Are Blue Carbon Habitats the New Trend?

As climate change continues to affect environments worldwide, many regions are investing in resource development projects to create blue carbon habitats that sequester atmospheric carbon and reduce urban footprints in nature. Restored blue carbon habitats are quickly appearing along coastlines worldwide, and many scientists have mixed reviews over their contributions to carbon sequestration on a global scale. 

Blue carbon habitats along coastlines are a natural phenomenon observable in mangroves, saltmarshes, and seagrass meadows. These vital coastal habitats sequester large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and serve as an essential barrier to storm surges and water inundation. Many coastal areas have been degraded due to modernization. Mangrove forests are bulldozed to make way for new beach high rises, and seagrass meadows are quickly eradicated. 

These invaluable coastal habitats support an array of life, with some of the highest biodiversity found anywhere in the world. Areas like mangroves often involve a community of intertwined plants and foliage that create an almost impenetrable wall, preventing the onset of incoming storm surges and rising water levels from reaching areas of land on their adjacent side. After removing large sections of mangrove forests, areas in Florida along the southeastern United States faced millions of dollars in damages after previously mundane tropical storms escalated into national disasters without any natural barriers. What was once a moderate storm surge quickly turned into urban flooding, beach erosion, and unprecedented damages. 

As environmentalists and lawmakers quickly realized the monetary and public safety significance of such vital resources, they began investigating ways to restore and instill new habitat areas that can contribute the same kind of preventative measures these areas once had. The additional benefit of these coastal regions’ ability for carbon sequestration increased their market value on a global scale, as it was thought that large-scale climate change could even be combated. 

Conservation of these regions provides natural climate solutions by conserving greenhouse gas emissions stored inside of their systems and by increasing the carbon dioxide drawn down as areas are restored or created. Experts argue the individual use of these systems to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere is negligible on a global scale and should only be practically used as a mitigation measure while focusing on preserving their valuable biodiversity potential. 

The presumed carbon footprint benefits of restoring coastal ecosystems must have contributions from elsewhere. Otherwise, atmospheric carbon will continue to provoke future climate change. These blue carbon habitats and the associated movement will still have lasting impacts on coastal biodiversity and infrastructure defense, even if their carbon impacts are not as significant as previously thought.

Coastal regions should continue to develop and explore the benefits of restoring their coastal ecosystems to restore natural balance to their native flora and fauna while also contributing to mitigating carbon emissions in the atmosphere.

Dangers of Extreme Heat Faced by Outdoor Workers

Many outdoor workers face a common problem every year: managing summer heat and health complications while on the job. Summer temperatures in southern regions of the United States and other parts of the world are increasing yearly, posing additional risks to these types of employees. However, the risks and complications are not equally imposed, and different types of workers may be at even higher risk, according to experts. 

Three of the hottest cities in the United States where workers are at increased risk include Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Certain studies have explored the relationship between heat indexes in these southwestern states and work-related injuries, revealing expected trends toward higher temperatures and people getting sick. 

These higher-than-average temperatures often reach more than 88°F during the summer and can cause many health complications. Extended exposure to exorbitant heat can result in dehydration, unconsciousness, heat stroke, and lack of perspiration. Severe heat exposure cases can damage internal organs, disrupting the central nervous system, blood clotting, liver functions, and kidneys.

Due to complications imposed by global warming, summer temperatures continue to increase and expose workers to heat waves, droughts, and higher temperatures. Outdoor workers that face these temperature challenges include industries such as agriculture, construction, maintenance, recreation, and more. Heat-related injuries can keep workers out of a job, sometimes up to 30 days, while healing. The extended recovery times for workers who have experienced heat-related injuries can significantly impact employees and their families. The risks of these work-related injuries impact the lower-class workers at an even higher rate. Researchers also discovered a higher percentage of female workers reported heat-related injuries.

Studies between 2011 and 2018 suggested an increase from 50 to 86 percent of people affected by work-related heat injuries identified as female. The increase in the disproportionate cases of affected female workers may result in more women entering the workforce, specifically into roles within outdoor industries. These results have inspired further research into the hormonal risk component associated with the different heat risks between sexes. Specific biological cycles may place women at higher risks than their male counterparts. 

Another demographic at greater risk of heat-related injuries includes long-standing employees. The same study found that increased work heat complications correlated with increased length of stay at the worker’s company. Employees with five or more years of experience were at a greater risk of work-related heat injuries than employees with less than one year. Experts suggested the increased risk of these long-standing employees may be due to the lack of risk perception or the cumulative tolerance built from chronic heat exposure during their years of service. 

More research is being conducted on the types of employees at the most significant risk and different safety methods these vital outdoor industries can implement to decrease heat-related health implications.

Monkeypox Silently Spreading Around the World

Officials are on high alert as monkeypox outbreaks continue to appear in various parts of the world. These new cases are particularly alarming because of the high transmissibility, and amidst the ongoing covid-19 pandemic still crippling many parts of global society. 

The Monkeypox virus is historically localized to western and central regions in Africa, but scientists think they have traced the current spread to an outbreak in 2017. The World Health Organization has recorded 643 cases in more than a dozen countries. The rapid outbreaks suggest the disease may have undetected transmission, allowing it to spread and appear simultaneously in different locations. The 2017 outbreak resulted in clusters of cases in Singapore, Africa, Israel, and the UK.

Other experts disagree with initial findings stating we do not know how long this virus has spread. Initially, it was thought the disease spread from direct contact with an infected animal like a rodent; however, reports now suggest there are sustained transmission events between humans and back to animals. The rapid transmission between humans and animals contributes to the inconclusive of the outbreak’s origins. If outbreaks continue expanding, it is likely to be transferred from humans into other wildlife populations outside infected regions, resulting in additional undetectable transmissions to larger global populations. 

Most historical breakouts of monkeypox ended after a short period of transmission between humans, while recent cases in new places and populations are cause for concern. The former 2017 cluster was prevalent in men and appeared as lesions on genitalia transmitted through sexual contact. The current outbreak appears as lesions on various parts of the body, and the sexual transmissibility of the disease is inconclusive and not fully understood. This virus is similar to smallpox but much less deadly with treatment. Poverty-stricken areas may experience higher rates of complications resulting in deaths due to the lack of accessible resources. 

The US Centers for Disease Control continues to monitor its spread because it is too early to understand its origins or long-term impacts fully. The response may escalate if it evolves into a human-born pathogen spreading directly to the immunocompromised, young, and elderly, where it will cause the most severe damage. Still, many people following the news coverage and disease investigations feel the stress, as daily life has only recently returned to a sense of normalcy.

If the covid-19 pandemic proved one thing, the world is poorly prepared to deal with any global disease outbreak. Humans have few options to prevent widespread outbreaks of highly transmissible diseases effectively. Officials not wanting a repeat of the global pandemic over the last two years are approaching these cautionary cases with the utmost urgency and attempting to instill measures to prevent another global catastrophe.

How an Invasive Species Turned Into a Delicacy

A new entree has recently expanded across many restaurant menus in the southeastern United States, hoping to aid management efforts and reduce environmental destruction caused by invasive lionfish in the Caribbean. 

Invasive species are organisms not native to an ecosystem that causes harm to other species, habitats, or human health. Species are more likely to become invasive if they reproduce quickly, spread aggressively, and take advantage of new habitats. There are many examples of invasive species throughout history, and most are the unfortunate result of human expansion and global connectivity. Animals are often introduced purposefully or by accident from travel, shipping, and as a means of population control. 

Introduced species outcompete native populations for vital resources and habitat, restructuring food webs that result in cascading ecosystem effects. The success of an invasive species in a foreign environment relies on the lack of natural predators in the new ecosystem, allowing that species to dominate the native organisms. Invasive species also contribute to diseases preventing successful reproduction and altering entire ecosystems. 

There are invasive species worldwide, and many environmental scientists are working diligently to eradicate them out of native ecosystems, but doing so is a monumental task. Many invasive species are small, fast reproducing organisms that rapidly spread over large areas. Tactics used to mitigate their potential spread include using traps, reward incentives, and repurposing their use for consumption purposes. Trapping and reward incentives have proven useful solutions in island nations and small land areas, but larger invasions are harder to mitigate adequately. An interesting tactic for combating the invasive lionfish is developing a productive fishery for their commercial use as a product in restaurants and consumption. 

Lionfish are reef fish native to the Indo-Pacific ocean characterized by colorful red and white striped bodies, featherlike fins, and venomous spines. The species is incredibly damaging to the Caribbean ecosystems because they are incredibly aggressive predatory fish that prey on anything they can catch. Without natural predators outside their native habitat, they have been able to dominate the top of the food chain quickly. Lionfish are a particularly popular aquarium fish with a large market in the United States. 

The behavior of the lionfish in the Atlantic changed with their new habitat, and they act more aggressively than their counterparts in the Indo-Pacific. They are responsible for massive tolls on reef species like grouper and snapper. They can spawn every four days and release eggs that travel through the Caribbean currents. Atlantic populations are estimated to be up to 1,000 individuals per 1 acre at their highest densities, changing management goals. 

Dealing with lionfish can be difficult due to venomous spines that require medical attention. Divers must use extreme caution to avoid stings and use protective gear and fishing poles to collect lionfish. Tactics for removal from local waters have resulted in some success. Rapid repopulation of the fish incited a new management avenue to convert the species into a fishery commodity for restaurants to market as a local delicacy. 

Fishermen first realized you could eat the lionfish during culling events in south Florida, and they were delicious too. Modifying management efforts into a sustainable fishery means creating employment opportunities for small-scale fishermen, volunteer culling opportunities, fishing competitions, and a constant resource for consumer lionfish products. This method of invasive management is slowly gaining traction in the southeastern United States, and maybe one day, you will get to taste your very own lionfish. 

New Environmental Frontiers in China’s First Vertical Home

Global populations have risen exponentially over the last two centuries, with numbers expected to increase past 9.8 billion in 2050 and more than 11 billion by 2100! The enormous global population has taken significant tolls on the Earth and its vital resources, expediting global warming and environmental stress. One of the most significant contributors to global warming is the occupied space and pollution generated by megacities dispersed worldwide in countries like China, India, USA, and more. Scientists have been working to develop strategies to better support growing urban populations, preventing further degradation of the environment. Vertical cities are a solution to those issues, and environmental sectors have been discussing their implementation for a long time. 

Vertical cities are a specific and purposeful redesign of how humans have lived throughout history. Instead of traditional outward expansion of cities by connecting additional infrastructure, these cities utilize the space for development above existing frameworks. Vertical cities are key to managing overpopulation and habitat degradation by confining large populations into sustainable units. By designing vertical developments, skyward cities will be able to preserve natural resources outside the city, protect critical wildlife habitats, and contribute to global environmental status. An ideal vertical city would allow people to live, work, go to school, recycle waste, and produce their food inside a single building.

Let us break down the pros and cons of designing, implementing, and operating one of these massive infrastructure projects because there are reasons why they are not popping up in every major city. The first notable benefit of establishing vertical cities is reducing natural resource acquisition based on land space and urban development. These cities can be installed within current urban boundaries and move many businesses and residential areas off the ground. Unfortunately, because these cities do not exist yet, and we do not have any current data to assess their success, designs receive large amounts of skepticism from funders.

Vertical cities are meant to host hundreds if not thousands of people, so establishing the necessary resources is vital to the building’s survival. These buildings need to be explicitly designed to deal with environmental hazards, evacuation procedures, and plans for any emergency. The biggest hurdle facing these cities is funding because there is no evidence to outweigh their costs with benefits, so installing the first of its kind in China is vital to supply research necessary for future vertical developments. 

China’s staggering 1.4 billion people have put immense stress on the country's space and resources. Most Chinese live and work inside urban developments that significantly lack the space necessary to accommodate large daily influxes of people adequately. That is why China is the first home to one of these vertical cities, designed to support 500 residents and more than 5,000 trees and shrubs on its various levels. This initial development is not meant to be an ideal vertical city but a trial into the environmental benefits of increasing urban greenery and attempting to reduce the spread of people throughout the city. 

The plants were chosen to contribute the most benefits to the region by introducing native, non-invasive species aiding atmospheric recycling of greenhouse gasses. The design is estimated to absorb more than 20 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and emit more than 10 tons of oxygen. These buildings are of paramount importance because their location inside urban settings will directly contribute to the city’s clean air. Either way, the first test of this new way of living will indicate if they are a viable and profitable solution to many of the climate changes Earth is currently facing. If successful, this type of architecture can be expected to show up in every major city around the world and reinvent how we design urban areas.