Coffee is part of the morning routines for millions of people. But does drinking more coffee align with having more muscle? 



That’s the question behind a new analysis of Americans’ habits and body composition. This research doesn’t try to prove cause and effect. It asks whether higher coffee or caffeine intake corresponds to more limb muscle for a given body size.



The answer points in a positive direction for most adults, with an important exception. The details matter, because the way researchers measured muscle and tallied <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-may-help-you-live-longer-if-you-drink-it-this-way/">coffee intake</a> shapes how to read the results.



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



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/studies-learn-the-exact-amount-of-time-you-should-spend-training-to-build-muscle/">Muscle mass</a> isn’t just about strength. Lower muscle mass in arms and legs raises the risk of falls, fractures, and everyday struggles that chip away at independence. 



Scientists often track limb muscle adjusted for body size because it flags early losses that can sneak up with age.



A standard yardstick for that job is the appendicular skeletal muscle mass-to-BMI ratio, abbreviated as <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10401528/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ASMBMI</a>. In plain terms: “How much limb muscle do you have for your body size?” 



This measurement focuses on muscle quantity, not how quickly you rise from a chair or how steady you feel on stairs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-coffee-s-link-to-muscles">Studying coffee's link to muscles</h2>



Researchers pulled data from a large, ongoing U.S. health survey (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NHANES</a>) spanning 2011-2018. 



They started with adults, applied clear rules such as “only include people with full diet interviews and body scans,” and finished with 8,333 participants. Muscle was measured by DXA scans of the arms and legs and then expressed as ASMBMI.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-helps-bacteria-resist-antibiotics-in-your-gut/">Coffee intake</a> came from two 24-hour dietary recalls - structured interviews covering everything people ate and drank on two different days. The team looked at regular coffee, decaf coffee, and total caffeine from all sources. 



Their statistical models adjusted for age, sex, race, education, income, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, BMI, medical conditions, total calories, and protein, so they could compare people who were similar on many fronts except for coffee intake.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-results-say">What the results say</h2>



People who drank more coffee tended to have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-grapes-every-day-can-transform-your-muscles/">more limb muscle</a> relative to their body size. After full adjustments, the highest coffee group had about a 13% higher ASMBMI than the non-coffee group. 



The highest caffeinated coffee group showed roughly a 12% increase. The top caffeine group showed about an 11% increase. Decaf didn’t show a clear, statistically significant link. 



When researchers drew smoothed trend lines, the pattern appeared approximately linear: more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-coffee-may-help-women-stay-sharp-and-strong-as-they-age/">regular coffee</a> or caffeine corresponded to more muscle relative to body size.



There was one major exception. When participants were split by BMI, the positive link disappeared in the group with obesity (BMI ≥ 30). 



In that subset, drinking more coffee was not associated with higher ASMBMI. That doesn’t mean coffee lowers muscle there; it means the helpful pattern seen elsewhere wasn’t present.



A likely reason is biological factors tied to obesity, including chronic, low-grade inflammation that speeds muscle breakdown and may overshadow small benefits from caffeine or other coffee compounds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-in-this-research">Limitations in this research</h2>



This was a cross-sectional snapshot. It can spot links, but it can’t prove that coffee changes muscle. People with more muscle may simply be more active or keep schedules where coffee fits better. 



The models adjusted for activity and many other variables, which strengthens confidence, but unmeasured factors can still nudge results.



Diet recalls lean on memory and honesty, and add-ins like sugar or cream can be easy to forget. 



ASMBMI captures muscle quantity, not strength or performance, so it can’t tell you how much weight you can move or how good your balance is during daily activities. 



Results also come from U.S. adults in specific survey years, so patterns could differ in other populations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-coffee-is-linked-with-muscles">Why coffee is linked with muscles</h2>



Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and modulates how the body uses fuel during activity. Coffee also contains <a href="https://www.chhs.colostate.edu/krnc/monthly-blog/what-are-polyphenols-another-great-reason-to-eat-fruits-and-veggies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polyphenols</a> with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 



Lab and animal research suggests these compounds may support healthier muscle by encouraging autophagy - the cell’s cleanup crew for worn-out parts - and by dialing down chronic inflammation over time. 



This analysis didn’t test mechanisms, but these ideas fit with the pattern. Decaf’s “no clear link” signal hints that caffeine may be doing more of the heavy lifting in this dataset.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-did-we-learn-from-this">What did we learn from this?</h2>



In U.S. adults, higher <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mood-boost-how-coffee-makes-us-happier-in-the-morning/">regular coffee</a> and total caffeine intake tracked with more limb muscle relative to body size after accounting for many other factors. However, that association did not appear in participants with obesity. 



If coffee already fits your day, these results sit comfortably with a muscle-friendly routine. Keep portions sensible, mind the extras, and avoid late cups that cut into sleep because <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/irregular-sleep-may-cause-premature-muscle-aging/">poor sleep impairs recovery</a>.



If you’re in the obesity range, the study’s “no clear link” finding suggests coffee isn’t a muscle fix. 



The bigger levers are steady resistance training, enough protein spaced through the day, and better sleep, ideally alongside medical care that addresses weight, strength, and metabolic health together. 



Coffee can still be part of that plan if it agrees with you, but it’s not the star of the show.



It’s a pattern, not proof. Pair your coffee with protein, training, and sleep if your goal is to build or protect muscle.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1390309/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Nutrition</a>.



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Drinking this beverage every day helps protect your muscles from aging

Coffee is part of the morning routines for millions of people. But does drinking more coffee align with having more muscle? That’s the question behind a new analysis of Americans’ habits and body composition. This research doesn’t try to prove cause and effect. It asks whether higher coffee or caffeine intake corresponds to more limb muscle for a given body size. The answer points in a positive direction for most adults, with an important exception. The details matter, because the way researchers measured muscle and tallied coffee...

Due to climate change and global trade, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/disease-resistant-crops/">crop diseases</a>, which annually kill off 20% of the five global staple crops that provide half the world’s communities with caloric intake, are able to thrive and spread. 

In a new report published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>, scientists argue that a Global Surveillance System (GSS) must be put in place to strengthen and connect biosecurity measures to prevent the spread and reemergence of crop diseases and therefore improve global food security.

"As part of efforts to satisfy global demand for food — which could mean increasing agricultural production by as much as 70 percent by 2050 — we need a GSS to reduce food lost to pests," said lead author Mónica Carvajal, a researcher at the <a href="https://ciat.cgiar.org/">International Center for Tropical Agriculture</a> (CIAT). "A lot of collaboration and discussion is needed to rapidly take action and avoid outbreaks that could negatively impact food security and trade."

This GSS system would prioritize the six major food crops (maize, potato, cassava, rice, beans, and wheat) as well as other food and cash crops that are traded across borders.

Carvajal and her team used the Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) as an example of why a GSS must be instated. CMD was discovered in Cambodia in 2015, yet wasn’t properly reported until 2016. That gave CMD enough time to spread to Thailand and Vietnam by 2018, and is now estimated to be present in 10% of the land cultivated in this area, thus threatening millions of cassava smallholders, which generate $4 billion in export revenue.

"The question I asked was why does it take so long to respond to crop diseases in some cases?" said Carvajal. "What is the limitation to responding faster from the outset?"

If the proposed GSS was put into action, the network of "active surveillance" and "passive surveillance" personnel would be tightened. Labs at agricultural inspection stations, and customs and phytosanitary inspectors at borders and ports, make up the active surveillance personnel. And farmers, scientists and agronomists at universities and research centers, national agriculture organization extension workers, and agriculture industry specialists make up the passive surveillance group.

"For this infrastructure to be effective, connections between first detectors and downstream responders must be enhanced and actions coordinated," the authors explain. "But diagnostic capacity, information sharing, and communications protocols are lacking or weakly established in some regions, especially in low-income countries.”

“Our reflection on many disease outbreaks is that whether in high-income countries or low-income countries, the passive surveillance infrastructure has the most in-field monitoring eyes but the least coordination from local to global,” they continue.

Furthermore, the GSS, which would consist of five separate formal global networks (a diagnostic laboratory network, a risk assessment network, a data management network, an operational management network, and a communications network), would use cutting-edge technology to better diagnose diseases, and it would also use social media to share information about specific findings.

"We encourage the annual G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting, the World Bank Group, and FAO, among others, to join efforts toward enhancing cooperation for a multi-year action plan for the proposed GSS to more effectively reduce the impact of crop diseases and increase global food security," the study authors conclude.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Georgina Smith / International Center for Tropical Agriculture

Why a global surveillance system for crop diseases is urgently needed

Due to climate change and global trade, crop diseases, which...

Meet Pando, one of the oldest organisms on Earth. National Forest in central Utah, located about 200 miles south of Salt Lake City, is home to one of the most unique organisms on Earth. This individual is not some exotic animal or even a particularly rare species. Instead, it is a 106-acre grove of aspen trees <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/populus-tremuloides/">(Populus tremuloides)</a>. This forest is special because it is made up of a single genetic individual. Each tree and branch in this forest is an exact clone of every other. 
<h2>What is the Pando clone?</h2>
The clone’s name, “Pando” and it means “I spread” in Latin. This describes the reproductive strategy of all aspens. They send up new shoots from their roots as they spread throughout the forest. Meet Pando, one of the oldest organisms on Earth

All of the trees in an aspen grove are connected through this underground network of roots. In this way, aspens continue to live long after a single tree may fall or die. 

In the case of Pando, this has led to over 47,000 genetically identical trees. These trees not only cover 106 acres of national forestland, but it is also estimated to weigh a shocking six million kilograms (13 million pounds). This makes it the most massive genetically distinct organism. However, the title for the largest organism goes to “the humongous fungus” a network of Dark honey fungus (<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/armillaria-ostoyae/">Armillaria ostoyae</a>) in Oregon that covers a shocking 2,200 acres.  
<h2>Pando’s long life</h2>
Maybe even more impressive than Pando’s size is its age. Though it is difficult to know the exact age, Pando is <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/utah-aspen-grove-80000-years-old.html">estimated to be 80,000 years old</a>! The oldest non-clonal tree in the world, a <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/pinus-spp/">bristlecone pine named Methuselah</a>, comes in at a mere 4,600 years. 

Pando has managed to survive for so long by regularly replacing dead trees. This strategy <a href="https://www.nps.gov/brca/learn/nature/quakingaspen.htm">makes aspen groves resilient </a>to many natural disasters. When forest fires destroy the trees, aspens protect their roots underground. They can then return with force when conditions improve. In this way, the clonal aspen groves can achieve impressive longevity.

The older trees in Pando are <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/fishlake/home/?cid=STELPRDB5393641">around 130 years old.</a> This is comparable to a normal Aspen’s lifespan. Soon, these trees will die. A healthy aspen grove can simply replace these dying trees with young saplings. As dying trees clear the canopy, more sunlight makes it to the forest floor, where young shoots can take advantage of the opening to rapidly grow. This keeps the forest eternally young, cycling through trees of all ages. 
<h3>Pando is shrinking</h3>
Though aspen groves are resilient to many destructive forces, ecological and environmental changes impact them. Human activity has encroached upon aspen groves in numerous ways. Ancient groves like Pando are facing changes over the last century that threaten their continued existence. 

The ancient giant, Pando, has been <a href="https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2018/10/24/mks-the-worlds-largest-living-organism-pando-dying-in-utah/">shrinking since the 1960s or 70s</a>. This timing is no coincidence. As human activity has grown in the western United States, so has our impact on the surrounding ecosystems. 

The biggest factor causing Pando to shrink is a lack of “new recruits.” The shoots that form from Pando’s ancient rootstock are not making it to maturity. Instead, they are being eaten while they are still small, soft, and nutritious. Mule deer are the main culprits. Cattle are also allowed to browse in this forest for brief intervals every year. The combined herbivory has thwarted Pando’s efforts to keep up with old dying trees.

These changes have led to a thinning of the forest. A study published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0203619">PLOS ONE</a> used aerial imagery over the past 40 years to identify these changes. With enough loss of old trees, the grove loses its ability to regenerate. A dense forest can fill its roots with fuel from photosynthesis, sending up new shoots regularly. However, as it loses leaves and photosynthetic ability, it risks rapidly shrinking.

Though it seems easy to blame these changes on deer, the real blame still lies with us humans. Throughout the 20th century, deer populations have been hugely impacted by humans. The hunting of apex predators such as wolves and mountain lions has allowed deer populations to grow unchecked. Though it is hotly contested by ranchers wanting to protect their cattle, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predators-yellowstone-landscape-fear/">wolf reintroduction is ongoing</a> in the West.

Hunting is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/decline-hunting/">regulated by federal and state agencies</a>, which artificially adjust deer populations. The consequences of these changes are not always immediately apparent. Forest managers do their best to replicate historical levels and manage new threats. However, we do not have historical data on herbivory in Pando and the surrounding area (or many managed areas.) What we do know is that Pando is not producing enough successful saplings to maintain its current size.
<h3>Protecting Pando (and all aspen groves)</h3>
Though Pando is shrinking, efforts are already being made to reverse the damage. Adding fencing to areas of the forest will prevent herbivores from eating the fresh aspen shoots. The “exclosures” will give Pando time to establish large, healthy saplings that are not at risk of being eaten. Some areas that have been fenced off have <a href="https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2018/10/24/mks-the-worlds-largest-living-organism-pando-dying-in-utah/">grown 12-15 foot trees in just a few years</a>. Controlling herbivory by increasing hunting is another option. Decreasing cattle grazing in the grove has also been suggested by researchers.

Aspens are extremely resilient and capable of surviving many disasters. However, a gradual change to the ecosystem can be harder to bounce back from. Human impacts on ecosystems are complex and far-reaching. It’s essential that we monitor all ecosystems to understand how they are responding to human activity. This is essential to minimizing damage.

--

By <a href="mailto:casey.hofford@gmail.com">Casey Hofford</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/">US Forest Service</a>

Meet Pando, one of the oldest organisms on Earth

Meet Pando, one of the oldest organisms on Earth. National...

Over the past 100 years, roughly two vertebrate species have gone extinct every year. Researchers warn that we’re in the middle of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warning-imminent-mass-extinction/">sixth mass extinction </a>and currently a quarter of all mammals on Earth are endangered. 

We can’t accurately estimate exactly how many species are going extinct, especially when you factor in the thousands of species that have yet to be discovered that could be lost without our even knowing. But according to the <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/our_work/biodiversity/biodiversity/">World Wildlife Fund,</a> experts estimate that between .01 and .1 percent of all species go extinct each year, which can equate to anywhere from 200 to 2,000 species lost annually. 

Climate change, habitat loss due to human activities, and overfishing have all contributed to species losses over the years, but sometimes you hear about a conservation success story that lends a little hope to the picture. 

Take, for example, the Tennessee coneflower. First classified as a distinct species in 1898, coneflower is a member of the genus Echinacea. After it was thought to be extinct for many years, the coneflower was rediscovered in 1968 by Elsie Quarterman, a biology professor.

The flower was discovered at Mount View Cedar Glade, the plant’s specialized habitat. It was added to the Endangered Species List in 1979 and was one of the first plants to be added to the list. 

Limestone cedar glades are areas where rock formations prevent common deciduous trees from growing and the landscape more closely resembles a rocky grassland.

“The limestone glade is ringed by a kind of prairie — grasslands blooming outrageously with wildflowers: gray-headed coneflowers and Queen Anne’s lace and butterfly weed and pasture roses,” Margaret Renkl wrote in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/opinion/tennessee-coneflower-nature.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">New York Times</a> opinion feature describing the coneflower’s recovery. “There were thousands of Tennessee coneflowers blooming all over the grasslands, too, and like the other wildflowers they were covered with bumblebees and butterflies.” 

Thanks to a massive conservation effort, the Tennessee coneflower was removed from the endangered species list in 2011. 

Today, coneflowers can be found in limestone cedar glades in several counties in Tennessee, and the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/opinion/tennessee-coneflower-nature.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">Nature Conservancy</a> continues to monitor and protect the species. 

“This is a true conservation success story,” said Gina Hancock, State Director for the Conservancy in Tennessee. “And a great day for Tennessee. In the 1980s, we began a two-decade campaign to purchase key cedar glades to protect the Tennessee coneflower and other rare flowering plants. We saved three key sites for the coneflower.”

Coneflowers are far from the only species to come back from extinction. But as extinction rates are speeding up, to prevent mass extinction of many vital species on Earth, it will require a significant overhaul of resources and conservation efforts dedicated to the preservation and recovery of endangered plants and animals. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Back from the brink: The Tennessee Coneflower success story

Over the past 100 years, roughly two vertebrate species have...

An international team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk/">University of Portsmouth</a> has engineered a new family of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-breaks-down-nitrous-oxide/">enzymes</a> to execute a critical step in the conversion of plant waste into high-demand sustainable products, including nylon, chemicals, and plastics.

The newly developed enzyme is active on lignin, a complex organic polymer that can be found in the cell walls of many plants. For decades, scientists have been looking for ways to efficiently to break down lignin.

"This is our goal - to discover enzymes from nature, bring them into our laboratories to understand how they work, then engineer them to produce new tools for the biotechnology industry," said Professor John McGeehan. "In this case, we have taken a naturally occurring enzyme and engineered it to perform a key reaction in the breakdown of one of the toughest natural plant polymers."

"To protect their sugar-containing cellulose, plants have evolved a fascinatingly complicated material called lignin that only a small selection of fungi and bacteria can tackle. However, lignin represents a vast potential source of sustainable chemicals, so if we can find a way to extract and use those building blocks, we can create great things."

Lignin acts as scaffolding, providing plants with strength and defense against pathogens. It also allows for the efficient transport of water in the vascular tissues.  

"It's an amazing material, cellulose and lignin are among the most abundant biopolymers on earth. The success of plants is largely due to the clever mixture of these polymers to create lignocellulose, a material that is challenging to digest," said Professor McGeehan.

[caption id="attachment_1874353" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/enzyme.png"><img class="wp-image-1874353" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/enzyme.png" alt="" width="650" height="454" /></a> The newly engineered enzyme. Image Credit: University of Portsmouth[/caption]

Previously developed enzymes could only work on one building block of lignin, which made the breakdown process inefficient. Using advanced 3D structural and biochemical techniques, the team managed to alter the shape of the enzyme to accommodate multiple building blocks. The results provide a route for producing new materials and chemicals from what has been a waste product.

"We used X-ray crystallography at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron to solve ten enzyme structures in complex with lignin building blocks," explained study co-author Dan Hinchen. "This gave us the blueprint to engineer an enzyme to work on new molecules. Our colleagues were then able to transfer the DNA code for this new enzyme into an industrial strain of bacteria, extending its capability to perform multiple reactions."

"We now have proof-of-principle that we can successfully engineer this class of enzymes to tackle some of the most challenging lignin-based molecules and we will continue to develop biological tools that can convert waste into valuable and sustainable materials," added Professor McGeehan.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Stefan Venter, UPIX Photography

New enzyme can help convert plant waste into high-demand products

An international team of researchers led by the University of...

Antibiotic-resistant bugs can be transmitted from plants to humans. Researchers have found that plant-foods may act as transmitters for antibiotic-resistant bugs to the human gut biome. 

The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">U.S. Centers for Disease Control</a> have already calculated that 20% of yearly superbug infections come from agriculture — specifically meat. However, until now, research on the link between plants and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cows-antibiotic-resistant-superbugs/">superbugs</a> has been scarce. The new research will be presented at the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.asm.org/">American Society for Microbiology</a>.

"Our findings highlight the importance of tackling foodborne antibiotic-resistance from a complete food chain perspective that includes plant-foods in addition to meat," said lead author Marlène Maeusli, a PhD candidate at <a href="https://keck.usc.edu/">Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California</a>.

According to the researchers, the spread of superbugs from plants to humans is not the same as diarrheal illness caused by eating contaminated vegetables. Rather, superbugs can hide within the intestine for months or even years only to present themselves as infection (like a urinary infection) later down the road, once they escape the intestine.

The team came to this realization after feeding lettuce infected with an E. coli superbug to mice, and analyzing the mice’s fecal matter over time.

"We found differences in the ability of bacteria to silently colonize the gut after ingestion, depending on a variety of host and bacterial factors," said Maeusli. "We mimicked antibiotic and antacid treatments, as both could affect the ability of superbugs to survive passage from the stomach to the intestines."

The superbug’s ability to hide within the intestine did not increase after exposure to one type of antibiotic, However, being exposed to a second antibiotic resulted in the superbug colonizing within the gut. And ingesting the bacteria with food, and eating an antacid before ingesting the bacteria both changed the superbug’s colonization.

"We continue to seek the plant characteristics and host factors that result in key microbial community shifts in the gut that put us at risk for colonization and those that prevent it," concluded Maeusli. "The environment and human health — in this context via agriculture and microbiomes — are inextricably linked."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Antibiotic-resistant bugs can be transmitted from plants to humans

Antibiotic-resistant bugs can be transmitted from plants to humans. Researchers...

City landscapes can actually be very helpful in recovering monarch numbers. It might seem counterintuitive that cities would be the key to monarch conservation. But two new studies published in the journal Frontiers of Ecology and Evolution have found that urban landscapes, specifically how they are managed, could provide a lifeline for important pollinators. 

Monarch populations have declined 80 percent in the US over the last twenty years, with studies showing that habitat loss in overwintering locations and climate change have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monarch-butterfly-populations-all-time-low/">contributed to those losses. </a>

Milkweed, a robust group of flowering plants native to the US, are not coveted garden flowers, but they are the only plant that Monarchs can lay their eggs on.City landscapes can actually be very helpful in recovering monarch numbers

If milkweed plants continue to decline, it could lead to the extinction of Monarch butterflies all together. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> collected data from field observations and spatial images to map milkweed plant abundance across large urban areas.

[caption id="attachment_1874245" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/City-landscapes-can-actually-be-very-helpful-in-recovering-monarch-numbers.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874245" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/City-landscapes-can-actually-be-very-helpful-in-recovering-monarch-numbers.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="488" /></a> Monarch butterflies in downtown Chicago. Image Credit: Abigail Derby Lewis, Field Museum[/caption]

By focusing on cities and milkweed, the researchers were able to identify areas where milkweed could be planted and highlight the critical role of cities in butterfly conservation. 

“Metropolitan areas actually matter for wildlife conservation, and that’s especially true for pollinators like the Monarch that can survive with very small patches of habitat,” says Abigail Derby Lewis, lead author of one of the studies. “There’s an assumption that cities are not important places for plants and animals, but that’s because no one had looked at these landscapes in a systematic way, or at the collective impact from many small-scale plantings across large urban geographies.”

The researchers found that residential areas like lawns provide a huge opportunity for space to plant milkweed. 

To recover and protect monarch populations, the researchers estimate that it would require planting 1.8 billion milkweed stems, enough to cover an area the size of Washington DC. 

“This approach to examining metropolitan landscapes allows us to ‘see’ cities in a way we haven’t been able to before, and this enables us to get a better estimate of how much potential space there is to create habitat,” said Mark Johnston, the lead author of the second paper. “We think that cities could support 15 to 30 percent of the milkweed that’s needed to save Monarchs.” 

In order to get city residents on board, it will require a shift in public perceptions of what plants are cosmetically acceptable.

 “I would encourage people to question the grassy lawns that dominate our urban landscape--could we plant something else that would provide habitat for Monarchs and other wildlife?” asked Johnston.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Field Museum

City landscapes can actually be very helpful in recovering monarch numbers

City landscapes can actually be very helpful in recovering monarch...

Paper mulberry plants help reveal how humans migrated to Oceania. How the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pacific-island-bans-toxic-sunscreens/">Pacific islands</a> of Oceania were first inhabited is a question that has long puzzled researchers. 

Human migration to the Pacific islands occurred over the last 3,000 years, and now, researchers have tracked ancient migration patterns through Oceania using paper mulberry plants. 

Paper mulberry plants are native to Asia and were brought to Oceania by humans migrating to the region. The plant was used to make paper and barkcloth. Today, the paper mulberry is found all along the Pacific islands from New Guinea, to Hawaii, to Fiji. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.uchile.cl/english">University of Chile</a> and the<a href="http://www.academia.cl/"> Academia de Humanismo Cristiano University</a> analyzed genetic differences between 67 preserved and 313 modern mulberry plant samples collected throughout the Pacific islands.

[caption id="attachment_1874195" align="aligncenter" width="500"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/oceania.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1874195" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/oceania.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="551" /></a> Dispersal of paper mulberry in Oceania. Image Credit: Seelenfreund et al, 2019[/caption]

The researchers published their genetic analysis in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217107">PLOS ONE</a>. 

Even though the plant was only brought Oceania 3,000 years ago, the researchers found significant genetic differences between preserved plants collected in the 19th and 20th centuries and specimens collected recently. 

Modern mulberry plants are less genetically diverse, and the researchers identified genetic trends that lined up with archeological data showing that the Pacific islands were inhabited from west to east. 

The plant’s west to east dispersal also matches three major centers of past human dispersal and interaction in the region. 

These three centers were the Tonga and Fiji archipelago, the islands of Samoa, Wallis, and New Caledonia, and Tahiti, Hawaii, Marquesas Islands, Austral Islands, and Rapanui (Easter Island). 

“Our data detect a complex structure of three central dispersal hubs linking West Remote Oceania with East Remote Oceania, despite its vegetative propagation and short timespan since its introduction into the region by prehistoric Austronesian speaking colonists,” said Andrea Seelenfreund, a co-author of the study. 

The study shows a clear picture of human dispersal and prehistoric human migrations across Oceania using plant genetics. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: A. Seelenfreund

Paper mulberry plants help reveal how humans migrated to Oceania

Paper mulberry plants help reveal how humans migrated to Oceania....

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/retailers-palm-oil-sources/">Palm oil</a> is often talked about for its environmental impact as well as omnipresence in everyday food items. <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/giving-up-palm-oil-might-actually-be-bad-environment-180958092/">Smithsonian Magazine</a> reported in 2016 that although palm oil is the cause of much environmental destruction, it may be better than alternative oil sources. Other plants used for oil cannot produce even a third the amount of oil per acre that does palm oil. Nestle pledges responsible palm oil sourcing -- is it progress or greenwashing? 

The efficiency of oil produced by palms is evident in its low cost and use in so many different products. According to <a href="https://www.toptal.com/finance/market-research-analysts/palm-oil-investing">Toptal</a>, palm oil is the most consumed food oil, making up part of half of all packaged products worldwide. Palm oil is in cosmetics, in toothpastes, in ramen noodles, and is even used as a form of biodiesel. In 2017, 51% of the European Union’s palm oil consumption went to power motor vehicles. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/12/palm-oil-products-borneo-africa-environment-impact/">National Geographic</a> calls palm oil unavoidable but asks whether it can be sustainable.

Oil palms are an ancient food in west Africa, where they’ve been harvested for as long as 5,000 years for cooking oil. <a href="https://theoilpalm.org/history-and-origin/">The Oil Palm</a> reports that ancient Egyptian tombs may have even contained casks of palm oil. With the industrial revolution, the British imported palm oil for use in machines, candle making and other industrial purposes. Interest from Britain and the rest of Europe drove the expansion of palm oil plantations in Africa and then in Southeast Asia. 

Today, most of the world’s palm oil comes from Asia. WWF reports that roughly 90% of the world’s oil palms are grown on a handful of islands in Indonesia and Malaysia. Unfortunately, oil palm plantations in these places are also a leading cause of destruction of rainforests with stunning biodiversity. Orangutans in Borneo have been hit hard by the deforestation. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/12/palm-oil-products-borneo-africa-environment-impact/">National Geographic</a> reports that between 1999 and 2015, almost 150,000 of the great apes were killed, partially due to deforestation. Palm oil plantations have now spread throughout the tropics through Latin America as well. 

Mexico is very far from Africa or Southeast Asia but a portion of the nation also shares a similar tropical climate. In fact, it is the closest part of the tropics reachable by land to the United States. Mexico has its own palm oil plantations and its own tropical forests to be threatened by their growth. According to <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/05/top-10-biodiverse-countries/">Mongabay</a>, Mexico ranks as the #5 most biodiverse nation in the world. In Mexico, the National Commission of Natural <a href="https://www.cakex.org/community/directory/organizations/national-commission-natural-protected-areas-mexico-la-comisi%C3%B3n">Protected Areas</a> currently manages 173 protected areas, and La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve is one of them.

La Encrucijada is 144,848 hectares of land on the Pacific coast of Mexico in the state of Chiapas. The entire reserve is a mix of different environments, including mangroves, coastal dunes and 7,177 bodies of water, according to <a href="http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?code=MEX+23&amp;mode=all">UNESCO</a>. The place is a tropical paradise home to jaguars, ocelots, spider monkeys and crocodiles. <a href="https://planeta.com/la-encrucijada/">Planeta</a> reports that La Encrucijada was first declared a state park in 1972 before being upgraded to a National Park in 1995. 

Because the park was created relatively recently, there was already agriculture present in the park at its creation. Ranchers and palm oil plantations were grandfathered into the park at its founding. Instead of excluding agriculture from the reserve outright, the Mexican government devised a management plan which allows agriculture in only some areas where it is to be closely managed. The plan is intended to be looked at and revised every ten years. 

<a href="http://earthworm.org/news-stories/protecting-the-crossroads">Earthworm</a> reports that a new film, Protecting the Crossroads, discusses how the management plan for La Encrucijada hasn’t been updated as it should be and that rules haven’t been clearly communicated to farmers or enforced due to lack of resources. In theory, the reserve has two zones, a core zone where no agriculture is to take place (a strict reserve) and a buffer zone where some agriculture is allowed. Unfortunately, agriculture has bled into the core zone, and oil palms have become invasive within the reserve. The result is that without direct deforestation, palm oil agriculture may be threatening La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve. Interestingly, Earthworm, a non-profit organization, and the Mexican government worked with palm oil buyers, Nestle and Grupo Bimbo, to produce a satellite map of the area to better monitor agriculture in the area.

Nestle is of course a large company that most of us have bought products from in the past. Despite their efforts, the company’s environmental record in La Encrucijada has been mixed at best. Nestle has committed to <a href="https://www.nestle.com/csv/raw-materials/palm-oil">100% responsible palm oil</a> by 2020, claiming that in 2018, 64% of their palm oil was sourced responsibly and 54% of the palm oil purchased in 2018 was traceable. This commitment though admirable is far from the entire story of Nestle and palm oil.

<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-06-29/nestle-suspended-sustainable-palm-oil/9923238">ABC</a> reported in 2018 that Nestle can no longer claim sustainable certification for any of its palm oil after being suspended from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for failing to submit progress reports. RSPO also noted that Nestle’s membership fee was overdue. A spokesperson for the <a href="https://www.ran.org/">Rainforest Action Network</a> (RAN) claimed that the company had been deceiving its consumers by moving goals and ‘cherry picking’ targets. 

In 2018, <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/18400/nestle-promise-inadequate-to-stop-deforestation-for-palm-oil/">Greenpeace</a> called Nestle’s claims to monitor its palm oil for deforestation ‘inadequate’. The environmental activist organization pointed out that Nestle still buys their palm oil from 23 of the ‘dirtiest’ suppliers in Indonesia. Although the palm plantations encroaching on La Encrucijada were a real problem, it seems that the bigger problems with Nestle’s palm oil sources come from Southeast Asia, where the company is doing less to combat deforestation. 

Whether or not Nestle’s work in La Encrucijada is part of a larger greenwashing scheme or part of a real commitment to turn over a new leaf is hard to say, but action in one small place from a multinational company only means so much. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-13/world-has-loads-of-sustainable-palm-oil-just-no-one-wants-it">Bloomberg</a> reported in January of this year that about 20% of the world’s output of palm oil is now grown sustainably but only half that is sold as sustainable oil because buyers don’t want to pay the extra cost. Are we and big companies like Nestle selling our forests for cheaper junk food?      --

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Mrfiza

Nestle pledges responsible palm oil sourcing -- is it progress or greenwashing?

Palm oil is often talked about for its environmental impact...

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Australian Outback plant species challenges the idea of binary sexuality. A team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.bucknell.edu/">Bucknell University</a> is describing a new species of bush tomato from the remote <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/emus-australian-drought/">Australian Outback</a>. For decades, the plant has amazed field biologists because of the unusual variability of its flower form. 

The plant was first documented by Australian botanists during the 1970s. This team had noted the challenge of identifying the sexual condition of the plant, which appeared at different times to be female, male, or bisexual.Australian Outback plant species challenges the idea of binary sexuality

In the lab of Bucknell Professor Chris Martine, DNA studies produced evidence that the diverse specimens were not only examples of the same plant, but also belonged to an undescribed species.

The researchers set out on an expedition in the remote northwestern region of the Northern Territory to relocate populations of the plant and collected numerous new specimens. The team named the species Solanum plastisexumas, in reference to the notable variation in the plant's sexual condition.

"This name, for us, is not just a reflection of the diversity of sexual forms seen in this species," wrote the study authors. "It is also a recognition that this plant is a model for the sort of sexual fluidity that is present across the Plant Kingdom - where just about any sort of reproductive form one can imagine (within the constraints of plant development) is present."

Also known as the Dungowan bush tomato, Solanum plastisexum is a distant relative of the cultivated eggplant. The experts said the new species provides a compelling example of the fact that sexuality among Earth's living creatures is far more diverse, and interesting, than what is expected. 

"In a way, S. plastisexum is not just a model for the diversity of sexual/reproductive form seen among plants - it is also evidence that attempts to recognize a 'normative' sexual condition among the planet's living creatures is problematic," wrote the researchers. 

"When considering the scope of life on Earth, the notion of a constant sexual binary consisting of two distinct and disconnected forms is, fundamentally, a fallacy."

[caption id="attachment_1874128" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Fruit-of-Solanum-plastisexum..jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874128" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Fruit-of-Solanum-plastisexum..jpg" alt="" width="650" height="867" /></a> Fruit of Solanum plastisexum. Image Credit: McDonnel[/caption]

Professor Martine explained that 85 percent of the world's flowering plant species have flowers that are bisexual, with both male and female organs present in every blossom.

"So that's already quite different than what some people might expect; but the remaining 15% or so come in all sorts of forms that push the envelope further, including unisexual flowers and (like we see in a plant like Cannabis) whole plants that are either male or female," said Professor Martine.

"For the most part, a given plant species will stick to one primary and predictable type of sexual expression, but what makes Solanum plastisexum stand out is that it is one of a just a few plants that kind of do it all. It really seems like you never know what you'll get when you come across it."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/">PhytoKeys</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Chris Martine

Australian Outback plant species challenges the idea of binary sexuality

Australian Outback plant species challenges the idea of binary sexuality....

Midwestern farmers may soon have to rely more on irrigation than rainfall. Midwestern corn growers who rely on rainfall to water their crops will have to turn to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/agricultural-irrigation-freshwater-supply/">irrigation</a> if the current climate trends and crop modifications continue, according to a new study from the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a>. The researchers explained that this could disrupt freshwater sources and create conflict over their usage. 

Based on the hotter conditions expected by the middle of the century, the team estimated how much moisture will be drawn out of corn plants.

"As the atmosphere warms, it dries, and so the draw for water to go from plants to the atmosphere increases," said study lead author Professor DeLucia. "The ability of the atmosphere to draw water from plants is determined by its 'vapor pressure deficit.'"

"If you add to this the decades-old trend toward bigger, more productive corn plants, you see an overall increase in water use and water loss through plant leaves - without comparable increases in rainfall to counter the deficit."

Professor DeLucia said that the average corn yield in the Midwest is roughly 170 bushels per acre today, which is up from about 120 bushels per acre in 1990.

"If this trend continues, the projected yield in 2050 would be 230-240 bushels per acre averaged across the Midwest. If you want more corn, then you have to have a bigger plant, and a bigger plant is going to use more water."

The study findings indicate that precipitation will not increase enough in the Midwest to compensate for the drying conditions of the warmer atmosphere. 

"We are getting more intense storms in the spring and less rain in the late summer," said Professor DeLucia. The total precipitation, however, is not predicted to change much in the coming decades.

The researchers also determined that warming conditions alone will drive a much greater demand for water, even without the development of larger, higher-yielding plants.

"We show that as vapor pressure deficit increases, maintaining current maize yields will require a large expansion of irrigation, greater than threefold, in areas currently supported by rain," wrote the study authors.  

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21508925/">Ecosphere</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Midwestern farmers may soon have to rely more on irrigation than rainfall

Midwestern farmers may soon have to rely more on irrigation...

Celery is often disregarded as nothing more than a disposable garnish served with buffalo chicken wings. However, the extraordinary health benefits associated with this crunchy vegetable make it one of the most underrated foods on the planet.

"Celery is loaded with polysaccharides and antioxidants," explained best-selling author Dr. Partha Nandi. "The antioxidants have the ability to cure free-radical damage that contributes to inflammation. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer or arthritis are caused by inflammation."

Many other serious conditions, including diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and age-related vision loss, have also been linked to chronic inflammation. 

Dr. Tina Ardon is a family medicine physician at the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/">Mayo Clinic</a>. She explained that some foods contribute to inflammation, while other foods can be helpful for reducing or preventing inflammation.

"Research indicates that there is a link between diet and inflammation," said Dr. Ardon. "Although this is a normal process in response to an injury or an infection, sometimes inflammation can turn into a chronic process and actually be widespread throughout the body."

Celery is also a good source of both types of dietary fiber, soluble and insoluble. A study funded by the <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/">National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute</a> revealed that simply eating more fiber can be critical for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-training-weight-loss/">weight loss</a>. Fiber absorbs water in the digestive tract and reduces food cravings by making you feel fuller longer.

"A simplified approach to weight reduction emphasizing only increased fiber intake may be a reasonable alternative for persons with difficulty adhering to more complicated diet regimens," wrote the study authors. 

Celery is 95 percent water, which means that incorporating it into a daily diet increases levels of hydration. Staying hydrated not only increases the body's energy levels, but also improves mood and brain function. 

"In theory, a liquid that boosts mood, helps the body function properly and gets rid of excess toxins should be the go-to strategy for better health. But despite the fact that it's essential to survive - and that the body's made up of 60 percent of it - water often becomes a forgotten nutrient," wrote experts at the Mayo Clinic.

A growing collection of research suggests that celery is also helpful in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. 

"Regular consumption of celery can help protect cardiovascular health," said Dr. Nandi. "Moreover, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of celery make it an ideal food for patients with high cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as heart disease. Celery also has numerous amazing benefits for skin, liver, eye and cognitive health."

As far back as the Middle Ages, wild celery was used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and arthritis. In fact, for thousands of years, celery was used more for medicinal purposes than for cooking.

Native to the Mediterranean region, the celery plant was considered an aphrodisiac by Greeks and Romans. It was believed to induce arousal by stimulating the pituitary gland, which is key in releasing sexual hormones. According to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic</a>, the legendary Italian lover Giacomo Casanova ate celery to ensure sexual stamina.

In ancient Greece, celery was used to worship the dead and the underworld divinities. Dark celery leaves were used to make garlands for the deceased. Egyptians used celery in celebrations associated with the cult of the dead as well, and garlands of celery leaves were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Today, the most straightforward benefit of adding celery to a daily diet is that it is practically calorie-free. Meanwhile, experts continue to identify the positive health effects of celery and its role in lowering the risk of death by the world's two leading causes, heart disease and cancer.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/OlesyaSH

A celery stalk a day may help keep heart disease and cancer away

Celery is often disregarded as nothing more than a disposable...

A team of researchers at the <a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/university/">University of Würzburg</a> has identified an ion channel that helps to facilitate plant communication. The function of the TPC1 ion channel was previously unknown, and this new discovery may ultimately lead to the development of more resilient <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/gene-grow-productive-crops/">crops</a>.

The cells and tissues in grain plants communicate through electrical signals, just like humans. Certain features of the signals, such as the frequency, enable the plants to respond to heat and cold, excessive light, or insect pests.

The JMU team was led by biophysicist Professor Rainer Hedrich, who was the first to uncover the existence of the TPC1 ion channel in the mid-1980s. Over the years that followed, he extensively studied and described the channel. 

The current study has revealed that TPC1 plays an important role in exciting the membrane which encloses the central vacuole of plant cells. The vacuole is an enclosed cavity that serves the primary purpose of storing nutrients.

When a leaf is wounded, a calcium wave is triggered within the leaf along with the electrical signal. In plants with a defective TPC1, the calcium wave was found to travel more slowly or not at all. "This finding led us to study the properties of the vacuole using the patch clamp technique," said Professor Hedrich.

[caption id="attachment_1874044" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ion-channel.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874044" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ion-channel.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="212" /></a> The TPC1 ion channel in the vacuole membrane (yellow), Image Credit: Dawid Jaslan, University of Würzburg[/caption]

The researchers discovered that vacuoles lacking TPC1 cannot be excited by the calcium wave or the electrical charge.

"We also asked ourselves when the calcium-dependent TPC1 functions occurred in plants for the first time," said Professor Hedrich. "Now we aim to find out whether TPC1 is also responsible for the excitability in early ancestors of our crops and whether implanting algae or moss TPC1 is capable of healing the functional failure in mutants of modern crop plants."

According to the study, the individual channel functions often develop differently among members of the same plant families. The team plans to investigate the reason for these differences on a molecular level.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists identify an ion channel that is critical for plant communication

A team of researchers at the University of Würzburg has...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

<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>.



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-----

Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



<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



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

<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;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<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;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

<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



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

<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;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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