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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

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...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a>, researchers have determined that Americans throw out a lot more <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/freshness-sensors-reduce-food-waste/">food</a> than what they anticipate. The experts theorize that this food waste is largely driven by ambiguous date labels on packages.

Study senior author Brian Roe is a professor of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics.

"People eat a lot less of their refrigerated food than they expect to, and they're likely throwing out perfectly good food because they misunderstand labels," said Professor Roe. He said that this is the first study to offer a data-driven glimpse into the refrigerators of American homes, and provides an important framework for efforts to decrease food waste.

Survey respondents expected to eat 97 percent of the meat in their refrigerators, yet only ate about half. The participants also consumed 50 percent less of their vegetables, 31 percent less fruit, and 42 percent less dairy products compared to what they anticipated. The top reasons for throwing out food were safety concerns about the odor, appearance, and dates on the labels.

"No one knows what 'use by' and 'best by' labels mean and people think they are a safety indicator when they are generally a quality indicator," said Professor Roe. He noted that there is currently a proposal before Congress to standardize date labeling rules to provide some clarity.

Professor Roe said that, under the proposal, "best if used by" will translate to "follow your nose," while "use by" will translate to "toss it."

The study was focused on data from the State of the American Refrigerator survey, which involved 307 participants. The individuals were asked to report on how much of the fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products in their refrigerators that they expected to be eaten. In a follow-up survey, the participants reported how much of the food was actually consumed.

"We wanted to understand how people are using the refrigerator and if it is a destination where half-eaten food goes to die," said Professor Roe. "That's especially important because much of the advice that consumers hear regarding food waste is to refrigerate (and eat) leftovers, and to 'shop' the refrigerator first before ordering out or heading to the store."

Approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted annually, which is about one-third of the food produced worldwide for human consumption. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that the value of this food waste is $680 billion in industrialized countries and $310 billion in developing countries each year.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/resources-conservation-and-recycling">Resources, Conservation and Recycling</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/l i g h t p o e t

American consumers are wasting more food due to unclear expiration dates

In a new study from Ohio State University, researchers have...

Addressing short-term climate change threats will benefit future generations. While most climate mitigation strategies are focused on the remainder of this century, a new study led by <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> suggests that such strategies should be focused on the next couple of decades. The researchers found that addressing the short-term threats of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/studying-past-climate-change/">climate change</a> will leave less of a burden for future generations.

Climate mitigation projects may include the deployment of renewable technologies, atmospheric carbon removal through planting trees and other methods, or new legislation to reach energy efficiency targets.

The logic behind the Imperial research is that climate plans which are designed to limit warming by 2100 leave too much time for complacency or harmful emissions earlier in the century. A long-term goal may ultimately rely on removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in later decades, for example.

According to the researchers, climate strategies should account for when maximum warming will occur, what that level of warming should be, and whether warming is stabilized afterward.

The experts propose a sensible approach that is aimed at limiting global warming before 2050, which would depend less on unproven technologies and investment by future generations.

"When climate-change strategies were first proposed, more than 20 years ago, the planet had only warmed about 0.5°C, so there was time for a long, smooth transition to energy systems and economies that kept warming below 2°C by 2100," said study lead author Dr. Joeri Rogelj.

"Now, however, we are at around 1°C warming and science of the last decade has shown that 2°C cannot be considered a safe limit. The need to stabilize warming more quickly is paramount, and therefore we suggest a focus on reaching net zero carbon emissions as a key milestone of any climate strategy.

"Turning the focus from the far future to the next decades, where push will come to shove in terms of adequate climate action, will help us reach the Paris Agreement goals without placing undue burden on future generations."

In order to limit warming in the next couple of decades until it is stabilized, the research team suggests that net zero carbon emissions should be the focus of climate change efforts in the short term. Beyond net zero emissions, countries could develop a plan based on how much they need to reduce their contribution to global warming through additional carbon removal.

"Shifting the focus to more short-term warming will underpin the next assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and we hope it will also help policymakers formulate realistic strategies," said Dr. Rogelj. "Policymakers want to know how and when we can reach net zero carbon, and our new logic for strategies could make these questions answerable."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Phil McDonald

Addressing short-term climate change threats will benefit future generations

Addressing short-term climate change threats will benefit future generations. While...

According to a new study, the human heart underwent major physical changes as societies shifted from hunter-gatherers to farmers. This evolution of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/two-naps-heart-health/">heart</a> was needed to prepare for physical labor that required more endurance. 

Led by Dr. Aaron L. Baggish of the <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/">Massachusetts General Hospital</a> (MGH), the study was focused on how ape hearts differ from those of humans, why any differences exist, and what that means to human health.

Chimpanzees mainly engage in short bursts of activity, like climbing or fighting, that put intense pressure on the heart for a limited time. When pre-industrial humans began to rely on hunting and farming, these activities put a more moderate strain on the heart compared to chimps, but for much longer periods of time.

It is known that features of the heart change in response to specific physical challenges. For example, walking and running require more blood to be pumped to deliver fuel to active muscles. By contrast, the intense exertion used by chimpanzees for climbing or fighting creates pressure in heart that can make the walls of the heart chambers stiffer and thicker over time.

"The heart remodels in response to two main forces: pressure and volume," explained Dr. Baggish. "Humans have longer, thinner- and more flexible-walled hearts, while chimps have smaller hearts with thicker walls." 

For their investigation, the researchers measured and compared heart function in apes with four groups of humans that ranged from sedentary individuals to elite runners. "The goal was to compare heart structure and function in each 'type' - whether the subject was very active, to barely active," said Dr. Baggish.

The study revealed that human hearts have transformed over time to handle activities that require endurance, as opposed to shorter, more intense activities. 

Elite runners and other athletes who had trained for endurance sports were found to have hearts with longer, larger, and more elastic left ventricles - features that make it easier for the heart to pump blood to the body over a sustained time. 

On the other hand, the researchers found that sedentary participants have hearts that are more "ape-like" and are better suited for short bursts of activity. This group is highly prone to hypertension, which can trigger adverse changes in the heart structure that lead to heart disease. 

"The human heart has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years as our activity levels gradually became more sustained," said Dr. Baggish. "We now understand that the human heart, coupled with changes in the musculoskeletal and thermoregulatory system, evolved to facilitate extended endurance activity rather than spurts of intense exertion." 

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Liya Graphics

The human heart evolved for endurance, not for a sedentary lifestyle

According to a new study, the human heart underwent major...

This month, wildlife officials in Oregon reported that they had euthanized a young bear who had become habituated to humans. The bear became a local staple as people visited it for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dying-selfie-animal-attacks/">selfies</a> and to provide it with junk food. But as often seen in human-wildlife interactions, the animal’s popularity with humans ultimately became its undoing.

The bear was commonly spotted near a popular boat ramp prompting multiple calls to the local police. Police had also become aware of the situation when they found selfies online of people posing next to the bear. 

Officials were called to the scene and found the bear eating piles of trail mix, sunflower seeds and cracked corn, believed to have been left behind by people encouraging the bear to come to the area. The wildlife officials first tried to coax the bear back into the woods, according to a <a href="https://twitter.com/WCSOOregon/status/1139001542076321793/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1139001542076321793&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.statesmanjournal.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2019%2F06%2F14%2Fblack-bear-killed-oregon-fish-and-wildlife-washington-county-sheriff-office%2F1456831001%2F">tweet</a> from the Washington County’s Sheriff's Office. But the bear had returned to the area the <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/06/oregon-officials-killed-a-black-bear-near-hagg-lake-because-too-many-people-fed-it.html">next day</a>.

Officials then made the decision to euthanize the bear. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife <a href="https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2019/06_Jun/061319.asp">states</a> that they do not translocate bears that have been habituated to humans as “these animals are much more likely to have dangerous interactions with humans in the future.”

This tragic case is just one example of the dangers of direct human-wildlife interactions. While the bear behaved in a friendly manner towards selfie takers, the wild animal could have instinctually attacked at any time.

[caption id="attachment_1874332" align="aligncenter" width="494"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Young-black-bear-WCSO-Oregon.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-1874332" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Young-black-bear-WCSO-Oregon.png" alt="" width="494" height="563" /></a> The young black bear who was euthanized, Image Credit: WCSO Oregon[/caption]

The habituation of wildlife to humans also threatens the survival of the animals. Wild animals’ natural fear of humans acts as a defense mechanism by deterring them away from hunters and populated areas where they could be hit by cars. 

This is why wild animals who were raised in captivity often face little chance of survival if they are released back into the wild. In the case of the young black bear, the bear was being fed junk food and might not have developed the proper hunting skills needed to survive on its own.

Despite the risks to both humans and animals, wildlife selfies have exploded in popularity. Human-wildlife interactions have existed for centuries but social media now rewards these interactions with positive affirmations from peoples’ peers.

A <a href="https://d31j74p4lpxrfp.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/ca_-_en_files/amazon_selfies_report_-_canada.pdf">report</a> by the non-profit group World Animal Protection found a 292% increase in the number of wildlife selfies posted on Instagram between 2014 and 2017. Over 40% of these selfies depicted humans and wild animals directly interacting. 

Human-wildlife interactions do not solely occur in nature. In many countries in the world, especially in the Latin America region, tourists can take photos with wild animals kept by vendors offering just a few dollars for a selfie. These wild animals are often smuggled from the wild and forced into captivity. 

Lion petting facilities have proliferated in South Africa to provide tourists with selfie opportunities as well as sell lions to trophy hunting facilities and into the lion bone trade. At these facilities, lions are intensively bred and young cubs are taken from their mothers mere <a href="https://kevinrichardsonfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Adopted-Report-of-the-PCEA-on-Captive-Breeding-of-Lions-for-Hunting-9-Nov-2018.pdf">hours after being born</a> to act as tourist props.

As long as wildlife selfies continue to remain popular, there will be demand for direct interactions with wild animals. A quick photo might seem innocent enough, but for the animals involved it could be a death sentence.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/critterbiz

Taking selfies can put animals in danger by making them too comfortable

This month, wildlife officials in Oregon reported that they had...

Dams are typically seen as the enemy by environmentalists, ever since Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite was flooded against the protests of John Muir. Ed Abbey painted dams as the enemy of his band of misfit ecoterrorists in The Monkey Wrench Gang. 

The reasons why dams are unpopular among environmentalists are numerous. Some are horrified by the loss of beautiful places like Hetch Hetchy or Glen Canyon. Flooding behind a dam not only destroys wildlife habitat but sometimes covers important paleontological, geological or archaeological sites. Others worry about the impact of dams on <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/Y2785E/y2785e03.htm">fish populations</a>. 

Silt builds up behind dams, and the water is warmer in a reservoir created by a dam than in the original river. All of this leads to a release of methane created in the new aquatic environment and a loss of biodiversity. In fact, as the original life drowned by flooding die and decay, as much as <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/environmental-impacts-hydroelectric-power.html">0.5 pounds</a> of carbon dioxide equivalent is released per kilowatt hour, barely better than the 0.6 - 2 pounds produced from natural gas generated electricity. 

Migratory fish are stopped or delayed in their movement by dams. Sometimes dams favor invasive non-native fish populations adapted to different environments. Populations of fish in Europe have declined after the building of dams. In China, fish species declined from 107 to 83 after the Xinanjiang dam was built. The same trend of a decline in biodiversity, not only in the flooded region of a river but also downstream, has been shown in Australia and Latin America as well. Dams also impact native fishes negatively in the US.

Political battles have been fought over dams throughout the western US and mostly environmentalists have lost and dams sprouted everywhere people lived out west. For the most part, we’ve passed the time in US history for major dam building. According to <a href="https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1849-25045-6913/02_hydrosafetydam_ch_2_4.pdf">FEMA</a> numbers, only 92 dams of any stature were built before 1800 in the United States. The number of dams built increased until 27,715 dams were built in the US between 1951 and 1970. Dam building has slowed down considerably since that time, with 19,506 dams built between 1971 and 1990. Only 5,105 dams were constructed between 1991 and 2007. Now, many of these dams are growing old and there’s a discussion of what should be done. 

<a href="https://headwaterseconomics.org/economic-development/local-studies/dam-removal-case-studies/">Headwaters Economics</a> reports that the US has 87,000 dams more than six feet high and 2 million all together. Of the dams, there are 2,603 in the lower 48 states that generate electricity. It’s estimated that by 2020, 70% of dams will be over fifty years old and will require more and more costly maintenance. It’s estimated that repairing the United States non federally owned dams could cost $51.5 billion. 

Some of those dams still serve a useful purpose while others are potentially reaching the end of their service. With realities such as these, dams across the US have been removed as well as constructed. Since 1912, more than 1,300 dams in the US have been removed, and 62 were removed in 2015 alone.. With the removal of dams and the decommissioning of the connected hydropower plants that many of them keep alive, electrical power becomes an issue. 

Hydroelectricity currently provides about 6% of the United States electricity needs and give constant steady electricity to the grid. New research in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0362-7.epdf?referrer_access_token=vagRrqLiiqhKj3WU0-jCW9RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0PKLW205v4XAxuAPHOliRvt4XFPF715VUkj8kRkGH68-VNejQSjD5m6_Udtyt1xI1keiVnrbaMmMkmqaThD3umnEV7hSCArprpbxxdOmawxGtkisDCghyatSqWYHGEiBF6QEACTHIQxLHTYN5G9tVhinfZyBXBHviz6lplG3pu0_MjtgO3Tejb6XEtUcmkM4c_KoMu2PIhCv0rMBLAwf9qB9Ad_Be-De69yHRdiE5Zsc7KxdwhOzY8J8ScjBfqtfIg%3D&amp;tracking_referrer=www.carbonbrief.org">Nature</a> suggests that solar electricity could potentially replace the lost electricity from hydroelectric. The research indicates that theoretically, the same amount of electricity as currently generated by dams could be generated by solar panels using only 13% of the land currently occupied by reservoirs. 

Of course, some of the land used by reservoirs wouldn’t necessarily be appropriate for solar panels, so other land might have to be used to make the same amount of electricity. If all hydroelectric dams were removed and only half of the land area they occupied was replaced with solar, it could generate 3.44 times the amount of electricity currently created by hydroelectric. 

Replacing hydroelectric dams with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/green-solar-panels-appealing/">solar panels</a> is an interesting idea, but it’s more complicated than a straight trade of one thing for another. Without a way to store electricity like batteries, solar power is unlikely to be a good replacement for hydroelectricity, which is generated 24 hours a day. Solar also varies per season and not every location that currently uses hydroelectric has equal opportunity for solar. Washington State, for example, has 107 hydroelectric dams, Arizona has 9. On average, Phoenix, Arizona has 299 <a href="https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/arizona/phoenix">sunny days</a> per year while Seattle, WA has only <a href="https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/washington/seattle">152</a>. Just from this one comparison it’s obvious that some places have a huge advantage than others for solar or hydroelectric. 

All of this leads to a lot of uncertainty about the potential cost of replacing hydroelectric plants with solar panels as well as the local feasibility. Replacing the energy Arizona gets from hydroelectricity seems a lot more doable than doing the same for Washington. There is also the question of environmental impact and what the impact of solar panels is in the long run.

Both solar and hydroelectric systems are forms of renewable energy, with solar having less of a direct impact, mainly coming from the manufacturing of the solar panel itself. Due to the carbon footprint of producing a solar panel, solar actually produces <a href="https://grist.org/living/whats-better-new-solar-panels-or-old-hydropower/">more carbon</a> on average over its lifetime than hydro. There are also some serious problems related to disposing of solar panels. 

Over time, solar panels become <a href="https://earth911.com/eco-tech/recycle-solar-panels/">less and less efficient</a>, with most functioning at a rate of 85% after 25 years or less. The <a href="https://www.irena.org/events/2016/Jun/EU-PVSEC-Conference-sideevent-Photovoltaic-EndofLife-Management-PV-EOL-workshop">International Renewable Energy Agency</a> (IRENA) estimates that by 2050 there will be 60 to 78 million tons of solar panel waste. Solar panels are hard to recycle because they’re made from so many different materials and very few facilities exist that are capable of recycling them at all. So, that leaves us with the question: is it better to replace hydroelectricity with solar?

The best way to reduce carbon emissions is to decrease consumption and increase efficiency. Whether solar makes sense as an alternative to hydroelectricity might change depending on the region, and it might also become less problematic as technology develops. For the moment, it’s something that deserves further consideration.                                   

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Gary Saxe

Does it make sense to replace America’s aging dams with solar panels?

Dams are typically seen as the enemy by environmentalists, ever...

Taxi drivers, delivery workers, and emergency responders are exposed to high levels of traffic emissions on a daily basis. 

While studies have investigated the health risks of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718311343">traffic pollution exposure</a>, it is less clear how professional drivers are affected and what measures can be taken to guard against the health risks of the job. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King’s College London</a> and <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University</a> in London set out to answer these questions in a new study. 

“We believe there are around a million people working in jobs like these in the UK alone, so this is a widespread and under-appreciated issue,” said Shanon Lim, a member of the research team.

140 professional drivers from several different occupations participated in the study. All the drivers worked in the busy hub of central London and were given black carbon monitors to wear for 96 hours. 

Drivers were surveyed about their work, what vehicle they use, and if they typically drive with the windows open or not. The carbon monitors were equipped with GPS trackers so the researchers could measure black carbon exposure and identify the regions where exposure was highest.  

The professional drivers in the study were exposed to around 4.1 micrograms of black carbon per cubic meter of air while driving, an amount four times higher than what is found in homes and higher than roadside black carbon measurements.  

Taxi drivers, though, had it the worst and were exposed to 6.5 micrograms of black carbon per cubic meter of air while driving. 

It’s not clear why taxi drivers face higher levels of black carbon compared to other professional drivers, but the researchers hypothesize that it’s because taxis often operate in areas with a lot of traffic and pollution. 

“Our study suggests that professional drivers are exposed to high levels of traffic pollution while at work,” said Mr. Lim. “Because these levels are higher than those we find at the roadside, this suggests that being inside a vehicle doesn’t necessarily offer any protection, in fact the opposite may be true: that air pollution can get trapped inside the vehicle for extended periods of time.”

Professional drivers should keep their windows closed to reduce pollution exposure, and the researchers are exploring the effectiveness of air filters and other methods that could protect against the occupational health risks of driving. 

Lim will present the study findings at the <a href="https://erscongress.org/">European Respiratory Society International Congress</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Africa Studio

Taxi drivers face high levels of black carbon exposure

Taxi drivers, delivery workers, and emergency responders are exposed to...

At a German children's hospital, pathogens known as Klebsiella oxytoca were repeatedly transmitted to newborns in a neonatal intensive care unit. When researchers failed to find contamination in the incubators or among healthcare workers, they traced the source of the pathogens to the washing machine. 

The study, published by the <a href="https://www.asm.org/">American Society for Microbiology</a>, revealed that pathogen transmission finally stopped when the washer was removed from the hospital. Prior to this investigation, it was not known that washing machines can harbor multidrug-resistant pathogens. 

"This is a highly unusual case for a hospital, in that it involved a household type washing machine," said study first author Dr. Ricarda M. Schmithausen. German hospitals are required to use specialized machines that wash and disinfect clothing at high temperatures and with disinfectants.

According to Dr. Schmithausen, the research has implications for household washing machines, which have been recently designed to wash at lower temperatures for energy savings. The researchers found that resistance genes, as well as different microorganisms, can persist in domestic washers at these reduced temperatures.

"If elderly people requiring nursing care with open wounds or bladder catheters, or younger people with suppurating injuries or infections live in the household, laundry should be washed at higher temperatures, or with efficient disinfectants, to avoid transmission of dangerous pathogens," said Dr. Martin Exner. "This is a growing challenge for hygienists, as the number of people receiving nursing care from family members is constantly increasing."

Klebsiella oxytoca is a healthy <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-mood/">gut bacteria</a> inside of the intestines, but can otherwise cause serious infections. The presence of these pathogens on the newborns were detected during standard screening procedures.

The clothes that transmitted K. oxytoca from the washer to the infants were knitted caps and socks to help keep them warm in incubators, as newborns can quickly become cold, even in incubators, said Dr. Exner. However, the original source of the K. oxytoca is not clear. 

The infants were not infected by K. oxytoca but were found to be colonized, which means that the pathogens were harmlessly present. The findings suggest that changes in washing machine design are required to prevent the accumulation of residual water where microbes can grow and contaminate clothes.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aem.asm.org/">Applied and Environmental Microbiology</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/Rozhnovskaya Tanya

Washing machines can harbor multidrug-resistant pathogens

At a German children's hospital, pathogens known as Klebsiella oxytoca...

A new poll has found that a growing number of young Republican voters are concerned about human-induced climate change.

The polling agency <a href="https://www.glocalities.com/">Glocalities</a>, which is based in Amsterdam, conducted a survey of 20 countries worldwide, including the US, Germany, China, and Brazil to see how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-questions-worded/">global attitudes about climate change are changing. </a>

The average level of concern about human-driven climate change was 77 percent in all 20 countries surveyed, a six percent increase since 2014. 

In the US specifically, the number of Republicans who said they were worried about how much humans are negatively impacting the environment and climate has increased to 58 percent. 

67 percent of Republican voters aged 18 to 34 are worried about climate change, an 18 percent increase since earlier polls. 

<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-poll-republicans/surge-in-young-republicans-worried-about-the-environment-survey-idUSKCN1VJ17V">Reuters,</a> which reported on the poll results, also said there was a ten percent increase in Republicans who are trying to act more sustainably and environmentally conscious.

Meanwhile, 83 percent of Democrat voters expressed concern about climate change in the environment and a majority of all those surveyed (69 percent) agreed that humans were damaging the planet. 

What may be influencing young Republican voters is the increase in youth-led climate activism. 

“When looking deeper into the data it becomes clear that the highest rise in environmental concern (worldwide) is visible among younger Republicans,” Martijn Lampert, a pollster for Glocalities, told Reuters. “If Donald Trump keeps on denying climate change and refrains from standing up for the environment he won’t be able to increase support among the young and be heavily reliant on older generations of Republican voters for winning again.”

--

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/Christopher Penler

An increasing number of young Republicans are concerned about climate change

A new poll has found that a growing number of...

Vitamin D and fish oil may lower risk of death from cancer and heart attack. According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.menopause.org/">North American Menopause Society</a> (NAMS), vitamin D and fish oil may play a protective role against death from cancer and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/yoga-heart-attack/">heart attacks</a>. While the results of the study were found to be complex, the experts observed promising benefits for many participants.

The VITamin D and OmegA-3 Trial (VITAL) was designed to test whether vitamin D and fish oil can effectively prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease. 

The clinical trial was focused on nearly 26,000 men and women in the United States. After more than five years, the treatments produced promising signals that were very specific. For example, fish oil showed only a small reduction in the primary cardiovascular endpoint of major CVD events, yet was associated with a significant reduction in heart attacks. Vitamin D and fish oil may lower risk of death from cancer and heart attack

In addition, the greatest benefit of Omega-3 fatty acids was observed when dietary fish intake was below the cohort average of 1.5 servings per week, and was not observed in those with a higher intake. 

Furthermore, African-Americans appeared to gain the highest risk reductions. These heart health benefits have recently been confirmed by meta-analyses of omega-3 randomized trials, according to the experts.

Similarly, vitamin D supplements did not reduce major CVD events or total cancer incidence, yet were associated with a significant reduction in overall cancer mortality among adults who participated in the trial for at least two years. The effectiveness of vitamin D in reducing cancer mortality has also been confirmed by updated meta-analyses of existing vitamin D trials.

"The pattern of findings suggests a complex balance of benefits and risks for each intervention and points to the need for additional research to determine which individuals may be most likely to derive a net benefit from these supplements," said study lead author Dr. JoAnn Manson of Brigham and Women's Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

"With heart disease and cancer representing the most significant health threats to women, it is imperative that we continue to study the viability of options that prevent these diseases and help women survive them," added Dr. Stephanie Faubion, who is the medical director for NAMS.

The latest VITAL findings will be presented during the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago later this week. 

The study is published in <a href="https://www.menopause.org/publications/professional-publications/menopause-journal-contents/menopause-journal-nonmembers">Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society</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/Ekaterina Markelova

Vitamin D and fish oil may lower risk of death from cancer and heart attack

Vitamin D and fish oil may lower risk of death...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a> have found that plastic teabags can transfer billions of microplastic particles into a beverage when it is brewed. Despite growing concern over <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-human-food-chain/">microplastic</a> contamination, experts are still not clear how the particles may impact human health. 

Plastic breaks down into tiny microplastics over time, and then into even smaller nanoplastics, which are less than 100 nanometers in size. By comparison, a human hair has a diameter of about 75,000 nanometers, which means that nanoplastics are not even be detectable to the human eye. 

Some tea manufacturers have recently made the switch from traditional paper teabags to plastic ones, and a team led by Nathalie Tufenkji set out to determine whether these teabags may be releasing micro- and nanoplastics into the beverage during brewing. 

The researchers also wanted to investigate the effects of microscopic plastic particles on small aquatic organisms called Daphnia magna, or water fleas, which are commonly used in environmental research.

The study was focused on four different commercial teas packaged in plastic teabags, which were cut open to remove the tea leaves and washed. Next, the teabags were heated in containers of water to simulate brewing conditions. 

Using electron microscopy, the team found that when a single plastic teabag reached brewing temperature, it released about 11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles into the water. These levels are thousands of times higher than what has been previously reported in other foods. 

In a second experiment, water fleas were treated with various doses of the micro- and nanoplastics contained in the teabags. While they did survive, the water fleas displayed abnormal development and behavior. According to the experts, further research is needed to determine if plastic particles could have more subtle or chronic effects on humans.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</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/Vladimir Sukhachev

Plastic teabags release billions of microscopic particles into tea

Researchers at the American Chemical Society have found that plastic...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">UC San Francisco</a> have identified a link between one or two daytime naps per week and a reduced risk of having a major cardiovascular event, such as a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sleep-lower-heart-attack-risk/">heart attack</a> or stroke. Notably, this association was not observed with any greater frequency of naps.

The investigation was focused on data from the CoLaus study, which was designed to explore the factors involved in the development of cardiovascular disease. The study included 3,462 randomly selected residents of Lausanne, Switzerland, who were between the ages of 35 and 75 when they were recruited in 2003. 

When the first follow-up was conducted six years later, the participants reported on their sleep and nap patterns over the previous week. The health of the individuals was then monitored for an average of five additional years. 

The participants fell into four categories: those who did not nap in the previous week, those who took one to two naps, those who took three to five naps, and those who took six to seven naps.

The most frequent nappers were most often older, overweight males who were smokers. These participants reported more daytime sleepiness and more severe obstructive sleep apnea than participants in the other three categories.

During the five-year monitoring period, there were 155 fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease events among the participants. The researchers found that napping occasionally - once to twice weekly - was associated with nearly half the risk of stroke and heart attack compared to those who did not ever take daytime naps.

This association was consistent even after the team accounted for influential factors, such as age, nighttime sleep duration, and other cardiovascular disease risks like high blood pressure.

According to study co-authors Dr. Yue Leng and Dr. Kristine Yaffe, research in this area is hampered by the absence of a gold standard for defining and measuring naps, making it "premature to conclude on the appropriateness of napping for maintaining optimal heart health."

"While the exact physiological pathways linking daytime napping to (cardiovascular disease) risk is not clear, (this research) contributes to the ongoing debate on the health implications of napping, and suggests that it might not only be the duration, but also the frequency that matters," wrote the researchers.

"The study of napping is a challenging but also a promising field with potentially significant public health implications. While there remain more questions than answers, it is time to start unveiling the power of naps for a supercharged heart."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://heart.bmj.com/">Heart</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/George Rudy

Two naps a week may be ideal for heart health

Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a link between...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a> suggests that fragrance sensitivity affects so many people that it could nearly qualify as an epidemic. 

Professor Anne Steinemann surveyed more than 4,000 adults and found that one out of every three respondents had been adversely affected by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/develop-fragrances-last-longer/">fragranced products</a>. 

Fragrance sensitivity is a condition that is characterized by negative health effects after exposure to fragranced consumer products such as air fresheners, cleaning supplies, laundry detergents, cologne, scented candles, and soaps.

Professor Steinemann set out to examine the extent of fragrance sensitivity and how it may affect everyday life. For the investigation, adults were surveyed in four different countries: the United States, Australia, the UK, and Sweden.

The highest sensitivity rates were reported in the United States, where nearly 35 percent of respondents had encountered problems with fragrances. In the UK, nearly 28 percent of respondents had been adversely affected by fragranced products. 

Overall, one in 10 of those surveyed experienced effects from fragrances that were so bad they had missed work or even lost their job. One in five participants attributed their sensitivity to a perfume or cologne, while one in six had health problems triggered by air fresheners or fragranced cleaning products.

Around 17 percent of study participants reported respiratory issues from fragrances, and others reported migraines, watery or red eyes, and asthma attacks.

Considering that one in three people report that these products harm their health, fragrance sensitivity may qualify as an epidemic, Professor Steinemann told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. However, she explained that there are no standardized diagnostic tests to determine whether the health effects are physiological or psychological.

According to Professor Steinemann, those surveyed would like for fragrances to be removed from public spaces. She suggests that products should be very clearly labeled with the ingredients they contain in order to highlight the presence of a fragrance.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/11869">Air Quality, Atmosphere &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/pyrozhenka

Fragrance sensitivity causes health problems for 1 in 3 people

A new study from the University of Melbourne suggests that...

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



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



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

News coming your way