Healthy,Food,,Plate,With,Greek,Salad,Of,Mediterranean,Diet,,Tomatoes

A new study shows that adults 65 and older who follow the Mediterranean diet live longer. Interestingly, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed by analyzing biomarkers in plasma and urine, which is a unique approach.



Professor Cristina Andrés-Lacueva is head of the Research Group on Biomarkers and Nutritional &amp; Food Metabolomics of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the <a href="https://www.ub.edu/web/portal/en/">University of Barcelona</a> (UB) and the CIBER on Fragility and Healthy Ageing (CIBERFES).



According to Professor Andrés-Lacueva, her team developed an index of dietary biomarkers based on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollutants-confuse-pollinators-and-reduce-food-production/">food</a> groups that are part of the Mediterranean diet, and then assessed their association with mortality. Professor Andrés-Lacueva is also head of the research group in Ciber on Fragility and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES).



The research was carried out over 20 years, using data from 642 participants who were 65 years and older and resided in the Tuscany region of Italy.&nbsp;



The scientists looked at the following biomarkers: polyphenols and resveratrol metabolites (from grape consumption), plasma carotenoids, selenium, vitamin B12, fatty acids and the proportion of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids.&nbsp;



Using a model and a food questionnaire, the scientists were able to ascertain how closely each participant followed a Mediterranean diet. During the course of the twenty-year study, 425 participants died - 139 from cardiovascular disease and 89 from cancer related causes.&nbsp;



When analyzed, the biomarkers associated with a Mediterranean diet were inversely related to all causes of death. This means that the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet can boost longevity.



Tomás Meroño, co-first signatory of the study, said the study confirms that adherence to the Mediterranean diet (assessed by a panel of dietary biomarkers) is inversely associated with the long-term mortality in older adults, which supports the use of these biomarkers in monitoring evaluations to study the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet.



"A healthy diet is considered one of the fundamental factors to achieve healthy aging," wrote the study authors. "Indeed, a growing body of epidemiological evidence shows that the Mediterranean diet (MD) may delay or prevent frailty, cognitive decline, and the onset of many chronic diseases in older subjects."&nbsp;



"Furthermore, several observational studies, including the European Prospective study into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-elderly study, a cohort of 74,607 men and women aged ≥60 years, have shown inverse associations between a greater adherence to different MD scores (MDS), in both the Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries, and total mortality."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/">BCM Medicine</a>.



---By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mediterranean diet can lead to longer life

A new study shows that adults 65 and older who follow the Mediterranean diet live longer. Interestingly, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed by analyzing biomarkers in plasma and urine, which is a unique approach. Professor Cristina Andrés-Lacueva is head of the Research Group on Biomarkers and Nutritional &amp; Food Metabolomics of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the CIBER on Fragility and Healthy Ageing (CIBERFES). According to Professor Andrés-Lacueva, her team developed an index of dietary biomarkers...

Today’s pattern of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/water-waste-converts-to-energy/">water</a> usage is one that’s largely governed by waste. People leave the tap running while they brush their teeth. For most Americans, the shower isn’t simply a place to get clean; they stay under the hot water each morning until they experience a virtual rebirth and feel ready for the day. Between cooking, drinking, cleaning, and bathing – it takes a lot to keep our water cycle running every day. 

This is particularly true in urban areas, home to 80% of the U.S. population. The need for energy, agricultural products, and clean drinking water keeps growing as populations continue to rise. Because of this, scientists are working to figure out how we can make better use of our urban water supply. 

Engineers with the<a href="https://www.nsf.gov"> National Science Foundation</a> have created a fascinating design – an illustration of what they’re calling the urban water cycle "of our dreams.” They believe that systems like this could make an efficient engineered water cycle a reality. 

The process involves purification using membranes that would filter water removed from lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. This could be used as drinking water.

Another source of drinking water would be desalinated water. The ocean is a huge body of water – why not use it to quench our thirsts?

Healthy crops also need clean, desalinated water, so proper irrigation would also play a part in the system. The water for irrigation would need to be monitored for contaminants, high salt levels, or anything that may disrupt crop production. 

Treatment of wastewater provides another eco-friendly potential. We know it sounds gross, but it really is possible to remove microbes and recycle wastewater for water, as well as clean energy. 

The engineers also include aquaponics in the picture. This combines acquacultue (raising fish) with hydroponics (raising plants in soil-free conditions). 

Reuse of materials like greywater and biosolids top off the water cycle utopia imagined by the team. Greywater from baths, sinks, and washing machines could be reused for flushing toilets and irrigating lawns. Meanwhile, solid waste is ideal for fertilizer and creating clean energy. 

This vision could change the way we interact with our water, treating it like the precious commodity it truly is. 

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source:<a href="https://www.nsf.gov"> National Science Foundation</a>

&nbsp;

NSF scientists create the urban water cycle "of our dreams”

Today’s pattern of water usage is one that’s largely governed...

B002_C042_10165L

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dakota-access-easement/">Engineers</a> from all walks of life and all over the world will get to tell their stories in the new documentary<a href="http://macgillivrayfreeman.com/project/dream-big/"> Dream Big: Engineering Our World</a>, opening February 17 at the<a href="http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca"> Ontario Science Center</a>.  A celebration of the power of young people, key figures in the film include three young women engineers, as well as a high school engineering team. 

Viewers will experience engineering wonders such as a bridge that reaches high above the clouds, as well as powerful machines that bore huge tunnels. They’ll learn about the ingenuity behind designing the world’s tallest building, as well as the expertise needed to create underwater robots. 

The film will be narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges. The actor obtained cult icon status for his role as The Dude in 1998’s The Big Lebowski and on an Academy Award for his leading role in Crazy Heart. He was also awarded a Golden Globe after appearing in Hell or High Water. 

“I am a believer in encouraging our youth to make a difference in the world, and Dream Big encourages young people to do just that,” Bridges said.

Dream Big was directed by Greg MacGillivray and produced by Freeman Films in partnership with the<a href="http://www.asce.org"> American Society of Civil Engineers</a> (ASCE). 

“As an innovator in his own field, Jeff Bridges brings his passion and inspiration to a film that encourages young people to think about engineering as a meaningful way to help others and leave a positive mark on the world,” said MacGillivray. “Teachers and parents are looking for ways to turn kids on to science and engineering, and with Dream Big we hope to bring something new to that effort with an entertaining, visually spectacular film full of stirring human stories.”

The film is presented by Bechtel working in partnership with the ASCE Foundation, the<a href="http://ncees.org/"> National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying</a> (NCEES), the<a href="https://www.uefoundation.org/"> United Engineering Foundation</a> (UEF), as well as other engineering organizations. 

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image: <a href="http://www.dreambigfilm.com/">Dream Big</a>

Celebrate the wonders of Engineering with Dream Big

Engineers from all walks of life and all over the...

Getting a real, live person on the telephone line may be even harder if officials and businesses take the advice of a new report from a non-party think tank. The group poses the question: could robots replace hundreds of thousands of human jobs? 

The report, published by Reform, suggests that in order to save money, employers in the UK could cut almost 250,000 human workers and replace them with computers and robots. This will also increase efficiency. 

What would the actual numbers look like if robots replace jobs in bulk? As many as 130,000 government administrators who work in Whitehall would be sent packing. This amounts to nearly 90% of administrative staff employed in the offices there, and would save £2.6 billion each year. 

In addition to this, 90,000 NHS administrative posts, as well as 24,000 GP receptionists would be affected. Automating those roles would save over £1.7 billion.

Administrative staff aren’t the only ones who would see cuts. Nursing tasks such as giving intravenous medication and collecting patient information could also be robotized. Machines are also capable of filling in for doctors, as they are more effective than humans at things like diagnosing lung cancer. 

Another reason for doctors to be nervous? Robots are better at performing routine surgical procedures. 

There could also be an increased use of robots in security and police arenas, as machines can be used to monitor suspicious activity in crowds. Facial recognition <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/green-technologies-development/">technology</a> can also be used to identify known criminals or terrorists. 

Alexander Hitchcock, a co-author of the report, said, “Such a rapid advance in the use of technology may seem controversial, and any job losses must be handled sensitively. But the result would be public services that are better, safer, smarter and more affordable.”

The report suggest that those who work in the public sector could move to a gig-based, flexible jobs for which they are hired via websites and apps in the vein of Uber.

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Could robots replace a quarter million jobs in the UK?

Getting a real, live person on the telephone line may...

Eco-conscious car owners are buzzing about this bit of news: <a href="https://www.tesla.com">Tesla</a> is set to begin test builds on its $35,000 Model 3 sedan on February 20th. 

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk announced that Tesla will shut down the production line at its California assembly plant for one week this month. That will give the team time to prepare for production of the Model 3. During the shutdown, the plant will add capacity to its existing paint shop and do maintenance necessary to get ready to crank out the much-awaited new vehicles. 

Tesla hopes to start production of the new sedan in July. Over 370,000 customers have put down deposits for the Model 3.

“This will allow Tesla to begin Model 3 production later this year as planned and enable us to start the ramp towards 500,000 vehicles annually in 2018,” a Tesla spokesperson said of the plant shutdown. 

Musk said that the final design of the Model 3 production facility will resemble an “alien dreadnought.” It will be stunning, he said – “the machine that makes the machine.” 

“You can't have people in the production line itself, otherwise you drop to people speed,” he said. “So there will be no people in production process itself.”

People will still work in the factory, Musk said, in order to maintain, upgrade, and repair the machines. 

While <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/renewable-fuel-cars-hawaii/">electric cars</a> have traditionally cost more than their gas-guzzling counterparts, the move will help turn the dream of truly affordable electric vehicles into a reality. Tesla’s 2016 Model S retailed at $68,000. The Model 3 will cut that price nearly in half. 

Tesla is betting that the Model 3 will take the company out of the niche luxury electric car market and turn it into a brand for the masses. It hasn’t been profitable since 2010, when it first went public. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tesla announces pre-production tests on $35,000 Model 3

Eco-conscious car owners are buzzing about this bit of news:...

One of the engineering wonders of the world, the Panama Canal is a 48-mile waterway that cuts across the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/noaa-federal-waters-fish-farming/">Pacific Oceans</a>. First opened in 1914, the canal has seen big changes in the world over the past century. 

One of those changes – an increasing size in cargo ships, was the reason behind a canal expansion that began last year. 

Lately, though, the expansion has hit some snags. Specifically, large cargo vessels traveling through the canal are hitting snags. They’re scraping up against the walls and experiencing nail-biting near-misses when steel lock doors installed throughout the systems fail to open all the way. 

That’s what happened to the cargo ship Ever Living when it traveled through the canal while carrying more than 6,000 cargo containers. Although the ship made it through, they passed extremely close to the side of the locks as they made their way through the last of the steel doors.

It was too close, according to Mauricio Perez, a tugboat captain. 

These are things that shouldn't happen," he said to the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a>. "Sometimes the only thing we can do is pray."

The AP took its own journey through the updated canal and noted areas where the black rubber bumpers meant to keep ships from colliding with metal locks were worn or missing entirely. Because maneuvering large ships through the canal is incredibly difficult, sometimes captains must purposefully send a ship into a bumper in order to realign the vessel as it moves forward. This results in a huge amount of wear and tear on the protective cushions. 

Only 15 incidents occurred between June 2016 and January of this year, the Panama Canal Authority says. They say that the door lock incident was caused by debris collecting on a water-level sensor and that the problem has been resolved.

The authority isn’t ruling out future changes. Currently, though, the deputy administrator of the canal, Manuel Benitez, feels positive about the way personnel are navigating vessels through the treacherous canal. “The ships have not run aground; they continue their routes,” he said.

Hey! – at least there’s that. 

--
By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Large ships having close calls inside expanded Panama Canal

One of the engineering wonders of the world, the Panama...

Twenty-four family <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lost-topsoil-farmers-switchgrass/">farmers</a> have something to crow about: they were just awarded grants from<a href="https://foodanimalconcernstrust.org"> Food Animal Concerns Trust</a> (FACT) via the organization’s<a href="http://www.fundafarmer.org"> Fund-a-Farmer Project</a>. 

FACT was founded in 1982 in order to promote humane farming practices. It advocates for the safe production of meat and dairy products and works to help consumers make good choices in the products they purchase. 

On their website, FACT says that they believe “that all farm animals should be granted adequate space, access to the outdoors, clean water and air, the opportunity to express their natural behaviors, and safe feed.”

The Fund-a-Farmer Project grew out of that mission. It awards grants and provides the opportunity for peer-to-peer farmer education around humane animal farming practices. 

FACT realizes that oftentimes, farmers want to make positive changes in the way they raise their animals, but these changes often chest money. By providing financial assistance, FACT hopes to make those changes a reality.

This year, farms in 15 different states received Fund-a-Farmer grants. Nine farms won Animal Welfare Certification grants, while 15 farms won grants for pasture improvement projects. 

This year’s grants bring FACT’s total awards to 91 grants across 27 states since the Fund-a-Farmer Project began in 2012. In that time, FACT has awarded over $57,000 in grants. 

Larissa McKenna, FACT’s Humane Farming Program Director, explained that they hope these grants will help individual farmers, as well as food consumers, in general.

“Today, an increasing number of people want to know where their food comes from, who produces it, and how it was grown," McKenna said. "Small and mid-sized sustainable farms are essential to meeting consumer demand for humanely-raised food, but often face financial challenges due to high costs associated with economies of scale. Our organization supports these farms by funding projects that improve animal welfare and also help farmers increase their profit margins.”

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By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

It’s a FACT: 24 family farmers win Fund-a-Farmer grants

Twenty-four family farmers have something to crow about: they were...

Cosmic rays sounds like something out of a Ziggy-Stardust-era David Bowie song, but they’re real. It also turns out that these radiation clouds that appear at high altitudes may be problematic for frequent airline travelers. 

Scientists have always known that people were exposed to some degree of radiation when they traveled by airplane. Things like cosmic rays and solar wind sometimes penetrate the magnetic field around the Earth, creating low levels of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fukushima-radiation-levels-high/">radiation</a> through which air passengers soar when they fly. Levels of this radiation are higher in the polar regions, and longer flights subject passengers and crew to more radiation than shorter ones. 

How much radiation are we talking, here? Experts previously estimated that it would take a flight of approximately 12.5 hours to deliver as much radiation as a chest X-ray. That’s if the flight stays in the high latitudes and isn’t zipping past the polar regions or traveling when there are solar storms.

Meanwhile, they reported that mid-latitude flights take around 25 hours and flights around the equator take 100 hours to deliver the same amount of radiation.

New research has revealed that the levels in radiation clouds may be higher than scientists once thought, however.

W. Kent Tobiska and his team from<a href="http://www.spacewx.com"> Space Environment Technologies</a> ran tests that found surges in radiation level data that spiked as high as double what they had previously expected. He believes that radiation particle belts trapped in Earth’s magnetic field may sometimes “leak” and move into the Earth’s stratosphere. Flying through these particle clouds could cause the kinds of spikes seen in the research. 

If Tobiska’s theory is confirmed, scientists will need to find a way to identify the location of such clouds so that air crews can avoid them during flights. The team’s findings were published in the journal <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1542-7390/">Space Weather</a>. 

--
By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air travelers fly through radiation clouds, study shows

Cosmic rays sounds like something out of a Ziggy-Stardust-era David...

Tired of the daily traffic jam? Sick of sitting in a line of parked-and-running cars that are going nowhere fast? Elon Musk has a solution – why not just tunnel under it all? 

The billionaire founded SpaceX with the goal of making space transportation affordable and eventually colonizing Mars. He was also key in getting Paypal off the ground, as well as the architect of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/faraday-future/">Tesla</a> electric car. So when Musk says he’s going to do something, the world perks up its ears. 

That’s exactly what happened when Elon Musk tweeted about his frustration with Los Angeles-area traffic and what he planned to do about it. “Traffic is driving me nuts. Am going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging…” he wrote. 

Most people probably wrote off Musk’s tweet as someone blowing off steam. Until, that is, the next tweet arrived. This one was a picture of some sort of tunnel boring machine. This photo had the caption “Minecraft.” For those who are unfamiliar, players of the popular Minecraft game must dig huge tunnels in order to gain access to resources.

Musk knows all about travel. In addition to his groundbreaking work with Tesla and SpaceX, he’s been working to develop Hyperloop, a method of transportation in which passengers would be sealed in a pod and shot through a vacuum tube at speeds of 745 miles per hour.

Will Musk actually make good on his comments or was he simply venting in 140 characters or less? His final tweet on the matter: “I am actually going to do this.” 

--
By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Elon Musk suggests building a tunnel to beat L.A. traffic

Tired of the daily traffic jam? Sick of sitting in...

The saying, “There’s an app for that” now applies to fishermen. 

Developers of a new app hope to make it easier for fishermen to locate high-yield fishing areas, increasing the chance that they return to shore with a decent haul for the day. The app also features a function that lets the fishermen sell their catch before their boat even reaches shore. 

Those who make their living on the water are praising <a href="http://abalobi.info">Abalobi</a>, the app being piloted by the <a href="https://www.uct.ac.za">University of Cape Town</a>. Fishermen who use lines instead of nets sometimes only catch 20 fish a day, so being able to find the fish is important. The app’s GPS functionality lets users mark places where they’ve located large numbers of fish.

A fisherman’s workday doesn’t end once they’ve pulled their lines in for the day. They still have to sell their haul. Fishermen like David Shoshola are pleased that Abalobi lets him search out the best possible sale price for their daily catch, saving time and footwork once he returns to the dock. 

"It has removed a lot of the worry," he told <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news">BBC News</a>. "I have a wife and three kids to support, and it gives me much more security."

The app hasn’t gone without controversy, however. It has pitted fishermen who wish to make a living against conservationists alarmed about the depleting global fish population and overfishing. 

Matt Hayes, owner of an Atlantic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tapeworm-salmon-sushi/">salmon</a> fishery in Norway, is concerned that large fishing operations may use the app to overfish certain areas, putting smaller operations out of business. 

"You don't want to deprive someone of a living, but you don't want to bestow upon them the tech that means they will fish themselves out of existence,” he said. 

Associate Professor Clive Trueman of the UK’s <a href="http://noc.ac.uk">National Oceanography Centre</a>, disagrees, saying that the app has simply digitized the way fishermen have traditionally used word-of-mouth to spread the news of good fishing areas. He has hopes that going forward, the app may be useful for scientists and conservationists. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New app helps fishermen seek and sell their catch

The saying, “There’s an app for that” now applies to...

Every year on February 2nd, otherwise known as Groundhog Day, Americans gather around to watch a furry rodent emerge from his burrow. If he sees his shadow, we get six more weeks of winter. If not, everyone celebrates the early arrival of spring.

Groundhog Day – or some form of it – has been celebrated for centuries all over the world. Early February marks the period that falls squarely between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It was a symbolic time for the ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as the Celtics, who eagerly anticipated the emergence of spring. 

In Europe, February 2nd marked Candlemas Day for early Christians, who lit candles and commemorated the purification of the Virgin Mary.

The day also has a more practical significance. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lost-topsoil-farmers-switchgrass/">Farmers</a> who needed an indication of whether it was time to start planting would begin watching for hibernating rodents to emerge from their winter’s sleep. In Europe, this meant the emergence of hedgehogs or badgers. When German farmers first arrived in Pennsylvania, the groundhog was their Candlemas weathervane. 

According to Stan Zervanos of Pennsylvania State University, sleepy-eyed groundhogs are completely unaware of their weather-predicting significance to humans. When they emerge in early February, it’s for one reason alone: preparing to make sweet, sweet groundhog love. 

The furry creatures temporarily emerge in early February in order to chat up the females and reestablish the bonds necessary for finding a mate. Then they pop back into their burrows to finish their winter nap before ending their hibernation in early March – just in time for mating season. 

So the next time you think Punxsutawney Phil looks a little cranky as he’s being carried around by some guy in a top hat, it’s not your imagination. They’re throwing poor Phil completely off his game.    

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

&nbsp;

The sexy science behind Groundhog Day

Every year on February 2nd, otherwise known as Groundhog Day,...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cats-just-smart-dogs-thank-much/">Cat lovers</a> take a lot of heat. They’re stereotyped as being eccentric recluses who struggle to find a piece of cat hair-free clothing every time they set foot out the door. Their lives revolve around the care and feeding of a demanding, aloof little fur ball (or three). And now, cat lovers are getting no love from the scientific community, as researchers have just announced a possible link between cat litter and Alzheimer’s disease. 

The problem lies in a tiny parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. It thrives in soiled litter boxes and is a real threat to pregnant women who end up with litter scooping duty. However, it’s also a risk to other cat owners who scoop the litter box and fail to wash their hands thoroughly afterwards. 

If a person is infected with T. gondii, the parasite moves into their brain. There, it can increase the risk of anxiety, schizophrenia, and even brain cancer. Scientists are also looking into whether or not the infection may cause Alzheimer’s disease. 

Scientists published the study in the <a href="http://www.journalofparasitology.org/">Journal of Parasitology</a>. Journal editor Michael Sukhdeo of <a href="http://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> said that the Alzheimer’s-T. gondii link is likely because “the parasite likes to live in the brain. 

In their research, they looked at mice who were infected with T. gondii, as well as others who were altered to show symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s. Researchers found that mice infected with the parasite demonstrated impairments to their learning and memory that mimicked the classic symptoms of Alzheimer’s. 

They also noted that the infection altered the mice’s brain chemistry and increased their chances of developing Alzheimer’s. 

The findings increase the health risk posed by cat litter to pregnant women, but they also mean that other adults need to be more cautious when handling soiled cat litter. People who are infected may notice flu-like symptoms; they may also experience no symptoms whatsoever. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Source: Michael Sukhdeo, <a href="http://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>

Oh, poop! Scientists link cat litter to Alzheimer’s

Cat lovers take a lot of heat. They’re stereotyped as...

Pretty soon, consumers will be able to wander into their neighborhood Walmart and go <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/green-technologies-development/">green</a> when they purchase their bath towels. A new initiative from the retail mega-chain aims to create more jobs in America as well as make manufacturing more environmentally-friendly. 

In 2014, Walmart, the Walmart Foundation, and the <a href="http://www.usmayors.org">United States Conference of Mayors</a> launched a funded effort to make it more cost-effective to manufacture household goods in the United States. Called the Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund, it has awarded a total of $10 million in grants, including approximately $3 million for projects having to do with domestic manufacturing. 

The Boston Consulting Group expects that the initiative will create around 1 million new jobs in the U.S.

The effort isn’t only focused on job creation, however. The Innovation Fund is also meant to promote development of environmentally-friendly manufacturing practices. For example, Cornell University was the recipient of one investment. Researchers there designed a method to turn post-consumer textiles into brand-new products. An added plus: it reduces energy and water consumption. 

Grant recipients are carefully chosen and must meet specific criteria. They must be able to reduce the overall cost of textile manufacturing in the U.S. – a problem that has traditionally led to manufacturing being shipped overseas. They must also develop manufacturing processes in a way that can be broadly applied across many different kinds of products. 

Among the 2017 winners of the Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Innovation grant is Washington State University. They’re working to create a green process to recycle cotton waste. Since waste products creating from the dyeing process is a huge concern to manufacturers and environmentalists, University of Massachusetts Lowell was also one of the several winners. Researchers there are in the process of developing an eco-friendly magnetic dyeing technology.

--
By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Walmart goes to bat for jobs and the environment

Pretty soon, consumers will be able to wander into their...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> explains that most of the elements that make up the Earth, humans, and all living creatures were formed in stars. Powerful stellar explosions are the source of many of the elements of the periodic table, including those that make up the human body.



According to Live Science, the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the human body - as well as atoms of all other heavy elements - were created in previous generations of stars over 4.5 billion years ago. Professor Chris Impey from the University of Arizona explained that because humans and all animals contain these elements, we are literally made of star stuff.



Dr. Ashley King is a planetary scientist and meteorite researcher at the Natural History Museum."It is totally 100% true: nearly all the elements in the human body were made in a star and many have come through several supernovas," said Dr. King.



He explained that it's very likely that there are a whole bunch of different stars that have contributed the elements we see in our own solar system, our planet, and those found within human bodies.&nbsp;



"At the atomic scale, we are all made of the same things. Where did those atoms come from? Every element was forged in the cosmos, from stars that collapse and collide to black holes that fire jets deep into space," reports the National Science Foundation.



"Not only are we 'made of star stuff,' we are made of atoms that were forged in some of the most intense environments in the universe."



NASA gets very specific on the subject, noting that the hydrogen in your body, present in every molecule of water, came from the Big Bang.&nbsp;



"There are no other appreciable sources of hydrogen in the universe," said NASA. "The carbon in your body was made by nuclear fusion in the interior of stars, as was the oxygen. Much of the iron in your body was made during supernovas of stars that occurred long ago and far away."



Video Credit: National Science Foundation



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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

Earth, humans, and all living creatures are made from stars

[sendtonews key="MYeYoKj4GF-1724382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, a state in northeast Germany along the Baltic Sea coastal plain. 



Mecklenburg-West Pomerania is one of the least populated states in Germany. According to ESA, nearly two-thirds of the state is covered by farmland, with the main crops being rye, wheat, barley and hay.&nbsp;



Along the coastline, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania is home to upscale Baltic Sea resorts, white sandy beaches, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The landscape of this region along the Baltic Sea coastal plain was shaped by glacial forces. The coastal lowlands include wetlands, streams and lakes.



ESA noted that the Baltic Sea has two annual blooms taking place each year, and that several emerald-green algae blooms can be seen in the image, with the most visible near Peenestrom.



Video 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

Mecklenburg-West Pomerania in northeast Germany

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> describes the environmental threat of monogenetic volcanoes. Even though these volcanoes only erupt once in their lifetime, the eruption can last for years or even decades.&nbsp;



A recent study led by the University of Buffalo, which is published in the journal Geosphere, provides an overview of what we know about monogenetic volcanism in the U.S. Southwest over the past 2.58 million years. During this geologic period - known as the Quaternary - more than 1,800 monogenetic volcanoes erupted across Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and parts of California’s eastern edge.



“Monogenetic means ‘one life,’” explained study lead author and UB volcanologist Greg Valentine. “So a monogenetic volcano will erupt once, and that eruption may last for several days to several decades, but after that, the volcano is basically dead."



“In the United States, most volcanic hazards-related attention has rightly gone to places like Hawaii, and to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, where we have big stratovolcanoes like Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, which will have many eruptive episodes over a long life, with widespread hazardous effects. In the past, these smaller monogenetic volcanoes really haven’t been looked at from a focus on hazards; they have been instead studied mainly for what they tell us about the deep Earth."



“Recently, however, there has been more buzz in the research community about how we need to take a look at the kinds of hazards these volcanoes might pose. My experience with the general public is that most people are surprised to know that there are so many young volcanoes in the Southwest.”



The study highlights gaps in our knowledge of one life volcanoes, and the researchers hope that it can serve as a launchpad for future research.



Based on the number of volcanoes that erupted in the study region during the Quaternary Period, the chances of a new volcano emerging in the area within 100 years would be about 8 percent, said Valentine. However, he noted that this figure does not account for buried volcanoes, or the fact that a single eruption can create multiple vents. 



“There’s so much uncertainty here, and this is part of the problem. It’s kind of a wide-open research field. When you look at the region from the perspective of volcanic hazards, we really have very little information. Most of the volcanoes have not been dated, so we don’t know how old they are, except that they likely formed sometime within the Quaternary Period. Very few have been studied in detail.”



Video Credit: NSF



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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

Exploring the threat of monogenetic volcanoes

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features a time lapse of the Northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, captured from space. The images were acquired in November of 2021 during ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet’s second mission to the International Space Station, the Alpha mission.&nbsp;



According to ESA, the camera was set up to take pictures at intervals of two per second, and the time lapse video plays 25 pictures a second.&nbsp;



The fascinating light show, which can be viewed at both the north and south poles, is produced when energized particles from the sun slam into Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million miles per hour. Earth's magnetic field redirects the particles toward the poles, creating the fascinating waves of light.&nbsp;



The earliest known record of the northern lights is in a cave painting in France that dates back 30,000 years.&nbsp; In 1619, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei named the northern lights "aurora borealis" after the Roman goddess of dawn (Aurora) and the Greek god of the north wind (Boreas).



When Pesquet shared the stunning Alpha mission video on social media, he noted that the pictures were taken from the docked Crew Dragon spacecraft windows. Pesquet said it was the strongest aurora the crew had seen during their six months in space.



Updates on the Alpha mission can be found on Twitter via @esaspaceflight.



Video 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

Spectacular astronaut view of the northern lights

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NASA data reveal a clear warming trend on our planet Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists know what they do about climate change and global warming. 



Experts recently announced that 2021 was tied for the sixth warmest year in recorded history. This spans more than a century, dating back to 1880.



To determine how warm the Earth is from year to year, NASA uses millions of observations from instruments on weather stations, ships, ocean buoys, and Antarctic research stations.



Overall, the data show a clear warming trend on our planet. This warming trend is not distributed evenly across the globe. Some places on Earth had record-high temperatures in 2021, while others did not experience heat extremes. There were also record droughts, floods and wildfires.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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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

NASA data reveal a clear warming trend on our planet

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Fairbanks, Alaska in the central Tanana Valley Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the city of Fairbanks, the second largest city in Alaska.



Fairbanks is known for its museums, historic sites, and native Alaskan culture, and is located just over 12 miles from the city of North Pole.



It is located in the central Tanana Valley on the banks of the Chena River near its confluence with the Tanana River.



The Tanana River’s name is an Athabascan word meaning "river trail." The river flows in a northwest direction across 584 miles along the base of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/fairbanks-alaska-in-the-central-tanana-valley/">Alaska </a>Range before joining the Yukon River near the village of Tanana. 



According to ESA, the river drains the north slopes of the high Alaska Range and is fed by several glaciers. Located in the Alaska Range, Denali is the highest mountain in North America and reaches an elevation of over 6,000 meters. Middle Tanana Valley Rest Of Tonight Partly cloudy. 



Areas of freezing fog and ice fog early in the evening, then areas of ice fog and patchy freezing fog. Visibility one mile or less at times decreasing to one quarter mile or less at times after midnight. Lows around 40 below. Light winds. Wednesday Mostly clear.  Fairbanks is the largest city of Alaska’s interior. Population is around 90,000 people, many of which are scattered in cabins in the surrounding forests. Fairbanks, Alaska in the central Tanana Valley as seen above in video showing the distance of between the coast and how far the terrain goes.



Video 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

Fairbanks, Alaska in the central Tanana Valley

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a> features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video 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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Aerial,View,Of,Amazon,Rainforest,In,Brazil,,South,America.,Green

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a> features a satellite view of the Amazon River in the rainforest of South America.



The Amazon River flows more than 4,000 miles from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean on the northeast coast of Brazil, passing through six countries along the way.



With its source high in the Peruvian Andes, the river runs through Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.&nbsp;



The Amazon is considered the widest river in the world. It also has the largest drainage system, with more than 1,100 tributaries. These rivers provide a range of habitats for various types of wildlife, including swamps, marshes and streams.



According to WWF, it is estimated that approximately one-sixth of all the freshwater that drains into the world’s oceans goes through the Amazon delta, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean.&nbsp; During what many archaeologists called the formative stage, Amazonian societies were deeply involved in the emergence of South America’s highland agrarian systems.



The trade with Andean civilizations in the terrains of the headwaters in the Andes formed an essential contribution to the social and religious development of higher-altitude civilizations like the Muisca and Incas.



Video 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

The Amazon River in South America

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features San Francisco Bay in California. The shallow estuary is surrounded by an extensive metropolitan area that includes major cities like San Francisco and Oakland. In the image, green forests and parks are easy to distinguish from urban areas.



The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta appears brown from sediment as it flows into San Pablo Bay. In the bottom right portion of the photo, salt ponds in the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge appear bright green and yellow.&nbsp;



The Golden Gate Bridge is visible crossing the opening of the bay into the Pacific Ocean between Marin County and San Francisco. The bay was searchable as far south as San Jose until the 1850s, when hydraulic mining released large amounts of sediment from the rivers that settled in those parts of the bay that had little or no current.&nbsp;



Later on, the wetlands and inlets were deliberately filled in, reducing the Bay’s size since the mid-19th century by as much as one third. Recently, large areas of wetlands have been restored, further confusing the issue of the Bay’s size.



Despite its value as a waterway and harbor, many thousands of acres of marshy wetlands at the edges of the bay were, for many years, considered wasted space. As a result, soil excavated for building projects or dredged from channels was often dumped onto the wetlands and other parts of the bay as landfill.



Treasure, Angel and Alcatraz islands can also be seen in the photo, along with several bridges connecting the eastern and western shores of San Francisco Bay.



Video 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

San Francisco Bay in western California

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video 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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the state of White Nile in Sudan. The state is divided into four districts: Ad Douiem, Al Gutaina, Kosti and Al Jabalian. 



The false-color image, captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, highlights the region just north of Kosti on the west bank of the White Nile River. The river earned its name because of the light-colored clay sediment which makes the river look grey.



Agriculture plays a central role in Sudan’s economy. According to ESA, the country’s main crops include cotton, peanuts, sesame, and sugarcane.



During the months of August and September, monsoon rains from the Ethiopian Highlands flow into the Nile rivers, often flooding the surrounding communities.&nbsp;



This year, a series of torrential downpours has impacted hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes across northeastern Africa. Some of the hardest hit areas are in the state of White Nile.&nbsp;



Floods in Sudan contribute to food insecurity by destroying crops and killing livestock. According to NASA, White Nile is facing what the Famine Early Warning Systems Network has classified as “crisis” levels of food insecurity.



Video 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

The state of White Nile in Sudan

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Stargazing in January: the Winter Circle and the Morning Star Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> describes all of the exciting things that can be seen in the January night sky. This week, look southward to see all the bright stars of the Winter Circle, along with the Pleiades and Orion. 



While the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower has just passed, some meteors could still be visible through January 16.



Tomorrow, on January 5th, look to the southwest after sunset to find the crescent Moon close to Jupiter. According to NASA, the two will be only about four degrees apart, which should make them appear together through most binoculars.



In the early morning hours of January 29th, the moon will line up closely with Mars, and Venus will be visible with the pair in the southeastern sky.&nbsp;



Venus is now rising before the Sun as the "Morning Star," and Mars will continue to become brighter over the next few months.&nbsp;



Video Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory&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

Stargazing in January: the Winter Circle and the Morning Star

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The Galápagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Galápagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. This region is one of the most famous places on the planet for viewing wildlife.



The Galápagos Islands are home to many native plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, including giant tortoises and sea lions.&nbsp;



When Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835, his wildlife observations inspired the theory of evolution by natural selection. In 1959, the Ecuadorian government made the entire archipelago a national park to protect its unique diversity.&nbsp;



The archipelago is made up of 13 major islands and several smaller islands and islets across 60,000 square kilometers of ocean. According to ESA, repeated volcanic eruptions and ongoing seismic activity have helped form the rugged mountain landscape of the islands.  What are the Galapagos Islands? The Galapagos Islands are part of the country of Ecuador, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a renown National Park. They are situated in the Pacific Ocean about 605 miles (1,000 kilometers) west of northern South America. The islands emerged from the bottom of the sea in the form of astonishing volcanic upheavals.



Repeated volcanic eruptions helped to form the rugged mountain landscape of the Galápagos Islands. The Galápagos are best known for their diverse array of plant and animal species.







Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

The Galápagos Islands in the eastern Pacific

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the port city of Antofagasta, Chile, which is located about 1,000 kilometers north of Santiago. Antofagasta is positioned between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the mountains to the east. 



The city has approximately 22 kilometers of coastline, but also lies within the Atacama Desert – one of the driest places on Earth. The region has a cold desert climate with abundant sunshine, and January is the warmest month.



Since the mid-19th century, copper mining is by far the most important mining activity for Antofagasta. Silver and saltpeter mining have been historically important for Antofagasta.



Video 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

The port city of Antofagasta, Chile

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most complex telescope ever to be launched into space. 



On Christmas morning, after a decade of delays, Webb was launched at 7:20 a.m. on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, South America.



The James Webb Space Telescope is the product of 40 million hours of work by thousands of scientists from around the globe. The space observatory will now begin six months of commissioning in space. After this time, Webb will deliver its first images.&nbsp;



“Webb’s launch is a pivotal moment that exemplifies the dedication, innovation, and ambition behind NASA and its partners, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Canadian Space Agency (CSA), but it is only the beginning,” said NASA.



“The 29 days following liftoff will be an exciting but harrowing time. Thousands of parts must work correctly, in sequence, to unfold Webb and put it in its final configuration, all while it flies through the expanse of space alone, to a destination nearly one million miles away.”



The James Webb Space Telescope is designed to view objects that are 10 to 100 times fainter than what Hubble can see. The powerful observatory will be able to look so far into deep space that it will see light from galaxies as they formed 13.7 billion years ago, which is just 100 million years after the universe was born.



The James Webb Space Telescope is designed to view objects that are 10 to 100 times fainter than what Hubble can see. The telescope will be able to look so far into deep space that it will see light from galaxies as they formed 13.7 billion years ago, which is just 100 million years after the universe was born.



Webb will ultimately solve many mysteries about the universe and make breakthrough discoveries in all fields of astronomy.&nbsp;



Video 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

Launch of the James Webb Space Telescope

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The Galápagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Galápagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. This region is one of the most famous places on the planet for viewing wildlife.



The Galápagos Islands are home to many native plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, including giant tortoises and sea lions.&nbsp;



When Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835, his wildlife observations inspired the theory of evolution by natural selection. In 1959, the Ecuadorian government made the entire archipelago a national park to protect its unique diversity.



The archipelago is made up of 13 major islands and several smaller islands and islets across 60,000 square kilometers of ocean. According to ESA, repeated volcanic eruptions and ongoing seismic activity have helped form the rugged mountain landscape of the islands. The older names remained in use in English-language publications, including Herman Melville’s The Encantadas of 1854.&nbsp; Therefore Galapagos owns one of the provinces of Ecuador, made up of three cantons that consist&nbsp; the names of its most populated islands, which are San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz and Isabela.



The largest of the Galapagos Islands, Isabela, was formed when multiple Volcanism has been continuous on the Galápagos Islands for at least 20 million years, and possibly  even longer. The mantle plume beneath the east side of volcanoes merged into one single land mass. The Archipelago is characterized by large contemporaneous volcanoes, some with plume magma sources, others from the asthenosphere. The Galápagos Archipelago is characterized by numerous contemporaneous volcanoes, some with plume magma sources, others from the asthenosphere, possibly due to the young and thin oceanic crust. The GSC caused structural weaknesses in this thin lithosphere leading to eruptions forming the Galápagos Platform.



Video 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

[sendtonews key="LiwJz6CGTH-1694520-12187" type="single"] The Galápagos Islands in the eastern Pacific...

Lake,Powell,National,Park,Landscape,Photos.

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Lake Powell reached a historic low this year Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">USGS</a> features Lake Powell, an artificial reservoir in the Colorado River on the border of Utah and Arizona. 



The lake supplies water to millions across the southwestern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-united-states-recently-declared-23-species-extinct/">United States</a>. According to the USGS, long-term dry conditions put the reservoir at a historic low in 2021. 



In 2017, the water's elevation was at 3,628 feet, putting it at 60.3 percent of full capacity. By 2021, the water level in Lake Powell was measured at 84 feet, with its capacity down to 29.5 percent. Description and history. Lake Powell is located in James City County, Virginia within three miles of the historic Jamestown site and colonial Williamsburg. The lake was formed by the damming of Mill Creek. 



The weather in the Lake Powell area is just about perfect — not too hot, not too cold. While the climate is arid and humidity is generally less than 40 percent, Lake Powell is classified as a “high desert” area due to it’s 3,700 ft. elevation. The current level of Lake Powell is 3,574 feet above sea level. When full the level is 3,700 feet. Because of an above normal snowpack in Colorado this winter, which feeds the lake, the level is expected to reach 3,620 this summer. 



Video Credit: USGS



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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 Powell reached a historic low this year

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">USGS</a> describes the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, which was the third most active season in recorded history. Out of 21 named storms, seven developed into full-blown hurricanes.



The 2021 Atlantic season will also go down in history as one of the most expensive hurricane seasons. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hurricane Ida alone accounts for more than $60 billion in damages. This makes it one of the five most costly U.S. hurricanes since 1980.



This year marked the first time on record that two consecutive hurricane seasons had 21 named storms, and the sixth consecutive Atlantic season that was more active than normal.



The USGS deployed crews and experts across the country to provide resources to emergency managers.



Video Credit: USGS



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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

The 2021 hurricane season was one of the most active

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch this week from French Guiana. It is the largest and most powerful telescope ever sent into space. 



The James Webb Space Telescope is designed to view objects that are 10 to 100 times fainter than what Hubble can see. The powerful observatory will be able to look so far into deep space that it will see light from galaxies as they formed 13.7 billion years ago, which is just 100 million years after the universe was born.&nbsp;



Webb will ultimately solve many mysteries about the universe and make breakthrough discoveries in all fields of astronomy. After the telescope is launched in Kourou, it will embark on a month-long journey to its destination, about one and a half million kilometers from Earth.



The JWST has been in the works for more than three decades. According to ESA, the telescope has the largest astronomical mirror ever flown into space, sophisticated new scientific instruments, and a sunshield the size of a tennis court.



Webb is a joint project between NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency.



Video 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

James Webb Telescope will reveal the early universe

[sendtonews key="H0kQPAyKN8-1686603-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">USGS</a> describes how the ice fields of southern Chile have changed dramatically over the past three decades.



Landsat images reveal that the Erasmo Glacier retreated by three kilometers from 1987 to 2015. During this time frame, the end of the glacier shifted by about 4.3 kilometers. The melting glacial ice formed a proglacial lake that was cluttered with icebergs. By 2021, the water appears to be ice-free.



Chile is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with coastal storms becoming more frequent and intense. Average temperatures are expected to increase by as much as five degrees Celsius in Chile by the end of this century.



According to a recent report from World Bank, temperatures will continue to increase in Chile throughout the end of the century, regardless of the emissions scenario. 



Stretching over 217mi (350km) along much of the southern stretch of Chile and Argentina, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is the world's second-largest outside the polar regions. It is the larger of two remnant parts of the&nbsp;Patagonian Ice Sheet that covered all of southern Chile during the&nbsp;last glacial period.



A significant amount of the ice field is protected under different national parks, such as the&nbsp;Bernardo O'Higgins&nbsp;and&nbsp;Torres del Paine&nbsp;in Chile, and the Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina.



Video Credit: USGS



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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

Dramatic changes across the ice fields of southern Chile

[sendtonews key="73joTZd54v-1591528-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...