Heart disease, not suicide or overdose, is the leading killer of people living with serious mental health conditions. This is the conclusion of a sweeping review led by Viola Vaccarino of Emory University.



The experts report that adults with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety die, on average, 10 to 20 years earlier than their peers - largely because of cardiovascular disease.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-health-and-life-expectancy">Mental health and life expectancy </h2>



The cardiovascular penalty attached to common psychiatric diagnoses is substantial. Depression raises the risk of heart disease by roughly 72 percent.&nbsp;



For <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychedelic-use-linked-to-higher-risk-of-schizophrenia/">schizophrenia</a>, the risk nearly doubles - up to about 95 percent. Bipolar disorder increases cardiovascular risk by 57 percent, PTSD boosts coronary heart disease risk by 61 percent, and anxiety disorders are associated with a 41 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular causes. 



These numbers help explain why <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-life-expectancy-faces-a-triple-threat/">life expectancy</a> shrinks so dramatically for this population.



Despite the elevated risks, people with mental health conditions routinely receive worse heart care than the general public. Screenings are missed and risk factors go unmanaged. Evidence-based treatments are offered less often and followed up less reliably.&nbsp;



The result is a widening survival gap affecting a vast swath of society: roughly one in four people will experience a mental health disorder during their lifetime.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-illness-and-heart-disease">Mental illness and heart disease</h2>



Mood and thought disorders don’t just coincide with heart disease; they help cause it - and cardiovascular events can in turn trigger new psychiatric illness. That feedback loop runs through behavior and biology.&nbsp;



Higher rates of smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diet are part of the story. So are the physiological effects of chronic stress: systemic inflammation, elevated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blood-pressure-treatment-efficacy-calculator-revolutionize-measurement-and-treatment/">blood pressure</a>, arrhythmias, and insulin resistance all nudge the cardiovascular system toward failure.



The relationship is equally visible in reverse. About 18 percent of people with cardiovascular disease live with depression; after an acute event such as a heart attack, that figure climbs to roughly 28 percent. 



Nearly one in four stroke survivors develops depression in the aftermath, and around 12 percent of heart attack survivors go on to meet criteria for PTSD. Treating either condition in isolation misses the way each amplifies the other.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-existing-systems-miss-what-matters">Existing systems miss what matters</h2>



The review highlights a pattern of structural neglect. Mental health and cardiology are typically staffed, funded and measured as separate domains, with little coordination between them.&nbsp;



Many cardiology clinics don’t routinely screen for depression, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/witnessing-trauma-may-cause-ptsd-in-a-different-way/">PTSD</a>, or anxiety. Many psychiatric services don’t monitor blood pressure, lipids, or glucose as systematically as cardiovascular teams would.



Access gaps compound the problem. In a 2023 U.S. survey cited by the authors, 54 percent of people who met criteria for a mental health disorder received no treatment at all.



Even in countries with universal coverage, patients with serious mental illness are less likely to receive recommended medications, procedures and follow-up for heart disease. 



Poverty, unstable housing, and social isolation make adherence and clinic attendance harder, turning health inequities into entrenched mortality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-and-physical-health-gains">Mental and physical health gains</h2>



The good news is that several familiar tools carry cardiovascular benefits alongside mental health gains.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-in-a-pill-is-now-closer-to-reality/">Exercise</a> is one of the most effective treatments for depression and also directly improves blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and endothelial function. The review argues it should sit alongside psychotherapy and antidepressants as core treatment - not an optional add-on.



Mind-body practices such as yoga, tai chi, and meditation can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve some risk factors (for example, heart rate variability and stress biomarkers). Evidence that they prevent heart attacks or strokes remains limited, but early signals are encouraging and warrant larger trials.



Integrated care models - where mental health and cardiovascular teams coordinate around the same patient - consistently improve psychiatric outcomes in clinical studies. The next step is proving that these collaborative approaches also cut hard cardiac endpoints like myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality.&nbsp;



To do that, researchers will need to stop excluding people with mental health disorders from cardiovascular trials, a longstanding practice that has left clinicians without robust, disorder-specific guidelines for high-risk patients.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improving-life-expectancy-outcomes">Improving life expectancy outcomes</h2>



The authors call for changes that are as practical as they are profound. Medical schools and residency programs should train clinicians to recognize and manage the bidirectional links between mental and physical illness.&nbsp;



Health systems and payers need to expand mental health coverage while embedding routine cardiovascular screening and risk management into psychiatric care - and, conversely, embedding mental health screening into cardiology.



Community-level solutions matter, too. Making exercise accessible and safe, addressing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smoking-related-deaths-will-surge-by-2030/">tobacco</a> use with tailored support, improving food access and tackling social isolation are public-health interventions that serve both the heart and the mind.&nbsp;



And because the burden is unequally distributed, equity must be a design principle: culturally competent care, outreach in underserved neighborhoods and policies that reduce financial and logistical barriers will save the most lives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treat-the-whole-person">Treat the whole person</h2>



Taken together, the evidence reframes a familiar crisis. Mental health disorders are common. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-century-of-progress-in-the-fight-against-cardiovascular-disease/">Cardiovascular disease</a> is common. When they collide, lives are cut short - not by inevitability, but by gaps we can close.&nbsp;



If roughly a quarter of us will face a mental health condition in our lifetime, preventing the downstream heart damage is not a niche priority; it’s a population-wide imperative.



The path forward is clear enough: measure risk where it’s highest, treat depression and anxiety as cardiac risk factors, deploy exercise and integrated care as first-line tools, and build research and reimbursement structures that reflect how tightly the mind and heart are tied. 



Stop treating mental and cardiovascular health separately, and that 10- to 20-year life-expectancy penalty starts to look less like fate - and more like a fixable failure.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00165-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet Regional Health - Europe</a>.



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Mental health disorders reduce life expectancy by up to 20 years

Heart disease, not suicide or overdose, is the leading killer of people living with serious mental health conditions. This is the conclusion of a sweeping review led by Viola Vaccarino of Emory University. The experts report that adults with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety die, on average, 10 to 20 years earlier than their peers - largely because of cardiovascular disease.&nbsp; Mental health and life expectancy The cardiovascular penalty attached to common psychiatric diagnoses is substantial. Depression raises the risk of heart...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.uab.edu/home/">University of Alabama Birmingham</a> have demonstrated that a restricted eating schedule is much more beneficial than counting calories. Study participants who cut off eating at 3:00 p.m. everyday not only lost weight, but improved nearly every aspect of their health.

Recent studies have shown that fasting diets, cycling between regular food consumption and fasting, can lead to increased metabolism and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/consistent-weight-loss-success/">weight loss</a>. Periodic fasting has also been linked to remarkable health benefits including a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and aging.

In the current study, the researchers wanted to establish whether the benefits of a fasting diet can be attributed to calorie restriction or to a limited eating schedule. They focused their investigation on a type of intermittent fasting known as early time-restricted feeding (eTRF).

For five weeks, men with prediabetes ate breakfast between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m., and ate dinner no later than 3:00 p.m. The participants fasted for the remaining 18 hours. 

The same group also spent five weeks on a typical American diet, consuming food over the course of 12 hours. The researchers controlled the intake of calories, protein, fats, and nutrients so that it was exactly the same for both trials.

The study revealed that the eTRF diet dramatically improved insulin sensitivity and stabilized blood sugar levels among the participants. The periodic fasting also led to lower blood pressure and oxidative stress levels. 

The men reported that their cravings for snacks in the evening were substantially reduced as well.

Study lead author Professor Courtney Peterson explained that the success of eTRF is likely due to the fact that this particular fasting diet follows the body's natural circadian rhythm. By midday, our metabolism is peaking, but it begins to slow down in the afternoon.


“If you eat late at night, it's bad for your metabolism,” said Professor Peterson. “Our bodies are optimized to do certain things at certain times of the day, and eating in sync with our circadian rhythms seem to improve our health in multiple ways.”

“For instance, our body's ability to keep our blood sugar under control is better in the morning than it is in the afternoon and evening, so it makes sense to eat most of our food in the morning and early afternoon.”

Professor Peterson said that the results of the study indicate that timing is more important than calories when it comes to our metabolic health. Furthermore, the research suggests that eating earlier in the day is an exceptionally beneficial fasting strategy.

The findings of the study may ultimately lead to new ways of preventing Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. 


The research was funded by the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a> (NIH).

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fasting after 3pm linked to lower blood pressure, diabetes risk

Researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham have demonstrated that...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> (UEA) are reporting that major changes in the international trade industry could sabotage plans to reduce global carbon emissions. 

As energy-intensive sectors in countries like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/economic-benefits-climate-china/">China</a> relocate manufacturing plants to regions such as Thailand and Vietnam, CO2 emissions are declining in China yet are drastically rising in these developing countries.

International trade grew by more than 50 percent from 2005 to 2015, and around 60 percent of this increase resulted from rising exports in developing countries. Trade among developing countries, which is referred to as South-South trade, more than tripled in the same time frame - totaling $9.3 trillion in 2014 alone.

The study authors are warning that this growing trend may seriously undermine international efforts to reduce harmful global greenhouse emissions.

“The rapid growth in South-South trade reflects a fragmenting of global supply chains whereby early-production stages of many industries have relocated from countries like China and India to lower-wage economies, a trend that has accelerated since the global financial crisis in 2008,” explained study co-author Dabo Guan.

“In addition to their important implications for global economic development, these trends will affect the magnitude and regional distribution of future global CO2 emissions.”


Despite the sense of urgency for countries to help lower their carbon footprints after the Paris Agreement, the economic boom across South-South trade has been relatively ignored. The team found that the emissions embodied in South-South trade increased from 0.47 gigatons in 2004 to 1.1 gigatons in 2011.

“The carbon intensity of the next phase of global economic development will determine whether ambitious climate targets such as stabilizing at 2 °C will be met, and our findings depict the nascent rise of energy-intensive and emissions-intensive production activities in other Asian countries such as Vietnam and Pakistan,” said Professor Guan.

“The success of international climate mitigation efforts may therefore depend on curtailing growth of coal-based energy and emissions in now-industrializing and urbanizing countries.” 

“Otherwise, countries like China and India may meet their nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement by hollowing out low-value, energy-intensive manufacturing, and offshoring those activities to emerging markets elsewhere in Asia with less stringent climate policy measures.”

"Successfully mitigating climate change therefore urgently depends on decarbonizing not only energy systems in developed countries but also the entire process of industrialization."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global trade boom could stifle efforts to reduce CO2 emissions

Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are reporting...

Exposure to air pollution during the third trimester among pregnant women has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure in their children.

Direct exposure to fine air pollution (PM2.5) was associated with high blood pressure in both children and adults in previous studies, and is a serious cause of illness and premature death worldwide.

Dr. Noel T. Mueller is an assistant professor of Epidemiology at the <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/">Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health</a>.

“Ours is one of the first studies to show breathing polluted air during pregnancy may have a direct negative influence on the cardiovascular health of the offspring during childhood,” said Dr. Mueller. 

“High blood pressure during childhood often leads to high blood pressure in adulthood and hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease.”


The study was focused on data from the Boston Birth Cohort study for 1,293 mothers and their children. The children's blood pressure had been recorded at all of their physical examinations from age three to age nine.

After accounting for other contributors to high blood pressure in childhood, the team found that children who were exposed to higher levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-americans-air-pollution/">fine particle pollution</a> were 61 percent more likely to have elevated systolic blood pressure during childhood compared to those exposed to the lowest level of PM2.5.

“These results reinforce the importance of reducing emissions of PM2.5 in the environment,” said Dr. Mueller. 

“Not only does exposure increase the risk of illness and death in those directly exposed, but it may also cross the placental barrier in pregnancy and effect fetal growth and increase future risks for high blood pressure.”

Air pollution levels were calculated for the residential addresses of the mothers using data from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) air quality monitor for each trimester.

The highest category of PM2.5 concentrations observed in this study were actually lower than the EPA's National Air Quality Standard, which is 12 micrograms per cubic meter.

“The science on the health effects of air pollution is under review by the EPA. The findings of our study provide additional support for maintaining, if not lowering, the standard of 12 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter set in 2012 by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards under the Clean Air Act,” said Dr. Mueller. 

“We need regulations to keep our air clean, not only for the health of our planet but also for the health of our children.”

The study is published in the American Heart Association's journal <a href="http://hyper.ahajournals.org/">Hypertension</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution exposure linked to high blood pressure in kids

Exposure to air pollution during the third trimester among pregnant...

An investigation into the current trend of marijuana and tobacco use has revealed that marijuana use has increased among parents with children in the home. 

While the prevalence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/medical-marijuana-stress-depression/">marijuana</a> use is on the rise in the homes of both tobacco users and non-smokers, cannabis use was found to be almost four times more likely among cigarette smokers.

Study co-author Dr. Renee Goodwin is in the Department of Epidemiology at <a href="https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/">Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health</a>.


“While great strides have been made to reduce children's exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke, those efforts may be undermined by increasing use of cannabis among parents with children living at home,” said Dr. Goodwin.


The researchers analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2002 to 2015. They found that, during these years, cannabis use among parents with children at home increased from five percent to seven percent. Meanwhile, cigarette smoking declined from 28 percent to 20 percent.


Among tobacco users, marijuana use jumped from 11 percent in 2002 to over 17 percent in 2015, and from two percent to four percent across non-cigarette-smoking parents.

Overall, however, there was a drop in the percentage of parents who used cigarettes and/or cannabis from 30 percent in 2002 to 24 percent in 2015.

"While use of either cigarettes or cannabis in homes with children has declined, there was an increase in the percent of homes with both. Therefore, the increase in cannabis use may be compromising progress in curbing exposure to secondhand smoke," explained Dr. Goodwin.

Cannabis use was found to be more prevalent among men and also among younger parents with children in the home. 

The strong link established between current cannabis use and cigarette smoking was similar for all income levels.

“The results of our study support the public health gains in reducing overall child secondhand tobacco smoke but raise other public health concerns about child exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke and especially high risk for combined exposures in certain subpopulations,” said Dr. Goodwin.


One limitation of the study is a lack of information on whether parents are smoking inside or outside. Given the fact that cannabis use is often illegal, it is more likely that marijuana use takes place inside of the home compared to cigarette smoking.

“Efforts to decrease secondhand smoke exposure via cigarette smoking cessation may be complicated by increases in cannabis use,” said Dr. Goodwin. 

“Educating parents about secondhand cannabis smoke exposure should be integrated into public health education programs on secondhand smoke exposure.”

The study is published online in the journal <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/">Pediatrics</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

More parents with children in the house are using marijuana

An investigation into the current trend of marijuana and tobacco...

Sometimes, the person who disappoints you the most is yourself. In a series of new studies, scientists have found that most people list not living their dreams and letting themselves down among their biggest regrets.

“My biggest regret was not going to graduate school when I had the opportunity. I have found success elsewhere and raised my family how I wanted to, but I have always regretted not going,” one 54-year-old study participant told the researchers.

“My biggest regret in life was not pursuing my dream of singing. I followed a traditional route instead and became a teacher,” another study participant, 62, said.

Other regrets shared by study participants included remarrying and moving away from a good job and home, passing on a dream house, declining to go on a research trip, and selling shares in Netflix and Facebook.

The six studies, led by Dr. Shai Davidai of the <a href="https://www.newschool.edu/nssr/">New School for Social Research</a> and Dr. Thomas Gilovich of <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>, sought to explore the differences between people’s “ideal selves” – who people think they should be – and “ought selves” – the persona built out of perceived duties and responsibilities.

Some people’s biggest regrets stem from things they did, such as cheating on a spouse. Other regrets are opportunities passed up because the “ought self” wins out over the “ideal self.” Regrets ranged in intensity from dreams deferred or not visiting a dying relative, to not having more fun in high school.

The researchers found that people were more likely to focus on missed opportunities than past mistakes, however. More participants had resolved their “ought self” regrets than their “ideal self” regrets.

“People are quicker to take steps to cope with failures to live up to their duties and responsibilities (ought-related regrets) than their failures to live up to their goals and aspirations (ideal-related regrets),” Davidai and Gilovich wrote. “As a consequence, ideal-related regrets are more likely to remain unresolved, leaving people more likely to regret not being all they could have been more than all they should have been.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean that people should pursue their dreams at all cost to prevent their biggest regrets, the pair wrote. But the study does show how people’s self-image influences their disappointments.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-21180-001">Emotion</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

What are your biggest regrets? Study looks at disappointment

Sometimes, the person who disappoints you the most is yourself....

Fake news is a problem on Twitter even during the best of times. Now, new research shows how quickly false information can spread during an emergency situation.

The study looked at four false rumors that spread around social media following the Boston Marathon bombing and Superstorm Sandy’s landfall in New York City. One of the included rumors was the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2012/10/31/tech/social-media/sandy-twitter-hoax/index.html">fake news that the New York Stock Exchange had flooded</a> during the monster winter storm-meets-hurricane.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate how apt Twitter users are at debunking falsehoods during disasters. Unfortunately, the results paint a less than flattering picture," said lead author Dr. Jun Zhuang of the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo</a>.

The researchers weren’t able to determine how many people saw the false tweets but chose not to spread them. However, they could look at those who interacted with the tweets and determine whether they spread, questioned or cast doubt on the news. They found that:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">86 to 91 percent of users either “liked” the original tweet or spread it by retweeting it without question.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">5 to 9 percent retweeted or replied with questions about the accuracy of the information.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">1 to 9 percent retweeted or replied and cast doubt on the original tweet, sometimes outright calling it incorrect.</li>
</ul>
Even when false information on Twitter was debunked, less than 10 percent of the users who had retweeted the fake news deleted it, and fewer than 20 percent corrected their mistake with a new tweet.

"These findings are important because they show how easily people are deceived during times when they are most vulnerable and the role social media platforms play in these deceptions," Zhuang said in a press release.

The study, published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-018-3344-6">Natural Hazards</a>, is part of a larger project led by Zhuang and Dr. Janet Yang to study the use of social media during public emergencies and natural disasters. The pair are also studying how false information spreads and what agencies like <a href="https://www.fema.gov/">FEMA</a> are doing to combat fake news.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: PiXXart / <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock.com</a>

Fake news on Twitter causes problems during disasters

Fake news is a problem on Twitter even during the...

If you think your seasonal allergies are worse than usual this year, you may be right – and climate change seems to be behind it.

Climate scientists have been recording earlier starts to spring, warm winters with more rain and snow, and longer growing seasons, which leads to more pollen in the air longer, they said. For the <a href="https://acaai.org/news/facts-statistics/allergies">more than 50 million Americans</a> who struggle with seasonal allergies, that’s bad news.

“Some research has suggested that the warming trend that we have in our environment is causing the pollen seasons to start a little bit earlier, and extend a little bit longer," said Dr. Stanley Fineman, a Georgia allergist and immunologist, told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/">NBC News</a>. 

That longer pollen exposure means allergy sufferers are battling symptoms longer, said Fineman, is is a past president of the <a href="https://acaai.org/">American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology</a>.

The claims are backed by research into seasonal changes in the United States over the past few years. 

Between 1995 and 2011, the pollen season around the U.S. grew longer by 11 to 27 days, according to a report released by the <a href="http://www.aafa.org/page/extreme-allergies-and-climate-change.aspx">Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America</a>. Increased atmospheric carbon encourages plants like ragweed to grow faster and larger, the report noted. Higher carbon levels can actually make pollen that produces a stronger allergic reaction among people who suffer seasonal allergies, the researchers found.

Warming temperatures can affect the protein composition of pollen and fungal spores, the <a href="https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/allergy-library/climate-change">American Academy of Allergy Asthma &amp; Immunology</a> writes on its website. Changes in weather patterns can also affect how pollen spreads.

Tree pollen is also exploding. A video that captured the massive pollen release of a pine tree in Cumberland County, New Jersey <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/massive-pollen-cloud-released-tree-caught-video/story?id=55040001">went viral this week</a> after it was posted on Facebook.

In 2014, a team of climate experts around the country recorded observations about changing climate conditions all over the country. They found that the rise of average global surface temperatures were having an effect inside the U.S. 

“Summers are longer and hotter, and extended periods of unusual heat last longer than any living American has ever experienced. Winters are generally shorter and warmer. Rain comes in heavier downpours,” the team wrote in their peer-reviewed <a href="https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights">National Climate Assessment</a>. “People are seeing changes in the length and severity of seasonal allergies, the plant varieties that thrive in their gardens, and the kinds of birds they see in any particular month in their neighborhoods.”

And while much of the focus this time of year is on seasonal allergies caused by pollen, warmer and wetter winters can also lead to more fungal growth. Fungal spores are another irritant. 

“Flooding and severe storms can result in damp buildings and resultant mold exposure,” the AAAAI website said. “In addition to triggering allergic reactions, increased mold spore exposures have been linked to other lung diseases.”

This spring, there has been a huge jump in the number of people who are suffering seasonal allergies for the first time, the organization told NBC.

Symptoms of seasonal allergies – also called hay fever or allergic rhinitis – include itchy, burning or watery eyes; itchy, stuffy or runny nose; sneezing; and itching of the roof of the mouth. In some cases, seasonal allergies can lead to allergic asthma, which can cause coughing, wheezing and inflamed airways. Seasonal allergies can also raise the risk of sinus infections, bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of allergies or allergic asthma should consult their doctor about relief strategies, from home treatment to over-the-counter or prescription medications. 

Allergy sufferers should avoid pollen during the growing season, by exercising indoors, closing windows and using an air conditioner as needed.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Seasonal allergies intense? Climate change may be to blame

If you think your seasonal allergies are worse than usual...

The rise of <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/artificial-intelligence-earthquakes/">artificial intelligence</a> has many wondering just how will it impact our society, industries, and the economy. 

The quick-self learning of artificial intelligence using complex algorithms could one day help doctors make accurate diagnoses or reduce the number of accidents on the road with safer self- driving cars. 

However, there are also major concerns that as AI becomes more and more a part of our lives, it could have irreversible consequences. 

According to Elon Musk, the inventor, engineer, and billionaire who wants to colonize Mars, AI is humanity’s “biggest existential threat.” 

“I’m increasingly inclined to think that there should be some regulatory oversight, maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we don’t do something very foolish,” Musk told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/27/elon-musk-artificial-intelligence-ai-biggest-existential-threat">the Guardian</a>. 

Musk isn’t alone in thinking that there need to be serious policies put in place to regulate AI. 

A newly published policy report from the <a href="https://policyatmanchester.shorthandstories.com/on_ai_and_robotics/index.html#group-contributors-sIsC15rVAW">University of Manchester</a>, titled “On AI and Robotics: Developing policy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” discusses the potential bias and marginalization that AI could bring. 

Researchers from the<a href="http://www.research.mbs.ac.uk/innovation"> Manchester Institute of Innovation Research</a> conducted the report. 

One of the main arguments of the report is that investments in AI will mostly be paid by taxpayers and as such, there needs to a significant effort made to ensure that the benefits of Artificial Intelligence are shared equally. 

In other words, as artificial intelligence advances, it must do so in a democratic and socially responsible way. 

“In these 'data-driven' decision-making processes some social groups may be excluded, either because they lack access to devices necessary to participate or because the selected datasets do not consider the needs, preferences, and interests of marginalized and disadvantaged people,” said Barbara Ribeiro,  a contributor of the report. 

The report also emphasizes that people need to be better educated on the differences between robotic technology and artificial intelligence. 

“Although the challenges that companies and policymakers are facing with respect to AI and robotic systems are similar in many ways, these are two entirely separate technologies - something which is often misunderstood, not just by the general public, but policymakers and employers too. This is something that has to be addressed,” said Anna Scaife, Co-Director of the University's Policy@Manchester team, who published the report. 

There are numerous potential and positive advancements that could happen with AI and robotics and experts agree that both technologies will have a serious impact on many different fields in the near future. 

The policy report authors hope that this research will convey the wide spectrum of possibilities with AI and robotics, and demonstrate how vital it is for policymakers, regulators, and researchers to ensure that advancements do not come at the expense of any one group of people. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Alexa, how do we make AI socially responsible?

The rise of artificial intelligence has many wondering just how will...

A new survey reveals a recent jump in the number of Republicans who agree that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a> is caused by an increase in carbon emissions from human activities.

Researchers from the<a href="http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/"> Yale Program on Climate Change Communications</a> conducted the research, which included survey responses from 1,067 registered voters.

The goal of the project was to better understand how registered voters from all parties view global warming and climate policies.

The results were reported by <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2018-05-10/political-winds-not-science-sway-conservative-republicans-on-climate-change">U.S. News &amp; World Report</a> and showed a sudden 9-point uptick in registered GOP voters who said they believed climate change was fueled by emissions.

There was a 14-point leap in the liberal and moderate Republican voters who agreed with climate change studies, and there was even a 5-point rise among conservative Republican voters who  feel more must be done to mitigate climate change.

This now means that over <a href="http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/a-majority-of-registered-voters-think-global-warming-is-caused-mostly-by-human-activities/">59 percent of registered voters</a> in the United States believe climate change is driven by humans.

For the Yale researchers, the switch in Republican voters was surprising and the reason, according to U.S. News, is tribal politics. 

It could be argued that with the rise of the Tea Party after Obama’s inauguration, tribal politics drove many Republicans to completely denounce climate change even though a few short years before more than half of conservative Republicans agreed that climate change was a reality.

“The entire Republican Party takes this hard right turn. And on the issue climate change, they go from 'Climate change is real and an official part of our platform' to going all the way out on the last twig of the limb and saying climate change is a hoax,” Anthony Leiserowitz, the director of the Yale climate project, told U.S. News. 

During Obama’s and now Trump’s presidencies, the number of GOP voters who agree with climate change science has varied several times. When President Trump announced he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris Accord, that number dropped.

“Trump and his administration clearly and loudly said that climate change is either a hoax or it's not a serious problem or we're going to pull out of Paris,” said Leiserowitz. “He put [Scott] Pruitt in charge of the EPA, who's going to rescind the Clean Power Plan. So you saw Republican voters in particular falling in line with what their leadership told them.” 

However, the recent survey shows that more and more GOP voters believe in climate change and the president’s standing on climate change haven’t shifted. What is causing the decrease in deniers?

According to Leiserowitz, it’s because focus has shifted to other policies and issues and fewer Republican leaders are discussing climate change as part of their platform.

“When Republican leaders aren't talking about climate change much ... Republican views start to rebound,” said Leiserowitz says. “When they stop talking about it, people forget. They go on with their lives.”

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communications is dedicated to understanding how climate change information “flow[s] between individuals and through societies” and what influences perceptions of climate change.

The recent survey shows that climate change perceptions are not set in stone and that more GOP voters now agree climate change is a man-made problem.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Survey: Recent jump in Republicans who say climate change is real

A new survey reveals a recent jump in the number...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> are reporting that purple voting districts have been underestimated as a contributor to the rising political polarization in state legislature. Despite the politically moderate appearance of these voting districts, the new study has found that this is not the case.

Nolan McCarty is the chair of Princeton's Department of Politics and lead author of the study. He explained that voters in purple districts tend to be highly polarized themselves.

“Our finding calls into question the notion that reformers can reverse legislative polarization by replacing politically homogeneous districts with more competitive, ideologically diverse districts,* said McCarty.


The United States Congress has grown substantially more polarized in the last few decades, but the voters have remained more moderate. This has driven experts to explore the possibility that factors beyond voter preferences are driving legislative polarization, such as primaries and redistricting.

For the current study, the team examined voter preferences and roll call votes in state senate districts. 

The study revealed that Republicans and Democrats representing purple districts take much more extreme positions in legislature compared to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/politicians-voice-impacts-success/">politicians</a> in red and blue districts, who tend to take more central positions. As a result, states with the highest proportion of polarized purple districts also have the highest levels of legislative polarization.

The researchers also found that recent demographic changes have shifted many purple districts from being moderate to containing geographic clusters of liberal and conservative voters, with no large groups of voters in between. 

For example, many suburban districts that were once primarily white and conservative have had entries of liberal Hispanic voters. In addition, conservative rural districts often have large groups of progressive voters, many of them arriving in college and resort towns.

McCarty said his team has “identified a class of districts that are moderate on average without containing large densities of moderates.”

“When candidates compete in these internally polarized districts in heterogeneous suburbs and spatially diverse non-metropolitan areas, they face weak incentives to adopt moderate platforms or build up moderate roll-call voting records,” explained McCarty. 

“Rather, they can cater to primary constituents, donors, activists or other forces that pull the parties away from the ideological center.”

Many reformers believe polarization has grown because districts have become too homogeneous, and their solution is to create diverse, competitive districts.

McCarty said that his study “turns this conventional wisdom on its head. When control of the legislature hinges on fierce competition within internally polarized winner-take-all districts, candidates and parties do not necessarily face incentives for moderation.”


The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/political-science-research-and-methods">Political Science Research and Methods</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Politicians get extreme in purple districts, fueling polarization

Researchers at Princeton University are reporting that purple voting districts...

There are few historical landmarks that garner as much fascination as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

The result of a shallow foundation built in weak soil, the tower’s famous tilt has drawn millions of tourists and baffled scientists over the years. 

How does the tower stay upright and why didn’t it just topple over, especially given the weak soil and the history of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earthquakes-yellowstone-supervolcano/">earthquakes</a> in the area?

Engineers have worked to stabilize the bell tower and in 1990, the site was closed to the public for the next 11 years. Some of the soil was even removed from underneath part of its foundation which actually decreased its tilt.  

Although these stabilization efforts have been successful, there is still the question of how the tower was able to stay put during an earthquake.

Now, a new study has found an answer to why the tower is unaffected by seismic activity and survived at least four major earthquakes that struck the area since 1280. 

A team of 16 researchers led by Camillo Nuti, a professor at <a href="http://www.uniroma3.it/">Roma Tre University</a> conducted the research. 

The team examined the Leaning Tower of Pisa and found that surprisingly the very soil that caused the tower to tilt in the first place is what has kept it firmly in place all these years. 

The results found that something called dynamic soil-structure interaction allows the tower to stay upright. During an earthquake, the inflexibility of the tower and the weak soil stop any seismic resonance from affecting the structure. 

The tower’s relationship with the unstable soil around it is also why the tower didn’t collapse before the restoration efforts went underway. 

“Ironically, the very same soil that caused the leaning instability and brought the Tower to the verge of collapse, can be credited for helping it survive these seismic events,” said George Mylonakis, professor at the University of Bristol.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

The secret to how the Leaning Tower of Pisa sustains earthquakes

There are few historical landmarks that garner as much fascination...

As the United States grapples with an increasingly devastating opioid epidemic, we’ve seen more and more accounts of how damaging these hard drugs can be.

But a new review examining the most up-to-date statistics on substance abuse found that alcohol and tobacco actually pose the biggest threat to human welfare out of all addictive drugs.

The study focused on the burden of death and disease with drug use and in 2015 alone, both alcohol and tobacco use cost the world more than a billion disability-life adjusted years.

The review, which was published in the journal Addiction, shows that tobacco and alcohol use bear the brunt of deaths and illness attributed to drugs around the world. 

Tobacco smoking had the largest health burden while illicit drugs had the smallest. 

The researchers estimate that almost one in seven adults smoke tobacco and one in five adults reported at least one instance of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/college-binge-drinking-brain-activity/">heavy alcohol consumption</a> in the past month. 

In central, eastern, and western Europe, both alcohol consumption and tobacco use were consistently higher compared to other parts of the world. 

In central Europe, for example, the researchers found that people consume 11.61 liters of alcohol per capita and 23.7 percent of the population reported tobacco use. There was also a higher percentage of heavy drinkers in those parts of Europe as well. 

With regard to illicit drugs, the researchers found that drug use was less common, but the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand had the highest rates of cannabis, opioid, and cocaine dependence. 

Even with high numbers reported in Australia, the US, and Canada, the researchers found that less that one in twenty people reported using cannabis in the last year, and those numbers were smaller for opioids or cocaine. 

The researchers were not able to get an accurate estimate of drug, alcohol or tobacco use in regions like Latin America or Africa because of the lack of data on drug use and health burdens. 

The study, despite its limitations, emphasizes the risks of alcohol and tobacco use which present the biggest threat to health and wellbeing worldwide. 

According to the researchers, having all of this data in one place could help governments and international agencies create more effective policies aimed at combating substance abuse

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Report: Tobacco and alcohol pose biggest threat to human health

As the United States grapples with an increasingly devastating opioid...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



-----



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

<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://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







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...

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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

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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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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