For many of us, it seems like the memory-stealing disorder dementia is an inevitable part of aging.



Over time, countless theories have been proposed, linking this incurable condition to every aspect of our lives, from bedtimes to alcohol consumption. 



However, a recent review has suggested that only three factors significantly affect your risk of developing dementia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-promoting-brain-health-and-preventing-dementia">Promoting brain health and preventing dementia </h2>



The research was led by scientists from the <a href="https://www.rand.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RAND Corporation</a>, a non-profit, research institution based in California. The team examined data of over 20,000 senior citizens gathered in an impressive span of 30 years.



Out of the numerous factors they explored, the experts found that the absence of a hobby, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-obesity-rates-are-surging-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">obesity</a>, and sedentariness post-60 are the most influential elements that could predict the development of dementia.



"This work provides additional evidence about actions that individuals can take to pursue a lifestyle that promotes brain health across the lifespan," explained Peter Hudomiet, the lead economist of the study.



“Other lifestyle and health behavior factors are not strong predictors of dementia, such as smoking, checking cholesterol levels, having flu shots, and getting mammograms, pap smears, and breast or prostate exams."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hobbies-weight-and-physical-activity-0">Hobbies, weight, and physical activity</h2>



Why is it important to pick up a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hobbies-keep-the-brain-sharp-and-slow-cognitive-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hobby</a>, stay active, and watch your weight?



The researchers found that hobbies help people feel they have a purpose in life and allow them to exercise their cognition, which essentially keeps the brain active and healthy.



Similarly, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/regular-exercise-makes-your-brain-bigger/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regular physical activity</a> is vital for healthy blood circulation, which in turn is crucial for the brain's long-term health.



On the other hand, obesity often leads to problems with blood circulation, which could enhance the risk of dementia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proactive-measures-for-preventing-dementia">Proactive measures for preventing dementia </h2>



The importance of understanding and mitigating the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reduce-your-risk-of-dementia-by-cutting-out-this-type-of-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">risk of dementia</a> cannot be overstated, as it represents one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time.



It's estimated that roughly 10 percent of adults over the age of 65 suffer from dementia.



That's over 7 million people, a number projected to hit 12 million by 2040 if current trends persist, placing immense strain on families, healthcare systems, and social services worldwide.



Proactive measures are crucial to addressing this growing crisis and ensuring a better quality of life for future generations.



This discovery has significant implications on a broader societal scale, promoting a new emphasis on brain health.



Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth, after discovering his heightened risk of developing dementia, has renewed his commitment to maintaining sleep quality, managing stress, and promoting nutrition and fitness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-surprising-role-of-alcohol">The surprising role of alcohol</h2>



While some factors, such as smoking or flu vaccinations, showed little impact on dementia risk, alcohol consumption revealed a surprising trend. 



Moderate drinkers had the lowest risk of dementia, whereas abstainers and heavy drinkers faced higher risks. 



These findings align with other studies that have suggested a small amount of alcohol may promote heart and brain health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dealing-with-a-dementia-diagnosis">Dealing with a dementia diagnosis</h2>



The researchers didn't stop at finding the crucial factors for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-onset-dementia-can-actually-be-prevented-through-lifestyle-choices/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dementia prevention</a>. They also explored the responses and barriers of people diagnosed with dementia.



The experts found that, upon receiving a diagnosis, many patients took steps for future preparation, such as arranging financial help and planning for safer living conditions.



However, the cost associated with memory care was cited as the largest barrier to treatment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proactive-steps-for-preventing-dementia">Proactive steps for preventing dementia </h2>



Understanding your risk factors for dementia and taking action to mitigate them can be an important step towards healthier aging. 



"Assessments provided individuals with information that may facilitate actions to prepare for the future," said Susann Rohwedder, a senior economist at RAND, and an author on the study. 



While the research does not guarantee prevention, it does provide us with a clearer picture of what might help ward off dementia. 



Maintaining an active lifestyle, caring for our physical health, and keeping our minds engaged through taking up hobbies might be the secret recipe for a healthy brain, regardless of our age.



The findings are published in a <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3207-1.html">RAND research report</a>.



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Preventing dementia: Scientists say three factors matter most

For many of us, it seems like the memory-stealing disorder dementia is an inevitable part of aging. Over time, countless theories have been proposed, linking this incurable condition to every aspect of our lives, from bedtimes to alcohol consumption. However, a recent review has suggested that only three factors significantly affect your risk of developing dementia. Promoting brain health and preventing dementia The research was led by scientists from the RAND Corporation, a non-profit, research institution based in California. The team examined data of over 20,000 senior...

A recent study led by Andreas Schaefer of <a href="https://www.kit.edu/english/">Karlsruhe Institute of Technology</a> (KIT) is giving new insight into the potential of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/japan-risk-tsunami/">tsunamis</a> to impact tourism revenue. The researchers found that tourist loss from tsunami risk is costing beach economies over $250 million dollars every year.

The research was focused on 24,000 prominent coastal tourist destinations around the world. In order to estimate how much these locations stood to lose in the event of a tsunami, the experts calculated the beach-related business value of each destination based on tourism data, which was collected for over 10,000 states, provinces, and counties globally in over 200 countries.

“In absolute terms, Hawaii is by far the highest risk area on the globe for tourism risk to tsunamis, as it can be affected by many possible tsunami sources from Japan, Alaska, South America and other regions,” said Schaefer. “Most of the loss would be monetary, however, due to significant investment in warnings." 

 Using the tsunami simulation model “TsuPy,” which was developed by Schaefer, the scientists simulated thousands of potential tsunamis for each of 24,000 beaches. This way, the researchers were able to calculate the impacts of tsunamis that are possible but have not actually happened.

The following were found to be the top 10 tourism locations in terms of possible losses of beach tourism due to tsunamis:

1. Hawaii, USA 
2. Lima, Peru 
3. Valparaiso, Chile 
4. Guerrero, México 
5. Bali, Indonesia 
6. Greater Los Angeles, USA 
7. Phuket, Thailand 
8. Southwest Turkey 
9. Bio-Bio, Chile 
10. Puntarenas, Costa Rica

“Every country is different, and it depends on the location and size of the country,” said Schaefer. “In some past events, such as in the Indian Ocean, significant numbers of tourists stayed away from the entire region and prices decreased, due to beach loss, hotel damage and infrastructure issues.”


“In comparison to the significant rewards beach tourism offers globally, tsunami risk seems small, however, for those locations that are hit, the losses can be devastating.”

Andreas Schaefer presented this research and released a global tourism destination risk index for tsunamis at the 2018 Annual Conference of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) in Vienna.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tsunami risk costing tourist destinations hundreds of millions

A recent study led by Andreas Schaefer of Karlsruhe Institute...

Living my whole life in Wyoming, western Colorado, South Dakota and now Arizona, it’s been hard for me to think of hunting as relatively unpopular.  Outside of larger cities in those states, I’ve always been in a small minority as a vegetarian, even among those who care for wild life. 

Working at a gunpowder factory, I heard everything from stories of deer hunting at the tragic poaching of a Big Horn sheep to threats of shooting crows settled on the buildings.  Growing up, I heard plenty of people in high school talk of plinking away at prairie dogs for fun and the moral rectitude of killing coyotes merely for being coyotes. 

But things have changed from my early childhood until now.  Vegetarian restaurants are more common and even in the most meat and potato bar and grills, it’s common to have a veggie burger on the menu. 

So it’s perhaps not entirely surprising that hunting is on decline. According to a 2010 report cited in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>, the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service</a> has seen a decline in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunting-pressure-bears-young/">hunting</a> in 33 states over two decades, the greatest being a decline of 50 percent in Massachusetts.  The decline was measured in sales of hunting licenses. The sale of hunting licenses is usually the main funding for state agencies that manage wildlife and many public lands.  According to <a href="https://www.npr.org/">NPR</a>, licenses and taxes on hunting and fishing equipment provide about 60 percent of funding for state wildlife agencies.  Hunters require land to hunt on that is also used by birders, hikers, mountain bikers, climbers and campers. 

Along with the continued decline in hunting outlined in the 2016 <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service</a> report is an increase in fishing and wildlife viewing.  40 percent of Americans participated in some form of wildlife viewing in 2016.  There were 35.8 million anglers fishing in the US in 2016, with an increase of 8 percent from 2011 to 2016.  There were only 11.5 million hunters cited in the report but an amazing 86.0 million wildlife viewers. 

Beyond wildlife recreation, there are plenty of other nature related, outdoor activities.  Rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, casual hiking or even back packing aren’t necessarily wildlife related activities.  The numbers also don’t include people collecting wild mushrooms or flowers. 

Hunters are quick to point out their importance, especially how hunting revenue has paid for restoration of wildlife.  The other side of the story of course is that hunting decimated wildlife to begin with. Another complicating detail is that often hunters and advocate groups flex political muscle, making wildlife management what they want it to be.  Big Horn sheep were reintroduced into the Santa Catalina mountains north of Tucson, but when mountain lions preyed on the sheep, they were killed by Arizona Game and Fish. There are other places were sheep were introduced to places with little to no historical evidence of their previous existence.  Mountain Lions were again killed to protect populations of bighorns introduced largely because of hunter advocacy. Moose were introduced near my hometown of Grand Junction Colorado in a place they’d never lived before largely to satisfy the desire of locals to hunt moose. Of course, the idea is also to bring in outsiders and their money in moose hunts.  The overall effect is that when it comes to decisions over wildlife, hunters have a disproportionate sway on policy.

Ring Neck Pheasants are native to Asia but exist all over the United States due largely to the desire of hunters to kill them. According to the New York Times piece, a spending cut of $1 million on Pheasant repopulation was noted for the state of Pennsylvania.  It’s hard to imagine how a cut in money used to repopulate a non-native bird population will negatively hurt anyone besides hunters and the pheasant numbers.  

<a href="https://www.statista.com/">Statistica.com</a> shows an increase in Americans surveyed who said they went hiking or backpacking in the last 12 months.  In the spring of 2008, 29.23 million people said they went hiking, that number grew to 47.2 million people in 2017.  

A study done by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in August 2014 showed that there is a statistically significant difference in attitudes between hunters and non-hunters on wolves.  Non-hunters had a significantly better view of wolves than hunters. In my experience, this difference in views also extends to mountain lions, deer and coyotes. 

As hunting declines in popularity, it seems that state wildlife management will become less necessary, or at the very least, it’s goals should change. With less pheasant hunters, there should be less spent on pheasant introduction (if it should ever have been spent to begin with).  With less deer hunters, wolves become more important to maintain deer in reasonable numbers, and if the Wisconsin survey is to be believed, attitudes may be more positive towards wolves. 

Hunting arguably does play an important role in environmentalism.  Hunters were some of the first and strongest advocates for wildlife and land conservation, but they also kept land as they wanted it, not necessarily as it was.  Hunting is also one of the few direct ways to interact with a landscape, to be part of a wild ecology.  Perhaps hunting should remain for those who want to participate, but that doesn’t mean they should set up the environment to favor them.  Hunting, if it remains, should be a matter of participating in a wilder environment and sharing it with birders, hikers, climbers and anglers.         

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The decline of hunting for sport

Living my whole life in Wyoming, western Colorado, South Dakota...

A British supermarket chain is the first in the UK to ban palm oil use in its products. Iceland Foods will replace palm oil in 130 food products with more environmentally safe oils and fats such as sunflower oil.

The company announced that, by the end of 2018, 100 percent of its own products will contain no palm oil. Iceland said that these efforts will reduce the demand for palm oil by more than 500 tons per year.

The retailer is taking a stand against palm oil in an effort to help stop deforestation and save endangered species.

On its <a href="http://www.iceland.co.uk/environment">website</a>, the company stated:

“The orangutan population has more than halved in the last 15 years and is now critically endangered with only 70,000 to 100,000 individuals remaining.”

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/palm-oil-increased-temperatures/">Palm oil</a> is estimated to be used in around half of all supermarket products, including everything from donuts and bread to cosmetics and laundry detergent.

As the worldwide demand for palm oil continues to rise, invaluable tropical rainforests are being cleared for its production. 

Iceland Foods managing director Richard Walker explained to the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> there is “no such thing” as sustainable palm oil.

“Certified sustainable palm oil does not currently limit deforestation and it does not currently limit the growth of palm oil plantations,” said Walker. “So until such a time as there is genuinely sustainable palm oil that contains zero deforestation, we are saying no to palm oil.”

Mr. Walker also told the BBC that making products with alternative ingredients will cost more, but that the added expense will not be passed along to customers. 

“There will be an extra cost but we think it's the right thing to do.”

The palm oil industry is not only linked to the issue of deforestation, but also to climate change, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, indigenous rights abuse, and animal cruelty. In addition, the development of palm oil plantations is associated with air, water, and soil pollution.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Major UK retailer takes a stand against palm oil

A British supermarket chain is the first in the UK...

Cars at Rush Hour Driving Through Thick Smog

According to the largest-ever <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-traffic-air-pollution-asthma/">air pollution</a> study of its kind, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with the development of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in young children. The link was found even when the elevation of PM2.5 was very short-lived.

The unprecedented investigation was focused on more than 100,000 patients. Dr. Benjamin Horne is the Director of Cardiovascular and Genetic Epidemiology at the <a href="https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/intermountain-medical-center/">Intermountain Medical Center</a> Heart Institute and the study's lead author.

“The most important finding of this study is that infectious processes of respiratory disease may be influenced by particulate matter pollution at various levels,” said Dr. Horne. “The exact biological implications of the study's findings require further investigation.”

The analysis included 146,397 individuals who were treated for ALRI between 1999 and 2016 at Intermountain Healthcare facilities across the Wasatch Front area of Utah.

Data from monitoring stations and also from secondary locations was used to estimate levels of PM2.5 in the Wasatch Front region, which is home to nearly 80 percent of the state’s population. The short-term incidents of PM2.5 elevation were compared with increases in healthcare visits for ALRI.


The researchers primarily wanted to establish if there was an association between PM 2.5 and ALRI in very young children, but they also looked for this connection in older children, adolescents, and adults. The link was found in both children and adults, while newborns and toddlers under the age of two accounted for 77 percent of the ALRI patients.


“The practical implications for prevention of ALRI and amelioration of symptoms include that when an acute increase in the level of PM2.5 occurs, people may be able to prevent infections or decrease ALRI symptom severity or duration by reducing their exposure to the air pollution,” said Dr. Horne. 

“Furthermore, a substantial elevation in PM2.5 may also serve as a nudge that reminds or alerts people to avoid areas and activities where other people may share an infection with them, to not touch their face with dirty hands, to be vigilant about washing their hands when reasonably possible or prudent, and to engage in other preventive behaviors that are known to reduce infection risk.”

This study is published in the <a href="https://www.atsjournals.org/journal/ajrccm">American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</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: Intermountain Medical Center

Brief air pollution exposure gives kids respiratory infections

According to the largest-ever air pollution study of its kind,...

With the rising trend of standing desks, more and more people are realizing the negative impact that sitting all day can have on their health.

Even though studies on the actual health benefits of standing desks themselves <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-truth-behind-standing-desks-2016092310264">are few and far between</a>, it’s assumed that standing is a healthier alternative with long-lasting results. 

Getting up and walking periodically throughout the day, stretching, and exercising during your lunch break are all suggestions meant to offset the harmful risks of sitting for extended periods. 

While the studies on standing desks are limited, there has been extensive research examining how sitting affects your health. Sitting for long periods of time is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and premature death. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.ucla.edu/">University of California-Los Angeles</a> set out to see how sitting influenced the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/older-adults-brain-cells/">brain</a> and cognitive functioning. 

The results, published in the journal PLOS ONE, show that sitting may contribute to thinning in the brain. 

For the study, the researchers asked 35 people ages 35 to 75 about physical activity levels and the average number of hours per day spent sitting over the previous week. 

The participants also underwent MRI scans which allowed the researchers to closely examine changes in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), a region of the brain that is crucial for forming new memories. 

After analyzing the brain scans, the researchers found that sitting and sedentary behavior has a major impact on thinning of the MTL. What’s worse, even physical activity does not combat these harmful effects. 

Thinning of the MTL is an indicator of cognitive decline and even dementia in older adults, and the results could help create preventive strategies for reducing sedentary behavior. 

The researchers are careful to state that sitting does not directly cause thinning in the brain, only that sedentary behavior and extended periods of sitting is linked to thinning of the MLT. 

Next, the researchers plan to conduct a longer study on the effects of sitting to see what role gender, race, and weight might have when it comes it brain health. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sitting for extended periods could increase the risk of dementia

With the rising trend of standing desks, more and more...

Researchers are reporting that the 100th meridian west, the longitude that forms an invisible boundary between the humid eastern United States and the arid western plains, is gradually shifting eastward due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/political-split-climate-change/">climate change.</a>

According to two recent studies, the dry climate of the West is expanding into the Midwest and will impact the future of farming and other pursuits. The experts have also established that this divide across North America is actually very real, with distinctive populations and agriculture on each side.

American geologist and explorer John Wesley Powell identified the 100th meridian in 1878. While the location of this longitudinal line is exact, the boundary that it represents is much more gradual.

In 1890, Powell wrote: “Passing from east to west across this belt a wonderful transformation is observed. On the east a luxuriant growth of grass is seen, and the gaudy flowers of the order Compositae make the prairie landscape beautiful.”

“Passing westward, species after species of luxuriant grass and brilliant flowering plants disappear; the ground gradually becomes naked, with bunch grasses her and there; now and then a thorny cactus is seen, and the yucca plant thrusts out its sharp bayonets.” 

Richard Seager is a climate scientist at Columbia University's <a href="http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/">Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory</a> and the lead author of both studies.

“Powell talked eloquently about the 100th meridian, and this concept of a boundary line has stayed with us down to the current day,” said Seager. “We wanted to ask whether there really is such a divide, and whether it's influenced human settlement." 

Global-scale wind patterns cause rainfall to sharply decline to the west of the divide, while rainfall significantly increases east of the line. Powell explained that the drier conditions of the western plains are primarily due to the proximity of the Rocky Mountains, which block the majority of the moisture coming in from the Pacific Ocean.

Seager's team has now identified two other contributing factors to the arid climate in the West. In the wintertime, Atlantic storms transfer an abundance of moisture into the eastern plains and into the Southeast, but this moisture does not travel far enough to reach the western plains. In addition, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico moves northward in the summer but then moves eastward.

According to the researchers, global warming appears to be shifting the 100th meridian west to the east. While rainfall has not changed much in the northern plains, temperatures are rising and increasing the evaporation process. Meanwhile, less rain is falling further south.

Data collected since 1980 indicates that the statistical divide between the humid and arid areas of the continent has now shifted closer to the 98th meridian, which is 140 miles east of the 100th meridian. 

Seager acknowledged that there are year-to-year variations, but he said that aridity will likely continue to move eastward over the course of this century and ultimately lead to large-scale changes. 

Farms in the East will have to consolidate, and farmers will need to find more suitable crops for the drier climate. Large regions of cropland will fail, and water shortages could become an issue for urban areas.

The studies are both published in the journal <a href="http://www.earthinteractions.org/">Earth Interactions</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: Modified from Seager et al. Earth Interactions, 2018

Global warming may be shifting U.S. climate boundaries

Researchers are reporting that the 100th meridian west, the longitude...

According to a new study, people who tend to stay up late have a 10 percent higher risk of dying sooner than people who naturally go to bed early, who are referred to as “larks.” 

The analysis involved nearly half a million participants from the UK Biobank Study. The researchers found that 50,000 of these individuals who were classified as night owls were more likely to die younger than those who were not.

Study co-lead author Kristen Knutson is an associate professor of Neurology at <a href="http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine</a>.

“Night owls trying to live in a morning lark world may have health consequences for their bodies,” said Knutson.

While previous research has been focused on the higher rates of metabolic dysfunction and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/football-players-cardiovascular-problems/">cardiovascular disease</a> found in people who go to sleep in later hours, this study is the first to examine mortality risk.

“This is a public health issue that can no longer be ignored,” said study co-author Malcolm von Schantz.

“We should discuss allowing evening types to start and finish work later, where practical. And we need more research about how we can help evening types cope with the higher effort of keeping their body clock in synchrony with sun time.”

Professor Knutson explained some of the possible underlying causes of the link between night owls and premature death.

“It could be that people who are up late have an internal biological clock that doesn't match their external environment,” said Knutson. 

“It could be psychological stress, eating at the wrong time for their body, not exercising enough, not sleeping enough, being awake at night by yourself, maybe drug or alcohol use. There are a whole variety of unhealthy behaviors related to being up late in the dark by yourself.”

It is also harder for late-night individuals to adjust to daylight savings time.

“There are already reports of higher incidence of heart attacks following the switch to summer time,” says von Schantz. “And we have to remember that even a small additional risk is multiplied by more than 1.3 billion people who experience this shift every year. I think we need to seriously consider whether the suggested benefits outweigh these risks.”

Researchers have previously reported that genetics and environment play essentially equal roles in whether people are night owls or early birds.

“You're not doomed,” said Professor Knutson. “Part of it you don't have any control over and part of it you might.”

She explained that there are ways that people can transition away from staying up late, such as adopting a more regimented sleep schedule. Professor Knutson also recommended getting exposure to light early in the morning, but not at nighttime.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/icbi20">Chronobiology International</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Being a night owl increases your risk of premature death

According to a new study, people who tend to stay...

A man-made oyster reef near Coffee Island in Mobile Bay, Alabama, a site of oyster reef restoration led by The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy’s Gulf of Mexico Program is a partnership among our five Gulf State Chapters to accomplish conserva

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/map-impact-climate-change/">climate change</a> increases the risk of flooding along the Gulf Coast of the United States, researchers have found that oyster reef and marsh restoration projects could cost effectively reduce this risk. The study revealed that these solutions could save over $50 billion in flood damages across the region.

Oyster reefs, coastal wetlands, barrier islands, and beach dunes provide coastal protection by weakening wave energy, trapping sediments, and reducing the force of storm surge.

The experts analyzed the cost effectiveness of nature-based and artificial solutions for flood reduction across the Gulf of Mexico. They established wetland and reef restoration could generate benefit-to-cost ratios greater than seven to one. In other words, the projects would produce more than $7 in flood-reduction benefits for every $1 spent on restoration.

Some of the other artificial solutions investigated, such home elevation or levees, have benefit-to-cost ratios near or below one-to-one. While these types of solutions can be very beneficial, they are expensive to implement.

The researchers estimated the flood risks to both people and property for the entire Gulf Coast under current and future climate scenarios and economic growth projections. They determined that future flood risks from coastal hazards will increase, and that coastal development is a major driver of risk along the Gulf of Mexico. As more people and property are exposed to coastal hazards, the flood risk grows.

The research team also found that events causing $100 billion dollars in damage could become three times as frequent in the coming decades.

Study lead author Michael Beck is a research professor at <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California Santa Cruz</a> and the lead marine scientist at the Nature Conservancy.

“We show that nature-based measures for flood reduction can be considered right alongside artificial or gray measures such as seawalls in industry-based benefit-cost models,” said Beck. “This removes a major impediment for engineers, insurers, and risk management agencies for building coastal resilience more naturally.”

According to the study, nature-based solutions alone could help prevent more than 45 percent of the climate risk over the course of twenty years with a savings of over $50 billion in flood damages.

The research team has developed software  that includes interactive maps showing the cost effectiveness of nature-based solutions under future climate and development scenarios. The open-source software is available at <a href="http://coastalresilience.org/">coastalresilience.org</a>.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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: The Nature Conservancy

Gulf coast restoration could avert $50 billion in flood damages

As climate change increases the risk of flooding along the...

The idea of ‘Clean Meat’ is simple.  Instead of raising a cow and taking a life for meat, you grow it in a lab.  Lab grown meat is said to be humane, as strings of muscle (and in the future, fat) tissue cultured without a nervous system have no way to suffer, so it’s even questionable whether the tissue is alive in any real sense.

<a href="http://www.hsi.org/">Humane Society International</a> and <a href="http://www.ccmb.res.in/">Centre for Cellular &amp; Molecular Biology</a> are pushing quick development of lab cultured meat on an industrial level.  Already in 2013, a burger was made from cultured meat and sold for $330,000, reports <a href="https://gizmodo.com/">Gizmodo</a>.  The burger being made of cultured muscle fibers without fat was said to be palatable but not delicious.  Researchers are working on developing lab cultured fat to increase the flavor of clean meat. 

<a href="http://vegnews.com/">Vegnews.com</a> reports that cultured meat is set to hit stores in India by 2025.  According to the <a href="http://www.fao.org/about/en/">Food and Agriculture Organization</a> of the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a>, 42 percent of households in India report as being vegetarian.  In the context of the FAO survey, vegetarian means that the households didn’t consume any type of meat or eggs, a higher standard than most U.S. vegetarians.

In <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/india-cannon-air-pollution/">India</a>, vegetarianism is often connected to religious or spiritual ideals, including the ideal of treating other animals with compassion.  It would make sense that meat cultured without any taint of animal mistreatment or even death may go over well in India.

It seems that cultured meat may also make more sense for environmentalists.  Still in its early stages, it’s hard to estimate the environmental impact of large scale industrial production of cultured meat.  Initial studies seem to indicate that lab cultured meat will likely have less impact than traditional meat. 

A study quoted on <a href="https://gizmodo.com/">Gizmodo</a> calculated that 1000 kg cultured meat will produce 1900 to 2240 Kg of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.  Another study from <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/">Science Direct</a> calculates one ton of packaged chicken meat (~907 Kg) creates 2931.91 Kg of CO2 equivalent.  The study also shows that the main source of greenhouse gas emissions in chicken production come from production and transportation of chicken food and on farm emissions.  In fact, transportation alone is 13 percent of energy consumption in chicken meat production, a cost that will remain with cultured meat. 

Several businesses are already clambering to develop their own version of cruelty free, lab cultured meat.  It seems likely that when processes of production are patented, cultured meat will be expensive, especially initially.  The first $330,000 cultured burger is a good indication of the startup cost. 

A report in the Journal of Hunger &amp; Environmental Nutrition reports that vegetarians save an average of $750 per year on groceries compared to meat eaters.  This statistic is no surprise to me as a vegetarian myself for years. One must wonder who is set to benefit from the introduction of cultured meat to India, a country with a long history of widespread vegetarianism as well as widespread poverty. 

I am suspicious of a solution that seems to allow you to have your cow and eat your burger too.  The difference between a cultured burger and simply being vegetarian seems to me the difference between riding a cable car up and down the Grand Canyon and hiking it yourself.  The solution to the environmental, health and financial cost of meat is already there: going vegetarian. Letting people get away with less willpower doesn’t seem like a good place to start in an endeavor.  In my opinion, cultured meat is a cheap trick and one that in the long run will cost us in ways it’s hard to fathom now. 

Introducing a guilt free way of consuming meat to India is likely to have health implications.  It may also squelch the growth of more vegetarian options in the U.S. and elsewhere, from more wholly vegetarian restaurants to veggie burgers now found in Burger King.

According to <a href="https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/">HealthKnowledge UK</a>, dramatic increases in prevalence of type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease has been shown in South East Asians in other parts of the world, such as the UK, as opposed to their home countries.  The point is that people from places like India eat like people from the UK (or the US), they get sicker. More Indians eating meat, cultured or not, seems likely to benefit tech food companies more than Indians themselves.  

When it comes to health and a healthy world, we should ask ourselves: are we willing to pay the cost or are we going to try to use technology to barter for a lower price tag?        

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By <a href="mailto: zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Clean meat: Can you have your cow and eat your burger, too?

The idea of ‘Clean Meat’ is simple.  Instead of raising...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a> are reporting that urban areas throughout the Florida peninsula are experiencing shorter yet increasingly intense wet seasons compared to rural areas.

The study is shedding new light on how seasonal climate conditions are being impacted by land development.

The researchers mapped the correlation between the length of the wet season and land development using a system that measured urban land cover on a scale of one to four.

“What we found is a trend of decreasing wet-season length in Florida's urban areas compared to its rural areas,” said lead author Vasu Misra.

The investigation revealed that land cover changes in the past four to six decades has led to a shorter wet season by 3.5 hours per year in most of the urban areas examined in the study. On the other hand, seasonal rainfall accumulation patterns did not significantly change in these regions during the same time frame.

“In other words, the urban areas experience the same amount of rainfall as the rural areas but in a shorter amount of time,” said Misra. “Therefore, the hourly rain rate is stronger in urban regions. This suggests that urban areas are receiving the rainfall in shorter, more intense bursts - particularly during the summer months.”

The findings of this study are consistent with a growing collection of research which has found that rapid urbanization can directly affect local weather systems. 

“The strong relationship between land cover and these trends in rainfall seems to suggest that land cover has everything to do with changing wet seasons,” said Misra. “I think this has some very strong implications for urban planning in Florida as well as for Florida's hydroclimate.”


The exact cause of more intense and shorter wet seasons in urban areas has not yet been established.

“We have theories, but whether those theories are actually representative of what's happening in nature has not been investigated intensively in the context of what we are observing in Florida. We don't have enough data available at our disposal,” explained Misra.

Regardless, the research suggests that the trend will continue as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flamingos-comeback-florida/">Florida's</a> metropolitan areas continue to grow.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/npjclimatsci">npj Climate and Atmospheric Science</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Urban development has caused more intense wet seasons in Florida

Researchers at Florida State University are reporting that urban areas...

Wildfire smoke is extra dangerous for seniors. The <a href="http://heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> is warning that smoke from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smoke-toxic-gases-wildfires/">wildfires</a> has been linked to heart and stroke-related issues, particularly in older adults. While it has been previously established that wildfire smoke worsens respiratory conditions, its effect on other aspects of health has been unclear.

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">University of California San Francisco</a>, the California Department of Public Health, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency collaborated for one of the largest studies on the health impacts of wildfires in California to date.

The experts analyzed over one million emergency room visits in northern and central California during intense wildfires in the summer of 2015. They investigated the relative risk of visits for complications of the heart, brain, and blood vessels on days with light, medium, or dense smoke and compared this data to days with no wildfire smoke.

The study revealed that smoke exposure is linked to increased rates of emergency room visits for respiratory problems, ischemic heart disease, irregular heart rhythm, heart failure, pulmonary embolism, and stroke. 

Adults aged 65 and older were found to be the most at risk. Within 24 hours of dense wildfire smoke, rates of emergency room visits among senior adults increased by 42 percent for heart attacks and by 22 percent for ischemic heart disease.

Furthermore, emergency room visits for all cardiovascular and cerebrovascular causes were found to be elevated across days with any level of smoke exposure. As expected, the number of patients with respiratory conditions also increased.

Study co-author Wayne E. Cascio believes that the research “will have a significant impact on how clinicians and public health officials view future wildfire events and the smoke that's generated from them.”

First author Zachary S. Wettstein pointed out that, as wildfires are expected to become more intense and frequent in North America, more research is needed to understand the wide range of health impacts from smoke exposure. 


“We need to study effective interventions that might decrease exposure to smoke and the associated health impacts,” said Wettstein. “These findings urge us to study these impacts over longer periods of time and within susceptible populations.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://jaha.ahajournals.org/">Journal of the American Heart Association</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wildfire smoke is extra dangerous for seniors

Wildfire smoke is extra dangerous for seniors. The American Heart...

Apple announced this week that the company has achieved its goal of using 100 percent renewable energy for all global facilities. Now that the organization has reached this ambitious target, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/apple-rated-eco-friendly/">Apple</a> product suppliers are being encouraged to transition to clean power as well.

“We’re committed to leaving the world better than we found it,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

“After years of hard work we’re proud to have reached this significant milestone. We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it.”

Apple sells tens of millions of electronic devices every year, and the corporation previously reported that 77 percent of its carbon emissions are generated from the manufacturing of these products.

For this reason, Apple launched a green energy plan in 2015 with a goal of converting all energy usage in China to clean power. The corporation has now exceeded this target by using renewable energy in its facilities worldwide after launching wind and solar projects across parts of China, Japan, and the United States. Most recently, 25 new projects have added up to 625 megawatts of generation capacity.

Lisa Jackson is Apple's Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. She explained in an interview that the renewable energy projects are not costing the company any more than they would have already been spending.

“We're seeing the benefits of an increasingly competitive clean energy market,” said Jackson.

Back in 2015, the company developed the Clean Energy Portal, which offers regional guidance and tools to help suppliers transition to clean power sources. So far, 23 of Apple's suppliers have committed to making the switch.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Apple is now 100 percent powered by clean energy

Apple announced this week that the company has achieved its...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[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

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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;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[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"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...