Selection,Of,Animal,And,Plant,Protein,Sources,-,Fish,,Meat,

Nearly 90% of adults in the United States believe they must eat meat, dairy, or eggs to get enough protein. This finding comes from a poll of 2,203 people who were surveyed in January 2025, and it highlights the lingering confusion around animal protein and plant-based eating.



Women and Gen Z participants were most likely to push back against the idea that animal products are required for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hemp-seeds-could-be-a-game-changer-as-an-alternative-protein-source/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adequate nutrition</a>. 



<a href="https://www.pcrm.org/about-us/staff/roxanne-becker" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Roxanne Becker</a>, MBChB, DipIBLM, who is with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, <a href="https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/nearly-90-us-adults-believe-inaccurately-its-important-eat-animal-products-get" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">notes</a> that some consumers still struggle to see how plant foods can match traditional protein sources.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-plant-protein-replace-animal-protein">Can plant protein replace animal protein?</h2>



Consumers may worry about protein quality when moving away from animal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-more-plant-protein-lowers-the-risk-of-heart-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foods</a>. One key concern is about whether plant proteins are too low in essential amino acids.



Plant-based proteins are often linked with health perks such as high fiber and reduced levels of unhealthy fats. 



They also contain a variety of vitamins and minerals that animal products may lack, but the question about adequate essential amino acids remains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-protein-vs-animal-protein">Plant protein vs. animal protein</h2>



“Plant protein has been shown in randomized controlled trials to be as effective as animal protein for building muscle when the amounts of protein are equal. And it is full of nutrients and fiber, unlike animal-based protein sources,” clarified Dr. Becker.



There is strong support from <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10537483/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">controlled trials</a> for the benefits of plant-based eating.&nbsp;



In one <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33599941/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>, men who followed a plant-based dietary plan or an omnivorous plan experienced similar gains in muscle mass when the diet was paired with resistance training. 



Similar protein amounts produced comparable results, regardless of the protein source. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plant-protein-supports-better-aging">Plant protein supports better aging</h2>



Midlife nutrition habits can set the stage for quality of life decades later. An <a href="https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(23)66282-3/fulltext#tbl2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">investigation</a> led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (<a href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HSPH</a>) suggests that higher intake of plant protein in midlife may support healthy aging in women.



Participants in that study showed better physical and cognitive outcomes over the years when they relied on beans, nuts, and other plant-based staples. 



The findings indicate that animal protein may have a few benefits for mobility, but plant protein aligns with improved overall well-being.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practical-protein-needs">Practical protein needs</h2>



The minimum daily requirement for an adult is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (0.01 ounces per pound) of body weight. 



That’s about 56 grams for a 70-kilogram (2 ounces for a 155-pound) man and 46 grams for a 58-kilogram (1.6 ounces for a 128-pound) woman.



Those who exercise heavily may need up to 2 grams per kilogram (0.07 ounces per pound), especially if they’re doing strength training. 



Keeping track of these figures can guide individuals toward balanced dietary choices that nourish muscle growth and support overall health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-maintaining-muscle-with-age">Maintaining muscle with age</h2>



“As we age, it’s important to consume enough protein to maintain our muscle mass so we can avoid frailty. Plant protein sources, which contain no artery-clogging cholesterol and are low in saturated fat, should be the go-to,” said Dr. Becker. 



Older adults might lose muscle mass over time, so feeding the body with enough protein is wise.&nbsp;



Many plant-based options are naturally free of animal fats, which can help with <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.117.006659" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart health</a> in the long run. These foods are also linked to lower cholesterol levels.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ways-to-replace-animal-protein">Ways to replace animal protein</h2>



Busy schedules might make it tricky for some people to figure out a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/futuristic-food-supply-transforming-co2-into-protein/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant-friendly</a> menu that supplies adequate protein. 



Tofu, beans, lentils, peas, nuts and tempeh are familiar to many who want to load up on muscle-building nutrients without relying on animal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-are-suffering-from-declining-plant-quality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">products</a>.



“Unlike animal-based protein, these foods contain zero cholesterol and tend to be low in saturated fat, making them a smart choice for long-term health. Getting enough protein is as easy as enjoying meals you already know and love,” said Xavier Toledo, a registered dietitian with the Physicians Committee.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wider-acceptance">Wider acceptance</h2>



The survey revealed that more than half of respondents felt it was possible to gain muscle on a plant-based eating plan. 



This marks a change from older attitudes that portrayed animal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/small-changes-in-diet-can-greatly-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protein</a> as the gold standard.



Despite strong acceptance among younger adults, the broader public still lags behind on the facts. That gap could close as research keeps highlighting the flexibility and benefits of plant-based <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-based-meat-less-protein-lacks-certain-nutrients/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diets</a>.



The study is published in the <a href="https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(23)66282-3/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>.



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Do humans need to eat animal protein to build muscle? Science has the answer

Nearly 90% of adults in the United States believe they must eat meat, dairy, or eggs to get enough protein. This finding comes from a poll of 2,203 people who were surveyed in January 2025, and it highlights the lingering confusion around animal protein and plant-based eating. Women and Gen Z participants were most likely to push back against the idea that animal products are required for adequate nutrition. Dr. Roxanne Becker, MBChB, DipIBLM, who is with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, notes that some consumers...

Given the risks that come with unprotected sex such as sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy, researchers from the <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/">University of Guelph</a> in Canada set out to examine why young adults to engage in unprotected sex.

The study is the first of its kind to study and compare how heterosexual men, heterosexual women, and men who have sex with men (MSM) negotiate condom use and the different methods that men and women use to practice safe sex or have unprotected sex. 

Published in the Journal of Sex Research, the study could help shed light on why people choose not to use condoms despite the well-established and known risks.

The researchers used Amazon’s Mechanical Turk System to survey 106 men who have sex with men, 157 heterosexual men, and 177 heterosexual women, all aged between 18 and 25 years, about their attitudes towards unprotected sex. 

With Amazon, the participants were given a scenario about a hypothetical new sexual partner. The participants had to choose how they would proceed in the situation and if they were <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/having-first-emotional-bond/">looking for a relationship. </a>

Answers varied depending on each participant’s sexual preferences, and the researchers found that heterosexual men were most likely to agree to have sex without a condom. 

Heterosexual women, on the other hand, were more likely to be assertive and withhold sex unless their partner wore a condom. 

Men who have sex with men were more verbal and non-confrontational in their negotiations, choosing balance overall. 

The researchers also found that relationship expectations factored into an individual’s decision to engage in unprotected sex. For example, heterosexual women in the study seemed more likely to have unprotected sex if they felt their partner had a lot of relationship potential. 

“Understanding what factors make it more difficult to recognize risk during a sexual encounter, such as the desire for a long-term romantic relationship and partner familiarity, can lead to better prevention,” said Dr. Shayna Skakoon-Sparling, the leader of the research. “It is particularly striking that women had lower expectations that their partner would be interested in condom use--this highlights how challenging heterosexual women expect the negotiation of condom use to be.”

It’s important to note that the study excluded women who have sex with women and didn’t factor in gender fluid individuals or other sexual minority groups and so the results may differ in future studies. 

However, the study is an important step in investigating the motivations and decision making processes that go into sexual risk-taking behaviors for young adults. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Which factors make young people more likely to have unsafe sex?

Given the risks that come with unprotected sex such as...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a> produced a model showing the economic and health effects of prescribing healthy food within Medicare and Medicaid health insurance policies. They found that by covering the cost of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-structure-determines-whether-you-make-healthy-food-choices/">healthy food</a> with Medicare and Medicaid health insurance, participant health would improve and the plan would become highly cost effective after five years.

"We found that encouraging people to eat healthy foods in Medicare and Medicaid — healthy food prescriptions — could be as or more cost effective as other common interventions, such as preventative drug treatments for hypertension or high cholesterol," said co-first author Yujin Lee, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Tufts’ <a href="https://nutrition.tufts.edu/">Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.</a>

"Healthy food prescriptions are increasingly being considered in private health insurance programs,” she added, “and the new 2018 Farm Bill includes a $25 million Produce Prescription Program to further evaluate this approach.”

The study, published March 19th in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</a>, estimated the economic and health outcomes that would occur if 30% of the cost of healthy food purchases was covered through Medicare and Medicaid. The team first looked at two separate scenarios: the first being 30% cost coverage of fruits and vegetables purchases, and the second was 30% cost coverage of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts/seeds, seafood, and plant-based oils.

Although both scenarios were estimated to have positive outcomes, the team predicted the fruits and veggies initiative would prevent 1.93 million cardiovascular disease (CVD) cases. The broader healthy food initiative would prevent 3.28 million CVD cases and 120,000 diabetes cases. 

Furthermore, both incentives would reduce healthcare utilization. The fruits and veggies plan would save $39.7 billion whereas the broader plan would save $100.2 billion. And both programs were predicted to be very cost effective in terms of total food subsidy and other policy costs.

"Our findings support implementation and evaluation of healthy food prescriptions within healthcare systems to improve the diet and health of Americans," said co-senior author Renata Micha, R.D., Ph.D, a research associate professor at the Friedman School.

"Medicare and Medicaid are the two largest healthcare programs in the U.S., together covering one in three Americans and accounting for 1 in every 4 dollars in the entire federal budget," added co-first author Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H, the dean of the Friedman School. "These new findings support the concept of <a href="https://nutrition.tufts.edu/about/public-impact-initiative-friedman-school/food-is-medicine">Food is Medicine</a>: That innovative programs to encourage and reimburse healthy eating can and should be integrated into the healthcare system.”

The team notes that their research cannot prove the health and cost effects of both incentives, however, the positive estimates provided are certainly enough to be considered by lawmakers in charge of incentive programs.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Pixabay

Insurance prescribing healthy food could reduce healthcare costs

Researchers from Tufts University produced a model showing the economic...

Heart disease increases the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/depression-anxiety-heart-attack/">depression and vice versa</a>, but until now researchers were unclear as to how the two were linked.

It was thought that perhaps genetic factors might be behind these risks, but now, a new study has found that inflammation in response to environmental stressors has the most substantial influence on depression and heart disease risk. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> and published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. 

Inflammation is a natural response to infection, but lifestyle factors like smoking or obesity can cause chronic inflammation. Stress also triggers inflammation. 

“It is possible that heart disease and depression share common underlying biological mechanisms, which manifest as two different conditions in two different organs - the cardiovascular system and the brain,” said Dr. Golam Khandaker, the leader of the study. “Our work suggests that inflammation could be a shared mechanism for these conditions.”

The researchers first analyzed data from nearly 370,000 middle-aged participants of<a href="https://www.nature.com/collections/ukbiobank"> UK Biobank.</a> The researchers made a note of family histories, and if there were any genetic links to depression or heart disease. 

Having a parent die of heart disease increased the risk of depression by 20 percent, the data showed. 

To see if the connection between heart disease and depression was genetic, the researchers calculated a genetic risk score from the data. But there were no strong correlations between genetic risk factors and links between heart disease and depression. 

Next, the researchers used Mendelian randomization to explore the impacts of 15 biomarkers on coronary heart disease risk. 

Triglycerides and proteins IL-6 and CRP (inflammation-related proteins in the blood) were risk factors for both depression and heart disease, which confirmed that environmental factors and inflammation influence heart disease and depression risk. 

Exactly why triglycerides specifically increase the risk of depression has yet to be firmly established, the researchers say. 

“Although we don't know what the shared mechanisms between these diseases are, we now have clues to work with that point towards the involvement of the immune system,” said Dr. Stephen Burgess, a member of the research team. “Identifying genetic variants that regulate modifiable risk factors helps to find what is actually driving disease risk.”

The researchers hope that by exploring the little understood links between heart disease risk and depression, medical professionals will be able to diagnose and prevent these risks early on before they manifest into serious health problems. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Inflammation explains the link between heart disease and depression

Heart disease increases the risk of depression and vice versa,...

IMG_3241

According to a new model produced by a collaborative team from <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a> and <a href="https://www.research.ibm.com/science-for-social-good/">IBM Research’s Science for Social Good</a> program, primate species that can harbor and potentially spread the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mosquitoes-zika-transmit-diseases/">Zika virus</a> are common and often live near people. The team successfully identified these species, showing that the recent and deadly Zika epidemic in the Americas could easily happen again. 

"When modeling disease systems, data gaps can undermine our ability to predict where people are at risk,” said lead author Barbara Han, a disease ecologist at Cary. “Globally, only two primate species have been confirmed positive for Zika virus. We were interested in how a marriage of two modeling techniques could help us overcome limited data on primate biology and ecology — with the goal of identifying surveillance priorities."

The team created their model by analyzing data on flaviviruses and primate species known to carry them. They then compared these primates’ traits to 364 global primate species and successfully identified known primate flavivirus carriers with 82% accuracy, and more specifically, primate species that are likely to carry Zika.

Their work was published March 19th in <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/epidemics">Epidemics</a>.

Primate species located in the Americas with Zika risk scores over 90% include the tufted capuchin (Cebus apella), the Venezuelan red howler (Alouatta seniculus), and the white-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinus) — each of which are species adapted to living among humans within developed areas. 

White-fronted capuchins (Cebus albifrons), commonly captured and kept as pets or used for live trade, and spider monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis), which are sometimes hunted for bushmeat, are also on the list.

[caption id="attachment_1869965" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/map.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869965" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/map.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="495" /></a> Geographic ranges of primates that are undetected Zika reservoirs. Image Credit: Han et al, 2019[/caption]

"These species are geographically widespread, with abundant populations that live near human population centers,” coauthor Subho Majumdar said. “They are notorious crop raiders. They're kept as pets. People display them in cities as tourist attractions and hunt them for bushmeat. In terms of disease spillover risk, this is a highly alarming result.”

"Like all pathogens, Zika virus has unique requirements for what it needs in an animal host,” Han continued. “To determine which species could harbor Zika, we need to know what these traits are, which species have these traits, and which of these species can transmit the pathogen to humans. This is a lot of information, much of which is unknown."

The team looked into 33 features of the 18 primate species that tested positive for carrying mosquito-borne flaviviruses, such as metabolic rate, gestation period, litter size, and behavior. These features were then studied again in relation to predicting Zika positivity. Analyzing was done via Multiply Imputed Chained Equations (MICE), a program that sets computer algorithms to search through datasets of organism traits and draw connections between organisms with similar or related traits. MICE also fills in “blanks” in the dataset with inferred information.

"This research was made possible by innovations provided by the broader scientific community,” Han added. “We relied on primate and pathogen data collected by hundreds of field researchers, and the base machine learning and imputation methods that we adapted in this research already existed. Partners at IBM Research took on a lion's share of the math and coding. It was an incredibly successful interdisciplinary collaboration — the kind we need more of if we want to find new solutions to complex problems."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main image credit: Carol Blyberg

Certain primate species at high risk of spreading Zika in the Americas

According to a new model produced by a collaborative team...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.slu.edu/medicine/index.php">Saint Louis University School of Medicine</a> has found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/medical-marijuana-treats-chronic-disease/">marijuana</a> can greatly improve sexual experiences for women. Based on information from hundreds of women, the researchers found that using marijuana prior to sex doubled the likelihood that they would have an orgasm.

It has been commonly reported that marijuana increases sexual arousal and results in higher satisfaction during sex. While the science underlying these sexual benefits is not yet clear, experts theorize that they may result from heightened senses and reduced stress. 

“It has been postulated that it leads to improvement in sexual function simply by lowering stress and anxiety,” wrote the study authors. “It may slow the temporal perception of time and prolong the feelings of pleasurable sensations. It may lower sexual inhibitions and increase confidence and a willingness to experiment.”

“Marijuana is also known to heighten sensations such as touch, smell, sight, taste, and hearing.”

To investigate the link between marijuana and sexual satisfaction, the researchers developed a Sexual Health Survey that addressed topics such as sex drive and lubrication. “To limit bias, the authors embedded the questions about marijuana deeper into the questionnaire,” wrote the researchers.

The investigation was focused on the survey responses of 373 women who were both marijuana users and non-users. Of the 47 percent of participants who were marijuana users, 34 percent reported using it before sex. 

The study revealed notable differences in the sexual experiences of the women based on whether or not they used marijuana beforehand.

“Most women reported increases in sex drive, improvement in orgasm, decrease in pain, but no change in lubrication.” Overall, women who smoked pot were 2.13 times more likely to report having “satisfactory orgasms.”

“Marijuana appears to improve satisfaction with orgasm. Women who used marijuana before sex and those who used more frequently were more than twice as likely to report satisfactory orgasms as those who did not use marijuana before sex or used infrequently,” wrote the study authors. 

“Our study is consistent with past studies of the effects of marijuana on sexual behavior in women.”

The research is published in the <a href="https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/">Journal of Sexual Medicine</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marijuana enhances sex for women and doubles likelihood of orgasm

A new study led by the Saint Louis University School...

Winter Storm Ulmer pummeled the Midwest, Plains, and Rockies, causing whiteout conditions and 70 miles an hour wind gusts last week. But the worst was yet to come when the storm became a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bomb-cyclone-winter-storm/">bomb cyclone</a> on Wednesday, March 13th. 

According to the <a href="https://weather.com/safety/winter/news/2019-03-13-bomb-cyclone-winter-storm-ulmer">Weather Channel</a>, when a winter storm undergoes a process of bombogenesis, the storm rapidly intensifies as pressures drop. For Ulmer, bombogenesis occurred when pressure dropped 994 millibars to 968 millibars as is reached the Central Plains. 

As a bomb cyclone, the storm produced <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/03/14/blizzard-powerful-storm-hit-central-u-s-heavy-snow-winds/3159959002/">tornadoes</a> and severe thunderstorms with torrential rains. 

For Nebraska and Iowa, the rain combined with winter snowmelt has led to some of the most severe flooding in the states’ histories. In Nebraska, 74 cities, 65 counties and 4 tribal areas have declared states of emergency. 

Flooding along the Platte, Missouri and Elkhorn Rivers reached historic levels and broke previous records. In one case, river flooding submerged so much land around Scribner, Nebraska, that the town became a temporary island with only one point of entry. 

<a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/144691/historic-floods-inundate-nebraska">Satellite imagery</a> shows the stark contrasts between river levels March of last year and March this year, and some residents in Sarpy County, Nebraska are still unable to go back to their homes due to flooding.

[caption id="attachment_1869949" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/march-20-2018.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869949" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/march-20-2018.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="465" /></a> Elkhorn, Platte, and Missouri rivers on March 20, 2018, Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1869950" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/march-16-2019.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869950" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/march-16-2019.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="464" /></a> Elkhorn, Platte, and Missouri rivers March 16, 2019, Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory[/caption]

42 locations in the Plains and Midwest have set new record river levels due to the combination of storms, ice flows, and spring thaw. 

Flood gauges reported a crest of 40.62 feet for the Missouri River on Saturday while the Platte River reached 24.35 feet. 

In Stillwater, Minnesota, which sits along the St. Croix River, the town is expecting record-breaking flooding in the coming months and preparing for the worst. Plans are in place to build a mile or more of levee, according to <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/03/14/blizzard-bringing-whiteout-flooding-in-minn">MPR News</a>, and in some areas, the dikes could be 15 feet high to prevent flood damage. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Historic flooding in Nebraska and Iowa prompt emergency declarations

Winter Storm Ulmer pummeled the Midwest, Plains, and Rockies, causing...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> has enlisted the help Indigenous communities in the eastern Canadian Arctic to understand how climate change is affecting the semi-permanent trails they use for travel. 

When the researchers compared this knowledge with 30 years of weather records, they found that travel was not as limited as they expected - despite significant changes in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-locked-in/">climate conditions</a> from 1985 to 2016.

The trails used by Indigenous communities to navigate on sea-ice, rivers, and frozen ground are critically important for travel between settlements and for traditional hunting and gathering activities. Prior to this study, the impact of climate change on the trails was not clear, which has made it difficult to plan for future conditions.

The study findings suggest that trail availability has only declined by roughly one or two days in the last 30 years. Overall, the combined number of suitable travel days per year for three different types of travel has actually increased.

“Previous studies on Arctic transportation and climate change do not take into consideration different types of trail users,” said study lead author Professor James Ford.

“We found that an understanding of how trail conditions are affected by changing conditions, as well as a knowledge of alternative routes, and a well-developed skillsets, such as being adept with snowmobile or recognizing dangerous ice conditions, had a greater impact in determining whether trails were safe to use, more so than the change in travel conditions due to climate.”

“Highly skilled travelers are able to use the trails more than twice as often as travelers whose skillsets are not as well-developed.”

[caption id="attachment_1869942" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/arctic.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869942" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/arctic.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="487" /></a> Image Credit: Dylan Clark, McGill University, Canada[/caption]

The study estimated that high-skilled travelers can expect roughly 100 more days of suitable travel conditions each year.

“While climate models can provide a bigger picture of the overall effects of climate change, it can be harder to determine how environmental variables are affecting specific activities within different communities in affected regions,” said Professor Ford.

“The study highlights how the close involvement of the people in question is essential to understanding how the ongoing changes to the environment will affect specific activities of different groups. Incorporating this practice, or a ‘bottom-up’ approach, is central for understanding what climate change means for people and developing responses tailored to specific contexts.”

“However, while the skill set of the Inuit community may be mitigating the effects of climate change on travel conditions for now, there is no doubt that the warming conditions in the Arctic are having detrimental effects on the region.”

“The shrinking sea-ice and shifts in seasonal temperatures are a serious threat, particularly to the region's native species and ecology which form an essential part of the Inuit community's tradition and culture. And while the effects of climate change to date on trail access were not totally what we expected, communities are very concerned about what future change may mean.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

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: Dylan Clark, McGill University, Canada

Indigenous Arctic communities overcoming changing travel conditions

A new study led by the University of Leeds has...

In recent years, North Dakota has become well known for pipeline protests on the Standing Rock Reservation.  The protests were set against the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline, part of the Bakken Pipeline Project, a 1,172 mile long underground pipeline project that is planned to carry oil from North Dakota south to Illinois.  The pipeline was designed to carry as much as 570,000 barrels of crude oil a day, and its route passes under a Missouri River reservoir known as Lake Oahe. The Missouri River is the primary source of water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, with a population of about 10,000.

Beyond the immediate threat to clean drinking water, the pipeline also crossed land sacred to the Sioux.  Even though the pipeline isn’t on reservation land, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe argued that the government didn’t properly consult with them when awarding the permit, something required under the National Historic Preservation Act.  

The clash between those of the Standing Rock Tribe, their supporters and those supporting the pipeline, including police forces got nasty.  Water cannons, tear gas and dogs were unleashed on protestors. Protestors claimed that some of the guard dogs bit them. Besides normal police forces, National Guard units and private security firms were engaged to push back against protestors, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/22/514988040/key-moments-in-the-dakota-access-pipeline-fight">NPR</a>.    

The Standing Rock Tribe announced that construction crews demolished an area containing significant artifacts and sacred sites, yet construction continued.  The pipeline project was then halted under President Obama on grounds that it hadn’t considered the environmental impact fully. 

But the project has been reauthorized under President Trump, and so the conflict between protestors and those building the pipeline backed by government forces is likely to continue.  According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/20/keystone-pipeline-protest-activism-crackdown-standing-rock">The Guardian</a>, government documents characterize protestors against pipelines as ‘extremists’ and warn about the potential for ‘terrorism’.  The government hysteria and reaction to these protests is reminiscent to the civil rights movements and federal government response to leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr.  In a similar way, the government is further criminalizing civil disobedience in pipeline protests. 

In anticipation of upcoming protests, the state of South Dakota  has recently passed a bill threatening protestors. South Dakota also has a large population of Sioux tribal members culturally related to the Standing Rock tribe and the pipeline is planned to pass through South Dakota as well.  The Cheyenne River Sioux tribe has been opposed to the pipeline plans since they were first put forward in 2008, according to <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13072018/keystone-xl-pipeline-native-american-resistance-oil-spill-cheyenne-river-sioux-dakota-access-transcanada">Inside Climate News</a>.  Just south of Standing Rock, the tribe is also concerned about potential water contamination.      

A bill first proposed by South Dakota governor Kristi Noem would allow the state to sue protestors as well as out of state financiers.  The bill, <a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/docs/legsession/2019/Bills/SB189P.pdf">Senate Bill 189</a>, calls such financial backers ‘riot boosters’ and protestors ‘rioters’.  The money gained from lawsuits filed against protestors and their backers would be used to fund construction of the pipeline as a further deterrent to protestors.  The bill is still pending but has received no strong political opposition and is expected to become law. As environmental issues become more and more pressing, protesting may become more prevalent.  We should expect as in this case that those profiting from environmental destruction will continue to oppose civil disobedience with whatever means available. 

Other states are gearing up to face down protestors as well.  The Keystone XL pipeline is planned to eventually connect with the Dakota Access project, significantly extending the total pipeline length.  In Montana, police are already monitoring social media posts that are anti-pipeline as terrorism threats, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/20/keystone-pipeline-protest-activism-crackdown-standing-rock">The Guardian</a>.  In August 2017, Montana Petroleum Association also hosted a panel on “environmental activism” which included several law enforcement officers.

Protestors in other states the pipeline would affect directly, including Nebraska, have already mobilized.  According to the <a href="https://www.nlg.org/conservative-led-anti-protest-legislation-already-doubled-since-last-year/">National Lawyers Guild</a>, laws are being created to crack down on many of these protests or potential protests across the country.  These laws would extend beyond just pipeline protests to any number of other acts of civil disobedience for any cause including civil rights.  

In February 2018, the National Lawyers Guild said that conservative led anti-protest bills introduced had already doubled compared to the entire previous year.  The bills jumped from 25 proposed in 19 states to 58 bills in 31 states. Nine bills were introduced in the first two months of 2018 alone. According to the National Lawyers Guild, many of these new bills were written based on model policies created by American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the Goldwater Institute (both of which are funded by the Koch network).  The <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44385053">Koch brothers</a> behind the Koch Network of course have deep connections to the oil industry.  The chilling part is that the trend of cracking down on protesting seems to be the new normal.  

President Trump has long tweeted angrily about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem to protest police violence against black men and women.  Last September in an interview on <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2018/09/05/full-transcript-trump-daily-caller-interview/">The Daily Caller</a>, Trump questioned why protests should be allowed at all.  The president said, 

“I think it's embarrassing for the country to allow protesters, you don't even know which side the protesters were on…But to allow someone to stand up and scream from the top of their lungs and nobody does anything about it is frankly — I think it's an embarrassment.”   

Ostensibly, the government is supposed to uphold our constitutional rights.  The president is charged with upholding the constitution, which allows the freedom of expression, including dissent.  With the spread of environmental activism, including the global phenomena of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/students-protest-climate-change-inaction/">climate change protests</a>, will the government respond by silencing activists instead of working to resolve environmental crises?

--

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>

More states aim to crack down on environmental protesting

In recent years, North Dakota has become well known for...

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and it is well known that exercise can be a key way to reduce the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-lower-blood-pressure/https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-lower-blood-pressure/">risk of stroke</a> or heart attack later in life. 

But now, researchers led by <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California, San Diego</a> have discovered that even light physical activity like walking around the house and doing chores could have a significant impact on lowering cardiovascular disease risk for women. 

The results of the study, published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2727997?utm_source=JAMA_Network&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=031519">JAMA Network Open</a>, show that women who do lots of light physical activities throughout their day have up to a 42 percent lower risk of early death from heart disease compared to those who are mostly sedentary. 

The study defines light exercise as almost any activity that gets you up and moving around, including getting the mail and even getting dressed. 

“Those are examples of daily life activities that we don’t think of as exercise, but we spend a lot of time doing them and they involve movement,” said Andrea LaCroix, a co-author of the study. “We traditionally haven’t included them in our definition of physical activity. That’s why this research is really paradigm-shifting.”

For the study, the researchers reviewed and analyzed data from 5,681 women aged 63 and older who wore fitness trackers and who were monitored for up to 4.91 years. Follow up periods with the women showed that 143 of the participants had coronary heart disease and 570 had developed cardiovascular disease. 

Light exercise appeared to play a role in reducing cardiovascular disease risk, but the researchers caution that the results only show associations and not cause and effect. Also, the participants that benefited most from light activity were active between 5 and 10 hours a day. 

Still, the researchers say the results are hopeful and help show the benefits of just moving more in your day to day life. 

“When an older woman hears that she has to exercise moderately or vigorously for 150 to 300 minutes a week, she just kind of rolls her eyes,” said LaCroix. “[But exercise is] not just leisure-time physical activity. It’s all the stuff we do from the minute we get out of bed to the minute we get back in bed.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Light exercise throughout the day helps reduce cardiovascular risk

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and...

The dangers of alcohol extend to those who don’t even drink. When researchers study the problems with alcohol addiction and impairment, the focus is almost always on the potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-alcohol-3-times-week/">risks to health and wellbeing</a> for the drinker.

But researchers from the Institute for Therapy Research in Bayern, Germany wanted to investigate the lesser-known impacts of second-hand drinking and how drinking harms people other than the drinker. This includes not only road traffic accidents but also fetal development problems caused by drinking while pregnant and interpersonal violence where alcohol is involved. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">BMJ Medicine</a>, and the results show that the impacts of alcohol on people other than the drinker should be considered a major public health concern and factored into policies and campaigns centered around alcohol awareness. 

The researchers examined the harm alcohol poses to third parties by reviewing survey data on the prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy and cause of death statistics from 2014 in Germany. 

The team made a note of incidences of fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) during 2014, and estimated how many third-party individuals were injured or killed due to traffic accidents or interpersonal violence caused by alcohol. 

“This study estimates some of the most severe harms that alcohol use may cause to other people than the drinker, namely fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), road traffic fatalities caused by drunk drivers, and deaths resulting from alcohol-attributable interpersonal violence,” said Dr. Ludwig Kraus, the corresponding author of the study. 

All in the all, the researchers found that 1,214 third-party road traffic deaths and 55 interpersonal violence deaths were linked to alcohol. Drinking while pregnant was also responsible for 2,930 incidences of fetal alcohol syndrome and 12,650 cases of FASD. 

“Although the estimates across the three harm domains are not directly comparable, the results suggest that alcohol use in pregnancy followed by road traffic fatalities account for significantly more harm to others than alcohol-related violence,” said Kraus. 

There are limitations to the study as it can be difficult to find accurate data on alcohol use during pregnancy, especially if data is self-reported. But the results of the study show that drinking poses a serious risk to third-party individuals and it’s a problem that deserves more public attention. 

“Although measures such as pricing policies or limiting the marketing of alcoholic beverages are unpopular, targeted measures addressing particular populations at risk, such as women of childbearing age or road users, may help to reduce harms to others as well as harms to the drinker,” said Kraus. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The dangers of alcohol extend to those who don’t even drink

The dangers of alcohol extend to those who don’t even...

The various habitats and lifestyles of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mammals-survive-urban-areas/">mammals</a> create a demand for unique arms, which are part of what sets mammals apart from other species. A recent study has found that our early relatives started evolving diverse forelimbs as far back as 270 million years ago.

Study lead author Jacqueline Lungmus is a research assistant at the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> and a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago. 


“Aside from fur, diverse forelimb shape is one of the most iconic characteristics of mammals,” said Lungmus. “We were trying to understand where that comes from, if it's a recent trait or if this has been something special about the group of animals that we belong to from the beginning.”

Lungmus collaborated with Field Museum curator Ken Angielczyk to determine the origins of mammals' arms by examining the fossils of their ancient relatives. 

About 270 million years ago, a diverse line of our family tree emerged with the appearance of the therapsids.

[caption id="attachment_1869827" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/upper-arm-bones.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869827" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/upper-arm-bones.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="316" /></a> Upper arm bones from seven kinds of early mammal relatives, Image (c) Jacqueline Lungmus, Field Museum[/caption]

“Modern mammals are the only surviving therapsids - this is the group that we're part of today,” said Lungmus. 

Therapsids really branched out, and the researchers wanted to investigate whether this explosion of diversity corresponded with a variety of different forelimb shapes. 

“This is the first study to quantify forelimb shape across a big sample of these animals,” explained Lungmus. 

The study revealed that a wide variety of different forelimb shapes evolved among the therapsids 270 million years ago.

“The therapsids are the first synapsids to increase the variability of their forelimbs - this study dramatically pushes that trait back in time,” said Lungmus. 

Prior to this study, diverse forelimbs had only been definitively traced back to 160 million years ago. The new research pushes this phenomenon back by more than 100 million years.


“This is something that's so cool about our evolutionary lineage,” said Lungmus. “These animals are in the same group as us - part of what makes this research compelling is that these are our relatives.”

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

Mammals began to develop unique arms 270 million years ago

The various habitats and lifestyles of mammals create a demand...

A system used by the <a href="https://www.msc.org/">Marine Stewardship Council</a> (MSC) to label seafood seems to be effective in combating fraud and intentional product substitution. A recent study found that less than one percent of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fake-sushi-seafood-fraud/">seafood</a> products handled by the MSC were mislabeled, compared with an estimated global mislabeling rate of 30 percent.

The MSC is a nonprofit organization that is raising the standards for traceable supply chains with its ecolabeling and Chain of Custody program. Once fisheries and supply chain companies get certified, they can use the MSC's blue label on their products.

“There is widespread concern over the vulnerability of seafood supply chains to deliberate species mislabeling and fraud. In the past, this has included some of the most loved species such as cod being substituted by farmed catfish, which can seriously undermine consumer trust and efforts to maintain sustainable fisheries,” explained study lead author and MSC expert Jaco Barendse.

The researchers used DNA barcoding to identify the species in 1,402 MSC-certified fish products from 18 countries. The study revealed that 1,389 products were labeled correctly and thirteen were not. This rate, which is less than one percent, is substantially lower than the global average of 30 percent.

Mislabeling is not always intentional and can occur when fish are incorrectly identified in the net or when mistakes are made during processing. However, fish products are often intentionally and fraudulently substituted for financial gain. Fraud also takes place when fish are caught illegally and passed off as being caught legally. 

The MSC's Chain of Custody certification requires that every seafood distributor, processor, and retailer has a documented traceback system that can correctly identify products at every step.

Rob Ogden is an expert at the <a href="https://www.tracenetwork.org/">TRACE Wildlife Forensics Network</a> and the University of Edinburgh.


“The use of DNA tools to detect substitution in the fish supply chain is well-documented but until now has essentially revealed a depressing story,” said Ogden. “Our research flips this on its head and demonstrates how we can apply similar technology to validate the success of eco-labels in traceable, sustainable fishing.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ecolabeling is helping combat global seafood fraud and substitution

A system used by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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

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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

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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

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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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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

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