Parents pass down more than genes. Their everyday choices shape how children see the world. 



A new study from São Paulo State University (<a href="https://www.international.unesp.br" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNESP</a>) in Brazil shows how this works with physical activity. Children copy the habits of their parents, whether active or sedentary.



The researchers tracked 182 children and teenagers, aged 6 to 17, along with their parents. They used accelerometers, devices that measure movement with precision. 



The results were clear: children with inactive parents spent more time sitting. Children with active <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parent-children-relationships-are-key-to-lifelong-well-being/">parents</a> were less sedentary.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mothers-play-a-bigger-role">Mothers play a bigger role</h2>



The study also revealed something striking. Mothers influenced their children’s activity levels more strongly than fathers. Their effect was more than double. 



The exact reason is still uncertain, but daily routines could explain part of it. Mothers often spend more time shaping schedules around meals, homework, and television.



“The results indicate that parents’ level of physical activity can directly influence their children’s habits. In other words, when parents maintain a more active routine, their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/singing-to-babies-is-a-powerful-way-to-boost-their-mood/">children</a> are less likely to remain seated for long periods,” Diego Christofaro noted. 



Christofaro is a professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology (FCT-UNESP) at the Presidente Prudente campus and the lead author of the article published in the journal Sports Medicine and Health Science.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sedentary-lifestyles-rising">Sedentary lifestyles rising</h2>



The findings matter because inactivity in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/even-before-they-crawl-babies-can-feel-their-own-heartbeat/">childhood</a> is already a public health concern. In Brazil, 11% to 38% of children and adolescents are overweight. Sedentary routines contribute directly to this problem. 



The risks go beyond weight gain. Research links too much sitting with heart problems, back pain, poor sleep, anxiety, and depression.



Once these patterns start, they are hard to change. A child who spends long hours sitting is likely to carry those habits into adult life. That makes early action vital.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kids-copy-parents-activity">Kids copy parents’ activity</h2>



The home environment explains much of this. Children often copy their parents’ screen habits. If parents watch hours of television, children usually do too. When limits on screen time are missing, the hours grow longer.



But the opposite is also true. When parents swap sitting for exercise, children follow their lead. 



In one Canadian study, every 20 minutes of vigorous parental activity added 5 to 10 minutes of moderate activity in children. Kids don’t just listen to words; they notice actions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parents-education-shapes-activity">Parents’ education shapes activity</h2>



Education changes the picture as well. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-who-use-humor-have-better-relationships-with-their-children/">Parents</a> with higher education levels tend to set more structured routines. They often balance screen time with sports or outdoor play. 



Parents with higher levels of education also recognize the harm of excessive sitting and take steps to prevent it.



Awareness is powerful. A parent who knows the risks of long sedentary hours is more likely to limit television, encourage outdoor play, or join their child in activity. Those choices add up over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-value-of-support">The value of support</h2>



Support at home makes staying active easier. Equipment, safe spaces, and shared activities all matter. Families who play sports together or go for walks often see children grow up more active. 



Shared routines also create memories, tying positive feelings to exercise and movement. 



On the other hand, when support is missing, even motivated children face obstacles. A lack of safe places to play or no encouragement from parents can keep them sitting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-message-for-public-health">A message for public health</h2>



“Sedentary habits are the result of multiple factors, such as lack of access, time, and places where physical activity can be practiced,” noted Christofaro. 



“However, our study shows that parents’ habits can affect their children’s health. Therefore, we believe that these results can support public policies and campaigns aimed at promoting a more active lifestyle in the family environment.”



The study showed that parent-child links in sedentary behavior appeared only when parents were insufficiently active. In families where parents stayed active, those links weakened. That means active parents can protect children from inheriting sedentary patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-parents-set-activity-goals">Parents set activity goals</h2>



Brazil’s health guidelines recommend that children and adolescents spend at least 60 minutes a day on moderate to vigorous physical activity. 



Parents should aim for 150 minutes of activity each week. These targets are not just numbers. They represent habits that can shape family health across generations.



Children copy what they see. Parents who sit less and move more give their children a model worth repeating. Small daily choices - walking instead of sitting, playing instead of watching - can ripple through a child’s life, reducing risks and building healthier futures.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666337625000691?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sports Medicine and Health Science</a>.



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Family fitness: Active parents raise active kids

Parents pass down more than genes. Their everyday choices shape how children see the world. A new study from São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil shows how this works with physical activity. Children copy the habits of their parents, whether active or sedentary. The researchers tracked 182 children and teenagers, aged 6 to 17, along with their parents. They used accelerometers, devices that measure movement with precision. The results were clear: children with inactive parents spent more time sitting. Children with active parents were less sedentary....

Residents of Hawaii’s Big Island have been <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-fissures-kilauea-evacuations/">evacuating</a> since the first fissures from the Kilauea volcano starting spewing up lava and sulfur dioxide earlier this month. 

After several eruptions, earthquakes, and even more fissures opening on the island, lava was recorded making its way to the ocean and sending clouds of toxic laze skyward. 

Laze occurs when hot lava meets the ocean and a dangerous mixture of hydrochloric acid and volcanic glass particles results. 

But now, residents have been warned of yet another hazard from Kilauea’s eruptions. Vog is another harmful mixture of gases and vapors that form a heavy volcanic smog. 

Vog is created by vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide gas released from Kilauea's vents. When the gases and vapor mix with sunlight, it creates a haze that can cause serious respiratory problems. 

Sulfur dioxide emissions <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-quality-kilauea-volcano/">have more than tripled</a> since Kilauea first started erupting. 

Tradewinds, which are expected to die down this weekend, have been blowing the vog offshore but with the increasing emissions from the volcano, more and more haze is being released and residents continue to be affected. 

“Everyone is having symptoms now on some level,” Josh Green, a state senator and emergency room physician, told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html">Daily Mail</a>. 

Those without respiratory or health issues may experience burning eyes, headaches, and sore throats, but people with asthma could be hospitalized. 

Although the trade winds are good news for Big Island, for Guam it’s a different story. Recent volcanic haze has stretched across the Pacific and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/29/us/hawaii-kilauea-homes-destroyed/index.html">according to CNN</a>, threatens people living on the Mariana Islands. 

Guam has issued air quality warnings to residents and mariners who could face visibility issues due to the volcano’s emissions. 

Big Island continues to deal with lava flow, ash, dangerous gases, earthquakes and now vog, and residents near lava flows have been warned to leave now or face getting trapped. 

Kilauea has been extremely active and its current eruption cycle has been going on since the 1980s. There’s no telling when the volcano’s activity will stop as Kilauea’s eruption is one of the longest-lived eruptions in recorded history, according to the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/havo/faqs.htm">National Park Service. </a>

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why vog from the Kilauea eruption poses such a health threat

Residents of Hawaii’s Big Island have been evacuating since the...

A new study shows that stronger alcohol policies limit the amount of alcohol-related car crash deaths every year. 

According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html">Centers for Disease Control</a> (CDC), in the United States, 29 people die every day from motor-vehicle crashes involving a drunk driver, and in 2016, 28 percent of all traffic-related deaths involved alcohol-impaired driving.

What’s more, not all alcohol-impaired car crashes have drivers with a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit. Around 20 percent of vehicle crash deaths had drivers who weren’t legally impaired, with a BAC below the legal limit of .08 percent. 

There are many policies aimed at lowering the number of drunk drivers on the road including raising taxes on alcohol, but there exists very little research on the success of these policies and how exactly they limit drunk driving and drunk driving-related deaths. 

Now, a new study by <a href="https://www.bmc.org/">Boston Medical Center</a> in collaboration with <a href="http://www.bu.edu/">Boston University</a> reveals how stronger alcohol policies reduce the number alcohol-impaired driving deaths. 

The study was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine and the results calculate how many reduced numbers of alcohol-related crash deaths correlate with stronger restrictive state alcohol policies. 

The results call for a stronger impaired driving initiative with comprehensive policies implemented nationwide. 

For the study, the researchers used data on car crash deaths from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and measured state alcohol policies on a per year basis with the Alcohol Policy Scale, which was developed by Boston Medical Center.

The Alcohol Policy Scale assesses the current alcohol policy environment based on 29 alcohol control policies. 

After analyzing the data and policies, the researchers discovered that for every one percent increase in the restrictiveness of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tobacco-alcohol-biggest-threat/">alcohol</a> policies there was a one percent reduction in the number of alcohol-related crashes. 

The results also showed that a ten percent increase in policy restrictiveness would result in 800 fewer deaths per year.

“Given the risks involved with alcohol use, strengthening alcohol control policies could help prevent many crash deaths, including the 40 percent of deaths that affect victims who are not themselves driving while intoxicated,” said  Timothy Naimi, the study's lead author. “Although not reflected in our current laws, the risk of crashes starts to increase at BAC levels well below 0.08 percent, so stronger policies offer a way to reduce those deaths as well.” 

One potential policy is lowering the BAC limit to .05 percent or less to match most other developed nations. 

The study shows how influential stronger alcohol-impaired driving policies are in reducing the number of vehicle-crash deaths every year, and policy leaders nationwide could use the results to push for lower BAC limits and other restrictive measures to lower crash mortalities. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Stronger alcohol policies reduce drunk driving car crashes

A new study shows that stronger alcohol policies limit the...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> has found that dengue fever could be largely avoided in the future by combating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stopping-global-warming-save-species/">global warming</a>. The researchers are reporting that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could prevent around 3.3 million cases of dengue fever per year in Latin America and the Caribbean alone.

The dengue virus is spread by mosquitoes in over 100 tropical and subtropical countries, affecting 390 million people worldwide each year. An infection from the virus causes symptoms including fever, headache, muscle, and joint pain, and there is currently no vaccination or treatment for the disease.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, there are an estimated 54 million annual cases of dengue fever.

The mosquitoes that carry the virus thrive in warmer and humid conditions, and a rise in global temperatures by 3.7 degrees Celsius could cause 7.5 million additional cases per year by the middle of this century.

“There is growing concern about the potential impacts of climate change on human health,” said study lead author Dr. Felipe Colón-González. “While it is recognized that limiting warming to 1.5°C would have benefits for human health, the magnitude of these benefits remains mostly unquantified.” 

“This is the first study to show that reductions in warming from 2°C to 1.5°C could have important health benefits.”

The researchers analyzed cases of dengue fever in Latin America, and used computer models to project the impacts of the virus under different climate warming scenarios.

The team found that limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius could reduce dengue cases by up to 2.8 million per year by the end of the century, and limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could prevent up to half a million additional cases.

Brazil would benefit the most if warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, avoiding up to 1.4 million cases per year by 2100. The study also revealed that curbing global warming could prevent dengue from spreading to areas where incidence is currently low.

“Understanding and quantifying the impacts of warming on human health is crucial for public health preparedness and response,” said study co-author Dr. Iain Lake.

“Warming has already reached 1°C above pre-industrial levels, and the current trajectory, if countries meet their international pledges to reduce CO2, is around 3°C - so clearly a lot more needs to be done to reduce CO2 and quickly if we are to avoid these impacts.”

The research 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="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Slowing global warming can prevent millions of dengue fever cases

A new study led by the University of East Anglia...

According to a market study carried out by the Wild Bird Feeding Industry Research Foundation, 42.1 percent of American households buy wild bird feed at least sometimes.  That translates to 52.5 million households buying $59.73 million on bird feed annually and $37.88 million on wild bird feed annually.

Feeding wild birds has become commonplace and few consider the consequences.  On the face of it, feeding birds seems like a harmless, fun way to interact with wildlife.  Once allowing bears to eat from trash dumps at Yellowstone was seen in the same light, a fun way to easily view wild bears up-close.  A big part of the problem involved with feeding bears has to do with their danger to humans. If a bear associates people with food enough, the bear might endanger people in her quest for nourishment.  In the end bears that get too friendly with people usually have tragic ends. There are some other real problems with feeding birds though.

When my fiancé, Erin and I co-managed a nature reserve in Ecuador for three months, a part of our work involved inventorying hummingbirds that fed on the sugar water in feeders we put out.  Initially, I didn’t think too much about the feeders, but over the time we stayed at the reserve, I began to consider it more deeply. 

In the log left by other reserve managers, were accounts of hummingbirds weak when the managers couldn’t fill the feeders for a day or two due to a minor medical emergency.  I wondered if the hummingbirds could become so dependent on feeders, I wasn’t sure but it lead me to other questions. In the case of hummingbirds, I wondered if plants could suffer from having less pollinators.  We couldn’t identify individual hummingbirds but there were certainly species that were almost always at the feeders in numbers. I wondered if some birds gained a majority of their ‘nectar’ from feeders and barely visited flowers.  

It turns out, the effect of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hummingbirds-songs-tail-feathers/">hummingbird</a> feeders on plants isn’t so straight forward.  A 2008 study carried out in a park near Mexico City found that hummingbird feeders decreased visits to native plants.  The study, published by Maria Del coro Arizmendi, et al. in Ornitologia Neotropical, found that many plants are also visited by bees and so the impact of losing hummingbirds is minimal for many plants.  The study suggests that the increase in hummingbird numbers also offsets the less visits of each individual hummingbird.  

Still, one plant, Cardinal Sage (Salvia fulgens) was shown to produce less seeds, presumably due to less hummingbird visits.  I also found a paper written by Ilse van Duuren as an intern at Un Poco del Chocó, a private nature preserve and conservation organization.  Ilse van Duuren found that hummingbird feeders do in fact negatively impact plant reproduction rates, she also called for more research on a sadly neglected question.  I personally was rather shocked at how many nature preserves, conservation organizations and research stations in the neotropics promote the use of hummingbird feeders when so little research has been done on their effect.  

Of course, hummingbirds are just one of many types of bird.  I personally become a little irate seeing people feeding ducks in public parks where signs clearly say feeding isn’t allowed.  It’s not just that people are feeding ducks, but it’s that they’re so apparently thoughtless about what they’re feeding them. I’ve seen people throwing Cheetos to ducks as well as the more standard bread.  Rarely do you see people feeding ducks the types of seeds that they evolved with. 

A study by W. Herbert Wilson Jr. in Journal of Field Ornithology showed that the placement of bird feeders can significantly impact habitat selection of wintering birds in Maine.  <a href="https://feederwatch.org/">Feederwatch.org</a> notes that diseases such as House Finch Eye Disease can be spread by some bird feeder types.  Tube type feeders that require birds to stick their heads inside contact bird’s eyes and can spread disease that way.  Feederwatch recommends cleaning feeders regularly with dilute bleach and taking feeders away for a couple of weeks to encourage bird dispersal if a diseased individual is noticed.  

Other sources note that cats or hawks may gather near bird feeders to prey on large populations of feeding birds.  

Feeding birds in the US originated with the idea of helping birds through hard winters.  The US and UK differ from Australia, where feeding birds is generally looked down upon. In the US, many conservation organizations encourage feeding birds as a way to promote understanding and a feeling of closeness to nature.  Feeding birds is certainly a good way to observe and learn about your avian neighbors, less certain is if feeding helps birds. 

A study in Conservation Physiology by Travis E. Wilcoxen et. al, found that overall physiology of birds at feeders was improved when compared to birds that didn’t use feeders.  There were more cases of disease found in birds at feeders, but the birds receiving supplemental feed seemed to have better fat reserves and immune responses.  In other words, the birds being fed were better equipped to handle disease than those not being fed.

The main reason many people give for feeding birds is to give them a helping hand.  Seeing birds die of apparent starvation in the winter is hard. I remember a yellow song bird that flew into a tent I shared with two other climbers on a mountaineering trip on Denali.  The bird sat in our vestibule, ate some of our granola and other snacks, even landing on our heads. The bird on Denali had unfortunately been blown there by a storm and was unable to find his way back to his normal habitat.  A day later the bird was found dead in the snow. Instances like this happen nearer to people’s homes, birds sometimes die of exposure to elements and starvation, and winters are sometimes especially hard. Feeding, it seems, can help individual birds.

An added complexity to feeding birds is migration.  Many of the birds seen at feeders and elsewhere in North America travel far south, even to South America in the winter.  The reasons for migrating are complex but there is actually often more food for birds in the spring and summer in North America than in the tropics.  The tropics always has a small supply of food, a few things are almost always in fruit but spring in the temperate region means a bonanza of many things in fruit all at once.   Feeding birds can change their migration patterns. 

The American Robin is a perfect example.  Due to an increase in not only feeders but crops and planted shrubs, a larger percentage of robins stay north for the winter.  A bird that normally winters further south can suffer more from feeding by being in a colder environment than the one it evolved for.  An article in <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/">Science Daily</a> points out an additional benefit to migration for bird populations.  Especially sick or parasitized birds are less likely to survive migrations; a migration can be a way to stop the spread of disease and protect healthy animals from the exposure of parasites.  Birds that migrate may also miss out on prime breeding grounds and other resources already taken by those that stay year round. Birds just finishing a migration also have a much greater need for food as they expend serious amounts of energy during long migrations.

Sandhill Cranes stopping in Nebraska to gorge on food in the midst of an incredible and long journey by wing now depend on leftover corn crops.  The cranes travel from wintering grounds in Mexico, Arizona and New Mexico to breeding grounds in the arctic. According to <a href="http://outdoornebraska.gov/">OutdoorNebraska</a>, 90 percent of the crane’s diet is corn while in Nebraska, 10 percent being made up by invertebrates.  Overall, it’s estimated that the cranes consume 1,600 tons of corn while passing through Nebraska. Clearly corn is important to the Sandhill Crane but it’s important to note that corn is only important because natural grasslands and marsh areas have become developed.  Cranes stopped in Nebraska long before corn was planted there, for native plants and animals. Fields with the residue of agriculture allow the continuation of an ancient migration pathway in a way that other forms of development would not. However, it’s easy to see that human intercession didn’t make things better for cranes, rather, we replaced one food with another.          

Bird feeding is here to stay.  I doubt this article will convince anyone to stop feeding birds, but I hope it can encourage a thoughtful approach.  Cleaning feeders often can help stop the spread of disease. Watching carefully for sick individuals and removing feeders for a couple of weeks can also help prevent disease transmission.  Trying your best to keep cats away from feeders or making bird feeders inaccessible to them can help. If a cat does start stalking birds near a feeder, it’s a simple thing to bring the feeder in, it may be harder to convince the cat’s owner to keep their animal indoors.  Bringing feeders in when the weather starts to get cold can also make a difference in encouraging normal, natural migration patterns. We all desire to be closer to nature, to have a real connection with the animals we share the planet with. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Are bird feeders really helping birds in the long run?

According to a market study carried out by the Wild...

People who visit high altitudes, like mountain climbers or anyone who visits Denver, may know a little something about altitude sickness.

Altitude sickness occurs when there is lower oxygen pressure present and can result in shortness of breath, headache, and a fast heartbeat.

Part of the reason that being at higher altitudes can be problematic is because it reduces blood flow from the heart, but why exactly this occurs had been a mystery. 

Now, a new study may have uncovered why the heart is unable to pump as much blood as it normally would to the rest of the body at higher altitudes. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/">Cardiff Metropolitan University</a> and published in the Journal of Physiology. 

For the study, researchers measured cardiac functioning at higher altitudes for two weeks at a research facility on White Mountain in California. 

The results showed that there were two factors influencing the reduced blood flow from the heart at higher levels. The lower amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-animals-evolved-oxygen/">oxygen</a> in the air decreases the volume of blood circulating around the body and increases blood pressure. 

However, while both of these factors impact blood flow, the researchers found that surprisingly reduced blood flow from the heart doesn’t impact the body’s ability to exercise to its fullest extent. 

There are some limitations to the study as the number of participants who had their cardiac and pulmonary vascular functions measured via echocardiography was small. 

The research does however provide an explanation for the reduction in blood flow from the heart with changes in oxygen pressure and could help with making higher altitudes safer for tourists, explorers, and people who live in mountain regions. 

Next, the researchers will work on an expedition helping people in the Andean mountains deal with “Chronic Mountain Sickness.”

“Currently, a number of the research team are ready to depart for an expedition that will focus on high altitude natives who live and work in the industrial mines of the Andean mountains,” said Michael Stembridge. “Unfortunately, a third of these individuals experience long-term ill health due to their residence at high altitude, a condition termed 'Chronic Mountain Sickness'. We hope to apply the findings of this work to help improve the health and well-being of these populations by furthering our understanding of the condition and exploring therapeutic targets.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why the body has trouble functioning at higher altitudes

People who visit high altitudes, like mountain climbers or anyone...

Residents of Ellicott City, Maryland, found themselves in a desperate situation on Sunday when over six inches of rain fell in just two hours and triggered catastrophic flash flooding. 

The town's historic Main Street was transformed into a powerful river that tossed around cars and debris. The brown water ripped through shops and restaurants, rising above the first floor of some buildings. 

People scrambled to reach higher ground in the flooded buildings, where many were forced to spend the night before being rescued Monday morning.

Unfortunately, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atmospheric-rivers-heavier-future-flooding/">flooding</a> is not an unfamiliar sight in the small Howard County community, located about 12 miles west of Baltimore. The people and businesses of Ellicott City were still recovering from a devastating flood that also came out of nowhere in July of 2016.

Today's survey of the damage has revealed that the intensity of this year's flooding is worse compared to that of 2016, but there have been no confirmed casualties. There is a search underway, however, for missing National Guard member Eddison Hermond, who was reportedly swept away by the force of the water while helping to rescue others.

Nick Johnson owns a furniture store in downtown Ellicott City. He saw videos and photos of the destructive floodwaters on social media yesterday, and said that he was surprised to see people reposting images from 2016. He was soon shocked to realize that this was not footage from two years ago, but that the flooding was happening again.

“We don't know the extent of the damage except that it's far worse than it was two years ago,” Johnson told <a href="https://weather.com/">The Weather Channel</a>.

According to the <a href="https://www.weather.gov/">National Weather Service</a>, the nearby Patapsco River swelled up by 17.8 feet during the slow-moving storms. The river, which is a major waterway that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay, hit a record 24.1 feet on Sunday.

Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said that there are no words to describe the devastation.

Kittleman told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>: “There are a lot of people whose lives are going to be devastated again, and they've been working so hard to come back and we just need to be there for them and to tell them ... all of our resources are there to help them.” 

“I can't imagine what they're going through. I couldn't imagine what they went through two years ago, and now it's even worse.”

Experts say that this is the second time in two years that Ellicott City has experienced a 1000-year flood, which has only a 0.1 percent chance of happening in any given year.

Dangerous flash flooding remains a threat for regions of Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas as Subtropical Storm Alberto moves in, and some areas could receive as much as a foot of rain.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: EPA/Jim Lo Scalzo

Flash flood devastates historic Maryland community… again

Residents of Ellicott City, Maryland, found themselves in a desperate...

The unbalanced trade relations between the United States and China puts the U.S. economy at risk when climate change-induced regional flooding interrupts production and exports, according to a new study. 

The research, conducted at the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/pik-frontpage">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research </a>and published in the journal Nature Climate Change, shows how regional floods prompted by global warming will impact the global economy and cause major losses. 

This is the first study to assess the effect of flooding due to climate change on a global scale and the results emphasize the interconnectivity of global trade and supply chains. 

Flooding is projected to increase in many parts of the world due to global warming, and in China flood damages could even increase by 80 percent within the next 20 years. Damages from flooding won’t just affect China, but also many countries that rely on exported goods from China, like the United States.

For the study, the researchers used a new economic computer simulation called an Acclimate-model which was specifically designed to show global impacts on the world’s economy. 

The researchers used projections of near future river floods on a regional scale based on current greenhouse gas emission levels in the atmosphere and simulated the global impacts from the future projected flood events with the Acclimate-model. 

“This work combines two very innovative lines of work: global risk assessment for natural hazards and network theory to understand how localized shocks propagate in time and space,” said Stéphane Hallegatte. The lead economist for The World Bank. “It contributes to scientific progress in multiple ways, but one of the most important policy messages for me is that the world is so interconnected that natural disasters are not local events anymore: everybody can be affected by a disaster occurring far away.”

China could suffer the biggest direct economic losses from floods, according to the model, totaling more than 380 billion US dollars over the next 20 years. The United States and European Union, countries with major trade relationships with China, would, in turn also incur severe indirect losses. 

In the US, the study estimates that indirect losses over the next 20 years could total up to 170 billion dollars because the country’s unbalanced trade relationship with China. 

The researchers say that the EU might be better equipped to adapt to climate-related trade impacts and could even profit by exporting more to China when it needs it. 

The US, on the other hand, imports far more from China than it exports, and with President Trump’s plans to impose tariffs, this will only further impact trade susceptible to climate change. 

“But Trump's tariff sanctions are likely to leave US economy even more vulnerable to climate change,” said Anders Levermann, the project leader. “As our study suggests, under climate change, the more reasonable strategy is a well-balanced economic connectivity, because it allows to compensate economic damages from unexpected weather events - of which we expect more in the future.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change in China to impact the U.S. economy

The unbalanced trade relations between the United States and China...

Putting,Coins,On,Donate,Glass,Bottle,For,Concept,Charity,And

A team of scientists led by the <a href="https://ist.ac.at/">Institute Science and Technology Austria</a> has developed a theoretic model to interpret what motivates people to be modest and humble in their actions. For example, the experts wanted to explore the incentive behind making anonymous donations or not disclosing a particular level of experience or expertise to others.

The new model is the first to be based on the concept of hidden signals, which generate additional information about the sender once they are discovered. This concept is used by the researchers to identify the circumstances under which people have an incentive to conceal their positive attributes.

It is common for people to choose actions that may be costly at first, but lead to reputational benefits in the long run. However, if good reputations are important, the experts wanted to know why there are so many situations where people hide their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-heartbeat-generous/">generosity</a> or accomplishments.

The experts propose the idea that “burying” a signal, or hiding information, is a signal within itself that can have many interpretations. For instance, the sender may be uninterested in impressing others who would not notice understated messages. On the other hand, the sender might be confident that the people who matter to them will uncover the subtle messages.

The scientists took their ideas and inserted them in a new evolutionary game theory model they call the “signal-burying game.”

The game has different types of signal senders, which are classified as high, medium, and low, and different types of receivers, categorized as selective and unselective. The sender and the receiver do not know the other's type, but have the opportunity to convey their types by paying to send signals. 

The signals can be sent clearly or can be buried. When a signal is buried, it has a lower chance of being noticed by either type of receiver, and there is a risk that receivers will never learn that the sender has sent a signal at all. 

After the sender has generated a signal, receivers decide whether or not to engage in an economic interaction with the sender. Therefore, senders and receivers must develop strategies to maximize their payoff.

“We wanted to understand what strategies would evolve naturally and be stable,”  explained study co-first author Christian Hilbe. “In particular, is it possible to have a situation where high-level senders always choose to bury their signals, mid-level senders always send a clear signal, and low-level senders send no signal at all?”

This theory corresponds with real-life situations, and would allow for strategies that target specific receivers at the risk of losing others. The scientists found that players quickly adopted this exact plan of action.

Using their model, the team developed a new perspective on modest social behaviors and how humility achieves a specific goal in the end.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/">Nature Human Behaviour</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts reveal why humble, modest behavior is rewarding

A team of scientists led by the Institute Science and...

A recent study by <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/">Brigham and Women's Hospital</a> has confirmed that sleep deprivation negatively impacts your work performance even when you do not feel tired.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/circadian-rhythm-light-melatonin/">Sleeping</a> for less than six hours was found to hinder the ability of study participants to perform simple tasks, regardless of whether or not they felt rested, due to a lack of focus.

Study senior author Dr. Elizabeth Klerman is an expert in the hospital’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders.

“If somebody is routinely awake for more than 18 hours daily, then they are also routinely sleeping for less than six hours daily,” explained Dr. Klerman.

“Therefore, it was unknown whether any decline in vigilance or other functions was due to the extended wakefulness or restricted sleep.”

“We found that chronic short sleep duration, even without extended wakefulness, resulted in vigilant performance impairments.”

The research was focused on nine healthy adults for 32 days. The individuals were restricted to 4.67 hours of sleep for each 20-hour time period, which is the equivalent to sleeping around 5.5 hours in a 24-hour day. 

A control group of eight healthy participants slept for the equivalent of 8 hours in a 24-hour day.

The study revealed that participants who were suffering from a lack of sleep had five times more attention lapses and their reaction time was doubled during tests. The performance of sleep-deprived individuals was no different among those who reported feeling alert and those who said they felt tired.

According to the researchers, this means that people who were impaired from chronic sleep restriction were unaware of any impairment.


Participants on the restricted sleep schedule also performed worse in memory tasks given over the 32 days, which indicates that people cannot adapt to chronic sleep deprivation.

“We have shown that sleep in itself is important,” said Dr. Klerman. “People cannot learn to live on insufficient sleep and they may not be aware of their reduced cognitive abilities.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">PNAS</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sleep deprivation impacts performance even if you don’t feel it

A recent study by Brigham and Women's Hospital has confirmed...

The opioid crisis has reached every corner of the United States, from sea to shining sea. Now, it seems, opioid addiction worries have trickled into the ocean itself off the coast of Washington. Scientists studying mussels transplanted into Puget Sound have discovered trace amounts of oxycodone in the shellfish.

"We found antibiotics, we found antidepressants, chemotherapy drugs, heart medications and then also oxycodone in the mussels from these mostly urbanized areas," biologist Dr. Jennifer Lanksbury told Seattle’s <a href="https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/opioids-found-in-puget-sound-mussels/281-558028458">K5 News</a>. Lanksbury led the study for the <a href="https://wdfw.wa.gov/">Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife</a>.

Every two years, the Puget Sound Mussel Monitoring Program takes mussels from uncontaminated water on Whidbey Island and transplant them for three winter months in Puget Sound.

Since mussels are filter feeders – animals that eat by straining food particles and other matter from the water around them – contaminants from polluted water tend to build up in their tissues over time.

After three months, each group of mussels is brought back to the lab and tested to see which pollutants might be found in the Seattle inlet.

The good news is that the problem is not widespread – yet. Oxycodone was only found in three groups of mussels, out of 18 total sets, and only in small amounts. And medical contaminants, which likely came from treated wastewater, were found only in the urban test sites, not in commercial shellfish beds.

“The concentrations of oxycodone in the mussels were about a hundred to five hundred times less than you would get in a normal therapeutic dose for humans,” Lanksbury told K5 News. “So you would have to eat a hundred-fifty pounds of mussels from that contaminated area to even get a minimal dose.”

The findings do raise concerns for other marine wildlife, however. Unlike humans, animals like chinook salmon are affected by a much lower dose of opioids like oxycodone.

“Because we’re finding them in mussels, that means that these chemicals are present in the water and that means that they’re likely affecting the fish and other invertebrates,” Lanksbury said.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Opioid crisis trickles down into the waters of Puget Sound

The opioid crisis has reached every corner of the United...

A new study has found that music volume has a significant impact on people’s food choices, and when soft music is playing in the background of a restaurant, people prefer healthy options like salads. 

More and more marketing tactics are revolving around ambiance and studies have shown how big a role <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-anxiety-depression-dementia/">music</a> plays in a customer’s overall experience. 

Retail atmospherics, as it’s called, is gaining popularity and becoming an important strategic tool for businesses. 

Now, researchers from the <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida </a>found that music volume directly impacts heart rate and influences food choices. 

The study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 

Loud music drives customers to choose unhealthy options like burgers and fries because the volume raises heartbeat and stimulation. 

Quiet music, on the other hand, promotes relaxation and customers are more mindful of their food choices.

For the study, the researchers, led by University of South Florida marketing professor Dipayan Biswas, conducted two field experiments in a cafe in Stockholm. 

The cafe played music at two different decibels, either 55 or 70. Fifty-five decibels is similar to quiet background talking or the hum of a refrigerator. 

Menu items were categorized as healthy, non-healthy, and neutral, and the researchers recorded what customers ordered over several days to see how the difference in volume impacted orders. 

When the volume was turned up to 70 decibels, 20 percent more of the cafe patrons ordered something categorized an unhealthy. 

The study adds to the growing body of research on atmospherics which shows how restaurants and stores can influence customers choices and spending. 

“Restaurants and supermarkets can use ambient music strategically to influence consumer buying behavior,” Biswas said.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Restaurant music actually affects what you order, study finds

A new study has found that music volume has a...

Fit people have different physical responses to food, study finds. Obesity is at almost epidemic proportions in places like the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. It’s a health crisis that costs the global economy about US$2 trillion per year. In fact, the risk factors connected to a poor diet contribute to more disease than unsafe sex, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco use combined.

A great deal of research has focused on how our food environment and neurobiology can result in overeating. It’s known that highly palatable foods such as pizza and chocolate cause signals in the brain that give a feeling of pleasure and reward. However, not much is known about whether or not these responses to food cues support weight-loss maintenance. Now, a new study from the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a> and the <a href="http://www.uva.nl/en/home">University of Amsterdam</a> has found that successful weight loss maintainers have different behavioral and physiological responses to food than people with obesity and those who consistently stay lean.

The findings of this study suggest that decreased sensitivity to rewarding and highly palatable foods as a result of a reduced physiological response could help explain why some people can lose weight and keep it off easier than others. 

The research team compared the responses of three groups: successful weight-loss maintainers who were previously obese, individuals who are currently obese, and individuals who have never been overweight. They looked at the saliva production and heart rate of individuals in each group following exposure to pizza. The results showed that individuals with obesity had increased salivation and a faster heart rate response after exposure, while salivation and heart rate of weight-loss maintainers decreased, and the lean participants were unresponsive.

Study participants also had to complete cognitive tasks to objectively measure their motivation to win and avoid losing food and money in a computerized task, where they had to determine the meaning of a symbol by trial and error. For each trial, they chose one of two figures. The figure either meant that they won food, lost food, won money, or lost money. As the trials went on, participants eventually learned what a specific symbol meant, and their ability to win or avoid different rewards was measured.

Results showed that the ability of weight-loss maintainers to determine the meaning of the symbol was less affected by food “wins” and more affected by food “losses.” The researchers believe this suggests that explicit food rewards hold less value for weight loss maintainers. 

“Our findings reveal a marked difference in physiological reactivity to food depending on weight-loss history,” the authors explain. “Further longitudinal research is needed to determine whether reduced physiological response to palatable (high calorie) food and sensitivity to food rewards may be predictive of individuals that can successfully restrict food intake.”

Although no definitive conclusions can be made from this observational study, this vein of research may lead to a better understand of the physiological systems that hinder people who are trying to lose weight. Ultimately, it may lead to better weight loss programs and more efficient dieting plans.

-

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fit people have different physical responses to food, study finds

Fit people have different physical responses to food, study finds....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
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On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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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

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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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"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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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...

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