Concept,Of,Future,Technology,5g,Network,Wireless,Systems,And,Internet

People keep debating whether fifth-generation wireless signals might be risky. Some fear that these signals, traveling at higher frequencies, could damage our cells. Scientists have now studied how 5G waves affect the activity of human skin cells. 



The results reveal no alarming signs of harm. Dr. Vivian Meyer from <a href="https://constructor.university" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jacobs University Bremen</a>, led the research to address these concerns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5g-causes-no-harm-to-skin-cells">5G causes no harm to skin cells</h2>



Study participants exposed human skin cells to frequencies of 27 GHz and 40.5 GHz. These tests ran for 2 hours or 48 hours at power flux densities of 1 milliwatt per square centimeter and 10 milliwatts per square centimeter.



The team measured how these electromagnetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-debris-may-create-a-future-with-no-internet-or-astronaut-missions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fields</a> might trigger changes in gene expression. They also tracked DNA methylation, which helps turn genes on or off.



Recommended safety limits for the general population sit at 1 milliwatt per square centimeter for this frequency range, based on the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection <a href="https://www.icnirp.org/cms/upload/publications/ICNIRPrfgdl2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">guidelines</a>. This study used up to 10 times that level to see if any significant shifts might appear.



Some earlier work pointed to possible health effects but failed to control for heat from the equipment. This group included temperature checks to rule out the chance that slight warming created misleading effects.



Many news outlets have highlighted statements that 5G might cause everything from headaches to severe illness. This study tackled those claims by testing real human cells in controlled lab setups.



Non-ionizing radiation, such as 5G, differs from high-energy sources like X-rays. These high-energy sources can break chemical bonds, but 5G waves do not have that ability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-5g-affects-gene-expression">How 5G affects gene expression </h2>



Gene expression involves the way cells read genetic instructions and make proteins. If an outside factor changes that process, it can lead to subtle or major biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-teleportation-communication-achieved-on-regular-internet-cables/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consequences</a>.



Researchers found no unusual patterns in the cells that received the 5G signals. They compared them with cells shielded from the waves and saw similar activity levels.



“The quantum energies are far too low to have photochemical or even ionizing effects on cells,” stated Dr. Meyer. The authors also emphasized that routine tasks like making proteins or repairing tissue stayed normal. This calm response in gene expression points to no disruption from 5G.



Millimeter-wave frequencies also have shallow skin penetration, often only a few millimeters into the body. That limited depth further reduces the odds of deep tissue interference.



Scientists watch gene expression in skin cells closely because 5G exposure can link to inflammation or other cell stress. No such signals were noticed in the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5g-exposure-and-dna-methylation">5G exposure and DNA methylation</h2>



<a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Methylation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Methylation</a> is a chemical tag that can affect how genes function. Certain signals from the environment can change these tags, which sometimes alters cellular behavior.



In this project, no major shifts appeared in the cells’ methylation <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/taking-a-smartphone-break-can-improve-your-life-in-surprising-ways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">profiles</a>. This suggests that the exposure did not create epigenetic stress.



Other <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0109435" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> found similar outcomes at frequencies in the millimeter-wave range, even when power levels were higher than everyday exposure. These stable methylation patterns match the stable gene expression findings.



Previous concerns stemmed from the fear that 5G might spark changes at the cellular level without immediate symptoms. These fresh data suggest otherwise.



Experts have explored whether electromagnetic exposure could prompt long-term epigenetic shifts. Those might remain hidden until many cell cycles pass.



In these trials, the normal patterns suggest that any subtle changes are unlikely. This observation matches wider evidence that short-term exposure poses no known epigenetic threat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-studies-could-reveal-5g-risks">Future studies could reveal 5G risks</h2>



Some people wonder if long-term exposure might still pose unknown risks. Others question whether certain individuals might be more sensitive to electromagnetic signals.



This study indicates no harmful alterations in skin cells from 5G exposure, but more work on various cell types could settle lingering doubts. Future projects may also review how repeated exposure interacts with other environmental factors.



Scientists often stress the importance of consistent methods and proper temperature tracking. Such precautions help isolate real biological changes from simple heating effects. 



The authors believe these findings calm persistent fears and show that 5G exposure to skin cells is unlikely to cause genetic or epigenetic damage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-concerns-about-5g-health-risks">Public concerns about 5G health risks</h2>



Many researchers believe large-scale <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-shrinking-earths-atmosphere-and-thats-bad-for-satellites/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monitoring</a> over years could confirm these laboratory insights. Ongoing surveillance might help ease public anxiety.



Policymakers often rely on robust data for safety guidelines. They may update recommendations only if science uncovers new dangers.



Modern wireless networks have always raised questions about health. This well-controlled experiment looks like a solid step toward assurance.



Many wonder if the matter is settled forever. Time will tell whether new research keeps indicating a lack of harm.



The study is published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/5/pgaf127/8124427?login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PNAS Nexus</a>.



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5G wireless signals were extensively tested and the final verdict is out on their human impact

People keep debating whether fifth-generation wireless signals might be risky. Some fear that these signals, traveling at higher frequencies, could damage our cells. Scientists have now studied how 5G waves affect the activity of human skin cells. The results reveal no alarming signs of harm. Dr. Vivian Meyer from Jacobs University Bremen, led the research to address these concerns. 5G causes no harm to skin cells Study participants exposed human skin cells to frequencies of 27 GHz and 40.5 GHz. These tests ran for 2 hours or...

Solar-power desalination produces 20,000 gallons of fresh water each day. While it seems that converting ocean water into fresh drinking water is the perfect solution to the world's growing water crisis, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-method-desalination-profitable-efficient/">desalination</a> process requires a massive amount of energy and the technology that is currently available is extremely expensive. 

However, in a coastal community of Kenya, the organization <a href="https://givepower.org/">GivePower</a> has introduced a solar-powered desalination system that can produce enough drinking water for 25,000 people each day. 

According to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Business Insider</a>, the technology was set up in the coastal area of Kiunga last July. The desalination system can pump out 19,800 gallons of fresh drinking water on a daily basis. 

Hayes Barnard is the president of GivePower, a nonprofit that builds and deploys sustainable clean water and energy systems to communities in need. 

"You have to find a way to pull water out of the ocean in a scalable way, in a sustainable way," Barnard told Business Insider. He has a vision of installing the desalination system in similar facilities around the world where fresh water is needed the most.

The <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) reports that by 2025, half of the global population will be living in water-stressed areas. The lack of access to safe drinking water is linked to the transmission of serious diseases including cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio.

"Some 829,000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhea as a result of unsafe drinking-water, sanitation, and hand hygiene," the WHO states. 'Yet diarrhea is largely preventable, and the deaths of 297,000 children aged under 5 years could be avoided each year if these risk factors were addressed."

So far, GivePower has installed solar grids in over 2,650 locations such as schools and medical facilities in 17 countries. However, many of these regions were still facing critically limited access to fresh drinking water. 

"So we thought the next thing would be to bring the water to them," Barnard told Business Insider. "That's where this idea came from. Could we provide the most affordable, healthy, sustainable water? And at scale?"

The Kiunga facility cost $500,000 and took one month to build. Barnard's goal is to generate $100,000 in annual revenue from the system. "We hope that one of these systems funds another additional sister system every five years."

The team is now working on projects in Haiti's Isle de la Gonâve and in Mombasa, Kenya, while planning a future project in Colombia.

--

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/jennygiraffe

Solar-power desalination produces 20,000 gallons of fresh water each day

Solar-power desalination produces 20,000 gallons of fresh water each day....

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) have investigated how much the cost of energy storage must fall before the use of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/renewable-energy-carbon-capture/">renewable energy</a> can reach its full potential. The experts estimated the target costs that would allow solar and wind energy to compete with other on-demand energy sources, and examined which types of technology could be used to help reach these targets. 

"One of the core sources of uncertainty in the debate about how much renewable energy can contribute to the deep decarbonization of electricity is the question of how much energy storage can be improved," explained study senior author Professor Jessika Trancik. 

"Different assumptions about the cost of energy storage underlie significant disagreements between a number of assessments, but little was known about what costs would actually be competitive and how these costs compare to the storage technologies currently being developed. So, we decided to address this issue head on."

"Quantifying cost targets for energy storage required a new piece of insight about how patterns of the renewable energy supply, and fluctuations in this supply, compared to electricity demand profiles. Large but infrequent solar and wind shortage events are critical in determining how much storage is needed for renewables to reliably meet demand, and it's important to understand the characteristics of these events."

The study was focused on the costs of using storage together with wind and solar energy to reliably supply various outputs for twenty years. Next, the team modeled the target costs that would make these renewable options competitive.

The researchers also analyzed the characteristics that distinguish various storage options. For example, some technologies are designed to store large quantities of energy inexpensively, but with a slower output. Other technologies are designed to store smaller amounts of energy that can be discharged at high speeds. 

The study revealed that technologies with energy storage capacity costs below $20/kWh could enable cost-competitive power that is consistently available over a twenty-year period. Professor Trancik said that it is critical to reduce the costs of the materials and manufacturing that contribute to the cost of the storage energy capacity. 

"The numerical target we estimate, which varies with location, could mean a 90 percent drop in storage costs relative to today's technologies. It's a large drop but some technologies do tend to improve a lot, as we've seen in the case of solar panels, for example.'

"However, and importantly, there is another factor that could raise this target considerably and allow more expensive technologies to cost-competitively store renewable energy, which is to use supplemental technologies for a small percent of the time," explained Professor Trancik.

The team is now exploring options for low-cost and low-carbon supplemental technologies. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/home">Joule</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/artjazz

Renewable energy storage costs may soon become more competitive

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have investigated...

How to save your food from seagulls. If you’ve been unlucky enough to have a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wing-technique-gulls-drones/">seagull</a> snatch your snack from right in front of you while enjoying a day at the beach, you know that trying to eat when there are gulls around is no picnic. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> may have found a solution to keep your snacks safe from any thieving seagull. 

The trick is to just keep your eyes on the bird that’s after your chips, according to a new study published in the journal Biology Letters.

The researchers set a bag of chips on the ground and measured how long before 19 herring gulls approached the bag both while being watched and when a human was turned away. 

Gulls were more cautious when a human was staring at them. The researchers found that the herring gulls took around 21 seconds longer to grab the chips compared to when someone was looking away. 

Only 19 out of 74 gulls completed a “looking at” and “looking away” test without flying away first. 

“Gulls are often seen as aggressive and willing to take food from humans, so it was interesting to find that most wouldn’t even come near during our tests,” said Madeleine Goumas, the lead author of the study. “Of those that did approach, most took longer when they were being watched. Some wouldn’t even touch the food at all, although others didn’t seem to notice that a human was staring at them.” 

The study only involved 19 gulls, and not all gulls had the same response to staring. 

“We didn’t examine why individual gulls were so different - it might be because of differences in “personality” and some might have had positive experiences of being fed by humans in the past - but it seems that a couple of very bold gulls might ruin the reputation of the rest,” said Goumas. 

What the study does provide is a potential tool that annoyed tourists and beachgoers might use to dissuade gulls from approaching. 

Herring gulls in the UK and gulls in other coastal towns are considered a nuisance. One New Jersey beach town has gone so far as to hire birds of prey to scare away the gulls, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/08/06/beach-town-pays-65000-for-hawks-owls-to-scare-seagulls-away/">New York Post</a>. 

“We therefore advise people to look around themselves and watch out for gulls approaching, as they often appear to take food from behind, catching people by surprise,” said Dr. Neeltje Boogert, a senior author of the study.

Chips and picnic food are not part of a gull’s natural diet, and the researchers plan to study how human food impacts gulls and their chicks. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Photography by Adri

How to save your food from seagulls

How to save your food from seagulls. If you’ve been...

The recent rise of anti-vaxxers and flat Earthers, along with politicians who despite scientific evidence proving the realities of climate change, have many wondering if public trust in scientists is on the decline.

Americans continue to put their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-trust-scientists/">trust in scientific research</a>, but political divides persist when it comes to the role that scientists should play in informing public policy. 

A new poll conducted by the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/">Pew Research Center</a> shows that trust and confidence in scientists in the US is on the rise.

In fact, Americans have as much faith in scientists as they do in the military, according to the survey. Scientists are viewed as more reliable than the media and even elected officials. 

Republicans and Democrats differ in the amount of trust they place in scientists, especially in terms of environmental studies and conservation. 

4,464 adults took part in the survey in January 2019. The poll asked questions about trust in scientists, how often scientists can be counted on to perform a job competently, and if scientists present findings fairly and accurately. 

86 percent of the participants reported a “fair amount” of confidence in scientists to act in the public interest. 

Democrats were more likely to admit having a “great deal” of confidence in scientists compared to Republicans. 

[caption id="attachment_1876182" align="aligncenter" width="632"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/study1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1876182" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/study1.jpg" alt="" width="632" height="801" /></a> Image Credit: Pew Center[/caption]

When it came to how much influence scientific experts should have in policy decisions, Democrats were more likely to put their trust in an expert and want scientists involved in policy debates. 

56 percent of Republicans, on the other hand, said that scientists should be kept out of policy debates. 

“The Center’s new survey highlights the degree to which the public values scientific expertise and how those perceptions are sometimes shaped by the crosscurrents of politics as well as familiarity with scientists and their work,” the Pew Research Center’s <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2019/08/02/trust-and-mistrust-in-americans-views-of-scientific-experts/">study authors wrote</a>. 

More specifically, it shines a spotlight on trust and potential sources of mistrust connected with scientists who work in three fields: medicine, nutrition and the environment. 

Even though trust in scientists is increasing, most of the survey responders had misgivings about transparency and accountability. Only 2 in 10 Americans say that scientists are open about conflicts of interest. 

--

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>

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Matej Kastelic

Poll: Public trust in scientists is on the rise, but political divides continue

The recent rise of anti-vaxxers and flat Earthers, along with...

Cooperating with higher status people can elevate one’s own status. A new study led by Daniel Redhead at the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a> has demonstrated that cooperating with the right people may lead to higher <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/social-status-politics-paranoia/">social status</a>. The research suggests that human cooperation and competition are more closely related than they seem.

Through cooperation with high status individuals, others may gain access to valuable information, resources, or coalitional support that increases one's own status. 

"This is one of the first longitudinal studies of social status. Our findings provide some of the first evidence that the relationship between cooperation and social status among humans is bidirectional. That is, humans - compared to other animals - give status to those who provide benefits to groups, and are thus more attracted to these individuals as cooperative partners. At the same time, individuals increase their own status by cooperating with such high-status," explained Redhead. 

"These findings provide empirical evidence that stresses the broader importance of social interdependence - be it food sharing, food production, friendship or advice - in shaping human behavior, and that this interdependence makes the ways that we obtain social status quite distinct from other animals."

In collaboration with Christopher von Rueden from the University of Richmond, Redhead studied the relationship between cooperation and status hierarchy among males in a community of Tsimane Amerindians in Bolivia over a period of eight years.

For the indigenous Tsimane Amerindians, status is informal and can be gauged by who has more influence during community meetings. Men with higher social status in this community also have better health outcomes and more surviving children. 

Three different times throughout the study period, the men were asked to rank the status of other males within their community and to report which men they regularly cooperated with in terms of sharing food or hunting and fishing together.

The study revealed that men with higher social status gained more cooperative partners over time, and that these partners ultimately gained status themselves. 

"The finding that status depends on cooperation provides insight into why human societies, particularly small-scale societies like the Tsimane, are relatively egalitarian compared to other primates," said von Rueden. 

"Humans allocate status based on the benefits we can provide to others, often more than on the costs we can inflict. This is in part because humans evolved greater interdependence, relying on each other for learning skills, producing food, engaging in mutual defence, and raising offspring. Individuals who can offer unique services in these contexts gain status."

"However, the transfer of information and resources from higher to lower status individuals, as well as the potential reputational benefits to cooperating with higher status individuals, may constrain or even erode status differentials. Status inequality is constrained when by cooperating, status-dissimilar individuals influence each other's statuses. This likely changed with the spread of agriculture ten thousand years ago, as human communities grew in size and began producing more private wealth."

"Widespread cooperation among community members becomes difficult as community size increases, and individuals with more wealth can lose incentive to cooperate with the non-wealthy outside of more market-based or coercive transactions. These processes limit upward mobility and fuel stratification by wealth class."

The study is published in the journal  <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</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/frankie's

Cooperating with higher status people can elevate one’s own status

Cooperating with higher status people can elevate one’s own status....

Alcohol or nicotine use in the evening can sabotage sleep quality. As many as 70 million Americans have a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-male-fertility-problems/">sleep disorder,</a> and chronic sleep deprivation is linked to many serious conditions including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers. 

While many studies have investigated the potential for alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine to disrupt sleep, the population samples were not racially or ethnically diverse. A new study from <a href="https://www.fau.edu/">Florida Atlantic University</a> is the largest of its kind to examine how one or more of these drugs in the evening may influence sleep among African Americans. 

Using sleep trackers concurrently with daily sleep journals, the researchers analyzed the effects of drug consumption on sleep duration and quality. For more than 5,000 days, hundreds of study participants wore sleep sensors and recorded how much alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine they consumed within four hours of bedtime in their sleep journals.

The consumption of caffeine in the evening was found to have no influence on any of the sleep parameters examined. However, the researchers pointed out that some individuals are more sensitive to caffeine than others and dosing could have also made a difference in the outcome. 

Both nicotine and alcohol use within four hours of bedtime led to worse sleep continuity, and these effects were found to remain consistent regardless of age, gender, obesity, depressive symptoms, and other factors. 

Furthermore, nicotine appeared to have the strongest association with sleep disruption, and the team observed a statistically significant interaction between evening nicotine use and insomnia. Among the individuals who experienced insomnia, nightly nicotine use was associated with an average loss of 42 minutes of sleep.

The findings from this study are particularly important because they were observed in individuals who were not diagnosed with any sleep disorders and who generally had high sleep efficiency. 

"African Americans have been underrepresented in studies examining the associations of nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine use on sleep," said study lead author Dr. Christine E. Spadola. "This is especially significant because African Americans are more likely to experience short sleep duration and fragmented sleep compared to non-Hispanic Whites, as well as more deleterious health consequences associated with inadequate sleep than other racial or ethnic groups."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep">Sleep</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/Syda Productions

Alcohol or nicotine use in the evening can sabotage sleep quality

Alcohol or nicotine use in the evening can sabotage sleep...

Sesame allergy affects over 1.5 million children and adults in the United States, and the manifestation of this condition is quite different from other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/food-allergies-junk-food/">allergies</a>. 

People with allergies to milk or eggs often develop these allergies early on in life and outgrow them by adolescence, but sesame allergy affects both children and adults to a similar degree. Furthermore, about 80% of patients with sesame allergy also have at least one other food allergy.

A recent study from <a href="https://www.nm.org/">Northwestern Medicine</a> reports the first up-to-date estimates on the current prevalence of sesame allergy among U.S. children and adults across the United States.

“Our study shows sesame allergy is prevalent in the U.S. in both adults and children and can cause severe allergic reactions,” says lead study author Dr. Ruchi Gupta, professor of pediatrics and of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Ann &amp; Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “It is important to advocate for labeling sesame in packaged food. Sesame is in a lot of foods as hidden ingredients. It is very hard to avoid.”

Sesame labeling is currently not required by law, unlike the other top eight allergens such as peanuts and milk. Additionally, sesame can often be labeled in a confusing manner – such as “tahini” – which increases the risk of accidental ingestion.

For this study, investigators administered a telephone survey to over 50,000 U.S. households, which asked detailed information regarding any suspected food allergies. Responses from a nationally representative sample of roughly 80,000 adults and children were analyzed for the study.

These findings published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</a> directly inform current regulatory rule-making by the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration, which is currently considering whether sesame should be added to the list of key food allergens for which mandatory product labeling is required. 

Given the amount of people this allergy affects – along with the potential dangers posed due to poor labeling – let’s hope that U.S. law can follow the example of the European Union and Australia by requiring sesame-containing products to be properly labeled.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Elena Schweitzer

Prevalence of sesame allergies may call for tighter labeling laws

Sesame allergy affects over 1.5 million children and adults in...

World population needs to move toward plant-based diets to fight climate change. With a predicted 9.8 billion people expected to inhabit the planet by 2050, the world will need to increase food production by 56% compared to 2010. This increase in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-population-10-9-billion/">population</a> and need for food also exacerbates the already existing problem of climate change. 

Now, a new report from the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> (UN) warns that global populations need to move towards healthy, plant-based diets in order to effectively combat climate change in the coming years.

Currently, our food system is responsible for 25-30% of greenhouse gases. With the predicted population increase, the “Creating a Sustainable Food Future” report suggests that over 2 million square miles of forests – an area twice the size of India –would need to be converted to agriculture to keep up with demand. This would have us going in the opposite direction that we need to go if we’re looking to keep global warming capped at 1.5°C. World population needs to move toward plant-based diets to fight climate change

In multiple other reports, the UN has proposed that massive areas need to be converted to biofuel crops or CO2-absorbing trees if we’re to meet our strict climate change goals. To halt global warming at 1.5°C, it would apparently take converting almost 3 million square miles to bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). 

However, the report also warns that doing so could compromise sustainable development and increase risks of food security, desertification, and land degradation. 

The Earth’s surface temperature has already risen 1°C above pre-industrial levels, and a report from the IPCC last year stated that globally we need to be carbon neutral within three decades to have even a 50/50 shot of stopping global warming at 1.5°C. 

Despite this dire warning, in 2018 there was a record 41.5 billion tons of planet-warming CO2 added to the atmosphere, up 2% from the previous record that was set the year before.

One of the most common suggestions to help abate climate change is to plant massive amounts of trees. But many scientists argue against this one-off approach. 

“Heroic reforestation can help, but it is time to stop suggesting there is a ‘nature-based solution’ to ongoing fossil fuel use,” says Myles Allen, a professor of geosystem science at the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>. “There isn’t.”

So what are the steps we need to take to avoid a climate disaster? According to Andre Laperrière, Executive Director of <a href="https://www.godan.info/">Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition</a>, there are many. 

“Our industrialized farming practices are in fact the largest contribution to soil erosion and pollution, and perhaps the biggest hurdle we face is to try and teach about half a billion farmers globally to re-work their agricultural model to be carbon sensitive,” he explains. 

“Other steps we can take would involve changing our collective diets to be environmentally ethical (avoiding mass produced, resource intensive and land pollutant foods such as avocados, palm oil and red meat), protect natural habitats and prevent largescale natural destruction (like in the Amazon rainforest), improve crop varieties and engage in agri-forestry (instead of cutting down forests to farm.”

With all that said, the new UN report does not paint a pretty picture of our imminent future. We currently have a very small window of time to hit a very lofty goal of halting global warming. It will likely take a concentrated effort from populations around the world to ultimately save our planet and our future.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Magdanatka

World population needs to move toward plant-based diets

World population needs to move toward plant-based diets to fight...

In a new study led by the <a href="https://publichealth.nyu.edu/">NYU College of Global Public Health</a>, experts have found that people often text, use <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/social-media-television-depression/">social media</a>, and post pictures while under the influence of drugs and regret it later. The research is shedding new light on the social damage linked to substance abuse that is often overlooked in health risk assessments.

According to a recent survey from Pew Research, more than 90 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds in America are engaged in some form of social media. Meanwhile, 94 percent of these young adults have a smartphone, which means they always have access to social media platforms.

While the technology has its advantages,  such as keeping people connected, the use of smartphones for communication can also cause some serious damage. The risk of social harm only increases when people are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"Risky social media posts, including those showing people high on drugs, have the potential to cause embarrassment, stress, and conflict for users and those in their social networks," said study lead author Dr. Joseph Palamar. "It can also have adverse implications for one's career, since the majority of employers now use social media platforms to screen job candidates and may search for evidence of substance use."

For the current study, the researchers examined data from 872 adults who were surveyed while entering electronic dance music (EDM) parties in New York City. The participants, who reported current or previous drug use, were asked if they were ever high on a drug while they posted on social media, called or texted someone, or posed for a photo. The individuals were also asked if they later regretted this behavior.

Among the participants, nearly half had been in a photograph while high, and most regretted it. More than half of the respondents had reached out to someone on the phone while under the influence, and 30 percent felt bad about it later. In addition, 35 percent had posted on social media while high, and 21 percent regretted their posts.

"At least one in five experienced regret after engaging in these behaviors while high, suggesting that some situations may have resulted in socially harmful or embarrassing scenarios," said Dr. Palamar.

Females and the youngest adults were found to be the most likely to engage in regretful social behavior under the influence. On the other hand, participants who were black were much less likely to get involved in these activities. Furthermore, marijuana users were at the highest risk for engaging in risky social behaviors, followed by cocaine users.

"A significant portion of our sample engaged in the use of social media while high and regretted it," said study co-author Austin Le.

"While more research is needed, our findings suggest a need for prevention or harm reduction programs to educate high-risk groups not only about the adverse health effects of substance use, but also about the potential negative social outcomes." 

"While prevention programs have largely focused on physical safety - for example, not driving after drinking - such programs can also stress that using a smartphone while high can increase the risk of someone engaging in regretful behavior," said Dr. Palamar. "Tactics such as using apps to prevent texting while intoxicated or delaying posting on social media until one is no longer experiencing drug effects may help to minimize social harm."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/substance-abuse">Substance Abuse</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/sondem

Young Americans are posting on social media while high and regretting it later

In a new study led by the NYU College of...

The transition to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-parents-sleep-deprivation/">parenthood is not easy</a>, and even the most well-prepared couples can find themselves overwhelmed with the stress that comes with having a new child. 

For the first time, a new study has examined how prenatal relationship problems between couples and the wellbeing of being mothers and fathers impact emotional and behavior problems in toddlers. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>, <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/">University of Birmingham</a>, <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a>, and the <a href="https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en">University of Leiden</a> in the Netherlands conducted the study. 

“For too long, the experiences of first-time dads has either been side-lined or treated in isolation from that of mums,” said Claire Hughes, a lead author of the study. “This needs to change because difficulties in children’s early relationships with both mothers and fathers can have long-term effects.

The researchers surveyed 438 first time parents from England, New York, and the Netherlands followed up with the couples at four, 14, and 24 months after the birth of their children. 

The parents were given standardized questionnaires to answer during in-person interviews. 

Mothers and fathers were asked to rate their anxiety, depression, and quality of relationship during the third trimester, and when their child was four, 14, and 24 months old. 

“There has been an assumption that it’s really difficult to get dads involved in research like this,” said Hughes. “But our study draws on a relatively large sample and is unique because both parents answered the same questions at every stage, which enabled us to make direct comparisons.”

First-time mothers that were stressed and anxious during the prenatal period were more likely to see behavior problems in their children. 

At two years old, emotional struggles among parents before and after birth correlated with temper tantrums, restlessness, and emotional problems in their children. 

Genetic factors may play a role in child behavior problems at a young age, but the study shows a strong link between parental mental health and child behavior. 

The study was published in the journal Development and Psychopathology, and the researchers say the findings highlight the importance of mental health and relationship support before and after birth for parents. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Antonio Guillem

Prenatal parental stress directly linked to behavior problems in toddlers

The transition to parenthood is not easy, and even the...

A new study has found that when it comes to alligator attacks since the 1970s, Florida’s official state reptile has shown a preference for local men. 

While the American alligator was listed as endangered in 1967, the species made a dramatic recovery through the 1970s and 80s and was removed from the endangered species list in 1987. 

In correlation with this population recovery in Florida, the number of human-American alligator conflicts increased. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://myfwc.com/">Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission </a>reviewed records of past alligator bites from 1971 through 2014 to identify any trends and patterns in where and how these attacks occur, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tourists-close-wildlife/">as well as who is most at risk</a>. 

372 bites were included in the study and classified as either unprovoked or unintentionally provoked. 

Three-quarters of the bites involved male alligators that were looking for food, and only one instance involved a female alligator defending her nest. 

Out of the 372 bite incidents, 247 resulted in significant injuries, and 81.4 percent of the victims were male. 

Between 1971 and 2014, the number of annual bites that caused severe injury increased from 3.5 to 7.0. 

Alligator bites occurred in ponds and canals, and most of the bites occurred near water. Quite a few people were attacked on golf courses. 

Feeding the alligators before an attack was linked to 34.7 of the bite reports. 

The best thing is to be aware of where alligators may be lurking and stay away from waterways, especially deeper areas where escape may be difficult and serious or fatal injury more likely. 

A study, detailing the analysis of bite incidents in Florida, was published in the<a href="https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.21719"> Journal of Wildlife Management</a>. 

“The risk of alligator bites can be reduced by educating people likely to interact with alligators and by selectively removing problem alligators in human residential areas and water bodies used regularly by people for swimming, wading, and shoreline,” the researchers wrote. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: ShutterstockMark_Kostich

Men in Florida may be more likely to be attacked by an alligator, study shows

A new study has found that when it comes to...

Space radiation may cause memory and learning impairment among astronauts. When people are exposed to radiation, they may not notice any consequences immediately, but even low-level exposure increases the risk of health issues over time. For example, previous studies which tracked groups such as atomic bomb survivors and radiation industry workers found that their risk of developing cancer increased concurrently with their level of exposure.

According to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>, space radiation beyond low Earth orbit can put <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercising-astronauts-avoid-fainting/">astronauts</a> at risk of radiation sickness and increase their lifetime risk of cancer. A new study published by the <a href="https://www.sfn.org/">Society for Neuroscience</a> has demonstrated that the chronic levels of radiation in deep space may also be responsible for significant central nervous system effects.

The researchers found that after mice were exposed to low-dose radiation for several months, the animals suffered from neural and behavioral impairments. The study results emphasize the urgent need for safety measures to protect the brain during deep space missions, which is particularly relevant as astronauts prepare to travel to Mars.

Radiation is known to disrupt signaling and other processes in the brain, but these findings were based on short-term, higher dose-rate exposures of radiation that do not accurately represent the conditions in space.

To investigate the potential impact of deep space travel on the nervous system, a team led by Charles Limoli at <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a> exposed mice to chronic, low-dose radiation for six months. This exposure was found to impair cellular signaling in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which caused learning and memory impairment. The mice also displayed behaviors associated with increased anxiety, suggesting that the amygdala had also been affected by radiation. 

As a result of their work, the researchers predict that approximately one in five astronauts will experience anxiety-like behavior and one in three will experience certain levels of memory impairment during a deep space mission. Furthermore, the astronauts may struggle with decision-making.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.eneuro.org/">eNeuro</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Vadim Sadovski

Space radiation may cause memory and learning impairment among astronauts

Space radiation may cause memory and learning impairment among astronauts....

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

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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

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes 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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