Birdwatching was once a quiet, eccentric pastime. Now, it’s a worldwide phenomenon. Travelers go thousands of miles - even to remote places such as the Andes in Colombia - to catch a glimpse of one species. 



In the process, birdwatchers bond with the natural world, interact with fellow travelers, and spend money - lots of it. 



Now, birdwatching is one of the major engines of ecotourism, particularly in the tropics where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/all-birds-one-tree-complete-evolutionary-map-reveals-hidden-links/">bird</a> populations are rich and varied. But according to new research, not every country with rare birds is cashing in on this trend.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-birdwatching-as-a-growing-business">Birdwatching as a growing business</h2>



Over the past decade, birdwatching has gone through the roof. Apps such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/machine-learning-may-solve-the-mystery-of-bird-movements/">eBird</a>, which allow users to record sightings, have made birdwatching a worldwide community. They receive millions of checklists from users who record what birds they have spotted and where.



The data is especially valuable for researchers trying to figure out how birdwatching tourism works - and where it’s growing.



A group of scientists from the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California, Santa Cruz</a> decided to dig into this question. They analyzed eBird records for 155 nations from 2010 to 2022. 



The goal was to learn why birdwatching tourists are drawn to certain places and why others receive more visits than others.



The team started by determining which app users were likely tourists. If a user mostly posted bird sightings in one country but also submitted checklists from others, those other sightings were counted as tourism. 



Next, the researchers built models to analyze which factors were tied to rising tourist activity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-birds-more-tourists">More birds, more tourists?</h2>



You’d think countries with the most birds would attract the most birders. That’s partly true - but it’s not the whole story.



The researchers looked at four main factors to understand what drives birdwatching tourism. First was the total number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-bird-species-face-extinction-risks-in-the-neotropics/">bird species</a> in a country. They also considered the number of small-range species - birds that are found only in a very specific area. 



Beyond <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-biodiversity-crisis-is-actually-worse-than-we-thought/">biodiversity</a>, the team included the Human Development Index, which measures education, health, and income levels. Lastly, they factored in the Global Peace Index, which reflects a country’s overall safety and stability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-influencing-bird-tourism">Factors influencing bird tourism </h2>



The analysis showed that the most important factor wasn’t birds - it was development. A country’s Human Development Index explained 41.4 percent of the variation in bird tourism. 



Species richness came in second at 22.4 percent. Small-range species mattered too, but not as much. Surprisingly, safety had only a minor influence - just 1.4 percent.



That means tourists care more about basic infrastructure and services than they do about peace rankings. They want to go somewhere that’s easy to travel in, not necessarily somewhere that’s totally safe on paper.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-colombia-takes-the-lead">Colombia takes the lead</h2>



One of the biggest winners in the study was Colombia. Since 2010, birding activity in the country has grown 40 times over. 



The country also saw the biggest growth in tourist birdwatching, specifically. Colombia now holds a much bigger slice of the global birding pie than it did a decade ago.



South Africa ranked second in growth overall. Other countries, like Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru, also scored high in both visitation and biodiversity.



But some tropical countries, including Venezuela, Bolivia, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, barely saw any growth - even though they have incredible birds.



The gap is especially striking between Colombia and Venezuela. Both have rich bird life and similar development scores, but their tourism outcomes couldn’t be more different.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-working-and-what-isn-t">What’s working - and what isn’t</h2>



Part of Colombia’s success might come down to smart promotion. The country’s tourism agency launched a major campaign to boost birdwatching. 



Meanwhile, places like Costa Rica have spent years building infrastructure - trails, towers, trained guides - and focusing on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/travelers-are-ready-for-more-affordable-eco-friendly-options/">sustainable travel</a>. That kind of investment pays off.



On the other hand, some countries just haven’t built the conditions needed to welcome tourists, even if they have world-class birds. 



The study also suggests other factors might be in play: ease of getting visas, how affordable flights are, how a country is seen politically, and how well-connected it is to major tourist source countries like the U.S.



“Over the years, we’ve seen Colombia really explode as a birdwatching destination, and we often asked ourselves why more countries aren’t similarly recognized as great places for birdwatching,” said Scott Winton, a UC Santa Cruz ecologist and study coauthor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-birdwatching-as-a-business-opportunity">Birdwatching as a business opportunity</h2>



The researchers say there are ways to grow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birdwatching-boosts-alaskas-economy-by-hundreds-of-millions/">birdwatching tourism</a> - especially for countries in the tropics with untapped potential.



One important takeaway: it’s not all or nothing. A nation doesn’t necessarily have to be completely developed or 100% secure to attract birders. What is more important is whether certain areas are perceived as safe, boast trained local guides, and provide minimal amenities.



To get there, governments can facilitate the growth of birding tourism by providing tax incentives or low-interest loans to facilitate the construction of birding trails, canopy towers, and viewing hides. 



Investing in guide training can also go a long way, particularly if locals are equipped with bird identification and customer service knowledge. Preserving bird habitats is important, as ecotourism relies on maintaining these areas intact. 



Furthermore, investing in small, community-based tourism enterprises with incentives for sustainable activities can help make birding tourism more accessible and inclusive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-birdwatching-biodiversity-and-income">Birdwatching, biodiversity, and income</h2>



Birdwatching isn’t a shortcut to success. It requires long-term thinking. Natural habitats take years to recover if they’re destroyed, but tourism built around nature can last for generations. Still, it’s not a decision governments should make alone.



“Just as I’ve seen birding tourism change people’s lives in my native Colombia, I hope other tropical countries can come together to conserve and showcase their amazing bird capital,” said Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela, the study’s lead author.



Ultimately, local and Indigenous communities should have the final say. When they lead, and when the land is protected, birdwatching can be more than a hobby - it can be a way to protect biodiversity and build lasting income in places that need it most.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pan3.70105">People and Nature</a>.



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Birdwatching is big business, but not all countries benefit

Birdwatching was once a quiet, eccentric pastime. Now, it’s a worldwide phenomenon. Travelers go thousands of miles - even to remote places such as the Andes in Colombia - to catch a glimpse of one species. In the process, birdwatchers bond with the natural world, interact with fellow travelers, and spend money - lots of it. Now, birdwatching is one of the major engines of ecotourism, particularly in the tropics where bird populations are rich and varied. But according to new research, not every country with rare...

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.cheori.org/">Eastern Ontario Research Institute</a> have found a link between social media use and sleep deprivation in teens. The study was focused on over 5,000 Canadian students between the ages of 11 and 20. The experts demonstrated that greater use of social media directly corresponded with a lack of sleep.

This research adds to a growing collection of evidence that screen time is having a negative effect on young adults. For example, a recent analysis from <a href="https://www.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State University</a> revealed that students who spent more time online were <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-phones-less-happy/">less happy</a> than those who engaged more often in non-screen activities. The researchers believe that screen time is driving unhappiness, and not the other way around.

For the current study, 63.6 percent of participants reported sleeping less than recommended, while 73.4 percent of students reported using social media for at least one hour per day.

In a separate study, researchers at the <a href="http://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh</a> found that sleep deprivation lowers activity in the brain's reward system. They demonstrated that a chronic lack of sleep drives both depression and addiction, particularly in teens. In addition, sleep deprivation can cause major health issues including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
“The impact social media can have on sleep patterns is a topic of great interest given the well-known adverse effects of sleep deprivation on health,” said senior author Dr. Jean-Philippe Chaput. “Electronic screen devices are pervasive in today's society and we are just starting to understand their risks and benefits.”

The current study is published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1651-2227">Acta Paediatrica</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Teens are literally losing sleep over social media

Researchers from the Eastern Ontario Research Institute have found a...

Our DNA contains specialized sections known as telomeres, which allow chromosomes to be accurately copied during cell division. As our cells divide over time, our telomeres shorten, which results in a gradual loss of genomic stability. Loss of telomere length has been linked to cancer, heart disease, cognitive decline, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/anti-aging-hormone/">aging</a>, and premature death. Needless to say, maintaining longer telomere length is likely to be important to our overall health.

A study from <a href="https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/">Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health</a> has found that air pollution may shorten telomere length in newborns. The research team analyzed telomere length in the umbilical cord blood of 255 newborns. Half of the newborns were born before the closure of a coal-burning plant in Tongliang, China in 2004, while the other half were conceived and born after. 

High levels of air pollution in Tongliang resulted in the government shutting down the local coal-burning power plant in 2004 in an effort to improve community health. 

The study’s findings showed that babies born pre-closure had higher levels of PAH-DNA cord adducts, which is a biomarker for exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons are a toxic component of air pollution from coal plants. Increased levels of these adducts in cord blood were linked to shorter telomeres, as well as lower levels of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) – a protein involved in neuronal growth.

“An individual’s telomere length at birth is known to influence their risk for disease decades later during adulthood,” says Deliang Tang, professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School. “Further follow-up is needed to assess the role telomere length plays in health outcomes in the context of early life exposure to air pollution.”

The researchers did not find any association between telomere length and developmental score in the 210 children they tested at age 2. However, they stress that this finding does not rule out telomere length-related neurodevelopmental problems as the children age. In previously published research, the authors found that newborns born after the plant closure had lower levels of PAH-DNA adducts, lower rates of various health outcomes, and increased levels of BDNF.

“The new study adds to the evidence that closing this coal-burning power plant was beneficial to the health and future well-being of newborns there,” says Frederica Perera, director of the <a href="http://ccceh.org/">Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health</a> and a professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School. “Moreover, we know that lowering exposure to air pollution anywhere will be beneficial to children's health and long-term potential.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution linked to newborns with shortened telomeres

Our DNA contains specialized sections known as telomeres, which allow...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> and the <a href="http://www.uva.nl/">University of Amsterdam</a> have investigated how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-healthy-self-esteem/">children</a> between 5 and 6 years old perceive people of other races. They found that a child's environment, rather than skin color, has the biggest impact on how they view others.

The outcome of this research challenges the theory that feelings of prejudice develop early in childhood. Furthermore, the study revealed that the extent to which children adopted prejudiced beliefs depended on the environments in which they were raised. Such beliefs were particularly affected by the diversity in a child's neighborhood.

“Our findings suggest that beliefs about race develop over time and in response to particular environments,” said lead author Tara M. Mandalaywala. “And that these beliefs vary for children of different backgrounds.”

The investigation was focused on 203 children living in New York City and 430 adults from across the United States. The participants were asked whether they saw skin color as something that could be inherited, and whether they believed that race determines what people will grow up to be like.

The study revealed that children viewed skin color as something that was inherited, and that the younger participants did not support the types of beliefs about skin color that contributed to stereotyping in adults. Instead, this group believed that the environment in which another individual was raised would determine their behavioral and psychological properties.

In addition, children who grew up in less diverse neighborhoods held stronger beliefs that race determined behavior than children in more diverse neighborhoods. This indicated to the researchers that these types of beliefs are primarily affected by a child's environment.

“Our research suggests that beliefs about race that contribute to prejudice take a long time to develop - when they do - and that their development depends to some extent on the neighborhoods in which children grow up,” said study co-author Marjorie Rhodes. “An important question our study raises is whether such attitudes in children are responsive to exposure to diversity in child care and school settings as well as to diversity in neighborhood environments.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-8624">Child Development</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Children judge others by their behavior, not race

Researchers from New York University and the University of Amsterdam...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grown-penguins-mooch-parents/">Millennials</a> are often accused of being selfish, lazy, and delaying the realities of growing up, but new research could redefine exactly when adolescents cross into adulthood. 

Young adults today are studying longer, leaving home later, and getting married and older ages. By all accounts, the young adult is settling into the classic definitions of “adulthood” much later in life than previous generations. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.rch.org.au/">Royal Children's Hospital</a> in Melbourne, Australia say this should be taken into account when defining adolescence, and that the ages from puberty to adulthood should be 10 to 24 years old instead of 14 to 19 years old.

These days puberty starts earlier, which is part of what motivated the Melbourne team to look into what ages would better suit the gap between childhood and adulthood. 

The researchers published their findings in the Lancet Child &amp; Adolescent Health Journal.

Even though puberty starts earlier, the research also highlights the changing perceptions of adulthood, and how many millennials are now delaying typical adult milestones like parenthood and marriage.

Not only will extending adolescence to 24 years of age reflect the evolution of adulthood in today’s younger generations, but also will help ensure policies properly support young people.

“'Although many adult legal privileges start at age 18 years, the adoption of adult roles and responsibilities generally occurs later,” said Susan Sawyer, first author of the paper. “An expanded and more inclusive definition of adolescence is essential for developmentally appropriate framing of laws, social policies, and service systems.” 

Of course, not everyone agrees with Sawyer, as some experts are concerned that extending the ages of adolescence will further hinder development and the transition to adulthood.  

But regardless of personal opinion on these changes, the new research could simply help characterize what appears to be an undeniable trend.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The ages of adolescence are now being redefined

Millennials are often accused of being selfish, lazy, and delaying...

A new study has revealed that too much screen time makes teenagers unhappy. The young adults who spent more time on activities such as playing games on a computer, using social media, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/addiction-smartphones-imbalances-brain/">texting</a> were found to be significantly less happy than those who invested more time in non-screen activities such as playing sports and engaging in face-to-face conversation.

Jean M. Twenge is a psychology professor at <a href="https://www.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State University</a> and the study's lead author. She said that teens whose eyes are habitually glued to their smartphones are markedly unhappier.

The research team collected data from the Monitoring the Future (MtF) longitudinal study, which surveyed more than a million 8th, 10th, and 12th-graders in the United States. The students reported on how often they spent time on their phones, tablets, and computers, and answered questions about non-screen social interactions and their overall happiness.


Based on the results of the study, Twenge believes that screen time is driving unhappiness and not the other way around.

“Although this study can't show causation, several other studies have shown that more social media use leads to unhappiness, but unhappiness does not lead to more social media use,” said Twenge.

The study revealed that eliminating screen time altogether does not lead to happiness either. The happiest teens used digital media just under an hour each day. 

“The key to digital media use and happiness is limited use,” Twenge said. “Aim to spend no more than two hours a day on digital media, and try to increase the amount of time you spend seeing friends face-to-face and exercising--two activities reliably linked to greater happiness.”

After looking at trends in teenagers since the 1990s, the research team noted that the advancement of screen devices corresponded with a decline in the levels of happiness reported by teens. They found that young adults had noticeably lower life satisfaction after 2012, which is the same year that there was a significant jump in how many Americans owned smartphones.

“By far the largest change in teens' lives between 2012 and 2016 was the increase in the amount of time they spent on digital media, and the subsequent decline in in-person social activities and sleep,” said Twenge. “The advent of the smartphone is the most plausible explanation for the sudden decrease in teens' psychological well-being.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/emo/">Emotion.</a>

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Teens who are addicted to their phones are less happy

A new study has revealed that too much screen time...

The Pentagon and the Empire State Building are both decades old, but parts of the two iconic buildings are a whole lot older. About 340 million years old, to be exact, made by ancient microbes that predated the dinosaurs.

Oolitic limestone has been used in the construction of buildings all over the globe, including the Empire State Building and the Pentagon. The popular material is made up primarily of tiny, millimeter-sized spheres of carbonate known as “ooids.”

Now, a new study led by researchers at the <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a> found that ooids are not made up of layers of sediments, as previously believed. Instead, they’re layer upon layer of mineralized microbes.

"We have proposed a radically different explanation for the origin of ooids that explains their definitive features," Dr. Bob Burne, a co-researcher in the study, said in a press release. "Our research has highlighted yet another vital role that microbes play on Earth and in our lives."

Oolitic limestone has been found all over the world, in the U.S., Europe, China and Australia. 

Because the limestone is sturdy and lightweight, humans have been using it as a building material for millennia. Along with the Empire State Building and the Pentagon – both made with Mississippian oolitic limestone – the stone has been used in the construction of Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the British Museum and much of the city of Bath in England.

The researchers found their mathematical formula for analyzing the limestone’s ooids in an unlikely place: neuroscience.

"Our mathematical model explains the concentric accumulation of layers, and predicts a limiting size of ooids," said Dr. Murray Batchelor, a co-researcher from ANU. "We considered the problem theoretically using an approach inspired by a mathematical model developed in 1972 for the growth of some brain tumors."

The team’s research has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18908-4">Scientific Reports</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a>

Empire State Building, Pentagon built with ancient microbes

The Pentagon and the Empire State Building are both decades...

Nature has many positive effects on health and well-being, and now new studies show that it also helps improve body image. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reshaping-body-image-resolution/">Body image</a> constitutes all the perceptions, thoughts, and assumptions that we have about our physicality and appearance.

A negative body image can be detrimental to confidence and happiness, especially in extreme cases when it leads to eating disorders and body dysmorphia.

But now, the journal Body Image has published a paper comprising of five different studies that examined the effect nature had on positive body image. The research was conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.anglia.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a>, <a href="http://www.perdanauniversity.edu.my/">Perdana University in Malaysia</a>, and <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>.

Several of the studies even showed that a person could experience the positive effects of nature on body image without actually going outside, but instead looking at photographs of scenic natural landscapes. 

Three of the studies used photographs of natural and built environments. Student participants were shown the pictures and had a more positive outlook on their own body image after looking at the natural environment images. 

The final two studies asked volunteers to walk around outdoor park areas and built environments, such as a busy city street around London’s Hampstead Heath. 

The results were similar with the first three studies in that being in a more natural environment such as a park, improved body image for the participants. 

The researchers found that nature may have this effect because it is distracting, and being outdoors can help keep things in perspective, allowing for self-love and appreciation. 

“There are several reasons why exposure to nature could be having this effect on positive body image,” said Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at <a href="https://www.anglia.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> and lead author of the report. “It might be that it distances people, physically and mentally, from appearance-focused situations that are one of the causes of negative body image.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Nature helps promote a positive body image

Nature has many positive effects on health and well-being, and...

The internet may be forever changing the nature of many people’s relationship with religion, according to a new study by Paul M McClure, a sociologist, and researcher. 

McClure, a doctoral student at <a href="https://www.baylor.edu/">Baylor University</a>, found that smartphone and internet use has led more people to pick and choose what parts of a religion they wish to follow, rather than sticking exclusively to one specific set of beliefs.

This à la carte way of looking at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/religion-trumps-politics-when-it-comes-to-the-environment/">religion</a> is known as “religious tinkering,” and it’s a concept that’s been studied before.  

“Tinkering means that people feel they’re no longer beholden to institutions or religious dogma,” explained McClure. “Today, perhaps in part because many of us spend so much time online, we’re more likely to understand our religious participation as free agents who can tinker with a plurality of religious ideas.” 

The study, “Tinkering with Technology and Religion in the Digital Age,” was published in the  Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

McClure collected data from the Wave III of Baylor Religion Survey to show how the internet, social media, and smartphones had influenced religious habits and preferences. 

The nationwide survey included 1,714 adults ages 18 and older, and took into account TV use and internet habits. Respondents were also asked about religious affiliation and how much time was spent on religious activities. 

The results show that the more time spent on the internet, the less likely it is for a person to claim to be exclusive to a single religion or be affiliated with a formal religion. 

The findings also show that TV watching was linked to less time spent on religious activities, but internet use did not affect religious activities. 

According to McClure, the internet is drastically changing religious beliefs and how people perceive and understand religion. He also notes that this study presents an opportunity for future research on how the internet shapes religion.  

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

The internet has led people to mix and match religious beliefs

The internet may be forever changing the nature of many...

Many see the age of exploration as part of a romanticized past, something dead and gone.  We have maps of the world that are seemingly very complete.  Satellite photos of any part of Earth are not uncommon.  Long gone are the times when an explorer could set sail in a ship without any idea of what was to be encountered.  All the continents have been found, the islands where no one’s yet set foot are small and remote.  In fact it’s almost impossible to know if someone has visited a place or not unless like a mountain summit it’s exceedingly hard to reach.

I would argue that as the classical, romanticized era of exploration ends, so begins a new golden age of exploration.  Exploring can mean discovering new animals, plants, fossils or intimate geographic features that can’t be seen (yet) from a satellite image.  There are fossil remains buried everywhere, even on private ranches in the US, sometimes one comes to light from simple highway construction digging it up.  A New ant species was once discovered in an office in Harvard.  There are wonders unknown to science all around us.  To me even these common place discoveries are a form of real exploration.

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/public-agrees-oceans-trouble/">ocean</a> of course is a mystery lapping at every land mass in the world; a dark abyss filled with an alien geology and biology.  Exploration of the ocean will still take many years of submarine, SCUBA and boat work.  There is little known about the deepest parts of the sea and many nooks and crannies are equally open for exploration.

What I mainly want to talk about is a form of exploration I know even better than the paleontology work I’ve done.  I want to talk about a form of exploration that any brave soul with a reasonable fitness level could carry out.  Caves lie hidden throughout the US and the world.  Caves can be everything from aquifers full of live giving water to pockets full of ancient crystals discovered by mine excavation.  There are tiny caves that can barely fit a human to caves hundreds of miles long.  What is it like exploring caves?

Cave exploration is often casual.  Many cave maps are made by National Speleological Society members creating maps for little more than their own recreation.  This doesn’t mean that cave surveying isn’t precise.  The same techniques I learned to survey mudstone caves in western Colorado applied to surveying as a volunteer for the National Park Service in South Dakota or for Northern Arizona University near the Grand Canyon.  There just isn’t a huge demand for most cave maps and there isn’t a lot of organization put into cataloging cave surveys or maps.  Most cave mapping work is unpaid and carried out by dedicated volunteers who find fulfillment in the work itself.  Making the first summit of a mountain peak is more glamorous than exploring a virgin cave passage but not necessarily more exciting.  Mountains are obvious to those who don’t climb them; sometimes you can see a peak rising through snow and fog, beckoning.  Caves look like little more than dark holes from the outside, no one knows how far or how hard they are to explore until they go in.  

Cave exploration is dark.  Turn off all the lights in your house on the darkest night.  Caves are darker.  Close your eyes and stand in an empty closet with all the lights off in your house on the darkest night; that’s about as dark as a cave with no flashlight.  We are used to needing to bring food and water (or a way to obtain these) with us on outdoor excursions.  Often maps, compasses and/or a GPS are essential to safely travelling out of doors.  In a cave, a light source is as essential as water, food or a good map.  Without a light, you won’t usually find your way out of a cave of any length; things can quickly become confusing to the uninitiated even with a light source.  Cave explorers who have been underground for long periods sometimes report vivid hallucinations in the dark.  Laying in a small crack hidden in the back of a lava tube cave in Northern Arizona, I turned off my light for thirty minutes, after a while I almost believed I could see dots of light that weren’t there.  Reality seems to become porous in dark silence by yourself, separated from the world above by solid, thick, sound-swallowing stone.

Cave exploration is exhausting.  Imagine crawling for hours, squeezing through tiny tubes of stone, elbowing your way up, over, down, and around boulders.  Imagine pulling yourself up a hundred feet of rope with a small device that slides up but not down.  Imagine hunching and walking as quickly as you can down a small passageway, ducking sharp rock formations.  Time can be of the essence in cave exploration, especially in the larger caves where you have to travel a long distance to get to the unexplored “frontier” with only the supplies you can carry.  In Jewel Cave, when I was practicing/training to make a long exploration expedition, we travelled for over 12 exhausting hours just to map small side passageways that didn’t go much of anywhere.  One passage we travelled through in Jewel was called “The Miseries” you can imagine why.

Cave exploration is rewarding.  I spent days digging mud from the bottom of a cave passage with my friend Matt.  In the end we were rewarded by discovering a small but gorgeous room.  Long, delicate soda straws hung from the ceiling, dripping water on a floor where no humans had set foot before.

Cave exploration can also damage caves if one is not careful or adequately trained.  I’ve seen my share of graffiti in caves but even touching a wall with a bare hand can leave oils that destroy cave formations.  Moving from one cave to another without properly disinfecting equipment can spread White Nose Syndrome, a disease deadly to already imperiled bats.

The best way to learn about cave exploration and participate is to look up a local grotto (cave club) in your area online, as there are more grottos out there than you may imagine.    

--     

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Caves and the new age of exploration

Many see the age of exploration as part of a...

Researchers at <a href="http://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> have identified a collection of small adaptations in our bodies that may help to explain how humans have evolved to live longer. The study is focused on the significance of a protein called p62.

There are many cells, such as those that reside within the human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-records-body-weight/">brain</a>, which need to last an entire lifetime. In order to survive, our cells have developed ways of defending themselves. A process called autophagy, for example, collects and removes damaged cell components.

“As we age, we accumulate damage in our cells and so it is thought that activating autophagy could help us treat older people suffering from dementia,” said lead author Dr. Viktor Korolchuk. “In order to be able to do this we need to understand how we can induce this cell cleaning.”

The research team managed to demonstrate how a protein called p62 is triggered to start the process of autophagy. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are byproducts of our metabolism that cause damage in the cell, can activate p62. The protein senses ROS and removes the damage it leaves behind, allowing the cell to survive the stress.

Although fruit flies do not naturally have p62, the researchers modified fruit flies with a human form of p62 for their study. These “humanized” flies survived longer in conditions of stress. 

“This tells us that abilities like sensing stress and activating protective processes like autophagy may have evolved to allow better stress resistance and a longer lifespan,” said Dr. Korolchuk.

The study revealed that certain mutations in human p62 can prevent activation of p62 by ROS, leaving the cells unable to induce autophagy. According to the researchers, this may be the underlying cause of the premature death of neurons in patients with a neurodegenerative disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The discovery of human adaptations like p62 help to explain how humans are living longer lives, and allows for a better understanding of how we can protect against age-related diseases.

The study is published in <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

How humans evolved to live longer lives

Researchers at Newcastle University have identified a collection of small...

Research scientist Emile Bruneau observed many reactions toward Muslims following the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, and set out to determine which tactics could effectively demonstrate that Muslims as a group cannot be blamed for such tragedies. Bruneau discovered that exposing hypocrisy was the best approach to help reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/economic-hardship-racial-discrimination/">prejudice</a>.

“People tend toward sharing empathy-inducing techniques on social media,” said Bruneau, “because we think that the best way to change someone's opinion is to pull on their heart strings. However, our research indicates that the best way to change someone's heart is to change their mind first.”

Bruneau and his colleagues at the <a href="https://www.asc.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication</a> evaluated 60 real-world video clips that had been used on social media to combat collective blame. The team narrowed this collection down to 8 video clips and presented them to 2,000 non-Muslim Americans. The study participants were first questioned on their beliefs about Muslims and their collective responsibility.

The researchers found that the most effective video was an Al Jazeera interview with a Muslim woman who said that blaming all Muslims for a terror attack is like blaming all Christians for the actions of Westboro Baptist Church or the KKK. Participants who viewed this clip were the only ones to report a significant reduction in collective blame.

Bruneau pointed out that accusing people of hypocrisy outright will usually result in a “defensive backlash right away.” Because of this, the researchers developed a second phase of the study in which they designed a method to help people recognize their own hypocrisy.

Participants were asked to read short biographies of three American white supremacists and mass murderers and then report on how responsible they felt that white Americans are for their actions. The individuals then read short biographies of individual Muslims and were ultimately asked, “How responsible should all Muslims be for an individual's act of terror?”

Compared to the control group, 50 percent fewer participants blamed all Muslims after completing the activities

“This activity is very gentle, and it allows people to come to a conclusion on their own, without setting off their brain's threat sensors,” said Bruneau.

“Although the conventional wisdom is that attitude change is difficult to achieve and even harder to maintain, these interventions suggest that when people are provided with the awareness of their own inconsistencies and the tools to change their minds, they can readily do so.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Calling out hypocrisy could help change prejudiced attitudes

Research scientist Emile Bruneau observed many reactions toward Muslims following...

Wildfires, extreme storms, and major weather events are happening much more frequently as the Earth’s climate changes. Researchers at the <a href="http://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> set out to determine how people's perception of global climate change is affecting their mental health.

The study revealed that some people are not impacted much by the threat of global climate change, yet others are dealing with high levels of stress and even depression.

Sabrina Helm is an associate professor of Family and Consumer Science and an author of the study. Helm pointed out that while extensive research has explored the environmental impacts of climate change,  few studies have investigated the psychological impacts.

The research team discovered that the psychological effects of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-humidity/">climate change</a> directly corresponded with how much people cared about the environment. People with the highest concern for the planet's species were found to be experiencing the most stress.

The researchers identified three different types of environmental concern. Egoistic concern is based on how the environment directly affects the individual. Altruistic concern is a general concern for humanity, including future generations. Biospheric concern is that for nature, including plants and animals.

An online survey of 342 parents with young children revealed that biospheric concern corresponded with the highest rates of stress. Those participants with altruistic or egoistic concerns did not report feeling stressed regarding climate change. Those with biospheric concern were also found to be more likely to experience depression in response to the changing environment.

“People who worry about animals and nature tend to have a more planetary outlook and think of bigger picture issues,” said Helm. 

“For them, the global phenomenon of climate change very clearly affects these bigger picture environmental things, so they have the most pronounced worry, because they already see it everywhere. We already talk about extinction of species and know it's happening. For people who are predominantly altruistically concerned or egoistically concerned about their own health, or maybe their own financial future, climate change does not hit home yet.”

Hound said that climate change has more obvious physical and mental health impacts after extreme events like hurricanes, but that more attention needs to be given to the mental health of people in everyday life.

“Understanding that there are differences in how people are motivated is very important for finding ways to address this, whether in the form of intervention or prevention,” said Helm.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/global-environmental-change">Global Environmental Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change impacting mental health across the globe

Wildfires, extreme storms, and major weather events are happening much...

<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...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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