Hotter summers are not just uncomfortable, they also changing the odds of getting sick from food. A new analysis links warmer air, higher moisture, specific dewpoint ranges, and longer daylight to spikes in Salmonella infections across two European countries. 



The team showed that risk climbs when average temperatures rise above about 50°F and days stretch past 12 to 15 hours.



Lead author <a href="https://www.londonntd.org/research/researchers/laura-c-gonzalez-villeta" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Laura C. González Villeta</a> of the University of Surrey’s <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/school-veterinary-medicine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Veterinary Medicine</a> led work that tied laboratory confirmed Salmonella cases to local weather conditions using a transparent statistical approach.



The bacteria called Salmonella cause <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15697-salmonella" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food poisoning</a> that often brings diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Common symptoms usually start within hours to a few days and most people recover without treatment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmonella-and-the-weather">Salmonella and the weather</h2>



Researchers linked daily case counts from the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UK Health Security Agency</a> to detailed weather from the <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Met Office</a>, then checked the model with national surveillance data from the Netherlands. 



They examined 14 factors, including temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, sunshine, and dewpoint temperature.



Instead of forcing a complex equation to fit the data, the group calculated a conditional incidence that directly describes how often cases occur when specific combinations of weather are present. 



That method lets you see which trio of conditions lines up with higher infection counts without hiding the signal inside a black box.



The approach showed consistency when moved from one country to another after accounting for reporting differences. That matters because public <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/to-get-fit-and-stay-healthy-walk-this-exact-distance-every-day/">health</a> tools work best when they travel across borders without losing accuracy.



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



Risk rose when average air temperatures topped roughly 50°F, day length sat between 12 and 15 hours, and dewpoint hovered around the mid 40s to about 50°F. The same pattern appeared regardless of location.



Not every weather knob seemed important. Wind speed, air pressure, and sunshine duration had little or no association with reported cases in this dataset.



Seasonal peaks in late summer were reproduced when the model fed on local weather. That gave officials a way to anticipate risk based on last week’s skies rather than waiting for lab reports to trickle in.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-weather-boosts-salmonella">How weather boosts Salmonella</h2>



Broader evidence lines up with these findings. A large <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11530612/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meta-analysis</a> of 23 Salmonella studies found about a 5 percent rise in risk for every 1.8°F increase in temperature.



Europe’s outbreak history shows why this topic matters. In 2018, nearly one in three foodborne outbreaks in the European Union were caused by Salmonella, according to an EFSA <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/salmonella-most-common-cause-foodborne-outbreaks-european-union" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>.



That baseline risk has not disappeared in recent years. Surveillance summaries still identify Salmonella as a leading cause of foodborne outbreaks across the region, with eggs and mixed foods often involved, as noted in EFSA’s public <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/7666" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">publication</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-public-health">What this means for public health</h2>



“The study highlights how weather plays a significant role in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-are-overlooked-sources-of-antibiotic-resistant-salmonella/">Salmonella</a> outbreaks and provides a valuable tool for predicting future risks and tailoring interventions, particularly in the context of climate change,” said Dr. Villeta. The work is not just about describing patterns.&nbsp;



Weather aware forecasting can help agencies time inspections, target hygiene messaging, and plan surge capacity when the odds of illness tick up. 



Food businesses can also adjust cold chain checks, staff training, and consumer advice when riskier conditions line up.



Individuals are not powerless either. Keep cold foods cold, cook poultry and eggs to safe temperatures, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, and wash hands and surfaces, especially when the air is warm and the day runs long.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-tech-forecasting-tools">High-tech forecasting tools</h2>



Most forecasting tools lean on regression or time series fits that struggle with tangled, non linear interactions. 



The conditional incidence approach shows how combinations of temperature, humidity, and daylight align with cases, which is easier to interpret and to explain.



That clarity helps separate what drives risk from noise. It also allows public health teams to identify factor combinations that do not explain much, saving effort where it will not pay off.



Model outputs replicated real world peaks and mapped risk at fine spatial scales. That is the level where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childrens-screen-time-shapes-their-mental-health-as-teens/">health</a> departments and food producers make day to day choices.



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



The model tracks reported cases, which understate total infections. Even so, de trending and validation across two countries suggest the weather signals are real.



Future tests in different climates and income settings would show how far the method travels. Adding data on livestock density, land use, and consumer behavior could sharpen predictions without losing transparency.



Better early warnings do not replace basic food safety, but they can make those steps more timely. That is useful as warmer summers and longer heat seasons become more common.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453(25)00004-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Infection</a>.



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Warmer weather is impacting global food supply, but not in the way you think

Hotter summers are not just uncomfortable, they also changing the odds of getting sick from food. A new analysis links warmer air, higher moisture, specific dewpoint ranges, and longer daylight to spikes in Salmonella infections across two European countries. The team showed that risk climbs when average temperatures rise above about 50°F and days stretch past 12 to 15 hours. Lead author Dr. Laura C. González Villeta of the University of Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine led work that tied laboratory confirmed Salmonella cases to local weather...

Before the beginning of the last <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hyenas-arctic-last-ice-age/">ice age</a>, temperatures had already been declining for more than ten million years. It is widely believed that this cooling was driven by rock weathering which coincided with the formation of mountain ranges such as the Andes and the Himalayas. 

Some scientists have questioned, however, whether rock weathering could have removed enough CO2 from the air to cool the atmosphere and trigger an ice age.

A team of researchers including Friedhelm von Blanckenburg of the <a href="https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/home/">GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences</a> set out to investigate. Their findings suggest that it was not weathering but increased "reactivity" of the land surface that decreased atmospheric CO2 and cooled the Earth. 

Experts have long speculated that, as large mountains ranges developed in the last 15 million years, erosion processes greatly increased along with the CO2-binding process of rock weathering. 

"The hypothesis, however, has a big catch," explained Professor von Blanckenburg. "If the atmosphere had actually lost as much CO2 as the weathering created by erosion would have caused, it would hardly have had any CO2 left after less than a million years. All water would have had frozen to ice and life would have had a hard time to survive. But that was not the case."

Professor von Blanckenburg and his colleague Jane Willenbring previously demonstrated in 2010 that the rock weathering theory had its flaws. "We used measurements of the rare isotope beryllium-10 produced by cosmic radiation in the Earth's atmosphere and its ratio to the stable isotope beryllium-9 in ocean sediment to show that the weathering of the land surface had not increased at all."

For the current study, the team expanded on the 2010 research to include data on stable isotopes of the element lithium in ocean sediments as an indicator for the weathering processes. 

Once applied to a computer model of the global carbon cycle, the data revealed that the potential of the land surface to weather had increased, but the speed at which it weathered had not increased. The researchers call this potential of weathering the "reactivity" of the land surface. 

"Reactivity describes how easily chemical compounds or elements take part in a reaction," explained Professor von Blanckenburg. 

If there are more non-weathered and reactive rocks at the surface, these can collectively react as much chemically with just a little CO2 as heavily weathered rocks can react with a lot of CO2. This means that the decrease in CO2 in the atmosphere and the subsequent cooling can be explained without an increased speed of weathering.

"However, a geological process is needed to rejuvenate the land surface and make it more 'reactive'," said Professor von Blanckenburg."This does not necessarily have to be the formation of large mountains. Similarly, tectonic fractures, a small increase in erosion or the exposure of other types of rock may have caused more material with weathering potential to show at the surface. In any case, our new hypothesis must trigger geological rethinking regarding the cooling before the last ice age."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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: Image Credit: F. von Blanckenburg

Land surfaces became ‘reactive’ and cooled the Earth before the last ice age

Before the beginning of the last ice age, temperatures had...

Record-breaking macroalgae blooms are appearing in the Atlantic Ocean. A team of experts led by the <a href="https://www.marine.usf.edu/">USF College of Marine Science</a> has discovered the world's largest bloom of macroalgae, the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt (GASB), which stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico last year. Based on NASA satellite data, the team found that 200 million tons of brown macroalgae called Sargassum was floating in the surface waters. 

The team also found evidence to suggest that the belt forms seasonally in response to the culmination of two key nutrients. One of these nutrients is flushed into the ocean through the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/amazon-river-flooding-worse/">Amazon River</a> as a result of human activities, and the other is the result of natural upwelling off the West African coast.

"The evidence for nutrient enrichment is preliminary and based on limited field data and other environmental data, and we need more research to confirm this hypothesis," explained study lead author Dr. Chuanmin Hu. "On the other hand, based on the last 20 years of data, I can say that the belt is very likely to be a new normal."Record-breaking macroalgae blooms are appearing in the Atlantic Ocean

Smaller patches of Sargassum contribute to ocean health by producing oxygen and providing habitat for turtles, crabs, fish, and birds. "In the open ocean, Sargassum provides great ecological values, serving as a habitat and refuge for various marine animals. I often saw fish and dolphins around these floating mats," said study first author Dr. Mengqiu Wang.

On the other hand, too much of this seaweed makes it difficult for some marine species to move and breathe, especially when it is concentrated along the coast. Furthermore, when Sargassum dies and sinks to the seabed in large quantities, it can smother corals and seagrasses. 

Before 2011, most of the Sargassum in the ocean was primarily found floating in patches around the Gulf of Mexico and Sargasso Sea. However, in 2011, Sargassum populations began emerging in massive quantities in the central Atlantic Ocean and other places it had not been seen before. 

"The ocean's chemistry must have changed in order for the blooms to get so out of hand," said Dr. Hu. 

According to Dr. Wang, the 2011 bloom was likely caused by Amazon River discharge in previous years, but was intensified by upwelling in the eastern Atlantic and river discharge in the western Atlantic. The researchers observed in the satellite imagery that major blooms had occurred every year between 2011 and 2018 except in 2013, when the cocktail of nutrients needed for the macroalgae to flourish were not present.

Despite significant Amazon discharge in 2009, the blooms did not begin to intensify in 2010 because heavy rainfall in 2009 had reduced the water's salinity and the sea surface temperature was higher than normal. Neither of these two conditions are conducive to Sargassum growth.

"This is all ultimately related to climate change because it affects precipitation and ocean circulation and even human activities, but what we've shown is that these blooms do not occur because of increased water temperature," said Dr. Hu. "They are probably here to stay."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Brian Lapointe, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Record-breaking macroalgae blooms are appearing in the Atlantic Ocean

Record-breaking macroalgae blooms are appearing in the Atlantic Ocean. A...

A new study is unraveling a 40-year-old mystery about how salt crystals are plummeting into the deepest and coldest parts of the Dead Sea and accumulating on the lakebed. The research may ultimately help scientists understand how large salt deposits formed in Earth's geologic past.

The Dead Sea has become saltier in recent decades, and much of that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/moderate-salt-intake-health/">salt</a> is concentrated near the surface. Added heat in the summertime warms the lake and divides the water into two distinct layers, with the upper warm layer becoming saltier than the cooler bottom layer. 

In 1979, scientists first noted that salt crystals were "snowing" down out of the top layer and piling up on the lakebed. This phenomenon seemed to defy the laws of physics because the top layer of water should not be able to mix with the cooler water below because it is much warmer and less dense.

In the current study, the researchers propose that small disturbances within the lake, caused by waves or motion, create "salt fingers" that slowly funnel salt down to the lakebed. 

Study lead author Raphael Ouillon is a mechanical engineer at the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California Santa Barbara</a>. "Initially you form these tiny fingers that are too small to observe... but quickly they interact with each other as they move down, and form larger and larger structures," said Ouillon. 

"The initial fingers might only be a few millimeters or a couple of centimeters thick, but they're everywhere across the entire surface of the lake," said study co-author Eckart Meiburg. "Together these small fingers generate a tremendous amount of salt flux."

The new findings may help to explain the formation of massive salt deposits found within Earth's crust. According to the researchers, the Dead Sea is only hypersaline water body on Earth today where this salt fingering process is happening, so it represents a unique laboratory for researchers to study the mechanisms by which these thick salt deposits have formed.

"Altogether this makes the Dead Sea a unique system," said study co-author Nadav Lensky. "Basically, we have here a new finding that we think is very relevant to the understanding of the arrangement of these basins that were so common in Earth's history."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19447973">Water Resources Research</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: Shutterstock/vvvita

How large salt deposits are forming at the depths of the Dead Sea

A new study is unraveling a 40-year-old mystery about how...

Terra is a French documentary directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Michael Pitiot that aims to connect humans to the natural side of Earth and examine our role in its destruction. 

From close-ups of industrial harvesters raking up row after row of cotton and grains, to slow pans of a landscape engulfed in smoke emitted from the smokestacks of a nickel mine in Norilsk, Russia’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/sep/15/norilsk-red-river-russias-most-polluted-city-clean">most polluted city</a>, Arthus-Bertrand does not shy away from showing how humanity is changing the world.

Terra is less of a nature documentary that entices the viewer with stunning nature shots and little-known facts about the creatures that inhabit the Earth. Instead, the film carefully examines how humans have tipped the scales toward the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-hunted-6th-extinction/">mass extinction of countless species</a>, removing themselves further and further from the animal kingdom. 

The opening scenes execute this theme perfectly. The narrator, French actor Vanessa Paradis, takes us through the very early stages of life on Earth, starting with microbes and fungus, which helped give rise to plant life. 

Soon tiny plants became vast forests with an abundance of animals until humans came along and destroyed the trees, forcing many species to adapt to different landscapes. 

That’s where we, the viewers of the modern age, come in. In one scene, we see a bustling city metro with flashing billboards. One by one, each billboard changes to reveal a nature scene until all the skyscrapers are projecting nature footage much to the delight and bewilderment of the passersby below. 

This is the juxtaposition that fuels the entire film: humans and their relationship to and removal from nature. Like the dichotomy that is human vs. nature itself, Arthus-Bertrand seems to fight with his own vision throughout the documentary. 

Is Terra a lesson, a warning, a call to action, a rolling montage of stunning nature imagery? At times the murky contrasts of the film slow the pace and leave little for the viewer to piece together themselves. But the odd pacing is never enough to detract from the beauty and heartbreaking reality that is the state of the natural world today. 

It’s important to note that because the film is narrated entirely in French, there may be some details left out of the translation. One major way that Terra stands out is the way the narrator consistently uses “I” in place of “we.” 

Because we’re accustomed to hearing ‘we’ in many documentaries like Terra, where the stakes are the future wellbeing of our planet and its many species, hearing ‘I’ in place of ‘we’ represents a jarring tonal shift. 

Take, for example, the phrase, “We have to conserve and protect our world’s natural resources.”

It’s a phrase that you’ve likely heard before, and one all too easily glossed over. But what if you replace ‘we’ with ‘I’? The phrase then becomes, “I must protect the world’s resources.” 

For Arthus-Bertrand, I has a stronger meaning. It’s a bold pronoun that sticks out like a sore thumb, instilling a sense of urgency and responsibility into the audience. Here are just a few phrases where ‘I’ works as a powerhouse in the film. 

“I save with one hand, with the other I slaughter,” the narrator says while the camera zooms in on a recently deceased elephant, likely<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ivory-game-cruelty-ivory-trade/"> killed for its tusks</a>.

“In Denver (Colorado), a federal warehouse keeps the animals captured on US territory. Thousands of ornaments, clothes, accessories, and drugs snatched from a living world. A sad inventory, bearing witness to possession, cruelty, and domination…..its walls tell the story of my madness,” the narrator says while we the audience see rows and rows of stuffed trophies, trinkets, and clothes made from bears, snakes, and crocodiles. 

Some of the hardest to stomach scenes in the film follow the meat industry. We see helicopters herding thousands of cattle in Australia and watch silently as a slaughterhouse conveyor belt makes efficient work of row after row of dead pigs. 

People are eating more meat than ever before worldwide, although research has shown that red meat consumption is slowly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americans-cutting-back-meat/">decreasing in the United States</a>. 

These mega cattle ranches and slaughterhouses produce a living and provide meat for us to eat, but the appalling conditions suffered by the animals and the exhaustive amount of resources it takes to produce just one pound of beef are too easily overlooked. 

“But basically they are force-fed to produce more meat, more quickly, more cheaply, for profit,” the narrator says while the camera flies over thousands of cattle. “So I shut my eyes to it.” 

There is always a risk when documentaries try to make bold, sweeping thesis statements about conservation. 

It can veer toward pandering or preaching, but Terra serves as a meditation on the human experience, the diversity of life, and a plea for people to get more in touch with the natural world. 

The world’s many species have become refugees in their own ecosystems. Time may be running out, and it may be too late to turn back the tide of mass extinction, but I can work to protect and conserve the resources left, ensuring that the planet’s rich diversity survives for future generations to enjoy. 

---

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: <a href="http://www.terra.omega/en/terra">Terra</a>

‘Terra’ is a visual feast urging humanity to connect with nature

Terra is a French documentary directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and...

Dairy cows contain the same group of microbes, and these microorganisms control methane emissions produced by digestion, new research shows. 

Understanding how cow microbiomes are linked could help researchers manipulate microbes and digestion in the rumen of the cow to help reduce emissions and pave the way for more sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture.

In humans, the importance of the gut microbiome cannot be understated. Our unique flora of microbes and bacteria aids in digestion and helps strengthen the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/link-gut-microbiome-fight-cancer/">immune response.</a> 

Some of our gut microbiome is inherited through genetics, and researchers have wondered about the links between the cow microbiome and genetics. 

Robert John Wallace, a professor at the <a href="https://www.abdn.ac.uk/">University of Aberdeen</a>, along with a team of colleagues, studied the genotypes of 1,000 Holstein and Nordic Red dairy cows from the UK, Italy, Sweden, and Finland looking for genetic variations. 

The researchers discovered that at least 50 percent of the cows studied contained the same core group of microbes. 

Next, the researchers used machine learning to try and predict milk output, metabolism, and methane emissions based on the microbes present in this core microbiome. 

The results, published in the journal Science Advances, showed that inherited genes produce microbes that control methane emissions.

If breeders can selectively breed cows to produce less methane, it could help lessen the burden of emissions produced by the meat and dairy industry. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/J R Patterson

Dairy cow microbiome could yield the key to eco-friendly agriculture

Dairy cows contain the same group of microbes, and these...

EPA dismisses risk of carcinogen present in tap water of 90 million Americans. The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">EPA</a> has just released its review of cancer-causing chemical 1,4-dioxane, which is found in personal care products and other consumer goods – along with the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nitrate-drinking-water-cancer/">drinking water</a> of millions of Americans. What were their findings? That this chemical is “not an unreasonable risk” to the environment or the American public.

In November of 2016, the EPA selected 1,4-dioxane as one of the first 10 chemicals it would review under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which is the revamped chemical safety law passed earlier that year. In 2017, an analysis of water utility tests done by the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG) found 1,4-dioxane in the drinking water serving roughly 90 million Americans in 45 states. EPA dismisses risk of carcinogen present in tap water of 90 million Americans

Contrary to claims by the EPA, this chemical is not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and there is no legal limit fo 1,4-dioxane contamination in tap water. Also the chemicals found in the water causes huge health risks which leads to many issues or worse death.

“By ignoring the risks 1,4-dioxane presents to Americans, the Trump EPA is again undermining both the spirit and letter of the federal chemical safety law,” says EWG Legislative Attorney Melanie Benesh. “With nearly a third of the country drinking tap water polluted with this chemical and its potential widespread contamination of personal care products, including soaps and shampoos used by children, there is an urgent need for action. But in the Trump administration, safeguarding people from toxic chemicals is not a priority.” Therefore there is a lot of safe drinking water to have in the area and tap water is coming back to being less contaminated. The percentage of americans who are risk is extremely high. EPA dismisses risk of carcinogen present in tap water of 90 million Americans and happens to a lot more than people think.

Even though the EPA has decided that 1,4-dioxane poses “no unreasonable risk to the environment,” it has still classified the chemical as a likely human carcinogen.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</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: Dmitry Naumov

EPA dismisses risk of carcinogen present in tap water

EPA dismisses risk of carcinogen present in tap water of...

Alert level raised at world’s largest active volcano in Hawaii. This week, the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">US Geological Survey</a> raised the alert level for Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano.

Mauna Loa, located in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hawaiis-macadamia-nut-industry/">Hawaii</a>, last erupted in 1984 and has erupted 33 times since 1843. 

An increase in seismic activity and ground swelling starting in March of this year has led to the volcano’s status changing from a normal alert level to an Advisory. 

Currently, 50 to 75 earthquakes per week have been recorded in the area. 

While an eruption is not imminent, the volatile nature of Hawaii’s volcanoes means that Mauna Loa could start spewing large volumes of lava in a very short amount of time. 

The lava flows during 1984 stopped just short of Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii’s largest city. 

This is not the first time that the alert level has changed for Mauna Loa, and in 2015, a surge in seismic activity caused officials to raise the alarm.  

The US Geological Survey has a two-part alert level system, one to warn people in close proximity to the volcano and one to warn those that are flying near a volcano. For people on the ground, there are four alert levels with Advisory being the second tier up. 

‘Advisory’ means that activity has been recorded and there is unrest in the region, while an alert level ‘Watch’ means that an eruption might happen. If the alert is raised to ‘Warning’, an eruption is imminent. 

The US Geological Survey wants to ensure that people are not panicked at this time but aware of the increased seismic activity. 

Gas emissions are low, and if an eruption were likely to happen, there would 50 or more earthquakes every day, which is why the alert has only been raised to an Advisory. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmaill.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/MNStudio

Alert level raised at world’s largest active volcano in Hawaii

Alert level raised at world’s largest active volcano in Hawaii....

New Deputy Secretary of the Interior has an alarming environmental record. Since the departure of former Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, it’s worth asking whether anything has improved in the leadership of the department. 

After Zinke <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ryan-zinkes-departure-environment/">left the Department of the Interior</a> in disgrace, assistant Secretary David Bernhardt stepped up to fill his place and seemingly carry on his legacy of environmental destruction and indifference. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/16/trumps-new-interior-secretary-is-now-under-investigation.html">CNBC</a> reported that just days after Bernhardt was confirmed in his new office, the Department of the Interior’s inspector general office confirmed they were investigating him for ethics violations. The violations seem to mainly stem from his own time as Deputy Secretary of the Interior. <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2390596/david-bernhardt-scandal-tracker">Outside Online</a> reported that Bernhardt has been involved in at least 17 scandals so far. 

Until recently, Bernhardt’s promotion left the position of Deputy Secretary of the Interior open. On June 24, 2019, Susan Combs was confirmed as the new Deputy Secretary of the Interior, under Bernhardt. Before this recent promotion, Combs worked in the Department of the Interior as the temporary assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, a position she was initially nominated for by Ryan Zinke. 

Combs was responsible for overseeing the Endangered Species Act, a responsibility she largely saw to by trying to roll back wildlife protections. Trump’s Department of the Interior even suggested a full revision of the Endangered Species Act, <a href="https://www.hcn.org/issues/51.11/latest-interior-combatant-confirmed-to-department">High Country News</a> reported. There is no surprise about Combs’ distaste for wildlife protections if you look further back in her history. 

Before her time in the Department of the Interior, Combs worked as comptroller of Texas, where she is a native. As Texas Land Commissioner, Combs argued that protections for the Golden-Cheeked Warbler negatively impacted military readiness in central Texas. The argument was that because of the warbler, the military base operated under training restrictions, an opinion that was contradicted by officials at the military base. In fact at that time, there were no training restrictions because of the Golden-Cheeked Warbler. After the contradiction became apparent, Anne Idsal, George W. Bush’s chief aide, reached out to the staff of the three star general operating the base and within hours, their official story changed, claiming the bird was negatively impacting their training. 

Combs has been critical of species protections throughout her career. The <a href="https://m.washingtontimes.com">Washington Times</a> reported in 2013 that as Texas Comptroller, Combs questioned the science behind the US Fish &amp; Wildlife’s decision-making on listing species under the Endangered Species Act. Combs led Texas in setting aside $5 million to fight what she viewed as spurious listings on the Endangered Species Act.

Susan Combs was primarily asking for independent scientific review of the research done by the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service</a> to determine eligibility for a species listing. In 2011, the <a href="https://m.washingtontimes.com">Washington Times</a> reported that there was a backlog of 251 species which the Department of the Interior had to decide to list for protection or not, a task that they agreed to complete in six years. Combs and other state politicians argued that the federal government didn’t have the capacity to scientifically make these decisions in that amount of time.

2011 was also an important year in Texas for endangered species. According to the <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20180409/how-texas-fights-endangered-species-protections-critter-by-critter">Austin American-Statesman</a>, that year the oversight of the Endangered Species Act in Texas was moved from Texas Parks and Wildlife where it had been managed for years. Instead, the Endangered Species Act was henceforth to be managed by the comptroller's office, a move that Combs supported. Texas is the only state in which the top financial official is in charge of overseeing protection of wildlife. 

Despite Comb’s call for more unbiased science used for endangered species protections, her own record shows a clear bias. Her own state’s research on the golden cheeked warbler is controversial, showing larger populations of the bird than previously suspected. The findings are also contradicted by <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service</a> which says the warbler should remain on the Endangered Species Act. The researcher that carried out the study was also on the board (with Combs) of Texas Wildlife Association, a land rights organization that already supported delisting the warbler. 

Susan Combs has consistently been opposed to wildlife protections, even putting conservation and habitat conservation planning for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard in the hands of the oil and gas industry working in the Permian Basin where the lizard lives, the <a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/trump-taps-texan-susan-combs-fierce-critic-of-endangered-species-act/">Texas Observer</a> reported. Combs is also a former visiting fellow of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an organization funded by Koch Industries and oil companies, <a href="https://westernvaluesproject.org/senate-votes-to-confirm-conflicted-susan-combs-to-top-interior-position/">Western Values Project</a> reports. Combs also has investments in oil and gas that have earned her recently as much as $2.1 million.  

Obviously, Susan Combs has a track record that worries many environmentalists and those who care about the future of the Department of the Interior. Much like her boss and Ryan Zinke before him, Combs has ties to ranching and oil, interests she’s supposed to be working to manage against the weight of environmental and biological conservation. Still, Combs was confirmed, with a <a href="https://www.staugustine.com/news/20190608/congressional-votes-for-week-of-may-31-june-6-2019">congressional vote</a> of 57 yeas to 36 nays. It took almost two years of waiting, but Combs is officially the Deputy Secretary of the Interior.

It seems unlikely that Combs alone is more of a threat than others in the department or those who came before her, but there seems to be a shared vision of dismantling any protection for public lands or endangered species afforded under federal law. This is just part of the Trump administration’s continued <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-record-environment-2020/">history</a> pushing environmental regulations out of the way of profit. In the end, it won’t be the rich that suffer from this short-sighted strategy, it will be the poor and those non-humans with no power to protect themselves.                              

--

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: Steve Maslowski/U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service

New Deputy Secretary of the Interior has an alarming environmental record

New Deputy Secretary of the Interior has an alarming environmental...

A new study has revealed that it took just three years to eliminate more than three decades of sea ice gains in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/west-antarctic-ice-unstable/">Antarctica</a>. The ice shrank so quickly that it exceeded rates of retreat recorded in the Arctic, which is undergoing a transition that is unprecedented in human history. 

“It’s very surprising. We just haven’t seen decreases like that in either hemisphere,” said study author Claire Parkinson, who is a climatologist at the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a>.

Parkinson analyzed satellite observations of Antarctic sea ice levels from 1979-2017. She discovered a rapid decline in ice which was so extreme that it completely transformed the ice from its highest extent in 2014 to its lowest extent by 2017.

"There’s a lot of interannual variability in both Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, but Arctic sea ice has been decreasing in extent since the late 1970s, which is consistent with what we’d expect,” said Parkinson. “What was happening in Antarctica could not be so easily explained."

Before the sea ice began steadily accumulating around 1979, there had been a substantial decrease in ice cover during the mid-1970s. This suggests that the current trend will also reverse, and that it is not necessarily tied to climate change.

"To argue that this recent dip is evidence of the start of a longer term decline driven by greenhouse warming is premature," Mark Serreze, director of the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center, told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. He added that the decline may just be natural variability, driven by changing wind patterns.

Andrew Shepherd is the director of the <a href="https://cpom.org.uk/">Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling</a> at the University of Leeds.

"Growth of Antarctic sea ice over the past few decades had been a relief, because it offset some of the rapid losses in the Arctic," Shepard told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>. "Now that sea ice is retreating in both hemispheres we should be concerned about our planet's temperature because it means less of the sun's heat is reflected back into space."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences</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: Shutterstock/Armin Rose

Antarctic sea ice drastically shrinks after more than 3 decades of growth

A new study has revealed that it took just three...

June 2019 was the hottest June ever recorded on Earth, according to the <a href="https://climate.copernicus.eu/record-breaking-temperatures-june">Copernicus Climate Change Service</a>. 

Average temperatures were higher than two degrees Celsius above normal and as a whole in Europe, the month of June had temperatures that were one degree Celsius above the previous hottest June in 1999. 

Europe experienced a five-day heat wave due to a mass of hot air from the Saharan Desert. 

At the end of the month during the heatwave, temperatures were 6 to 10 degrees above average in France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. All three countries had the highest temperatures for June and France saw the highest temperatures in the country’s history. 

The unseasonably warm weather cannot be directly linked to climate change, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, but the increased atmospheric greenhouse gas levels have made <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-tropical-storm-in-june-record-heat-in-the-atlantic-could-make-it-happen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extreme weather events</a> like heat waves more common. 

In addition, climate change made Europe’s most recent heat wave five times more likely to happen. 

“We knew June was hot in Europe, but this study shows that temperature records haven’t just been broken. They have been obliterated,” Professor Hannah Cloke, natural hazards researcher at the University of Reading, told <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/june-hottest-month-ever-earth-2019-weather-heatwave-hot-a8984691.html">The Independent</a>. “This is the hottest June on record in Europe by a country mile, and the warmest June we have ever seen globally.”

<a href="https://www.earth.com/image/hot-and-dry-conditions-in-pakistan-and-india/">India</a> recently suffered one of the longest and hottest heatwaves in recent history. As of June 19th, the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/14/india/india-heat-wave-deaths-intl/index.html">death toll had reached at least 36</a>, and hundreds more were admitted to hospitals due to heatstroke as the region faced more than 30 days of consecutive scorching temperatures. 

The heat was so oppressive that people were advised to avoid going outside after 11 am. 

Unfortunately, as climate change worsens, predictions about heat waves and weather extremes will continue to come to fruition, and people will have to deal with hotter and hotter record-breaking temperatures becoming the norm.

--

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: Jo Bouroch/Shutterstock

Last month was the hottest June ever recorded on Earth

June 2019 was the hottest June ever recorded on Earth,...

Hundreds of schools were closed last week in the southern Malaysian state of Johor after dozens of students became severely ill from pollution. In the industrial area of Pasir Gudang, an unknown source of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/visiting-city-air-pollution-breathing-issues/">air pollution</a> caused vomiting and difficulty breathing among dozens of students. 

According to the state news agency <a href="http://www.bernama.com/">Bernama</a>, at least 100 primary and secondary schools as well as 300 private kindergartens were affected. More than 100 children fell suddenly ill from the toxic air, and some of them reportedly collapsed after exposure.

Johor Chief Minister Dr. Sahruddin Jamal said at the time that all of the children had been taken to the hospital. He told reporters it was not clear what had caused the students to become ill. 

Just a few months ago, a massive chemical pollution spill in the nearby Kim Kim river shut down 111 schools for two weeks. After inhaling toxic fumes, thousands of people experienced issues such as eye irritation, chest pain, vomiting, and shortness of breath. Dr. Sahruddin said that the latest incident has not been linked to the same source. 

State Health, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Mohd Khuzzan Abu Bakar said that the Department of Environment and other agencies are working to identify the cause of the pollution. 

"The schools were closed to prevent more people from becoming victims of the suspected air pollution here," Khuzzan said at the Pasir Gudang Indoor Stadium last week. “Most of the victims are schoolchildren, who were on the third and fourth floors of their schools. 

"This incident occurred randomly and it changed based on the direction of the wind, making it difficult to identify its source. Nevertheless, the Technical and Scientific Committee has narrowed down the number of possible sources in its investigation."

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad pledged that "stern action" will be taken once the parties responsible are identified.

--

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/umarazak

Hundreds of Malaysian schools closed after students sickened from pollution

Hundreds of schools were closed last week in the southern...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> have discovered that irrigated farms in the Central Sands region are having a significant impact on the local climate. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/midwestern-farmers-irrigation-rainfall/">Irrigated farms</a> were found to experience a lower daily temperature range of three to seven degrees compared to nearby forests or farms that rely on rainfall. 

"Irrigation is a land use with effects on climate in the Midwest, and we need to account for this in our climate models," said study lead author Mallika Nocco. "We're finding that weather forecasts can be wrong if they don't take these land uses into account. That will affect both farmers and plants."

The research team set out to determine if the naturally humid Wisconsin climate would have a strong response to irrigation like what has been observed in drier climates. In collaboration with private landowners, the researchers installed 28 temperature and humidity sensors in a 37-mile line across the Central Sands. The network included pine plantations, irrigated farms, and forests. 

The researchers collected data from the sensors from 2014 to 2016. This information was combined with irrigation levels obtained through a regional well withdrawal database.

According to the study, irrigation dropped maximum temperatures by an average of one to three degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, minimum temperatures were increased by up to four degrees. A smaller difference between daily maximum and minimum temperatures can significantly affect plant growth and the life cycles of insect pests."If you're adjusting the range of temperatures, you're changing who or what can live in an area," said Nocco.

The temperature differences between irrigated fields and nearby forests and fields were most pronounced when the fields were being irrigated during the growing season, but persisted throughout the year. 

Even though the cooling effect of irrigation offsets global warming on a regional scale, warming on a global scale is soon expected to outweigh this type of climate mitigation. In this scenario, farmers may face sudden stress.

"Farmers in irrigated regions may experience more abrupt temperature increases that will cause them to have to adapt more quickly than other groups who are already coping with a warming climate," said study co-author Christopher Kucharik. "It's that timeframe in which people have time to adapt that concerns me."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change 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: Shutterstock/Christine Pedretti

Irrigated farms are cooling local temperatures in Wisconsin

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that irrigated...

<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.

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://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

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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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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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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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