Sea Level Rise May Be Worse Than Projected

Future Sea Level Rise May Be Significantly Higher Than Current Projections

A newly identified tipping point for the loss of ice sheets in Antarctica and elsewhere could mean future sea level rise is significantly higher than current projections. A new study found that warming sea water is intruding between coastal ice sheets and the ground they rest on. As warm water melts cavities in the ice, more water flows in and expands the cavities further in a feedback loop. This eventually causes the collapse of ice into the ocean, ultimately pushing up sea levels. Computer models show that a very small increase, like a few tenths of a degree in temperature of the intruding water, could lead to a very big increase in the loss of ice. Sea level rise is arguably the greatest long-term impact of the climate crisis. It has the potential to put scores of major cities like New York City and Shanghai below sea level, affecting billions of people. Researchers suggest that the most important action to slow this process would be to cut the burning of fossil fuels to net zero by 2050.

Damian Carrington, The Guardian

Reversing Climate Change Using Direct Air Capture

Sirona Technologies, co-founded by a former Tesla engineer, is looking to scale up its Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology and deploy its first pilot plant in Kenya. DAC uses machines that filter massive amounts of atmospheric air to remove CO2, which is then injected and permanently stored in geological formations, where it turns back to rock over two years. The pilot plant is set to be operational by the end of the year, with a full-scale commercial plant expected by early 2026. The target goal is to scale to 1 million tons of CO2 captured per year by 2030. Each iteration of their prototypes comes with better performance, reduced costs, and increased scale.

Stefano De Marzo, EU-Startups

Illinois Soybean Farmers Deal with Climate Change

Illinois is the top grower of soybeans in the United States, but climate change is affecting local farmers and could affect what shoppers pay at the grocery store. Changing weather patterns are impacting their farms year-round. Excessive spring rains are delaying planting. Rapid transitions between flood and drought are damaging crops and soil. Warmer temperatures are stressing crops. They’re also experiencing worsening thunderstorm wind damage, which has been linked to climate change in a new study. Not only does this impact the farm’s income, but it also could directly impact what consumers are paying. In a survey of more than 400 farmers nationwide, about 25% said they were either very worried, or fairly worried about changing weather patterns.

David Yeomans, CBS News