<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grapevines-could-offer-a-breakthrough-alternative-to-plastic-packaging/">Plastic</a> bags are everywhere, and too many slip into rivers and onto beaches. A new analysis finds that policies that either charge a small fee per bag or prohibit them outright cut the share of bags found during shoreline cleanups by 25 to 47 percent.



The study combed through hundreds of city, county, and state rules passed between 2017 and 2023. It matched those policies to more than 45,000 volunteer cleanups across the United States to see what actually changed on the ground.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-ran-the-study">Who ran the study</h2>



The research was coauthored by <a href="https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/ceoe/departments/smsp/faculty/kimberly-oremus/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kimberly L. Oremus</a> of the University of Delaware’s School of Marine Science and Policy (<a href="https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/ceoe/departments/smsp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UDEL</a>). 



Oremus and her collaborator set out to measure litter, not just shopping behavior, so the results speak to what ends up in nature.



The team relied on citizen science, meaning trained volunteers recorded what they collected during beach, river, and lake cleanups. 



They drew on <a href="https://www.coastalcleanupdata.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TIDES</a>, a public database that stores those counts in one place so researchers can analyze patterns across time and place.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-plastic-bag-policies">Studying plastic bag policies</h2>



To isolate the effect of bag policies, the authors used a Difference-in-Differences (<a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/population-health-methods/difference-difference-estimation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DiD</a>) approach that compares places with and without new laws over the same period. 



That design helps rule out unrelated trends that affect everyone, such as national shifts in shopping or packaging.



The headline result is simple. In communities with full bans or fees, the share of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-from-plastic-bottles-linked-to-high-blood-pressure-and-heart-problems/">plastic</a> bags in the litter mix fell relative to similar places without policies, and the decline grew in the years after a law took effect.



State level rules tended to be more reliable in the data than city or county policies. Effects looked similar along coasts and rivers, with hints of larger gains along lakes where winds and currents spread litter differently.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-policy-fees-vs-bans">Plastic policy: Fees vs. bans</h2>



Fees change the default at every checkout and discourage taking a bag when you do not need one, which reduces both thin and thicker bag use.



Other <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charge-summary-of-data-in-england/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-charge-data-for-england-2024-to-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> points in the same direction outside the United States. England reports an almost 98 percent drop in single use carrier bags at major retailers since its charge began.



Policies that only restrict thin bags often allow thicker <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agricultural-soil-is-now-the-worlds-biggest-plastic-dumping-ground/">plastic</a> labeled as reusable. 



Those partial bans showed the smallest and least precise effects in the analysis, which is consistent with shoppers substituting one kind of plastic for another.



Some states also pass preemption <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/environment-and-natural-resources/state-plastic-bag-legislation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">laws</a> that block cities and counties from regulating bags at all. When local governments cannot act, the study’s data suggest statewide policies become especially important.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildlife-and-entanglement">Wildlife and entanglement</h2>



The cleanup records include notes on animals found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-found-in-99-percent-sea-turtles-organ-tissue-reproductive-system/">entangled in debris</a>. 



In areas with bag policies, the presence of entangled animals dropped by roughly 30 to 37 percent, although the authors caution that the estimates are imprecise and more data are needed.



That finding aligns with what we know about <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">single-use-plastics</a>. Thin bags linger in water and along shorelines, where they can snag, smother, or be eaten by turtles, birds, and fish.



Many studies track what happens at store checkouts, but fewer track what ends up outdoors. Shoreline cleanups offer a window into that last step in the chain from purchase to pollution.



Across the study period, the share of bags among collected items rose overall, but it rose less where bag laws existed. That pattern is exactly what you want to see if policies are slowing the flow of litter into the environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-plastic-policy-steps">Global plastic policy steps</h2>



A small, universal fee is a simple tool that nudges behavior without banning choices. Full bans can work too, and the analysis shows both approaches reduce the share of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glass-bottles-contain-more-microplastics-than-plastic-containers/">plastic</a> bags found during cleanups.



The mix of policies should match local conditions. In places with more bag litter to begin with, impacts were largest, so targeting high problem areas with fast action can deliver quick gains.



Plastic bag rules are only one part of the picture. Negotiators from 175 countries are working toward a plastics treaty under <a href="https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNEP</a> that could standardize action on a wider set of products and chemicals.



The study notes that bottles, caps, and other items did not decline when bag policies passed. That is a signal that targeted rules for other single use products would be needed to curb overall litter.



Adopt a modest fee or a full ban that applies across retail and restaurant settings, and keep the text simple so it is easy to enforce. Pair the policy with clear signs at checkout and with retailer reporting that tracks compliance.



Measure results in the same way the researchers did. Recruit volunteers, log items in TIDES, and watch how the litter mix changes year over year so the policy can be adjusted as needed.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp9274" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Studies confirm that a small tax definitely helps curb plastic pollution

Plastic bags are everywhere, and too many slip into rivers and onto beaches. A new analysis finds that policies that either charge a small fee per bag or prohibit them outright cut the share of bags found during shoreline cleanups by 25 to 47 percent. The study combed through hundreds of city, county, and state rules passed between 2017 and 2023. It matched those policies to more than 45,000 volunteer cleanups across the United States to see what actually changed on the ground. Who ran the study...

Colombia has declared a national emergency after a destructive fungus was found in the soil that could ultimately wipe out most large <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/gene-editing-save-bananas-virus/">banana</a> farms, leading to major shortages.

The fungus is a strain of fusarium oxysporum called Tropical Race 4 (TR4) that was first discovered in Taiwan. Before making its way to Colombia, TR4 had already destroyed crops in Australia, Israel, India, and Lebanon over the last two decades. 

The soil-dwelling fungus causes a lethal disease called Panama disease that infects the roots of bananas and blocks the flow of water and nutrients. TR4 can lay dormant in the soil for years, so once an infection is spotted, it is difficult to know how widespread the damage will become.

There is currently no fungicide or method for combatting the destructive fungus. 

"As far as I know, ICA and the farms are doing a good job in terms of containment, but eradication is almost impossible,” Fernando García-Bastidas, a Colombian scientist, told <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic</a>.

The fungus has been found across 180 hectares in the province of La Guajira, where farmers were ordered to destroy the crops and quarantine plantations. The appearance of TR4 in South America has the potential to completely wipe out the cultivated Cavendish banana, which is the most widely grown and consumed type of banana across the globe.

As National Geographic reports, there is not another banana that can replace the Cavendish. However, this banana has a lack of genetic diversity that makes it vulnerable to extinction.

For many years, the Cavendish was second in popularity to the Gros Michel in the United States and Europe. Around 100 years ago, the first known strain of Panama disease killed off the Gros Michel. The Cavendish, which was believed to be resistant to the disease, was chosen as a replacement. 

According to the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a>, the Cavendish accounts for nearly half of all bananas grown worldwide, and nearly all of the bananas imported by Europe, the UK, and the United States. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/pp1

The world’s most popular banana is now at risk of disappearing

Colombia has declared a national emergency after a destructive fungus...

The <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> announced on August 15th that July 2019 was 1.71 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the average 56.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes this past July the hottest month ever recorded. 

The super-hot month of July followed the hottest June on record, which was about .71 degrees Fahrenheit above average. And the record-breaking temperature trend is destined to continue if <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cattle-pastures-greenhouse-gas-emissions/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> are not curbed immediately.

“If you put all of the Julys for the last 20 or 40 or 100 years, there’s a clear trend upward,” Michael Allen, a climate scientist at <a href="https://www.odu.edu/">Old Dominion University</a>, told <a href="https://time.com/5652972/july-2019-hottest-month/?utm_source=emailshare&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=email-share-article&amp;utm_content=20190815">Time</a>. “That’s the concern — that long-term trend. Not a single day or single month in particular.”

July is usually the hottest month of the year worldwide, therefore it makes sense that record-setting hot temperatures would peak during the summer months. And because of El Niño’s presence, July 2019 temperatures were destined to be hotter than average.

But the drastic increase in heat witnessed this year can only be blamed on climate change.

These creeping temperatures have the most troubling effect on the Arctic, where ice is melting at a quickening pace. In fact, the average amount of sea ice was at a record low (19.8% below average) this July compared to its previous record-breaking low in July 2012. Fast-melting ice in the Arctic leads to worldwide sea level rise, and therefore, erosion, floods, and freshwater contamination.

Furthermore, heat waves can have negative effects on human health — specifically those living in urban areas where people live in close, hot, and stuffy quarters. And when high temperature-caused wildfires ignite near these urban locations, as they did this summer in Siberia, Russia, and Alaska, the health situation can become even more dire with the presence of smoke and ash in the air. 

“Greenhouse gas pollution traps heat in the atmosphere, which has consequences,” James Butler, director of NOAA’s Global Monitoring Division, <a href="https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2455/RISING-EMISSIONS-DRIVE-GREENHOUSE-GAS-INDEX-INCREASE">said in May</a>, per Time. “There’s no getting around it — burning fossil fuels is changing the course of our planet’s future. How society deals with that will be a major challenge in coming decades.”

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Grass-lifeisgood / Shutterstock

July 2019 was officially the hottest month ever recorded

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on August 15th...

If global temperatures increase by two degrees Celsius, summers in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-ice-free-summers/">Arctic could be ice-free</a>, according to a new <a href="https://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinnati</a> study. 

An international team of researchers conducted the study which predicted that through September there would be no Arctic sea ice. 

It’s been suggested that the Arctic will be ice-free during September if temperatures rise 2.5 degrees Celsius. However, this new study shows that sea ice could disappear at just 2 degrees. 

September is when sea ice coverage in the Arctic is at its lowest, and as sea ice coverage shrinks, it takes longer for the Arctic Ocean to freeze over for the winter. 

The researchers wanted to identify the minimum global temperature change that would result in an ice-free Arctic. 

“They use September as a measure because that’s the transition period between summer and winter in the Arctic,” said Won Chang, a co-author of the study. “Ice recedes from June to September, and then in September it begins to grow again in a seasonal cycle. And we’re saying we could have no ice in September.”

For the study, the researchers modeled climate projections of sea ice coverage under different temperature scenarios. 

The models showed that there was a six percent chance that summers could be ice-free if temperatures rose 1.5 degrees Celsius and a 28 percent probability of sea ice disappearing at two degrees. 

Besides the concerning projections for an ice-free Arctic summer, the researchers developed a new modeling approach with a statistical framework for the study. 

“Our work provides a new statistical and mathematical framework to calculate climate change and impact probabilities,” said Jason Evans, a professor who works at the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a> and its<a href="http://www.ccrc.unsw.edu.au/"> Climate Change Research Centre</a>.

The study findings were published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s***************-x">Nature Communications</a>. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/online express

Septembers in the Arctic could soon be ice-free

If global temperatures increase by two degrees Celsius, summers in...

Superdeep diamonds found in an ancient underground reservoir. It’s been long hypothesized that a reservoir containing ancient, undisturbed rock was sandwiched somewhere between Earth’s core and crust. 

Now, analysis of gasses found in newly excavated <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-bend-stretch-diamonds/">diamonds</a> confirms the existence of such subterranean reservoir, which is estimated to be about as old as the Moon and hidden in Earth’s mantle, about 410 km below sea level.

After Earth was formed, it was disrupted by violent geological and extraterrestrial activity. Therefore, almost nothing of its original structure remains. But in the 1980s, geochemists found that some basalt lavas contained a rare isotope ratio of helium 3 to helium 4 — a ratio that is often found in ancient meteorites that had impacted Earth.

This discovery led them to believe that the basalt lava was carried from a reservoir deep within the Earth, in which materials haven’t really changed for the past 4 billion years.

"This pattern has been observed in 'Ocean Island Basalts', which are lavas coming to the surface from deep in the Earth, and form islands such as Hawaii and Iceland," said lead researcher Dr. Suzette Timmerman, from the <a href="https://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a>, via her study published in <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>. "The problem is that although these basalts are brought to the surface, we only see a glimpse of their history. We don't know much about the mantle where their melts came from".

So, Timmerman and her team measured helium isotopes within superdeep diamonds that were brought to the surface by violent volcanic eruptions. 

"Diamonds are the hardest, most indestructible natural substance known, so they form a perfect time capsule that provides us a window into the deep Earth,” Timmerman said. “We were able to extract helium gas from twenty-three super-deep diamonds from the Juina area of Brazil. These showed the characteristic isotopic composition that we would expect from a very ancient reservoir, confirming that the gases are remnants of a time at or even before the Moon and Earth collided.”

“From the geochemistry of the diamonds, we know that they formed in an area called the 'transition zone', which is between 410 and 660 km below the surface of the Earth,” she continued. “This means that this unseen reservoir, left over from the Earth's beginnings, must be in this area or below it.”

More research is necessary to figure out how large the reservoir is, or if it’s even a single reservoir rather than several smaller ones. It’s location, chemical composition, among other properties, are still unknown.

“But with this work we are beginning to home in on what is probably the oldest remaining comparatively undisturbed material on Earth,” Timmerman concluded. 

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Graham Pearson

Superdeep diamonds found in an ancient underground reservoir

Superdeep diamonds found in an ancient underground reservoir. It’s been...

This summer, the movie Crawl joined the ranks of other animal horror blockbusters from the lineage of Jaws. As someone with an interest and love of alligators and a soft spot for horror flicks, I was guardedly excited to watch Crawl. 

The film focuses on a father and daughter with a troubled relationship (along with their adorable dog Sugar) and follows the normal format of a horror film. The movie starts with Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) at a University of Florida swim practice where she loses a race. It seems like this is foreshadowing of her faceoff with killer alligators and this idea is only reinforced by her father calling her an ‘apex predator’ as an encouragement throughout the film. 

During a major hurricane, Haley ignores posted flood warnings and drives past road closures to check on her father Dave (Barry Pepper) after a call from her worried sister. The family dog Sugar leads Haley to the darkest, creepiest part of the home she grew up in – the crawl space. Shortly after descending the stairs to the crawl space, Haley is challenged by an enormous alligator that smashes through the stairs as if they were matchsticks. The rest of the film is a violent struggle for survival with vicious alligators as the house slowly floods during the Category 5 hurricane.

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/florida-men-alligator-attacks/">alligators</a> are center to the film although dialogues and flashbacks try to bring some depth to the characters and story. Technology has made the alligators in the film incredible looking, if not always really accurate looking. Most people have never seen the inside of a live alligator’s mouth but I have, it’s really a yellowish off-white color. In the movie, the alligator’s mouths seem a bit more of an expected reddish color. 

Minor details like this only highlight how real the alligators in the film look, though. Director Alexandre Aja revealed in an interview with <a href="https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3572094/alexandre-aja-explains-importance-using-cgi-alligators-crawl-interview/">Bloody-Disgusting</a> that although some old fashioned props were used, the alligators were almost entirely CGI. That said, there are many surprising details that seem outlandish but are somewhat keeping with alligator behavior. 

In one scene, several alligators tear a person apart, seeming to cooperate with each other. Despite their selfish, dim-witted reputation, alligators have been known to <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/herpetology/links/cooperative-feeding">cooperate</a> while hunting and feeding. In another scene, one alligator seems to almost purposefully scare Haley towards another. This behavior is also similar to real life. In his book <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=HFktAgAAQBAJ&amp;q=Pig#v=snippet&amp;q=Pig&amp;f=false">Dragon Songs</a>, biologist Vladimir Dinets tells of observing two crocodiles (behaviorally similar) hunting a pig. One crocodile burst from the water in front of the pig walking along a nearby trail. The startled pig ran backwards and slipped into the jaws of another waiting crocodile. Dinets also tells of watching alligators work together while hunting catfish in the US. 

But there were other details in Crawl that seemed inaccurate and out of place. In one scene, Haley is trying to make her way out of the crawl space through an overflow drain pipe, near the entrance of the pipe, she encounters alligator eggs. She accidentally breaks one of the eggs revealing a yellow, completely undeveloped yolk. An underwater shot also reveals a baby alligator near the ‘nest’. Perhaps the scene is used to subtly encourage a bit of empathy for the viewer, making the savage killing of humans more understandable. Maybe the alligators are trying to feed young, or protect a nest. 

Yet, the nest isn’t very realistic. The hurricane season and the alligator nesting season overlap sufficiently for the timing to make sense but the ‘nest’ looks like a pile of unprotected eggs. Alligator eggs depend on rotting vegetation to supply incubation warmth and are usually not far from water, certainly not typically under a house. It’s also odd that the alligators that hunt so ferociously aren’t near the nest to protect it, typical behavior. 

The most obvious odd detail is the mis-match between undeveloped eggs and fully hatched babies. Most alligator nests hatch over a shorter period than suggested in the film. Of course, the most glaring inaccuracy in the alligators is their vicious hunting of humans and unending appetite. 

It’s true that alligators sometimes pose a real threat to humans but they don’t continuously hunt for whoever they can find, as the film suggests. Alligators also have much smaller appetites than their large size suggests, as their ‘cold blooded’ metabolisms actually allow long periods of fasting. Increasing alligator aggression seems necessary to drive the plot of Crawl along but it clashes oddly with the nest scene.

Over the course of the film, limbs are lost, many background characters including gas station looters and policemen are eaten by the never-satisfied alligators. Along with the reptiles, another rarely commented upon danger continues to build in the form of a hurricane and the attendant flood. <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/crawl-climate-change-alligator">GQ</a> suggests that hidden in the flood waters are the secret monster of the film. The encouragement that Haley’s dad uses throughout the film that she’s an apex predator suggests that perhaps humans are the most dangerous animal after all.

The hurricane waters seem to sweep the alligators along and trap the humans with them, this seems like a horror movie norm – a storm trapping the characters in a dangerous building. When you consider the question - What caused the hurricane? - the situation becomes more complicated. 

It may not be the intention of the film makers but it’s easy to see humanity in the swirling impersonality of the hurricane. After all, climate change is predicted to increase the rate and severity of storms and Florida in particular is in danger of slipping under rising sea levels. Climate change is never uttered in the film but viewed from this angle, Crawl joins the ranks of other eco horror films like The Happening. Perhaps, like most deadly encounters with wild animals in the real world, humans created the horrible scenario in Crawl. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer     

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com </a>

Image Credit: Ghosthouse Pictures

‘Crawl’ offers mixed depiction of alligators and a larger environmental message

This summer, the movie Crawl joined the ranks of other...

Energy use in buildings and homes accounts for over one third of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/co2-emissions-56-million-years/">CO2 emissions</a> in the United States. However, a new model developed by Jared Langevin, a research scientist at <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a>, and colleagues, shows that cutting the amount of emissions produced by U.S. buildings by 80% by 2050 is an attainable goal and requires the installation of new energy-efficient building technologies, innovative operational approaches, the electrification of fossil-fuel consuming building systems, and an increase in the share of electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

"Buildings are a substantial lever to pull in trying to reduce total national CO2 emissions since they are responsible for 36% of all energy-related emissions in the U.S.," said lead author Jared Langevin. "Because the buildings sector uses energy in a multitude of ways and is responsible for such a large share of electricity demand, buildings can help accelerate the cost-effective integration of clean electricity sources on top of contributing direct emissions reductions through reduced energy use.”

Langevin and his colleagues considered three types of efficiency measures in their estimates of possible CO2 emissions reductions. These efficiency measures included alternatives like dynamic windows and wall air sealing, control strategies to improve building operations, and the conversion of fuel-fired heating and water systems to electric systems.

They also looked at how parallel incorporation of renewable energy sources into the electric grid could potentially shift emissions reduction estimates from individual buildings and the total buildings sector.

"While building CO2 emissions are quite sensitive to the greenhouse gas intensity of the electricity supply, measures that improve the efficiency of energy demand from buildings need to be part of the solution," Langevin said. "Getting close to the 80% emissions reduction target requires concurrent reductions in building energy demand, electrification of this demand, and substantial penetration of renewable sources of electricity — nearly half of annual electricity generation by 2050.” 

“Moreover, buildings can support the cost-effective integration of variable renewable sources by offering flexibility in their operational patterns in response to electric grid needs."

After considering many different avenues, the researchers found two particularly promising ways to effectively reduce emissions output. The first is installing energy-saving retrofits and upgrades to windows, walls, roofs, and insulation. And the second is the usage of smart software that optimizes energy-intensive building heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation services.

"Regulations and incentives that support the sale of more efficient, less carbon-intensive technology options, early-stage research and development that drives breakthroughs in technology performance, aggressive marketing of those technologies once developed, training for local contractors charged with technology installation, and consumer willingness to consider purchasing newer options on the market are all needed to achieve the 80% emissions reduction goal by 2050," Langevin said.

The study and model is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(19)30357-5">Joule</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Quality Stock Arts

How buildings could reduce their carbon emissions by 80 percent

Energy use in buildings and homes accounts for over one...

The quality of different waterways can vary from season to season due to microbial communities that thrive in different conditions. A fisherman from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a> set out to investigate these changes more thoroughly. 

Zachary Weagly, a Penn State University graduate, and a team of researchers tested three freshwater sites around the Blue Marsh watershed in Pennsylvania over several years to track changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algal-blooms-lake-eerie/">water quality</a>. 

“Zach came to me because he is an avid fisherman and our campus abuts a tributary of the Schuylkill River, Tulpehocken Creek,” said Tami Mysilwiec, an associate professor of biology at Penn State. “When he went fishing he noticed changes in the water and the fish at various times.”

The team collected water from a creek near agricultural land, a lake with an artificial dam, and an area downstream surrounded by industrial complexes. 

The water samples were analyzed with Biolog Ecoplates, which can test for 31 different chemicals that contain carbon and show what bacteria are present in the water. 

Microbial communities have recognizable reactions on the plates, which allowed the researchers to record changes in bacteria in the water. 

“The three sites are in three different environmental areas,” said Mysilwiec. “The water quality changes on a seasonal basis, which leads to the question of what happens to potential pathogens.”

The researchers focused on the concentrations of E. coli and Enterococci bacteria present in the three sites at different times of the year. 

Gene sequencing using the 16S rRNA gene also helped provide an overview of the disease-causing bacteria in the water. 

There were seasonal differences in water quality across all three sites. During the fall and mid-spring months, the researchers documented an increase in nitrate and phosphate levels. Microbial communities varied from site to site. 

Colonies of bacteria increased in the summer months, and peak levels were recorded when human use of the waterways was at its highest. 

E. coli and Enterococci bacteria were over acceptable levels in the lake the majority of the time, the researchers found. 

“We found that the lake near the survey was over the acceptable amounts 93% of the time,” said Jill M. Felker, a researcher on the project. “We also found that depending on the season, E. coli could be 36 percent higher than previously measured and Enterococci could be 86 percent higher than previously measured."

The study findings were reported at the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.esa.org/">Ecological Society of America</a> in Louisville, Kentucky. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Zach Weagly, Penn State

How quality in waterways changes from season to season

The quality of different waterways can vary from season to...

A new study led by the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> has looked at the role that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/melting-ice-sheets-release-methane/">ice sheets</a> play in Earth's carbon cycle. Based on research involving hundreds of scientists over the last three decades, the team found that understanding the dynamics of these frozen regions is critical for carbon and climate predictions. 

The study highlights the fact that ice sheets can no longer be overlooked in models of the carbon cycle and under scenarios of climate change.

Study lead author Professor Jemma Wadham explained how a unique set of conditions present beneath ice sheets make them important reactors in the Earth's carbon cycle.

"Here, grinding of rock by moving ice is high, liquid water is abundant and microbes thrive in melt zones despite inhospitable conditions - the ice sheets erode their bedrock, cold-adapted microbes process the ground rock and boost nutrient release and glacial meltwaters export this nutrient to the oceans, also stimulating the upwelling of further nutrient from depth at glacier marine margins."

"All this nutrient supports fisheries and stimulates drawdown of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere," said Professor Wadham.

"Ice sheets are also very effective at storing vast amounts of carbon as they grow over marine sediments, soils and vegetation," said study co-author Professor Rob Spencer.

"The Antarctic Ice Sheet alone potentially stores up to 20,000 billion tons of organic carbon - ten times more than that estimated for Northern Hemisphere permafrost."

"Some of this carbon is released in meltwaters and fuels marine food webs. The carbon that is left behind in deep parts of ice sheets is converted to methane gas by microbial and/or geothermal activity, which has the potential to be stored as solid methane hydrate under low temperatures and high pressure conditions."

"We have no idea how stable potential methane hydrate will be in a warming climate if ice sheets thin. There is evidence from past phases of ice sheet wastage in Europe that sub-ice sheet methane hydrate has existed and can be released rapidly if ice thins."

The researchers also analyzed the last transition from glacial conditions to the warmer conditions of the present day. In ocean cores obtained near Antarctica, the team looked for clues that may link ice sheet nutrient iron export through Antarctic icebergs to productivity in the Southern Ocean, which is a major global carbon sink.

"One important way that the Southern Ocean takes carbon out of the atmosphere is by growth of phytoplankton in its surface waters," explained study co-author Dr. Jon Hawkings.

"However, these tiny ocean dwelling plants are limited by the availability of iron. We have long thought that atmospheric dust was important as a supplier of iron to these waters, but we now know that icebergs host iron-rich sediments which also fertilise the ocean waters as the bergs melt."

The sub-Antarctic ocean cores showed that, as the climate warmed at the end of the last glacial period, iron transport to the Southern Ocean decreased while CO2 increased.

"While there are many possible causes for the CO2 rise, the data tantalizingly suggests that falling iron supply to the Southern Ocean via icebergs could have been a contributing factor," said Professor Karen Kohfeld.

"Ice sheets are highly sensitive parts of our planet - we change temperatures in the air and ocean waters around them and thinning and retreat are inevitable," added Professor Wadham. "The evidence we present here suggests that ice sheets may have important feedbacks to the carbon cycle which require further study as the uncertainty is still huge."

"Gaining access to some of the most inaccessible and challenging parts of ice sheet beds, for example via deep drilling, alongside building numerical models which can represent biogeochemical processes in ice sheets will be key to future progress in this field."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Dr Stefan Hofer

Ice sheets play a major role in the global carbon cycle and climate change

A new study led by the University of Bristol has...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a> have discovered that climate change is disrupting local plant diversity. Increasing numbers of plant species are emerging across regions where the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-europe-wetter/">climate</a> has experienced the most dramatic changes, particularly in colder areas.

In an era that is now officially known as The Anthropocene, human activities have driven substantial declines in biodiversity on a global scale. However, even though the total number of plant species worldwide is in a state of decline, local plant diversity appears to be increasing in some places. 

According to the researchers, rapid changes in rainfall and other climate factors may be allowing new species to thrive. 

"We used a large dataset of over 200 studies in which botanists had counted the number of plant species present in survey plots situated all around the world," explained study lead author Dr. Andrew Suggitt.

"We tested for the influence of climate change alongside other well-known drivers of diversity change, finding that the local differences in climate, and exposure to climate change, were responsible for a substantial part of the change in plant species numbers found in these surveys."

"Our models suggest that typical rates of climate change in cooler regions of the world are driving an increase in local species richness of 5% per decade."

Dr. Suggitt explained that this number is really quite significant if the phenomenon continues for 13 decades or more, especially considering that humans have already been changing the climate for over half a century. He also pointed out that climate change is expected to persist until the end of the century, and possibly beyond. 

"This does not mean that the botanical world gets a clean bill of health. We are living in 'The Anthropocene' epoch, and some plant species have become globally extinct. Many, many more are endangered," said study co-author Professor Chris Thomas.

"However, there is a disconnect between what is happening at that global level and the average change to plant diversity that can be observed in, say, a one meter square plot of ground."

"The effect of climate change may not be as dramatic as a meadow being turned into a car park, or a forest being cut down, but it's a pervasive effect that is already evident over vast areas of the Earth's land surface. For example, warmth-loving bee orchids have started arriving at a much wider variety of sites across the north of England, taking advantage of the changing climate."

"The data we have analyzed tells us that colonists are tending to arrive faster than incumbents disappear, giving rise to slight increases in plant diversity in places where the climate is changing the most."

"The recent global assessment report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services* highlighted worrying declines in plants and animals around the world," added Dr. Suggitt.

"But it also highlighted the sore need for greater clarity over how climate change is shuffling the deck of plant species found in particular locations - especially in under-sampled areas such as the tropics, Africa and Asia."

"We hope our study opens the door to a fuller understanding of how climate change is affecting plant communities, and what this means for the conservation of nature and its contribution to people."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Prof Chris Thomas, University of York

Local plant diversity has been disrupted by climate change, research shows

Researchers at the University of York have discovered that climate...

Trump admin aims to remove public input from forest clearcutting projects. As I have <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/trump-record-environment-2020/">previously reported</a>, the Trump administration has rolled back a wide variety of environmental rules and regulations. Now, the administration is taking aim at the <a href="https://ceq.doe.gov">National Environmental Policy Act</a> (NEPA). 

NEPA was signed into law by President Nixon and has long been used to guide environmental policy and public engagement in federal land management. NEPA was first enacted to “declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the Nation; and to establish a Council on Environmental Quality.”

In practice, NEPA is a big reason that federal protections for land are more robust and substantial in the US than state protected lands. NEPA requires an environmental impact study on any major federal construction project, rule or regulation before it’s enacted. NEPA also requires an opening for public input on these types of changes. 

This means when the forest service wants to open land to logging or change the way lumber is harvested in an area, normal citizens are informed and allowed to comment on the change. The same goes for building pipelines on public lands, oil and gas or mineral rights leases. 

All of these require an opening and review period for public comments as well as an environmental impact study. Until this point, any timber harvest over 70 acres required public input. Due to an underfunded forest service, this in principal meant that decision making became incredibly slow. <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2400593/us-forest-service-public-commenting">Outside Online</a> reports that on average, a US Forest Service environmental assessment under NEPA took 687 days. 

The Trump administration has been finding ways around NEPA rules, but now threatens to change it fundamentally. 

<a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/436174-deceptions-may-sink-plans-to-drill-for-oil-in-the-arctic-refuge">The Hill</a> reports that the Trump administration plans to go ahead with opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling, without a complete environmental impact statement, violating NEPA. 

Trump’s border wall was exempted from NEPA rules because as the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/charise-johnson/demolishing-public-protections-to-build-trumps-wall?_ga=2.204134800.1035514069.1555014409-178308280.1555014409">Union of Concerned Scientists</a> reports, the Department of Homeland Security simply waived NEPA and other laws to build the wall. The exemption by the Department of Homeland Security was made possible by the Real ID Act of 2005, which allows the department to waive certain requirements under laws like NEPA and the Endangered Species Act.

Prior to the exceptions made for the wall, such regulations have been waived seven times, five times under President George W. Bush and two times in 2017. Despite this ability to waive regulations under certain circumstances, the Trump administration is trying to remove the requirement for public input on changes in federal environmental management as a regular part of the process. An <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/01/07/2019-00014/promoting-active-management-of-americas-forests-rangelands-and-other-federal-lands-to-improve">executive order</a> by President Trump, if finalized, would change the process indefinitely.

The new proposed rule outlined in Trump’s executive order would allow the US Forest Service to authorize forest clearcutting or other commercial logging activities of up to 4,200 acres without an environmental impact statement or public input. 4,200 acres is a large area but it’s possible that logging activities could be placed near each other, creating in reality a much larger area of logging devastation. 

The new rule’s anti-environmental agenda is hidden in language of fire suppression:

“For decades, dense trees and undergrowth have amassed in these lands, fueling catastrophic wildfires. These conditions, along with insect infestation, invasive species, disease, and drought, have weakened our forests… Active management of vegetation is needed to treat these dangerous conditions on Federal lands but is often delayed due to challenges associated with regulatory analysis and current consultation requirements…” 

A look at the Trump administration’s <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/sites/default/files/media_wysiwyg/usfs-fy-2020-budget-justification.pdf">proposed budget</a> for the <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/">US Forest Service</a> shows that firefighting isn’t one of their major concerns. The budget cuts the Wildland Fire Management budget by $530 million to $2.4 billion $2.4 billion. This is despite a trend of more fires with increased severity in the western US, where most forest service land is found. 

According to <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/blog/2830/six-trends-to-know-about-fire-season-in-the-western-us/">NASA</a>, 61% of forest fires in the western US over the last 60 years occurred since 2000. The number of fires to burn more than 200,000 acres have increased in the last 20 years as well, and no fires of this size were documented before 1970. 

Climate change is predicted to continue to increase the number of large forest fires in the western US and elsewhere. The US Forest Service could play a real role in fighting climate change as well as mitigating the potential danger of forest fires, yet the current administration seems to see land management’s only benefit in hastening private business on public land.

We stand at a time when we may have our last chance to comment on forest service policy and it’s an opportunity no American should let pass by. The <a href="https://www.southernenvironment.org">Southern Environmental Law Center</a> and other organizations have been pushing back against the proposed rule and other environmental deregulation. The organization created an easy to use <a href="https://actnow.io/SDHxzru">online tool</a> to comment on the proposed change in the US Forest Service. 

Imagine showing up to your favorite hiking trail, campground, picnic area, climbing route, fishing spot, anywhere you can imagine in the forest and finding nothing but cleared land dotted with stumps. This could be a reality if concerned citizens don’t speak up now, as there would be no requirement that anyone in the public be informed before their land is handed over to those who would despoil it for a profit.    Trump admin aims to remove public input from forest clearcutting projects

This is also a time to find your local and federal elected official’s contact information and write to them yourself. The comment period has been extended, originally it was to end on August 12 now it’s been extended to August 26, still enough time to make your thoughts known. You can comment directly at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FS-2019-0010-0001">regulations.gov</a> or submit comments by mail to: 
NEPA Services Group
Care of Amy Barker
USDA Forest Service
125 South State Street, Suite 1705
Salt Lake City, UT 84138
or email at <a href="mailto:nepa-procedures-revision@fs.fed.us">nepa-procedures-revision@fs.fed.us</a>   
--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rachel Strandquist

Trump admin aims to remove public input from forest clearcutting projects

Trump admin aims to remove public input from forest clearcutting...

California leads a federal lawsuit over replacement of the Clean Power Plan. States across the country are suing the Trump administration in an attempt to overthrow the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, which was passed by the EPA this summer to loosen restrictions on coal-fired power plants. 

An alliance of six cities, the District of Columbia, and 22 states including California, Michigan, and New York has joined forces to ask a federal court to put a stop to the legislation before it is ever implemented.

The ACE rule was designed to directly undermine the emissions-reductions targets that were adopted by the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pruitt-clean-power-plan/">Clean Power Plan</a> (CPP). The Trump administration claimed the CPP was "an overreach of EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act."

Created by former President Obama, the CPP set a 2030 goal of reducing carbon pollution by 32 percent below 2005 levels. According to the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/">Natural Resources Defense Council</a> (NRDC), power sector emissions had already decreased by 28 percent in 2017, 13 years ahead of schedule.

The CPP was also combatting the enormous costs associated with climate change and the damaging health effects of air pollution, and was projected to save the country an estimated $25 to $45 billion by 2030. 

In the same time frame, the CPP was expected to reduce the pollutants that contribute to smog and soot by 25 percent, helping to avoid 140,000 to 150,000 asthma attacks among children and up to 6,600 premature deaths. 

But the ACE rule, which was finalized in June, will allow for much of this progress to be dismantled by allowing states to set their own standards for coal plants.

"This is a perversion of the Clean Air Act, which requires EPA to set performance targets and requires state plans to meet those targets," stated the NRDC.

The lawsuit to stop the ACE rule was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington this week. The move was announced on Tuesday by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Mary Nichols, the chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board. 

The California officials said the new EPA rules will be damaging to both the climate and the economy. 

"President Trump’s attempt to gut our nation’s Clean Power Plan is foolish - and it’s also unlawful," said Becerra, who pointed out that the ACE rule would hurt the emerging energy market as well. “Because we’re prepared to confront the climate crisis head-on, we’re prepared to confront President Trump head-on in court.” California leads a federal lawsuit over replacement of the Clean Power Plan

Many critics believe that President Trump’s new rule is yet another effort to support the fading coal industry. The jurisdictions behind the latest legal battle intend to expose that, regardless of the motivation behind it, the ACE rule puts both the environment and human health at risk. 

"They are in the short-term business," Governor Newsom said of the Trump administration. "California is in the future business. We are leaping ahead." He added that the world is looking to his state to take on Trump and defend climate policies. 

"California is proving that smart climate policies are good for our economy and good for the planet,” said Governor Newsom. “As the Trump administration attempts to obliterate national climate protections, California will continue advancing the cause of American climate leadership.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rudmer Zwerver

California leads a federal lawsuit over replacement of the Clean Power Plan

California leads a federal lawsuit over replacement of the Clean...

Many areas of the US are already experiencing considerable warming. Extreme climate change has arrived, as some places in the United States are already warming up at an unprecedented rate. 

That’s according to a thorough analysis by the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/climate-environment/climate-change-america/">Washington Post</a> which shows that temperatures in the US are creeping closer or have already passed the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-temperatures-increases-double/">two degrees Celsius threshold</a>. 

Warming of two degrees Celsius is the number emphasized in countless climate studies and the 2015 Paris Climate Accord because it marks the point where irreversible effects of climate change will begin to set in. Many areas of the US are already experiencing considerable warming

Once we pass that two degrees mark, it could lead to devastating sea-level rise, severe weather extremes, the displacement of millions of people, and food shortages.  

The US has experienced a rash of record-breaking heat waves in recent years. For 71 US counties, warming of two degrees Celsius has already occurred.

For the analysis, the Washington Post reviewed more than a century of temperature data from the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> and temperature databases from the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration</a>. 

The temperature data covered all the lower 48 states and 3,107 counties. Currently, more than one in ten people in the US live in areas that are rapidly heating up like Los Angeles and New York. 

Rhode Island’s average temperature has already passed two degrees Celsius, and Alaska is the fastest-warming state in the country, according to the analysis. 

A big part of the temperature shifts can be attributed to warmer than average winter temperatures rather than blistering summer heatwaves. 

For example, in New Jersey, warm winter temperatures have led to early thaws and lakes that don’t freeze over as often as they once did. 

Every state in the northeast besides Pennsylvania has experienced winter temperatures that exceeded two degrees Celsius. 

In the Washington Post analysis, the authors were able to identify larger areas that have passed two degrees Celsius. These hotspot “clusters” stretch across the Pacific Northwest and up along the Great Lakes around Minnesota and Michigan.   

The majority of the US has experienced significant warming over the years except for areas in Mississippi and Alabama.  

Even factoring in record-breaking cold snaps like the recent Polar Vortex that caused temperatures to plummet across the Northern US, the analysis points to a warming trend. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/titoOnz

Many areas of the US are already experiencing considerable warming

Many areas of the US are already experiencing considerable warming....

<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=lHHxOej4QfE
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic pollution.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invisible-threat-in-urban-air">Invisible threat in urban air</h2>



City dwellers face an unseen danger with every breath. New findings from Emory University researchers suggest that fine particulate matter from <a href="http://earth.com/news/traffic-related-air-pollution-might-increase-alzheimers-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vehicle emissions may significantly elevate the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease</a>. The study examined brain tissue samples from 224 individuals who had confirmed diagnoses and volunteered their brains for scientific research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disturbing-connections-emerge">Disturbing connections emerge</h2>



Scientists analyzed neuritic plaques — protein clusters that characterize Alzheimer's — while mapping each participant's exposure to PM2.5 particles based on residential location and surrounding traffic density. The correlation proved more alarming than anticipated. Individuals experiencing higher pollution exposure showed nearly double the likelihood of elevated plaque accumulation in brain tissue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-timing-matters">Timing matters</h2>



The research team discovered that pollution exposure during the final year before death demonstrated the strongest association with brain changes. This timeline suggests relatively rapid impacts from environmental toxins on neural health. The connection remained robust even after accounting for various demographic and health factors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-vulnerability-patterns">Genetic vulnerability patterns</h2>



Perhaps most concerning, people lacking the APOE gene—which naturally predisposes individuals to Alzheimer's — exhibited more than twice the susceptibility to pollution-related brain damage. Study author Dr. Anke Huels noted this indicates environmental elements like air contamination could trigger the disease in cases where hereditary factors don't explain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-implications">Public health implications</h2>



These findings, published in <a href="https://www.neurology.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neurology</a>, underscore the critical importance of air quality regulations in urban planning. The research suggests that implementing stricter emission controls and promoting alternative transportation could serve as powerful tools in Alzheimer's prevention.



As cities worldwide grapple with growing traffic congestion and aging populations, this study highlights an urgent need for comprehensive approaches to environmental health that protect both our lungs and our minds.



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—–

Traffic fumes may trigger Alzheimer's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHHxOej4QfE Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic...

<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=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



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



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<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=K0DuSr87SHY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-earth-became-a-frozen-wasteland">When Earth became a frozen wasteland</h2>



Imagine Earth as a giant snowball, frozen solid from the North Pole to the equator. This wasn't the plot of a science fiction movie – it was our planet's reality 700 million years ago during an extreme ice age that has puzzled scientists for decades.



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



Australian researchers from the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sydney</a> have finally cracked one of geology's greatest mysteries: what caused the Sturtian glaciation and why it persisted for an unprecedented 57 million years. This period occurred long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, when no complex plants or multicellular animals existed.



Dr. Adriana Dutkiewicz, the study's lead author, describes a world completely unlike today's climate. "Imagine the Earth almost completely frozen over," she explained. "The planet was blanketed in ice from poles to equator, and temperatures plunged."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-combination-of-climate-factors">The combination of climate factors</h2>



The research team discovered that this massive freeze resulted from a "double whammy" of geological events. First, plate tectonic activity reduced volcanic carbon dioxide emissions to historically low levels. Volcanic activity typically releases CO2 into the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that keeps Earth warm.



Simultaneously, weathering of volcanic rocks in what is now Canada actively absorbed atmospheric CO2, further reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. When atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dropped below 200 parts per million – less than half of today's levels – glaciation engulfed the entire planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-climate-implications">Modern climate implications</h2>



Published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geology</a>, this research provides crucial insights into Earth's climate system. While geological climate changes occur over millions of years, the study emphasizes that human-induced climate change is happening at a pace ten times faster than previously observed natural changes, highlighting the urgent need to understand our planet's delicate climate balance.



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What caused the planet's longest ice age

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY 57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists....

<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=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<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.

<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://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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter 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://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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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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



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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

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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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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