Western wildfires send smoke across the country, so it sounds obvious that they always make air quality worse everywhere. New research shows that is not the whole story.



During severe fire seasons in the West, the intense heat from those <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-thinning-cuts-wildfire-severity-and-saves-carbon/">fires</a> can change weather patterns and rainfall in ways that actually lower fine particle pollution in the eastern United States. That result surprised even seasoned atmospheric scientists.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfire-heat-and-air-quality">Wildfire heat and air quality </h2>



Qihan Ma of <a href="https://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tsinghua University</a> and colleagues analyzed observations and climate simulations that account for the daily heat released by fires. The researchers found that strong fire heat can reduce fine particle levels in the East during the fire season.



Scientists track fine particle pollution called PM2.5, which refers to particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers across. PM2.5 gets deep into the lungs and bloodstream, and its <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/health-and-environmental-effects-particulate-matter-pm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">effects</a> include higher risks of heart and lung disease and premature death.



The results did not just point to smoke. The team showed how fire-driven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-wildfire-exposure-rises-worldwide-despite-less-land-burning/">heat</a> boosts convection, the upward movement of warm air. This suppresses eastward smoke transport and increases rain that washes particles out of the air, a process called wet deposition. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-air-quality-in-the-east-and-west">Air quality in the East and West</h2>



Observations from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">air</a> monitors revealed a dipole pattern during extreme western fire events, with PM2.5 rising in the West and falling in the East by a comparable amount. 



Model simulations for the full fire season showed similar contrasts of about 1.71 micrograms per cubic meter in the West and minus 1.21 micrograms per cubic meter in the East.



Satellite analysts also mapped smoke plumes over long distances during these events. NOAA confirmed that smoke often spread across parts of the East, yet many eastern monitors still recorded lower PM2.5.



To represent fire inputs day by day, the researchers used the <a href="https://www.globalfiredata.org/data.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GFED4.1s</a> dataset, which estimates burned area, emissions, and heat release. The data helped quantify how much energy the fires pumped into the atmosphere.



The air quality and weather responses were simulated with the Community Earth System Model (<a href="https://www.cesm.ucar.edu/models" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CESM</a>). To separate the drivers, the team ran simulations with smoke alone, heat alone, and with both.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfires-shift-weather-across-the-country">Wildfires shift weather across the country</h2>



Heat from large western fires increased convective available potential energy (CAPE) over the West, which favors stronger thunderstorms. It also nudged broader circulation patterns that reshaped wind and moisture across the country.



As the central United States dried and warmed near the surface, low level pressure dropped and winds shifted toward anomalous easterlies over the eastern half of the country.



The East grew more humid and unstable, and convective rain increased, which removed more particles from the air. These heat-driven shifts can modulate long range smoke impacts.



“Heat produced by wildfires, a commonly neglected effect, can reduce fine particle concentrations in the eastern United States,” wrote Ma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-health-and-policy">Lessons for health and policy</h2>



The results do not suggest that wildfires are harmless. The West still sees higher PM2.5 during fire season, and people there bear the brunt of smoke exposure and related health burdens.



The research shows that ignoring fire heat in national assessments can skew results. The authors report that leaving heat out of models overestimates health and economic losses by about 1,200 premature deaths and 3.3 billion dollars nationwide for the fire season. 



Those numbers are driven by the East’s large population and the modeled reductions in PM2.5 when heat effects are included.



Public health guidance should still emphasize reducing exposure wherever smoke raises risk. Strategies include wearing masks during high pollution days and targeted help for sensitive groups like children, older adults, pregnant women, and those with heart or lung disease.



For modeling and policy, the message is straightforward. Future national air quality planning and wildfire risk assessments need to incorporate fire heat, not just smoke emissions, to capture regional differences accurately.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-and-open-questions">Limitations and open questions</h2>



The researchers emphasize that no model is perfect. In global models with coarse grids, convection is parameterized, meaning certain local storm processes are simplified.



The team validated a subset of cases with a superparameterized model that more explicitly resolves clouds. The results showed the same overall pattern, though the heat effects were weaker in magnitude - providing a useful constraint for future research.



Better heat estimates at subdaily timescales will also help. Averaging heat over a day can smooth out fire bursts that may drive the strongest convective responses.



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



People in the West should continue to prepare for smoke season and protect their lungs, because local pollution still rises during major fires. 



Communities in the East should not assume they are safe, since many days still exceed health guidelines and smoke episodes remain disruptive.



The broader lesson is about getting the physics right. Accounting for heat shows how the same fires can worsen air in one region and temporarily ease it in another, and that nuance matters for equitable investments in health and resilience.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads1957" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Wildfires in the West can actually improve air quality in the East

Western wildfires send smoke across the country, so it sounds obvious that they always make air quality worse everywhere. New research shows that is not the whole story. During severe fire seasons in the West, the intense heat from those fires can change weather patterns and rainfall in ways that actually lower fine particle pollution in the eastern United States. That result surprised even seasoned atmospheric scientists. Wildfire heat and air quality Qihan Ma of Tsinghua University and colleagues analyzed observations and climate simulations that account for...

The myth of an 'unpeopled' jungle. When Europeans colonized new lands, they often did so by ignoring the rights of the people already living there. Ideas of manifest destiny, and the notion that Europeans had not only the right but were destined to inhabit foreign lands, were used to promote colonization of the Americas.  Along with the explicit idea of manifest destiny was the implicit idea that much of the land in the Americas went unused. 

This idea is still widely accepted and even promoted by national parks and other institutions promoting wilderness preservation as divorced from human use.  This concept only holds up if prior to European occupation, the wild places of the Americas were mostly uninhabited and unused. An alternative notion is that these places were used in ways that left less scars obvious to European colonists by peoples with longer and deeper histories with American landscapes.  The method of denying the second possibility is usually simply to ignore it. 

It was easy for European conquistadors and colonists to ignore the Native American population densities because they often never encountered them.  Despite the violent conflicts between Europeans and Native peoples, the majority of Native Americans were killed indirectly by European disease rather than by bullets or knives.  

<a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/12/111205-native-americans-europeans-population-dna-genetics-science/">National Geographic</a> reported in 2011 on genetic research that shows Native American populations at their all time lows only a few years after the arrival of Columbus.  Toribio de Benavente, a Franciscan missionary to Mexico, reported that smallpox killed over half the Native American population in most areas. After instances like these, the Americas were relatively uninhabited, because most of the original inhabitants were killed, leaving the land open to be stolen by colonists.  Many of the later colonists seemed to believe the lie of an uninhabited land, thinking little of the mark left behind by the Native Americans. 

The Amazon basin of South America is a place that’s hard to imagine inhabited by large human populations, but that’s what conquistador Francisco de Orellana saw when he was the first European to descend the Amazon River.  Yale’s <a href="https://globalforestatlas.yale.edu/amazon/land-use/history-amazon-settlement">Global Forest Atlas</a> reports that Orellana claimed to see numerous advanced tribes along the banks of the river, already in decline from European diseases.  

Orellana’s reports were for a long time thought to be fantasy.  This might have been partly because Orellana also reported being attacked by (female) Amazon warriors with elaborate hairstyles.  Mainly though, it seems that Europeans were incapable of imagining groups of people colonizing in large densities land that Europeans themselves found inhospitable. Ideas of ‘green hell’ and ‘green paradise’ come from the paradox of tropical forests – places where the ignorant can easily starve but where the well-versed find an abundance.

Despite skepticism from many quarters, mainly those of anthropologists, Orellana’s claims only fueled the search for an El Dorado, a mythical, wealthy, and lost city in the jungle.  The Spanish conquistadors wanted to find such a city and raid it for gold and other resources, enslaving the inhabitants, much like they did throughout what is now Latin America. 

Others that followed, like <a href="https://www.history.com/news/explorer-percy-fawcett-disappears-in-the-amazon">Colonel Percy Fawcett</a>, were more interested in proving pet anthropology theories and a desire for discovery.  Fawcett himself was experienced in exploration of the Amazon region, spending years surveying for maps in South America, and well versed with encountering Native peoples.  Fawcett was known for bravery in the face of hostility by Natives, never returning it with attacks of his own. It was these experiences that lead Fawcett to the belief that a city could be supported and probably was hidden somewhere in the vast Amazon region.  Eventually, Fawcett disappeared in the jungle in 1925 before making good on his discovery and his final fate is unknown to this day. Despite Fawcett’s disappearance and the lack of Orellana’s credibility, it turns out both men were right about one thing – far from being inhospitable, the Amazon rainforest once supported humans in higher densities than most would find credible.

Research from the early 2000s showed that there was more obvious signs of large scale development in the Amazon region visible from the air than had ever been previously reported.  A <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f84a/be8e9f3b7e00fb1ce4467871807f2e72bd24.pdf">paper</a> from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a> describes the remains of elaborate weirs used for large scale fish farming.  A 2017 report in <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/amazon-rainforest-was-shaped-by-an-ancient-hunger-for-fruits-and-nuts-1.21576">Nature</a> shows that in the Amazon region, domesticated trees and palms are five times more likely to be over represented than wild trees.  

In the end, the research showed that this distribution of useful plants was caused by a mix of factors.  20% of the domesticated tree distribution seems to be directly from human influence. In the southwestern region of the Amazon, an area with larger pre columbian populations, 30% of the domesticated trees were due to human activity.  These two things together show that humans played a dynamic and active role in the Amazon region.

As <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/millions-lived-in-amazon-uninhabited/">we reported</a> in March 2018, archaeologists found 81 ancient settlements in the Amazon.  The discovery was first made not by an archaeologist wielding a machete through dense jungle, but by a retired financial planner browsing free online satellite images.  The images were confirmed by scientists on the ground to be large earthworks, the remains of what appear to be part of extensive agricultural communities. This discovery suggests that as many as a million people may have occupied the Amazon region before 1500 and the arrival of European disease.

This all fits nicely with new research <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-human-settlements-amazonia/">we reported</a> on last month that shows signs of people living in southwestern Amazon long before the development of complex societies.  Hunter gatherers were living in the region and making fires the remains of which are dated to 10,000-4,000 years old. It appears that far from being a green wasteland, the Amazon region has long supported people and even the development of complex societies.  

With the staggering beauty and biodiversity left behind after the collapse of societies in the Amazon, many questions are raised.  As we rush against our own destructive tendencies to create sustainable cities to live in, perhaps the answer has been hiding in the green maze of the Amazon this whole time.                                      

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Gustavo Frazao

The myth of an 'unpeopled' jungle

The myth of an 'unpeopled' jungle. When Europeans colonized new...

The population of seabirds on a British island has made an impressive recovery after a project was launched to eradicate thousands of rats that were eating all the bird eggs. 

In less than two decades, the number of puffins on Lundy Island has bounced back from less than 20 to 375 birds. The project has also boosted the population of Manx shearwaters from hundreds to thousands. 

According to the <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/">Royal Society for the Protection of Birds</a> (RSPB), the total number of seabirds on Lundy has tripled to 21,000 in the 15 years after the rats were removed. The RSPB, which is a wildlife charity in the UK, said the initiative has been a great success. 

"This study clearly shows how quickly and positively seabirds respond to the removal of non-native predators," said Helen Booker, who is RSPB's senior conservation officer. "Of course, we had anticipated major population increases when the project was launched, but the scale of this recovery has far exceeded our expectations."

In 2003, efforts were launched to get rid of the rats on Lundy Island in a collaboration among the RSPB, Natural England, the Landmark Trust, and the National Trust. Ever since the island was declared free of rats, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/balloons-biggest-threat-seabirds/">seabird populations</a> have been steadily increasing. 

"It is exciting to see this level of recovery in Manx shearwaters, one of our most important seabirds," said Dean Jones, who is the warden on Lundy Island. "In spring the island comes alive at night with the sound of these amazing birds."

"The increases in puffins, guillemots and razorbills is also very encouraging for the future of seabirds on Lundy and we are maintaining our vigilance to ensure rats cannot return to the island."

--

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/Johnny Giese

Seabirds have recovered on British island after predatory rats were removed

The population of seabirds on a British island has made...

A new study from an international team assembled at the <a href="https://www.shh.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History</a> theorizes that ancient humans may have been able to migrate through the mountains and deserts of Central and Northern Asia under wetter conditions. 

This new research is published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0216433">PLOS One</a>.

Archaeologists and paleontologists have previously focused their attention on a “southern” route, surmising that our Homo sapien ancestors may have traveled around the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fish-unintentionally-caught-indian-ocean/">Indian Ocean</a> to migrate into Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene era about 125,000 to 12,000 years ago. 

However, scientists from the Max Planck Institute and researchers from the <a href="http://english.ivpp.cas.cn/">Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology</a> believe that climate change could have actually made Northern and Central Asia a prime migration route and region for hominin dispersal, interaction, and adaptation.

"Archaeological discussions of the migration routes of Pleistocene Homo sapiens have often focused on a 'coastal' route from Africa to Australia, skirting around India and Southeast Asia," said co-author Professor Michael Petraglia of the Max Planck Institute. "In the context of northern Asia, a route into Siberia has been preferred, avoiding deserts such as the Gobi." 

New evidence has shown that currently-uninhabitable regions like the Gobi were most likely habitable during the Pleistocene era. 

"Our previous work in Saudi Arabia, and work in the Thar Desert of India, has been key in highlighting that survey work in previously neglected regions can yield new insights into human routes and adaptations,” Petraglia continued.

[caption id="attachment_1873264" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/dispersal-routes.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1873264" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/dispersal-routes.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="375" /></a> Illustrated dispersal routes from the results of the Least Cost Path analysis, Image Credit: Nils Vanwezer and Hans Sell[/caption]

The main issue has been dating these previous bits of evidence to see if they potentially line up with the Homo sapien migration into Asia. So, the team wanted to finally nail down the dates.

"We factored in climate records and geographical features into GIS models for glacials (periods during which the polar ice caps were at their greatest extent) and interstadials (periods during the retreat of these ice caps) to test whether the direction of past human movement would vary, based on the presence of these environmental barriers," said joint lead-author Nils Vanwezer, PhD student at the Max Planck Institute. “We found that while during 'glacial' conditions humans would indeed likely have been forced to travel via a northern arc through southern Siberia, during wetter conditions a number of alternative pathways would have been possible, including across a 'green' Gobi Desert.”

Thus, migration across the treacherous Northern and Central areas of Asia would have been possible.

"We should emphasize that these routes are not 'real', definite pathways of Pleistocene human movement. However, they do suggest that we should look for human presence, migration, and interaction with other hominins in new parts of Asia that have been neglected as static voids of archaeology," said co-author Dr. Patrick Roberts also of the Max Planck Institute. "Given what we are increasingly discovering about the flexibility of our species, it would be of no surprise if we were to find early Homo sapiens in the middle of modern deserts or mountainous glacial sheets."

"These models will stimulate new survey and fieldwork in previously forgotten regions of northern and Central Asia," said co-author Professor Nicole Boivin, Director of the Department of Archaeology at the Max Planck Institute. "Our next task is to undertake this work, which we will be doing in the next few years with an aim to test these new potential models of human arrival in these parts of Asia."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Main Image Credit: Nils Vanwezer

Wetter climate may have allowed ancient humans to reach eastern Asia

A new study from an international team assembled at the...

According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health</a>, the Clean Air Taxi legislation that was passed in 2006 in New York City has been successful in reducing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/boys-air-pollution-poorer-thinking-skills/">air pollution</a>. The fuel efficiency of 13,500 yellow taxis nearly doubled between 2009 and 2015 as a result of the new regulations. 

"The past decade has seen steady improvements in the quality of air in New York City, and clean-air taxis appear to be one contributing factor," said study co-author Dustin Fry, MPH. "This is good news for New Yorkers' health since we know air pollution raises the risks of low birth weight and asthma in children."

The Clean Air Taxi laws made it a requirement to set aside at least nine percent of the city's new medallions for hybrid vehicles or for those that use compressed natural gas. The legislation also gave cab companies some incentive to buy low-emission taxis by extending the amount of time these models are allowed to be used. 

The researchers mapped the intensity of taxi traffic across the city and estimated cab-related exhaust emissions of nitric oxide and particulate matter using inspection and trip data. The team also looked at New York City Community Air Survey data from more than 100 monitoring sites across the city to calculate the changes in air quality. 

The study revealed that the fuel efficiency of the medallion taxi fleet climbed from 15.7 to 33.1 MPG, while nitrous oxide emissions declined by 82 percent and particulate exhaust declined by 49 percent. The greatest benefits were found in Manhattan neighborhoods with a high density of yellow taxis.

"This study provides evidence that air pollution legislation can have real impact," said study co-author Dr. Frederica Perera. "Even though overall, yellow taxis account for a small proportion of vehicular miles traveled on New York City's streets, in midtown they account for almost half. Similar regulations targeting other vehicles could make an even bigger difference."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.nature.com/jes">Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology</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

NYC Clean Air Taxi legislation has reduced air pollution over the last decade

According to a new study led by the Columbia University...

A closer look at the harmful effects of air pollution exposure. Many studies have linked air pollution to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-shortens-life-spans/">early death</a>, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and an increased risk of cancer. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo </a>takes these investigations even further by revealing what happens at the metabolite level when a person is exposed to different levels of air pollution. 

The research, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, is based on data from a 2008 air pollution study where 201 adults were monitored before, during, and after the Beijing Olympics in China. 

At that time, air quality drastically improved during the games due to temporary controls that were put in place for the games, but air pollution soon returned to dangerously unhealthy levels after the Olympics were over. 

Metabolites are small molecules that are the end result of certain systems and processes. 

“Think of our body as a society. These metabolites fulfill different positions, such as teacher, farmer, worker, soldier. We need each one functioning properly in order to maintain a healthy system,” said Lina Mu, the leader of the study. 

The researchers recorded changes in 69 metabolites after air pollution levels changed, and two metabolic signatures were identified.A closer look at the harmful effects of air pollution exposure 

“Our study found that the human body had systemic changes at the metabolite level before, during and after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when ambient air pollution changed drastically,” said Zhongzheng Niu, a fellow co-author of the study. 

Many of the metabolites that were affected by air pollution play a role in stress and inflammation and are involved in the nervous system. 

The researchers measured all detectable metabolites using a platform called “omics” which can filter through groups of metabolites simultaneously rather than individually examining metabolites on a molecule by molecule basis. 

“We found that these metabolites together depicted a relatively comprehensive picture of human body responses to air pollution,” said Rachael Hageman Blair, a co-author of the study. 

Having a better way to measure and monitor how the body responds to air pollution could help future studies target the pathways that air pollution uses to enter the body to create a more detailed picture of the relationship between human health and air pollution. 

The study could also help pave the way for new methods to treat pollution-related health problems and limit exposure. 

“Capturing these molecules tells us what is going on when people are exposed to air pollution,” said Mu.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock

A closer look at the harmful effects of air pollution exposure

A closer look at the harmful effects of air pollution...

Crowdsourcing has become an incredibly popular tool. Books, movies, medical procedures have all been paid for by people donating small amounts online combined into a ‘crowd’ of people donating a large amount. It isn’t just direct monetary donations either, as data is harvested by millions of people worldwide to benefit businesses and political campaigns. Increasingly, little bits of money, data or time from large groups of people are being funneled through the internet to create real world results. This is now true even in conservation biology. 

<a href="https://www.zooniverse.org">Zooniverse</a> is a research platform that utilizes volunteers on the internet to collect data for scientific projects. The types of projects vary and are created by a number of different researchers. For instance, <a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/sandiegozooglobal/wildwatch-burrowing-owl/about/research">Wildwatch Burrowing Owl</a> asks on its homepage, ‘Will you help us save burrowing owls?’ The question refers to the iconic burrowing owl that takes over <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prairie-dogs-true-underdog/">prairie dog</a> and other burrowing mammal dens as its home, an increasingly rare icon of the western deserts and prairie. It’s estimated that there are only 10,000 breeding pairs of the special owl left, according to <a href="https://defenders.org/burrowing-owl/basic-facts">Defenders of Wildlife</a>. 

Western burrowing owls (Athene cunciularia hypugaea) in California are especially in decline. To stop this decline, <a href="https://www.sandiegozooglobal.org/">San Diego Zoo Global</a> has set up artificial dens for the owls as well as reintroduction of ground squirrels. The ground squirrels dig their own burrows that are eventually taken over by burrowing owls.

The burrowing owl project has motion cameras set up at the borrows to monitor who is coming and going from the burrows. Cameras like these collect hundreds if not thousands of photos in a short amount of time. Many photos from cameras like these inevitably aren’t even of the animals being studied, and sometimes a camera takes a shot of another animal, a person or even grass moving in the wind. Because of the amount of photos to sort through, the platform on Zooniverse allows untrained volunteers working at home on their computer to donate whatever time they’d like to sorting through the owl photos. The goal is to note how many owls are in each photo, allowing researchers to sort through the data faster than if they did the work themselves. 

Other projects on zooniverse include similar projects with large mammals in <a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/pangorilla/wild-gabon">Gabon</a>, Africa, <a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/penguintom79/penguin-watch/about/research">penguins</a> in Antarctica and even <a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/lawildlife/wildlife-of-los-angeles/about/research">urban wildlife</a> in Los Angeles. The penguin project once was even gave away a free trip to Antarctica to a lucky volunteer. Some of these projects like Wildwatch Burrowing Owl are directly related to conservation, others less so, but they all potentially contribute data that can be used by wildlife managers. Zooniverse isn’t the only way you can contribute to science or conservation from home, though.

Of course if you have specific skill sets, you can be more valuable to organizations or causes as a volunteer, and this is as true with volunteering time online as it is volunteering in person. If you have knowledge of law, computer programming or writing skills for example, you may be able to contribute real assistance to non-profits without ever leaving home. 

Like Zooniverse, <a href="https://taprootfoundation.org/nonprofits/?utm_source=&amp;utm_medium=&amp;utm_campaign=&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=">Taproot Foundation</a> is an online platform allowing non-profit organizations to seek volunteers. Unlike Zooniverse, most of these organizations are seeking one or two skilled volunteers to help on a limited time project. The focus is also much broader than Zooniverse and virtually any sort of non-profit can be involved in Taproot. You can do work such as consulting, writing, web design or even phone work for a non-profit from home.

Because of the nature of the volunteer positions listed on Taproot, projects you can become involved with are always changing. A nice feature is that you can sign up for an account with Taproot, listing your skills and interests and when a project that seems like a good match comes up, you get emailed a link to see if you’re interested. Of course, if you’re interested in a serious internship in conservation to build your skills or want to be involved in a long term project, most of these shorter projects might be less satisfying. 

Occasionally, online jobs in wildlife biology or conservation come along that actually pay. For example, <a href="https://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/jobs/acoustic-recording-bird-song-identifier-various-locations/">some academic institutions</a> seek out a person with exceptional birding skills to identify birds by the sound of their calls from home for a short contract period. Others may be lucky enough to find longer term employment in the same vein. There are also plenty of nature and science publications that might take you on as a writer or intern if you have writing abilities and a story to tell. Other online volunteer positions are to help people access natural history interpretive material.

The <a href="https://www.amnh.org/">American Museum of Natural History</a> is taking on volunteers for <a href="https://projectdescribe.amnh.org/#/">Project Describe</a>. The project involves describing items in the museum’s collection of images on their website so that these images are more accessible to those with disabilities. The Smithsonian Institute also takes <a href="https://transcription.si.edu">online volunteers</a> for many of its museums. The work for the Smithsonian involves transcribing photos of labels in an attempt to make more material available online. For those interested in biodiversity, volunteer positions are available in entomology, invertebrate zoology, botany at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (which includes a famous research station in Panama). 

Projects that still need assistance can be found in the <a href="https://transcription.si.edu/browse?filter=collection%3A2&amp;sort=">Biodiverse Planet</a> category. Helping museum work may or may not contribute directly to the environment, but it least is helping to educate the public about the environments we live in and the wildlife we share them with. 

In the end, volunteering online can help you learn a bit about animals or science and help organization or researchers out, but it can also feel a bit isolating. For some experiences, there’s no substitute for getting outside into the actual environment and interacting with it. After all, there is no wildlife living online, there are no outdoor places in your computer. Often there is no mystery or surprise in sorting through images or labels on a home computer. Much like reading a book, volunteering online can be a part of learning about the world... but it shouldn’t be the only part.           

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Mauricio S Ferreira

Conservation projects you can participate in from home

Crowdsourcing has become an incredibly popular tool. Books, movies, medical...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) have determined that atmospheric levels of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/converting-methane-co2-profitable/">methane</a> continued on an upward trend last year. From 2013 to 2018, methane emissions increased by 50 percent compared with the previous five years, yet the cause remains a mystery. 

"The fact that growth rates in the atmospheric concentrations of methane are approaching the levels we saw in the 1980s, after a period of relatively slow growth, is deeply concerning. The fact that we don’t understand the reasons for this surge deepens that concern," Professor Keith Shine of Reading University told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>.

The methane produced by both human and natural sources has been on the rise since 2007, but the rate of this increase has significantly accelerated in the last four years. Provisional data from NOAA shows that methane levels increased by 10.77 parts per billion in 2018, which is the second largest annual spike in 20 years. 

While methane does not persist in the atmosphere for as long as carbon dioxide, it is far more potent. Methane traps up to 100 times more heat in the atmosphere in a five-year period compared to carbon dioxide.

NOAA chemist Ed Dlugokencky explained that the spike in atmospheric methane was "so unexpected that it was not considered in pathway models preparatory to the Paris Agreement." At the current rate of methane emissions, the global warming targets established in Paris will be very difficult to achieve. 

"We still do not know whether the growth is primarily an increase in ‘natural’ emissions, such as from warmer or wetter wetlands, or increased anthropogenic emissions such as rice agriculture or fossil fuels," Dr. Rebecca Fisher told New Scientist. She added that the jump in methane concentrations likely has a combination of causes. 

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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/Leonid Ikan

Mysterious spike in atmospheric methane levels continued in 2018

Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have...

Palm trees are a familiar sight on white sandy beaches in tropical and subtropical climates, but they may soon pop up across the UK due to climate change. 

Chinese windmill palms and other ornamental plants could soon escape greenhouses and thrive in the wild in the UK as global temperatures increase and typically colder climates become more hospitable for tropical vegetation. 

There are already reports of the hearty, slow growing and cold-resistant palm growing in Torbay, which is referred to as the English Riviera. 

The Chinese windmill palm, although not listed as an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-detection-damage-invasive-species/">invasive species</a> yet, is on the radar of <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">Reading University</a> researcher Tomos Jones. 

Jones’ research involves potentially invasive plants currently used in greenhouses and gardens like Lady’s mantle and Heart-leaved houttuynia. These plants could “jump the garden fence” and spread, potentially choking out native plants. 

To help raise awareness of these ornamental escapees, Jones and his team has created an exhibit called “Future Invaders,” which is being displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show. 

At the show, visitors can see firsthand which plants are projected to be invasive and a nuisance as climate change makes habitats more inviting. 

“This exhibit is the University’s most ambitious yet. I don’t want visitors to leave thinking that all ornamental plants are ‘evil,’” said Jones. “It will show that most are valuable additions to gardens and can be important for wildlife by supporting native biodiversity such as pollinators and other insects. The exhibit will also explain how to manage plants responsibly in your garden.”

Jones has also created a <a href="https://reading.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/future-invaders-online">quick survey</a> that UK gardeners can fill out online that helps show which invasive plants are cropping up in gardens and jumping garden fences to spread unimpeded in the wild. 

“Many ornamental plants favoured by gardeners for their beauty have the ability to escape beyond the garden fence and have a damaging effect on the environment,” said Jones. “Invasive plants that are not managed or disposed of responsibly can spread quickly and dominate landscapes, to the detriment of native species. We are asking the public to help identify plants showing invasive characteristics.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Palm trees in England? Invasive plants could soon spread across the UK

Palm trees are a familiar sight on white sandy beaches...

Melting small glaciers could add 10 inches to sea levels by 2100. A new study from the <a href="https://www.gi.alaska.edu/">University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute</a> shows that melting small-scale glaciers could lose 18-36% of their mass by 2100, which would add a whopping 10 inches to global sea levels.

This study, part of <a href="http://www.climate-cryosphere.org/activities/targeted/glaciermip">GlacierMIP</a>, is the only systematic and comprehensive comparison of global-scale glaciers and their projection. It’s published in <a href="https://www.igsoc.org/journal/">Journal of Glaciology.</a>

"The clear message is that there's mass loss — substantial mass loss — all over the world," said lead author Regine Hock, from the Geophysical Institute. "We have more than 200 computer simulations, and they all say the same thing. Even though there are some differences, that's really consistent.”

Hock’s team looked at 214 glacier simulations from six separate international research groups. Each group linked their findings to 25 climate models, each using several climate scenarios based on different trajectories for greenhouse gas concentrations and atmospheric conditions adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Each one “[painted] the same picture,” Hock said.

The team looked at mass changes for over 200,000 glaciers worldwide and found that smaller glaciers could play a larger role in sea level rise than previously predicted. For example, by the end of this century, Alaska's 25,000 glaciers will lose between 30% and 50% of their mass. 

This will make Alaska the largest global regional sea level contributor in the Northern Hemisphere, besides <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/greenland-glaciers-melting-faster/">Greenland</a>. 

"We confirm that they are really substantial contributors to sea level rise," Hock said. "Globally, there's almost 10 inches of sea level rise by 2100 only from the smaller glaciers, whereas everybody thinks it's only Antarctica and Greenland. But these relatively small glaciers in the world have an enormous impact."

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Regina Hock

Melting small glaciers could add 10 inches to sea levels by 2100

Melting small glaciers could add 10 inches to sea levels...

Antibiotic contamination has exceeded “safe” levels in many of the world’s most famous rivers, a new global study has found. 

The study, led by researchers from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>, sheds light on the role of watersheds in antibiotic-resistance, which is one of the biggest threats to global health. 

To study antibiotic contamination on a global basis, the researchers flew out 92 sampling kits to different collaborators who were instructed to collect samples from local rivers, freeze the samples, and ship them back to the University of York. 

Samples were collected from 711 sites across 72 countries in six of the world’s continents, making this the first global study of antibiotic contamination in rivers. 

“Until now, the majority of environmental monitoring work for antibiotics has been done in Europe, N. America and China. Often on only a handful of antibiotics. We know very little about the scale of the problem globally,” said Dr. John Wilkinson, a co-coordinator of the monitoring work. “Our study helps fill this key knowledge gap with data being generated for countries that had never been monitored before.”

Major rivers like the Danube, Mekong, Seine, Thames, and the Tiber River were included in the study, and the researchers tested the samples looking for 14 common antibiotics. 

Antibiotic contamination was present in 65 percent of the sites sampled, and in some areas, antibiotic levels well exceeded safe limits. 

Safe levels were determined using the parameters of antibiotic contamination set by the<a href="https://www.amrindustryalliance.org/"> AMR Industry Alliance</a>, which states that antibiotic levels should not exceed 20 to 32,0000 nanograms per liter, depending on the antibiotic.

In Bangladesh, concentrations of the antibiotic Metronidazole were 300 times more than what is considered “safe.” 

For comparison’s sake, in the River Thames antibiotic concentration was 233 nanograms per liter, and in Bangladesh levels were 170 times higher. 

Trimethoprim, a commonly prescribed treatment for urinary tract infections, was present in 307 out of 711 of the sites sampled. 

Ciproflaxin, which is used to treat several bacterial infections, exceeded safe levels in 51 of the sites sampled. 

Asia and Africa had more rivers where antibiotics exceeded safe levels, but the researchers stress that antibiotic contamination is a global problem and rivers in North America, South America, and Europe all had rivers where antibiotic contamination was present. 

Not surprisingly, the rivers where concentrations were highest were next to wastewater treatment systems, or sewage dumps which past studies have shown are a hotspot for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-environment/">antibiotic contamination. </a>

“The results are quite eye opening and worrying, demonstrating the widespread contamination of river systems around the world with antibiotic compounds,” said Alistair Boxall, a member of the research team. “Solving the problem is going to be a mammoth challenge and will need investment in infrastructure for waste and wastewater treatment, tighter regulation, and the cleaning up of already contaminated sites.”

The researchers will present their findings during two presentations at the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.setac.org/">Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry</a>. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Sk Hasan Ali

The world's rivers are highly polluted with antibiotics

Antibiotic contamination has exceeded “safe” levels in many of the...

Gray whales have been <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/whales-washed-ashore-san-francisco/">turning up dead</a> in alarming numbers along the western coast of the United States from California up to Washington. Scientists believe they are starving to death as they make their annual journey from Mexico to Alaska, but the conditions driving the lack of food remain unknown.

So far this season, 61 dead gray whales have washed up along the shoreline. According to the experts, most of the animals showed signs of malnutrition, and autopsies revealed that some had starved to death. 

"Clearly something is going on with the forage, as these animals’ tanks of gas are either empty or very low," said Justin Viezbicke of the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA).

This is not the first time that there was an unusual number of gray whales found stranded on the west coast. In 1999 and 2000, the bodies of more than 600 whales were recovered. Experts at NOAA considered many possible causes including starvation, chemical contaminants, biotoxins, infectious diseases, parasites, fisheries interactions, and ship strikes.

"While the emaciated condition of many of the stranded whales supports the idea that starvation could be a significant contributing factor in these mortalities, the underlying cause of starvation during this event is unknown," <a href="https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/techmemos/nmfs-afsc-150.htm">stated</a> NOAA.

This year, the actual number of whales affected is likely much higher than what is realized because only about 10 percent of the bodies make it to the shore.

The gray whales are in the middle of their migratory season, during which they travel thousands of miles to the nutrient-rich waters of the North Pacific and the Arctic where they feed in the summer months. 

Scientists are investigating whether there is simply not enough food available for the whales and if this mortality event may be tied to climate change. The Arctic is extremely susceptible to climate change, and the changing conditions may be impacting the food chain. 

"Climbing temperatures have begun melting ice that used to be impassable," states the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. "In the Arctic, this increases competition for food as more fish migrate through areas where gray whales historically feed upon crustaceans, plankton, and mollusks that they dredge from the ocean floor."

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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/Kyle Munson

Gray whales may be starving to death during their annual migration

Gray whales have been turning up dead in alarming numbers...

According to a new report from the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/27/us/politics/trump-climate-science.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">New York Times</a>, President Donald Trump and his administration will complete the overhaul of Obama-administration efforts to curb greenhouse-gas emissions as well as attempt to undermine <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate science</a> in order to cut back climate change policy.

One such attempt to sweep climate change under the rug will revolve around the lack of reporting on climate science studies. Specific sectors of the federal government will no longer report on the future effects of the warming planet and alert people to what the globe may look like at the end of the century if climate change is not addressed. 

In fact, White House-appointed director of the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">United States Geological Survey</a>, James Reilly, has ordered that scientific assessments produced by that office must only use computer-generated climate models that predict climate change impacts through 2040 rather than through the end of the century, as has been commonplace.

Trump and his administration have also been heavily targeting the <a href="https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/">National Climate Assessment</a>, which has produced a new report roughly every four years, each pertaining to climate change figures if fossil fuel emissions aren’t cut back. The NCA team has already begun work on the next report, however, worst-case scenario projections will not longer be automatically included in the Assessment or in some other government-produced scientific reports.

“What we have here is a pretty blatant attempt to politicize the science — to push the science in a direction that’s consistent with their politics,” Philip B. Duffy, the president of the <a href="https://whrc.org/">Woods Hole Research Center</a>, and who also served on a <a href="http://www.nasonline.org/">National Academy of Sciences</a> panel that reviewed the government’s most recent National Climate Assessment, told the Times. “It reminds me of the Soviet Union.”

“The previous use of inaccurate modeling that focuses on worst-case emissions scenarios, that does not reflect real-world conditions, needs to be thoroughly re-examined and tested if such information is going to serve as the scientific foundation of nationwide decision-making now and in the future,” added James Hewitt, a spokesman for the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a>.

The president also hopes to assemble a new climate review panel led by William Happer, a 79-year-old Princeton physicist who has claimed that “the demonization of carbon dioxide is just like the demonization of the poor Jews under Hitler.” Happer currently serves on the National Security Council as President Trump’s deputy assistant for emerging technologies. 

Happer, who is a beneficiary of far-right billionaires Robert and Rebekah Mercer, who have used their riches to fund efforts to debunk climate science, has been dismissed by most climate scientists, including his peers at Princeton. He is also disliked by several White House officials, who have urged the president not to adopt Happer’s ideas and proposals.

Whether or not President Trump adopts Happer’s proposal, he will still take strides to undermine the severity of climate change and climate science. Since backing out of the Paris accord in 2017, it’s clear the president is determined to ignore evidence of warming in order to benefit his colleagues within the oil, gas, gold, and rare-earth mineral industries.

However, individual government science agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have stated they will continue to produce thorough climate models that do not give in to the administration’s request for data limitations.

“It is very unfortunate and potentially even quite damaging that the Trump administration behaves this way,” Johan Rockström, the director of the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/pik-frontpage">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a> in Germany, told the New York Times. “There is this arrogance and disrespect for scientific advancement — this very demoralizing lack of respect for your own experts and agencies.”

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rudmer Zwerver

Trump administration moves to undermine climate science

According to a new report from the New York Times,...

<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...

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</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...

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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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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



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.

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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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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