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The National Science Foundation declined to answer AP questions about why Bieneman was sent out into the field in a critical safety role while under investigation. The case raises further questions about decision-making in the U.S. Antarctic Program, which is already under scrutiny. Conway and the graduate students did not respond to AP requests for comment. In the complaint, Conway described Bieneman as initially being “domineering and critical” of the two female graduate students at the camp. He said the graduate students, fearing possible retaliation if they disclosed the story, felt they had to tiptoe around Bieneman.

Persons: Stephen Tyler Bieneman, Bieneman, ”, Birney Bervar, ” Marc Tunstall, icefield, Tyler, Howard Conway, Conway, ” Conway, Jennifer Farrar Organizations: The Associated Press, McMurdo, The National Science Foundation, U.S . Antarctic Program, AP, NSF, Prosecutors, Twin, University of Washington, Conway, Bieneman, Attorney's Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Antarctica, Honolulu, Allan, McMurdo, Bieneman, Hawaii, The U.S, New York

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The watchdog office overseeing the National Science Foundation is sending investigators to Antarctica's McMurdo Station after hearing concerns about the prevalence of sexual violence at the U.S. research base. It announced Friday it is appointing Renée Ferranti as a special assistant to the NSF director to focus on sexual assault and harassment prevention and response. The NSF told the AP the alcohol changes were related to morale and welfare, and were not aimed at preventing sexual harassment or assault. On Friday, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said he was delighted to welcome Ferranti, who had more than 25 years of experience in sexual assault prevention. Ferranti said in the release she hopes “to make a meaningful impact to advance NSF's progress in addressing sexual violence.”

Persons: Renée, Lisa Vonder Haar, Vonder Haar, they’d, Sethuraman Panchanathan, ” Panchanathan, Ferranti, “, ” Organizations: National Science Foundation, NSF, Renée Ferranti, Associated Press, McMurdo, AP, Ferranti Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Antarctica

Instead this year’s ozone hole was about average size for the last 20 years, even a bit smaller than 2022’s, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. From September to mid October, the ozone hole this year averaged 8.9 million square miles (23.1 million square kilometers), which is the 16th largest since satellites started tracking in 1979. It peaked this year at 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers), about the size of North America. The ozone hole and thinning ozone layer has improved a bit thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, when countries in the world agreed to stop producing many of the chemicals that deplete ozone, Newman said. The ozone hole was at its biggest in 2000 at nearly 11.6 million square miles (29.9 million square kilometers), according to NASA data.

Persons: ”, Paul Newman, ” Newman, Newman, “, Seth Borenstein Organizations: NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Goddard Flight, Twitter, AP Locations: North America, South America, Tonga, Montreal

☆ Scientists predicted Earth's ozone hole would balloon in size this year, but now admit their calculations were wildly off the mark
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Seth Borenstein | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists predicted that we'd see a huge ozone hole over the Antarctic in 2023. From September to mid-October, the ozone hole this year averaged 8.9 million square miles (23.1 million square kilometers), which is the 16th largest since satellites started tracking in 1979. It peaked this year at 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers), about the size of North America. The ozone hole and thinning ozone layer has improved a bit thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, when countries in the world agreed to stop producing many of the chemicals that deplete ozone, Newman said. The ozone hole was at its biggest in 2000 at nearly 11.6 million square miles (29.9 million square kilometers), according to NASA data.

Persons: —, Paul Newman, Newman, NASA Goddard Organizations: Service, NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Goddard Flight, YouTube Locations: Tonga, North America, South America, Montreal

☆ Apollo 17 astronauts collected rocks that reveal the moon’s true age
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The moon’s gravitational pull is also the force behind ocean tides and partly why our planet has a 24-hour day. Geologist and astronaut Harrison Schmitt used an adjustable sampling scoop to retrieve lunar samples during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Zircon crystals formed as the moon cooled 4.46 billion years ago, and a new analysis traced them in the Apollo 17 samples. NASAAn ancient landscape has been discovered beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet, thanks to ice-penetrating radar. Understanding the hidden, well-preserved landscape could help scientists predict the evolution of the ice sheet and how it may fare as temperatures warm in the climate crisis.

Persons: Harrison Schmitt, Eugene Cernan, ”, Jennika Greer, Nick Gray, James Webb, Stewart Jamieson, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, Apollo, University of Glasgow, JBA Consulting, Environment Agency Engineers, Environment, Durham University, CNN Space, Science Locations: Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, England's Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight, Orkney Islands, Denman, East Antarctica, Belgium, North Wales, Iraq, Syria

☆ A hidden feedback loop under Antarctica’s glaciers could accelerate sea level rise, scientists find
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Glaciers in East Antarctica could lose ice faster in the future than previously thought, scientists reported Friday, in an alarming feedback loop where glacier meltwater is triggering even more ice loss and sea level rise as the planet warms. Together, these and other recent studies paint a dire picture of a melting southern continent that poses extreme risk of life-altering sea level rise around the world. Friday’s study factored that feedback into simulations to see how much it could accelerate Antarctic melting and sea level rise. Measuring this phenomenon and accounting for it in climate models is necessary “to get a realistic picture of global sea level rise,” Greenbaum said. “Given this evidence, subglacial melt and discharge is a process that can no longer be ignored in future projections of Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise,” De Rydt told CNN.

Persons: CNN —, it’s, ”, Jamin Greenbaum, Denman, Scott, Greenbaum, ” Greenbaum, Tyler Pelle, ” Pelle, Pelle, we’re, ” Jan De Rydt, ” De Rydt, “ Organizations: CNN, University of California San Diego’s Scripps, of Oceanography, Scripps, Northumbria University Locations: East Antarctica, Antarctica

☆ Scientists discover an ancient landscape in an area on Earth ‘less well known than the surface of Mars’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —An ancient landscape hidden under the East Antarctic ice sheet for at least 14 million years has been revealed with the help of satellite data and planes equipped with ice-penetrating radar. Scientists used the remote sensing techniques to map 32,000 square kilometers (12,300 square miles) of land — an area around the same size as Belgium. “The land underneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is less well known than the surface of Mars,” Jamieson said in a statement. The ancient landscape was discovered beneath the ice inland from Denman Glacier in East Antarctica pictured here. The East Antarctic ice sheet first formed around 34 million years ago, but it would have subsequently fluctuated in size, sometimes revealing the land beneath.

Persons: Stewart Jamieson, ” Jamieson, Jamieson, We’re Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, University of Durham, NASA Locations: Belgium, North Wales, Denman, East Antarctica

☆ Bird flu detected in Antarctic for the first time, British Antarctic Survey says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Akanksha Sharma | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The first cases of bird flu have been detected in seabirds in the Antarctic, according to the British Antarctic Survey, raising fears the disease will spread rapidly through dense colonies of birds and mammals. “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in brown skua populations on Bird Island, South Georgia – the first known cases in the Antarctic region,” the British Antarctic Survey said in a statement Monday. South Georgia is part of the British overseas territory east of South America’s tip and just above Antarctica’s main landmass. The British Antarctic Survey believes the birds carried the disease on their return from migration to South America. The British Antarctic Survey, which is responsible for the UK’s national scientific activities in Antarctica, operates two research stations on South Georgia, including one at Bird Island where the confirmed cases were identified.

Persons: OFFLU, – Organizations: CNN, British Antarctic Survey, South Georgia –, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, Organisation for Animal Health Locations: South Georgia, Georgia, South, South America, Antarctica, Bird, Japan

☆ Researchers discovered a hidden Antarctic landscape under a layer of ice over a mile thick that shows how different the continent looked millions of years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Researchers recently found an "undiscovered landscape" beneath Antarctica's ice. But between 14 million and 34 million years ago, an ice sheet crept across the continent. It locked some of the lush landscape beneath over a mile of ice, per NBC News. This helped the researchers determine the height of peaks and depths of valleys that lay hidden beneath the ice. A rewarming AntarcticaIt's crucial to understand how warming temperatures will impact Antarctica's ice.

Persons: Stewart Jamieson, Jamieson Organizations: Service, NBC, Agence France, Live, Nature Communications, Reuters There's, Guardian Locations: Antarctica, Maryland, East Antarctica, Patagonia

☆ In a rarity, emperor penguin chick hatches at Sea World San Diego
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A new emperor penguin chick stands on a surface at SeaWorld in San Diego, California, U.S., in this handout image released to Reuters on October 25, 2023. Kyle Williams/Seaworld San Diego/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - SeaWorld San Diego has welcomed the hatching of an emperor penguin for the first time in 13 years, announcing on Wednesday that the female chick came out of its shell with help from zoo staff on Sept. 12. Some 300 penguins of several species live in the zoo's penguin habitat, but SeaWorld staff took special pride in the emperor hatching, said Melissa Ramsey, SeaWorld's supervisor of birds who helped hatch the penguin. The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the biggest of all penguin species, and can reach 3.7 feet (1.15 meter) in height and weigh up to 99 lb (45 kg), according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Unlike other species that produce multiple eggs a year, the emperor female lays only one egg once a year, Ramsey said in a telephone interview.

Persons: Kyle Williams, Handout, Justin Brackett, Melissa Ramsey, Ramsey, Brackett, Astrid, Daniel Trotta, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Seaworld, REUTERS Acquire, SeaWorld, World Wildlife Fund, WWF, Thomson Locations: SeaWorld, San Diego , California, U.S, Seaworld San Diego, SeaWorld San Diego, Antarctica

☆ Ancient landscape formed by rivers revealed deep under Antarctic ice
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Researchers said on Tuesday they have detected buried under the continent's ice sheet a vast ancient landscape, replete with valleys and ridges, apparently shaped by rivers before being engulfed by glaciation long ago. Ancient palm tree pollen has been discovered from Antarctica, not far around the coast from our study site," Jamieson added. Some previous studies similarly have revealed ancient landscapes beneath Antarctica's ice including mountains and highlands, though the landscape discovered in the new study was the first of its type. Right before 34 million years ago, Antarctica's landscape and flora likely resembled today's cold temperate rainforests of Tasmania, New Zealand and South America's Patagonia region, Ross added. When that ice growth occurred, the conditions between the base of the ice and the landscape changed to become very cold - and in this way it was no longer able to erode our landscape.

Persons: Stewart Jamieson, Antarctica's, Jamieson, Neil Ross, Ross, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Durham University, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Antarctica, Nature Communications, Newcastle University, Thomson Locations: Belgium, Wilkes Land, East Antarctica, Antarctica, East Antarctica's Wilkes Land, ., Maryland, England, Patagonia, Greenland, Tasmania , New Zealand, South, Africa, South America, Australia

The Labor Day tragedy in 2019 spurred changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and civil lawsuits. At the time of the fire, no owner, operator or charterer had been cited or fined for failure to post a roving patrol since 1991, Coast Guard records showed. The NTSB faulted the Coast Guard for not enforcing that requirement and recommended it develop a program to ensure boats with overnight passengers actually have the watchman. The Coast Guard has since enacted new regulations regarding fire detection systems, extinguishers, escape routes and other safety measures as mandated by Congress. Victims' families have sued the Coast Guard in one of several ongoing civil suits.

Persons: Jerry Boylan, It's, ”, Kathleen McIlvain, Charles, Boylan, who’d, George Wu, Prosecutors, Wu, they’ve, ’, we’ll, ” McIlvain, Dana Fritzler Organizations: ANGELES, Labor, Transportation Safety, District, Associated Press, U.S, Attorney's, Los Angeles Times, Bureau, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Coast Guard, NTSB, Congress, Inc, Court Locations: Southern California, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Antarctica, U.S

☆ Climate change: Rapid melting of West Antarctica ice now 'unavoidable,' study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Rapid melting of West Antarctica’s ice shelves may now be unavoidable as human-caused global warming accelerates, with potentially devastating implications for sea level rise around the world, new research has found. Even if the world meets ambitious targets to limit global heating, West Antarctica will experience substantial ocean warming and ice shelf melting, according to the new study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. They act like buttresses, helping hold ice back on the land, slowing its flow into the sea and providing an important defense against sea level rise. While there has been growing evidence ice loss in West Antarctica may be irreversible, there has been uncertainty about how much can be prevented through climate policies. “The thing that’s depressing is the committed nature of sea level rise, particularly for the next century,” Scambos told CNN.

Persons: ”, Kaitlin Naughten, Naughten, ” Naughten, Ted Scambos, ” Scambos, Scambos, Tiago Segabinazzi Dotto, I’ve Organizations: CNN, British Antarctic Survey, University of Colorado Boulder, “, National Oceanography, Science Media Center Locations: West Antarctica, Antarctica

No matter how much the world cuts back on carbon emissions, a key and sizable chunk of Antarctica is essentially doomed to an “unavoidable” melt, a new study found. Researchers used computer simulations to calculate future melting of protective ice shelves jutting over Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea in western Antarctica. How much melting can still be prevented by reducing emissions?” said study lead author Kaitlin Naughten, an oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey. In each case, ocean warming was just too much for this section of the ice sheet to survive, the study found. That part of Antarctica “is doomed,” said University of California Irvine ice scientist Eric Rignot, who wasn’t part of the study.

Persons: ”, Kaitlin Naughten, it’s, Naughten, Eric Rignot, Ted Scambos, ” Naughten, Moon, Kate Marvel, ” ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: West, British Antarctic Survey, University of California, ” University of Colorado, Associated Press, Data, Twitter, AP Locations: Amundsen, Antarctica, ” West Antarctica, University of California Irvine

The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change on Monday, found no matter the degree of warming this century, the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will speed up as warmer water in the Amundsen Sea erodes ice shelves bordering the ocean. These ice shelves buttress ice further inland, acting as a cork in a bottle that stops their flow into the ocean. The collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of nine global climate 'tipping points' scientists identified in 2009. If the ice sheet were to fully melt, average global sea levels would rise by more than a metre. Antarctic Sea ice saw its lowest maximum extent on record this winter.

Persons: Lauren Dauphin, Kaitlin Naughten, Tiago Segabinazzi Dotto, Gloria Dickie, Ros Russell Organizations: NASA, REUTERS, British Antarctic Survey, West, National Oceanography, Thomson Locations: Antarctica, Handout, Amundsen, London

Tiny but bountiful, Antarctic krill make up one of the planet’s largest biomasses, nourishing everything from fish to marine mammals and seabirds. At Steinberg’s lab, researchers are examining how warming oceans — Antarctic krill need water colder than 4 degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit) to survive — are altering krill’s life cycle. However, a leading marine biologist the industry once relied on to burnish its environmental credentials has since denounced krill fishing. She accepted with the hope that she could help mitigate the effects of krill fishing on the Antarctic ecosystem. Today, she believes that krill fishing should be banned.

Persons: “ What’s, ”, Alistair Allan, Bob, it’s, Santa Cruz, Deborah Steinberg’s, ” Steinberg, Emma Cavan, Steinberg, Claire Christian, “ It’s, aren’t, Dirk Welsford, Matts Johansen, ” Johansen, Kjell Inge Røkke, Brett Glencross, “, Jesse Trushenski, Trushenski, Johansen, William Harris, he’s, Javier Arata, Helena Herr, CCAMLR, Ari Friedlaender, ” Friedlaender, Peter Hammarstedt, JoNel, Helen Wieffering, Fu Ting Organizations: Bob Brown Foundation, Soviet Union, Associated Press, Shepherd, Walton Family Foundation, AP, University of California, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, World Wildlife Fund, Imperial College London, Commission, Conservation, Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Antarctic, Southern Ocean Coalition, U.S, United Nations, Antarctic Provider, Aker BioMarine, Aker, Aker ASA, National Institutes of Health, University of South, Association, Pew, University of Hamburg, Foods, Amazon, Wildlife Fund, LCA, Sea Shepherd, Washington , D.C Locations: Antarctica, Chilean, Alaska, U.S, Soviet, Russia, China, South America, Orkney, Norwegian, Santa, Cavan, Tasmania, It’s, Washington, Moscow, Beijing, Texas, Australian, Montevideo, Uruguay, dwarfing, Norway, American, Europe, Canada, Australia, Houston, Aker, Oslo, Brussels, Boise , Idaho, University of South Dakota, Salt Lake City , Utah, Santa Cruz, Virginia, Peruvian, Ski, Los Angeles, Washington ,, Investigative@ap.org

☆ Antarctica has lost 8.3 trillion tons of ice since 1997, a new study found. That's enough to cover the contiguous US in 3 feet of water.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Seth Borenstein | Maiya Focht | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementAntarctic ice shelves lost about 8.3 trillion tons of ice in the last quarter-century — enough to cover the contiguous US in 3 feet of water. All told, Antarctic ice shelves lost about 8.3 trillion tons (7.5 trillion metric tons) of ice in the 25-year period, the study found. The largest of the Larsen ice shelves, Larsen C, has lost 1.8 billion tons (1.7 trillion metric tons) of ice, about one-eighth of its mass. The shelf has lost 70% of its mass since 1997 — about 4.1 trillion tons (3.7 trillion metric tons) — into the Amundsen Sea. The ice shelves on the east were growing slower than the shelves losing ice to the west.

Persons: —, Taylor Rains, Ted Scambos, Scambos, Benjamin Davison, Pauline Askin, " Davison, Davison, Larsen Organizations: Service, University of Colorado, University of Leeds, Reuters Locations: Antarctica, Greenland, Florida, Delaware, United Kingdom, Thwaites, Amundsen

All told, Antarctic ice shelves lost about 8.3 trillion tons (7.5 trillion metric tons) of ice in the 25-year period, the study found. The largest of the Larsen ice shelves, Larsen C, has lost 1.8 billion tons (1.7 trillion metric tons) of ice, about one-eighth of its mass. The shelf has lost 70% of its mass since 1997 — about 4.1 trillion tons (3.7 trillion metric tons) — into the Amundsen Sea. The ice shelves that grew were predominantly on the continent’s east side, where there’s a weather pattern isolates the land from warmer waters, Davison said. The ice shelves on the east were growing slower than the shelves losing ice to the west.

Persons: ”, Ted Scambos, Scambos, Benjamin Davison, ” Davison, “ Wordie, Davison, Larsen, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: University of Colorado, University of Leeds, Twitter, AP Locations: Antarctica, Greenland, Delaware, United Kingdom, Thwaites, Amundsen

Tens of millions in the Americas will have front-row seats for Saturday's rare “ring of fire” eclipse of the sun. It’s a prelude to the total solar eclipse that will sweep across Mexico, the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada, in six months. HOW TO PROTECT YOUR EYES DURING THE ECLIPSEBe sure to use safe, certified solar eclipse glasses, Lockwood stressed. April’s total solar eclipse will crisscross the U.S. in the opposite direction. Almost all these places missed out during the United States’ coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in 2017.

Persons: —, NASA’s Alex Lockwood, Lockwood, Judy Eychner, Eychner, It’s, ”, Madhulika Guhathakurta Organizations: Corpus Christi, ECLIPSE, NASA, Kerrville, U.S, Riddle, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Americas, U.S, Central, South America, Oregon, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, North, Nevada , Utah, New Mexico, Texas, slivers, Idaho , California, Arizona, Colorado, Gulf of Mexico, Corpus, Yucatan, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Hawaii, Central America, San Antonio, Kerrville, Pacific, Oklahoma , Arkansas , Missouri , Illinois , Indiana , Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New England, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, States, Alaska, Antarctica

☆ 1 venture capitalist vs. 7 marathons in 7 continents in 7 days: Here's how this man ran one of the world's hardest races while working 80-hour weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Aj Eckstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Moritz Baier-Lentz, a venture-capital partner, ran the World Marathon Challenge in February. AdvertisementAdvertisement"If it's not extreme, I'm almost not interested," said Moritz Baier-Lentz, a venture-capital partner who ran seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days in February. After completing multiple marathons, Ironman Triathlons, and ultramarathons, Baier-Lentz set his sights on the World Marathon Challenge . The challenge is to complete seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. Even during the seven marathons, he checked and answered emails between races.

Persons: Moritz Baier, Lentz, —, Baier, He's, Patrick Renner Organizations: Lightspeed Gaming, Baier, Service, what's Locations: Baier, Antarctica, Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, South America, North America, Moroccan

☆ Scientists finally finished mapping Earth's 8th continent Zealandia, helping them solve the lost continent's mysterious history
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter decades of work, a team of scientists has finally completed a map of Zealandia. But that didn't deter scientist Nick Mortimer, who led the team that's been studying Zealandia for over 20 years. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn a new study, the team finished mapping the final piece of the continent, the northeast corner. As a result, the scientists believe they've mapped Zealandia more thoroughly than any other continent on Earth. AdvertisementAdvertisementDecades of work establish Zealandia as a continentSome have argued Zealandia isn't a continent because so much of it lies below the water.

Persons: Zealandia, they've, —, It's, Nick Mortimer, that's, it's, Mortimer, quartzites, Simone Giovanardi Organizations: Service, GNS Science, Massey University Locations: Australia, New Zealand, South Zealandia, Fairway, Zealandia, New Caledonia, North Zealandia, Antarctica, South America, Africa, India, West Antarctica

☆ 6 ways humans are transforming Antarctica from a pristine preserve to a polluted wasteland
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Rupendra Brahambhatt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Antarctica was once a pristine preserve, but humans are ruining it. And this past winter, the frozen continent reached record-low sea ice levels. USGS"This region is nearing a threshold of rapid landscape change," researchers noted in 2017. Pauline Askin/ReutersAnd depending on the location, that ice melt could turn up some pretty nasty stuff. What's even more worrisome is that "human impacts are disproportionately concentrated on the most environmentally significant areas of Antarctica," the researchers noted.

Persons: It's, Emma MacKie, Eric Rignot, MacKie, Pauline Askin, huskies — that's, Sharon Robinson, Auscape, Logan Pallin, Wolfgang Kaehler, Rignot Organizations: Service, University of Florida, University of California, NASA, Reuters, huskies, University of Wollongong, ABC News, Tourists, University of Colorado Boulder, British Atlantic Survey, University of San Locations: Antarctica, Irvine, Beaufort, Antarctica's Ross, Australia, Antarctica ., Santa Cruz, Georgia, University of San Francisco

That's about 1 million square kilometers less ice than the previous winter record set in 1986. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsThe summer Antarctic sea ice extent also hit a record low in February, breaking the previous mark set in 2022. Sea ice extent there grew between 2007 and 2016. The shift in recent years toward record-low conditions has scientists concerned climate change may finally be presenting itself in Antarctic sea ice. The study found that warming ocean temperatures, driven mainly by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, are contributing to the lower sea ice levels seen since 2016.

Persons: It's, it's, Walt Meier, NSIDC, Ueslei Marcelino, Meier, Ariaan Purich, Jake Spring, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, National, Data, REUTERS, Communications, Australia's Monash University, Thomson Locations: Antarctica

☆ Biomaterials startup Traceless wants to help tackle plastic pollution. It just raised $39 million in debt and equity with this 15-slide pitch deck.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A German startup hoping to help put an end to plastic pollution has just raised 36.6 million euro (around $38.9 million) in a mixture of equity and debt. Hamburg-based Traceless, founded in 2020, has developed a plant-based biomaterial using agricultural waste to replace plastics. The startup material uses the existing natural polymers that are in its raw material, which requires up to 80% less energy to process compared to conventional plastics, Lamp said. Traceless produces its material as small pellets to provide to product manufacturers, which then mould it to their needs. The startup hopes to have replaced 1 million tonnes of plastic by 2030.

Persons: Anne Lamp, compostable, Traceless, Joanna Baare, Baare, Hamburger Sparkasse Organizations: UB Forest Industry, Growth, SWEN Capital Partners, GLS Bank, Planet A Ventures, Tech Locations: Hamburg, Antarctica

☆ I'm taking an 8-month break from my job to focus on my mental health and goals. Here's how I planned and saved for it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Taryn Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After years of putting her mental health second to her career, she's prioritizing her well-being. Now that I'm financially able to take a break, I've decided to take a gap year in my 30s. Here's why I've made this decision and how I'm going to make it happen. I'm going to embrace ethical and slow travelI'm planning to visit Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador. I'm going to strive to regain the Spanish fluency I've lost over the past few years, meditate daily, and get outside every day.

Persons: Taryn Williams, would've, I'm, I've, Dunkin, it's, journaling Organizations: Service Locations: Alaska, South America, Wall, Silicon, Airbnbs, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Antarctica

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