High Mountain Asia, often called the “Third Pole,” holds the largest store of ice outside the Arctic and Antarctic. Its glaciers have shaped landscapes, nourished rivers, and sustained communities for thousands of years. But today, these frozen giants are shrinking at a troubling pace. 



Scientists have long agreed that warming temperatures drive the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-of-the-worlds-glaciers-can-be-saved-with-strong-climate-action/">retreat</a>, yet new evidence reveals another culprit: shifting rainfall and snowfall patterns, especially those tied to the South Asian monsoon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glaciers-losing-ice-faster">Glaciers losing ice faster</h2>



The numbers are staggering. Glaciers across the region are losing more than 22 gigatons of ice each year, equivalent to nearly nine million Olympic swimming pools. 



While rising temperatures explain much of the retreat, researchers from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Utah</a> and <a href="https://www.vt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Virginia Tech</a> show that the timing and type of precipitation now play a major role. Rain falling instead of snow fuels melt, and shorter or weaker monsoon seasons reduce the ice that glaciers can accumulate.



“These findings highlight that glaciers dominated by the South Asian monsoons, such as the Central Himalaya, Western Himalaya and Eastern Himalaya, are especially vulnerable,” said Sonam Sherpa, assistant professor at the University of Utah and lead author of the study. 



“If the timing and intensity of the monsoon continues to alter, it could accelerate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glaciers-from-the-rockies-to-the-alps-are-melting-much-faster-than-expected/">ice</a> loss and threaten water availability for millions downstream.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-billions-rely-on-glacier-water">Billions rely on glacier water</h2>



The glaciers of High Mountain Asia supply freshwater to more than 1.4 billion people. These rivers sustain agriculture, hydropower, and drinking water across South and Central Asia. 



As glaciers retreat more rapidly, rivers will depend less on glacial melt and increasingly on rainfall as their main source of water.



“Looking ahead, a faster retreat of mountain glaciers will shift the main source of river flow from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glaciers-are-melting-from-hidden-underwater-waves/">glacier</a> melt to rainfall, thereby heightening the risk of droughts in downstream regions for future generations,” said Susanna Werth, assistant professor at Virginia Tech and co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monsoon-impacts-on-glaciers">Monsoon impacts on glaciers</h2>



To understand these shifts, the researchers used satellite gravimetry from NASA’s GRACE and GRACE-FO missions. These satellites can “weigh” changes in water storage, including ice, by measuring gravity variations.



Scientists corrected the data to account for groundwater use, soil moisture, surface water, and snow. They paired this with climate reanalysis models, dividing the year into four phases: winter, premonsoon, monsoon, and postmonsoon. 



By analyzing rainfall and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glacier-melting-threatens-global-water-supplies-and-coastal-communities/">snowfall</a> separately, they revealed how timing and precipitation type affect glacier mass.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monsoon-timing-speeds-ice-loss">Monsoon timing speeds ice loss</h2>



The experts found that glaciers respond more strongly to seasonal precipitation than to annual totals. 



Cycles repeating every 3 to 4.5 years and 5 to 8 years match the natural rhythm of South Asian monsoons. In the Central Himalaya, glacier loss was tied to reduced premonsoon rainfall.



In the Eastern Himalaya, declining postmonsoon snowfall accelerated retreat. In the Western Himalaya, increased summer rain caused rain-on-ice events that sped melting. These details show that the seasonality of rain and snow is as important as overall precipitation amounts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glacier-loss-differs-by-region">Glacier loss differs by region</h2>



Different climate systems influence each subregion. Monsoon-fed glaciers in the Central and Eastern Himalaya show the highest rates of ice loss.



Glaciers dominated by the Westerlies, such as those in the Pamir–Hindu Kush and Karakoram, show slower declines or in some cases slight gains.



The Tien Shan, influenced by Siberian systems and western cyclones, also shows significant losses. These contrasts highlight how winds and precipitation phase shifts shape glacier health differently across the mountains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hazards-on-the-rise">Hazards on the rise</h2>



Rapid melting brings hazards that are both immediate and long-term. Glacial lake outburst floods are becoming more common as ice retreats, creating unstable lakes held back by fragile moraine walls. Landslides and river floods often follow, putting downstream communities at risk.



“This risk is not only about long-term water shortages but also about immediate threats to lives and infrastructure,” said Sherpa.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glacier-loss-under-stronger-monsoons">Glacier loss under stronger monsoons</h2>



Climate projections suggest stronger and more intense monsoons in the coming decades, with possible changes in their timing. 



By 2100, ice loss in monsoon-dominated basins could reach 38–58 percent, depending on future emissions.



Such a shift would profoundly affect river flows, agriculture, and disaster risks. The study emphasizes that improved monitoring networks are urgently needed to capture rain, snow, and temperature changes across high-altitude regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-communities-downstream">Protecting communities downstream </h2>



High Mountain Asia’s glaciers are retreating under the combined weight of heat and shifting monsoons. Seasonal timing and the balance of rain versus snow now shape their fate more than annual totals. 



Protecting communities downstream will require better observation and planning that accounts for these seasonal fingerprints. 



The research makes clear that what happens in these mountains will ripple far beyond their valleys, potentially impacting the lives of more than a billion people.



The study is published in the <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11107312/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing</a>. 



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Shrinking glaciers in the Himalayas are not just threatened by heat

High Mountain Asia, often called the “Third Pole,” holds the largest store of ice outside the Arctic and Antarctic. Its glaciers have shaped landscapes, nourished rivers, and sustained communities for thousands of years. But today, these frozen giants are shrinking at a troubling pace. Scientists have long agreed that warming temperatures drive the retreat, yet new evidence reveals another culprit: shifting rainfall and snowfall patterns, especially those tied to the South Asian monsoon. Glaciers losing ice faster The numbers are staggering. Glaciers across the region are losing...

The world already grows more food than we need. In 2020, global croplands produced enough calories to feed 15 billion people. Yet only half of those calories actually reached people’s plates. The rest vanished into animal feed, fuel tanks, or other uses.



The issue isn’t about having more land - it’s about how we use it. A new analysis finds that while total food production has risen quickly, the calories actually available for people have grown much more slowly.



Between 2010 and 2020, total calories from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vicious-cycle-food-systems-both-suffer-from-and-cause-emissions/">crops</a> rose nearly 24 percent. But calories people could actually eat rose only 16 percent.



The biggest culprit is meat, especially beef. It takes 33 calories of feed to make one calorie of beef. Chicken, eggs, and milk are far more efficient. 



Researchers estimate that if wealthier countries cut back on beef and ate more chicken instead, the calories saved could feed around 850 million people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growing-fuel-cuts-into-food-supply">Growing fuel cuts into food supply</h2>



In 2020, more than five percent of the world’s cropland calories went into ethanol and biodiesel. Palm oil and maize dominated this shift. 



Biofuels help with energy goals, but they cut into the food supply. Land that could grow meals for families instead grows fuel for cars.



The problem is bigger than it looks. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-is-a-growing-climate-threat-can-composting-help/">Crops</a> used for feed at least give some calories back through meat, milk, or eggs. Biofuels give nothing back. 



Once a crop becomes fuel, it’s gone from the food system completely. That means fewer calories on plates and more pressure on farmland.



With global hunger still widespread, using cropland to grow fuel creates a direct conflict between energy security and food security. 



It forces a tough question: should fertile land grow food for people’s stomachs or fuel for engines? The answer will shape how we balance climate goals with the urgent need to feed billions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-countries-use-food-differently">Countries use food differently</h2>



How calories are used looks very different depending on where you live. In the United States, only about 23 percent of cropland calories ended up as food. Brazil fared only slightly better, at 29 percent.



In India, nearly 80 percent went directly into diets, much of it through grains and dairy. India’s efficiency comes partly because milk has a higher feed-to-food return than beef.



Globally, croplands produce enough calories to feed 12 people per hectare. After losses, that number drops to six. The gap is striking: we are growing enough food, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-devastate-global-food-production/">choices</a> about meat, fuel, and trade decide who gets fed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-environmental-cost">The environmental cost</h2>



Calories lost to feed and fuel aren’t just a food problem, they’re an environmental one too. Growing food already drives deforestation, drains freshwater supplies, and produces nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gases.



Beef sits at the center of this issue. It wastes the most calories and creates the most carbon. In comparison, chicken, eggs, and dairy use fewer resources and return more calories to people. 



Even small dietary changes matter. Replacing some beef with other proteins could lower emissions and make more food available at the same time. That means fewer forests cleared, less water consumed, and fewer tons of carbon in the atmosphere.



It’s not about eliminating meat entirely but about shifting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-has-a-surprising-impact-on-climate-change/">choices</a>. The data shows that changing what’s on our plates can directly reduce environmental damage while improving food security. What we eat shapes not only our health, but the planet’s future too.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-security-grows-from-choices">Food security grows from choices</h2>



“It is an important reminder that the problems we face in feeding 8 billion people today - and even in the future with a few billion more - are not about biophysical limits; it’s not that we can’t produce enough calories,” said Hannah Ritchie of the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a>. “It’s about distribution and human choices on what we do with them.”



Calories alone don’t tell the whole story. Nutrition depends on proteins and micronutrients too. But the numbers already reveal how much potential is lost in the way crops are used.



Global data from the <a href="https://www.fao.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food and Agriculture Organization</a> of the United Nations continues to track these trends. And healthy diet frameworks like the EAT–Lancet Commission show how eating differently can feed more people and ease pressure on the planet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/9713/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthArXiv</a>.



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We already grow enough food, but much of it never reaches people

The world already grows more food than we need. In...

Choosing a more electrified vehicle lowers your greenhouse gas footprint no matter which county you call home.&nbsp;



A new analysis shows battery-electric vehicles deliver the lowest lifetime emissions in every part of the contiguous United States, with hybrids and plug-in hybrids also beating their gasoline counterparts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-benefits-of-electric-vehicles">The benefits of electric vehicles</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> (U-M) mapped cradle-to-grave emissions for 35 combinations of electric vehicle class and powertrain, then compared results county by county. 



The team also released a free online calculator so drivers can see estimates tailored to what they drive, how they drive, and where they live.



Study senior author Greg Keoleian is a professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability. 



“Vehicle electrification is a key strategy for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-action-and-biodiversity-striking-the-right-balance/">climate action</a>. Transportation accounts for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions and we need to reduce those to limit future climate impacts such as flooding, wildfires and drought events, which are increasing in intensity and frequency,” said Keoleian.



“Our purpose here was to evaluate the cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas reduction from the electrification of vehicles compared with a baseline of gasoline-powered vehicles.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emissions-from-electric-vehicles">Emissions from electric vehicles </h2>



The researchers tallied emissions from manufacturing, use, and end-of-life - then layered in real-world variables. They modeled four powertrains: conventional internal combustion (ICEV), hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and battery electric (BEV). 



Afterwards, the team ran three body classes - pickup, SUV, and sedan - using “generic” 2025 vehicles that reflect what new buyers will see on lots. They captured driving style, city versus highway mix, and, for PHEVs, how often owners actually run on battery versus gasoline.



Geography mattered in two ways. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-global-warming-hasnt-ended-extreme-winter-cold/">Cold</a> snaps reduce efficiency for all vehicles and trim electric range. 



In addition, the carbon intensity of electricity varies widely across counties, so the same EV charged on a cleaner grid emits less per mile than it would in a coal-heavy region. 



Even after accounting for those differences, battery electric vehicles still came out ahead everywhere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-analysis-revealed">What the analysis revealed</h2>



The major finding is simple. BEVs produce lower lifetime greenhouse gas <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/direct-evidence-electric-vehicles-measurably-reduce-carbon-emissions/">emissions</a> than any other powertrain in every county of the contiguous U.S.&nbsp;



On average, gasoline pickups were the biggest emitters at 486 grams of carbon-dioxide equivalent per mile. Moving to a hybrid pickup cut that by about 23 percent. A battery-electric pickup cut it by roughly 75 percent.



Payload didn’t erase the advantage. A BEV pickup carrying 2,500 pounds still emitted less than 30 percent of a gasoline pickup with an empty bed. 



On the other end of the spectrum, compact electric sedans were the cleanest choice at about 81 grams of CO₂-equivalent per mile - less than one-fifth the per-mile emissions of a gas pickup.



Range matters for manufacturing emissions. The lowest-emitting configuration in the study was a compact sedan BEV with a 200-mile range. 



Bigger batteries add manufacturing impact, so stretching range nudges lifetime totals up, even as EVs retain their use-phase advantage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-market-context">The market context</h2>



While federal incentives are in flux, automakers are still steering toward electrification. 



Ford recently touted a new, more affordable EV platform as a “Model T moment” for the company. Keoleian noted the policy-industry split but said the global trend is clear.&nbsp;



“The government is backing off incentives, like the electric vehicle tax credit, but the original equipment manufacturers are heavily invested and focused on the technology and affordability of EVs,” he explained.&nbsp;



“EVs are becoming the dominant powertrain in other parts of the world and manufacturers recognize that is the future for the U.S.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-location-and-behavior-still-matter">Why location and behavior still matter</h2>



Two nearby drivers can have different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-electric-vehicle-owners-have-high-carbon-footprints/">footprints</a> in the same model. Colder counties impose higher energy demand for heating and reduce EV range. Grid mix shifts by county and over time, altering the emissions tied to every kilowatt-hour.&nbsp;



Behavior matters too. Aggressive driving burns more fuel. PHEVs shine only when they are plugged in often and driven mostly on electricity. The calculator bakes those nuances into individualized estimates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-individuals-can-cut-emissions">How individuals can cut emissions</h2>



Electrification delivers the biggest drop. Choosing a smaller vehicle compounds the gain. 



For many commuters, a compact BEV does the most to cut emissions per mile. Tradespeople who need a truck will still make a large dent by going hybrid or electric. 



“The thing is really matching your vehicle with your needs,” Keoleian said. “Obviously, if you're in the trades, you may need a pickup truck. But you can get a battery electric pickup truck. If you're just commuting to work by yourself, I'd recommend a sedan BEV instead.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-your-carbon-footprint">Tracking your carbon footprint </h2>



The study’s <a href="https://vehicle-emissions-calculator.vercel.app/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">online calculator</a> translates the science into practical guidance. Enter your vehicle type, driving pattern, and county, and it returns an estimate of lifetime and per-mile emissions across powertrains and classes. 



The bottom line holds across the map. Swapping to an electric or more electrified model lowers your lifetime driving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cement-of-the-future-cooling-cities-and-cutting-emissions/">emissions</a>. 



Where you live and how you drive fine-tune the totals, but the direction is consistent. If you want to drive down your climate impact, the cleanest option is on the lot already.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.5c05406">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.



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Driving change: Electric vehicles slash emissions across America

Choosing a more electrified vehicle lowers your greenhouse gas footprint...

When you toss food waste into the trash, it might seem like no big deal. After all, it’s organic - it’ll break down eventually, right? 



But what actually happens to that waste after it’s hauled away is a much bigger issue than most people realize. And it’s not just about overcrowded landfills - it’s about methane.



Food waste buried in a landfill doesn’t simply rot and disappear. It releases <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/top-10-global-methane-emissions-hotspots-spotted-by-satellites/">methane</a>, a greenhouse gas that’s 80 to 85 times more powerful than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-carbon-dioxide-travels-in-the-atmosphere/">carbon dioxide</a> over a 20-year period. 



This makes food waste a serious player in climate change - not because of how much we toss, but because of where it ends up and how it breaks down.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-landfills-turn-food-waste-into-methane">Landfills turn food waste into methane</h2>



Here’s the issue: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/landfills-emit-exorbitant-amount-methane-into-atmosphere/">landfills</a> aren't built to help food break down cleanly. When food waste ends up buried under other trash, it quickly uses up the oxygen in its immediate surroundings. 



At first, some decomposition happens with oxygen, which releases carbon dioxide - still a greenhouse gas, but not nearly as potent.



But once the oxygen's gone, the process switches. Now you’ve got anaerobic decomposition, which happens without oxygen. This is where methane starts building up. 



And unlike compost piles, which stay exposed to air and rely on oxygen, landfills are packed tight. That makes them perfect methane factories.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-composting-transforms-food-waste">Composting transforms food waste</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-crisis-why-u-s-goals-remain-out-of-reach/">Composting</a> does the exact opposite. It keeps oxygen in the mix throughout the process. That means no methane. Plus, it turns food scraps into something useful: a natural fertilizer that can go back into farms and gardens.



Some cities, especially in recent years, have started composting programs to cut down on landfill methane. But how effective are these programs? Do they really work?



One recent study examined how composting plays out in real life, based on actual data. The study concentrated on places such as Austin, Texas, where there are programs set up to allow people to compost at home. 



On average, the program reduced organic waste output by roughly 2.3 pounds per household per week. That’s a good start, but it’s only about 30% of what a typical American household discards a week.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-composting-requires-individual-effort">Composting requires individual effort</h2>



There’s also the question of participation. Unlike cities such as San Francisco, many places don’t enforce composting. That means it’s optional - and a lot of people skip it.



Jackson Somers is an assistant professor of&nbsp;agricultural and resource economics&nbsp;in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (<a href="https://cahnr.uconn.edu/">CAHNR</a>).



“As individuals, we produce a lot of food waste, and it’s something we should be cognizant of. From there, you should compost if you want to compost,” said Somers. 



"I think, inherently, we don’t want to be wasteful. But for some people it’s just a high burden of effort.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-composting-isn-t-cheap-yet">Composting isn’t cheap - yet</h2>



Even with some success, the economics are tricky. According to Somers’ analysis, it currently costs about $478 to avoid emitting one ton of CO2 through composting programs. 



By comparison, the “social cost of carbon” - a number economists use to estimate the damage caused by each ton of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/circular-economy-needed-to-reduce-americas-carbon-emissions/">carbon emissions</a> - is set at $51.



That means composting, at least in small-scale residential programs with low participation, isn’t cheap when measured in dollars.



“With current programs, given the infrastructure we have - these programs are really expensive for the savings we see,” Somers said. But that doesn’t make composting a lost cause.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-short-term-cost-long-term-gain">Short-term cost, long-term gain</h2>



The cost of building new landfills is rising fast. Once current landfills are full, finding and building new ones will be a big financial burden for many cities. So building composting infrastructure now might save money down the road.



Also, the social cost of carbon isn’t fixed. As scientists understand more about climate change, the estimated damage from each ton of carbon goes up. That means composting could become more cost-effective over time - even if the upfront price is high.



“As we learn more about our impact, composting programs may become cheaper from an environmental sense,” Somers said.



The study focused on households, but Somers pointed out that restaurants, grocery stores, and other businesses throw away massive amounts of organic waste. That’s where composting could really move the needle.



“That’s where I think you can see real savings. I think that’s something we should consider more than we do," said Somers. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexpected-benefits-of-composting">Unexpected benefits of composting </h2>



Composting might also bring unexpected benefits. Large cities with lots of exposed food waste deal with more mess and public health concerns. Composting can help reduce that and keep neighborhoods cleaner.



“Keeping <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rats-are-spreading-a-deadly-disease-across-cities/">rats</a> and other pests out of neighborhoods certainly goes into the calculus too,” Somers said. 



“How many people get sick from rats? How much do we dislike seeing rats running around on the streets? It’s important to factor in other impacts, not just environmental.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-universal-fix-for-food-waste">No universal fix for food waste</h2>



Different communities need different solutions. Demographics, geography, and even local habits all shape what works best.



In some Connecticut cities, compost bins are picked up curbside. In others, residents drop off food scraps at centralized locations. 



“A one-size-fits-all solution is not the answer,” Somers said. “The solution in northwestern Connecticut is very different from the solution in Stamford or Hartford - and the solutions for Stamford and Hartford are also going to be different because demographically they’re quite different.”



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095069625000580?via%3Dihub">Journal of Environmental Economics and Management</a>.



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Food waste is a growing climate threat - can composting help?

When you toss food waste into the trash, it might...

Deep,Sea,Hydrothermal,Vents,Emitting,Mineral-rich,2025,,Dark,Plumes,In

Ocean methane does not get a free pass to the sky. A new peer reviewed study shows how a tiny partnership on the seafloor moves electrons between cells to keep much of that gas in check.



Most of the methane made in marine mud never reaches the air thanks to microbes that feed on it without oxygen. 



This living filter, known to scientists for years, is now clearer in how it works, as shown by lab measurements of electron sharing within the partnership, and the work was led by Hang Yu of <a href="https://english.pku.edu.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peking University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seafloor-microbes-stop-methane">Seafloor microbes stop methane</h2>



Methane is a strong heat trapping gas, yet marine sediments act like a sink that disables most of it before it escapes. 



A comprehensive <a href="https://pure.mpg.de/pubman/item/item_2485258_2/component/file_3266726/Knittel9.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> places this process, called anaerobic oxidation of methane, at the center of the ocean’s methane budget.



At the core of this process are anaerobic methanotrophic archaea that remove <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cutting-methane-emissions-could-quickly-slow-global-warming/">methane</a> where oxygen is absent. They partner with sulfate reducing bacteria that breathe sulfate, a common salt in seawater, instead of oxygen.



These partners often gather in tight clusters in the seabed. They build a team where one group starts the chemistry and the other finishes it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-two-microbes-split-the-job">How two microbes split the job</h2>



The archaea strip electrons from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-methane-emissions-threaten-earths-habitability/">methane</a>, which leaves them with a problem because those electrons must go somewhere. 



Their bacterial partners accept the electrons and use sulfate as the final electron sink, a classic redox reaction that keeps both partners running.



“These microbial partnerships act as natural sentries, playing a crucial role in limiting the release of methane into the ocean and atmosphere,” said Yu. His team followed that thought by asking how the electrons actually move from cell-to-cell.



Samples came from methane seeps near the Mediterranean, the Guaymas Basin, and the California coast. The researchers then tested the communities under controlled conditions in the lab.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-move-methane-electrons">Microbes move methane electrons</h2>



The group pressed intact cell clusters onto microelectrodes and tracked electrical signals. 



Those signals revealed a single, repeatable redox feature in each community and showed that electrons moved across gaps of about 0.0002 inch between electrodes.



Signals weakened after heating or oxygen <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/methane-leaks-surge-amid-record-fossil-fuel-production/">exposure</a> and survived chemical fixation that preserves proteins. That pattern points to proteins as the main path for charge movement, not simple dissolved chemicals.



Using a generator collector setup, the team watched electrons leave one electrode and arrive at another only when the test voltage matched the redox feature of the cells. 



That behavior confirms that electrons can hop across several cell lengths, enough to connect methane oxidation in the archaea to sulfate reduction in the bacteria.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-redox-conduction-matters">Why redox conduction matters</h2>



The simplest explanation is a chain of bound cofactors in proteins carrying charge through the community. 



The best candidates are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35714268/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multiheme cytochrome c</a>, protein wires that pass electrons one heme at a time along and between cells.



Other ideas have been on the table, including conductive carbon made by these microbes. 



One earlier <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abg9739" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> reported amorphous carbon associated with these consortia, suggesting a different route for charge flow.



Freshwater relatives of these methane eaters also point to cytochromes. 



A 2023 <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10542353/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> showed that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966842X25000319" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Candidatus Methanoperedens</a> can ship electrons to metals and electrodes using multiheme cytochromes, a parallel that supports the new marine findings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-models-can-improve">How models can improve</h2>



This work closes a long standing gap by providing direct measurements of electron movement in these seafloor partnerships. 



It ties a well known ecological service to a specific molecular system rather than a vague exchange of intermediates.



It also explains why the partnership is so tight. If electrons move over only tiny distances, on the order of hundredths of a thousandth of an inch, cells need to stay close to keep the handoff efficient.



A tighter link between mechanism and ecology helps with prediction. Models of methane cycling can now include protein based electron transport rather than assuming invisible chemical shuttles do the job.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-microbes-control-methane">How microbes control methane</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cutting-super-pollutants-could-quickly-cool-the-planet/">Nature</a> already runs methane control at the seabed. Understanding the electron’s plumbing hints at ways to support the same chemistry in engineered systems, like bioreactors that treat methane rich waste streams or safeguard well leak sites.



There is no silver bullet. These communities grow slowly and depend on the local chemistry, so translating a lab finding into field practice will take careful trials.



Even so, clarity matters. Knowing that protein based redox conduction connects the partners sets a target for future monitoring and design.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adw4289" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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How ocean microbes stop methane from reaching the air

Ocean methane does not get a free pass to the...

Feeling comfortable indoors is not guesswork. Your skin constantly sends information about heat and cold to the brain, and that signal aligns with how comfortable you report feeling.



A new review brought together 172 studies published since 2000 and found strong links between skin temperature and thermal sensation. 



The big picture is simple: the face and hands track comfort well, local cooling helps more than local heating, and comfort varies by age, gender, and climate background.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reading-the-body-s-thermostat">Reading the body’s thermostat</h2>



This work was led by Professor John Kaiser Calautit at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham's</a> Faculty of Engineering. 



The team shows why mean skin temperature (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132324000738" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MST</a>) matters, because it summarizes the whole body in a single number that rises and falls with how warm or cool people say they feel.



“Skin temperature tells us a great deal about whether people feel too hot, too cold, or comfortable indoors," said Calautit. 



"By bringing together research from around the world, we’ve shown how this knowledge can help design safer, healthier, and more sustainable spaces.” 



The review ties skin temperature to how we set up buildings and devices. Older models did not use body signals like this. 



They focused on room air, radiant heat, humidity, clothing, activity, and airflow, which can miss how two people in the same room feel very differently.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-face-and-hands-matter-most">Face and hands matter most</h2>



The analysis shows the face and hands are prime spots to monitor. These areas are sensitive, easy to measure, and not usually covered by thick clothing.



Cooling targeted areas - such as the back or chest - improves comfort more than heating a small spot. That pattern makes sense because the skin has more cold receptors near the surface and cooling quickly changes blood flow.



The results also suggest practical steps for designers. If you want to help people feel better in summer, focus cooling on larger trunk areas instead of only blowing cold air at the hands and feet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comfort-is-not-universal">Comfort is not universal</h2>



Comfort is not one-size-fits-all. The review reports that older adults are typically less sensitive to warmth, which raises their risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-is-leaving-older-adults-dangerously-unprepared/">overheating</a> during hot spells.



Gender can also shape comfort responses. Many studies find that women report stronger sensations across conditions, though results vary.



Where you grew up matters as well. People from warmer regions often respond differently than those from cooler regions, so a single comfort formula will not work for every building or city.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-skin-temperature-can-predict-comfort">Skin temperature can predict comfort</h2>



Research teams are building personal comfort models that use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wearable-sensor-can-help-prevent-dangerous-dehydration/">wearable sensors</a> to read skin temperature and other signals, then predict how you feel. 



In tests, these models reached strong accuracy with signals from the wrist and ankle paired with heart rate.



Cameras and computer vision are entering the mix. A study comparing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strange-link-found-between-body-temperature-and-depression/">thermal infrared</a> skin temperature, thermal image features, and wearables found that automated systems can estimate comfort with off-the-shelf sensors.



This points to future building controls that quietly keep you comfortable without surveys or knobs - and without storing unnecessary personal data - if designed carefully.



Your face carries useful information too. Another study using facial skin temperature built a thermal comfort evaluation method that classified how people felt with fewer sensors and less intrusion.



Machine learning methods matter for how these systems work. 



Classification trees and related approaches have shown that a small number of body locations, like arm, back, and wrist, can predict personal comfort well, according to this paper.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moving-toward-tailored-comfort">Moving toward tailored comfort</h2>



Many buildings still rely on the predicted mean vote, a traditional index developed decades ago. 



Across a large global database, its accuracy in predicting how people actually feel was about one in three, which helps explain why offices often feel too warm to some and too cool to others.



Putting skin temperature into feedback loops can change that. Smarter control can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/steam-dishwashers-could-reduce-water-and-energy-use/">reduce energy use</a>, cut health risks for vulnerable groups, and respect privacy by using minimal, local signals rather than constant surveillance.



The review also points to equity. Children, older adults, and people who cannot always voice their needs should not be left out of comfort decisions. Systems that read simple physiological cues can help close that gap.



The authors argue for tailored models. A building in Singapore should not run the same comfort rules as one in Stockholm, and a care home should not mirror a tech office.



“Looking ahead, we see a future where smarter building technologies use this physiological data to automatically deliver comfortable, energy-efficient environments with minimal input from occupants,” said Calautit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-skin-temperature-improves-daily-life">Skin temperature improves daily life</h2>



Wearables already measure skin temperature to support <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-quality-could-be-the-key-to-better-metabolic-health/">sleep</a>, recovery, and stress tracking. 



With clear consent and careful data handling, the same signal can guide your home to pre-cool a bedroom before you arrive or warm your workspace when your hands grow cold.



Building managers can use aggregated, anonymized data to adjust supply air or chilled water setpoints. A small nudge in the right direction, informed by skin signals, can save energy without people noticing a change.



Engineers can design quieter, simpler systems when they know which body areas matter most. A chair back that gently cools could matter more than a powerful vent at the feet.



Care settings can benefit as well. Monitoring skin temperature trends helps staff protect residents who might not recognize heat stress as quickly.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666123324000369?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Energy and Built Environment</a>.



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Indoor comfort depends more on your skin than the air temperature

Feeling comfortable indoors is not guesswork. Your skin constantly sends...

Rice feeds billions. It thrives in warm, wet fields and stores energy in a way that fits busy lives and tight budgets. Those same flooded fields can also make arsenic more available to rice plants, and some of that arsenic can end up in the grain.



A growing body of field evidence points to a new twist: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/">as the planet warms</a> and CO₂ rises, flooded soils lose oxygen more often and for longer stretches. That chemical shift frees arsenic from soil particles, and rice roots take up more of it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-rice-and-arsenic">Climate, rice, and arsenic</h2>



After years of outdoor trials, researchers report that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/">climate conditions</a> expected by mid-century would increase the flow of inorganic arsenic - the harmful form - from soil to plant to grain.



The work appears in a leading medical journal and was conducted by teams at Columbia University’s <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mailman School of Public Health</a>, with collaborators in China and the United States. 



“Our results suggest that this increase in arsenic levels could significantly elevate the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, and other non-cancer health effects,” explained <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/profile/lewis-ziska" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Lewis Ziska</a>, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Columbia Mailman School.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-arsenic-is-in-rice">Why arsenic is in rice</h2>



Arsenic occurs naturally in many soils and waters. In paddies that stay flooded, oxygen dwindles. Iron minerals that normally bind arsenic dissolve, and arsenic becomes more mobile. 



Warmer conditions paired with higher CO₂ push that chemistry along, especially in fields that remain waterlogged. 



Under future settings - temperatures <a href="https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/why-did-ipcc-choose-2deg-c-goal-limiting-global-warming" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more than 2°C</a> (about 3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels plus elevated CO₂ - the balance tilts toward more inorganic arsenic entering the plant.



That does not make every bowl risky. Local geology, irrigation sources, soil type, and farming practices all shape grain levels. It does mean that the odds can shift in places where paddies stay saturated for long periods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-rice-and-arsenic">Studying rice and arsenic</h2>



The scientists did not rely on short greenhouse trials. They grew 28 rice varieties outdoors for roughly a decade using a Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (<a href="https://ess.science.energy.gov/face/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FACE</a>) system.



This process releases extra CO₂ around crops in the open air so that sunlight, wind, microbes, and soil behave as they do in real life.



Those long-running field data then fed into models linking plant arsenic levels to typical rice intake and body size across major <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/feeding-the-world-without-harming-nature-the-complex-balance-of-farming/">rice-eating countries</a> in Asia.



The projections indicate a sizable shift in risk. Lifetime cancer risks, particularly for lung and bladder cancer, increased by 44% relative to ambient conditions. China alone may face 19.3 million excess cancer cases related to arsenic exposure through rice. 



“From a health perspective, the toxicological effects of chronic iAs exposure are well established; and include cancers of the lung, bladder, and skin, as well as ischemic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-kills-differently-now-than-five-decades-ago/">heart disease</a>,” said Dr. Ziska.



Non-cancer outcomes also matter. The modeling points to increased risks for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases tied to long-term inorganic arsenic exposure in populations with high rice intake.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-risks-are-the-highest">Where risks are the highest</h2>



Diet and water sources shape exposure. Regions where rice is a daily staple and paddies are often kept flooded will see the largest impacts under warmer, CO₂-richer conditions. 



“Ingesting rice in regions like southern China and Southeast and South Asia is already a significant source of dietary arsenic and cancer risk,” said Dr. Ziska.



Within countries, irrigation that draws from arsenic-rich groundwater can raise grain levels. Varieties also differ in how strongly they transport arsenic from roots to grain, which creates room for practical solutions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-is-bad-what-can-be-done">This is bad, what can be done?</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-fixes-may-save-crops-from-climate-stress/">Plant breeding</a> can help: select and develop varieties that limit arsenic uptake even when soils push it toward the roots. Breeders already see large differences among rice lines in how much arsenic reaches the grain. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trillions-of-cubic-meters-of-water-is-used-to-grow-crops-each-year/">Water management</a> is another lever. Continuous flooding increases arsenic mobility, while giving soils time to drain lets oxygen return, which can hold arsenic in less available forms.



Post-harvest steps matter too. Milling and cooking methods can reduce how much arsenic ends up on the plate. 



No single fix works everywhere. Shifting water regimes, for example, can raise cadmium in some settings, so local testing and tailored management are essential to avoid trading one problem for another.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-and-moving-parts">Limits and moving parts</h2>



Any mid-century projection carries uncertainty. Policies can bend emissions paths, and farmers adapt as technology and economics shift. 



Diets change with income, urbanization, and migration. The underlying processes are well established. The decade of fieldwork done for this study adds weight because it includes real weather, pests, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/">microbial communities</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rice-arsenic-and-human-health">Rice, arsenic, and human health</h2>



Rice remains a staple food, and the findings from this research don't claim that every bowl on every table becomes unsafe. Instead, the scientists point to smarter ways of managing risk and a need to act upstream.



Farmers can adjust irrigation where feasible. Breeders can favor varieties that move less arsenic to the grain. Public health agencies can track arsenic in grains and irrigation sources to guide choices in hotspots. 



“Our study underscores the urgent need for action to reduce arsenic exposure in rice, especially as climate change continues to affect <a href="https://www.nifa.usda.gov/topics/global-food-security" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global food security</a>,” said Dr. Ziska.



Keeping rice safe in a warming world is within reach: breed smarter, water smarter, process smarter—and cut emissions, because the air over our fields follows us to the table.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(25)00055-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.



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Scientists warn a very deadly poison is accumulating in global rice fields

Rice feeds billions. It thrives in warm, wet fields and...

Most of us think about oil and gas as the stuff that keeps our lights on, our cars running, and our homes warm. But what rarely gets talked about is what this fuel-heavy system takes from us - especially our health.



A major new study just laid it all out: every year, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-weakens-brain-function-and-focus-in-daily-tasks/">air pollution</a> from oil and gas leads to tens of thousands of early deaths and widespread health problems across the U.S. Add to that asthma, preterm births, and even cancer diagnoses, and the picture becomes a lot harder to ignore.



And here's the kicker - it’s not hitting everyone equally. People of color are paying a much steeper price.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-oil-and-gas-damage">Tracing oil and gas damage</h2>



This research is the first to track the health damage from oil and gas pollution across every stage - from the first drill into the ground to the final puff of exhaust from your car or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gas-stove-pollution-why-dont-we-have-the-full-story/">gas stove</a>.



Scientists behind the study ran detailed computer models that mapped out where the pollution comes from and how it moves. Then they used health risk data to figure out who it’s affecting - and how badly.



What they found was disturbing. The final “end-use” stage - when we actually burn the stuff - is by far the most harmful. It’s responsible for 96 percent of all the deaths and illnesses linked to oil and gas air pollution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-counting-the-health-costs">Counting the health costs</h2>



Each year, oil and gas pollution is tied to 91,000 early deaths, 10,350 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-premature-births-linked-to-air-pollution/">preterm births</a>, 216,000 new cases of childhood asthma, and 1,610 lifetime cancer cases.



“We used a state-of-the-science air quality model to separate air pollution caused by each major stage of the oil and gas lifecycle from other sources of air pollution," said lead author Dr. Karn Vohra from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/mssl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College London</a> (UCL). "This enabled us to work out and compare health outcomes."



The researchers found that oil and gas pollution accounts for one in five preterm births and adult deaths linked to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fine-particle-pollution-may-cause-children-to-develop-asthma/">fine particulate matter</a>, and nearly 90 percent of new childhood asthma cases tied to nitrogen dioxide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unequal-impacts-from-oil-and-gas">Unequal impacts from oil and gas</h2>



It’s not just a health problem - it’s an equity problem. Native American and Hispanic populations are most affected by the early stages like drilling and transport. 



Black and Asian communities are hardest hit by the end-use pollution - especially in places like eastern Texas and southern Louisiana, also known as “Cancer Alley.”



These aren’t random patterns. Old zoning laws and systemic decisions - like redlining - forced marginalized communities to live near factories, refineries, and major highways.



This is a big reason why Black children are more likely to develop <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nearly-one-third-of-asthma-cases-linked-to-air-pollution/">asthma</a>. Or why Black mothers are more likely to give birth prematurely.



“These communities are already aware of this unjust exposure and the disproportionately large health burdens they experience," said senior author Professor Eloise Marais from UCL. "Our study puts science-backed numbers on just how large these unfair exposures and health outcomes are." 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-toll-by-state">Health toll by state</h2>



Five states bear the heaviest overall burden: California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. These states aren’t necessarily where the pollution starts, but they’re where the health damage adds up the most - simply because more people live there.



But if you look at the numbers adjusted for population, another set of regions jumps out: New Jersey, the District of Columbia, New York, California, and Maryland. People living there face the highest per-person health impacts from oil and gas pollution.



This is also not just a U.S. problem. Oil and gas pollution from the U.S. has been linked to 1,170 early deaths in southern Canada and 440 in northern Mexico. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oil-and-gas-beyond-the-numbers">Oil and gas beyond the numbers</h2>



Researchers say their numbers are actually conservative. The data they used was from 2017, and since then, U.S. oil and gas production has jumped by 40 percent. 



On top of that, the study only looked at outdoor air pollution - it didn’t even touch indoor pollution or water contamination.



Researchers say the study offers another compelling case for accelerating the phase-out of oil and gas production and combustion. Hundreds of thousands of children, adults, and older people in the U.S. could avoid illnesses and premature deaths each year.



"We have an imperative to not only urgently transition away from fossil fuels to achieve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/residual-emissions-must-be-addressed-to-reach-net-zero/">net-zero emissions</a> to save lives in the long term from climate devastation, but also to save lives and minimize environmental injustices in the near term," said co-author Dr. Ploy Achakulwisut.



This research doesn’t just tell us what’s happening - it shows us where and who it’s happening to. The numbers are there. The technology is there. The question now is whether we’ll act on it.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu2241" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Oil and gas pollution is fueling a public health crisis

Most of us think about oil and gas as the...

3d,Illustration,Of,Salmonella,Bacteria,For,Medicine,Concept.

If Salmonella poisoning conjures thoughts of being deathly ill with an upset stomach from undercooked chicken or eggs, you’re not alone. Another type - Salmonella Dublin - is primarily associated with cattle and can cause more severe illness in people. 



Doctors see more bloodstream infections, longer hospital stays, and a higher risk of severe outcomes when this <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10803612/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dangerous bacteria</a> infects people, which it has started doing recently.



How does it get there? <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-raw-milk-health-hazard-pasteurization-important/">Unpasteurized milk</a> and undercooked beef are common routes, and contact with sick animals can spread it too. 



This is not only a farm issue; it is a public health issue because what happens around cattle does not always stay around cattle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-humans-cattle-and-salmonella-dublin">Humans, cattle, and Salmonella Dublin</h2>



Scientists have wrestled with a practical question: Are the Salmonella Dublin strains in cattle, people, and farm-linked environments in the United States different or basically the same? 



The answer shapes how we prevent infections and how we handle antibiotics. If the strains match closely across settings, the effective approach should connect animal health, human health, and environmental monitoring - an idea many researchers call “<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/one-health/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">One Health</a>.”



This catchy phrase isn't just a slogan. If the same bug moves between species and spaces without changing much, targeting only one part of the supply chain system will not be enough. We need solutions that address the pathogen wherever it travels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-salmonella-dublin">Studying Salmonella Dublin</h2>



Researchers gathered Salmonella Dublin from three places: sick cattle, sick people, and environmental sites tied to farms or processing facilities. 



Then they sequenced the bacteria’s DNA to compare how closely the strains were related. 



In genetics, scientists track tiny letter-level changes called single nucleotide polymorphisms (<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/snp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SNPs</a>), pronounced “snips.” Fewer SNP differences mean the strains likely share a recent common ancestor.



The goal was to see whether strains from cows, people, and the environment clustered into separate groups or stayed together. 



If they stayed together, that would point to active movement between hosts and places, not isolated pockets of disease.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-know-so-far">What we know so far</h2>



The team learned that strains from cattle, humans, and the environment in the U.S. were extremely similar - often differing by only a small number of SNPs. 



In a study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the researchers reported that despite some genetic differences across 2,150 Salmonella Dublin strains, the bacteria remained highly similar.



"This similarity shows potential for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reverse-zoonoses-humans-are-getting-their-pets-sick/">cross-transmission</a> between cattle, humans, and the environment," explained team leader and senior author Erika Ganda, an associate professor of food animal microbiomes in the Penn State <a href="https://agsci.psu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">College of Agricultural Sciences</a>. 



“That’s important, because it shows that Salmonella Dublin is highly connected across humans, animals and the environment - so efforts to control it need to consider all three,” Ganda continued. 



“This study’s findings provide detailed genetic evidence that can help guide surveillance - tracking the bacteria, intervention strategies such as limiting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-increasing-enterococci-looming-global-crisis/">antibiotic use</a> in livestock and public health policies.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmonella-dublin-has-a-tight-family-tree">Salmonella Dublin has a tight family tree</h2>



The genetic picture does not split into distant branches based on where or when strains were found. It looks like a “tight family tree.” That suggests ongoing movement between animals, people, and farm environments or equipment.



That kind of connected pattern matters for hospital readiness, farm policies, and everyday choices at the dinner table.



The team also examined <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-increases-threat-antimicrobial-resistance/">antimicrobial resistance</a>. They did not stop at asking whether resistance existed. 



They checked which resistance genes appeared and how those patterns differed among strains from cows, people, and the environment. They found meaningful differences across those sources.



That means control strategies should match the resistance patterns in each place. A one-size-fits-all antibiotic plan is unlikely to work. 



Responsible antibiotic use requires laboratory testing and clear guidelines, not guesswork, to protect drugs that still work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farms-families-and-food-chains">Farms, families, and food chains</h2>



Prevention starts before anyone gets sick. On farms, that includes biosecurity to keep new or sick animals from spreading infection, plus cleaning and disinfection that reach tough spots. In the food chain, the basics work: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-americans-dont-know-the-dangers-of-raw-milk-and-bird-flu/">pasteurize milk</a> and cook beef thoroughly. 



For home kitchens, avoid raw milk and use a thermometer. Ground beef should reach 160°F, and whole cuts like steaks should reach 145°F with a rest.



For clinics and hospitals, rapid laboratory testing helps clinicians avoid antibiotics that will not work. When lab teams can see the resistance profile early, patients get better treatment sooner, and we save the stronger drugs for when they are truly needed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-resolution-genome-map">High-resolution genome map</h2>



Genome sequencing turns thousands of bacterial samples into a high-resolution “map.” 



By comparing SNP differences across many strains, scientists can connect dots that older methods might miss, including hidden links between farm sources and human cases.



That means public health teams can focus on the pathways doing most of the harm. Targeted steps beat broad, blunt strategies, especially when resources and time are limited.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmonella-dublin-and-human-health">Salmonella Dublin and human health</h2>



This is not a fear story or some type of political stunt. It's a highly-coordinated scientific study driven by peer-reviewed evidence. 



The U.S. Salmonella Dublin population looks tightly knit and changes only a little as it spreads. 



That clarity helps, because it points to a shared job and a big "to-do" list.



Officials must strengthen surveillance that connects animal, human, and environmental samples; tailor antibiotic guidelines to the resistance patterns seen in each source; and block obvious transmission routes with pasteurization, thorough cooking, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-confirm-first-case-of-rare-parasite-in-pigs-posing-health-risks/">farm hygiene</a>, and smart infection control in clinics.



Put simply, the same pathogen keeps appearing in cows, people, and nearby environments, showing a nearly identical genetic profile. 



With a shared target and coordinated defenses, we stand a better chance of stopping it before it reaches pandemic levels by starting on someone’s dinner plate, ending up in the bloodstream, and spreading from there like wildfire.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.00689-25" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Applied and Environmental Microbiology.</a>



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Bacteria strains that infect cattle are now also infecting humans, sounding alarm bells

If Salmonella poisoning conjures thoughts of being deathly ill with...

The ocean covers most of our planet, yet much of it remains out of reach. Scientists have long struggled to study life in the deep sea. Robotic equipment is expensive, and people cannot dive to extreme depths. 



These issues leave entire marine ecosystems unexplored. Nicole Xu, an engineer at <a href="https://www.colorado.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CU Boulder</a>, is confident that her lab's "cyborg" moon jellyfish can help.



These sea creatures, also known as <a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aurelia_aurita" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aurelia aurita</a>, are simple but remarkable. They move with little effort, pulsing gently as their translucent bells expand and contract. Their tentacles drift behind them like threads, yet every motion is purposeful.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creating-cyborg-moon-jellyfish">Creating "cyborg" moon jellyfish</h2>



Xu has watched jellyfish for years, first as a fascinated student and now as a researcher. She studies their movements not just to admire them, but to put them to work.



Her team attaches small electronic devices to the animals. These devices stimulate their <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2016.00157/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">muscles</a> and allow researchers to steer them. Soon, the system may carry sensors to track temperature, acidity, and other ocean data.



That could send jellyfish into places humans rarely reach, and return information that is otherwise too costly to gather.



“Think of our device like a pacemaker on the heart,” Xu said. “We're stimulating the swim muscle by causing contractions and turning the animals toward a certain direction.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-through-500-million-years">Survival through 500 million years</h2>



Climate change is hitting the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-ecosystem-sea-creatures-never-before-seen-revealed-antarctica-iceberg-breakup/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">ocean</a> hard. The water is getting warmer and more acidic as carbon dioxide levels rise. 



Marine life struggles to adapt, and many species are in danger. Scientists need to measure how these changes unfold. 



The challenge is scale. The ocean is vast, deep, and unpredictable. Sending ships or robots everywhere is simply not possible.



That is where jellyfish stand out. They are some of the most energy-efficient creatures alive. They have survived in their current form for more than 500 million years. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-jellyfish-are-ideal-explorers">Moon jellyfish are ideal explorers</h2>



Jellyfish don’t have a brain or spine, but their basic organs and nerve nets keep them moving. 



They also lack nociceptors, so they don’t experience pain the way humans do. Their stings cannot break human skin, which makes them easier to work with.



Moon jellyfish live in many environments. They often float near shorelines where food is abundant. But they also dive to extreme depths, even as far as the <a href="https://ocean.si.edu/planet-ocean/seafloor/mariana-trench" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mariana Trench</a>, 36,000 feet (10,900 meters) down.



That range makes them ideal for exploration. Xu first tested her biohybrid jellyfish in 2020, guiding them through shallow waters near Woods Hole, Massachusetts.



“There’s really something special about the way <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/this-blue-button-jellyfish-isnt-actually-a-jellyfish-so-what-is-a-porpita/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">moon jellies</a> swim. We want to unlock that to create more energy-efficient, next-generation underwater vehicles,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-how-moon-jellyfish-work">Learning how moon jellyfish work</h2>



Xu’s lab doesn't only focus on movement. She and her team study how jellyfish push water as they swim. To see this, they fill tanks with biodegradable particles like corn starch. They then shine lasers through the water.



The particles light up the flow patterns created by the jellyfish. This approach replaces older methods that used synthetic tracers such as glass beads. Those tracers were more toxic and less sustainable. Corn starch is safer, cheaper, and better for the animals.



Her group also works on improving steering in natural ocean conditions. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seamounts-are-gathering-hubs-for-ocean-predators/">open sea</a> is far less predictable than a lab tank, so making the technology reliable outside is a big step. 



Xu believes these advances can lead to new tools that draw ideas from nature rather than replacing it. But the research is not only about technology - it also raises ethical questions.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cyborg-moon-jellyfish_lab-tank_nicole-xu-scientist_CUBoulder_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cyborg-moon-jellyfish_lab-tank_nicole-xu-scientist_CUBoulder_1s.webp" alt="Nicole Xu stands behind the main jellyfish tank in her lab. (Credit: Glenn Asakawa)" class="wp-image-1983357"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nicole Xu stands behind the main jellyfish tank in her lab. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Glenn Asakawa</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caring-for-moon-jellyfish-in-labs">Caring for moon jellyfish in labs</h2>



For many years, scientists believed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-noise-can-be-fatal-to-marine-invertebrates/">invertebrates</a> could not feel pain. New evidence now suggests that some may react to harmful experiences. 



That means researchers must think carefully about how their experiments affect the animals they study. Xu takes this seriously.



She watches for signs of stress in her jellyfish. Stress usually causes them to produce extra mucus and stop reproducing. 



Her jellyfish show none of those patterns. Instead, they seem to be thriving. Inside her tanks, baby polyps the size of pinheads are growing, with tiny tentacles starting to appear. That growth suggests the jellyfish are healthy and reproducing naturally.



“It's our responsibility as researchers to think about these ethical considerations up front,” Xu said. “But as far as we can tell, the jellyfish are doing well. They're thriving.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jellyfish-as-ocean-allies">Jellyfish as ocean allies</h2>



Jellyfish may look simple, but they represent a major shift in how humans can explore the ocean. By combining engineering with biology, Xu’s work shows that living creatures can serve as allies in research.



They move efficiently, survive in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-in-the-extreme-microbial-activity-discovered-in-old-faithful/">extreme environments</a>, and carry little risk to humans. Outfitted with sensors, they could one day map parts of the ocean we know almost nothing about.



This is not science fiction. Xu has already proven the concept in the field. Her next steps include refining the technology and expanding its capabilities. 



She sees jellyfish not only as data gatherers but also as inspiration. Their effortless swimming could shape how we design future underwater vehicles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-research-tools">Rethinking research tools</h2>



The idea challenges how people think about research tools. Instead of building larger machines, we might adapt what already exists in nature. It is efficient, elegant, and potentially transformative. 



At the same time, Xu insists that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-and-possibly-even-insects-have-emotions/">ethical care</a> for the animals must remain at the center of this work.



Her project stands as a reminder that progress and responsibility can go together. The moon jellyfish, a creature that has floated through Earth’s waters for half a billion years, may now help us understand how those waters are changing today.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prfluids/abstract/10.1103/bg66-976x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physical Review Fluids</a>.



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Scientists create and control 'cyborg' moon jellyfish to study changes in Earth's oceans

The ocean covers most of our planet, yet much of...

The seatbelt sign pings on - trays rattle and drinks slosh. For many flyers, turbulence is unnerving on the best of days. 



A warming climate is adding fuel to the bumps, and a growing body of research shows that choppy skies are likely to become more frequent and intense.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turbulence-injuries-make-headlines">Turbulence injuries make headlines</h2>



Beyond frayed nerves, turbulence is the leading cause of in-flight weather accidents. The absolute numbers are small, but serious incidents make headlines and underscore the risk.



There were 207 reported injuries on U.S. commercial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/airline-flights-may-be-slowed-down-intentionally-to-fight-climate-change/">flights</a> between 2009 and 2024. Recent examples include an Air Europa flight in which 40 passengers were hurt, and a Singapore Airlines flight where one passenger died and dozens were injured.



“Typically, injuries (are) to unbelted passengers or cabin crew rather than structural damage,” said John Abraham, a mechanical engineering professor at the <a href="https://www.stthom.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of St. Thomas</a>. “Modern aircraft withstand turbulence, so the main risk is occupant injury, not loss of the plane.”



Even without damage, severe encounters trigger inspections. “Severe” is about 1.5 times the normal force of Earth’s gravity, and those events occur some 5,000 times a year over the United States, said Robert Sharman, senior scientist emeritus at the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a>. 



Turbulence also drives up fuel burn when pilots must leave optimal altitudes, alter routes, or change speeds, Abraham added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-all-bumps-are-equal">Not all bumps are equal</h2>



Not all turbulence is the same. Lead author Mohamed Foudad, an atmospheric scientist at the <a href="https://www.reading.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Reading</a>, identified three main types.



Convective turbulence is linked to rising or sinking air from clouds or thunderstorms and can be seen on radar or visually. Mountain wave turbulence forms as winds spill over ranges. The most dangerous is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clear-air-turbulence-expected-to-intensify-in-a-warmer-climate/">clear-air turbulence</a> (CAT), which is invisible.



CAT tends to form near jet streams - fast west-to-east rivers of air around six to seven miles up, at the same cruising levels as commercial jets. That’s where wind shear, the change in wind speed and direction with height, can set off sharp, unseen jolts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-change-and-turbulence">Climate change and turbulence </h2>



The physics that drive CAT are changing. With <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-affects-how-we-feel-not-just-how-we-live/">climate change</a>, the tropics are warming faster at cruising altitude than higher latitudes. That increases the temperature difference between low and high latitudes. 



The gradient strengthens jet streams and sharpens wind shear - the volatile vertical shifts that trigger CAT. Foudad and colleagues analyzed data from 1980 to 2021. 



“We find a clear, positive trend - an increase in turbulence frequency over many regions, including the North Atlantic, North America, East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa,” Foudad said, with increases ranging from 60 to 155 percent.



Further analysis linked rising turbulence in certain regions to increased greenhouse gas emissions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-shifts-turbulence-seasons">Warming shifts turbulence seasons</h2>



A 2023 paper led by Isabel Smith at the University of Reading found that for every degree Celsius of near-surface warming, North Atlantic winters would see about a nine percent increase in moderate CAT, and summers a 14 percent rise.



While winter has historically been the roughest season for turbulence, warming is now amplifying CAT in summer and autumn, closing the gap. Jet stream disruption is not the only concern. 



“Climate change may also increase the frequency and severity of thunderstorms under future scenarios, and turbulence encounters near thunderstorms are a major component of turbulence accidents,” Sharman said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-airlines-brace-for-rough-skies">Airlines brace for rough skies</h2>



Some fixes are operational. Foudad is working on optimizing flight routes to avoid turbulence hotspots and improving forecasting accuracy so dispatchers and crews can plan better climbs, descents, and deviations.



Airlines are adjusting procedures too, encouraging passengers to keep seatbelts fastened more often and ending cabin service earlier when rough air is likely.



Technology may help crews see the invisible. Sharman said promising onboard LIDAR systems are being tested. These beam lasers search the atmosphere to sense subtle shifts in air density and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-method-developed-to-measure-the-wind/">wind speed</a> ahead, giving pilots a preview of clear-air disturbances before the bumps arrive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-action-less-turbulence">Climate action, less turbulence</h2>



Ultimately, the root cause is the same force remaking weather everywhere. Cutting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-reach-another-all-time-high/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> is essential if we want to ease long-term turbulence trends driven by climate change.



Aviation accounts for about 3.5 percent of human-caused warming. Airlines are exploring cleaner fuels to reduce the industry’s footprint, though progress has been “disappointingly slow,” according to the International Air Transport Association.



In the meantime, the advice for passengers is simple and time-tested. Keep your seatbelt buckled when seated. 



Heed crew instructions and expect that summertime and shoulder-season flights may feel rougher than they used to. Moreover, remember that modern airliners are built to handle turbulence.



“Modern aircraft withstand turbulence, so the main risk is occupant injury, not loss of the plane,” Abraham said.



The skies aren’t falling, but they are getting choppier. In a warming world, that’s one more reason to respect the forecast, secure the cabin early, and curb the emissions that are adding extra shake to the jet stream’s natural sway.



The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JD040261" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres</a>.



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Bumpy skies ahead: Why air turbulence is getting worse

The seatbelt sign pings on - trays rattle and drinks...

Forests hold our climate together. They store carbon, balance rainfall, and shelter more life than we can count. Among them, the Amazon and Andes stand out. These vast forests feed rivers, shape weather, and anchor communities of plants, animals, and people.



But they are now falling behind. A new study by <a href="https://www.wfu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wake Forest University</a> and international partners shows that tree communities in the region are not adjusting fast enough to rising temperatures. 



Decades of monitoring reveal that while some forests near the cloud base shift slightly, most remain stuck. That slow pace threatens not just biodiversity, but also the services humans rely on every day.



"These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-are-lagging-centuries-behind-in-climate-adaptation/">forests</a> are simply not keeping up with climate change," said lead author William Farfan-Rios of Wake Forest University. "The result is a growing climatic debt that threatens the integrity and functioning of the most diverse forests on Earth."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-lag-behind-climate-change">Forests lag behind climate change</h2>



The team followed 66,000 trees across 2,500 species for more than 40 years. They expected to see warm-adapted species slowly replacing those suited to cooler conditions - a process known as thermophilization. But the forests told a different story.



From the low Amazon basin to the high Andes, tree communities showed almost no sign of this shift. Trees grew, died, and recruited, yet the overall balance barely moved. 



Scientists call this gap between climate warming and ecological response a climatic debt. If that debt builds, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/old-growth-forests-remain-earths-strongest-carbon-vaults/">forests</a> risk crossing thresholds that they cannot recover from.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stress-at-the-cloud-base">Stress at the cloud base</h2>



The clearest signs of strain appeared in mid-elevation <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-most-diverse-forests-are-failing-to-adapt-to-climate-change/">forests</a> between 1,200 and 2,000 meters. Here, mortality of cool-adapted trees rose sharply. These cloud-base forests seem to carry the heaviest burden of warming.



The Amazon lowlands, by contrast, showed little consistent movement at all. On the surface, that looks stable. In reality, it signals trouble ahead. 



Heat stress and drought will hit harder in the coming decades, and these forests have no hotter-adapted species waiting to take over.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-must-change-with-climate">Forests must change with climate</h2>



The Amazon and Andes together hold the greatest variety of life on Earth. They also act as giant carbon sponges, slowing the buildup of greenhouse gases. 



If their tree communities fail to adapt, the consequences will spread far beyond South America. Carbon storage will shrink, species will vanish, and ecosystems could unravel.



"You have to be there for long periods of time to understand how these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protecting-forests-helps-birds-and-humans-in-many-ways/">forests</a> change," said co-author Miles Silman of Wake Forest University. 



"If we lose these climate observatories, these natural labs, we blind ourselves to our future. What we found is that forests are changing, but they're not changing in the ways that make them resilient to climate change."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-of-forest-adaptation">Limits of forest adaptation</h2>



Tree communities simply cannot keep pace with today’s speed of warming. Individual trees die within decades, but species turnover takes centuries. 



On top of that, forests need dispersers and pollinators to expand into new ranges. Yet many of these animals are disappearing as habitats shrink.



"They also need the full complement of animal dispersers and pollinators to help expand their range - and loss of habitat is shrinking their ranks," noted Silman. 



"If you look at the magnitude of changes happening in the Andes-Amazon, the forest communities likely are not going to keep up. That's why research like this is important."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decades-of-data-serve-as-a-warning">Decades of data serve as a warning</h2>



Tropical species face sharper limits than temperate ones. They tolerate only narrow temperature ranges, and they often have nowhere warmer to move. In the lowlands, for example, no hotter-adapted species exist to take over. That leaves communities locked in place.



This study, authored by more than 20 scientists across the Americas and Europe, draws on decades of collaboration. 



Networks like ABERG, RAINFOR, and <a href="https://www.forestplots.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ForestPlots.net</a> made it possible to track forests over long stretches of time. The collective data show that the tropics, once thought resilient, may be less able to adjust than forests in temperate zones.



The message is stark. The world’s most diverse forests are changing, but too slowly to match the heat. If this pattern continues, the Andes and Amazon could face tipping points that threaten both ecosystems and people.



For now, continued monitoring remains vital. These forests act as early warning systems, showing us how nature responds to climate stress. Without them, we lose both knowledge and time.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425619122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Forests are not adapting fast enough to climate change

Forests hold our climate together. They store carbon, balance rainfall,...

Many of us associate air pollution with traffic, industry, or outdoor smog. Yet daily personal care routines can expose people to invisible risks within their own homes. 



Hair sprays, serums, and heat styling tools release <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scented-products-release-indoor-air-pollutants/">particles</a> so tiny they can slip deep into the lungs. New research reveals just how significant these exposures may be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-billions-of-tiny-particles">Billions of tiny particles</h2>



A <a href="https://www.purdue.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purdue University</a> team led by Nusrat Jung and Ph.D. student Jianghui Liu found that a 10-20 minute hair styling routine can produce more than 10 billion <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-dust-is-making-indoor-air-more-polluted-than-outside/">airborne nanoparticles</a>. 



These particles are smaller than 100 nanometers and can penetrate deeply into the lungs, triggering respiratory stress, inflammation, and even cognitive effects.



"This is really quite concerning," Jung said. "The number of nanoparticles inhaled from using typical, store-bought hair-care products was far greater than we ever anticipated."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-drives-the-release">Heat drives the release</h2>



The study shows that heating tools like straighteners or curlers are the primary drivers of nanoparticle release. 



At temperatures above 300 degrees Fahrenheit, volatile and low-volatility chemicals rapidly evaporate, nucleate, and condense into dense clouds of particles. 



At 360 degrees and higher, sub-100 nanometer particles made up more than 95 percent of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cutting-super-pollutants-could-quickly-cool-the-planet/">emissions</a>.



"Atmospheric nanoparticle formation was especially responsive to these heat applications," Liu explained. "Heat is the main driver - cyclic siloxanes and other low-volatility ingredients volatilize, nucleate and grow into new nanoparticles, most of them smaller than 100 nanometers."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-harmful-hair-styling-chemicals">Harmful hair styling chemicals</h2>



Among the chemicals, D5 siloxane stands out. This ingredient is widespread in hair products because of its smooth texture and thermal stability. 



Yet it is very persistent in the environment and bioaccumulates in living organisms. Animal studies link D5 siloxane to respiratory, liver, and nervous system damage.



"When we first studied the emissions from hair care products during heat surges, we focused on the volatile chemicals that were released, and what we found was already quite concerning," Jung said. 



"But when we took an even closer look with aerosol instrumentation typically used to measure tailpipe exhaust, we discovered that these chemicals were generating bursts of anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 nanoparticles per cubic centimeter."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-one-pathway">More than one pathway</h2>



The Purdue study revealed that two mechanisms fuel nanoparticle creation. The first is volatilization of siloxanes and similar ingredients during heating. 



The second involves atmospheric chemistry: fragrance additives and terpenes can react with indoor ozone, producing secondary organic aerosols. 



Even when no heat was applied, some nanoparticle formation still occurred through these chemical reactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breathing-zone-risks">Breathing zone risks</h2>



Hair styling often happens close to the face, placing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-people-die-from-air-pollution-each-year-yet-theres-still-a-lack-of-monitoring/">emissions</a> directly in the breathing zone. Modeling shows that nanoparticles deposit most efficiently in the pulmonary region, the deepest part of the lungs. 



Pulmonary deposition rates for sub-100 nanometer particles are especially high, raising concern over repeated exposures from daily routines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hair-styling-products-and-tools-matter">Hair styling products and tools matter</h2>



The researchers found that temperature mattered more than product type. At 410 °F, more than 46 billion nanoparticles deposited in the respiratory system, compared to less than one billion at 300 °F. 



Long hair also led to higher doses, since longer styling times produced more emissions.



Interestingly, appliances behaved differently. Straighteners and curlers emitted the most ultrafine particles, while wavers generated fewer but larger particles. 



Even so, larger particles can carry greater mass, meaning risk cannot be judged by particle counts alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-safer-hair-styling-practices">Safer hair styling practices</h2>



For context, 20 minutes of hair straightening at high heat can equal the nanoparticle dose of 20-200 minutes of sitting in vehicle traffic or 30-100 minutes of exposure to urban outdoor air.



In poorly ventilated homes, these exposures can become even higher as particles linger longer in indoor air.



Jung and Liu recommend limiting the combined use of hair products and heat tools. If use cannot be avoided, ventilation becomes essential. Exhaust fans, open windows, or air purifiers can help reduce particle buildup.



"If you must use hair care products, limit their use and ensure the space is well ventilated," Liu said. "Even without heating appliances, better ventilation can reduce exposure to volatile chemicals, such as D5 siloxane, in these products."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



Future studies aim to measure even smaller particles down to one nanometer and identify their chemical makeup. This will help clarify the full health implications of these emissions and refine strategies to reduce risks.



"By addressing these research gaps, future studies can provide a more holistic understanding of the emissions and exposures associated with heat-based hair styling, contributing to improved indoor air pollution assessments and mitigation strategies," Jung said.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c14384" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.



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Hair styling releases billions of toxic nanoparticles that then enter your body

Many of us associate air pollution with traffic, industry, or...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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