A massive new analysis suggests Americans don’t just differ in what they earn or how long they live - they also differ in how they experience wellness. 



Drawing on more than 325,000 survey responses collected over eight years, researchers found clear regional differences in wellness.



People in the Northeastern and Midwestern regions tend to score higher on “traditional” wellness, which includes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fitness-focused-medicine-physical-activity-reduces-chronic-disease-risk/">physical health,</a> finances, and social support.



Many Southern regions, by contrast, rank higher on “existential” wellness, such as purpose, meaning, and a strong sense of community identity. The pattern lines up with centuries-old settlement histories that still shape local norms today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-wellness-two-ways">Measuring wellness two ways</h2>



The team worked with data from the <a href="https://news.gallup.com/topic/well-being-index.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index</a> spanning 2009–2016 and grouped responses into two broader composites.



“Traditional” wellness bundles tangible aspects of life - physical and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mental-health-crisis-half-of-the-worlds-population-will-be-affected-by-age-75/">mental health</a>, financial security, and day-to-day social support. 



“Existential” wellness captures the less tangible side - purpose, personal growth, community belonging, and living in line with one’s values.



Separating the two helps explain why some places thrive on paper (jobs, hospitals, income) yet still report a thinner sense of meaning - or the reverse.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-old-map-explains-modern-feelings"><a></a>An old map explains modern feelings</h2>



To test whether regional culture matters in wellness, the researchers turned to the American Nations Model. 



This framework divides the U.S. into historical “nations” based on who settled there first. Think Yankeedom, the Deep South, Greater Appalachia, El Norte, and others.



Each region inherited durable folkways about trust, autonomy, community, and authority. Even after accounting for education and income, these cultural footprints predicted distinctive wellness profiles where people live.



The headline split was clear. Northeastern and Midwestern regions, including Yankeedom, leaned higher on traditional wellness. 



Several Southern and frontier-legacy regions - such as the Deep South, Greater Appalachia, El Norte, and parts of the Far West - leaned higher on existential wellness.



In other words, the balance of “health and money” versus “purpose and belonging” shifts in systematic ways across the cultural map.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wellness-differences-stand-out">Wellness differences stand out</h2>



Statistically, the contrasts weren’t subtle. In within-region comparisons, traditional wellness significantly exceeded existential wellness in Yankeedom.



Existential wellness was higher in the Deep South and especially Greater Appalachia - the largest reversal in the set.



Several other regions showed smaller or no gaps, demonstrating that not every place fits a single mold.



These effects held in mixed-effects models that controlled for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-education-matters-for-healthy-aging-and-longevity/">education</a> and income and accounted for clustering within metropolitan areas.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/existential-wellness_american-nations-settlements_PLOS-One_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/existential-wellness_american-nations-settlements_PLOS-One_1s.webp" alt="Wellbeing across the American Nations: First Settler Effects influence traditional and existential wellness. Credit: David R. Samson, Nathan Oesch, Colin Woodard" class="wp-image-1985865"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Wellbeing across the American Nations: First Settler Effects influence traditional and existential wellness. Click image to enlarge. Credit: David R. Samson, Nathan Oesch, Colin Woodard</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture-race-and-wellness">Culture, race, and wellness</h2>



The study also looked at Black and Hispanic residents across regions. Patterns generally echoed the broader map. 



Black and Hispanic respondents tended to show higher traditional wellness in Northeastern and Midwestern regions. They also reported higher existential wellness in Southern regions.



Notably, Black respondents showed consistently lower traditional wellness than white respondents across regions. In the Northeast and Midwest, they also fared worse on existential wellness. 



Together, these patterns suggest that material constraints and structural disparities remain powerful drivers.



At the same time, the relatively stronger existential scores in many Southern contexts may reflect the buffering role of community networks and cultural identity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cultural-roots-of-wellness">Cultural roots of wellness</h2>



Culture shapes where institutions flourish (hospitals, schools, civic groups), how people relate to one another (trust, norms of reciprocity), and what counts as a good life (autonomy vs. solidarity, achievement vs. belonging).



Those long-running preferences influence migration, policy choices, and investments that, over time, help set the table for different “flavors” of well-being.



The authors found the pattern persisted even after adjusting for education and income, and they reported model checks to reduce issues like multicollinearity among predictors.



That suggests the American Nations framework isn’t just a clever historical story - it adds real explanatory power to why wellness feels different in different parts of the country.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wellness-policy-must-fit-culture">Wellness policy must fit culture</h2>



If you want to boost <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/simply-looking-at-art-can-improve-your-well-being/">well-being</a>, focusing only on income or clinics may miss what makes people feel whole in a given place.



In regions that already score high on traditional metrics, investing in community identity, public spaces, and opportunities for contribution might move the needle on meaning and purpose.



In places rich in existential wellness but poorer on traditional metrics, policies that improve access to preventive care, stable work, and safety nets could pay outsized dividends.



Put simply, the study argues that wellness strategies work best when they respect the cultural ecologies where people live - strengthening what’s already strong while shoring up what’s thin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-and-a-next-step"><a></a>Limits - and a next step</h2>



This is an observational study using self-reported survey data; it can’t prove cause and effect. The American Nations borders blur in real life, people move, and city-level differences within regions can be large.



Still, with more than 325,000 respondents across 110 metro areas and eight years of data, the signal is hard to ignore. 



The authors call for digging into mechanisms: Which specific institutions or community practices best translate cultural inheritance into day-to-day well-being? 



And which levers - health infrastructure, schooling, neighborhood design, civic organizations - offer the highest return in each region?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-place-and-culture-shape-wellness">Place and culture shape wellness</h2>



Where you live doesn’t just shape your paycheck and your hospital bill. It also shapes how you experience a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/creativity-improves-life-satisfaction-and-overall-well-being/">good life</a> - whether that’s feeling financially secure and physically well, or feeling rooted in purpose and community.



The United States’ oldest settlement patterns still echo in those experiences today. 



They remind policymakers that the most effective pathways to human flourishing may look different from Boston to Birmingham to El Paso.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0327972" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Wellness in America depends on culture and where you live

A massive new analysis suggests Americans don’t just differ in what they earn or how long they live - they also differ in how they experience wellness. Drawing on more than 325,000 survey responses collected over eight years, researchers found clear regional differences in wellness. People in the Northeastern and Midwestern regions tend to score higher on “traditional” wellness, which includes physical health, finances, and social support. Many Southern regions, by contrast, rank higher on “existential” wellness, such as purpose, meaning, and a strong sense of community...

Gentrification is a problematic but all too common issue in urban planning and development in many cities in the US and Canada. 

The upscale transition of low-income neighborhoods renovated to accommodate middle class and affluent residents can drive up rental and housing prices and displace former residents.  But gentrification can also bring much-needed facilities, services, and goods that were otherwise absent from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-the-greening-of-cities-does-not-benefit-everyone-equally/">underserved pre-gentrified areas</a>.

While gentrification is becoming increasingly common and a political point of contention, it can be challenging to study or even to define gentrification as it occurs. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uottawa.ca/en">University of Ottawa </a>in Canada have developed a deep mapping computer model that takes data from Google Street View to track gentrification on a property-by-property basis. 

Previously, studies into gentrification analyzed census data, but this did little to identify warning signs of gentrification or show how individual properties changed over time in a gentrified neighborhood. 

“Gentrification is reshaping our cities, but at the same time it is hard to determine where and how fast the phenomena occurs in large dynamic urban centers,” the researchers said. 

In this new study, published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0212814">PLOS ONE</a>, the researchers used Google Street View panoramas of properties in the urban core of Ottawa from 2007 through 2016 and developed a deep-mapping computer model to read and process the data. 

The model searched through the panoramas looking for indicators of gentrification like home improvements and renovations. The model was able to identify gentrification with a 95 percent accuracy compared to a human. 

In the Greenbelt neighborhood, the computer found 3,483 indicators of gentrification at 2,922 properties. 

The model’s analysis matched a map that marked where development and building permits had been issued. Having a way to track gentrification at the property level will help aid in further defining and tackling the problems of gentrification in cities across North America. 

“These maps have direct implications for planning, social justice and addressing inequality in this large urban center,” the researchers concluded. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Ilic et al, 2019

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

New tool uses Google Street View to track neighborhood gentrification

Gentrification is a problematic but all too common issue in...

A shocking new report from the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> has announced that environmental pollution is to blame for the premature deaths of nine million people each year. The study, which was a collaboration among 250 scientists in 70 countries, found that one out of every four premature deaths worldwide can be traced back to pollution from human activities. 

The authors of the <a href="http://www.unenvironment.org/global-environment-outlook">Global Environment Outlook</a> (GEO) warned that the epidemic is being driven by chemicals in our drinking water, the destruction of invaluable ecosystems, and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-increases-miscarriage/">deadly smog</a> from toxic emissions. The six-year analysis also revealed that overconsumption, waste, and pollution in wealthier countries are disproportionately impacting poor countries in the form of food insecurity, poverty, and disease. 

Meanwhile, the extreme weather events associated with climate change, such as superstorms and massive flooding, continue to threaten billions of people across the planet. Although global warming is being widely addressed by world leaders and experts, the potential health impacts of issues such as pollution and deforestation are not as straightforward. 

According to the GEO, poor environmental conditions “cause approximately 25 percent of global disease and mortality,” with this number totaling around nine million deaths in 2015 alone. The report also said that 1.4 million people die each year from preventable diseases like diarrhea and parasites due to a lack of clean drinking water and poor sanitary conditions. 

The largest number of deaths attributed to environmental damage was linked to air pollution, which prematurely kills between six and seven million people each year. In addition, the authors pointed out that deforestation and land degradation affect areas that are home to 3.2 billion people.

Joyeeta Gupta, GEO co-chair, told <a href="https://www.afp.com/en">AFP</a>: “If you have a healthy planet it supports not only global GDP but it also supports the lives of the very poorest because they depend on clean air and clean water. If you turn that around, an unhealthy system has massive damage on human lives.”

The experts suggested that while the situation is dire, it could still be helped. In a note to policymakers, the GEO authors wrote: “Urgent action at an unprecedented scale is necessary to arrest and reverse this situation.”


For example, one third of all the food produced worldwide is wasted. In wealthier countries, an average of 56 percent of food is being thrown away. Reducing this amount of food waste could drastically reduce the harmful emissions that are associated with food production.

“Everyone is saying that by 2050 we have to feed 10 billion people, but that doesn't mean we have to double production,” said Gupta. “If we reduce our waste and perhaps have less meat you could immediately reduce that problem.” This, she said, would require changes in the way that we live.

The GEO was unveiled this week at the <a href="http://web.unep.org/environmentassembly/">UN Environment Assembly</a> in Nairobi.
--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nine million people die prematurely from pollution every year

A shocking new report from the United Nations has announced...

It has been well established that the environment can have a major impact on the cardiovascular system, and experts at the <a href="https://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/index.html">German Research Center for Environmental Health</a> set out to get a better understanding of the effects of both extreme heat and cold. The research has confirmed the theory that severe temperature spikes increase the risk of a heart attack. 

The investigation was focused on more than 27,000 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/heart-attacks-young-women/">heart attack</a> patients with an average age of 63. Overall, 13,000 of these heart attacks, which occurred between 1987 and 2014, were fatal. 

The researchers compared individual heart attacks to meteorological data on the day of the event, while accounting for other risk factors as well. In addition, the team compared data from 1987 to 2000 with data from 2001 to 2014. 

“In this latest study, we wanted to see to what extent the heat and cold-related heart attack risk has changed over the years,” said co-author Dr. Kai Chen. “Over a period of 28 years, we found that there has been an increase in heat-induced heart attack risk in recent years.” 

The study revealed that individuals with diabetes or hyperlipidaemia were particularly at risk during the later time frame. The researchers said that this is partially a result of global warming, but that it is also a consequence of an increase in these risk factors themselves, which cause people to become more susceptible to heat.

“Our study suggests that greater consideration should be given to high temperatures as a potential trigger for heart attacks - especially in view of climate change,” said study lead author Dr. Alexandra Schneider. “Extreme weather events, like the 2018 heat waves in Europe, could in future result in an increase in cardiovascular disease. At the same time, there is likely to be a decrease in cold-related heart attacks here in Germany.” 

“Our analysis suggests a lower risk in the future, but this lower risk was not significant and very cold days will continue to represent a potential trigger for heart attacks.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj">European Heart Journal</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>

Heart attack risk is rising along with hotter temperatures

It has been well established that the environment can have...

A team of archeologists led by Dr. Richard Madgwick of <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/">Cardiff University</a> have discovered evidence of prehistoric large-scale celebrations at four different Late Neolithic locations near <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/stonehenge-built-remains/">Stonehenge</a>. These new findings show that people and animals traveled for miles to participate in the festivities held at these richly historic and profound places.

The new study, published in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, is the most comprehensive to date. Researchers examined 131 pig bones dating back to the Late Neolithic era (c. 2800-2400 BC). These artifacts, left behind by Britons who traveled far and wide to attend these huge feasts, were found at Durrington Walls, Marden, Mount Pleasant, and West Kennet Palisade Enclosures. 

In fact, researchers say the bones at these sites were from animals who were raised as far away as Scotland, North East England, and West Wales.

"This study demonstrates a scale of movement and level of social complexity not previously appreciated,” Dr. Madgwick stated. "These gatherings could be seen as the first united cultural events of our island, with people from all corners of Britain descending on the areas around Stonehenge to feast on food that had been specially reared and transported from their homes."

To determine where the pigs came from, the team used isotope analysis on the bones to detect chemical signals from the food and water that the animals consumed. Pigs were seemingly the most favorable animals to feast on, and researchers believe it may have been important for people to bring their own pigs to the celebrations.

"Arguably the most startling finding is the efforts that participants invested in contributing pigs that they themselves had raised. Procuring them in the vicinity of the feasting sites would have been relatively easy,” Dr. Madgwick continued. "Pigs are not nearly as well-suited to movement over distance as cattle and transporting them, either slaughtered or on the hoof, over hundreds or even tens of kilometres, would have required a monumental effort.”

"This suggests that prescribed contributions were required and that rules dictated that offered pigs must be raised by the feasting participants, accompanying them on their journey, rather than being acquired locally,” he said.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Cardiff University

Evidence of prehistoric large-scale celebrations found near Stonehenge

A team of archeologists led by Dr. Richard Madgwick of...

After reviewing hundreds of published studies, experts led by the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> have found that spending time in nature enhances healthy development and academic achievement among <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/kids-play-outside-again/">children</a>. Study lead author Professor Ming Kuo said that she expected the review to lead to more questions than answers, but the results were very clear. 

“It is time to take nature seriously as a resource for learning, in fact, the trend of increasing indoor instruction in hopes of maximizing standardized test performance may be doing more harm than good,” said Professor Kuo.


The study, which was a collaboration with experts at the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a>, revealed that nature boosts learning in eight distinct ways.

“We found strong evidence that time in nature has a rejuvenating effect on attention; relieves stress; boosts self-discipline; increases physical activity and fitness; and promotes student self-motivation, enjoyment, and engagement. And all of these have been shown to improve learning,” said Professor Kuo.

The team determined that nature creates a calmer, quieter, and safer setting for learning, while promoting better cooperation among students. Nature also provides more creative and exploratory forms of play.

“If something not only makes a student more attentive, but also less stressed and more interested, then you can see how it could have a large effect on their learning,” said study co-author Michael Barnes. “Furthermore, if you put a bunch of kids in a classroom and they're all attentive, absorbed, and interested, that sounds like a different classroom than one where they're all stressed, agitated, not getting along, etc. So you can start to see how these large effects could make sense.”

According to the review, these benefits extend beyond academic achievement. Spending time in nature promotes the individual skills and qualities needed for personal success.

“Report after report - from independent observers as well as participants themselves - indicate beneficial shifts in perseverance, problem solving, critical thinking, leadership, teamwork, and resilience. All of these line up with skills we know are important for kids' ability to thrive in the 21st century,” said study co-author Professor Catherine Jordan.

Professor Kuo added, “Even small exposures to nature are beneficial. If you're indoors, having a view of your yard as opposed to facing the wall, that makes a difference. At the same time, more is better. That's one of the things that gives us more confidence that we're seeing a real cause-and-effect relationship. The bigger the dose of nature we give a person, the bigger the effect we see in them.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</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: University of Illinois

Exposure to nature is tied to huge educational benefits for kids

After reviewing hundreds of published studies, experts led by the...

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is famously billed as the ‘last great race on Earth’.  The race is a 1,100 mile long endurance test in one of the most grueling environments in the world.  The last winner took 9 ½ days to complete the Iditarod, but the slowest <a href="https://iditarod.com/about/trivia-facts/">winning time</a> was over 20 days in 1974.  The longest time taken to complete the race is an excruciating, 32 days, 15 hours and nine minutes. A lot of the time it takes to finish a dog race like the Iditarod comes down to conditions outside of a musher’s control, conditions like weather, snow, ice, wildlife attacks.      

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tooth-alaskas-first-inhabitants/">Alaska</a> places much of its local identity on ruggedness and the Iditarod is part of that; photos of sled dogs cover postcards, press clippings decorate Alaskan restaurants.  I remember a sign in one Alaskan establishment that proclaimed, “Alaska, where the men are men and women win the Iditarod”. That sentiment becomes more and more true each year.  

<a href="https://www.biography.com/news/libby-riddles-facts-biography-iditarod">Libby Riddles</a> was the first woman to win the Iditarod more than thirty years ago in 1985.  Over the course of the race, the temperature dropped to -50°F and Riddles pushed through weather conditions other sat out in safety and relative comfort.  Libby Riddles seems to have paved the road for future female adventure athletes. 

Born in Massachusetts and educated at Colorado State University where she studied to be a veterinarian technician, <a href="https://www.biography.com/people/susan-butcher-222295">Susan Butcher</a> won the Iditarod four times, in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990.  Only one person, Rick Swenson, has <a href="https://iditarod.com/about/champions-records/">won more Iditarods</a> (5) to this day.  Butcher first competed in the Iditarod in 1978 and over her career set several records before retiring and passing away from Leukemia in 2006.  In 2008, the state of Alaska established a Susan Butcher day, celebrated the first Saturday of March. 

Butcher, like Riddles, and every racer in the Iditarod faced hardship. She had to drop out of the race in 1985 when two of her dogs were killed and several were injured by a moose.  The Iditarod is still a male dominated race; a woman hasn’t won the race in 25 years, but that’s bound to change soon. Now almost a third of the racers are women <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/03/01/699390413/blair-braverman-and-her-ugly-dogs-compete-in-their-first-iditarod">NPR</a> reports.  Besides concerns of gender equality, often raised in sports, another controversy has plagued the Iditarod – treatment of dogs.

The Iditarod was originally formulated as a tribute to the Iditarod trail.  The trail was originally a life line for non-native Alaskans to the rest of the world where food and medical supplies could be delivered to remote outposts of the Alaskan ‘frontier’.  As such, the race is a tribute to the harsh realities of the Alaskan environment and a partnership between humans and non-humans to survive there. Things have changed since the times when a dog sled was the only way to deliver important medicine to Alaskan villages.       

The world of 2019 is a very different one from the world of 1973 when the <a href="https://iditarod.com/about/history/">first Iditarod</a> was officially run.  1973 was less than twenty years after the official founding of Sea World in 1959 and decades before the 2013 documentary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNtUK3rW5K4">Blackfish</a> revealed a lot of problems with that park.  It was only in 1966 that the <a href="https://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/animal-welfare-act">Animal Welfare Act</a> was signed into law, less than ten years before the first Iditarod.  Several amendments have been made to the Animal Welfare Act since it was first created, the last being in 2013.  According to <a href="https://foodrevolution.org/blog/vegan-statistics-global/">FoodRevolution.org</a>, veganism has increased by 600% in the US from 2014 to 2017 alone.  It’s not surprising considering how views of animal treatment have changed in the US that a race that in some ways supports an antiquated relationship between humans and dogs has its own controversies.

According to <a href="https://helpsleddogs.org/the-harsh-reality/dog-deaths/">Sled Dog Action Coalition</a>, at least 153 dogs have died in the Iditarod; meanwhile no humans have died during the race.  Statistics of dog deaths from the early years of the race weren’t kept but a resident of Alaska for 40 years, Ted Almasy is quoted:

“That first race, from Anchorage to McGrath, all you could see along the trail was dog blood and dead dogs. That’s when I got into it with them. After each Iditarod, we used to see dead dogs at the dump. You’d see them [Sic] poor dogs, blood coming out of both ends. ”

Words like these raise serious questions of the ethics of a race that simultaneously romanticizes a team of dogs and risks their health and lives without consent.  Indeed, in most of the US, keeping a dog outside in below freezing temperatures for 12 days warrants an animal cruelty conviction, according to <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/iditarod-trail-sled-dog-race-and-animal-cruelty-127645">ThoughtCo</a>.  The race is trying to adapt a bit to changing views on animal treatment ethics. 

Any musher that has been convicted of animal cruelty is disqualified from the race.  There are checkpoints where a veterinarian can check the health of dogs but racers aren’t required to stop at these checkpoints.  Ramy Brooks, a musher, was disqualified for blatant cruelty, such as beating dogs for not continuing across an icefield. Brooks was allowed to race in later years and one of his dogs died in the 2007 race, but it was concluded that the death was unrelated to beating.  Beyond the race itself, culling dogs that aren’t good racers is a common practice among kennels training to compete. A question worth asking is if the Iditarod is capable of changing enough to be seen as morally acceptable in a world where animals are recognized as having more rights and capacities than previously?

Could the answer to change in the treatment of animals be in who the mushers themselves are?  An article in the <a href="https://vancouversun.com/news/community-blogs/do-men-care-less-about-animals-than-women">Vancouver Sun</a> asked, “Do men care less about animals than women?”  The answer seems to be as a group, yes.  One study examining 268 prosecutions of animal cruelty found that men are convicted in a ratio of 29 to 1 compared to women in animal abuse.  Other studies have found that women as a group nearly always have more sympathy for animals than men. 

Are the women now racing in the Iditarod a wind of change that could not only lift the status of women in a rugged wilderness race but also push for better treatment of dogs or are the women now racing pushing for victory at all costs?  Blair Braverman in particular, a nature writer and first time competitor in this year’s Iditarod, has already pushed back on the male stereotypical view of man vs. nature, promoting a more feminine perspective on nature in <a href="https://www.hcn.org/issues/49.19/the-west-when-women-are-telling-the-story?utm_source=wcn1&amp;utm_medium=email">High Country News</a>.  

Will more female competitors mean more female spectators that may in turn raise more questions about the treatment of sled dogs?  Only time will tell. We can only hope that the race, one that celebrates wilderness and human animal collaboration, can fulfill its promise or simply cease.  

--                

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Women in the Iditarod and the treatment of racing dogs

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is famously billed as...

Humans are quickly burning through Earth’s resources, UN report warns. The <a href="http://www.resourcepanel.org/reports/global-resources-outlook">Global Resources Outlook 2019</a> report published by the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> (UN) has some sobering news about the world’s natural resources. 

From 1970 to 2017, the world’s population grew from 3.7 billion to 7.5 billion, and global domestic product increased four times in the same time frame. 

More people equals more demand on natural resources like water, agricultural land, and wood, and the report shows that by 2017, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-already-burned-earths-resources-2017/">extraction of resources</a> to meet global demand grew from 27 billion tons per year to 92 billion tons. 

What’s even more concerning is that as population increases and advances in health and technology improve quality of life, the report predicts that by 2060, our extraction of resources will double. 

In high-income countries alone, each person uses around 9.8 tons of materials and resources. 

“The Global Resources Outlook shows that we are ploughing through this planet’s finite resources as if there is no tomorrow, causing climate change and biodiversity loss along the way,” said Joyce Msuya, the Acting Executive Director of <a href="http://www.unenvironment.org/">UN Environment.</a> “Frankly, there will be no tomorrow for many people unless we stop.”

The report was put together by the UN’s <a href="http://www.resourcepanel.org/">International Resource Panel</a>, and the authors compared resource extraction to resource use over the decades. 

Data from historical trends were reviewed and analyzed for the study, and the International Resource Panel was able to predict resource extraction rates up until 2060. 

By 2060, resource use could grow as much 110 percent which would shrink forests and other key habitats.Humans are quickly burning through Earth’s resources, UN report warns

The demand for natural resources is a significant driver of climate change and biodiversity loss both through urban expansion as well as mining, logging, fishing, and manufacturing operations. 

As we strip away more resources and emit more greenhouse gasses in the process, we are contributing to the snowball effect of climate change, and the UN report calls for a major overhaul of policies dictating resource conservation and use. 

“The extraction and processing of materials, fuels, and food make up about half of total global greenhouse gas emissions and more than 90 percent of biodiversity loss and water stress,” the report reads. 

If resource extraction continues on its current trends, greenhouse gas emissions could increase by 43 percent. 

Sustainability and resource efficiency are required going forward to protect resources and combat climate change. 

The report adds that if smarter and greener measures are undertaken, resource use could be slowed and managed in a better way to meet future global demands. 

--

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>

Humans are quickly burning through Earth’s resources, UN report warns

Humans are quickly burning through Earth’s resources, UN report warns....

A new study has found that U.S. counties with rich immigration history have higher incomes, less poverty, and lower unemployment rates. Recent political-related concerns about <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bias-against-immigrants-names/">immigration</a> have only focused on the short-term effects. However, this recent study, published in <a href="https://www.restud.com/">The Review of Economic Studies</a>, looked into the long-run effects and consequences of immigration and found contradictory results to the concerns of modern day.

The researchers focused on immigrants who came to the U.S. between 1850 and 1920. It was during this time in history that immigration blossomed, and people were coming from many different places. For example, in 1850 over 90% of immigrants in the U.S. were from Great Britain, Ireland, or Germany. By 1920, only 45% of immigrants came from these three locations.

Immigration during this time led to larger manufacturing establishments, a booming agriculture industry, and higher innovation rates. As the authors of the study state, these findings play into the historical belief that the majority of immigrants contribute unskilled labor to economic growth whereas a smaller immigrant pool help to innovate and develop the country.

"What is fascinating is that despite the exceptionalism of this period in US history, there are several important parallels that one could draw between then and now: the large influx of unskilled labor, the small but important inflow of highly skilled innovators, as well as the significant short-run social backlash against immigration,” said lead author Sandra Sequeira, from the <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/">The London School of Economics and Political Science</a>. “There is much to be learned from taking a longer perspective on the immigration debate."

Furthermore, the researchers found that increasing the percentage of immigrants within a county by 4.9% can lead to a 13% average per capita income increase, a 44% in average manufacturing output between 1860 and 1920, a 37% farm value increase, and a 152% increase in the number of patents per capita.

And researchers also note that these economic benefits related to immigration did not have negative social costs. In fact, historically immigrant-heavy locations have the same crime rate, civic participation, and social capital as anywhere else in the U.S.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Study: Immigration benefits economies even a century later

A new study has found that U.S. counties with rich...

Waking up often to use the bathroom actually hurts the economy  is a condition defined by waking up more than twice a night to urinate, and it affects nearly 20 percent of the overall population, especially older adults. 

While nocturia can be bothersome, a new study found that frequent nightly bathroom trips can actually hurt the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glass-ceiling-hurt-economy/">economy</a> due to lost productivity. 

People who lose sleep due to the urge to urinate are less productive at work, and more likely to call in sick to work due to sleep deprivation, according to researchers from <a href="https://www.rand.org/randeurope.html">RAND Europe</a>. 

This hit to work performance due to the prevalence of nocturia ultimately affects the economy. 

The researchers found that someone suffering from nocturia loses seven more working days on average either by calling in sick or not being able to perform up to expectations on the job. 

The problem isn’t unique to the US either, as the researchers studied the impacts of nocturia on GDP in Japan, Germany, the UK, and Australia. 

The team used two large, linked employer-employee datasets which included information on how many estimated employees suffered from nocturia. 

A macroeconomic model was then used to simulate how GDP was impacted by nocturia by examining how changes in workplace productivity influenced economic output. 

In the US, around 27.5 million people suffer from nocturia, which is the equivalent of about 12.5 percent of the total workforce.  The researchers discovered that nocturia was responsible for around 13.7 billion in economic losses in Japan, and 8.4 billion in Germany.

In the UK, economic losses due to frequent urination are 5.9 billion, and in Spain and Australia losses were around 3 billion. 

Besides work performance, nocturia impacts wellbeing, but many people wait to see their doctor until symptoms are unbearable and debilitating. The researchers also say that doctors don’t always consider nocturia as a potential risk for sleep problems. 

“Given the substantial economic implications of untreated nocturia, this should be a ‘wake-up’ call to diverse stakeholders, including patients, health-care providers, and employers, of the importance of identifying and treating nocturia,” said Marco Hafner, the lead researcher of the study.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Waking up often to use the bathroom actually hurts the economy

Waking up often to use the bathroom actually hurts the...

Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases caused by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-shortens-life-spans/">air pollution</a> are responsible for more than 100,000 deaths in the United States. 

Even though air quality in the US has improved overall and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) declined 50 percent between 2003 and 2015, a new study led by researchers from the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a> and the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> has found significant racial disparities in high pollution exposure. 

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), shows that Hispanic and black Americans are exposed to high levels of dangerous air pollution, the majority of which is caused by white American consumers. 

The study represents the first time that pollution inequity in the US has been quantified and shows that minority groups are disproportionately exposed to PM2.5. 

“Our work is at the intersection of many important and timely topics such as race, inequality, affluence, environmental justice, and environmental regulation,” said Jason Hill, a University of Minnesota bioproducts and biosystems engineering professor.

The researchers found that black Americans are exposed to 56 percent more PM2.5 pollution than is caused by their consumption, and Hispanic Americans are exposed to 63 percent more  pollution than is caused by their consumption .

The burden of pollution exposure is especially damaging because although white Americans are responsible for a large majority of air pollution through consumption of pollution-emitting goods and services, white Americans are exposed to 17 percent less air pollution than is caused by their consumption.

One of the reasons that black and Hispanic Americans deal with more air pollution exposure is because pollution is higher in underserved neighborhoods and regions historically home to higher populations of minorities, which can be linked to racial disparities dating back decades and even generations. 

“Similar to previous studies, we show that racial-ethnic minorities are exposed to more pollution on average than non-Hispanic whites. What is new is that we find that those differences do not occur because minorities on average cause more pollution than whites -- in fact, the opposite is true,” said Christopher Tessum, the lead author of the study. 

Both income and political representation also help drive unfair pollution exposure burdens.

Going forward the researchers say that it will be crucial to examine these disparities not just in pollution exposure but also in other environmental burdens. 

“The approach we establish in this study could be extended to other pollutants, locations, and groupings of people,” said Julian Marshall, civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington. “When it comes to determining who causes air pollution -- and who breathes that pollution -- this research is just the beginning.”

--

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>

Black and Hispanic Americans exposed to higher levels of air pollution

Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases caused by air pollution are responsible...

Many U.S. cities like Los Angeles, Austin, San Diego, and New York have seen scooter rental programs like Lime and Bird surge in popularity over the past year after making renting and using scooters easy and a draw for tourists. 

But now, scooter safety is under investigation by the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control</a> (CDC) in collaboration with <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/resident/public-health">Austin Public Health</a> and the <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/department/transportation">Austin Transportation Department</a> in Texas after a rise in scooter injuries. 

According to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/08/the-cdc-is-investigating-rise-in-e-scooter-injuries.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain">CNBC</a> which reported on the rise in scooter safety issues, dockless scooter companies operate in more than 100 US cities. But with this rise in popularity and ease of access, there has also been a rise in injuries and, contrary to popular belief, the majority of accidents are not due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stronger-alcohol-policies-drunk-driving/">collisions with other motor vehicles</a>. 

“There's a perception that scooter-related injuries occur at night. Well that's not true,” said Jeff Taylor, manager of the Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit with Austin Public Health. “Our study will show they occur during all times of the day. People may also perceive there's typically a car involved. But our study finds most of the time the rider may hit a bump in the road or they simply lose their balance.” 

Taylor is currently working with the CDC and reviewing Austin scooter injury data from September through November 2018. 

So far, the CDC and Austin Public Health have discovered that 98 percent of scooter accidents involved riders who were not wearing a helmet. 48 percent of riders were driving while intoxicated and had blood alcohol levels above the legal limit. 

The data suggests that consumers are more lax about drinking and operating electric scooters and wearing helmets. 

The <a href="https://health.ucsd.edu/">University of San Diego Medical Center</a> reported 42 patients were admitted to a trauma center for scooter injuries in 2018. The <a href="http://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> reported that between 2017 and 2018, the 249 patients were admitted to university medical center emergency rooms. 

The results of the CDC report should be made public next month. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

CDC investigating electric scooter safety after a rise in injuries

Many U.S. cities like Los Angeles, Austin, San Diego, and...

On Friday, March 8th, the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA) lifted a ban on AquaBounty, the company behind genetically modified salmon that grow twice as fast as normal salmon. The ban previously prohibited AquaBounty from importing its modified <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/salmon-smell-ocean-acidification/">salmon</a> eggs to an Indiana growing facility, where the fish would be grown for about 18 months before being sold for human consumption.

The FDA stated that AquaBounty salmon have undergone safety reviews and the ban has been lifted due to a new regulation that states companies must disclose when a food product is “bioengineered.”

AquaBounty, which was founded in 1991, have modified the Atlantic salmon using DNA from other fish species in order to make the salmon grow faster. The company says they are therefore helping to feed the growing population and meet the demand for animal protein, according to the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/1be7085378684f4990e240870e7c546c">Associated Press</a>.

Despite the ban being lifted, AquaBounty still has hurdles to jump before they’re able to sell their salmon in the U.S. A coalition of consumer, environmental, and fishing groups has challenged the FDA’s decision and have recently filed a lawsuit to prevent the fish, dubbed AquAdvantage, from being sold.

“We think a remedy in our case would stop sale of the fish before they’re allowed to be sold,” said George Kimbrell, legal director for the Center for Food Safety, one of the groups suing the FDA.

The concern is that the AquAdvantage salmon, although all bred to be sterile female fish, may leak into the surrounding natural environment. And if not all of the AquAdvantage fish are sterile, as tests have shown can be possible, the entire species of Atlantic salmon may be at risk for being genetically modified.

Furthermore, Kimbrell and others against the decision also fear that the term “bioengineered” is less recognizable to the consumer than “genetically modified,” and using the former term on packaging may lead unwitting consumers astray.

However, AquaBounty CEO Sylvia Wulf told the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/1be7085378684f4990e240870e7c546c">AP</a> that AquAdvantage fish have already been sold in small quantities in Canada, a country that does not require marked packaging for genetically-modified foods, without issue. Wulf doesn’t believe the lawsuit will affect the company’s progress in the U.S.

The implementation of the new regulation to simply label packaging of bioengineered foods will begin in 2020, and all companies must comply by 2022.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

FDA green lights genetically modified salmon for consumption

On Friday, March 8th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



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



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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-----

Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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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

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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 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

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

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;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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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"

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

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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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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