Latest news with #ClimateObservatory
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Government delivers historic ruling to reclaim illegally seized land: 'Finally some good news'
Forests are one of the planet's most powerful tools for fighting the changing climate. They absorb carbon dioxide, regulate temperatures, and support biodiversity. Scientists and policymakers worldwide are strategizing about how to protect these climate guardians. In Brazil, a federal judge has ordered the government to reclaim private land belonging to owners responsible for illegal deforestation or for starting wildfires. The Amazon has been increasingly prone to droughts in recent years, making those wildfires even more dangerous. Although the new policy can still be appealed, it also has provisions to block the practice of regularization, stopping those from clearing forests to claim land. Cattle ranching contributes most to deforestation for agricultural purposes. Paulo Busse, a lawyer with the group Climate Observatory, told AP, "The decision bolsters the Brazilian government's efforts to fight illegal deforestation and intentional wildfires." As the temperature of the Earth warms, wildfire risks become more prominent. Legislation like this will help to preserve the forests that do so much to help regulate and protect the planet. Wildfires destroy the ecosystems that exist within the forest, but they also have wide-reaching consequences. One of these is reduced air quality, especially for those who live in the countries surrounding the Amazon. Children, pregnant people, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions are particularly vulnerable to this smoke-filled air. If the Amazon Rainforest continues to be depleted, it will also lead to a huge loss of biodiversity. With an estimated 10% of the globe's biodiversity, the Amazon is a treasure trove of plant and animal species. Many of them are at risk from deforestation issues. The Brazilian government and other organizations have implemented a variety of initiatives over the past few years to slow deforestation. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. A study in Nature Ecology & Evolution assessed different strategies for protecting the forests. The study found that implementing Protected Areas did help to reduce deforestation, but more efforts are necessary to protect Indigenous people in the rainforest. The Supreme Court's new ruling is another step in the right direction. A Reddit user reacted to the new Brazilian regulation, saying, "Finally some good news." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Brazilian Judge Orders Seizure of Illegally Cleared Lands
A justice on the Brazilian Supreme Court has directed the government to seize private lands where forests have been illegally razed. 'The decision bolsters the Brazilian government's efforts to fight illegal deforestation and intentional wildfires,' Paulo Busse, a lawyer with Climate Observatory, told the Associated Press. By one estimate, more than half of the forest lost in the Brazilian Amazon has been on private lands. The ruling, by Justice Flávio Dino, also calls for halting the process known as regularization, by which land grabbers are granted title to stolen lands, even when they have illegally destroyed forest on those lands. 'Right now, land regularization laws in the Amazon — both federal and state — don't ban granting titles to properties with illegal deforestation,' Brenda Brito, of the conservation group Imazon, told the Associated Press. The decision, which may be appealed, further requires the government to seek compensation from landowners who have destroyed forest. The ruling could have immediate effect, impacting several recent convictions for illegal deforestation. On a Dammed River, Amazon Villagers Fight to Restore the Flow
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Satellite imagery exposes crimes occurring at massive scale: 'A serious and longstanding problem'
An alarming new report revealed that Amazonian trees aren't the only thing being cut; corners are being cut too with massive amounts of illegal deforestation being reported. As Mongabay reported, a new report by Instituto Centro de Vida found that 91% of all forest clearing lacked proper authorization in the year from August 2023 to July 2024. Using satellite monitoring data from Brazil's space agency, researchers found that only 9% of deforestation in the Amazon was registered with proper permits. In the Cerrado, just 49% was authorized. The study reveals how weak the permit system is and how a lack of transparency can create loopholes for fraud. Upon further investigation, only eight of 16 states fully integrated with the federal permit database SINAFLOR. "The presence of organized crime has intensified, but the reality of the absence of public authorities at different levels of government is a serious and long standing problem in the region," Climate Observatory public policy coordinator Suely Araújo told Mongabay. Illegal deforestation undermines communities and economies that depend on stable ecosystems. Forest loss in the Amazon disrupts the ecosystem in many ways. For example, changes in rainfall patterns critical for agriculture across South America can harm crop yields and water supplies. In the Cerrado, even legal deforestation pushes the limits of sustainability, threatening one of the most ecologically rich regions on the planet. Unchecked forest clearing also emboldens organized crime networks and displaces Indigenous communities. When laws are not enforced, it allows for harm not only to the environment but also surrounding residents. To tackle illegal clearing, experts stress the need for stronger enforcement paired with economic disincentives. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "We need to end the current logic that illegal deforestation pays off," Vinicius Salgueiro of ICV said. Policies that reward farmers and ranchers for regenerating land and improving soil health are gaining traction, while programs encouraging agricultural production on already cleared land look to reduce new deforestation. For individuals, supporting organizations such as Rainforest Trust and Amazon Watch is a great way to help. It is also crucial to be well-versed in climate issues to be able to educate others. Planting seeds of trees and knowledge is how we can bring back the health of our planet. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch as the moon's shadow races across the US on the first anniversary of last year's total solar eclipse — Earth from space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS Where is it? North America What's in the video? The moon's shadow, or umbra, passing over the continent Which satellite took the video? GOES-16 When was it taken? April 8, 2024 This striking satellite footage shows the moon's shadow racing across North America at more than 1,500 mph (2,400 km/h) during 2024's historic total solar eclipse, when several unique phenomena were observed as day briefly turned to night. On April 8 last year, tens of millions of people in the U.S., Canada and Mexico looked up to the skies to see the moon temporarily block out our home star. During the event, totality — the period in which the sun is completely obscured — lasted up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds, depending on the viewer's location. This was the first total solar eclipse visible from the continent since 2017, but the longest totality there for 54 years. From space, the darkest part of the moon's shadow, or umbra, slowly swept across the continent from western Mexico to eastern Canada over roughly 4 hours, allowing satellites and astronauts to snap some stunning shots of the event. NOAA's 16th Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-16) was one of these orbital observers. This spacecraft is geostationary, meaning that it orbits Earth at the same speed as the planet spins, allowing it to watch one part of Earth from a fixed position. From its vantage point around 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) above North America, the satellite captured thousands of photos that were later digitally stitched together into the time-lapse video above. Related: See all the best images of Earth from space Photos from other spacecraft also provided alternative perspectives of the sweeping shadow. NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) captured video of the shadow moving across the globe from its position, roughly 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) from Earth. And astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) also snapped up-close photos of the shadow from around 260 miles (418 kilometers) above our planet's surface. Several strange phenomena can occur during a total solar eclipse, and 2024 was no exception. Many observers spotted pink or red spots around the sun's obscured disc. Some people wrongly assumed that these were solar flares exploding from the sun. Experts later revealed that these were solar prominences — plasma plumes that tower above the sun but do not explode outward. On the same day as the eclipse, astronomers also discovered a tiny sungrazer comet dive-bombing toward the sun. The newly spotted object was then photographed during totality, before it was destroyed by our home star just a few hours later. One of the most bizarre effects observed was a subtle shift in global time signals sent and received by communication centers across North America as the sun's shadow cooled the upper atmosphere, slightly altering how radio signals bounced off this part of our planet. However, the changes were too small to impact any time-keeping devices. MORE EARTH FROM SPACE —1st glacier declared dead from climate change seen in before and after images —A mysterious 'black hole' in Pacific Ocean that sparked wild rumors online —Erupting 'sharkcano' spits out a giant underwater plume in Oceania Several other unusual things were seen during totality, including disappearing clouds, daytime-visible planets, changes to color perception and optical effects around the sun as seen from Earth, such as "Baily's beads" and "diamond rings." Some wild and captive animals also appeared to be confused as the skies turned dark. The world's next total solar eclipse will occur on Aug. 12, 2026 and will be most visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain.
