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Tag: climate change

Climate change… on Venus?

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Two side by side pictures of Venus from space. On the left, Venus looks like a round and pale gassy planet wrapped in cloud wisps traveling up and to the right, with a smudge of light orange near the equator, and brown near the south pole. On the right is the same picture but enhanced to show clearer cloud patterns and brighter oranges and browns.

[Two side by side pictures of Venus from space. On the left, Venus looks like a round and pale gassy planet wrapped in cloud wisps traveling up and to the right, with a smudge of light orange near the equator, and brown near the south pole. On the right is the same picture but enhanced to show clearer cloud patterns and brighter oranges and browns.]

The most active searches for otherworldly life in our solar system are centered around Mars, Earth’s cold planetary neighbor, and Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter. In fact, NASA just launched the Europa Clipper on October 14, 2024 with the primary goal of searching for life. And in recent years, many people have floated the idea of sending astronauts to Mars. It was for missions like these that, in 2023, NASA postponed the would-be next exploratory trip to Venus — VERITAS — by allocating its funding to other exploratory programs which were exceeding their budgets…

Enough about polar bears: Who else is vulnerable to climate change?

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[A collage of endangered animals affected by climate change. In clockwise direction: an Arctic fox (©Teresa on Unsplash), a bumblebee (©Stacie Clark on Unsplash), coral reefs (©Milos Prelevic on Unsplash), an emperor penguin and its baby (©Memorycatcher on Pixabay), a cow (©Ryan Song on Unsplash), and a koala (©Ellicia on Unsplash). Collage by Hayeon Byun).

Polar bears are one of the most iconic symbols of the impacts of climate change. Their struggle is shown over campaigns across the world, which show animals that have become endangered as a result of climate change. Although they are used the most in these campaigns, polar bears aren’t the only animals impacted by global warming. This post explores other animal species that are also heavily affected by the impacts of climate change and aims to raise awareness of the struggles the wildlife around us experience…

The Cosmic Compass: How birds Master the Skies

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[Image of mass group of birds flying through the sunset sky.]

Every year, the skies come alive as billions of birds begin their migration. From the Arctic Tern, with its remarkable marathon around the Earth to the quaint journey of the Dusky Grouse, the avian spectrum is a captivating display of nature’s variability. How do these travelers embark on such extraordinary journeys, navigating through continents and oceans with such precision?

How climate change impacts fresh water: a SWAT modelist’s perspective

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[Ph.D. student sits at his desk with a virtual model of the Great Lakes Basin on his computer screen.]

When people ask me what I research as a Ph.D. student in the Indiana University Department of Geography, I respond “I model.” This is typically followed by a head-to-toe, confused glance at my worn running shoes, wrinkly shorts, and faded yellow-and-brown collared shirt. “No,” I say, “I’m not a fashion model. I make computer models. I am working on some really cool research involving the effects of climate change on rivers of the Great Lakes Basin, just north of us.” Now, you may be thinking, “climate change, that’s scary, huh?” Why, yes it is! That’s why it is so important that we learn as much as we can about climate change so that we can prepare our ecosystems and communities for its impacts…

Do extreme floods and droughts cause more extreme floods and droughts?

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[A corn field during a drought with dry, cracked soil.]

Extreme floods and droughts are considered to be one of the greatest challenges to society in the 21st century. Historically, they have led to the collapse of civilizations, fatalities, and economic losses. In Indiana, recent droughts, such as the drought of 2012, have affected agriculture and water supplies. Recent flooding, such as summer 2021’s disasters in downtown Bloomington, have damaged businesses and homes. Now, the prevalence of these extreme events is increasing around the world; heavy rainstorms are increasing the severity and frequency of floods, while warming temperatures and a thirsty atmosphere are making droughts more severe…

Five ways to reduce water use

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[Water running freely through a faucet on a sink.]

Water, the substance critical for daily life and even our survival, is quite abundant on earth. But not all water on earth is usable for our needs. Even though the majority of the earth’s surface is water, only around 2.5% of that water is freshwater. The water we use for drinking, cleaning, production, and many other vital functions is freshwater. Since the earth’s freshwater reserves are limited and required for many human activities, we need to collectively work together as a species to make sure we conserve our water usage. Decreasing wasteful water usage also provides a financial incentive as it would save families money on their water bill…

Rain-on-snow: I’m melting!

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[Two “road closed” signs because a major flood blocks a street in the outskirts of a big city.]

In mid-February 2021, Bloomington, Indiana was hit by a winter snowstorm that dropped several inches of white, fluffy snow around town. Schools and businesses closed. However, as other people were wondering “How will I get my car out of the driveway?”, I caught myself wondering “Will it rain soon?” What? Why? Rain-on-snow melt events have been receiving a lot of attention in scientific articles I have been reading. Aptly named, these events occur when a warm rain falls on an existing snowpack…

The highest price of fashion: Environmental destruction

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A model holds up shopping bags to represent the end result of a shopping spree.

This post was written by ScIU Social Media Intern Ava Steensland, an undergraduate student in The Media School at Indiana University. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world. Here, we’ll take a closer look into tip number one from the ScIU post 7 Tips on How You Can Help the Environment,… Read more »

Greedy scientists and their grants

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Photo of the pyramid and eye from on the back of US currency

In 2009, there was a faux controversy called Climategate, in which a climate change research server was hacked and private emails were leaked. This event was then spun to create the impression that human-caused climate change was all a big conspiracy. What exactly was the alleged motive for these scientists to make up climate change?… Read more »

COVID-19 lockdown: Some good news for the environment

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[smoggy vs clear photo of an arch in Delhi, India]

Since the coronavirus outbreak, many of us had to shelter-in-place or practice social distancing. For some of us, this meant working from home, and for others, it meant traveling to their workplace fewer days of the week. Either way, people commuting less to work can mean many different things: fewer cars on the streets, fewer factories, office and school buildings utilizing electricity. Though all these sound like a massive disruption of plans, there is a silver lining to it: the positive impact the lockdown has on the environment…

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