Plastic may be warming the planet more than we thought
Scientists have long known that making plastic warms the planet. But plastic may be heating the Earth even more than we realized, according to a report released Wednesday.
The Plastics & Climate Project, a nonprofit research group that studies how plastic contributes to climate change, analyzed hundreds of published research papers to identify aspects that are missing from most climate models.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Digital Trends
40 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
SpaceX Starlink rivalry grows as next Kuiper deployment nears
Amazon is about to send another batch of Project Kuiper internet satellites to orbit as it seeks to take on SpaceX's Starlink service to provide broadband internet to customers around the world. The tech giant has a long way to go before it has any hope of effectively challenging Starlink, but with its second launch set for next week, progress is being made toward its goal. Recommended Videos Project Kuiper is currently targeting Monday, June 16, for the launch of 27 internet satellites aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The KA-02 mission comes seven weeks after the first Project Kuiper launch, which also deployed 27 internet satellites. Commenting after the inaugural launch, Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Project Kuiper, said: 'We've designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and every launch is an opportunity to add more capacity and coverage to our network.' SpaceX began deploying its Starlink internet satellites six years ago and now has more than 7,000 of them in low-Earth orbit, bringing broadband connectivity to more than 5 million customers globally. Project Kuiper says its initial constellation will be made up of more than 3,200 satellites, with more than 80 missions needed to reach that goal. To that end, Amazon has put together a busy launch schedule, with six additional satellite deployments planned for ULA's Atlas V rocket, at least 38 on ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket, and dozens more with Arianespace and Blue Origin. SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket may even help out. Amazon is targeting as early as the end of this year for the launch of a high-speed, low-latency satellite-powered internet service, with as few as 1,000 satellites needed for global coverage. Building out the constellation to the targeted 3,200 satellites will help to boost network performance and reliability for paying customers.
Digital Trends
2 hours ago
- Digital Trends
Webb Telescope gets the star treatment in new NASA documentary
The pages of Digital Trends are filled with breathtaking images of deep space captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, including the beautiful Cosmic Tornado, the gorgeous Ring Nebula, the incredible Carina Nebula, and a stunning spiral galaxy. The Webb telescope — the most powerful ever built — launched in 2021 and has been scanning the far reaches of space ever since. Besides beaming back amazing infrared imagery, the telescope is also helping scientists to learn more about the universe's first stars and galaxies, the formation of numerous stars and planetary systems, and the origins of life itself, by exploring distant places with unprecedented clarity. To celebrate the ongoing work of the Webb telescope, NASA has just released a documentary — Cosmic Dawn — that chronicles its more than two decades of development, highlighting the telescope's careful assembly, rigorous testing, and successful launch nearly five years ago. Cosmic Dawn has a runtime of 96 minutes and is free to watch on YouTube. We've embedded it at the top of this page. 'At NASA, we're thrilled to share the untold story of our James Webb Space Telescope in our new film Cosmic Dawn, celebrating not just the discoveries, but the extraordinary people who made it all happen, for the benefit of humanity,' said Rebecca Sirmons, head of NASA+. The documentary also offers viewers an inside look at the successes and setbacks experienced by the team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland — the birthplace of Webb. You'll also get to enjoy plenty of Webb's groundbreaking work, including remarkable images of the faint light of the first stars and galaxies that formed more than 13.5 billion years ago. The documentary also shares Webb's findings on black holes, planets in our solar system and far beyond, and plenty of other cosmic phenomena. 'Webb was a mission that was going to be spectacular whether that was good or bad — if it failed or was successful,' said video producer Sophia Roberts, who filmed some of the happenings prior to Webb's deployment. Roberts added: 'It was always going to make history.'
Geek Girl Authority
3 hours ago
- Geek Girl Authority
Movie Review: WATCH THE SKIES
by Ray Schillaci The Movie Guys Swedish writer/director Victor Danell and co-writer Jimmy Nivrén Olsson deliver an extraterrestrial event with Watch The Skies, reminiscent of the nostalgic magic of a young Spielberg crossed with a light touch of Stranger Things. The most remarkable part about this movie is that it's a foreign film that, with the help of a company called Flawless, has made it accessible to the U.S. market by seamlessly dubbing and A.I.-generating the mouth and some facial movements of the actors, delivering an American shift that has become easily translatable and slightly different than the original film, entitled UFO Sweden. Other than the locations and the accents, audiences here at home will not be able to tell the difference, thus making Watch The Skies all the more accessible to America's viewers. Aside from that, the filmmakers have brought to our shores a film that is best seen on the big screen. I'm not talking about the 75' in your living room. This film benefits from a communal experience accompanied by the recent theatrical visuals and sound that have been provided by high-tech theater chains. RELATED: Movie Review: The Phoenician Scheme Here is a family film that has not been dumbed down. The filmmakers place us in the throes of characters with so much heart we cannot help but cheer them on as they venture towards a perilous journey led by one determined young girl whose father may or may not have been abducted (by either extraterrestrials or the government…for nefarious reasons). The mystery races through with excitement, good humor and spectacle. As a young child, Denise tagged along with her father on the elusive hunt for proof of the existence of UFOs, along with a small oddball team of enthusiasts that have formed a club. At one point, her father decides to go it alone in a certain region of the forest for the safety of his daughter. From there, he goes missing and we fast forward to many years later as Denise is now a troubled teenager. She has mapped out her goal of finding her father for years. Finally, achieving a breakthrough, she seeks the help of her father's former UFO club. My, have they aged and gotten even quirkier. Some may compare them to a grown-up version of Spielberg/Donner's Goonies. At first, they are leery of Denise since they felt abandoned by her father, who they felt went far too much on the fringe side of things. This is coming from a small group of eccentric conspiracy theorists who dabbled in federal crimes to chase their pursuit of the unknown. RELATED: Movie Review: From the World of John Wick: Ballerina Eventually, she is able to win some of them over to join her and they embark on an adventure that captures the attention of a covert government operation. Writer/director Danell and his writing partner, Olsson, present an exciting and unique experience that may have hints of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jordan Peele's Nope, but their film takes an unexpected approach that has us thinking about the story long after it is over. Their film feels refreshingly different and will have hearts racing as Denise's passion leads everyone through a harrowing conclusion. Danell and Olsson's combined effort has turned this into an event film in more ways than one, not only for its excellent storytelling, but for the advancement in technology that so many have questioned in the industry. A.I. has been the big bugaboo buzzword to many creative artists in the film community, but Flawless, the company that has made this movie more accessible than ever, believes it can be a tool that widens the audience for many films. Their goal is not to replace actors or take jobs away in the motion picture and television business, but to enhance the film's viewing capability. RELATED: Bring Her Back Spoiler Review Either way, Watch The Skies is a historical film for the ages with its technology that takes a foreign film and nearly seamlessly translates it to English (or Swenglish as the Swedes like to say). General audiences will be unable to tell that the film is dubbed. This is great for those who dismiss films with subtitles. Although there is the question if they would do this with older foreign films. It's doubtful since the process takes time and money. Besides, what truly enhances this technology is the original actors themselves who were used to dub their own voices. All the more reason to witness this enjoyable experience that delivers a punch not just by technology alone, but by wonderful storytelling, craftsmanlike production and engaging actors that capture our hearts. Visit Ray's blog at Directed by: Victor Danell Release Date: May 9, 2025 (original Swedish release date – December 25, 2022) Run Time: 115 Minutes Rated: PG-13 Country: Sweden Distributor: XYZ Films
