#climatescience

Let's hear it for the worms! 🙌🏽⁠

Named for their acorn-shaped front end, enteropneusts are actually more closely related to humans than to worms. They have a rudimentary nerve cord that is similar to ours, and they breathe oxygen using structures similar to a fish's gills.⁠

Acorn worms are also connected to humans through the carbon cycle. They play a significant role in the redistribution of sediment and nutrients in deep-sea communities. ⁠

Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere mixes into the ocean at the surface. Tiny plant-like plankton transform carbon dioxide into organic material and are then eaten by larger animals. As these animals eat, poop, and die, they create a flurry of organic material known as marine snow. The sinking snow moves nutrients and carbon all the way down to the deep seafloor, where bottom-dwelling animals, like acorn worms, enjoy a bountiful feast. This cycle is known as the biological pump.

Climate Action Network maintains a list of its member organizations who have joined together to make a difference.  Organizations include the American Lung Association, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Black Women Rising, Catholic Relief Services, Humane Society International, and countless others.  

You may find them at this link 

The 2024 hurricane season has already made history, setting an unprecedented record that highlights the stark contrast between Atlantic and Pacific storm activity. For the first time since satellite monitoring began in 1966, the Atlantic basin has generated more accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) than the entire Pacific Ocean through early July. This unusual phenomenon is largely attributed to the exceptionally warm water temperatures across much of the North Atlantic. Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist at Colorado State University, explains that these abnormally high ocean temperatures are influencing storm activity in both oceans, albeit in opposite ways. In the Atlantic, the warm waters have fueled an active start to the hurricane season. The region has already experienced several named storms, including the powerful Hurricane Beryl in early July. This early season activity has contributed to the record-breaking ACE levels, which measure the total energy of a hurricane season based on storm frequency and maximum wind speeds.

Conversely, the Pacific has seen an unusually quiet start to its tropical cyclone season. The western North Pacific experienced only one typhoon in May, and for only the second time on record since 1950, it went without a named storm from June 1 to July 15. In the eastern North Pacific, Tropical Storm Aletta's formation on July 4 marked the latest start to the season on record in that region. Scientists attribute this lack of Pacific storm activity to several factors, including the absence of a strong monsoon trough in the western North Pacific and excessive easterly wind shear in the eastern North Pacific. Interestingly, the warm Atlantic waters are contributing to these conditions by influencing global wind patterns. The dramatic spike in tropical Atlantic water temperatures from March to June 2024 has persisted, creating a La Niña-like circulation pattern. This pattern reduces westerly wind shear in the Atlantic, making conditions more favorable for storm formation. However, it increases easterly winds in the eastern North Pacific, hindering tropical storm development in that region. While it's still early in the hurricane season, forecasters predict above-normal activity for the Atlantic basin. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts 17 to 25 named storms, including 8 to 13 hurricanes, of which 4 to 7 could become major hurricanes.

As the season progresses, researchers will continue to study the influence of climate change and other factors on tropical cyclone patterns. The unusual start to the 2024 season serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between oceanic and atmospheric conditions in shaping hurricane activity across different regions.

Le emissioni globali antropiche di CO2 hanno registrato una tendenza leggermente in calo dal 2011

Fino a poco tempo fa, le emissioni antropiche di CO2 erano responsabili di circa il 10% della variazione del tasso di crescita di CO2 per ogni anno. Ma una nuova analisi afferma che le emissioni antropiche di CO2 sono diminuite leggermente nell’ultimo decennio. Quindi, a quanto pare la CO2 è responsabile al 0%.