
emissions reductions to minimize the risk of dangerous climate change
has been brought forward by at least a decade, says

(07:10):
Malcolm McCullough, lead author of the study, basically times running out.
He says the study concludes that the world started warming
roughly eighty years before the IPCC's estimates, and that we
already surpassed one point seven degrees celsius in twenty twenty.
That's a big woe, if true moment, but some scientists

(07:34):
are skeptical. One such scientist, speaking with Live Science, said
that it begs credulity to claim that the instrumental record
is wrong based on paleosponges from one region of the world.
It honestly doesn't make any sense to me. In quote,
other experts expressed wanting to see more data before completely

(07:54):
upending the IPCC's climate goal posts, which say the Earth
is currently at a long term temperature change of around
one point two degrees celsius. Unfortunately, even if the sponges
are wrong, there's mounting evidence that we are in the
process of crossing that one point five degree threshold as

(08:15):
we speak. This January was the hottest on record, clocking
in at one point seven degrees above pre industrial temperatures.
According to new scientists, that means we've been above one
point five degrees are changed for at least a year.
It doesn't jump the long term average over the one
point five line, but it's certainly a sign We're getting

(08:36):
close fast. Regardless of the percentage. One thing is certain,
climate change is in all hands on deck crisis. In
order to save the planet for future habitability, humans need
to curtail emissions immediately after all the sea sponges are
telling us. So. Turning now to USA Today, the headline

(09:01):
for this article reads, quote put them on the menu
in quote, Americans should eat more of these invasive animals,
officials say. This is from March sixth. What do iguanas, rodents, fish,
and wild boares having common They're on a list of
invasive species that federal officials are encouraging people to eat

(09:24):
in an effort to limit damage to ecosystems. The US
Fish and Wildlife Service released the list of February twentieth
for National Invasive Species Awareness Week, which took place from
February twenty fourth to the twenty eighth. Quote. Invasive species
out compete native wildlife, destroy habitats, and mess up ecosystems,
the agency wrote, But rather than just complaining about them,

(09:46):
let's put them on the menu in quote. According to
the agency, invasive species can damage the ecosystems they become
part of, and eating them is just one way to
protect native wildlife. Quote. It's not a complete solution and
should be combined with other conservation efforts to effectively control
these species, the FWS said, calling the species quote downright

(10:11):
delicious end quote. So find out which species made the
list below. Neutria, a native species to South America, are
invasive to the Gulf of America or formerly Gulf of Mexico,
the Atlantic Coast, and the Pacific Northwest. They are oversized

(10:33):
wetland loving rodents who were initially brought to the US
as part of the fur trade. Now they're devouring marshlands
for fish and Wildlife Service said. The agency said those
who want to eat nutrient can try gumbo recipes quote.
Their meat is lean, mild, and taste like rabbit the

(10:54):
northern snakeheads. Next on the service's list of invasive species
for checks to chow down on is the northern snakehead
fish or the Channa argus. The fish can breathe air
and can live outside of water for several days. They
are native to East Asia, but have become invasive in
mid Atlantic and southeastern US waterways. Snakehead fish compete with

(11:20):
native species for food and habitats, and there is concern
that they may out compete or displace important native species
or other predatory fish. According to US Geological Survey, the
northern snakehead fish can be fried, grilled, or turned into tacos.
According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, they're delicious with

(11:40):
a firm, white, flaky meat. Invasive carp, which includes big head,
silver black carp, and grasscarp, are native to East Asia.
They've been found in multiple Midwest and Southeast rivers and lakes.
These high jumping fish are clogging waterways and out competing

(12:01):
native species. The Fish and Wildlife Service added that they
are surprisingly tasty and are delicious when grilled, blackened, or
made into crispy fish cakes. Next up is a green
iguana native to Central and South America. The species is
invasive in Florida and other warm states, where they eat

(12:24):
Florida's native plants and destabilize sea walls. The solution iguana stew.
The Fish Wildlife Service said their meat is often called
chicken of the trees for its mild flavor. Lastly, there's
the feral hog or wild boar, known scientifically as sus scropha.

(12:46):
Wild bores are native to Europe and Asia, but have
become invasive in the southeastern US, Texas, California and other areas. Quote,
they aren't just invasive, they're a full blown ecological disaster.
Fish and Wildlife Service said, Rooting, trampling, and devouring everything
in their path, these piggies are tearing up farmland, forests,

(13:07):
and wetlands across the country. The agency said, wild boar
account for some of the best tasting invasive meat you
can get. Their meat is leaner and more rich in
flavor than pork sold in stores. Their meat can be
turned into smoked barbecue, chili, burgers, tacos, or wild boar
ragout over pasta. Feral hog hunting is encouraged in many states,

(13:32):
so you're not just getting a great meal, you're doing
conservation work with every bite, the agency said. The agency
said it's important for residents to check local regulations and
restrictions first, though, quote, then get cooking and help control
these invasive species one bite at a time. The Fish
and Wildlife Service said. Now we'll go to Smithsonian and

(13:58):
they have an article that is headlined tiny Antarctic krill
benefit the planet in big ways, but face a barrage
of threats. This is from March eleventh, A single Antarctic
krill is about the size of your pinky finger, but

(14:20):
with an estimated population of more than seven hundred trillion
in the Southern Ocean, the tiny crustacean's collective impact across
the entire planet is enormous. Their swarms are so massive
they can be seen from space, their food by the
millions for seals, penguins, and whales, and they sequester huge
amounts of carbon, more than fifteen billion dollars worth per year,

(14:44):
according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Increasingly, though,
Antarctic krill face threats from warming seas and a growing fishery.
Scientists say that without international action to bolster marine protected
areas and back climate change, krill populations and the resulting
carbon sequestration could drop off sharply in the coming decades.

(15:09):
Antarctic krill act as one of the world's largest biological pumps.
That's a term scientists used to describe the process by
which marine organisms send carbon to the depths of the ocean,
where it can be stored for hundreds of years. A
study published last September in Nature Communications found that Antarctic
krills sequester similar amounts of carbon to coastal marshans, mangroves,

(15:34):
and seagrass habitat scientists consider some of the planet's most
prolific carbon sinks. Krill feed on phytoplankton, which, like land
based plants, consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen as they photosynthesize.
When krill waste sinks to the bottom of the ocean,
all that carbon goes with it, essentially locking it away

(15:56):
and freeing up space at the surface for more carbon
to be absorbed from the air. Quote. Krill are by
a fact of life, living and molting and pooping and
dying and all that is very important to bring carbon
from the surface ocean to the deep sea, says Matthew Savoca,
ecologist at Stanford University. Quote. When krill are doing that

(16:20):
at the population level, they end up being an important
ally in the climate change fight. But Antarctic krill also
faced a host of challenges, including from warming oceans and
an emboldened fishing industry that researchers say require urgent attention.
A study led by researchers at the British Antarctic Survey

(16:43):
this past December found that an increase in plastic pollution
in the Southern Ocean could inhibit krill's ability to seek
wester carbon by twenty seven percent. While the sheer number
of krill in the Southern Ocean means the species is
unlikely to face an acute threat to its survival in
the near term. Sivoka is quick to point out that

(17:04):
numbers are no guarantee of success. Quote, you only have
to look as far as our own country for the
story of passenger pigeons to show how quickly something can
go from being incredibly abundant to extinct. He says. The
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which
regulates fishing activity in the Southern Ocean, failed at a

(17:27):
meeting last October to renew a key measure aimed at
preventing excessive krill harvests in any one area. The Commission,
which makes decisions by consensus among his twenty six member
states and the European Union, has been at a year's
long standstill over that measure and several proposed marine protected areas,

(17:48):
amid opposition from China and Russia. The result, says Zephyr Sylvester,
and environmental researcher at University of Colorado, is that fishing
vessels are freed act on their companies directives until a
new regulation is adopted. A lack of enforcement could allow
the fishery to concentrate operations in a smaller area where

(18:11):
it would have a larger environmental impact. Krill are used
in products ranging from nutritional supplements to livestock feed, and
the WWF estimates the Antarctic krill fishery to be worth
about two hundred and fifty million dollars annually. We'll learn
a lot about the integrity of the fishery now that
the conservation measure has lapsed. Sylvester heads, saying that external pressure,

(18:36):
like the diplomatic and public awareness campaign in support of
the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area a decade ago,
remains among the most effective methods to turn scientists recommendations
into policy. Still, she says it shouldn't be the burden
of consumers to enforce sustainable fishing practices. At the same time,

(18:56):
declining sea ice is exacerbating challenges for Antarctic krill. From
the earliest stages of life, krill larvae don't have the
lipid reserves of adult krill to get through the dark
Antarctic winter. Instead, larvae stick to the sea ice, feeding
on ice algae until the sun and the photoplankton returns

(19:18):
in spring. Sea ice is critically important for Antarctic krill.
Without these algae that grow inside the sea ice, they
will simply not survive. The Antarctic Peninsula, which juts northward
and where huge numbers of krill are concentrated, is warming
five times faster than the global average, according to research

(19:38):
backed by the National Science Foundation. As a result, scientists
say krill may be concentrating farther south in search of
more stable sea ice. A twenty twenty three study in
Nature Reviews Earth and Environment found that changes in the
distribution of krill around Antarctica driven by warming waters threatened

(20:00):
to increase interactions between fishing vessels and the animals that
feed on krill, such as whales and penguins. The studies
lead author so Kaboguchi, a crill ecologist at Australian Antarctic Division,
says scientists are still trying to understand exactly how climate
change will affect Antarctic krill. From his lab in Tasmania,

(20:24):
where he has a research querehum filled with twenty thousand krill,
Kabagucci has shown that if carbon emissions remain unchecked, crill
hatch rates in parts of the Southern Ocean could decrease
by seventy percent within the next century. But he cautions
that the effort to decode Antarctica's shifting marine ecosystems is
still in its early stages. There are lots of other

(20:47):
things we need to consider, he says, it's just the start. Well,
let's turn over to Scientific American Now, and they have
an article from March the tenth that is headlined microplastics
are messing with photosynthesis in plants. Microplastics are now a

(21:08):
ubiquitous part of our daily physical reality. These minuscule fragments
of degrading plastic now suffuse our air, our soil, the
food we eat, and the water we drink. They're being
detected everywhere researchers look, from Antarctic sea ice to human brains.
As scientists develop a better idea of where microplastics are

(21:30):
accumulating in the environment, they're just beginning to understand how
these pollutants affect one of the most essential and widespread
kingdoms of life on Earth, plants. A new study published
in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals
how microplastics hinder photosynthesis across a wide range of plant species,

(21:53):
including crucial food crops. It's really scary, says Marcus Erickson,
marine scientists at the Five Geyers Institute, a nonprofit plastic
pollution research organization. The researchers found that the presence of
microplastics can reduce photosynthesis by as much as seven to

(22:17):
twelve percent on average. That could range from six to
eighteen percent in terrestrial crops, two to twelve percent in
marine plants such as seaweed, and four to fourteen percent
in freshwater algae. The exposure to microplastics was not surprising

(22:38):
at all, Ericson says what surprised me was the level
of impact. A generalized reduction in photosynthesis at such a
scale would have major implications for the global food supply.
With the current rates of worldwide plastic production and resulting
microplastic exposure, farmers could see a four to thirteen and

(22:59):
a half percent yield loss per year in staple crops
such as corn, rice and wheat over the next twenty
five years. Additionally, seafood production could drop by up to
seven percent as aquatic ecosystems lose the algae that forms
the base of their food webs. This would seriously impact

(23:19):
the global economy and exacerbate food insecurity for hundreds of
millions of people. According to the studies authors, decreased photosynthesis
could also hamper efforts to fight climate change. As plants photosynthesize,
they draw carbon dioxide from the air into their tissues
and store it in the form of sugars. Most climate

(23:43):
models assume plants will be able to take up atmospheric
carbon at a consistent rate over the next several decades,
but if less carbon is sequestered in forests, grasslands, and
kelp beds, then researchers had predicted that will make mitigating
warming that much harder. Beyond photosynthesis, microplastics have been linked

(24:06):
to health issues in humans and other animals. They are
associated with an increase in people's risk of heart attack
and stroke, and they have been found to hamper growth
and reproduction in a number of species. The new paper
further highlights the need for a global treaty on plastic issues,
says marine biologist Richard Thompson, who specializes in microplastic pollution

(24:30):
at the University of Plymouth. In England. Its team estimates
that reducing the amount of plastic particles currently in the
environment by just thirteen percent could mitigate photosynthesis loss by
thirty percent. Efforts to develop an international agreement on plastic
have been under way since twenty seventeen, but the latest
United Nations led negotiations, held in Busan, South Korea, ended

(24:54):
without a resolution. Still, Thompson says it is crucial to
keep trying, especially as large junks of plastic in the
environment continued to degrade into microplastics. If you don't take
action now, he adds, within the next seventy to one
hundred years, we'll see much more wide scale ecological harm.

(25:15):
Now from AFP, we have an article that's headlined stuck
in eternal drought, UAE turns to AI to make it ring.

Speaker 2 (25:26):
This is from March eleventh. In the marbled halls of
a luxury hotel, leading experts are discussing a new approach
to an age old problem, how to make it rain.
In the UAE, the wealthy Gulf state that lies in
one of the world's biggest deserts, Decades of work and
millions of dollars have been plowed into easing endless drought

(25:49):
in the oil rich UAE, whose mainly expatriate population is
soaring undeterred by a dry, hostile climate and hair dryer
summer heat. Despite the United Arab Emirates' best efforts, rainfall
remains rare. But at last month's International Rain Enhancement Forum
in Abu Dhabi, officials held out a new hope, harnessing

(26:11):
artificial intelligence to ring more moisture out of often cloudless skies.
Among our initiatives is an AI system to improve cloud seating,
the practice of using planes to fire salt or other
chemicals into clouds.

Speaker 1 (26:26):
To increase rain. It's pretty much finished, said Luca del
Monache monatch Monach, deputy director of the Center for Western Weather,
the University of San Diego's scripts Institution of Oceanography. We're
doing the final touches. However, del Monache conceded that AI

(26:49):
was not a silver bullet for the UAE, which, like
other countries, has pursued cloud seating for decades. Cloud seating
works by increasing the size of droplets with which then
fall is rain. It's estimated to increase rainfall by ten
to fifteen percent, but it only works with certain types
of puffy cumulus clouds and can even suppress rainfall if

(27:11):
not done properly. You've got to do it in the
right place at the right time. That's why we use
artificial intelligence, they say. The three year project, funded with
a one and a half million dollar grant from the
UAE's Rain Enhancement Program, feeds satellite, radar and weather data
into an algorithm that predicts where setable clouds will form

(27:32):
in the next six hours. It promises to advance the
current method where cloud seating flights are directed by experts
studying satellite images. Hundreds of such flights occur annually in
the UAE. With only about one hundred millimeters of annual rainfall.
The uaes nearly ten million people mainly rely on desalinated

(27:54):
water piped from plants that produce about fourteen percent of
the world's total, according two official figures. Well, that's all
for today's Diary of Science and Nature. Your reader was
Kelly Taylor. Now please stay tuned for the Health Corner

(28:14):
on RADIOI