THE SET-UP: Oh, the indifference to the climate is frightful, and the wildfires that burn seem spiteful, but since we’ve got oil to blow, let it melt, let it melt, let it melt…
TITLE: Watch Greenland lose 563 cubic miles of ice in under 30 seconds in disturbing new time-lapse video
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/watch-greenland-lose-563-cubic-miles-of-ice-in-less-than-30-seconds-in-disturbing-new-satellite-video
EXCERPTS: A disturbing new video shows 13 years of melt at the Greenland Ice Sheet. The video was stitched together based on NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) satellite data.
The video reveals how the edges of the ice sheet are melting more rapidly than the center, particularly at spots where glaciers flow into the sea. The new research finds that between 2010 and 2023, Greenland lost 563 cubic miles (2,347 cubic kilometers) of ice, which is enough to fill Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake. The Greenland Ice Sheet has been losing mass since 1998, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and it's currently the second-biggest contributor to sea level rise after the expansion of water that occurs due to warming temperatures.
The research, published Dec. 20 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, wasn't just about quantifying ice loss, though. Both NASA and ESA have satellites keeping a close eye on the region. ESA's CryoSat-2 uses radar to measure the height of Earth's surface, while NASA's ICESat-2 uses laser measurements. Both methods have pros and cons, and researchers wanted to be sure the two measurements returned similar results and could be combined for greater accuracy.
The results showed that they can: CryoSat-2 and ICESat-2 differed by no more than 3% in their estimates of the elevation change on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Their joint results revealed that the ice sheet thinned by an average of 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) over 13 years.
TITLE: Scientists unveil 50,000-year-old baby mammoth remains
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy47xj4lpyzo
EXCERPT: Russian scientists have unveiled the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth found in thawing permafrost in the remote Yakutia region of Siberia during the summer.
They say "Yana" - who has been named after the river basin where she was discovered - is the world's best-preserved mammoth carcass.
Weighing in at over 100kg (15st 10lb), and measuring 120cm (4ft) tall and 200cm long, Yana is estimated to have been only about one year old when she died.
Yana was found in the Batagaika crater, the world's largest permafrost (ground that is permanently frozen) crater, by people living nearby.
The residents "were in the right place at the right time", the head of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory said.
"They saw that the mammoth had almost completely thawed out" and decided to build a make-shift stretcher to lift the mammoth to the surface, said Maxim Cherpasov.
It is not the only pre-historic discovery to have been found in Russia's vast permafrost in recent years - as long-frozen ground starts to thaw because of climate change.
Just last month, scientists in the same region showed off the remains of a partial, mummified body of a sabre-tooth cat, thought to be just under 32,000 years old.
And earlier this year the remains of a 44,000-year-old wolf were also uncovered.
TITLE: As polar ice caps melt, how are ‘Christmas animals’ faring?
https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2024/12/as-polar-ice-caps-melt-how-are-christmas-animals-faring/
EXCERPTS: [Polar bears] are also a poster species for climate change, with the Arctic warming almost four times faster than most of the rest of the world. As melting sea ice diminishes their habitat and causes shifting ice conditions, recent research shows polar bears are developing life-threatening paw injuries.
Currently, polar bears are listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the wild. The IUCN estimates there are roughly 26,000 polar bears globally with three out of the 19 subpopulations in decline.
[L]ike polar bears, reindeer are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Although the population is in the millions, some subspecies face threats and are declining due to climate change and environmental degradation.
The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is also listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Birdlife International, which does assessments for the IUCN, says the species “has experienced one of the most significant declines in Europe” because of hunting and habitat loss to agriculture. The organization said there are signs of recovery, though, as EU governments restrict hunting.
The Rodrigues turtle dove (Nesoenas rodericanus) and the Mauritius turtle dove (Nesoenas cicur), both last found in the 18th century on the Mauritius islands, are already extinct, likely due to overhunting, deforestation and rats.
While the future is uncertain for some of these holiday-associated animals, continuous conservation efforts like those for European turtle-doves offer hope that future generations can still celebrate the holidays alongside these iconic species. However, with climate change threatening so many, it’s best to rethink the tradition of coal for those on the naughty list.