Aging is not equal for everyone. Some people stay healthier for longer, while others decline faster. A team from USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology has uncovered one reason why: education. 



Their study shows that Americans with less schooling are aging more quickly than those with college degrees. And the gap between the two groups has almost doubled in just three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biological-age-is-different-from-years">Biological age is different from years</h2>



Counting birthdays only tells us how much time has gone by, but it doesn’t reveal how healthy someone truly is. Biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-puberty-linked-to-higher-long-term-aging-risks/">age</a> fills that gap by looking inside the body. 



It measures how organs work, how resilient systems remain, and how much stress or damage has built up over time. Doctors and researchers use indicators like blood pressure, kidney function, cholesterol, inflammation, and other markers to estimate it. 



This is why two people who are both 65 can look very different biologically. One may show the profile of a 55-year-old with strong organs and low disease risk, while another may resemble someone 75, with higher vulnerability to illness and disability. 



Unlike the number of years that a person has lived, biological age tells us how well or poorly a body is actually <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/womens-egg-cells-shield-dna-from-the-effects-of-aging/">aging</a>.



“Biological age gives us a clearer picture of health than chronological age,” said <a href="https://www.usc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USC University</a> Professor Eileen Crimmins, the study’s senior author. “It helps us understand who is likely to stay healthy longer and who may be at higher risk for disease and disability.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-education-gap-in-aging-grows">Education gap in aging grows</h2>



The researchers studied adults aged 50 to 79 across two time spans: the late 1980s and early 1990s, and then 2015 through 2018. They found improvement in everyone. But the well-educated gained the most ground.



In the early years, the biological age difference between those without a high school diploma and college graduates was about one year. By the recent period, that difference reached nearly two years.



“This means that people with more education have slower biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-experimenting-with-new-approach-to-fight-and-stop-human-aging-necrosis/">aging</a> than everyone else,” said Mateo Farina, assistant professor at the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Texas at Austin</a>. “The improvements we see in population health are not being shared equally.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-schooling-matters">Why schooling matters</h2>



Schooling sets the stage for the rest of life. It affects jobs, income, neighborhoods, and even which doctors people can see. It also ties to behavior. People with more education smoke less and exercise more.



The researchers tested whether smoking, obesity, or medication use could explain the widening gap - but education itself remained the main driver.



“Education shapes opportunities and risks throughout life,” Crimmins explained. “It’s a powerful social determinant of health, and it is leaving a mark on how fast or slow our bodies age.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-education-leads-to-faster-aging">Less education leads to faster aging</h2>



The study warns that those with less schooling will not only die sooner but also spend more years living with disease and disability. That means extra strain on families, communities, and healthcare systems.



“This isn’t just a matter of individual choice; it’s a social issue,” Farina said. “If we want to reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-slow-aging-right-down-to-your-dna/">health</a> disparities, we need to think about education as a public health investment.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inequality-in-aging-will-keep-growing">Inequality in aging will keep growing</h2>



Even though every group studied showed some improvement in biological aging, the rate of progress was not the same. People with college degrees benefited the most, which means the advantages were not shared equally. 



Those with less education improved too, but the gains were smaller, leaving them further behind.



At the same time, obesity rates are climbing across all groups. This rise could weaken or even reverse the improvements in aging that researchers observed. 



New medical treatments and technologies may help, but if only the more educated or wealthier groups have better access to them, the gap will become even larger.



The research makes one clear point: aging is not only about individual habits or inherited genes. It is also about education and the chances that come with it - or the barriers that limit people. 



Without policies or actions that address these differences, the divide in how Americans age will continue to expand, creating an even bigger split between groups based on education.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/demography/article/doi/10.1215/00703370-12175545/402044/Increasing-Educational-Inequality-in-Biological" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Demography</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Why education matters for healthy aging and longevity

Aging is not equal for everyone. Some people stay healthier for longer, while others decline faster. A team from USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology has uncovered one reason why: education. Their study shows that Americans with less schooling are aging more quickly than those with college degrees. And the gap between the two groups has almost doubled in just three decades. Biological age is different from years Counting birthdays only tells us how much time has gone by, but it doesn’t reveal how healthy someone truly...

What if we could see just how much a new smartphone or sushi lunch will affect wildlife? Now we can, thanks to new maps of consumer hotspots that put wildlife at risk.

Dr. Daniel Moran of the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a> paired up with his colleague, Dr. Keiichiro Kanemoto of <a href="http://www.shinshu-u.ac.jp/english/">Shinshu University</a>, to tackle the problem.

They created a new technique that examines global supply chains to identify where they cause threats to animals species, and analyze how. Then they mapped out each country’s consumer hotspots across the globe.

“Locating biodiversity threat hotspots driven by consumption of goods and services can help to connect conservationists, consumers, companies and governments in order to better target conservation actions,” Moran and Kanemoto wrote in an <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-016-0023">article</a> published this week.

In other words, the major players can tackle threats like deforestation in a way that leaves everyone all satisfied. And the maps help identify threats to wildlife and what is causing them, allowing those players to take action.

Moran and Kanemoto focused on 6,803 vulnerable and endangered animal species listed by the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> and <a href="http://www.birdlife.org/">BirdLife International</a>. Then they looked at the threats each species faced, such as deforestation. Finally, they followed the chain of events to the ultimate consumer.

That way, they could determine which consumer hotspots were causing a ripple effect down the global supply chain.

The tool lets you look at a country and see where its consumer habits have the largest effect.

For example, the U.S. is a consumer hotspot that causes threats to species in Mexico, Madagascar, the Sahel region of Africa, Southeast Asia, Spain, Central America, and elsewhere.

For marine species, Southeast Asia was the primary consumer hotspot. The region’s fishing industry feeds not just that area, but people in the U.S. and the European Union.

The two scientists hope that their work will help countries and consumers take more effective steps toward conserving endangered species.

“Maps of species threat hotspots can thus help all actors, from producers and conservationists to final consumers, to focus solutions on targeted biodiversity hotspots,” they wrote.

The pair published their research in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

New maps show consumer hotspots that threaten endangered species

What if we could see just how much a new...

One of winter’s greatest dangers: those icy sidewalks that send you slipping, sliding, and maybe falling.

A little salt makes them a lot less treacherous – but it may be harming the local environment, too. The <a href="https://www.soils.org/">Soil Science Society of America</a> posted a new warning on its blog <a href="https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/">Soils Matter</a> about overuse of the useful mineral.

“The most commonly used item for managing ice is road salt, or sodium chloride. While this salt does melt ice, when overused or mismanaged, it can become a serious environmental pollutant,” wrote blog contributor Mary Tiedeman, a doctoral student in soil microbiology.

The U.S. applies between 10 to 20 million tons of salt to roadways and sidewalks every winter, she noted, citing research by the <a href="http://www.caryinstitute.org/">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a>. Salt is such a popular deicer because it’s cheap, available, and effective.

But salt meant for wintery roads and icy sidewalks can end up elsewhere, including in soil, Tiedeman said. It can bounce away during application, be washed away by melting snow and ice, or blow away during strong winds.

And that’s bad news for topsoil.

“Once deposited, components of salts, particularly sodium ions, can wreak havoc on soil systems. They do this by reducing soils’ ability to retain plant nutrients and water, and maintain soil structure,” Tiedeman wrote.

Sodium contamination and the breakdown of soil structure makes it harder for water to flow through soil. The top layer can also wash away through erosion more easily. Once salt is in the soil, it can take years to become diluted enough that it’s no longer causing harm.

Too much salt can also be toxic to most plant species.

The best way to avoid damaging the soil and staying safe this winter is to be proactive, Tiedeman wrote.

Shoveling quickly after snowfall means the snow has less time to become ice, she said. That means you can use less salt to deice. Wetting the salt slightly before application helps keep it where it’s supposed to be: on icy sidewalks, not bouncing or blowing into soil. Try to keep salt application only to areas where you expect foot traffic, if possible.

“Clay-based kitty litter and/or sand can also be used instead of, or in addition to salts, as they add traction to otherwise slippery surfaces,” she added.

Icy sidewalks add to 'salt of the Earth' and that's not a good thing

One of winter’s greatest dangers: those icy sidewalks that send...

One air purification company sees a boom in its future. After all, 2016 was a big year for rising awareness about air pollution, Blueair founder Bengt Rittri reasons. It makes sense that a search for solutions will follow.

"(The year) 2016 has seen many new scientific studies showing the cost to human health and society caused by toxic air," Rittri said.

Several new studies have linked air pollution to illnesses from asthma to coronary artery disease. It has also been linked to regional climate issues, the <a href="https://www.blueair.com/">Blueair</a> founder said.

In the beginning of 2016, the UK's <a href="https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/">Royal College of Physicians</a> and the <a href="http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/">Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health</a> released a joint study that found harm from air pollution lasts throughout an individual's lifespan.

A few months later, the World Health Organisation reported that as much as 92 percent of the world's urban population now live in cities suffering bad air quality.

The <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/">World Bank</a> has linked health effects of air pollution to hundreds of billions of dollars in lost work.

Around the world, people are becoming more aware of the dirty air they’re breathing.

In Delhi, residents once scoffed at the idea that air pollution could cause health problems. Now, they’re seeking solutions such as air purifiers and special pollution masks. Companies including <a href="http://smartairfilters.com/en/">SmartAir</a> and <a href="https://www.vogmask.com/">Vogmask</a> reported sales booms.

Parisian residents have been donning masks like those worn in Beijing, too. The city has scrambled to enact new regulations and restrictions aimed at cutting air pollution.

And <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/canned-clean-air/">canned air</a>, created as a joke, has taken off.

Blueair is banking on 2017 being the year that more people look for real solutions.

"Today we are already seeing new solutions being sparked in cities globally, including Paris, Mexico City, Athens and Madrid whose mayors in December pledged to ban diesel engines within a decade," Rittri said.

Dozens of cities around the world are taking new steps to clean up their air, he said.

Blueair has created a selection of air purifiers and quality monitors, and a smartphone app to connect them. The company’s goal is to provide seamless integration of air purification tech into customer’s lives.

"Blueair's vision for the future is about being at the forefront of innovating bold air cleaning technologies and helping them go mainstream," Rittri said.

Could air purification go mainstream in 2017? Blueair hopes so

One air purification company sees a boom in its future....

If your New Year’s Resolution is to travel more, you might be looking at resorts and world-class cities. How about adding a few natural wonders to your list?

It seems like the world moves at a faster pace every year. As cities grow and technology surges, it’s easy to become removed from nature. Unplug, take a break, and connect with our planet at these five wild places.
<h3>1. See breathtaking glaciers and volcanic landscapes in Iceland.</h3>
Iceland likes to describe itself as “a place where fire and ice coexist.” It doesn’t matter if you go during the darkness of winter – sometimes lit by the stunning Aurora Borealis – or the long, bright summer months.

The incredible glaciers, volcanoes oozing lava, and luxurious geothermal spas make Iceland an adventure year-round. The rugged landscape throughout the country offers hiking, snorkeling, and whitewater rafting in the warm months, or snowboarding and skiing in the winter.

The <a href="http://inspired.visiticeland.com/academy/">Iceland Academy</a> at Visit Iceland offers a chance to learn about everything the country has to offer – and to win a spectacular trip for two.
<h3>2. Visit the world’s tallest waterfall in Venezuela.</h3>
[caption id="attachment_128152" align="aligncenter" width="750"]<img class="wp-image-128152" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Making-travel-plans-for-2017-Check-out-these-5-natural-wonders-Venezuela.jpg" alt="Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest waterfall on Earth." width="750" height="500" /> Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest waterfall on Earth.[/caption]

In English, it’s <a href="http://salto-angel.com/">Angel Falls</a>. In Spanish, it’s Salto Angel, and in the local Pemon language, it’s Kerepakupai Meru or Parakupá Vená. No matter what it’s called, Angel Falls is the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall.

Located deep in the jungle, a visit to the falls requires a stay at Canaima, the camp where all of the river trips begin. Most of the trips are led by Pemon guides and run from June to December, when the most water is available. Surrounding Canaima National Park is more than 7.4 million acres of wild land, the second largest protected area in Venezuela.

The camp on the shores of Canaima Lagoon offers stunning views of several waterfalls and amazing tepui mesas. Adventures last anywhere from a helicopter ride over the falls to a week-long canoe trip through the park’s natural wonders. Who needs a city?
<h3>3. Spend time with the giraffes in Namibia.</h3>
[caption id="attachment_128155" align="aligncenter" width="750"]<img class="wp-image-128155" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Making-travel-plans-for-2017-Check-out-these-5-natural-wonders-Namibia.jpg" alt="Giraffes and elephants share a watering hole at Namibia's Etosha National Park." width="750" height="421" /> Giraffes and elephants share a watering hole at Namibia's Etosha National Park.[/caption]

While giraffe populations have fallen in recent decades, landing them on the endangered species list in 2016, their numbers have been going up in southern Africa. Conservation efforts by the country of Namibia are part of the reason.

<a href="http://www.etoshanationalpark.org/">Etosha National Park</a> is one of the best places to spot the long-necked mammals, and visitors can spot elephants, lions, and cheetahs, too. Giraffes also live in the barren, windswept Skeleton Coast National Park. Known for its beaches dotted with shipwrecks, Skeleton Coast was recently trending after a segment of <a href="http://www.bbcchannels.com/earth/planetearth2">Planet Earth II</a> where a lion stalked a giraffe in the park.

Namibia is home to plenty of other national parks, some of which have hot springs, rock paintings, and other attractions. Beyond the safaris, check out catamaran tours, dolphin cruises, hiking, camping, stargazing, and other natural wonders.
<h3>4. Explore caves, coral reefs, and wildlife sanctuaries in the Philippines.</h3>
[caption id="attachment_128156" align="aligncenter" width="750"]<img class="wp-image-128156" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Making-travel-plans-for-2017-Check-out-these-5-natural-wonders-Philippines.jpg" alt="Visitors prepare to head underground at Puerta Princesa Subterranean River in the Philippines." width="750" height="496" /> Visitors prepare to head underground at Puerta Princesa Subterranean River in Palawan.[/caption]

The island of Palawan is known as the Philippines’ “last frontier,” and it’s packed with stunning natural beauty.

For just under five miles, the <a href="http://www.visitpalawan.info/index.php/features/underground-river">Puerta Princesa Subterranean River</a> winds through caves underneath the island of Palawan in the Philippines. While most of the cave system is closed to the public, visitors can – with a permit – explore just under a mile of the underground river. The caves are home to bats and marine creatures, as well as beautiful rock formations.

<a href="http://www.visitpalawan.info/index.php/features/calauit-wildlife-sanctuary">Calauit Wildlife Sanctuary</a> is home to animals native to southeast Asia, as well as visitors from Africa such as giraffes. Scuba divers will want to visit the coral formations and tropical fish in Tubbataha Reef. Kayangan Lake is the stunning reward to a beautiful hike, a clear, blue lake set amid the mountains. <a href="http://www.visitpalawan.info/index.php/features/el-nido">El Nido Marine Reserve</a> is home to six lagoons full of life.

And the Tabon Cave Complex offers caves for nature lovers to explore and a museum where history fans can learn about some the Philippines’ earliest residents from the artifacts they left in the caverns.
<h3>5. Trek through sweeping canyons in Utah.</h3>
[caption id="attachment_128154" align="aligncenter" width="750"]<img class="wp-image-128154" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Making-travel-plans-for-2017-Check-out-these-5-natural-wonders-Utah.jpg" alt="The contrast between red cliffs and green vegetation make Utah's Zion Canyon breathtakingly beautiful." width="750" height="500" /> The contrast between red cliffs and green vegetation make Utah's Zion Canyon breathtakingly beautiful.[/caption]

The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm">Grand Canyon</a> gets all the attention. It may be one of the largest canyon systems in the world, but it’s best known for its stunning vistas. The layered appearance of the canyon’s walls, caused by millennia of sedimentation, paint an incredible picture.

But the Grand Canyon is also a tourist draw, and it’s hard to plan a visit where you’ll be the only humans in sight.

<a href="https://www.nps.gov/zion/">Zion National Park</a> in nearby Utah may be a better choice if you’re looking for solitude in the wild. With steep, red cliffs, the 229-square-mile park offers as many photo opportunities as its cousin to the south. Pine and juniper trees offer contrast to the red dirt, and spires rise out of the ground in the canyon, making it one of the most striking natural wonders in the U.S.

It's also a place to see plenty of wildlife. Hundreds of animal species, from mountain lions to tree frogs to rattlesnakes, call the canyon home.

Making travel plans for 2017? Check out these 5 natural wonders

If your New Year’s Resolution is to travel more, you...

A new timber innovation could be the key to revitalizing the industry, which has struggled in the U.S. since the housing bubble burst.

Cross-laminated timber, also called CLT, has been used in Europe and even Canada for years.

A new, 12-story “plyscraper” in Portland, Oregon’s hipster Pearl District will be the first large building the the U.S. to use the new wood technology, though.

CLT is assembled by layering two-by-fours perpendicular to one another to form lightweight panels. The wood is glued together and laminated like an extremely tough sandwich.

Because the beams are at right angles to one another, the resulting panels are strong enough to build with – at least, according to fans of the timber innovation – and less energy intensive than steel or concrete.

Visually unappealing wood that normally gets thrown out when making furniture or other items can be used in the core, where it can’t be seen. So can “low-value” hardwood trees.

Supporters have embraced CLT. They believe it will fuel new growth in timber and reduce the carbon footprint of the building industry. They also point out that wood is a renewable resource.

Skeptics, however, say not enough testing has been done to determine that large buildings made with CLT will be structurally sound, especially in earthquakes and fires. Currently, the building codes throughout most of the U.S. place height restrictions on all-wood buildings.

CLT would need to be extensively tested and studied before those codes are changed, a prospect that could be extremely expensive.

In Bergen, Norway, there’s a 14-story skyscraper built using CLT, but it’s not in a seismic zone. An 18-story “plyscraper” in British Columbia, Canada is built around a concrete core.

The Portland building will be a test case for the U.S. and the world. It will be the tallest all-wood building in the United States, and the tallest all-wood building in an earthquake-prone area anywhere.

Still, supporters aren’t worried. Oregon’s building code required intensive testing of CLT before the skyscraper’s plans were approved.

<a href="http://leverarchitecture.com/">Lever Architecture</a>, the Portland firm building the skyscraper, has worked with scientists at both Portland State University and Oregon State University on trials to determine the best way to construct each panel. The researchers submitted panels of CLT to hundreds of pounds of pressure and other tests to make sure they could withstand a quake.

Lever has promised to make results of all of the structural tests available to other design firms.

The architectural firm won $1.5 million in a wood building competition hosted by the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a> and the timber industry. It has put those winnings toward the testing and the new building in Portland.

And for the <a href="http://www.drjlumber.com/">D.R. Johnson Lumber Co.</a> in Riddle, Oregon, the new material has already paid off. The 125-employee company makes the CLT panels that will be used in the Portland building, set to break ground this spring.

Visitors from around the country have come to the lumber company – which, along with Montana’s <a href="http://smartlam.com/">SmartLam</a> is the only place producing CLT panels in the U.S. so far – to get a first look at the timber innovation.

Timber innovation offers hope for struggling industry

A new timber innovation could be the key to revitalizing...

Shifting regional weather patterns are changing flood risks across the U.S., according to a new study.

Engineers from the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> found that the threat of flooding has grown in the northern half of the country, while the southern half of the U.S., along with the West and Southwest regions, are seeing lower risk.

The researchers came to that conclusion after studying rivers of data from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>.

Dr. Louise G. Slater and Dr. Gabriele Villarini waded through water-height data collected by the USGS between 1985 and 2015, which came from a little more than 2,000 stream gauges operated by the agency. That information was compared to even more data from NASA’s <a href="http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/">Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment</a>, also known as GRACE, which showed the amount of water stored in the ground.

“We show that these patterns are dependent on the overall wetness and potential water storage, with fundamental implications for water resources management, agriculture, insurance, navigation, ecology, and populations living in flood-affected areas,” Slater and Villarini <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/2016GL071199/abstract">wrote in their study</a>. 

The pair found that the amount of groundwater in the northern U.S. has increased over time. That means the region is at increased risk of both minor and moderate flooding, according to the categories used by the <a href="http://www.weather.gov/">National Weather Service</a>, the researchers said.

In contrast, the South, West, and Southwest have all shown decreased levels of stored water over time, pointing to a lower threat of flooding, they said.

The findings in the Southwest and West are not surprising, because both regions have been gripped by years-long patterns of drought, Slater and Villarini pointed out. The southeastern U.S. has also suffered from drought in recent months.

The changing flood risks in the northern half of the country can also be explained by long-term shifts in rainfall patterns, the researchers said. The Midwest has seen heavy rain more frequently over the past few decades, Villarini and graduate research assistant Iman Mallakpour found in a <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v5/n3/abs/nclimate2516.html">2015 study</a> of floods in that region.

The cause of the rainfall shifts in the U.S. aren’t clear, the researchers said. It could be that regional climate change is redistributing rain, they said.

Villarini and Slater hope that their research – especially their decision to cast threats in terms of how they affect people and places, and to use the everyday language of the National Weather Service – will help citizens better understand why flooding happens and their changing flood risks.

“Our findings may assist in a better communication of changing flood patterns to a wider audience compared with the more traditional approach of stating trends in terms of discharge magnitudes and frequencies,” the pair wrote.

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

New weather patterns are changing flood risks in the United States

Shifting regional weather patterns are changing flood risks across the...

The key to nourishing a system of sustainable resource management could be social cooperation, a new study has found.

Scientists at the <a href="https://umaine.edu/">University of Maine</a> looked at various tools for creating and encouraging a culture of sustainability among communities. Their goal, they said, was to develop a theory of what works when it comes to encouraging social groups to adopt better conservation and eco-friendly practices, and what doesn’t.

What they found was that spreading sustainability goals out over smaller units of people works better than everyone working as one large group to achieve them.

“Usually, we assume that everyone has to cooperate to save environmental resources but what we found was that sustainable resource use was more likely to emerge when societies were broken up into multiple groups, like states in the United States, or countries in Europe,” said <a href="http://umaine.edu/mitchellcenter/news/news-2/cooperation-dynamics-key-to-sustaining-natural-resources/">Dr. Timothy Waring</a>. Waring is the study’s lead author and an associate professor of economics at the university’s Center for Sustainability Solutions.

Waring and his colleagues believe that small groups are more willing to test and discard strategies until they find one that works. Small groups can learn from each other and improve on each other’s ideas, they said. 

Waring offered the example of climate change agreements. At the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, the United Nations took a top-down approach to instituting climate goals, he said. That’s what led the summit to fail, he believed.

Last year’s Paris Agreement is already beginning to show results, and Waring believes that’s because it took a more grassroots, country-by-country approach that relied on social cooperation.

“Cooperation is easier in small groups, easier with familiar people, and with similar people. And, cooperation is more durable when it is supported by social and institutional factors as well,” he said.

He and his co-authors, Dr. Sandra Goff of <a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/">Skidmore College</a> and Dr. Paul Smaldino of the <a href="http://www.ucmerced.edu/">University of California</a>, Merced, developed a model to study the effectiveness of sustainability strategies as developed by several small groups versus one large group.

They found that three factors seem to influence how successful a resource management project will be in terms of social cooperation: the impact of the resource dilemma on the group, how the group learns from failure, and what it is able to learn from other groups.

For example, a number of Portland restaurants wanted to buy food ingredients locally, but found it difficult to do so alone. When they formed small buying clubs, they were able to support local farmers and food producers, Waring said.

Waring is now looking at real-world examples of small group sustainability in Maine. He and his colleagues are looking at how politics, sustainability, and social factors have affected lobsters and blueberries.

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecological-economics/">Ecological Economics</a>.

Social cooperation could be the key to a healthier environment, study finds

The key to nourishing a system of sustainable resource management...

China has taken steps for a big change in in 2017. The country has laid out a plan to shut down its ivory trade by the end of the year, in an effort to protect vulnerable African elephants.

The vow could be a game-changer in making illegal poaching of the elephants too unprofitable to continue, according to environmental groups.

China plans to shut down the commercial processing and sale of ivory beginning in March of 2017. By the end of the year, it plans to completely shutter the industry, the Chinese government said in a statement released today. 

The country will encourage those who work in the industry, such as ivory carvers, to turn their skills to other fields. One example Chinese officials offered was retraining to work on artifact restoration in museums.

China also plans a concerted crackdown on the illegal ivory trade.

“China has shown great leadership in the fight to save African elephants,” said Elly Pepper, the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/">Natural Resources Defense Council</a>’s deputy director of wildlife trade. “Setting such an aggressive timeline to close – once and for all – the largest domestic ivory market in the world is globally significant.”

The conservation group called on other countries to shut down their own ivory industries.

Ivory artifacts and ivory-carving have been traditional parts of China’s culture for centuries. Elephant tusks are turned into statues, or used as a canvas for detailed, intricate scenes.

In 1989, an arm of the United Nations banned the sale of ivory in hopes of saving elephants’ lives. As herd numbers began to increase, the international organization began allowing the sale of ivory stockpiled before the ban in 2008. The legal trade of already existing ivory could prevent more poaching, officials believed at the time.

China created a complex paper trail meant to account for every bit of the country’s massive 68-ton stock, purchased from several African nations. 

However, the auction system used to organize the ivory trade within the county proved too lucrative for poachers to ignore, and even shutting it down in 2011 didn’t put a dent in the illegal ivory trade in China.

It’s very difficult to tell ivory age, the NRDC said, making it more difficult for countries to determine when ivory is poached if poachers are not caught in the act.

And since China continued to allow the trade of ivory and artifacts that were in the country before the 1989 ban, criminals have been able to use the legal ivory market to slip poached tusks into the country, officials said.

The only way to stop the trade is to phase out the legal trade of ivory, so that all ivory sales can be banned, the government has decided.

Ivory poaching has skyrocketed in recent years, leading to about 35,000 elephant deaths, according to the NRDC. African elephant populations on the savanna have declined by about 30 percent in seven years, the organization said in a press release.

Ivory trade ban tops China's list of New Year's Resolutions

China has taken steps for a big change in in...

Winter has hit the Northern Hemisphere, and a lot of us are bundled up indoors instead of out in our wild world. What’s a nature lover to do when you want to be enjoying the green, but snow, rain, and mud have taken over?

Turn on the TV, of course. Here’s a list of 10 fantastic movies, TV shows, and documentaries that showcase the natural beauty of our wild world. Pop some popcorn, mull some cider, and give one a try next time a snow storm has you stuck indoors.
<ol>
 	<li><a href="http://movies.disney.com/the-jungle-book-2016">The Jungle Book</a> (2016, PG)</li>
</ol>
This live-action Disney film is based on Rudyard Kipling’s tales of India’s jungles. The human Mowgli, raised by wolves, must take on the brutal tiger Shere Khan and find his place among the panthers, wolves, bears, and apes that live in the jungle. 
<ol start="2">
 	<li><a href="http://www.bbcchannels.com/earth/planetearth2">Planet Earth II</a> (2016, unrated)</li>
</ol>
A sequel to the beloved BBC series <a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/shows/planet-earth">Planet Earth</a> (2006), this nature documentary show takes viewers to islands, deserts, mountains, and other wild habitats – even cities. Narrated by David Attenborough, the series gets up close and personal with wildlife.
<ol start="3">
 	<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4982356/">The Forest</a> (2016, unrated)</li>
</ol>
A Buddhist monk-turned-teacher is sent to a remote village, where he tries to connect with a bullied mute girl who retreats into a fantasy world full of horror. Shot in remote northeastern Thailand, the film features sweeping, gorgeous wild landscapes.
<ol start="4">
 	<li><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/marchofthepenguins/">March of the Penguins</a> (2005, G)</li>
</ol>
Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this classic documentary about the lives of penguins in Antarctica was a surprise hit at the box office. It follows a group of penguins through a year in their lives, including dangers from predators, egg incubation, and migration.
<ol start="5">
 	<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3553976/">Captain Fantastic</a> (2016, R)</li>
</ol>
Starring Viggo Mortensen, this dramedy focuses on a couple who decides to raise their family in the wilds of Washington state, and the trials they go through trying to maintain that philosophy after events force them back into modern society. 
<ol start="6">
 	<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2305051/">Wild</a> (2014, R)</li>
</ol>
Grieving her mother’s death and her failed marriage, recovering from years of self-destructive behavior Cheryl Strayed decided to take off on a backpacking trip. Wild is based on the true story of Strayed’s 1,100-mile solo hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.
<ol start="7">
 	<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5490720/">Pandora</a> (2016, unrated)</li>
</ol>
This South Korean film may have been inspired by the earthquake-fueled Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. When an earthquake causes a radiation leak at a nuclear power plant, the disaster is made worse through human error, politics, and bureaucracy.
<ol start="8">
 	<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3020666/">Unbranded</a> (2015, PG-13)</li>
</ol>
This documentary tracks four men right out of college as they ride 16 mustangs from Mexico to Canada, straight through the wildest parts of the West. Along with gorgeous film of wild lands and horses, the four touch on the politics of mustang preservation.
<ol start="9">
 	<li><a href="http://nature.disney.com/oceans">Oceans</a> (2010, G)</li>
</ol>
Pierce Brosnan and the team at Disney take viewers on a journey deep into the oceans. The documentary meets up with whales, sharks, seals, and dolphins while sharing information about different ocean environments, in the spirit of Disney’s <a href="http://nature.disney.com/earth">Earth</a> (2009).
<ol start="10">
 	<li><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/">Into the Wild</a> (2007, R)</li>
</ol>
After graduating from college, Christopher McCandless abandoned his life and went to live in the wild world of the Alaskan wilderness. This movie is based on McCandless’ life in the wild until his death in 1992.

10 must-see movies and TV shows that showcase our wild world

Winter has hit the Northern Hemisphere, and a lot of...

A new set of footprints at Laetoli have snagged anthropologists’ attention. They offer fascinating new clues into the lifestyle of an ancient human ancestor.

The original Laetoli footprints were left by a trio of human ancestors – most likely Australopithecus afarensis, the same species as “Lucy” – more than 3.6 million years ago. The 88-foot-long trail was discovered in Laetoli, Tanzania in 1978, and became famous for showing that Lucy and her species walked upright like modern humans.

The newly discovered set of ancient human ancestor footprints, just 160 yards away, offers even more intriguing clues about A. afarensis. 

S1, the nickname anthropologists have given the ancient human ancestor who left the prints, was probably male, according to anthropologists. They can’t tell for sure based on footprints alone, they admitted. 

Based on his footprints, he probably stood at about 5 feet, 5 inches tall – extremely tall for A. afarensis – and weighed about 100 pounds, and he might have been popular with the ladies because of it, the researchers said.

If he was 5-foot-5, he would have towered a full 8 inches taller than his fellows who left the other footprints at the site. Lucy, the most famous A. afarensis, stood only about 3 ½ feet tall.

“Our results are consistent with considerable body size variation and, probably, degree of sexual dimorphism within a single species of bipedal hominins as early as 3.66 million years ago,” Dr. Fidelis Masao and his co-authors wrote in an <a href="https://elifesciences.org/content/5/e19568">analysis of their discovery</a>.

If S1 is male, and if males of A. afarensis were much larger than females as the new find seems to indicate, it could offer clues to their social structure, the researchers said. Gorillas, which show similar disparities between the biological sexes, often form “harem”-like social structures, where a dominant male, a group of females, and their offspring form a social unit, the anthropologists noted.

However, the estimates of S1’s height and weight – and those of the other hominins who left footprints in the volcanic ash at Laetoli – could change radically based on future discoveries, said Dr. William Jungers of <a href="http://www.vahatra.mg/">Association Vahatra</a>.

“The footprints preserved at Laetoli are what are known as ‘trace fossils,’ because they are traces of behavior rather than the petrified remains of actual body parts,” he wrote in a <a href="https://elifesciences.org/content/5/e22886">commentary</a> on the new findings. 

Anthropologists have never found a complete A. afarensis foot, he pointed out. So the footprints at Laetoli can offer clues to behavior, including that A. afarensis is bipedal, but only guesses at the physical characteristics such as height and age of the human ancestors who left them, he said.

Both the report of the new discovery and the commentary on Masao and his colleagues’ analysis of it were published in the journal <a href="https://elifesciences.org/">eLife</a>.

Ancient human ancestor left clues to his lifestyle in his footprints

A new set of footprints at Laetoli have snagged anthropologists’...

Jia Wenqi has no arms, and Jia Haixia is blind, but that hasn’t kept the two men from taking on a mission: planting trees and reforesting their village in Hebei Province, China. 

That mission was recently captured in a short, 10-minute documentary by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx6hBgNNacE">GoPro</a> called <a href="https://gopro.com/goproforacause/brothers">Brothers</a>.

When Wenqi and Haixia were children, the river near their village of Yeli was full of fish and shrimp, and birds and wild rabbits were plentiful, they said.

Then a quarry moved in, removing trees and grass and spreading vast clouds of dust, Wenqi and Haixia said. 

Like their environment, the two men had undergone changes over the years. Neither was born with their current disabilities. Jia Wenqi lost his arms when he touched a power line at the age of three. Jia Haixia was born blind in one eye, but an industrial accident at the quarry took the vision in his other eye.

When Haixia lost his vision, it was frustrating. He could no longer read the newspaper or perform basic tasks, he said. 

That’s when Jia Wenqi stepped in and offers his “sleeve,” Haixia said.

“You’ll be my arms, I’ll be your eyes,” Wenqi told him. 

The childhood friends were determined to find some way to contribute to their community. That’s when they began noticing that the birds were disappearing, and dust from the quarry had choked the river.  

“We asked ourselves, ‘What are we going to do?’” Wenqi said in the short film. “We can’t just be sitting around, useless to society. There weren’t a lot of options for us, but being alive means having a purpose. So we said to each other, ‘Let’s plant trees.’”

Every tree is an air purifier, they noted.

So Wenqi and Haixia began planting trees in 2002. They didn’t have money to buy seeds or saplings, so they took cuttings from the few remaining trees and coaxed them into growing. 

At first they thought planting trees would be easy. They planted 800 trees the first year – but most died from lack of water. Instead of giving up, the two found wet areas where they could plant. 

They’ve planted more than 10,000 healthy trees since they began, and birds have returned to the area to nest in them.

The pair originally planned to cut some of the trees for money while continuing to plant new saplings, they told the <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/987430.shtml">Global Times</a>. When people began taking notice of their forest and helping the two men support themselves and their families, they no longer needed to sell any trees and it became a moot point. They could turn their work purely into an environmental mission, they said.

The short film of their work, shot with GoPro cameras, was released on YouTube in June, but it recently went viral. It’s racked up nearly half a million views so far. So has a much shorter video by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2cqQA_zsKY">Great Big Story</a> about the two best friends. 

In both films, the men state their mission: To help the environment and leave a forest for future generations. 

The pair are in good company. In 1977, Wangari Maathai of Kenya founded the <a href="http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/">Green Belt Movement</a>. Her movement focused on environmental conservation, especially through planting trees. 

The Green Belt Movement offered stipends to women who planted seedlings throughout Kenya. Like people with disabilities in China, women in rural Kenya had limited opportunities at the time the movement was founded. But like , those women didn’t let the limitations of their society stop them from doing something meaningful.

“The future of the planet concerns all of us, and we should do what we can to protect it. As I told the foresters, and the women, you don't need a diploma to plant a tree,” Maathai wrote in her autobiography Unbowed.

As of 2012, women in the movement had planted more than 51 million trees, according to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-bechtel/wangari-maathai_b_1958853.html">Wanjira Mathai</a>, daughter of Wangari Maathai, who has continued her mother’s work after her death. Wangari Maathai was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. 

Other organizations focus on reforestation to build diplomacy, boost marginalized communities, and simply to help the environment. Mature trees can take in up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. That means that when the 10,000 trees in Yeli, China have matured, they will offset 48,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.

<a href="http://www.plantingpeace.org/">Planting Peace</a> has donated more than 1 million tree seeds since it began its conservation program. They focus on Moringa trees, which not only grow quickly but also sprout leaves that can be harvested and eaten. Most of their seeds are going to Haiti, where deforestation is a massive problem.

<a href="http://www.peacetreesvietnam.org/">PeaceTrees Vietnam</a> offers a program where travelers can work with Vietnamese citizens to reforest parts of the country that are still reeling from decades of warfare. The goal is to build ties between citizens of the two countries while healing the land. 

The <a href="https://www.arborday.org/">Arbor Day Foundation</a> helps plant trees around the world, repairing forests after natural disasters or man-made deforestation.

There are also groups like <a href="http://www.treesforthefuture.org/">Trees for the Future</a>, which provides people living in poverty with a “forest garden,” including fruit trees, to help repair degraded farm land and provide a source of income.

“It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees,” Wangari Maathai once said. 

In the GoPro documentary, Jia Wenqi unintentionally echoed her.

“If everyone planted one or two trees a year, imagine the difference we could make,” Jia Wenqi said.

GoPro plans to begin collecting donations to help Jia Wenqi and Jia Haixia in their forest-building mission soon, the company said.

Men on a mission: disabilities don't keep pair from planting trees in China

Jia Wenqi has no arms, and Jia Haixia is blind,...

Your world: our favorite Instagram photos of green facades

Green facades have become an increasingly popular architectural feature in urban areas from both a design and environmental perspective. They offer a beautifully green and natural aesthetic, while also helping to keep cities cooler. Here are some of our favorite Instagram photos of green facades in cities all over the world.

&nbsp;
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 44.6759259259% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNESb2SBqmZ/" target="_blank">Greentastic😍😍 #greenfacade #loveforgreen #greenarchitecture #fortkochin</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Hadi (@hadi_haris) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-11-21T09:22:25+00:00">Nov 21, 2016 at 1:22am PST</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 54.0277777778% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAFeGzuqohP/" target="_blank">Green Facade example .. #archdaily #greendesign #greenfacade #architecturelovers #architectureporn</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Timber In Architecture (@timberdesign_arch) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-01-03T17:35:31+00:00">Jan 3, 2016 at 9:35am PST</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.5% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/-KVy60h5nf/" target="_blank">Coming soon, Seattle. #1200Stewart #Seattle #greenfacade #buildingartistry</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Westbank (@westbankcorp) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2015-11-16T21:56:19+00:00">Nov 16, 2015 at 1:56pm PST</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.540192926% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJue34mjDDM/" target="_blank">Fantastic residential house in Tokyo/Japan, completely covered in a natural green facade. #inspiration #urban #nature ‬‬ #greenfacade #‎architecture ‬‬#‎becausethereisnoplanetB‬</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by ECOALF (@ecoalf) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-08-30T08:33:38+00:00">Aug 30, 2016 at 1:33am PDT</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJjNtbche4F/" target="_blank">@centralparksyd giving us the best reminder to remember to "look up" in the city today! #greenbuilding #greenfacade #livingwall #slowinthecity #slowsydney</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Slow magazine (@slow_magazine) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-08-25T23:32:01+00:00">Aug 25, 2016 at 4:32pm PDT</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNzuojPjPT2/" target="_blank">#architecture #chile #santiago #arquitetura #archilovers #fachada #fachadas #facades #paredeverde #fachadaviva #greenfacade</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by AH! (@ah.arquitetura) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-12-09T19:33:08+00:00">Dec 9, 2016 at 11:33am PST</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM_EXX7hwAM/" target="_blank">#madrid #greenfacade #spain #españa#caixa_forum</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by KapilKaul (@kapil_kaul) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-11-19T08:43:16+00:00">Nov 19, 2016 at 12:43am PST</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMfVFHEhJpq/" target="_blank">Fachada verde del hotel Raphaël en la bella Roma. #roma #rome #italia #greenfacade #facades #colorsofthecity #cities #citiesoftheworld #green #nature #beauty #fachadas #fachadasverdes #magiaromana #europe #eurotrip2016 #eurotravel #tourism</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Silvia Gamba S. (@silvigamba) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-11-07T00:53:38+00:00">Nov 6, 2016 at 4:53pm PST</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.4866595518% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BMJmgxkgwhD/" target="_blank">Architecture inspiration ✅in the middle of Paris the flower building From Edouard François. To continue in vertical with the park nearby and Inspired by Parisian window planters he used this giant flower pots on the terrace 🙌🏻 #paris #greenparis #façade #architecture #houseoftheday #natural #architecturelovers #greenfacade #natural #model #park #city #traveler #inspiration #design</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by Fashion + Architecture (@mascarada.paris) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-10-29T14:22:40+00:00">Oct 29, 2016 at 7:22am PDT</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BL3jEmXg3f0/" target="_blank">#hannover #altstadt #hannoveraltstadt #hannoverliebt #ballhof #hannovermitte #hannoverinnenstadt #altstadthannover #architecture #architektur #hanover #germany #archilovers #thisishannover #hannoverstagram #hannoverliebe #lowersaxony #laub #autmn #naturephotography #naturelover #red #leaves #facade #meinniedersachsen #fassade #fassadenbegrünung #facadegreening #greenfacade</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A photo posted by @tonabnehmer on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-10-22T14:06:16+00:00">Oct 22, 2016 at 7:06am PDT</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

Your world: our favorite instagram photos of green facades

Your world: our favorite Instagram photos of green facades Green...

<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.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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>



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



-----

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.

<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/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter 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/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

News coming your way