A walk in the forest often brings peace, calm, and a deep sense of renewal. From ancient times to modern therapy practices, forests have stood as symbols of balance and healing. But not all forests heal equally. 



As cities grow and public health concerns rise, scientists are uncovering how the design and structure of forests matter. The health benefits we get from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cities-in-the-global-south-have-far-less-green-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">green spaces</a>, especially forests, depend not just on their presence, but on what they are made of.



A new study from the University of Surrey and the <a href="https://www.ugent.be/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Ghent</a> sheds light on this. Working with partners across Europe, the research team explored how specific features of forests influence human health. 



The findings mark a major step in understanding the complex links between ecological structure and wellbeing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forest-traits-and-human-health-benefits">Forest traits and human health benefits </h2>



The study, which is part of the larger Dr. Forest research project, included 164 forests across five European countries. The researchers focused on seven ecological characteristics and their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-green-spaces-are-urgently-needed-across-the-global-south/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">influence</a> on various health outcomes.



The forests were not selected at random. They varied in structure, species mix, and density, allowing researchers to draw comparisons. This wide range of forest types provided a rare opportunity to explore how real-world differences affect human experiences and health.



The goal was not to judge forests as good or bad, but to understand how their differences shaped people’s health responses. What emerged was a nuanced view. Forests benefit health, but their structure can amplify or limit those effects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-tree-diversity">The power of tree diversity</h2>



One of the key traits studied was tree species diversity. The findings showed that more diverse forests offered modest but positive health <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-tree-layout-influences-human-health-and-mortality-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outcomes</a>. These effects were not dramatic, but they were consistent enough to support the idea that diversity is beneficial.



Tree diversity does not just matter for human health. It also supports broader biodiversity, helping insects, birds, and mammals thrive. This makes it a safe, low-risk strategy for forest managers aiming to enhance public health while improving ecosystem resilience.



More tree species create different textures, shapes, and colors, making forests more visually stimulating and ecologically stable. These aspects can subtly influence how people feel and behave when they visit such areas. 



While the direct health impacts may be limited, the indirect ones, through enhanced engagement and ecosystem strength, are valuable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-canopy-structure-a-major-influence">Canopy structure: A major influence</h2>



Among the ecological features studied, canopy structure had the strongest impact. Dense canopies reduce heat by offering shade and help regulate the forest's internal climate. They also provide larger leaf surfaces, which trap fine particulate matter and improve air quality.



These benefits are especially important in urban settings, where heatwaves and pollution are on the rise. In such contexts, a well-structured canopy becomes more than a luxury. It is a necessity. The cooling effect alone can reduce heat stress and the risk of heat-related illnesses.



Yet, there are trade-offs. Denser canopies create more humid conditions. While that is good for moisture-loving plants, it also creates ideal habitats for ticks, which carry Lyme disease. 



In addition, less sunlight reaches the forest floor. This limits the growth of medicinal plants, reducing some of the forest's potential healing properties.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-health-gains-beyond-structure">Mental health gains beyond structure</h2>



Perhaps the most consistent finding across the study was the benefit of simply being in a forest. Regardless of structure or biodiversity, spending time in a forest improved mental wellbeing. People reported lower anxiety and stress, along with more positive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprising-mental-health-benefits-of-living-near-green-spaces/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotions</a>.



What enhanced these effects was how natural and biodiverse the forest felt to the visitor. Forests that looked wild, vibrant, and untamed tended to offer more psychological relief. This suggests that human perception plays a key role in shaping forest-based experiences.



“Our study shows that forests generally provide a mental health benefit, reducing anxiety and stress, regardless of their biodiversity or structure. As one in six people in England experience anxiety and depression each week, this research suggests that simply being in a forest can improve mental health,” noted Dr. Melissa Marselle, a lecturer in environmental psychology at the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Surrey</a>.



“For the UK, this means preserving urban forests so people can easily access forests where they live, work and play for their mental wellbeing. Contact with forests could be prescribed by the NHS, as research shows that NHS nature prescriptions are effective at improving mental health.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-healthier-cities-with-forests">Designing healthier cities with forests </h2>



The study points to a pressing need in urban planning. It is not enough to plant trees and call it a forest. The structure, layout, and biodiversity of these spaces must be considered. Urban forests should reduce heat, absorb pollution, and offer mental rest.



This involves difficult trade-offs. Canopy density must balance between cooling the environment and letting in enough light. Species choices should consider both ecological function and visual appeal. Forests must feel natural to the human eye while also being safe and accessible.



Planners and health professionals can now use this evidence to shape better public spaces. Health services could integrate forest access into mental health treatments. Parks could be designed not just for recreation but also for healing. In a time when stress-related disorders are rising, these changes could make a meaningful difference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-are-essential-tools-for-public-health">Forests are essential tools for public health</h2>



This research redefines the role of forests. No longer just natural assets or scenic spots, they emerge as powerful contributors to public health. But their power lies in their details. Forests must be built, preserved, and managed with intention.



Tree diversity adds depth and life. Canopy structure shapes the microclimate and air. Visitor perceptions tie it all together. Forests that feel alive and balanced bring calm and strength to those who enter them.



Nature has always played a quiet role in healing. Now, with evidence in hand, we have the chance to shape that role more deliberately. Managed well, forests can support both ecosystems and the people who rely on them for peace and mental clarity.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01547-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Sustainability</a>.



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Forests provide different health benefits based on their structure

A walk in the forest often brings peace, calm, and a deep sense of renewal. From ancient times to modern therapy practices, forests have stood as symbols of balance and healing. But not all forests heal equally. As cities grow and public health concerns rise, scientists are uncovering how the design and structure of forests matter. The health benefits we get from green spaces, especially forests, depend not just on their presence, but on what they are made of. A new study from the University of Surrey...

The costs of the opioid epidemic in the United States go far beyond health risks and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-adult-deaths-opioid-use/">rising death toll due</a> to overdoses in recent years.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State University</a> collaborated on a series of papers examining the social and economic costs of the opioid epidemic. 

The research specifically focused on how the opioid epidemic is costing states like Pennsylvania and diverting important resources. 

“State and local governments have long shouldered the burden of the opioid epidemic and its costs to individuals and families,” said Dennis Scanlon, one of the authors involved in the collaboration and the director of the <a href="https://hhd.psu.edu/chcpr">Center for Health Care and Policy Research at Penn State</a>. “They are at ground zero for the epidemic, where services for those being harmed by opioids are significant and costly, spanning well beyond healthcare for treatment and prevention.”

The papers are part of a supplement published in a special issue of the American Journal of Managed Care. 

“Each article in this special issue presents complex cost analyses of the implications of opioid misuse, shedding new light on the opioid epidemic at the state level, and adds to a growing body of literature about the opioid epidemic.”

Some of the topics covered in the collaboration include how the opioid crisis impacts employment rates and places an increasingly costly burden on Medicaid programs. 

One paper reveals that between 2000 and 2016, opioid addiction decreased tax revenue for the United States by over $11 billion. 

Another study in the series focused on the total costs of the opioid epidemic to the criminal justice system for Pennsylvania between 2007 and 2016, which added up to over $526 million. 

The researchers also delve into issues like opioid addiction and the criminal justice system, or how addiction impacts children. 

Educational programs that address the functional needs of children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome in Pennsylvania cost the state around one million dollars annually, the researchers found.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome can occur when a baby is exposed to drugs like opioids while in the womb. 

The research emphasize the devastatingly high-costs of the opioid crisis on both social welfare and state governments. 

“Due to these costs, every American has suffered and will continue to suffer from resources diverted to the epidemic that could have been made available for a more productive societal use,” said Scanlon.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Kimberly Boyles

&nbsp;

The economic cost of the opioid epidemic exceeds billions of dollars

The costs of the opioid epidemic in the United States...

Rapid eye movement (REM) is a crucial stage in the sleep cycle associated with dreaming. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-brain-learning/">mechanics and purpose of REM sleep</a> have long fascinated researchers, but a new study has found that the brain may actively forget or store information during this phase. 

When we slip away to dreamland and enter REM, breathing becomes erratic, heart rates increase, and the brain is host to a flurry of activity. 

It’s been suggested that REM plays an important role in storing new memories and eliminating excess information which could be why so few dreams are remembered the next day. 

Francis Crick, one of the discoverers of the DNA double helix, suggested that the brain actively forgets information during REM, but exactly how this happens was unknown until now. 

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.sri.com/about/organization/biosciences/center-neuroscience">Center for Neuroscience at SRI International</a> in California, <a href="http://en.nagoya-u.ac.jp/">Nagoya University</a> in Japan, and <a href="https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/">Hokkaido University</a> in Japan focused on cells that produce melanin-concentrating hormones (MCH) which are known to influence sleep and appetite. 

The researchers found that hypothalamic MCH cells sent messages to the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain. 

“From previous studies done in other labs, we already knew that MCH cells were active during REM sleep. After discovering this new circuit, we thought these cells might help the brain store memories,” said Dr. Thomas Kilduff, an author of the study.

Once this link was discovered, the researchers switched MCH neurons in mice on and off with different genetic tools and conducted memory tests. 

For one test, the mice had to distinguish between familiar and new objects. When the MCH cells were switched on as the mice retained information, it had a negative effect on memory, but when the cells were turned off, memory improved. 

The mice also performed better on memory tests when the MCH neurons were disabled during REM. 

“These results suggest that MCH neurons help the brain actively forget new, possibly, unimportant information,” said Dr. Kilduff. “Since dreams are thought to primarily occur during REM sleep, the sleep stage when the MCH cells turn on, activation of these cells may prevent the content of a dream from being stored in the hippocampus - consequently, the dream is quickly forgotten.”

The research, published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aax9238">Science</a>, could help with finding new pathways for studying and treating sleep and memory disorders. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Syda Productions

During deep sleep, the brain may actively forget unimportant information

Rapid eye movement (REM) is a crucial stage in the...

Adding a few nuts to your daily diet can help keep the weight off. A long-term observational study has revealed that just half a serving of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/eating-nuts/">nuts</a> can lower an individual's risk of obesity. 

According to the researchers, substituting unhealthy foods, such as processed meat or potato chips, with half an ounce of nuts may be an effective strategy to avoid the gradual weight gain that is associated with aging.

American adults gain an average of one pound per year, and weight gain of more than four or five pounds is linked to an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

While nuts are rich in healthy unsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, they are also high in calories, which makes them an unlikely choice for weight control. However, the new research suggests that the quality of a food may be more important than its quantity.

The analysis was focused on data from hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals who had participated in three large previous studies, including the Nurses Health Study (NHS). 

The participants were between the ages of 24 and 70 when they first enrolled, and were followed up with for more than 20 years - reporting on weight, physical activity, and diet. Every four years, the individuals were asked how often they had eaten a one-ounce serving of nuts, including peanuts and peanut butter, over the past year.

In all three studies, average nut consumption slowly yet steadily increased. The researchers determined that an increase in the consumption of any type of nut by half a serving a day was associated with a 15-percent lower risk of gradual weight gain and obesity.

Those who consistently increased their nut intake by more than half a serving a day were found to have a 23-percent lower risk of weight gain and obesity. 

"In addition to the impact on human health, using environmentally friendly plant-based protein, such as nuts and seeds to replace animal sources of protein may contribute to the promotion of a global sustainable food system," wrote the study authors.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://nutrition.bmj.com/">BMJ Nutrition, Prevention &amp; Health</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/Dionisvera

Adding a few nuts to your daily diet can help keep the weight off

Adding a few nuts to your daily diet can help...

The Hawksbill turtle has a strikingly beautiful shell that has enchanted nature and animal lovers across the world. Unfortunately, the turtle’s shell also appeals to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dna-test-illegal-ivory-poachers/">poachers</a> who target the species to sell tourist trinkets.

The Hawksbill turtle is currently listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, the most dire classification before Extinct in the Wild. The largest threat to the species is the tortoiseshell trade. The Hawksbill turtle is coveted for its shell which is made up of scales shaded with hues of gold, amber and brown. The scales are taken off the turtles and crafted into items such as combs, jewelry and sunglasses.

Hawksbill turtle populations are estimated to have plummeted <a href="https://www.tooraretowear.org/turtleshell-products/">90%</a> in the past century. As the turtles struggles to cope with intense poaching for their shells, they are also subject to poaching for their eggs and meat, habitat destruction and entanglement and ingestion of marine debris.

The Hawksbill turtle has long been targeted for its shell. Tortoiseshell jewelry has dated as far back as ancient Egypt and has continued until modern day. Recognizing the threats to the Hawksbill turtle, the species was placed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1977, prohibiting international commercial trade. 

When Japan, a major market for tortoiseshell products, joined CITES in 1980 they took exception to the prohibition and imported Hawksbill shells. Tortoiseshell products, called bekko in Japan, have historically been in high demand in the country as many consider them cultural items. In 1993, Japan gave into international pressure and stopped importing Hawksbill shells although illegal imports are still a concern.

Despite international and national laws protecting Hawksbill turtles, the trade is wide-scale. The campaign Too Rare to Wear, which works to end demand for turtle products,<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f7027abebafb13aa7c3099/t/5908f61ed482e90d12b2198c/1493759541207/TRTW+Report+Final.pdf"> examined</a> the Hawksbill tortoiseshell trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. Overall, researchers found over 10,000 tortoiseshell products for sale. The products were readily available to tourists in almost one-third of surveyed shops. Nicaragua had the highest number of stores selling tortoiseshell products, followed by Honduras and Cuba. 

Part of the reason the tortoiseshell trade is so rampant is because the products can be attractive to travelers. The tortoiseshell pattern is well recognized and products can sell for less than one dollar, making them an easy trinket to bring home. While travelers likely know to forgo on buying ivory and rhino horn products, they may be in the dark about the tortoiseshell trade. A 2016 WildAid<a href="http://stopwildlifetrafficking.org/images/content/report/KRC_Poll_Summary.pdf"> poll</a> conducted by KRC Research found that Americans were aware of the trade of charismatic species such as elephants, rhinos and tigers but knew less about the trafficking of bird, reptile and marine species.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/hawksbill.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1866784" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/hawksbill.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="393" /></a>

This lack of awareness can put travelers in a bind if they are caught importing Hawksbill products into countries where the products are illegal, such as the United States which protects sea turtles under the Endangered Species Act. Sea turtle products are one of the <a href="https://defenders.org/sites/default/files/publications/combating-wildlife-trafficking-from-latin-america-to-the-united-states.pdf">most commonly</a> confiscated wildlife items by U.S. officials.

To this end, Too Rare to Wear is working to educate consumers on the plight of the Hawksbill turtle and alternative souvenirs such as coconut shell jewelry. In addition, conservation groups are working directly with local communities to involve them in ecotourism which can incentivize sea turtle conservation.  

Forensic advances can also play a role in curtailing Hawksbill turtle poaching. Last year, World Wildlife Fund and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began a project to trace the tortoiseshell trade using DNA testing of products and live turtles, The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/13/hawksbill-turtle-poaching-to-be-fought-with-dna-technology">reports</a>. The results of the DNA testing will help researchers identify where the turtle products originated in order to guide future conservation efforts.

Travelers can do their part by reporting any tortoiseshell products they have found for sale on Too Rare to Wear’s <a href="https://www.tooraretowear.org/report-turtleshell">website</a>. Mostly important, travelers should refuse to buy products they believe are made from Hawksbill turtles.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Critically endangered turtles are being poached for jewelry

The Hawksbill turtle has a strikingly beautiful shell that has...

Climate change predicted to increase range of sometimes fatal fungal infection. Along with sea-level rise, heat waves, drought, and rising temperatures, climate change will impact the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tick-mosquito-borne-disease-spreading/">spread of infectious diseases</a> like malaria, lyme disease, and dengue fever. 

In a new study, researchers from the<a href="https://uci.edu/"> University of California, Irvine</a> have found that climate change will increase the spread of a fungal disease endemic to the southwestern United States. 

Valley fever is a sometimes fatal fungal infection caused by breathing in the airborne spores of the Coccidioides fungus. In parts of California and the Southwest, Coccidioides grows beneath the surface during brief periods of precipitation. 

Once the soil dries, the fungus strands break apart into sports which can be inhaled by construction and agricultural workers, or anyone who disturbs the spores. 

Nearly 40 percent of people who breathe in the spores become sick with valley fever and fever, chills, and cough are all symptoms of infection. If the disease travels to the brain, it can be fatal. Most at risk are pregnant women, older adults, and people with HIV as well as people of Filipino and African descent. 

The researchers found that as temperatures climb due to climate change, it will increase the range of valley fever. By 2100, the number of individuals infected could grow by 50 percent, and the disease could spread to more states. 

Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming could see cases of valley fever in the coming years, and infection could become more widespread in states like Colorado and Idaho. 

“We made projections out to the end of the 21st century, and our model predicts that valley fever will travel farther north throughout the western United States, especially in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains and throughout the Great Plains, and by that time, much of the western U.S. will be considered endemic,” said Morgan Gorris, the lead author of the new study. 

The researchers started with a valley fever map that shows which states are endemic and then created a model using data on valley fever cases and climate conditions where the disease is common. 

“By 2100, for a business-as-usual scenario in which we do not take serious action to limit climate change, we would predict a doubling of the area where this disease is present,” said James Randerson, a co-author of the new study. “It’s a huge expansion and especially worrisome because Valley fever is going to impact previously untouched communities throughout the West.”

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GH000209">GeoHealth</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Kateryna Kon

Climate change predicted to increase range of sometimes fatal fungal infection

Climate change predicted to increase range of sometimes fatal fungal...

A new study has revealed that a child's desire to share becomes influenced by social norms around the age of eight. 

The research team was led by psychology expert Dr. Bailey House at the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>, who studies how decision-making and behavior varies across diverse societies, and how adults and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/children-sleep-fire-alarm/">children</a> are shaped by both cultural beliefs and evolved adaptations.

The extensive study was focused on eight societies across the world. The team examined the behavior of children and adults when asked to engage in specific sharing tasks. Once the sharing patterns were established among the adults in each community, the researchers worked with the children to determine how they would respond.

The children were presented with two options: to keep a reward for themselves and give another reward to a stranger, or to keep both rewards for themselves. Children under the age of seven mostly chose the selfish option in all communities, while children eight and older were much more likely to follow the adults patterns and share.  

At about eight years old, children in all societies also began to respond strongly to social norms. For example, they shared more when told that the generous option was "right," and shared less when they were told that the selfish option was "right."

"These results suggest that, during middle childhood, children become sensitive to culturally-specific information about how to behave. This 'information' may be encoded in local norms, which children acquire through an evolved human psychology for learning and conforming to normative information," said Dr. House.

"This implies that that we ought to have a universally-developing psychology for becoming sensitive to normative information, and that variation in prosocial behavior ought to be linked to variation in the content of a society's social norms, and not to variation in development."

The study was conducted in urban communities in Germany, the United States, Argentina, and India; in rural communities across Ecuador, Vanuatu, and Argentina; and in a hunter-gatherer society in Tanzania.

"People in all of these groups share extensively, but they are used to doing so in different situations and probably for different reasons. This is likely why people in these different societies made very different choices when we put them all in the exact same sharing situation," explained Dr. House.

"One of the implications of the study is that we should start to pay attention not just to what children know but why they start to follow social norms. The next step is to pose the question of what is happening in a child's development between the ages of eight and 12 that makes them more responsive to social norms around them. The goal of the work is to better understand how culture and psychological maturation work together to produce human diversity in cooperation and other behaviors."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/">Nature Human Behaviour</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/Lopolo

Social norms influence decision-making among children by age 8

A new study has revealed that a child's desire to...

A good marriage could help lower dementia risk for older adults, a new study has found. 

Loneliness and isolation among older adults is a growing problem in many countries, and research has shown that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-isolation-health-risk/">social isolation</a> poses a significant health risk with links to high blood pressure, heart disease, and early-onset dementia. 

In a new study, researchers from <a href="https://www.su.se/cmlink/stockholm-university">Stockholm University</a> and the <a href="https://ki.se/">Karolinska Institute</a> in Sweden analyzed data on 4,000 individuals over the age of 60 to investigate the links between marriage on dementia risk. 

The data came from two studies, the <a href="https://www.maelstrom-research.org/mica/individual-study/kp">Kungsholmen Project</a> and the <a href="https://www.snac-k.se/">Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K)</a>.

Older adults over the age of 74 took part in the Kungsholmen Project in 1987 and were followed for nine years with follow-ups every three years. Participants underwent clinical exams and answered questionnaires to test for dementia. 

Participants in the SNAC-K study were over the age of 60 and were also followed for nine years with follow-ups every three years, but the study start date was 2001. 

The researchers examined how marital status, living situations, and mood influenced dementia cases. For the participants that were single and reportedly unhappy, there was a 40 percent increased risk of developing dementia. 

There are several possible explanations as to why a happy marriage can decrease dementia risk, according to the study. 

Couples are less likely to feel lonely and can engage in mood-boosting activities together. A loving partner may encourage their spouse to stay active and healthy, which can significantly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-lifestyle-dementia-risk/">lower the chances of developing dementia</a>. 

Marriage can also provide a source of support, both emotionally and financially. 

“We found that marital status and living situation have the potential to buffer the detrimental effects of low mood on dementia onset,” the researchers wrote in their study. “Thus, specific attention from health care should target individuals having low mood and who are without a partner or live alone.”

The study findings were published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@mail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/4 PM production

A happy marriage lowers dementia risk for older adults, new study shows

A good marriage could help lower dementia risk for older...

Does watching the news stress you out? Are you always on edge as you open up Twitter to see the trending headlines?  

If so, you’re certainly not alone, as a new study has found that Americans are losing sleep and getting sick over politics.  

The study, conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska-Lincoln</a> and the <a href="https://www.ucmerced.edu/">University of California, Merced</a>, is the first of its kind to investigate how paying attention to current politics affects physical health and emotional wellbeing. 

Even if you’re not actively involved in the political discourse of today, it’s hard not to feel bombarded through social media, the 24 hours news cycle, and political campaigns.  

Kevin Smith, the leader of the study and a political scientist, has found all this exposure to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polarization-politicians-violent-language/">polarizing politics</a> is taking its toll on Americans.  

“It became apparent, especially during the 2016 electoral season, that this was a polarized nation, and it was getting even more politically polarized,” said Smith. “The cost of that polarization to individuals had not fully been accounted for by social scientists or, indeed, health researchers.” 

It might be time to look at the health effects of politics as a public health crisis, the research suggests. 

 For the study, published in the journal PLOS One, the researchers collected data from <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/">YouGov </a>surveys. 

For five days in March of 2017, 800 respondents answered an online questionnaire with 32 questions that addressed physical health, mental health, regretted behavior, and social costs in relation to politics.

 40 percent of those surveyed reported that politics were causing stress, and one in five said that they were losing sleep over political issues.  

“Quite a few of the numbers jumped out at me,” said Smith. “Twenty percent have damaged friendships because of political disagreements. One in five report fatigue. And it’s a small (proportion), but 4% of the people in our sample said they’ve had suicidal thoughts because of politics. That translates into 10 million adults.”

One in five of the participants said that differing political views had damaged friendships, and 29.3 percent reported that they had lost their temper over politics.  

Left-leaning survey respondents seemed to have higher perceptions of political stress which could be due to the 2016 election outcomes.  

“Politics is really negatively affecting a lot of people’s lives, or at least, they’re perceiving that politics is really negatively affecting their lives in deep and meaningful ways,” said Smith. “If we understand what’s causing it, that can lead us to ameliorative strategies.”

--

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: Becky Wright Photography

Americans are stressed out and losing sleep over politics, study shows

Does watching the news stress you out? Are you always...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> have found that the heart health benefits of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/breakthrough-in-growing-soybeans-could-help-feed-the-world/">soy</a> have not changed over time. The experts reviewed dozens of clinical trials from over the last 20 years and concluded that soy protein has consistently reduced both total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or "bad" cholesterol, which is associated with heart damage.

Since 2017, the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/home">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA) has considered revoking the health claim on the connection between soy protein and a reduced risk of heart disease. The results of the current study, however, contradict the need for any such proposal by the FDA.

"At no time since the original claim for soy as a reducer of serum cholesterol has its ability been in question," said Professor David Jenkins. "It's been consistent since 1999. The data have not changed."

Across all 46 trials that the FDA cited as having "inconsistent findings," the experts found that the cholesterol-lowering effect of soy protein was unwavering.

"Sometimes you see a regression to the mean, where analyses with small studies produce big effects that diminish over time as sample sizes increase and results get more precise," said Professor John Sievenpiper. "We saw that with fish oil, for example. But in this case nothing has changed."

"These data strongly support the rationale behind the original FDA heart health claim for soy," said Professor Jenkins. "And it's important to note that while the reduction in cholesterol was less than five percent, if you put that together with other plant-based foods in a portfolio you get a much stronger effect."

Professor Jenkins recently helped to develop a dietary portfolio that identifies foods which can be combined to lower risk factors for heart disease by up to 30 percent, including nuts, plant-based protein, viscous fiber, and plant sterols. This portfolio has been incorporated into dietary guidelines by Heart UK and the European Atherosclerosis Society, and the FDA maintains health claims for several other plant foods.

"It's disheartening that the FDA has focused on soy," said Professor Jenkins. "We see similar data for other foods in the portfolio. If you knock out one leg of that stool then the others could be up for grabs, right when concerns about health and the environment are bringing plant-based eating into the mainstream."

"We're moving into an age of plant-based protein, and it would be a shame to see that shift undermined. Plant-based food producers, industry and retailers need all the help they can get, to make their products accessible."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha">Journal of the American Heart Association</a>.

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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/Somrak Jendee

Soy protein found to have consistent heart health benefits over time

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that the...

One in 10 people have had near-death experiences. According to a new study from <a href="https://www.spinkhealth.com/">Spink Health</a>, 10% of people have had a “near-death” experience (NDE), where they experience spiritual and physical symptoms which may include out-of-body sensations, seeing or hearing hallucinations, racing thoughts, and time distortion.

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.rigshospitalet.dk/">Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital</a>, <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a>, the <a href="https://www.schlaganfallcentrum.de/en/">Center for Stroke Research, Berlin</a>, and the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/">Norwegian University of Technology</a>, collected data on NDEs from 1,034 participants spanning 35 countries. 

They found that NDEs are equally as common in those who are not in imminent danger of death as in those who have experienced actual life-threatening events like heart attacks, car crashes, near drowning, and/or combat situations.

Of the 289 participants who reported having a NDE, 87% of participants experienced abnormal time perception, 65% exceptional speed of thought, 63% exceptionally vivid senses, and 53% felt separated from, or out of their body. Furthermore, 106 of those who reported a NDE reached a threshold of 7 on the Greyson NDE Scale, thus confirming they experienced a true NDE.

Other participants reported feeling at total peace, being aware they were outside of their body, seeing a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel, having their 'soul sucked out', hearing angels singing, and seeing their life flashing before them.

And some said they were aware of another's presence before they went to sleep — others even described the feeling of a demon sitting on their chest while they lay paralysed.

The team found that 73% of those who reported a NDE found it to be an unpleasant experience, with 27% reporting their experience as pleasant. But in those with a score of 7 or above on the Greyson NDE Scale, 53% reported a pleasant experience and 14% an unpleasant one.

The researchers also saw an interesting link between NDEs and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, a phase of sleep during which the eyes move rapidly and the brain is as active as when the person is awake. It’s during REM sleep that a person has the most vivid dreams and sometimes one can experience temporary paralysis. If and when <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rem-sleep-risk-dementia/">REM sleep</a> intrudes into wakefulness, one can sometimes experience hallucinations and sleep paralysis.

Interestingly, REM sleep intrusion on wakefulness was more common in the 47% of people with scores of 7 or above on the Greyson NDE Scale than in the 26% of people with scores of 6 or below, or in those 14% who have had no such experiences.

"Our central finding is that we confirmed the association of near-death experiences with REM sleep intrusion,” said Dr. Daniel Kondziella, a neurologist at the University of Copenhagen. “Although association is not causality, identifying the physiological mechanisms behind REM sleep intrusion into wakefulness might advance our understanding of near-death experiences."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/lassedesignen

One in 10 people have had near-death experiences

One in 10 people have had near-death experiences. According to...

Fast fashion has risen in popularity in recent years by allowing consumers to quickly and cheaply buy the latest styles. While this growing market may be great for consumers who want to try out luxurious clothing at a fraction of the cost, it comes at a steep environmental price.

Fast fashion generally refers to when inexpensive clothing is rapidly produced by retailers to mimic high-end trends. Retailers selling clothing for ridiculously low prices can be found throughout the internet, from ads on social media sites to Amazon.

The fast fashion industry is believed to be propelled largely by young consumers who are conscientious of their style and wallets at the same time. Today, consumers can buy fashionable clothing for as cheap as $5 with the intention of simply discarding it when the item is no longer in style. The industry has even been referred to as “McFashion” because of the speed at which consumers can purchase styles that were just featured on the catwalk.

Every year, consumers around the world buy around 80 billion new pieces of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microfibers-clothing-polluting-oceans/">clothing</a>, up 400% from just two decades ago, according to <a href="https://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/">The Trust Cost</a>, a documentary on the fashion industry. 

“It is estimated that more than half of fast fashion production is disposed of in under a year, and one garbage truck full of textiles is landfilled or burnt every second. This factor combined with a very low rate of recycling - less than 1% of material used - leads to an ever-expanding pressure on resources,” states a<a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/A-New-Textiles-Economy_Full-Report_Updated_1-12-17.pdf"> report</a> by the Ellen McArthur Foundation.

In addition to concerns about the rate of disposal of fast fashion products, environmentalists and politicians have expressed concern over the production of these clothes. For factories to keep up with the high demand for new clothing, they require a large supply of resources such as water, chemicals, raw fabrics and oil. The report by the Ellen McArthur Foundation found that textile production produced 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

Once bought by the consumer, fibers from synthetic clothing can enter waterways through our washing machines exacerbating the plastic pollution crisis. These microfibers can accumulate in our oceans where they release dangerous chemicals or be consumed by fish species that humans eat.

Many environmentalists believe this model of production and consumption is unsustainable and are calling for a change to the industry. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, a committee in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, has responded by investigating the effects of fast fashion on the environment and workers. In November 2018, the committee reached out to leading retailers to ask questions about their current practices.

The committee believes change is urgently needed for this industry. Chairwoman Mary Creagh told<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45745242"> BBC News</a>, “They [the fashion industry] will account for more than a quarter of our total impact on climate change by 2050.”

The fashion industry itself is starting to shift. A new<a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/our-work/activities/make-fashion-circular"> initiative</a>, called Make Fashion Circular, brings together industry leaders, NGOs and innovators to ensure that products are made using environmentally friendly practices.

While legislators and industry leaders work towards a solution, consumers can create change. But the solution to fast fashion may not be that simple. There is clearly demand for fast fashion among consumers who may not be willing to replace their purchases with expensive, sustainably sourced products. 

A<a href="http://admin.umt.edu.pk/Media/Site/STD/FileManager/OsamaArticle/FastFashionSustainability.pdf"> study</a> of young, fast fashion consumers found that participants were not concerned about their fashion purchasing decisions, even though they generally cared about the environment. Educating consumers about an issue is often not enough to cause wide-scale change.

For now, the <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/">Environmental Audit Committee</a> will be publishing their recommendations in February.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

How fast fashion is taking a toll on our environment

Fast fashion has risen in popularity in recent years by...

Europe is phasing out coal faster than ever before. A new report from the nonprofit organization <a href="https://sandbag.org.uk/">Sandbag</a> suggests that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/phasing-out-coal-gas/">coal</a> era may have finally reached its peak in Europe. In the sharpest decline ever recorded, electricity generation from coal power plants dropped by nearly 20 percent across European countries during the first half of 2019.

According to the experts, the decrease in coal-generated power can be attributed to the use of renewables such as solar and wind, as well as a recent increase in the use of gas-based power. 

Although Europe's use of coal has been in a long-term state of decline, lower gas prices combined with a higher EU carbon price have now accelerated this decline. 

The study revealed that countries with the most wind and solar capacity experienced the largest declines, with coal consumption dropping by 79 percent in Ireland and 44 percent in Spain. In the UK, coal power generation dropped by 65 percent and the nation has committed to completely getting rid of coal by 2025. 

Dave Jones is a carbon &amp; power analyst at Sandbag who is leading the organization's efforts to phase out coal in Europe. Based on data from EU energy network operators, the researchers determined that Europe's dirtiest coal plants are no longer profitable due to carbon prices, power prices, and running costs. 

"People have been slow to pick up on how big and aggressive this (switch) is,” Jones told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. He said the transition to renewables will continue year after year, but that the substitution of gas for coal will be more of a short-lived event because new gas plants are no longer being built.

"Europe has a coal problem. Even as clean energy sources grow, many countries are still reliant on generating power from coal. It has huge impacts – on climate change and on health," Sandbag states on its website.

"Our research shows that in 2017, coal produced 15% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions and 38% of the EU ETS CO2 emissions. In 2015, the latest year for which health figures are available, coal was responsible for at least 19,500 premature deaths across Europe."

Sandbag reports that eliminating coal is the "simplest and quickest way to achieve substantial reductions in CO2 emissions," and the organization has a goal of phasing out coal in European countries by 2030.

--

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/Rudmer Zwerver

Europe is phasing out coal faster than ever before

Europe is phasing out coal faster than ever before. A...

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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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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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.

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image 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.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&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.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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 



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



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.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image 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.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image 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.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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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.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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 a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



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.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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 capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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