Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Researchers’ new method to restore coral reefs: “Incredible recovery”

Published 23 June 2024
– By Editorial Staff
The researchers call the rapid recovery "incredible".
2 minute read

Planting new corals on damaged reefs can lead to rapid recovery, research shows. Restored reefs grow as fast as healthy reefs after just four years.

In Indonesia, large areas of reef were destroyed 30 to 40 years ago by blast fishing, which uses explosives to kill and collect fish. This practice is now illegal as it is considered very harmful to ecosystems and the environment. These reefs have not recovered naturally at all, but the Mars Coral Reef Restoration Program, which is working to restore destroyed reefs, has transplanted coral fragments into a network of interconnected “reef stars”. The idea is to create artificial coral reefs using concrete or other environmentally friendly materials.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter, in collaboration with the Research Center for Oceanography, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Indonesia, Mars Sustainable Solutions and Lancaster University, investigated the impact of these artificial reefs on the recovery of degraded coral reefs.

To do this, they developed a method of monitoring reef carbonate budgets – the chemical reactions involving carbon dioxide, water and minerals, mainly calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which is the main component of corals and the shells of marine organisms such as oysters and mussels. They were able to measure recovery over a few months, one year, two years and four years, and in both degraded and healthy sites, according to the study published in Current Biology.

“Encouraging discovery”

It turns out that coral cover tripled over the years, and after four years, the restoration sites were indistinguishable from nearby healthy reefs.

– The speed of recovery we saw is incredible, lead author Dr. Ines Lange of the University of Exeter said in a press release.

A restored coral reef. Photo: The Ocean Agency

In other words, after just four years, restored reefs are growing at the same rate as healthy reefs. However, the researchers stress that while reef restoration cannot solve the problem of reefs being severely threatened by climate change, it does show that such measures can help increase the resilience of specific reefs and restore important functions that are crucial for marine life.

– This is a really encouraging discovery, said Dr. Tim Lamont of Lancaster University. If we can maintain climatic conditions that allow corals to survive, it is possible to restore even severely damaged reefs to healthy, functioning systems within a relatively short period of time.

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“Climate catastrophe in computer models”

The exaggerated climate crisis

Computer models warning of Gulf Stream collapse are based on incorrect assumptions about Greenland ice sheet melting. Media worsens the situation by incorrectly calling computer simulations "studies", writes Tege Tornvall.

Published today 16:35
– By Tege Tornvall
Photo: iStock/gorodenkoff
2 minute read

Much of the world’s climate research is conducted using computers. Various hypothetical scenarios (sequences of events) are run with different assumptions about influencing factors. Depending on the chosen assumptions, they naturally produce different results.

Media incorrectly calls such computer runs “studies”. This gives the impression that they would actually happen in reality. But they don’t. They are simply assumptions. Computers calculate based on what they are fed.

A current example concerns the Atlantic’s major ocean current AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation). This includes the Gulf Stream, which gives western Europe a milder climate than we would otherwise have. German professor Stefan Rahmstorf and others have calculated its possible development.

The assumption is that more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would cause Greenland’s large ice sheet to melt. Based on this, computer models calculate the possible risk that the Gulf Stream would weaken or even collapse. This would likely give us a colder climate.

The computers seem to have run hot. With continued increasing CO2 levels, 70 percent of model runs show that the Gulf Stream would collapse before 2100. Even with less CO2 input, they calculate a 25 percent risk of collapse.

But the assumption itself is flawed. Partly because higher CO2 levels have marginal and logarithmically decreasing warming effects in the atmosphere. Partly because Greenland’s large ice expanses have annual average temperatures of minus 20-30 degrees Celsius.

Returning researchers find their camps covered with snow and ice. The old US military base Camp Century in northwestern Greenland has been covered with 30 meters of ice since it was closed over 50 years ago.

That surrounding sea ice decreases in summer and grows in winter does not affect sea level and hardly affects currents either.

Even though some researchers warn of a weaker Gulf Stream, others do not. According to ocean researcher Léon Chafik at Stockholm University, Sweden, we should not let ourselves be frightened by speculation that the Gulf Stream will soon collapse. His colleague Frederik Schenk urges us to stop alarming about the Gulf Stream.

 

Tege Tornvall

Logging in Sweden may have worsened the flood disaster

Published today 11:55
– By Editorial Staff
A freight train carrying ammunition and diesel derailed after the heavy rainfall.
2 minute read

The Swedish Forest Agency has warned for several years that logging near infrastructure increases risks during flash floods. Now an analysis shows that logging may have partially contributed to the recent disasters in Västernorrland, northern Sweden.

In recent weeks, flash floods in Västernorrland, a county in northern Sweden, have caused chaos in society. A large number of roads have been destroyed, trains carrying hazardous goods have derailed, and one person has died as a result of the disasters. In Kramfors, for example, 123.5 millimeters of rain fell in one day, which is the highest recorded in September since 1913 – according to statistics from SMHI (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute).

One of the causes behind the chaos may be Swedish forestry, according to an analysis conducted by the Swedish Forest Agency. Two of the worst disasters in Västernorrland have occurred in areas where large amounts of forest have been logged in recent years, shows the data that Bonnier publication DN has accessed.

One disaster occurred outside Härnösand, where a man drove into a crack in a destroyed road and died. The other disaster involved a freight train that derailed in Skorped by a lake, where the train contained ammunition and diesel among other things.

The Swedish Forest Agency has warned that extensive logging can affect vital societal functions for several years, especially when it occurs on steep slopes. In several reports submitted to the Swedish government, the agency has raised this issue, but nothing has happened.

We have warned about the risks for a very long time and it seems to be exactly what we’re seeing examples of now. We need to do a proper analysis of cause and effect clearly, but based on what we know about how logging affects runoff, it looks problematic, says Anja Lomander, soil specialist at the Swedish Forest Agency.

“Must change quickly”

Forest logging can cause runoff to double during flash floods, since the trees are not there to both catch water in the tree crowns and absorb it through the roots, something that is particularly risky on steep slopes. Vehicle tracks and ditches also make it easier for water to flow down, and these types of logging operations have increased in Sweden in recent years.

Lomander believes there is a lack of both knowledge and resources in the area, and that current regulations mean the Swedish Forest Agency’s reviews of forest owners’ logging notifications are insufficient.

It must change quickly so that no more lives are lost and so that the costs to society don’t become enormous, she says.

Corona face masks – an environmental catastrophe

Published yesterday 13:36
– By Editorial Staff
During the coronavirus crisis, an estimated 129 billion face masks were used worldwide.
3 minute read

Billions of face masks were used every month during the coronavirus crisis without being properly recycled. Now researchers are warning about the microplastics and hormone-disrupting chemicals released when the masks begin to break down in nature.

During the coronavirus crisis, a large portion of the world’s population was forced to use face masks to move around in society in the belief that it would reduce the risk of infection spread, something that authorities strongly claimed despite there being very weak support for that hypothesis. In many places, children were also required to wear face masks, despite experts warning that there could be health risks for young people wearing masks for extended periods, such as oxygen deficiency and brain damage.

In many countries it was a legal requirement with fines as a consequence, while in other countries it was implemented as a strong recommendation – such as in Sweden. After the coronavirus crisis, however, it has been proposed to introduce some form of “pandemic law” in Sweden where requirements for face masks would be included.

Although washable face masks began to be sold, disposable masks were the ones used most frequently, and in some countries, such as Austria and Germany, such masks were specifically required. However, it was quickly established that these surgical masks created environmental problems – in just 14 months, the number of discarded masks in nature had increased by 9,000 percent in a number of Western countries including Sweden.

Billions of masks every month

During the coronavirus crisis, an estimated 129 billion face masks made primarily of polypropylene and other plastics were used every month worldwide. Since there has been no recycling system, most have ended up in landfills or as litter in nature, and have begun to break down.

Researchers from the University of Coventry in Britain have investigated how many substances are released from face masks in water. They did this by leaving newly purchased masks of various types, which were used during the coronavirus crisis, in purified water for 24 hours. They then filtered the liquid to see what came out.

The results, which have been published in Environmental Pollution, show that all the examined face masks released microplastics. FFP2 and FFP3 masks leaked the most – that is, the face masks that were marketed as having the best protection against infection.

Hormone-disrupting substances

What worried the researchers most, however, was that the face masks also released bisphenol B, which is a hormone-disrupting chemical. Anna Bogush, who is one of the researchers behind the study, believes that the study underscores the urgent need to reconsider how we produce, use and dispose of face masks.

We can’t ignore the environmental cost of single-use masks, especially when we know that the microplastics and chemicals they release can negatively affect both people and ecosystems, she tells The Guardian and continues:

As we move forward, it’s vital that we raise awareness of these risks, support the development of more sustainable alternatives and make informed choices to protect our health and the environment.

PFAS seep into Sweden’s farmland

Published 9 September 2025
– By Editorial Staff
In Sweden, PFAS substances are primarily used to combat late blight on potatoes, against weeds, and also against insects that damage crops.
2 minute read

Last year, a record amount of pesticides containing PFAS was sold. The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Naturskyddsföreningen) warns that a large share of these “forever chemicals” now risks leaking into the groundwater.

Within Swedish agriculture, sales of pesticides containing forever chemicals have increased markedly in recent years, according to a compilation by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation based on figures from the Swedish Chemicals Agency (Kemikalieinspektionen). Last year, 76 tons were sold, compared to 47 tons five years earlier.

This is a very alarming development, says Karin Lexén, Secretary General of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, to TT.

In Sweden, 19 active substances that are PFAS are used in approved pesticides. According to the Society for Nature Conservation, the 76 tons of pesticides sold last year could result in more than 25 tons of TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) ending up in groundwater. Denmark recently decided to ban six PFAS agents in a total of 23 products, citing that they break down into TFA.

Harm to fetuses

TFA has been shown in studies to cause damage to fetuses and also affect reproductive capacity. Like many other PFAS substances, they are very difficult to break down. In Sweden, PFAS agents are primarily used to combat late blight on potatoes, against weeds, and also insects that damage crops. However, Lexén believes Sweden should follow Denmark’s example and ban TFA substances.

I understand that you need some time to adapt, but at the same time it’s incredibly alarming that sales are increasing and that we see PFAS spreading in the environment as it does. Therefore, Sweden should follow Denmark’s example, says Lexén.

The agricultural organization LRF (Federation of Swedish Farmers) argues that as long as plant protection products are approved for use in Sweden, they should be considered safe.

The only reasonable approach, as we see it, is that we follow what authorities, research and development show. As long as they say things are safe, we feel secure, says Fredrik Andersson, board member of LRF’s federal board.

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