In the United States and worldwide, alcohol consumption remains a leading cause of preventable death and disability, contributing to liver disease, mental health disorders, and accidents.&nbsp;



Researchers from <a href="https://www.fau.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Atlantic University</a> (FAU)’s Schmidt College of Medicine have delved into U.S. trends in alcohol-related deaths from 1999 to 2020. 



Utilizing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER), they uncovered alarming statistics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dramatic-surge-in-alcohol-related-deaths-nbsp">Dramatic surge in alcohol-related deaths&nbsp;</h2>



The study reveals that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spike-in-alcohol-use-during-the-pandemic-continues-today/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alcohol</a>-related deaths in the U.S. have surged dramatically in the last two decades. The mortality rate nearly doubled from 10.7 per 100,000 in 1999 to 21.6 per 100,000 in 2020. 



The total number of alcohol-related deaths soared from 19,356 to 48,870, marking a dramatic twofold increase. Every age group experienced increases, with the most alarming spike - nearly fourfold - in those aged 25 to 34.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gender-and-age-disparities">Gender and age disparities</h2>



The 85 and older age group saw a possible but nonsignificant increase. Individuals aged 55-64 had both the steepest rise in mortality and the highest absolute rates in both 1999 and 2020.&nbsp;



Both men and women experienced significant increases in alcohol-related deaths, but men had the highest rates in both years and saw the steepest increase overall.&nbsp;



Women, however, saw the largest proportional rise, with deaths increasing from 4.8 per 100,000 in 1999 to 12 in 2020.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alcohol-consumption-among-women-nbsp">Alcohol consumption among women&nbsp;</h2>



Study senior author Dr. Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas is a professor and chair of the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine at FAU.&nbsp;



“Our study found significant gender differences in alcohol-related mortality. While men had higher overall death rates, women experienced a larger relative increase, which may reflect changing social norms and the alcohol industry’s increased targeting of women through marketing campaigns,” said Dr. Kitsantas.



“As alcohol consumption among women has grown, so have the associated risks. Women appear to be more vulnerable to alcohol’s harmful effects due, possibly, to differences in body composition and metabolism, leading to higher blood alcohol concentrations.”&nbsp;



Moreover, mental health issues like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-with-a-history-of-depression-tend-to-process-more-negative-information/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">depression</a> and anxiety, already more common in women, can be worsened by alcohol use, noted Dr. Kitsantas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-regional-variations-in-alcohol-related-deaths-nbsp">Regional variations in alcohol-related deaths&nbsp;</h2>



Deaths in women increased two-and-a-half times, while Asian and Pacific Islander communities experienced the steepest rise of 2.4 times.&nbsp;



Regionally, the Midwest experienced the greatest jump, with an increase of 2.5 times in alcohol-related mortality, followed by the Northeast, West, and South.



“Addressing these factors through tailored interventions could help combat the growing U.S. alcohol mortality epidemic,” said Dr. Kitsantas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complications-of-associated-risk-factors">Complications of associated risk factors</h2>



Findings from the study highlight significant clinical and public health challenges that may benefit from targeted interventions.&nbsp;



Risk factors such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-obesity-rates-are-surging-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">obesity</a>, diabetes, and liver damage complicate these challenges, accelerating alcohol-related mortality. Gender, demographic, and regional differences should guide healthcare strategies.



“Health care providers should recognize that heavy alcohol use is a leading risk factor for total mortality and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-century-of-progress-in-the-fight-against-cardiovascular-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular disease</a>, especially heart attacks and stroke,” said co-author Charles H. Hennekens, a professor of medicine at FAU. 



“To mitigate these risks, screening for alcohol use in primary care settings is essential. Coexisting conditions like overweight and obesity can accelerate liver damage, which may in turn lead to earlier onset of cirrhosis and liver cancer.”



“The U.S. has the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the world and low levels of daily physical activity. The deleterious interaction of these factors may contribute to the observed trends in alcohol-related mortality, particularly in younger adults.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-context-and-future-directions">Global context and future directions</h2>



Alcohol consumption varies significantly by region worldwide and in the U.S. According to 2019 data, Latvia had the highest annual per capita consumption at 13.2 liters, followed by France at 12.2 and the U.S. at 10.&nbsp;



Descriptive data on mortality reveal complex links between alcohol use and premature deaths. Latvia, for example, leads in alcohol consumption and ranks third in total deaths, while France, despite high alcohol consumption, has low cardiovascular mortality but high rates of cirrhosis and liver cancer.&nbsp;



In contrast, Russian men have high alcohol consumption and an elevated rate of cardiovascular mortality. These patterns illustrate the complex interrelationships of alcohol consumption, premature death, and disease, regardless of the beverage type.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alcohol-consumption-and-premature-death">Alcohol consumption and premature death</h2>



“Both globally and in the U.S., high levels of alcohol consumption are closely linked to premature deaths and disability,” said Hennekens.&nbsp;



“The difference between consuming small amounts of alcohol daily and larger amounts could be the difference between preventing and causing premature death. One immediate effect of alcohol is liver damage, and in the U.S., the rising rates of obesity and diabetes also contribute to early liver damage.”



In conclusion, the authors emphasize that healthcare providers should be aware that in the U.S. as well as most populations worldwide, individuals who consume large amounts of alcohol tend to have the highest risks of mortality as well as deaths from cardiovascular disease, predominantly due to heart attacks and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dramatic-temperature-changes-linked-to-half-a-million-stroke-deaths/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stroke</a>.



The research is published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.10.024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The American Journal of Medicine</a>.



-----



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Alcohol-related deaths have doubled over the past two decades

In the United States and worldwide, alcohol consumption remains a leading cause of preventable death and disability, contributing to liver disease, mental health disorders, and accidents.&nbsp; Researchers from Florida Atlantic University (FAU)’s Schmidt College of Medicine have delved into U.S. trends in alcohol-related deaths from 1999 to 2020.  Utilizing data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER), they uncovered alarming statistics. Dramatic surge in alcohol-related deaths&nbsp; The study reveals that alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. have surged dramatically...

Vitamin D and fish oil may lower risk of death from cancer and heart attack. According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.menopause.org/">North American Menopause Society</a> (NAMS), vitamin D and fish oil may play a protective role against death from cancer and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/yoga-heart-attack/">heart attacks</a>. While the results of the study were found to be complex, the experts observed promising benefits for many participants.

The VITamin D and OmegA-3 Trial (VITAL) was designed to test whether vitamin D and fish oil can effectively prevent cancer or cardiovascular disease. 

The clinical trial was focused on nearly 26,000 men and women in the United States. After more than five years, the treatments produced promising signals that were very specific. For example, fish oil showed only a small reduction in the primary cardiovascular endpoint of major CVD events, yet was associated with a significant reduction in heart attacks. Vitamin D and fish oil may lower risk of death from cancer and heart attack

In addition, the greatest benefit of Omega-3 fatty acids was observed when dietary fish intake was below the cohort average of 1.5 servings per week, and was not observed in those with a higher intake. 

Furthermore, African-Americans appeared to gain the highest risk reductions. These heart health benefits have recently been confirmed by meta-analyses of omega-3 randomized trials, according to the experts.

Similarly, vitamin D supplements did not reduce major CVD events or total cancer incidence, yet were associated with a significant reduction in overall cancer mortality among adults who participated in the trial for at least two years. The effectiveness of vitamin D in reducing cancer mortality has also been confirmed by updated meta-analyses of existing vitamin D trials.

"The pattern of findings suggests a complex balance of benefits and risks for each intervention and points to the need for additional research to determine which individuals may be most likely to derive a net benefit from these supplements," said study lead author Dr. JoAnn Manson of Brigham and Women's Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

"With heart disease and cancer representing the most significant health threats to women, it is imperative that we continue to study the viability of options that prevent these diseases and help women survive them," added Dr. Stephanie Faubion, who is the medical director for NAMS.

The latest VITAL findings will be presented during the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in Chicago later this week. 

The study is published in <a href="https://www.menopause.org/publications/professional-publications/menopause-journal-contents/menopause-journal-nonmembers">Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society</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: Shutterstock/Ekaterina Markelova

Vitamin D and fish oil may lower risk of death from cancer and heart attack

Vitamin D and fish oil may lower risk of death...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a> have found that plastic teabags can transfer billions of microplastic particles into a beverage when it is brewed. Despite growing concern over <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-human-food-chain/">microplastic</a> contamination, experts are still not clear how the particles may impact human health. 

Plastic breaks down into tiny microplastics over time, and then into even smaller nanoplastics, which are less than 100 nanometers in size. By comparison, a human hair has a diameter of about 75,000 nanometers, which means that nanoplastics are not even be detectable to the human eye. 

Some tea manufacturers have recently made the switch from traditional paper teabags to plastic ones, and a team led by Nathalie Tufenkji set out to determine whether these teabags may be releasing micro- and nanoplastics into the beverage during brewing. 

The researchers also wanted to investigate the effects of microscopic plastic particles on small aquatic organisms called Daphnia magna, or water fleas, which are commonly used in environmental research.

The study was focused on four different commercial teas packaged in plastic teabags, which were cut open to remove the tea leaves and washed. Next, the teabags were heated in containers of water to simulate brewing conditions. 

Using electron microscopy, the team found that when a single plastic teabag reached brewing temperature, it released about 11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles into the water. These levels are thousands of times higher than what has been previously reported in other foods. 

In a second experiment, water fleas were treated with various doses of the micro- and nanoplastics contained in the teabags. While they did survive, the water fleas displayed abnormal development and behavior. According to the experts, further research is needed to determine if plastic particles could have more subtle or chronic effects on humans.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</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: Shutterstock/Vladimir Sukhachev

Plastic teabags release billions of microscopic particles into tea

Researchers at the American Chemical Society have found that plastic...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">UC San Francisco</a> have identified a link between one or two daytime naps per week and a reduced risk of having a major cardiovascular event, such as a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sleep-lower-heart-attack-risk/">heart attack</a> or stroke. Notably, this association was not observed with any greater frequency of naps.

The investigation was focused on data from the CoLaus study, which was designed to explore the factors involved in the development of cardiovascular disease. The study included 3,462 randomly selected residents of Lausanne, Switzerland, who were between the ages of 35 and 75 when they were recruited in 2003. 

When the first follow-up was conducted six years later, the participants reported on their sleep and nap patterns over the previous week. The health of the individuals was then monitored for an average of five additional years. 

The participants fell into four categories: those who did not nap in the previous week, those who took one to two naps, those who took three to five naps, and those who took six to seven naps.

The most frequent nappers were most often older, overweight males who were smokers. These participants reported more daytime sleepiness and more severe obstructive sleep apnea than participants in the other three categories.

During the five-year monitoring period, there were 155 fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease events among the participants. The researchers found that napping occasionally - once to twice weekly - was associated with nearly half the risk of stroke and heart attack compared to those who did not ever take daytime naps.

This association was consistent even after the team accounted for influential factors, such as age, nighttime sleep duration, and other cardiovascular disease risks like high blood pressure.

According to study co-authors Dr. Yue Leng and Dr. Kristine Yaffe, research in this area is hampered by the absence of a gold standard for defining and measuring naps, making it "premature to conclude on the appropriateness of napping for maintaining optimal heart health."

"While the exact physiological pathways linking daytime napping to (cardiovascular disease) risk is not clear, (this research) contributes to the ongoing debate on the health implications of napping, and suggests that it might not only be the duration, but also the frequency that matters," wrote the researchers.

"The study of napping is a challenging but also a promising field with potentially significant public health implications. While there remain more questions than answers, it is time to start unveiling the power of naps for a supercharged heart."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://heart.bmj.com/">Heart</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: Shutterstock/George Rudy

Two naps a week may be ideal for heart health

Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a link between...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a> suggests that fragrance sensitivity affects so many people that it could nearly qualify as an epidemic. 

Professor Anne Steinemann surveyed more than 4,000 adults and found that one out of every three respondents had been adversely affected by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/develop-fragrances-last-longer/">fragranced products</a>. 

Fragrance sensitivity is a condition that is characterized by negative health effects after exposure to fragranced consumer products such as air fresheners, cleaning supplies, laundry detergents, cologne, scented candles, and soaps.

Professor Steinemann set out to examine the extent of fragrance sensitivity and how it may affect everyday life. For the investigation, adults were surveyed in four different countries: the United States, Australia, the UK, and Sweden.

The highest sensitivity rates were reported in the United States, where nearly 35 percent of respondents had encountered problems with fragrances. In the UK, nearly 28 percent of respondents had been adversely affected by fragranced products. 

Overall, one in 10 of those surveyed experienced effects from fragrances that were so bad they had missed work or even lost their job. One in five participants attributed their sensitivity to a perfume or cologne, while one in six had health problems triggered by air fresheners or fragranced cleaning products.

Around 17 percent of study participants reported respiratory issues from fragrances, and others reported migraines, watery or red eyes, and asthma attacks.

Considering that one in three people report that these products harm their health, fragrance sensitivity may qualify as an epidemic, Professor Steinemann told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. However, she explained that there are no standardized diagnostic tests to determine whether the health effects are physiological or psychological.

According to Professor Steinemann, those surveyed would like for fragrances to be removed from public spaces. She suggests that products should be very clearly labeled with the ingredients they contain in order to highlight the presence of a fragrance.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/11869">Air Quality, Atmosphere &amp; Health</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: Shutterstock/pyrozhenka

Fragrance sensitivity causes health problems for 1 in 3 people

A new study from the University of Melbourne suggests that...

Data from the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC) has revealed that nine states now have an obesity rate of at least 35 percent, which is a frequency that is unprecedented. In every state, more than 20 percent of adults were found to be dangerously overweight.

"Obesity is a serious concern because it is associated with poorer mental health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and the leading causes of death in the U.S. and worldwide, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer," explains the CDC.

The worst <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercises-effective-predisposed-obesity/">obesity</a> rates were found in West Virginia and Mississippi, where 39.5 percent of adults are obese. Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, and North Dakota rounded out the top-weighing states.

Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the CDC releases Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories each year. The maps show self-reported adult obesity prevalence by race, ethnicity, and location. 

The most recent CDC report revealed that obesity rates increased as the level of education decreased. For example, 24.7 percent of college graduates were obese compared to 35 percent of high school dropouts.

There were also major differences in obesity rates among adults of different races. White adults had the lowest rate at 29.3 percent, while black Americans had an obesity rate of 39.1 percent.

In addition, young adults were found to be half as likely to have weight problems compared with middle-aged adults. Individuals between 18 and 24 had the lowest self-reported obesity of 18.1 percent, while people between 45 and 54 years had the highest prevalence at 36.9 percent.

"There is no single or simple solution to the obesity epidemic," writes the CDC. "It’s a complex problem and there has to be a multifaceted approach. Policy makers, state and local organizations, business and community leaders, school, childcare and healthcare professionals, and individuals must work together to create an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle. There are several ways state and local organizations can create a supportive environment to promote healthy living behaviors that prevent obesity."

"Knowing your body mass index (BMI), achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular physical activity are all actions you can take for yourself to combat obesity."

--

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/Kateryna Kon

Nine U.S. states now have an obesity rate of at least 35 percent

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...

‘Hanger’ really does cause people to make poor decisions for quick gratification. In a new study from the <a href="https://www.dundee.ac.uk/">University of Dundee</a>, Dr. Benjamin Vincent has demonstrated that people do not make the best decisions when they are <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experts-weigh-in-on-what-makes-people-become-hangry/">hungry</a>. The research, which showed that people's preferences are altered on an empty stomach, suggests that important decisions should not be made when we are undernourished, or 'hangry.' 

Dr. Vincent designed an experiment to analyze how participants would answer questions relating to food, money, and other rewards on a day after they had eaten compared to another day when they had not eaten. 

As expected, the hungry individuals were willing to settle for smaller food incentives which they could receive sooner. Surprisingly, however, the researchers found that participants had completely different preferences that were unrelated to food when they were acting on an empty stomach. 

"We wanted to know whether being in a state of hunger had a specific effect on how you make decisions only relating to food or if it had broader effects, and this research suggests decision-making gets more present-focused when people are hungry," said Dr Vincent.

"You would predict that hunger would impact people's preferences relating to food, but it is not yet clear why people get more present-focused for completely unrelated rewards."

"We hear of children going to school without having had breakfast, many people are on calorie restriction diets, and lots of people fast for religious reasons. Hunger is so common that it is important to understand the non-obvious ways in which our preferences and decisions may be affected by it."

For three different types of rewards, the participants who were undernourished became more impatient and more likely to settle for a small reward that would arrive sooner rather than a larger one that would be received later. ‘Hanger’ really does cause people to make poor decisions for quick gratification

The researchers found that people were normally willing to wait 35 days to double the value of a reward, but when they were hungry that time frame dropped to only three days.

According to Dr. Vincent, this inability to defer gratification may carry over into other kinds of choices, such as financial and personal decisions. He said it is important for people to be aware that hunger may affect their preferences in ways they cannot necessarily predict.

"We found there was a large effect, people's preferences shifted dramatically from the long to short term when hungry," said Dr. Vincent. "This is an aspect of human behavior which could potentially be exploited by marketers so people need to know their preferences may change when hungry."

"People generally know that when they are hungry they shouldn't really go food shopping because they are more likely to make choices that are either unhealthy or indulgent. Our research suggests this could have an impact on other kinds of decisions as well. Say you were going to speak with a pensions or mortgage advisor - doing so while hungry might make you care a bit more about immediate gratification at the expense of a potentially more rosy future."

"This work fits into a larger effort in psychology and behavioral economics to map the factors that influence our decision making. This potentially empowers people as they may foresee and mitigate the effects of hunger, for example, that might bias their decision making away from their long term goals."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/psychology/cognitive+psychology/journal/13423">Psychonomic Bulletin &amp; Review</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: Shutterstock/Ilya Morozov

‘Hanger’ really does cause people to make poor decisions

‘Hanger’ really does cause people to make poor decisions for...

Why combating climate change is a smart business investment. A new study urges that climate change is an economic issue, and the authors are calling on world leaders to invest in and implement policies to reduce the impacts.

You can find <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/swedens-tallest-mountain-peak-melted/">evidence of climate change</a> in every corner of the globe, with some regions showing accelerated warming that exceeds <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-climbing-faster/">previous predictions</a>. 

The projected costs of climate change’s impact on the ecosystem, infrastructure, and people will far outweigh the costs associated with implementing solutions like investing in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/renewable-energy-carbon-capture/">renewable energy </a>or slashing greenhouse gas emissions. 

An international team of respected scientists compiled evidence of the accelerating impacts of climate change. Their study, published in the journal Science, emphasizes the concerning implications for the future of humankind unless more is done to combat global warming.  

Investing in climate change mitigation is not just good business, it is also critical in order to prevent widespread devastation, global food shortages, and mass displacement of people due to sea-level rise and increasing temperatures. 

“Acting on climate change, has a good return on investment when one considers the damages avoided by acting,” said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg from the<a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/"> University of Queensland</a> in Australia and lead author of the study. 

According to the researchers, the economic toll of climate change has been underestimated. On their own, the calculable costs of storm surges, sea-level rise, and flooding may be manageable, but climate change is exacerbating these issues. 

“The scientific community has quantified these risks in order to inform policymakers about the benefits of avoiding them,” said Professor Rachel Warren from the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>, an author of the study.

Professor Warren investigated the projected impacts that warming of 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius would have on the forest, biodiversity, crops, and food systems.

Research has shown that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/limit-global-warming/">limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius </a>above pre-industrial levels would result in fewer catastrophic impacts. 

“If such policy is not implemented, we will continue on the current upward trajectory of burning fossil fuels and continuing deforestation, which will expand the already large-scale degradation of ecosystems,” said Warren. “To be honest, the overall picture is very grim unless we act.” 

Most at risk are developing nations where already unstable economies could collapse due to malnutrition, infrastructure damage, and displacement. 

“Current emission reduction commitments are inadequate and risk throwing many nations into chaos and harm, with a particular vulnerability of poor peoples,” said Hoegh-Guldberg “To avoid this, we must accelerate action and tighten emission reduction targets so that they fall in line with the Paris Agreement. As we show, this is much less costly than suffering the impacts of 2oC or more of climate change.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: AMFPhotography/Shutterstock

Why combating climate change is a smart business investment

Why combating climate change is a smart business investment. A...

Hand sanitizer may not be enough to stop the spread of flu. According to new research from the <a href="https://www.kpu-m.ac.jp/doc/english/index.html">Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine</a>, using ethanol-based hand sanitizers is not enough to prevent the spread of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/low-humidity-flu-dangerous/">flu viruses</a>. This includes influenza A virus (IAV), which remains infectious in wet mucus of those infected, even after ethanol-based disinfectant (EBD) is introduced.

The researchers found that in order to fully deactivate the virus, one would need a whopping four minutes of exposure to the EBD.

"The physical properties of mucus protect the virus from inactivation," said study leader, Ryohei Hirose, Ph.D, MD., a physician and molecular gastroenterologist at the University of Medicine. "Until the mucus has completely dried, infectious IAV can remain on the hands and fingers, even after appropriate antiseptic hand rubbing."

Ethanol spreads more slowly through the viscous mucus than it does through saline, the researchers saw. After analyzing the sputum that had been collected from IAV-infected patients, and then dabbed on human fingers and introduced to an EBD, the virus remained active even after two minutes of EBD exposure. Four minutes of exposure was the minimum amount of time needed to deactivate the virus.

The researchers believe misinformation has been spread about the effectiveness of EBDs on reducing the spread of IAV due to the fact that most studies are conducted on dry mucus, in which IAV can be deactivated by EBDs in about 30 seconds.

Luckily, the researchers did identify a hand-hygiene strategy that works to reduce the spread of IAV. We should wash our hands with antiseptic soap as often as possible, rather than relying on EBDs. Antiseptic soap, they found, deactivated the virus within 30 seconds, whether the mucus was wet or dry.

This study is published in <a href="https://msphere.asm.org">mSphere</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/yurakrasil

Hand sanitizer may not be enough to stop the spread of flu

Hand sanitizer may not be enough to stop the spread...

According to a recent <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/">CBS News</a> survey conducted by YouGov, most Americans agree that immediate action is needed to address <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/communities-preparing-climate-change/">climate change</a>. The majority of respondents feel that climate change is a serious problem, with more than 25 percent classifying it as a full-blown crisis. Only 16 percent do not feel that the climate is anything to be concerned about. 

Most Americans believe that human activities contribute to climate change on some level, and feel a personal and social responsibility to take action. On the other hand, many people feel they cannot afford to address the issue. 

Only one in 10 respondents say human activities do not contribute to climate change at all, and this small minority widely expresses the opinion that the idea is a hoax meant to exaggerate the problem. At the same time, 91 percent of the participants agree that the Earth is experiencing climate change in some way, whether they feel it is driven by a human-induced or natural shift.

The majority of respondents also believe that humans can do something about climate change, with 48 percent saying it can be slowed and 19 percent saying we have the ability to bring it to a complete halt. 

Approximately 75 percent of the participants acknowledge that climate change is contributing to the decline of sea ice in the Arctic, rising sea levels, and hotter summers. Two-thirds agree that weather events such as hurricanes are intensifying as a result of global warming. Hurricane Dorian caused increased concern among nearly 40 percent of Americans, while 56 percent were not influenced.

The survey also revealed that about 80 percent of American adults trust the opinions of climate scientists, while just as many trust their own observations when it comes to the current state of the environment. However, respondents are strongly divided on whether scientists have confidence in saying that humans are driving climate change, with 52 percent feeling that "scientists agree that humans are a main cause" and 48 percent claiming that there is disagreement among experts.

“This remains a vitally important misunderstanding - if you believe global warming is just a natural cycle, you’re unlikely to support policies intended to reduce carbon pollution, like regulations and taxes,” said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

“These results also again confirm a longstanding problem, which is that many Americans still believe that scientists themselves are uncertain whether human-caused global warming is happening."

“Our own and others’ research has repeatedly found that this is a critical misunderstanding, promoted by the fossil fuel industry for decades, in order to sow doubt, increase public uncertainty and thus keep people stuck in the status quo, in a ‘wait and see’ mode.”

Most Americans are willing to make necessary changes to help the environment, including 87 percent who would like to recycle more, 86 percent who would use energy efficient light bulbs, 86 percent who would give up plastic bags at stores, and 62 percent who are willing to travel less. In addition, around 31 percent are willing to give up meat.

Age seems to play a significant role in the outcome of the survey: 70 percent of 18-to 29-year-olds think climate change is a serious problem or crisis, yet only 58 percent of individuals over the age of 65 agree. Younger people were also found to be much more likely to feel a personal responsibility to address the climate crisis.

“Americans are finally beginning to wake up to the existential threat that the climate emergency poses to our society,” said Margaret Klein Salamon, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Climate Mobilization Project. “This is huge progress for our movement - and it’s young people that have been primarily responsible for that.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/streetphotog66

Poll: Most Americans agree that there is an urgent need to address climate change

According to a recent CBS News survey conducted by YouGov,...

New research on pollutants in public drinking water has found that exposure to these carcinogenic chemicals could cause thousands of new cancer cases. 

In the first study of its kind, researchers from the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group</a> assessed the combined health impacts of 22 carcinogens found in 48,363 community water systems (excluding private well water). 

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02314">Heliyon</a>. 

The health impacts of water contaminants are usually evaluated on an individual basis. 

For this study, the researchers used a cumulative approach to analyze drinking water and its associated cancer risks, the same kind of method used for measuring the health impacts of air pollution exposure. 

“Drinking water contains complex mixtures of contaminants, yet government agencies currently assess the health hazards of tap water pollutants one by one,” said Sydney Evans, the lead author of the paper. “In the real world, people are exposed to combinations of chemicals, so it is important that we start to assess health impacts by looking at the combined effects of multiple pollutants.”

The analysis revealed that carcinogens in US drinking water could cause more than 100,000 cancer cases and increase cancer risk nationwide. 

Water systems that rely on groundwater and provide water to smaller communities have the highest risks. Contaminants like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arsenic-regulations-water-safer/">arsenic</a> and radioactive elements had the most significant impact on cancer risk. 

The majority of water systems in the US meet legal standards for contaminant levels, the researchers note. 

However, the results show that exposure to even permissible levels of contaminants results in increased cancer risks. 

“We need to prioritize source water protection, to make sure that these contaminants don’t get into the drinking water supplies to begin with,” said Olga Naidenko, a member of the research team.

The researchers recommend that consumers install water filters to limit exposure to pollutants and that filters be tailored for specific contaminants.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Jakub Zak

Contaminants in drinking water could cause more than 100,000 cancer cases

New research on pollutants in public drinking water has found...

Synchronized heartbeats can indicate attraction, study reveals. How can you tell if someone is attracted to you?

A new study has found that the answer surprisingly doesn’t lie in body language or how long it takes for someone to text you back after a date, but rather if your heart rates sync up.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en">Leiden University</a> in the Netherlands studied physiological markers in real-life dating settings to determine if attraction was something that could be measured. 

“You hear about people who are well suited to each other in theory but there is no spark – we wanted to know if you can quantify the spark,” said Mariska Kret, a co-author of the study, at the European Federation of Primatology meeting which took place in Oxford. 

For the study, the researchers set up camp at a music festival and had a cabin where festival-goers could go on mini “blind dates” with potential partners. 140 people took part in the study, according to <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2217297-when-two-people-fancy-each-other-their-heart-rates-jump-in-harmony/">New Scientist</a>, which reported on the findings. 

Participants were given two minutes to look at each other and then had another two minutes to talk. 

During these short meetings, the researchers asked the participants to wear special eye-tracking glasses that were embedded with cameras and devices that measured heart rate and skin conductance. 

The skin conductance response is the measure of the changes in conductivity in the skin due to emotions and stress. 

The researchers asked the participants questions about the meetings and if they wanted to go on a real date. 

The researchers found that visible markers like eye contact, mirroring body language, or facial expressions did not predict whether or not couples were attracted to each other. Instead, attraction was rooted in unconscious physiological signals like heart rate and body sweat. 

The more two heart rates synced up, the more likely those two people reported feeling attracted. 

“There was no body language to tell you if your partner was interested – physiology is where we found much better estimates,” said Eliska Prochazkova, an author of the study. “We can’t perceive the other person’s heart. But often our subconscious can be influenced by our physiology.”

The yet-to-be formally reviewed study findings were published to the preprint server <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/748707v1">bioRxiv.</a> 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/adriaticfoto

Synchronized heartbeats can indicate attraction, study reveals

Synchronized heartbeats can indicate attraction, study reveals. How can you...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> have conducted the first major study to examine whether changes in food availability can lead to a shift toward diets that would be healthier for both humans and the planet. The researchers found that increasing the number of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/vegetarian-diet-boston/">vegetarian options</a> on a menu reduced the number of meat-based sales by between 40 and 80 percent without affecting overall revenue. 

The investigation involved over 94,000 meal choices in three Cambridge college cafeterias. Two of the cafeterias provided sales data on traditional daily menus, while the other cafeteria was used for an experiment where vegetarian plates were doubled from one in four to two in four.

The biggest increases in plant-based purchases were found among customers who usually selected meat or fish before more vegetable options were made available. 

Significantly, the team discovered that opting for a vegetarian lunch did not make it more likely that an individual would consume meat for dinner. 

According to the experts, meat-rich diets are leading drivers of species loss and climate change. The production of meat, fish, dairy, and eggs is responsible for nearly 60 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with food. Furthermore, while these agricultural sectors require 83 percent of farmland, they account for only 18 percent of the world's calorie intake.

"Shifting to a more plant-based diet is one of the most effective ways of reducing the environmental footprint of food," said study lead author Emma Garnett. "Replacing some meat or fish with more vegetarian options might seem obvious, but as far as we know no one had tested it before. Solutions that seem obvious don't always work, but it would appear that this one does."

"Education is important but generally ineffective at changing diets," added study co-author Professor Theresa Marteau. "Meat taxes are unpopular. Altering the range of available options is more acceptable, and offers a powerful way to influence the health and sustainability of our diets."

The researchers have contributed to food policy changes at Cambridge, where the catering service has now reduced meat options and increased the variety of vegetarian meals. Earlier this month, University cafeterias announced a 33-percent reduction in carbon emissions per kilogram of food purchased, and a 28-percent reduction in land use per kilogram of food purchased.

"Universities are increasingly at the forefront of providing plant-based options that are affordable and delicious, making it easier to choose a more sustainable diet. I think that's what really has to change," said Garnett. "We're not saying all cafeterias and restaurants should turn vegan overnight. But if food were the film industry, vegetarian and vegan meals need to land more starring roles, and meat dishes have got to stop hogging the limelight."

"Flexitarianism is on the rise. Our results show that caterers serving more plant-based options are not just responding to but also reshaping customer demand. Simple changes such as increasing the proportion of vegetarian options could be usefully scaled up, helping to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss."

The study is published in the <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: Shutterstock/Nina Firsova

Making more vegetarian options available can help reduce meat consumption

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have conducted the first...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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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.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



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.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video 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 history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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 capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...