Our everyday food choices are often guided by taste, tradition, and convenience. However, beneath these choices lie hidden risks that many tend to ignore. There is growing evidence suggesting that even tiny amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks, and trans fats carry health risks. 



A team of researchers analyzed over 60 previous studies. They looked at how processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fats impact risks of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and ischemic heart disease.



“Habitual consumption of even small amounts of processed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sunflower-protein-could-change-the-future-of-sustainable-meat/">meat</a>, sugary drinks, and trans fatty acids is linked to increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and colorectal cancer,” said Dr. Demewoz Haile, the study’s lead author from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Washington</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-risks-behind-daily-choices">Risks behind daily choices</h2>



The analysis revealed alarming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-consumption-drove-an-evolutionary-leap-in-early-humans/">trends</a>. Eating just one hot dog a day increased type 2 diabetes risk by 11 percent. It also raised the risk of colorectal cancer by 7 percent. 



Consuming a daily 12-ounce soda raised type 2 diabetes risk by 8 percent and ischemic heart disease by 2 percent.



“This current research has shown, yet again and consistent with prior research, that to achieve health gains it is best to avoid or minimize the habitual consumption of each of processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFAs),” said Dr. Nita Forouhi of the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cambridge</a>.



According to Dr. Forouhi, there is no such thing as a “safe amount” of processed meat consumption.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strong-and-consistent-health-risks">Strong and consistent health risks</h2>



The risks associated with eating processed meats may appear small. However, Dr. Mingyang Song from <a href="https://hsph.harvard.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> explained why they are concerning.



“When we look at the actual data there, it’s really remarkably consistent and remarkably strong, and even in the lower dose of consumption, we can still see an increased risk of disease,” he said.



The study used a burden-of-proof method. This approach weighs evidence from several studies and considers their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-protein-boosts-survival-but-plants-boost-longevity/">quality</a>. Though conservative, the method strengthens the results.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-processed-meat-risk-remains">Processed meat risk remains</h2>



The study has limitations. For example, the research does not prove direct cause and effect. Dr. Gunter Kuhnle from the <a href="https://www.reading.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Reading</a> pointed out that participants had to recall their diets, which can lead to mistakes.



“Utilizing even ‘the most sophisticated techniques does not really solve the problem that the information about diet is rather limited - which is obviously a big problem in nutritional epidemiology in general,” said Dr. Kuhnle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-these-foods-are-harmful">Why these foods are harmful</h2>



Certain foods contribute to inflammation, which plays a role in chronic diseases. Processed meats often contain nitrites. These compounds convert into cancer-causing nitrosamines inside the stomach. 



Sugary drinks pose other dangers. They deliver large sugar doses rapidly, leading to weight gain and metabolic problems.



Trans fats worsen cholesterol levels. They lower good cholesterol and raise bad cholesterol, leading to heart disease risks.



Unhealthy diets often accompany other risky behaviors, such as smoking or low physical activity. Social issues like low income or limited healthcare access also raise disease risks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cutting-processed-meat-keeping-balance">Cutting processed meat, keeping balance</h2>



Though reducing these foods is strongly advisable, moderation is key. Song suggested that cutting back on such items makes sense. Kuhnle agreed and advised maintaining a balanced diet.



That includes reducing sugary drinks, processed meats, and hydrogenated fats, even if trans fats are now less common. “The goal shouldn’t be perfection but rather a healthy and sensible dietary pattern that allows room for enjoyment,” said Dr. Kuhnle.



Good nutrition means not only cutting out unhealthy foods but also eating foods that help your body. Adding fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other healthy options keeps you strong and well.



“Wider research has shown us that overall dietary patterns that include higher consumption of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and fermented dairy products like yogurt are good for health and longevity,” said Dr. Forouhi.



Dr. Kuhnle offered a final reminder. “My general advice: don’t panic,” he said. “Food is not just (a) source of nutrients - it plays a central role in culture, pleasure, family life, and social connection. Reducing it solely to a list of health risks misses the bigger picture.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03775-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Processed meat can cause health issues, even in tiny amounts

Our everyday food choices are often guided by taste, tradition, and convenience. However, beneath these choices lie hidden risks that many tend to ignore. There is growing evidence suggesting that even tiny amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks, and trans fats carry health risks. A team of researchers analyzed over 60 previous studies. They looked at how processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fats impact risks of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and ischemic heart disease. “Habitual consumption of even small amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks,...

Alcohol is used around the world in many forms and in countless cultures. Whether it’s in beer, wine, or spirits – many people enjoy the taste and its added bonus of being a social lubricant. But it comes as no surprise that many people abuse <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/binge-drinking-alcohol-sleep/">alcohol</a>, and thus are faced with numerous medical issues that can negatively impact their lives and the lives of those around them. However, one party that does not face any negative consequences from alcohol abuse is the industry itself.

A new study from the Alcohol Research Group at the <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/">University of Sheffield</a> in England has found that more than two-thirds of alcohol industry revenue in England comes from consumers drinking at risky levels.

Drinkers that consume more than the government’s low-risk guideline of 14 units per week make up 25 percent of the population, but are responsible for 68 percent of industry revenue. Furthermore, four percent of the population drinking at “harmful” levels account for nearly a quarter of the total value of all alcohol sold.

“Our analysis shows that if everyone in England drank within the guidelines, the average price of a pint in a pub would have to rise by £2.64 and a bottle of wine in the supermarket by £4.36, in order to maintain current levels of revenue for the alcohol industry,” explains Colin Angus, a research fellow in the Alcohol Research Group. “The size of these increases cast serious doubt on the industry’s claims that it supports moderate drinking.”

Clearly, these findings depict a major conflict of interest for the alcohol industry’s involvement in improving government alcohol policies to protect the public. 

“Alcohol causes 24,000 deaths and over 1.1 million hospital admissions each year in England, at a cost of £3.5 billion to the NHS,” says Aveek Bhattacharya, a policy analyst at the Institute of Alcohol Studies and lead author of the paper. “Yet policies to address this harm, like minimum unit pricing and raising alcohol duty, have been resisted at every turn by the alcohol industry. Our analysis suggests this may be because many drinks companies realize that a significant reduction in harmful drinking would be financially ruinous.”

Bhattacharya suggests that the government should realize that the alcohol industry has much to lose from stricter alcohol policies, and be wary of the industry’s attempts to halt any strengthening of these policies through lobbying and offers of a partnership. “Protecting alcohol industry profits should not be the objective of public policy – previous research has shown that reducing alcohol consumption would not only save lives and benefit the exchequer, but could also boost the economy and create jobs,” he concludes.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Heavy drinkers account for over two-thirds of alcohol sales

Alcohol is used around the world in many forms and...

The largest monumental cemetery ever discovered in eastern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-humans-africa/">Africa</a> has now been uncovered by an international research team. The Lothagam North Pillar Site near Lake Turkana in modern-day Kenya was a communal site that was built around 5,000 years ago.

The remains of at least 580 men, women, and children suggest that they were engaged in an egalitarian society without a social hierarchy.

The development of such a massive public project by “mobile pastoralists” contradicts the idea that a complex social structure was required for the construction of large public monuments.

The research team, which included researchers from <a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/">Stony Brook University</a> and the <a href="https://www.shh.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History</a>, determined that the cemetery was used for several centuries between 5,000 and 4,300 years ago. 

A platform that was about 98 feet in diameter was built over a large, excavated hole where the bodies were buried. The cavity was filled and capped with stones, followed by megalith pillars. 

According to the researchers, all of the individuals that were buried - from infants to the elderly - were placed in the same area. The distribution of personal ornaments was also evenly distributed, suggesting that everyone in this particular society was considered to be equal.

“This discovery challenges earlier ideas about monumentality,” said study co-author Elizabeth Sawchuk. “Absent other evidence, Lothagam North provides an example of monumentality that is not demonstrably linked to the emergence of hierarchy, forcing us to consider other narratives of social change.”

Ancient monuments have long been considered to be indicators of complex societies with distinct social classes. In this case, however, the cemetery shows no evidence of a rigid social hierarchy. 

“The monuments may have served as a place for people to congregate, renew social ties, and reinforce community identity,” said study co-author Anneke Janzen. “Information exchange and interaction through shared ritual may have helped mobile herders navigate a rapidly changing physical landscape.” 

“The Lothagam North Pillar Site is the earliest known monumental site in eastern Africa, built by the region's first herders,” said study leader Elisabeth Hildebrand. “This finding makes us reconsider how we define social complexity, and the kinds of motives that lead groups of people to create public architecture.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: PNAS

Ancient graveyard reveals social structure from 5,000 years ago

The largest monumental cemetery ever discovered in eastern Africa has...

A team of researchers at <a href="https://www.uu.se/en">Uppsala University</a> has recognized a link between the average distance of humans to rivers and the occurrence of catastrophic flood events. The team used satellite nighttime light data to examine how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-tsunami-flooding/">flood</a> protection affects human proximity to rivers.

Flooding is one of the costliest and deadliest natural hazards, and the intensity of floods has increased dramatically across some regions of the world. Between 1980 and 2014, economic losses from flooding exceeded $1 trillion USD and claimed more than 226,000 lives.

The rising trend of global flood losses has been primarily attributed to growing populations in flood-prone areas, which increase the number of people that are exposed to flooding events.

To understand changes in flood risk, experts must determine how humans adapt and respond to flood events. For example, communities cope with floods by upgrading the infrastructure built for flood protection, implementing building codes and early warning systems, or by moving away from flood-prone areas.


The investigation was focused on the occurrence of catastrophic flood events in 16 countries with different hydroclimatic and socioeconomic contexts as well as different levels of structural flood protection. 

The research team found that flood fatalities and economic losses are both positively correlated with changes in human proximity to rivers across individual countries. When flood protection was in place, however, the tendency to relocate was reduced.

“We found that societies with low protection levels tend to resettle further away from the river after catastrophic flood events, and that the decrease in human settlements close to the river may have contributed to reduced exposure to future flood events,” said study co-author Johanna Mård. “Conversely, societies with high protection levels show no significant changes in human proximity to rivers.”

Regions with high protection levels rely heavily on structural measures, reinforcing flood protection and quickly resettling in the same flood-prone areas after a flooding event. While frequent flooding is not as much of a threat in these areas, individuals who live here remain at risk of catastrophic flooding events.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Catastrophic flood events often reconfigure human settlement

A team of researchers at Uppsala University has recognized a...

The Imperial Woodpecker and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, which were the once largest woodpeckers in North America, most likely became extinct at some point during the twentieth century. Researchers have now investigated the fate of their surviving cousin, the Pileated Woodpecker, in suburban areas of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seattle-bans-plastic-straws/">Seattle</a>.

The study revealed that the woodpeckers can coexist with developed land as long as the tree cover remains above a certain threshold.

Researchers Jorge Tomasevic and John Marzluf monitored 16 Pileated Woodpeckers at 9 sites with varying degrees of urbanization across Seattle. After tracking each bird for about a year using radio tags, the experts found that Pileated Woodpeckers are very resourceful, using forested areas such as parks as well as moderately urbanized areas where some trees had been retained. They also took advantage of backyard bird feeders.

Desiree Narango is an expert on avian urban ecology at the <a href="https://www.udel.edu/">University of Delaware</a>.

“As suburban sprawl becomes more and more ubiquitous, it's imperative that we consider which specific yard features can be promoted to share our neighborhoods with wildlife,” said Narango. “This paper is a nice example showing that even a mature forest specialist can use and navigate the suburban landscape if we provide the resources they need: large trees and some retained wooded areas.”


According to the research, Pileated Woodpeckers and other species that are associated with them can be sustained by preserving at least 20 percent of the forest cover in large suburban areas. This includes dead trees that are still standing.

“You'd think that such large bird would be easy to find, especially when carrying a transmitter, but they did a very good job hiding,” explained Tomasevic. “It was also very challenging to work in populated areas. I have so many anecdotes, good and bad, about dealing with people and people dealing with me doing my work.” 

“Some people were very friendly, but some were a little nervous with me walking around the neighborhood. I tried to look as official as possible, with University of Washington logos on my jacket, and I created a website for the project and printed some business cards. It was a great opportunity to do outreach, and I'm still friends with some of the neighborhood residents.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/loi/cond">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: J. Tomasevic

Urban development and woodpeckers coexist in Seattle

The Imperial Woodpecker and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, which were the...

With <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/medical-marijuana-stress-depression/">marijuana</a> being legalized across the country and world, the demand for it has rapidly grown and as the economic principle goes, so has the supply. New marijuana farms have been popping up to meet the needs of this new demand, but what effect will more legal growing practices have on the environment? 

There are a few key factors to be aware of when trying to dissect the potential impact of this newly legal crop. First off, it has proven difficult for researchers to accurately measure how exactly legalization is changing marijuana’s footprint on the environment since many farming practices that have existed in the past have primarily been underground and illegal, outside of the handful of farmers who were permitted to provide medical marijuana. But researchers from <a href="https://www.unc.edu/">University of North Carolina</a> at Chapel Hill and <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a> in the U.K. have called upon federal bodies to begin doing just that. 

One thing that researchers do know though is that illegal operations were worse for the environment since they did not need to comply with any environmental standards. This led to some externalities of growing the crop that may not otherwise occur with legal farming practices. The intensive taxing of local streams and creeks to meet water needs of the thirsty crop is one such occurrence. 

It’s estimated that in California alone, illegal grow sites have been depleting over a billion gallons of water away from sources reserved for human consumption in cities like San Francisco and Sacramento. Marijuana plants require more water than most crops used in agriculture, and <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/Documents/CEBP/WorkingDocument_CEBP_08162016.pdf">a report from Oregon discovered</a> that a mature plant needs at least 23 liters of water a day, whereas a grape plant used in winemaking only needs about 13 liters. 

Another <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0120016">report out of California</a> confirmed that clandestine operations were responsible for the drying up of several creeks in four different northern California watersheds. Reports from <a href="http://www.iercecology.org/">Integral Ecology Research Center</a> also show evidence of water sources that continue to flow are at high risk of being contaminated by unmonitored insecticides and rodenticides which are used to protect the secret crops from pests. The impacts can be devastating to local wildlife as the poisons move up the food chain. It will be important to see how and when legalization will affect the production of illegal marijuana and its damaging impact to the local ecosystems.

Researchers hope illegal sites will be replaced with legal practices that have to meet environmental standards. However, the legal farming of marijuana also comes with its own plethora of environmental problems. 

For example, prime growing season in California is only May through September. Since farmers want to grow the entire year under optimal conditions to make sure their yield is as profitable as possible, many are turning to indoor cultivation. Between the many high-intensity light bulbs, dehumidifiers, air-conditioners, and ventilation, it is an extremely electricity intensive practice. 

In a 2012 study conducted by researcher Evan Mills published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy-policy">Energy Policy</a> (far before legalization), it was reported that 3% of California’s electricity usage was for these indoor farms. Unless states require the use of clean energy for farmers, like in Oregon and Colorado, tons of carbon dioxide could be produced from this energy consumption. In Boulder, CO growers must offset 100% of their fuel footprint by using only renewable sources or by paying into a fund dedicated to offsetting their energy use. 

The best of both worlds so far that appeases both the environment and the needs of growers and consumer demand comes in the form of greenhouses. Crops are in a controlled environment that takes advantage of natural sunlight and air systems. Greenhouses are also much more likely to be used now that the crop is legal and does not need to be concealed in the woods or inside warehouses - a clear win for legalization.

--

By <a href="mailto:bianca@earth.com">Bianca Vierra</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

How the growth of the marijuana industry impacts the environment

With marijuana being legalized across the country and world, the...

A new study from <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> has found that the most popular exotic pets are also the most likely to be released into the wild. The research sheds new light on how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/concerns-reptiles-amphibians-pets/">exotic pet trade</a> has become a primary contributor to the introduction of reptiles and amphibians into non-native areas, where they can do a lot of damage.

The team identified 1,722 reptile and amphibians that were traded as pets in the United States from 1999 to 2016. This information was compared with data from a citizen science project that documents sightings of non-native species across the country. 

The study revealed that popular pets, which are imported in high numbers and sold at low prices, are the most likely to be dumped out into the wild later on.

Oliver Stringham is a Rutgers doctoral student and the study’s lead author.

“The owners may underestimate the space and costs needed to keep such animals as they grow into adults,” said Stringham. “Boa constrictors and reticulated pythons grow over 8 feet long. African clawed frogs and Russian tortoises live 30 years or more  Not wanting to euthanize, owners may resort to releasing them instead.”


Once exotic pets are released into the wild, they threaten wildlife through disease transmission, competition for food, and predation. For example, Burmese pythons invaded the Everglades National Park in the 1990s. These massive snakes, which grow up to 18 feet in length, have caused notable declines in native mammal and bird populations.

According to the study authors, providing prospective exotic pet owners with information about the potential growth and lifespan of the animals may help to prevent future releases. In addition, pet owners should be informed of the ecological damage that results from introducing non-native species, and should be given access to a list of safe places to surrender them.

Study co-author Julie Lockwood is a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

“While it might not be possible to fully prevent the release of exotic pets, reducing the number can be an effective way to prevent new species from becoming established and potentially invasive,” said Lockwood.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652664">Journal of Applied Ecology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Matthew Sileo

Most popular exotic pets are most likely to be dumped in the wild

A new study from Rutgers University has found that the...

You’ve likely heard that drinking red wine with dinner is good for your heart, and now, new research shows that this may be because the alcohol is consumed consistently. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> and the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> conducted a study that examined the risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) amongst different types of drinkers. The team categorized the different types of drinking as moderate drinkers, heavy, or unstable (meaning inconsistent or sporadic). 

The results, published in the journal <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-018-1123-6">BMC Medicine</a>, suggest that unstable drinking patterns such as quitting drinking or drinking on and off increase the risk of CHD. Individuals who are consistent in their moderate drinking habits may be better protected against CHD. 

“This study uses long-term data to distinguish between persistent non-drinkers and former drinkers, allowing us to test the established theory that only the latter have an elevated risk of CHD,” said Dara O'Neill, the corresponding author of the study. “We did not find this to be the case but we did observe a sex-related difference. Amongst consistent non-drinkers, women showed a higher risk of developing CHD compared to consistently moderate drinkers, but their male counterparts did not.”

The researchers reviewed data on 35,132 individuals from six different studies, five of which were conducted in the UK and one in France. The studies recorded information on alcohol intake for participants over ten years as well as any diagnosed CHD events. 

Of the 35,132 individuals examined for the new study, 1,718 developed CHD during the ten year period. CHD events were the highest among former drinkers and surprisingly low for heavy drinkers. 

The researchers say that the low cases of CHD among heavy drinkers are not representative of how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-years-life/">heavy drinking impacts health</a> and heart disease risk, and any interpretations on how heavy drinking correlates with CHD should be made with caution. 

What the results do seem to show is that inconsistent drinking behavior increases the risk of CHD as opposed to moderate drinking. The researchers say that this could be because of external factors associated with inconsistent drinking such as lifestyle changes or stress.  

“When we split the sample by age, we found that the elevated risk of incident CHD amongst inconsistently moderate drinkers was observed in participants aged over 55, but not those aged below,” said O’Neill. “It may be that the older group experienced lifestyle changes, such as retirement, which are known to co-occur with increases in alcohol intake and that these could have played a role in the differing risk.”

There are a lot of gaps in the data which prevent the researchers from reaching any definite conclusions on the risks of CHD, and drinking but the study does lend interest to research on how drinking impacts heart health. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Drinking in moderation may decrease the risk of heart disease

You’ve likely heard that drinking red wine with dinner is...

The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the guidelines of its proposed <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-affordable-clean-energy-ace-rule">Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule</a> today. The legislation would replace former president Obama's Clean Power Plan (CPP), which set ambitious targets to close outdated coal-burning plants and cut back on carbon dioxide emissions. 

Instead of shutting down aging power plants, the ACE rule would <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-coal-emissions/">allow states</a> to lower their pollution standards and keep these plants operational by making minor improvements. In addition, the plan would give individual states the authority to regulate harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

A news release from the EPA states: “Many believed the CPP exceeded EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act, which is why 27 states, 24 trade associations, 37 rural electric co-ops, and three labor unions challenged the rule.”

After reviewing the CPP, the EPA made some major changes to allow states “adequate time and flexibility” to develop their own strategies for improving the efficiency at existing power plants and moving toward emissions reductions.

The EPA defends its decision to replace the “overly prescriptive and burdensome Clean Power Plan (CPP)” by insisting that the legislation overstepped its authority. The EPA claims that the ACE rule “instead empowers states, promotes energy independence, and facilitates economic growth and job creation.”

But, as the details of the proposed ACE rule emerge, not everyone is singing its praises. According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">The New York Times</a>, the EPA itself acknowledges in the fine print of its proposal that the devised plan would lead to higher carbon dioxide emissions and could cause up to 1,400 premature deaths every year.

California governor Jerry Brown posted on Twitter: “This is a declaration of war against America and all of humanity - it will not stand. Truth and common sense will triumph over Trump’s insanity.”

The <a href="http://www.lung.org/">American Lung Association</a> released the following statement in response to the ACE rule:

"With today's proposal, President Trump and Acting EPA Administrator Wheeler abandon much-needed public health safeguards against power plant pollution, placing the health of all Americans at risk, and especially those who are most vulnerable, including children, older adults, and people with asthma and heart disease.”

“Today's proposal is a dangerous substitute for the Clean Power Plan and a careless giveaway to polluters that will delay meaningful progress in the future. The United States must aggressively limit power plant carbon pollution to protect human health from the impacts of climate change, including degraded air quality and more extreme weather threats, such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods.”

The EPA will accept comments for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register, and a public hearing will also be held. More information, including a fact sheet, is available at <a href="https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/proposal-affordable-clean-energy-ace-rule">https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/proposal-affordable-clean-energy-ace-rule</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Trump admin’s new coal rules will lead to poorer U.S. air quality

The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uchicago.edu/">University of Chicago</a> has found that people are more likely to tell the truth when they are speaking in a foreign language.


The research was focused on native speakers of English, Spanish, Hebrew, and Korean as they participated in an economic game. The participants were randomly assigned to play the game in their native language or in a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/different-language-make-decisions/">foreign language</a>, and were paid according to self-reported numbers that appeared on dice.

The game was designed so that the outcome was private, which means that participants could cheat to gain a larger profit without any risk of consequences.

The study revealed that individuals who were speaking in a foreign language were less likely to cheat compared to people who were speaking their native language.

Study co-author Yoella Bereby-Meyer is a professor of Psychology at <a href="http://in.bgu.ac.il/en/Pages/default.aspx">Ben-Gurion University of the Negev</a> in Israel.

“When individuals have a chance to profit from dishonesty with no risk of being caught, their instinctive tendency is to cheat, while they refrain from cheating when they have time to deliberate,” said Professor Bereby-Meyer. 

She explained that there is a “natural temptation to lie” when it involves money, such as lying about a child's age to get a cheaper ticket price.

*Even though there wasn’t much language involved, just being in a foreign language mindset made them more likely to resist temptation,” said graduate student Sayuri Hayakawa.

The fact that the participants were more inclined to inflate their numbers when speaking in their native language was evident in the higher proportion of 5s and 6s reported by this group.


The findings of this study contradict a common misconception that people have about foreigners. Co-author Boaz Keysar is a professor of Psychology at UChicago.

“Studies have shown people with accents are perceived as less credible because they can be more difficult to understand.” The results of this research, however, suggest otherwise.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.cognitivesciencesociety.org/cognitive-science-journal/">Cognitive Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People tend to be more honest when speaking a foreign language

A new study led by the University of Chicago has...

Belief in evolution – or lack there of – has been a major dividing factor amongst populations for centuries. As science education has increased across the globe over time, it seems like it is having a negating effect on the prevalence of evolution denial. A landmark new study published in <a href="https://www.springer.com/life+sciences/evolutionary+%26+developmental+biology/journal/12052">Evolution: Education and Outreach</a> has found that university students in Australia are much more likely to believe in the science of human evolution over creationism or divine guidance than the previous generation.

The study consists of an overview of the last 32 years of annually-assessed student opinions. In 1986, the majority of students held the belief that god is the ultimate or contributing cause of human origins – but this is no longer the case. Belief that humans evolved without divine involvement has now become the dominant view amongst students. 

Starting in 1986, researchers took a yearly poll of first-year biology students at <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">UNSW Sydney</a>, asking them about their views on evolution and creationism. In the first year of the study, 60 percent of students believed god had a role in the origin of humans. When researchers asked students in 2017 the same question, only 29 percent held this view.

“Given that the creationist view (that humans were created by God within the last 10,000 years, rather than evolved naturally over millions of years without the involvement of God) is common among American students, we wanted to know how much of a challenge introducing the evidence for evolution to first-year students would be for us in Australia,” says Michael Archer, a professor at UNSW Sydney and lead author of the study. “We also wanted to know if Australian student views about this key issue were changing over time.”

Studies depicting long-term trends in views about the origins of humans are seldom performed, and when they are, they are generally limited to surveys of adult populations in the U.S. Given what studies have been done regarding creationism and the American population, the results of this study from Australia show a significant contrast to the corresponding beliefs among Australian students and the American public. 

“In the USA, belief in creationism, while slowly declining, appears to have remained in the 40% range, four times that seen in our Australian survey,” Archer says.

For universities in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dengue-fever-modified-mosquitoes/">Australia</a>, this steep decline in the belief of creationism amongst students suggests that professors won’t need to spend much time on convincing students of the scientific evidence for human evolution. However, the researchers do advocate for continued assessment of these beliefs through running similar annual surveys in high schools across Australia.

[caption id="attachment_1217639" align="aligncenter" width="246"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/creationism.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1217639" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/creationism-246x300.jpg" alt="" width="246" height="300" /></a> Image Credit: UNSW[/caption]

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Australian study shows steep decline in belief in creationism

Belief in evolution – or lack there of – has...

A report from the <a href="https://www.umms.org/ummc">University of Maryland Medical Center</a> (UMMC) is providing new insight into illicit drug use. The study highlights the complexity of treating patients at hospital emergency rooms for drug overdoses.

The investigation began in 2016 when researchers set out to determine what caused two drug overdoses in patients at separate hospitals in Maryland.

Emergency room doctors were battling a spike in accidental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drug-related-deaths-hardest/">drug overdoses</a> and related fatalities, which were believed to be linked to drugs called synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the chemicals in marijuana. These drugs are known on the street as Spice or K2. 

The doctors were observing “atypical overdoses,” in which patients had difficulty breathing and constricted pupils. They responded well to the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone, but then had to be sedated for agitation, violence, and hyperactivity - none of which were related to opiate withdrawal.

Around the same time, researchers at the <a href="http://www.cesar.umd.edu/">Center for Substance Abuse Research</a> (CESAR) were detailing illicit drug use patterns in criminal justice settings using sophisticated analyses of urine samples. The CESAR researchers decided to use their urine testing technique for the first time in hospital settings, and collaborated with UMMC physicians to do so.

The team tested 175 urine samples for 26 synthetic cannabinoids, 59 designer drugs, and 84 other illicit and prescription drugs. The results showed that the substances used by these emergency department overdose patients were much more complex than expected.

“We were thoroughly amazed that in a study where we thought everyone was having a synthetic cannabinoid-related problem, only one specimen tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids,” said lead investigator Dr. Eric Wish.

The street drugs had been tweaked into new combinations that were still not being detected. Ultimately, only a quarter of the samples tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids, which was much lower than anticipated.


The study also revealed a huge discrepancy between the drugs patients said they had taken, what doctors suspected they had taken, and the actual drugs detected. 

"We had cases where the doctors thought so, the patient thought so, but urinalysis showed no use of synthetic cannabinoids," said Dr Bradford Schwartz

Marijuana was the most common individual drug detected at both hospitals. In addition, as many as a third of patients tested positive for a new psychoactive substance other than synthetic cannabinoids.

Two-thirds of patients tested positive for multiple substances, and some specimens contained as many as six substances, potentially complicating an overdose diagnosis.

In Baltimore, people tested positive primarily for fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid that many patients did not even know they had ingested. In Prince George's County, the main drug detected besides marijuana was PCP, a hallucinogenic drug that can trigger aggression.

"These results suggest that supportive care is safe in patients suffering from acute intoxication from synthetic cannabinoids," said Dr. Dezman.

He explained that “it is important to inform patients of the risks of their substance use once they are stabilized.” 

“Policy makers and public health officials cannot make informed policy decisions about combating fentanyl if we do not know the prevalence of fentanyl use in the community.”
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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

New wave of street drugs are complicating the work of ER doctors

A report from the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) is...

The amygdala, an almond-shaped structure in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brainprints-new-fingerprints/">brain</a>, has been considered central to the experience and perception of fear for many years. But now, new research has revealed that the role of the amygdala is much more complicated than previously thought.

The study's author, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, is a research scientist at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/">Massachusetts General Hospital</a>.

“Scientists originally hypothesized that the amygdala contained the circuitry necessary for fear and its related behaviors,” said Dr. Barrett. “They continually broadened their hypotheses for the amygdala's role with accumulating research in both humans and non-human animals. The amygdala was then thought to contain the circuitry for negative emotions, for emotions in general, and eventually, for anything broadly effective, such as threat.”

“Through the natural process of systematic scientific investigation, it's become clearer that the amygdala plays a role in signaling the rest of the brain to information that is important to learn because it is relevant to allostasis - the brain's process of anticipating the needs of the body and attempting to meet those needs before they arise. Whether threatening, rewarding or novel, this to-be-learned information will help the brain better predict future occasions.”


Ever since a study by University of Chicago researchers Heinrich Klüver and Paul C. Bucy was published in the 1930s, the amygdala has been associated with fear. The authors described transformative behavioral changes in rhesus monkeys after they had this region of their brains removed. The monkeys became unafraid of approaching snakes and other threatening animals.

According to Dr. Barrett, experts had concluded the amygdala was integral to a central fear system in the brain by the early 1990s. However, the perception of the amygdala's role began to change around 1994, when a team at the University of Iowa College of Medicine began to publish studies of a patient with rare bilateral lesions of the amygdala resulting from a condition known as Urbach-Wiethe disease. 

The experts found that the patient was unable to recognize facial expressions of fear, underscoring the earlier conclusions about the role of the amygdala. 

Further trials with the patient revealed that she had difficulty perceiving facial expressions of other emotions when those expressions involved a widening of the eyes.


Dr. Barrett explained that these findings led to the development of new theories about the role of the amygdala in the experience and perception of fear. It now seems that the amygdala does not directly control fear, but is involved in a person's ability to attend to the whites of another person's widened eyes. This is more important to social functioning.

“The amygdala is not necessary to experience or perceive fear,” said Dr. Barrett. “Amygdala neurons very likely contribute to fear in some instances, but the neurons can't be said to actually compute fear. More likely, amygdala neurons act as a context-sensitive sentinel for learning threat and reward.”


“The original hypotheses about the amygdala's role in fear turned out not to be supported after careful study across decades. This is a good example of how the scientific method, at its best, works.”

Dr. Barrett's paper is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/home">Trends in Neurosciences</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

The amygdala plays a complex role in how we experience fear

The amygdala, an almond-shaped structure in the brain, has been...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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