- Dual-electrode architecture enables repeated precipitate formation and removal, allowing complete elimination without external washing or other cleaning processes - Even after 400 hours of operation, energy consumption rose by only 1.8%, delivering 15-fold higher performance than existing technologies - Featured in the March issue of Chemical Engineering Journal (IF 13.2), a prestigious international journal in the fields of energy and chemical engineering A research team led by Dr. Ji-Hyung Han from the Convergence Research Center of Sector Coupling & Integration at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (President Yi, Chang-Keun, hereinafter “KIER”) has developed a new seawater electrolysis system that overcomes the precipitate formation issue long blamed for performance degradation and process interruptions, while also presenting a new direction for further technology advancement. Water electrolysis is a technology that produces hydrogen, an eco-friendly energy source, by splitting water. Recently, amid the global freshwater shortage, seawater electrolysis using seawater has been gaining attention as a promising alternative. However, seawater electrolysis has often been considered inefficient because precipitates formed from magnesium and calcium ions in seawater accumulate on electrode surfaces, leading to performance degradation. It has also been pointed out that continuous hydrogen production is difficult because the deposited precipitates must be removed through acid washing or mechanical cleaning. To address this issue, KIER researchers developed a new system architecture incorporating two electrodes for the first time in the world. While one electrode produces hydrogen and accumulates precipitates, the other, where precipitates have already built up, temporarily halts hydrogen production and dissolves the deposits using seawater that becomes naturally acidified during operation. Once the precipitates are completely dissolved, the two electrodes switch roles, enabling hydrogen production and precipitate removal to proceed simultaneously. Through experiments, the researchers confirmed that by simply alternating the roles of the electrodes every 48 hours, precipitate formation and complete removal could be repeated continuously. In conventional single-electrode seawater electrolysis systems, energy consumption increased by about 27% after 200 hours of operation due to precipitate buildup. By contrast, the system developed by the research team showed only a 1.8% increase in energy consumption even after more than 400 hours of long-term operation, delivering 15 times higher performance than the single-electrode system. In addition, after 400 hours of operation, the hydrogen evolution catalyst content decreased by only 20% from its initial level, demonstrating superior stability compared with the single-electrode system, which showed a 53% reduction. Dr. Ji-Hyung Han, the principal researcher of the study, said, “This study demonstrates that the precipitate issue, a major bottleneck in seawater electrolysis, can be controlled solely through system architecture design.” She added, “In particular, by being the first in the world to propose the concept of ‘self-cleaning,’ in which electrodes recover on their own using acidified seawater, this work presents a new direction for future seawater electrolysis technology development.” Meanwhile, this research was carried out as a collaborative study with Professor Joohyun Lim’s team at Kangwon National University, with support from the Convergence Research Group Project of the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST). The findings were published in the March issue of Chemical Engineering Journal (IF 13.2), a prestigious international journal in the fields of energy and chemical engineering. Credit : KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH Usage Restrictions of Multimedia (Attachment File) : The sources of photos and research results from KIER must be specified.

SANTA MARIA ZOQUITLAN, Mexico (AP) — Mexico’s agave spirit mezcal is still produced much as it has been for generations. The work is slow and physical, guided by knowledge passed down within Indigenous families. In many villages in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, the country’s largest mezcal producer, the spirit has long been used as a home remedy and offered as a gesture of hospitality. It is at every wedding, funeral and community celebration. It remains not only a drink, but part of daily life. Here is how it’s made: Harvesting agave A worker cuts an agave pineapple used to produce mezcal in Nejapa de Madero, Oaxaca, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More A worker cuts an agave pineapple used to produce mezcal in Nejapa de Madero, Oaxaca, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The process begins in the fields. Workers known as jimadores cut mature agave, locally known as maguey, by hand, often on steep hillsides. Using machetes and sharp blades, they slice away the spiny leaves to reveal the pineapple, which can be carried by trucks or donkeys to the distillery. The work is physically demanding and sometimes dangerous. The terrain can be uneven and remote, and the agave’s pointed spines can easily injure workers. A lone tree stands in an agave plantation in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More A lone tree stands in an agave plantation in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More About 40 species of agave can be used to make mezcal, out of roughly 200 that exist. The species known as espadin is the most common because it matures faster than many wild varieties, and it is often cultivated in monoculture. Cooking the agave Agave pineapples are burned in a fire to produce mezcal in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Agave pineapples are burned in a fire to produce mezcal in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A worker at Carlos Mendez Blas mezcal distillery in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico, throws agave pineapples into a fire to produce mezcal Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) A worker at Carlos Mendez Blas mezcal distillery in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico, throws agave pineapples into a fire to produce mezcal Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Plants are buried in pits lined with hot stones and covered with soil. Firewood heats the stones beneath the ground, and the agave roasts for several days. The slow cooking gives mezcal its distinctive smoky flavor. read more Mezcal’s popularity is booming in the US. That comes with a growing environmental cost in Mexico 12 “Since I was a little girl, I spent days helping my father at the distillery,” said Elena Aragón Hernández, referred to as a “mezcal master” thanks to her expertise, from Santa Maria Zoquitlan. “Women have always been part of the process and we are now demanding our place in this industry.” Crushing the agave Laurentino García López, a worker at a distillery moves the horse that shreds the agave in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More Laurentino García López, a worker at a distillery moves the horse that shreds the agave in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Once cooked, the agave is crushed beneath a massive circular stone known as a tahona. In many towns, a horse pulls the stone in circles, grinding the agave into a fibrous mash. Some producers have begun using mechanical shredders to speed up the process. While industrial equipment makes the work easier, some traditional producers say the tahona breaks the fibers differently and produces a flavor that cannot be replicated by machines. “When I grew up, I realized making mezcal was much harder and physical than I thought,” said Luis Cruz Velasco, who learned the craft from his family in San Luis del Rio. “We spend all day at the palenque working from sunrise to sunset, Monday to Sunday.” Fermentation Mezcal producer Luis Cruz Ruiz moves the bagazo, the fibers used to distill mezcal, to create the fermentation of mezcal in San Luis del Rio, Mexico on Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More Mezcal producer Luis Cruz Ruiz moves the bagazo, the fibers used to distill mezcal, to create the fermentation of mezcal in San Luis del Rio, Mexico on Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The crushed agave is transferred to open wooden vats and mixed with water by hand. Fermentation can take days or weeks depending on temperature and humidity. Mezcal production requires significant amounts of water and firewood. Some have also begun buying certified wood, and installing systems to cool and reuse water, as well as biodigesters to treat waste from fermentation and distillation. Armando Martínez Ruiz, a producer from Soledad Salinas, said his distillery uses roughly 30,000 liters (7,925 gallons) of water and more than 15 tons of firewood each month to produce about 5,000 liters (1,320 gallons) of mezcal. Distillation and tasting Gladys Sánchez Garnica, from left, Mayra Rosales Santiago and Elena Aragón Hernández help each other as they distill mezcal in San Pedro Totolapam, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More Gladys Sánchez Garnica, from left, Mayra Rosales Santiago and Elena Aragón Hernández help each other as they distill mezcal in San Pedro Totolapam, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The fermented mash is distilled in small batches in copper stills, a method commonly known as artisanal mezcal. A smaller number of producers continue to distill in clay pots, known as ancestral mezcal, a slower and older technique. The spirit goes through two rounds of distillation before it’s ready for drinking. It is measured by sight, smell and taste rather than tools, shaped as much by tradition as by the land where it is made. Mezcal comes out of an oven after being distilled in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca, Mexico, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Mezcal comes out of an oven after being distilled in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca, Mexico, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Mezcal producer Pablo García serves mezcal at his family palenque, a traditional mezcal distillery, in San Baltazar Chichicapam, Oaxaca, Mexico, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Mezcal producer Pablo García serves mezcal at his family palenque, a traditional mezcal distillery, in San Baltazar Chichicapam, Oaxaca, Mexico, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Every year, thousands of visitors travel to Oaxaca to taste the spirit at local bars known in Spanish as mezcalerias. Mezcal is typically sipped slowly rather than taken as a shot, allowing drinkers to experience the differences between its many varieties. American tourist Zach Jarosz participates in a mezcal tasting at a bar in Oaxaca, Mexico, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More American tourist Zach Jarosz participates in a mezcal tasting at a bar in Oaxaca, Mexico, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More ___ Reporting for this story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known. The song is that of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps from the water, and was recorded by scientists in March 1949 in Bermuda, said researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts. (AP Illustration/Marshall Ritzel) (AP Illustration/Marshall Ritzel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Just as significant is the sound of the surrounding ocean itself, said Peter Tyack, a marine bioacoustician and emeritus research scholar at Woods Hole. The ocean of the late 1940s was much quieter than the ocean of today, providing a different backdrop than scientists are used to hearing for whale song, he said. The recovered recordings “not only allow us to follow whale sounds, but they also tell us what the ocean soundscape was like in the late 1940s,” Tyack said. “That’s very difficult to reconstruct otherwise.” A preserved recording from the 1940s can also help scientists better understand how new human-made sounds, such as increased shipping noise, affect the way whales communicate, Tyack said. Research published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that whales can vary their calling behavior depending on noises in their environment. Related Stories Scientists made a breakthrough in the study of whale sounds. Here's a look at the numbers Maine's catch of lobster declines again as high costs and climate change impact industry US ocean regulator faces criticism over changes to right whale protection rule The recording predates scientist Roger Payne’s discovery of whale song by nearly 20 years. Woods Hole scientists on a research vessel at the time were testing sonar systems and performing acoustic experiments along with the U.S. Office of Naval Research when they captured the sound, said Ashley Jester, director of research data and library services at Woods Hole. 0:00 / 53 AP AUDIO: Oldest known whale recording could unlock mysteries of the ocean AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on scientists saying they’ve discovered what they believe is the earliest recording of a whale song. The scientists didn’t know what they were hearing, but they decided to record and save the sounds anyway, Jester said. “And they were curious. And so they kept this recorder running, and they even made time to make recordings where they weren’t making any noise from their ships on purpose just to hear as much as they could,” said Jester. “And they kept these recordings.” Woods Hole scientists discovered the song while digitizing old audio recordings last year. The recording was on a well-preserved disc created by a Gray Audograph, a kind of dictation machine used in the 1940s. Jester located the disc. While the early underwater recording equipment used to capture the sound would be considered crude by today’s standards, it was cutting-edge at the time, Jester said. And the fact that the sound is recorded on a plastic disc is significant because most recordings of the time were on tape, which has long since deteriorated, she said. This photo provided by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows a Gray Audograph, a device used to record sound, on Feb. 4, 2026, in Woods Hole, Mass. (Rachel Mann/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution via AP) Read More This photo provided by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows a Gray Audograph, a device used to record sound, on Feb. 4, 2026, in Woods Hole, Mass. (Rachel Mann/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Whales’ sound-making ability is critical to their survival and key to how they socialize and communicate. The sounds come in the form of clicks, whistles and calls, according to NOAA scientists who study them. The sounds also allow the whales to find food, navigate, locate each other and understand their surroundings in the vast ocean, scientists say. Several species make repetitive sounds that resemble songs. Humpback whales, which can weigh more than 55,000 pounds (24,947 kilograms), are the ocean’s most renowned singers, capable of complex vocalizations that can sound ethereal or even mournful. Whale Song Frequency and Chromatic Analyzer Whale Song Frequency and Chromatic Analyzer Researchers say the recent discovery of the oldest known recordings of whale sounds could open up a new understanding of how the animals communicate. Scientists say the recording is important because it documents whale song from a time when the ocean was quieter. Use this tool to see and hear what whales sounded like in the 1940s and more recently. Audio Options ORIGINAL NOISE REDUCED 2015 whale ▶ Play 40 Hz 100 500 1k 5k 10k 20 kHz FREEZE Frequency — Hz closest Chromatic note — ● FROZEN 1940s whale ▶ Play 40 Hz 100 500 1k 5k 10k 20 kHz FREEZE Frequency — Hz closest Chromatic note — ● FROZEN Analyzer by Marshall Ritzel The discovery of long-lost whale song from a quieter ocean could be a jumping-off point to better understanding the sounds the animals make today, said Hansen Johnson, a research scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium. “And, you know, it’s just beautiful to listen to and has really inspired a lot of people to be curious about the ocean, and care about ocean life in general,” said Johnson, who was not involved in the research. “It’s pretty special.” This photo provided by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows a whale off the West Antarctica Peninsula on Jan. 4, 2017. (Tyler Rohr/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution via AP) Read More This photo provided by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows a whale off the West Antarctica Peninsula on Jan. 4, 2017. (Tyler Rohr/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More ___ This story was supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

WASHINGTON (AP) — From a surprising heatwave in California to blizzards burying parts of the Midwest and storms rolling into the East Coast, chaotic weather on Monday put more than half the nation’s population in the path of extreme conditions. Airport delays and cancellations piled up in some of the nation’s largest airports, with more than 4,700 canceled across the U.S., and many schools closed early in the mid-Atlantic states, where high winds were in the forecast. Torrential rains flooded homes and washed out roads in Hawaii while dry and windy conditions were charging the largest wildfire in Nebraska’s history. In Washington, the House and Senate postponed votes, and federal agencies told workers to go home early. But by late afternoon, the expected rough weather had failed to develop and a tornado watch expired. 0:00 / 22 AP AUDIO: Snow and wind hit Eastern US and Midwest, closing schools and grounding more than 3,000 flights In an AP interview, National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Hurley says over 100 million people are experiencing some kind of severe weather. The private weather service AccuWeather calculated that more than 200 million people were under threat Monday of some kind of dangerous weather. Those range from extreme heat and wildfire advisories to flood and freeze watches from the National Weather Service. Forecasters warn about line of storms, tornadoes The storm system that dropped snow by the foot in the Midwest, causing whiteout conditions in some areas, barreled toward the East Coast, dropping heavy rain, threatening high winds and prompting multiple tornado warnings. The biggest threat for severe weather stretched from New Jersey to Virginia. In New York City, officials warned of the potential for swift wind gusts overnight that could knock down tree limbs. Four people, including a child, died Monday afternoon in New York City after a fire in a three-story apartment building spread during heavy winds. The National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes in Missouri on Sunday that caused roof and tree damage. No injuries were reported. Related Stories Snow and wind batter parts of US, with threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes starting later Sunday Millions of Americans under threat of tornadoes as spring storm season kicks in early in the US US forecasts blizzard, polar vortex, heat dome and atmospheric river all at once Big snows in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan Blizzard conditions continued in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes on Monday after the storm walloped parts of Wisconsin and Michigan with several feet of snow. Since Saturday, nearly 3 feet (61 centimeters) had fallen in the northern Wisconsin town of Mountain. Another round of snow and gusts on Monday could bring another foot of snow across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Temperatures will soar into triple digits in the West A heat dome over the Southwest will push temperatures well into the triple digits in Arizona most of the week, much earlier than normal. California is starting to feel like summer too. The San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento will see temperatures pushing toward 90 F (32 C) by midweek. “This is technically still winter,” LA Mayor Karen Bass said Monday. “This is not normal for March, obviously, but it is a sign of how climate change is impacting our city.” While temperatures are expected to reach 100 F (37.8 C), the threat of wildfires around Los Angeles is relatively low because winds will be light. Phoenix is expected to have five straight days of triple digit temperatures this week — only once before, in 1988, has the city recorded a 100 F day in March, DePodwin said. “This is a heat wave that we have not seen before in recorded history in the Southwest,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Dan DePodwin. Dry and windy conditions were charging the largest wildfire in Nebraska’s history. Three fires in the state have consumed more than 1,140 square miles (about 2,953 square kilometers) of mostly grassland. “Mother Nature is throwing a doozy at us,” Gov. Jim Pillen said Monday. Landslides, rescues, collapsed home on Maui Unrelenting rains triggered landslides, washed away roads and flooded homes and farmland in Hawaii over the weekend. All of Hawaii’s islands had spots with more than 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain while parts of Maui were overwhelmed with double that amount, the weather service said. While the worst of the storm has passed, more heavy rain is expected later this week. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said there were no reports of injuries or deaths and crews were assessing damage. Storm will bring cold into the East Coast Forecasters said the East Coast storms were expected to leave sharply colder weather in its wake. The storm will stick around parts of the Northeast until Tuesday morning. By then, wind chills below freezing were expected to reach the Gulf Coast and the Florida Panhandle with warnings in effect across the Southeast and in part of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas, forecasters warned. To the north, rain was expected to change over to snow behind the cold front with heavy snow possible in the central Appalachians of West Virginia. __ Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland, and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; Jennifer Kelleher in Honolulu; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; Julie Walker in New York; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; and Gary Fields in Washington contributed.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and state-backed companies are unlikely to scale back renewable energy investments in Africa despite disruptions from the Iran war, analysts say, given the strong long-term economic and strategic reasons driving such funding. Investors made wealthy by the Gulf region’s abundant oil and gas increasingly are turning to Africa’s clean energy sector, attracted by rising electricity demand, rapid urbanization and the continent’s growing role in global supply chains tied to critical minerals and manufacturing. A report released last month by the Clean Air Task Force found that more than $101.9 billion had flowed into Africa’s renewable energy sector from Gulf countries by end of 2024, led by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Much of the investment has been concentrated in North Africa, Southern Africa and parts of East Africa, while West Africa has attracted relatively limited funding. “Africa remains one of the few regions where demand growth is unequivocal,” said Matthew Tilleard, chief executive of CrossBoundary Energy, a Nairobi-based firm that develops and operates renewable energy projects. “Short-term shocks may delay individual transactions, but the biggest infrastructure opportunities require a long-term view of risk and value.” Related Stories Jet fuel prices are rising. That could make summer flights more expensive Crude oil prices surpass $100 a barrel as the Iran war impedes production and shipping Oil built the Persian Gulf. Desalinated water keeps it alive. War could threaten both Africa faces one of the world’s largest electricity gaps. About 600 million people across the continent still lack access to power and many more face unreliable supplies. Governments have increasingly turned to private investors to help finance solar, wind and hybrid power projects to expand generation capacity without overstretching public finances. That gap has created opportunities for Gulf investors looking to diversify beyond oil and gas. “Ultimately, Gulf investments in Africa tend to be driven by pragmatic national interests and strategic returns,” said Louw Nelson, a political analyst at Oxford Economics. “There is currently a significant amount of energy investment underway across Africa, which are long-term projects that have been years in the making, so we don’t anticipate major disruptions.” Overseas investments in renewable energy form part of broader strategies among Middle Eastern countries to diversify their economies and adapt to a global shift toward cleaner energy. Joab Okanda, an energy and development analyst, said the disruptions to oil and gas shipments due to the war with Iran may strengthen the case for renewable energy investment since they show how vulnerable such supply routes can be. “These companies, many of them state-owned, hold significant capital but also understand that the world is gradually transitioning away from fossil fuels,” Okanda said. “Investing in renewable energy allows them to diversify their portfolios and position themselves for the energy systems of the future.” Africa’s energy sector sits at the center of several global economic shifts, including the energy transition and the soaring demand for minerals such as cobalt and gold that are used in many high-tech products. “For investors, renewable power projects can provide strategic access to industries beyond electricity generation,” Tilleard said. “Power plants built to supply mines, or large industrial operations can position Arab investors close to supply chains for minerals used in batteries and other technologies.” Okanda said perceived risks, including currency volatility and policy uncertainty especially in West Africa, continue to shape where such investors invest. “Generating power is only one part of the equation,” Okanda said. “You also need transmission systems and a functioning electricity market where the electricity can actually be sold and paid for.” ___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Researchers on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, recently discovered the oldest known recordings of whale sounds and believe the discovery could help understand how the animals communicate. The recording is the song of a humpback whale, a species of large whale known for its complex songs. Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts, said the sounds were recorded in March 1949 off Bermuda. The recording is important because it documents whale song during a time when the ocean was quieter, scientists said. Here’s a breakdown by the numbers. 20 years The discovery predates the discovery of whale song by almost 20 years. The recording predates scientist Roger Payne’s discovery of whale song by nearly 20 years. Woods Hole scientists on a research vessel at the time were testing sonar systems and performing acoustic experiments along with the U.S. Office of Naval Research when they captured the sound. The sounds were recorded with crude audio equipment, but it was preserved on a plastic disc as opposed to tape. That allowed it to stand the test of time. 90 species of whales More than 90 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises make sounds. Sound is critical to whales’ survival and important to how they socialize and communicate. Their sounds come in the form of clicks, whistles and calls. Scientists who study whales say the sounds also allow the whales to find food, navigate, locate each other and understand their surroundings. Related Stories Oldest known whale recording could unlock mysteries of the ocean US ocean regulator faces criticism over changes to right whale protection rule Maine's catch of lobster declines again as high costs and climate change impact industry 10 times louder Scientists say some parts of the ocean are 10 times louder than they were in the 1960s. Research from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the mid-2000s found that underwater ocean noise off southern California had increased tenfold compared to the 1960s. The subject of ocean noise and its effect on animal life has been the subject of scientific inquiry in the years since. The recordings discovered by Woods Hole scientists are from a quieter ocean. Scientists said that can help them better understand how new human-made sounds, like shipping noise, affect the way whales communicate. 55,000-pound singers The humpback whale is possibly the most accomplished vocalist in the ocean, and those songs come from a giant animal that can weigh more than 55,000 pounds (24,947 kilograms). Over the years, humpback whale songs have been recorded for human listening, with many describing the songs as having a haunting, mournful quality. 100,000 copies “Songs of the Humpback Whale,” an album, has sold more than 100,000 copies. Payne produced the album in 1970, as the environmental movement was beginning to blossom. It’s the best selling environment album of all time. The record also helped spark a global movement to end the practice of commercial whale hunting.

TOKYO (AP) — Cherry blossom spotters from the Japanese government announced Monday the first blooming of the country’s favorite flower in three cities, marking the official start of the season. Japan Meteorological Agency officials examined the benchmark tree of the Somei Yoshino variety in three locations — Kochi in the southwest, and Gifu and Yamanashi in central Japan — declaring they found more than five flowers on each tree, the minimum required for the announcement. The tree in Kochi blossomed first, for the third year in a row, six days earlier than the average year, the JMA said. Those in Gifu and Yamanashi were nine days earlier than the average. Shinobu Imoto from Kochi Meteorological Agency told TBS television that low rainfall during the winter and longer hours of sunshine might have helped the early blooming. Cherry blossoms, or “sakura,” usually reach their peak in late March to early April, as the country celebrates the start of a new school and business year. Many Japanese enjoy walking or picnicking under the trees. In recent years, communities near cherry blossom viewing venues have complained about littering, noise and other issues linked to overtourism. Sakura have deeply influenced Japanese culture for centuries.

SAN PEDRO TOTOLAPAM, Mexico (AP) — Thirty years ago, a single light bulb would illuminate the mezcal distillery owned by Gladys Sánchez Garnica’s family in rural Oaxaca, where the agave-based spirit was made through the night. As drops dripped from a clay oven, Garnica and her siblings listened to stories told by their parents while neighbors arrived by horse to get a taste of a drink known for its smoky flavor. “We were taught when to harvest agave, how to care for the soil, and how much we could ask of the forest,” said Garnica, 33, speaking from a women-owned distillery in San Pedro Totolapam, a town of just over 3,000 residents in Mexico’s Oaxacan Central Valleys, where much of the economy depends on mezcal. Today, that small-scale tradition exists alongside a global boom that has transformed mezcal into a major industry dominated by international brands. As mezcal has spread to bars around the world, so has its footprint on the land. Along the road to communities like San Luis del Rio, where celebrity brands such as Dos Hombres, created by actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul from the hit series “Breaking Bad,” are made, agave plantations now blanket hillsides that were once forest. While the boom has brought economic benefits for many local producers, it’s also led to rising environmental costs. Mezcal production surges as popularity takes off Production in Mexico has gone from about 1 million liters (264,172 gallons) in 2010 to more than 11 million (2.9 million gallons) in 2024, according to COMERCAM, the country’s mezcal regulatory body. Nearly all is produced in Oaxaca, but less than 30% remains in Mexico. About 75% of exports go to the United States. In two major mezcal-producing areas of Oaxaca, more than 34,953 hectares (86,370 acres) of tropical dry and pine oak forests have been lost in 27 years to make room for agave, an area roughly equivalent to the size of the U.S. city of Detroit, according to a study led by Rufino Sandoval-García, a professor at the Technological University of the Central Valley of Oaxaca. The study found that agave plantations in the two areas have expanded by over 400% the past three decades, increasingly replacing forests and farmland with a species of agave known as espadin, used in most commercial mezcal. Read more See how mezcal is made in Mexico That is accelerating soil erosion, reducing by 4 million tons per year the amount of carbon dioxide captured by forests, limiting the land’s ability to recharge groundwater and creating heat islands in heavily planted areas, according to the study. “It will take a long time for the ecosystem to recover the resilience it once had,” said Sandoval-García. Mezcal production has always been resource-intensive One liter (0.26 gallons) of mezcal can require at least 10 liters (2.64 gallons) of water for fermentation and distillation, and generates waste such as bagazo, the pulpy residue left after the juice has been extracted, and vinazas, or wastewater, often dumped untreated into rivers. Large quantities of firewood are also burned to roast agave pineapples and fuel distillation, much of which comes from illegal logging, according to Sandoval-García. For generations, the environmental impacts of the spirit remained limited by its small scale and the ability of surrounding forests and soils to recover. That balance is now fragile. Laurentino García López, a worker at a distillery in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, moves the horse that shreds the agave plant Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More Laurentino García López, a worker at a distillery in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, moves the horse that shreds the agave plant Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Félix Monterrosa, a third-generation producer from Santiago Matatlan who owns Oaxacan brand CUISH, said the boom of industrial mezcal displaced the milpa system he learned from his ancestors, in which corn, beans and pumpkin were grown alongside agave. “Now everything is monoculture, and that is the real problem,” Monterrosa said. In his town, decades of dumping mezcal waste into the river have left it so polluted that residents nicknamed it the “Nilo,” short for “ni lo huelas,” or in English: “don’t even smell it.” Monterrosa now plants wild agaves alongside corn and trees to restore biodiversity, though he said maintaining the system at scale remains a challenge. Luis Cruz Ruiz and his son Adel throw a trolley filled with bagazo, the fibers used to distill mezcal, into a wooden barricade in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca, Mexico, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More Luis Cruz Ruiz and his son Adel throw a trolley filled with bagazo, the fibers used to distill mezcal, into a wooden barricade in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca, Mexico, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Armando Martínez Ruiz, a mezcal producer, picks up bagazo, the fibers used to distill mezcal, at his mezcal distillery in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More Armando Martínez Ruiz, a mezcal producer, picks up bagazo, the fibers used to distill mezcal, at his mezcal distillery in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Water is an increasing concern across Oaxaca, which experienced its worst drought in more than a decade in 2024, according to Mexico’s National Water Commission. Armando Martínez Ruiz, a producer in Soledad Salinas who sells his mezcal to Mexican brand Amaras, installed a system to cool and reuse water during distillation. “We never had enough water here, so I try not to waste it,” he said. There is tension between sustainability and profitability While major companies highlight sustainability commitments, their third-party contracts with distilleries are typically limited to purchasing mezcal in bulk. Producers say those agreements rarely cover the costs of raw materials, workers’ wages or maintenance of their distilleries. Del Maguey, one of the world’s top-selling mezcal brands, says they are working to reduce their environmental footprint by planting trees. Over the past five years, the company reused more than 5,000 tons of bagazo and 2 million liters (528,344 gallons) of vinaza to build a raised platform at a distillery in San Luis del Rio to prevent flooding and contamination, according to its head of sustainability, Gabriel Bonfanti. For many, the boom has been a lifeline in a region with some of the highest poverty rates in Mexico. Mezcal producer Noel Martínez opens the ranch where he has his crop of agave in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More Mezcal producer Noel Martínez opens the ranch where he has his crop of agave in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More An Aquileu, a worker at a distillery, pushes wood used to produce mezcal in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More An Aquileu, a worker at a distillery, pushes wood used to produce mezcal in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Luis Cruz Velasco, a producer from San Luis del Rio who works with Mexican brands like Bruxo, said the growth has created jobs for nearly every family in his town of about 300 residents. Where previous generations lived in thatched houses, mezcal income has helped his siblings to attend university. “There are many people who criticize us and ask what we do to reforest,” Velasco said. “But we have to look for a livelihood and food.” For Velasco, the problem is not the entry of large brands, which he says have done more than the government to support marginalized areas like his, but the lack of public incentives for farmers to safeguard environments by planting native trees or maintaining traditional farming systems. A waiter serves a glass of mezcal at In Situ distillery in Oaxaca City, Mexico, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Read More A waiter serves a glass of mezcal at In Situ distillery in Oaxaca City, Mexico, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In Oaxaca, much land is communally owned and managed through local systems of self-governance. Converting forest into agave plantations requires federal approval from Mexico’s Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources. The permitting process is so slow and bureaucratic that some communities choose to bypass it, said Helena Iturribarria from Tierra de Agaves, a conservation project to reforest parts of Oaxaca’s valleys and promote sustainable agave production. The Secretary of Environment said in a statement it had not received requests for forest clearing for agave cultivation in the past three years in Oaxaca. The agency also said it was investigating nine public complaints filed since 2021 over illegal land clearing for mezcal production. Finding ways to protect land In 2018, Garnica founded a collective of women called the “Guardians of Mezcal.” The group is promoting mezcal produced by women using sustainable practices, including using only fallen trees for firewood and planting agave alongside other crops. With help from Tierra de Agaves, Guardians of Mezcal and local community officials from Santa Maria Zoquitlan secured projected status for 26,000 hectares of forest surrounding the town. “Mezcal is a way of life, like a form of work that our parents taught us, so it really means a lot,” Garnica said. “If there is a funeral, a wedding, a party, mezcal is a drink you are going to share with others, and above all many families depend on it.” Agave fields in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Agave fields in Soledad Salinas, Oaxaca, Mexico, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More ___ Reporting for this story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage also receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

BANGKOK (AP) — The escalating war with Iran is pushing parts of the world into energy triage, forcing governments to choose where to cut demand or absorb costs, while prioritizing dwindling supplies. Asia is the most exposed since it relies heavily on imported fuel, much of it shipped through the now-blockedStrait of Hormuz. The narrow passage offshore from Iran is the main route for shipping a fifth of global trade in crude oil and liquified natural gas. Governments in the region are scrambling to adjust — tallying oil reserves, conserving energy, competing for supplies and trying to blunt prices. That brings difficult trade-offs: saving power may slow business activity. Prioritizing cooking gas for households can hurt restaurants and other businesses. “Even relatively modest constraints on energy use can create a drag on industrial activity,” said Linh Nguyen, with the consultancy Control Risks. She pointed to Vietnam’s energy-intensive export industries and warned that higher fuel costs or conservation measures could quickly raise production costs or slow factory output. Analysts warn the same hard choices could soon spread beyond Asia to fuel-importing economies in Africa and elsewhere as countries compete for scarce supplies. “The situation is common across the board,” said Putra Adhiguna of the Jakarta-based Energy Shift Institute. “There is no easy decision for the short term.” Related Stories A boost for Moscow in the shadow of Iran war: US allows India to buy Russian oil for a month Iran war sends shockwaves through African fuel market and economies Rising energy prices from the Iran war could help Russia pay for fighting in Ukraine Southeast Asia is rationing scarce energy With oil prices surging despite releases of some reserves, Southeast Asia is stretching dwindling energy reserves by urging households, businesses and government agencies to slash power use. In the Philippines, officials have switched to a four-day workweek to cut back on fuel consumption and reduce the government’s energy use by a fifth. Office have been told to switch off computers during lunch breaks and keep air conditioning no lower than 24°C (75°F). Vietnam has urged people to work from home. While in Thailand, the prime minister has even asked officials to take the stairs instead of elevators. But this comes at a cost. Dieu Linh, a vegetable seller in Hanoi, said even a 10% rise in fuel costs will eat into her thin margins. “If my costs go up by even a little, the profit is almost gone,” she said. At the same time, countries in the region are competing for limited supplies at higher costs. Vietnam has asked refineries and fuel distributors to keep fuel supplies high, while Thailand is stretching its roughly two-month oil reserve and seeking other domestic energy sources. Both are using price supports to shield households from rising costs. Thailand halted exports to protect its limited reserves, contributing to shortages that have closed nearly a third of Cambodia’s roughly 6,000 gas stations. East Asia searches for new energy suppliers and sources More than 80% of the liquefied natural gas, or LNG, that passed the Strait of Hormuz in 2024 went to Asia, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and much of it to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Japan’s first line of defense is its vast strategic oil stockpile, amounting to around 254 days’ worth of supplies. This system was set up after the shocks from the 1970s Arab oil crisis. Japan began releasing about 45 days’ worth of oil reserves this week to prevent fuel prices from surging as crude oil imports slow. It last released reserves after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This will help keep Japan’s energy-intensive industries running, from automobiles to steel manufacturing and heavy machinery. Companies like Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nippon Steel depend on steady fuel supplies. South Korea plans to release 22.46 million barrels from its reserves under the International Energy Agency ’s largest-ever coordinated stock draw. But analysts said that tapping reserves isn’t a longterm solution. It will give refineries “some buffer” against disruptions. But this does not increase a country’s overall supply unless it can buy oil released by other nations, said Muyu Xu of the energy consultancy Kpler. If the crisis drags on, crude oil shortages could return. The releases may keep refineries running for another few weeks, but companies may need to slow production if disruptions continue, she added. “The fundamental difficulties will not be solved by this action,” said Mika Ohbayashi of the Renewable Energy Institute in Japan, adding that renewable energy was a long-term solution but the Japanese government was uninterested. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is due to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month and Japan’s plans to buy more American LNG and restart nuclear power plants are likely to be on the agenda, analysts say. Populous nations prioritize homes, but face price pinch India is prioritizing household needs for its limited supply of liquefied petroleum gas or LPG, which is used for cooking and to power cars. It has absorbed more than half of the increase driven by global market disruptions under a federal scheme to keep prices low for poor households, said Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. But shortages are already seeping into restaurants and hotels in the world’s second-largest LPG importer, as eateries shorten hours, close temporarily or trim long-simmered curries and deep-fried snacks from their menus. The scale of demand in India, the world’s most populous nation, limits how long it can cap prices to shield consumers. The situation could worsen within a week if government subsidies lapse, said Duttatreya Das of the think tank Ember, noting gas supplies were the most immediate concern. “You can’t store a lot of gas,” Das said, adding that fertilizer factories and small industries will feel the pinch first. Indonesia, a country of 287 million people and Southeast Asia’s most populous nation, also faces hard choices. While the government has promised to maintain fuel prices throughout Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, Adhiguna of the Energy Shift Institute said there is “no clarity about what will happen after that,” adding that this implies fuel prices could increase. Thailand is also caught in a dilemma. If it ends subsidies that keep prices low, living costs will jump and that could spark a panic if reserves fall further, said Areeporn Asawinpongphan of the Thailand Development Research Institute. If the conflict continues, Indonesia will have to choose between keeping the subsides that protect customers or cutting funding to keep to budgetary limits. However, this could fuel inflation. Given Indonesia’s limited 20-day reserve, Adhiguna warned that price fluctuations in Indonesia’s fuel market will be swift. “It will eventually reach a breaking point,” Adhiguna said. Europe feels the squeeze, too The European Union is doubling down on its long-term clean energy strategy to cut consumption and rein in prices across the 27-nation bloc that have risen sharply since the war’s start. Officials met in Brussel this week, where they considered ways to improve the region’s energy security. “We are looking at how we can reduce people’s energy bills,” said European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen. “We are working on immediate measures to help businesses and our most vulnerable citizens.” ___ Ghosal reported from Hanoi, Vietnam. Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach in Bangkok, Thailand, Sam McNeil in Brussels and Piyush Nagpal in New Delhi, India contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Bob Sanders bumps along the dirt roads of his 1,100-acre ranch in a beat up burgundy Chevrolet Suburban, the engine roaring as his sprawling cattle operation, known locally for its wagyu beef, stretches around him. A shotgun rides in the passenger seat and battered binoculars sit on the dashboard. The sloping pasture where his rust-colored cows graze gives way to trees that flank a narrow ribbon of water. It doesn’t look like much, just a slow-moving channel threading through sweetgums and cypress, but this 2.6-mile stretch of the Big Cypress Bayou carries a lot of weight — it connects Lake O’ the Pines, the region’s main water supply, to Caddo Lake, the state’s only natural lake. Water feels abundant in this part of northeast Texas. But even in this lush corner of the state, water is increasingly top of mind. For Sanders and many of his neighbors in Marion County, about 35 miles northeast of Longview, the bayou represents something increasingly fragile in Texas: water that still belongs to the landscape it came from. That was partly the reason why Sanders took a step few Texans have taken in decades. He donated part of his water rights to the Texas Water Trust, a little-known state program designed to preserve water for environmental and conservation purposes. “That’s what I am trying to preserve, is water to keep this bayou system healthy. If North Texas gets our water, this ranch would be in a perpetual drought. It would break us and destroy the ranch,” he said. Texas is staring at a water shortage by 2030 if a historic drought hits the state. As the population grows, droughts become longer and more frequent, and rising temperatures strain rivers and reservoirs, state water planners warn that without new water sources, Texas could face shortages in coming decades. Lawmakers made significant investments last year in increasing water supplies, but that looming crisis has pushed growing cities to search for new supplies. When a Dallas developer announced plans last year to drill more than 40 high-capacity wells in three East Texas counties to export billions of gallons of water from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer in East Texas to water-stressed areas of the state, locals were outraged. They argued the proposal would be an “existential threat” to regional water supplies. The local groundwater conservation district voided the developer’s permits after a poultry farm sued the district, then the developer also sued the district. Even in this part of Texas where water appears plentiful, Sanders and his neighbors say the threat is personal and they are ready to protect the area’s water however they can. “I have the right to water my cattle, family crops, but if this water is pumped into a tanker and transported, that’s a different deal, because it affects everybody around here,” he said. What’s the Texas Water Trust? Sanders’ decision to donate to the Texas Water Trust reflects a growing effort by some rural landowners to keep water in local ecosystems. The program itself is not new. Created by the Texas Legislature in 1997 as part of the state’s broader Texas Water Bank program, the trust allows water rights holders to voluntarily dedicate their water to preserving the flows in rivers and streams, improving water quality and protecting fish and wildlife habitat. Water rights can be placed in the trust temporarily or permanently, depending on the agreement. In theory, the idea is simple: instead of diverting water for irrigation or other uses, the water stays in the river system. In practice, it has rarely been used in nearly 30 years. Only three water rights have been placed in the trust since its creation: Two on the Rio Grande and another tied to the San Marcos River in Central Texas. The first donation came in 2003, when Hudspeth County rancher Kit Bramblett placed more than 1,200 acre-feet of Rio Grande water into the trust after watching stretches of the river dry up. Sanders’ donation is the first since 2006. He said his impetus was the historic Texas drought of 2011. The little bit of rain that fell in a five-year span wasn’t enough to sustain the ranch, and the Sanders family feared that they might run out of grass to feed their cattle. They began to explore alternative revenue streams to keep the ranch afloat as they watched many of their mature trees dry up and die. Sanders said the experience really opened his eyes to the fragility of the region’s water supply. “Life is in the water. When a person has a stroke, sometimes you can rehab them,” Sanders said. “But when a tree is short of water and has a stroke, it doesn’t come back. It dies.” Sanders wanted to take action to preserve the bayou, so he reached out to state agencies and organizations he had already done environmental work with, including the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Caddo Lake Institute and the Army Corps of Engineers. He had worked with the organizations to improve water quality in the river and reintroduce native paddlefish following their decline after the construction of a dam. Those agencies pointed him to The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit that helps preserve Texas land and water. The group agreed to buy a portion of Sanders’ water rights and place them into the state water trust. Challenges to donation Experts say the lack of participation in the water trust is largely due to how complicated and unfamiliar the process of donating water rights can feel to many who own them. Surface water rights in Texas are treated as property rights and are governed by a patchwork of regulations rooted in a century-old doctrine often summarized as “first in time, first in right,” where the oldest rights have first right to water during shortages. Navigating that system can involve legal filings, state approvals and hydrological analysis that many landowners are unwilling or unable to pursue. “There’s a lot of complexity around water rights,” said Myron Hess, a Texas water policy attorney who does some consulting work for environmental nonprofits. “Most people don’t understand that the water that’s in the river today isn’t necessarily going to be there tomorrow. Somebody else could take it out and pump it to Dallas.” Awareness is another barrier. “Not a lot of people are aware of (the trust),” said Marty Kelly, water resources program coordinator at Texas Parks and Wildlife. In recent years, Parks and Wildlife, environmental groups and other state agencies held a workshop, gave presentations at water conferences and met with landowners to explain how the trust works and how Texans can participate. Lawmakers also expanded Parks and Wildlife’s role in 2021, directing the agency to encourage and facilitate voluntary donations, help landowners navigate the process and to manage rights once they are placed in the trust. Kelly said the change gives the program clearer leadership. “That’s a step in the right direction … There’s actually somebody who needs to be out trying to encourage people to put rights in the trust,” Hess said. Concern about Caddo Lake The 2011 drought forced many East Texas landowners to confront how vulnerable their operations could be to water shortages, said Ryan Smith, director of water and science for The Nature Conservancy in Texas. Another driver, he said, was Caddo Lake itself, which he described as “a very special place to everyone.” Straddling the Texas-Louisiana border, the lake is famous for its maze of bald cypress trees rising from dark water. Several rivers and bayous feed the lake, including Big Cypress Bayou. Because the waterways are connected, the health of one can affect them all. “We’re going to need to use all the tools in the toolbox to really find the balance,” Smith said. “Not just in this potential sale from the Cypress to the (DFW) metroplex, but in every case where water demand is growing.” Back on his ranch, Sanders said the decision to put some of his water into the trust ultimately came down to legacy. He’s nearing retirement and his son Dustin, who lives at the ranch with his wife and kids, now helps run the operation. Over the decades, the family has watched the land shift, with storms reshaping creek banks and droughts shrinking the bayou to a trickle some years. What worries him most is the possibility that one day the water itself could be redirected out of the watershed or dry up completely. He’s been talking to his neighbors about the trust. If enough of them decide to participate, Sanders believes it could help safeguard the rivers, the hardwood bottoms and ultimately Caddo Lake itself. “It’s protection,” he said, “the bigger the army, the more protection you have.” ___ Disclosure: Chevrolet and Texas Parks And Wildlife Department have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here. ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.