Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Play

Nashville mourns six dead in the latest mass shooting, the EPA takes public input on a proposal to clean up Pennsylvania's drinking water, and find ways to get more Zzz's during Sleep Awareness Month.

Play

A shooting leaves six dead at a school in Nashville, the White House commends Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to pause judicial reform, and mayors question the reach of state and federal authorities over local decisions.

Play

Finding childcare is a struggle everywhere, prompting North Carolina's Transylvania County to try a new approach. Maine is slowly building-out broadband access, but disagreements remain over whether local versus national companies should get the contracts, and specialty apps like "Farmers Dating" help those in small communities connect online.

UNE Researcher: Most Glaciers Gone by 2100

Play

Monday, January 16, 2023   

A study co-authored by a University of New England researcher finds the majority of the world's glaciers could disappear by the end of the century, leading to increased storm surges like the one that hit the Maine coast before Christmas last month.

Researchers say models show climate change and the continued use of fossil fuels could cause more than 80% of the world's glaciers to melt, which would also lead to significant sea-level rise.

Study co-author Will Kochtitzky - a visiting assistant teaching professor at the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of New England - said Maine has already seen 6 to 8 inches of sea-level rise in the past 100 years.

"This is going to add a few more inches on top of that," said Kochtitzky, "and every inch really matters in some of these places."

Kochtitzky said communities need to plan now for what's to come.

The study predicts even under the most ambitious targets set forth in the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, the world will still lose more than a quarter of its current glacier mass.

This research focused on 215,000 glaciers across the planet, excluding the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

Most of them are smaller in scale - but the study says their melting could dramatically impact local water resources, infrastructure and even tourism in America's national parks.

Kochtitzky said the data show that reducing carbon emissions can still slow or reduce glacier loss, to give countries and communities more time to prepare.

"There's not much we can do to stop sea-level rise in the coming decades," said Kochtitzky, "we more need to plan for how we're going to manage that, and build infrastructure that can be resilient to changing sea levels."

Maine's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future notes any modest cost savings in infrastructure today will come at the expense of much higher repair and replacement costs in the future, as seas continue to rise.

Despite the bleak findings, Kochtitzky called the study a "huge advance" in data processing to create the projected glacier models.

It's published in the journal Science.





get more stories like this via email
Black Americans are the most likely to suffer from insufficient sleep. (ChadBridwell/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

March is Sleep Awareness Month and health experts say Americans are not getting enough of it. United Health Foundation data found more than 32% of …


Environment

Environmental groups are seeking greater input as California puts the finishing touches on its application to become a hub for hydrogen fuel productio…

Social Issues

This month marks 160 years since the first Medal of Honor was awarded by President Abraham Lincoln. More than a dozen of the 65 recipients alive …


According to The Medal of Honor Museum and Foundation, 3,514 men and one woman have won the Medal of Honor in service of their country from the Civil War to the present day. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

160 years ago, Civil War soldiers were awarded the first Medals of Honor. Now, a Medal of Honor Monument will soon be built on the National Mall in …

Social Issues

The meat processing industry continues to face scrutiny over labor practices in states like Minnesota. Proposed legislation would update a 2007 law…

A report published in late February says children of mothers who are abused or neglected were more likely to demonstrate symptoms and behaviors linked to depression, along with other health issues. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

New findings suggest health effects stemming from child maltreatment can be passed on to the next generation. In South Dakota, leaders in early-…

Social Issues

Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle will pay workers at its former location in Augusta, Maine as part of a settlement over labor law violations…

Environment

One Arizona mayor is among the more than 2,800 elected city officials in Washington, D.C., this week for The National League of Cities' Congressional …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021