Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 18h

Thanks much @scottdenning.bsky.social Peter Reich @umich.edu
David Schimel @nasajpl.bsky.social @anabastos.bsky.social Melissa Rose @worldresources.bsky.social Constantin Zohner @ethz.ch and others for insights.

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 18h

Over the past two years, the land carbon sink appears to have weakened dramatically, driving the largest one year jump in atmospheric CO2 on record in 2024. Is this the end of the land carbon sink? I asked around for @newscientist.com.

One of Earth’s most vital carbon sinks is faltering. Can we save it?

For decades, forest, grasslands and other land ecosystems have collectively absorbed up to a third of the carbon dioxide we emit each year - but this climate buffer may be collapsing far sooner than a...

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 1d

Scary news for West Coast friends in my latest for @science.org. Disturbed ocean sediments off California suggest big earthquakes on the Cascadia fault can trigger big quakes on the San Andreas. The "Big One" could well become the "Big Two"...

Big U.S. West Coast earthquakes could come as a one-two punch

Cascadia and San Andreas fault zones appear to generate synchronized earthquakes

www.science.org

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 2d

NEWS: I'm writing a book about Earth's interior, from innermost inner core to the deep biosphere. Can't wait to share all I've learned about what's happening inside this planet and how it shapes the surface world we care about. 🌏 Subscribe here to follow along: northeastsouthwest.substack.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 5d

We all must do our part.

Greg vs Crabitalism @bigmadcrab.bsky.social · 6d

Pope Leo XIV blesses a chunk of ice the “Raising Hope for Climate Justice” event https://x.com/HotSpotHotSpot/status/1973737188140695833/video/1

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 6d

Thanks to @xiyang.bsky.social, @drbiogc.bsky.social and the rest of THE LORACS team for having me along to see this important work in action.

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 6d

Based on this research by Henry Yeung et al.
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...

Overlooked and extensive ghost forest formation across the US Atlantic coast

Rising sea levels have driven widespread coastal tree die-off, forming large swaths of ghost forests. While reports of coastal forest loss are accumulating, its true severity and factors determining t...

www.researchsquare.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 6d

Some ghosts captured on camera:

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 6d

I joined a team of ecologists wading through the muck of the Carolina coast in search of "ghost forests" killed by rising seas for @science.org. We were guided by a a new map that reveals millions of dead trees standing along the East Coast, marking an overlooked consequence of climate change...

AI reveals vast ‘ghost forests’ along U.S. coast

Machine learning method counts nearly 12 million dead trees, many likely killed by rising seas

www.science.org

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 6d

Honored to have won an @sciencewriters.org "Science in Society" award for my @newscientist.com story on the Panama Canal's chronic water shortages. It's something the canal's visionary builders never imagined would be possible in one of the rainiest parts of the planet...

National Association of Science Writers (NASW) @sciencewriters.org · 7d

IN THE SCIENCE REPORTING CATEGORY:
“Dire straits for the Panama Canal” by science and environmental journalist James Dinneen, for New Scientist

www.newscientist.com...

#SciWriAwards 💚🧪📝[3/n]

Drought has hit the Panama Canal hard – can it survive climate change?

A severe drought exacerbated by climate change and a lack of updated infrastructure have led to some ships waiting more than a month to cross one of the world's most important waterways

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 18d

Whoa! First long-term ice core record of atmospheric *hydrogen*, which amplifies warming effects of methane, shows there has been a 60% rise since the industrial revolution.
rt/ @tinymaddie.bsky.social
www.newscientist.com/article/2497...

Atmospheric hydrogen is rising, which may be a problem for the climate

Ice core records of atmospheric hydrogen reveal a huge rise in concentration since the Industrial Revolution which has contributed to global warming – and could sway the debate over hydrogen as a fuel

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · 21d

Dinosaurs, like beavers or elephants or buffalo, were ecosystem engineers. I discuss a new study on how their extinction also transformed landscapes in @nautil.us.
🧪

The Dinos’ Demise Gave Rivers Their Shape

Their extinction left an indelible mark on the landscape

nautil.us

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 26

Asgard archaea frozen in Siberia appear to have remained alive for more than 100,000 years based on DNA analysis. Genetic overlap with other Asgards suggests astonishingly long lifespans could be common trait among the closest living relatives of all eukaryotes. Per @karenlloyd.bsky.social etal.🧪

We are unlocking how frozen microbes stay alive for 100,000 years

Microbes found buried deep in Siberian permafrost may be able to survive over extremely long timescales using protein repair genes

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 26

Solar panel exports from China to Africa surged 60 per cent over the past year, says @ember-energy.org. Unlike previous jumps, this upward trend was spread across the continent – with 20 countries seeing import records and 25 countries importing more than 100 megawatts worth of panels.🔌💡

Is Africa about to see the solar energy boom it needs?

African countries imported a record number of solar panels in the past year, which could be the beginning of a green energy boom on the continent

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 21

Also learned that Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah (pictured below) is one of just a few US mines that have installed additional circuits to refine byproducts. Mainly a copper mine, but now also extract tellurium.

James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 21

The huge volume of ore extracted from existing US mines is full of critical minerals, but nearly all of this goes to waste. New analysis finds out just out how much is getting tossed out.🧪🔌💡

We could get most metals for clean energy without opening new mines

An analysis of active US mines finds they already collect virtually all of the minerals the country needs for batteries, solar panels and wind turbines – but these critical minerals mostly go to waste

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 21

BUT during a DOE workshop I went to yesterday on critical minerals, undersecretary P. Wells Griffith III made clear the agency's support for byproduct recovery didn't rule out new mining in pursuit of "energy dominance".

“We should never apologize for our modern way of life,” he said.🌞

James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 21

The huge volume of ore extracted from existing US mines is full of critical minerals, but nearly all of this goes to waste. New analysis finds out just out how much is getting tossed out.🧪🔌💡

We could get most metals for clean energy without opening new mines

An analysis of active US mines finds they already collect virtually all of the minerals the country needs for batteries, solar panels and wind turbines – but these critical minerals mostly go to waste

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 21

The huge volume of ore extracted from existing US mines is full of critical minerals, but nearly all of this goes to waste. New analysis finds out just out how much is getting tossed out.🧪🔌💡

We could get most metals for clean energy without opening new mines

An analysis of active US mines finds they already collect virtually all of the minerals the country needs for batteries, solar panels and wind turbines – but these critical minerals mostly go to waste

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 20

The sun has MOODS.🌞

Jeremy Hsu @jeremyhsu.bsky.social · Aug 20

NASA and IBM released an AI model that can forecast what the sun will look like and even predict solar flares two hours in advance.

It's a new tool for studying the sun, and may even enhance early warnings about space weather that could impact Earth. 🧪

www.newscientist.com/article/2492...

NASA and IBM built an AI to predict solar flares before they hit Earth

An AI model trained on years of data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory can predict the sun’s future appearance and potentially flag dangerous solar flares

www.newscientist.com

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Reposted by James Dinneen

Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Aug 19

Mouth-watering news...We've identified microbes that produce fine flavours in chocolate, a discovery that could lead to entirely new kinds of the delectable treat.

www.newscientist.com/article/2492...

How cocoa beans' microbiomes are key to the finest chocolate flavours

Nine species of fungi and bacteria have been found in cocoa beans that produce fine chocolate, and this knowledge could help producers develop better flavours

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 18

Very interesting here.
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...

New subtype of diabetes found in youths from sub-Saharan Africa

In sub-Saharan African youths diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, 65 per cent do not have antibodies or genetic risks associated with the disease, suggesting they have a novel non-autoimmune subtype of th...

www.newscientist.com

Reposted by James Dinneen

Carbon Brief @carbonbrief.org · Aug 14

NEW – Factcheck: Trump’s climate report includes more than 100 false or misleading claims | @ayeshatandon.carbonbrief.org @leohickman.carbonbrief.org @ceciliakeating.carbonbrief.org @rtmcswee.carbonbrief.org @tomoprater.carbonbrief.org

Read here: buff.ly/AvcB7Aw

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Reposted by James Dinneen

Madeleine Cuff @tinymaddie.bsky.social · Aug 14

Nothing to see here, just the planet edging ever closer to deadly hot & humid conditions www.newscientist.com/article/2492...

2024 saw a record-breaking number of dangerously humid days

As the planet heats up, the atmosphere is holding more moisture – and this is resulting in more days with weather conditions close to the limits of survivability

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 13

Big new modeling study finds climate change may have locked temperatures in the Pacific Ocean into a pattern could drive drought in the western US for decades. More broadly, this suggests climate models may generally underestimate how much our emissions influence longterm cycles of ocean temps.🧪

Pacific Ocean changes may 'lock in' US megadrought for decades

A major cycle of Pacific Ocean temperatures is shifting due to climate change, and that could drive decades of megadrought in the western US

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 11

Don't try this at home! Or maybe do?
www.newscientist.com/article/2492...

Microwaving rocks could help mining operations pull CO2 out of the air

A carbon dioxide removal company in Canada is experimenting with ways to treat mining waste to capture and store more CO2

www.newscientist.com

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James Dinneen @jamesdinneen.bsky.social · Aug 8

Don't sleep on liming
www.newscientist.com/article/2488...

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