A recent study is the first to suggest that the use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA, providing valuable insights into the biological impact of cannabis use.&nbsp;



High-potency cannabis is defined as having Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis - content of 10% or more.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biological-impact-of-high-potency-cannabis-nbsp">Biological impact of high-potency cannabis&nbsp;</h2>



The research also showed the effect of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-cannabis-use-disorder-risk-varies-among-young-adults/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cannabis</a> use on DNA is different in people experiencing their first episode of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-sleep-deprivation-linked-to-adult-psychosis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychosis</a> compared to users who have never experienced psychosis. 



This suggests there could be potential for DNA blood tests to help characterize those cannabis users at risk of developing psychosis to inform preventative approaches.



“With the increasing prevalence of cannabis use and more availability of high-potency cannabis, there is a pressing need to better understand its biological impact, particularly on mental health,” said senior author Marta Di Forti, a professor of drugs, genes and psychosis at <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">King's College London</a> (KCL).



“Our study is the first to show high-potency cannabis leaves a unique signature on DNA related to mechanisms around the immune system and energy production.”



According to Professor Forti, future research needs to explore if the DNA signature for current cannabis use - in particular the one of high-potency types - can help identify those users most at risk to develop psychosis, both in recreational and medicinal use settings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-potency-cannabis-and-dna-methylation-nbsp">High-potency cannabis and DNA methylation&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers explored the effects of cannabis use on DNA methylation - a chemical process detected in blood samples that alters how genes are functioning (whether they are switched “on” or “off”).&nbsp;



DNA methylation is a type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-status-linked-to-lasting-epigenetic-changes-in-hyenas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">epigenetic change</a>, which means it alters gene expression without affecting the DNA sequence itself and is considered a vital factor in the interplay between risk factors and mental health.



The laboratory team at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Exeter</a> conducted complex analyses of DNA methylation across the whole human genome using blood samples from both people who have experienced first-episode psychosis and those who have never had a psychotic experience. 



The researchers investigated the impact of current cannabis use, including frequency and potency, on the DNA of 682 participants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-related-to-energy-and-immune-function">Genes related to energy and immune function</h2>



The analysis showed that frequent users of high-potency cannabis had changes in genes related to mitochondrial and immune function, particularly the CAVIN1 gene, which could affect energy and immune response.&nbsp;



These changes were not explained by the well-established impact that tobacco has on DNA methylation, which is usually mixed into joints by most cannabis users.



“This is the first study to show that frequent use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct molecular mark on DNA, particularly affecting genes related to energy and immune function,” said study lead author Emma Dempster, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter.



“Our findings provide important insights into how cannabis use may alter biological processes. DNA methylation, which bridges the gap between genetics and environmental factors, is a key mechanism that allows external influences, such as substance use, to impact gene activity.”&nbsp;



Dempster noted that these epigenetic changes, shaped by lifestyle and exposures, offer a valuable perspective on how cannabis use may influence mental health through biological pathways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-valuable-new-insights">Valuable new insights</h2>



Dempster meta-analyzed data from two cohorts: the GAP study, which consists of patients with first-episode psychosis in <a href="https://slam.nhs.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust</a>, and the EU-GEI study, which consists of patients with first-episode psychosis and healthy controls across England, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.



This totaled 239 participants with first-episode psychosis and 443 healthy controls representing the general population from both study sites who had available DNA samples.&nbsp;



Most of the cannabis users in the study used high-potency cannabis more than once a week (defined as frequent use) and had first used cannabis at the age of 16 years old, on average.



This study, published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02689-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Molecular Psychiatry</a> provides crucial insights into how high-potency cannabis use may impact DNA and lead to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-potency-linked-to-dramatic-rise-in-psychiatric-disorders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychiatric disorders</a>, highlighting the need for further research to understand the biological mechanisms at play and to develop preventative strategies for those at risk of psychosis.



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High-potency cannabis use linked to epigenetic changes

A recent study is the first to suggest that the use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA, providing valuable insights into the biological impact of cannabis use.&nbsp; High-potency cannabis is defined as having Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis - content of 10% or more.&nbsp; Biological impact of high-potency cannabis&nbsp; The research also showed the effect of cannabis use on DNA is different in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis compared to users who have never experienced psychosis. This suggests...

In today’s modern democracies, the public has the power to redistribute wealth – taking from the rich and giving to the poor – in order to bridge the gap between the economic inequalities that plague many nations. But for the most part, the top 1% remain super-wealthy, while the vast majority of people live a much more modest lifestyle. So why do voters in these democracies with great income inequality not attempt to redistribute wealth at a much higher rate, especially given that they maintain the voting majority? A new experimental study published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> might have the answer.

In an international study that is the first to examine how individuals change the distribution of wealth when confronted with clear-cut cases of favorable and unfavorable economic inequality, researchers from the <a href="https://www.unisg.ch/">University of St. Gallen</a> in Switzerland and <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> found that, given the chance to “play Robin Hood,” most people showed little interest in making significant transfers of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wealthier-countries-higher-cancer/">wealth</a>.

“Participants in our experiment were willing to tolerate a considerable degree of inequality even in a setting where they have full control over the final distribution of wealth and there are no costs to redistribution,” says Michael Bechtel, an associate professor of political science in Arts &amp; Sciences at <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University</a> in St. Louis and co-author of the study.

Their experiment sampled a representative group of 5,000 adults in Germany and the United States. Study participants were randomly selected to receive a pair of Amazon gift cards, with designated values of $25, $50, or $75. The participants were informed which card was theirs, and then given the option to transfer funds to or from the other card.

“Individuals know exactly how the value of their Amazon card compares to the other respondent’s gift card, and they can fully remove inequality by giving to or taking from the other respondent,” explains Kenneth Scheve, a professor of political science at Stanford and co-author of the study.

When cardholders had the ability to transfer the entire value of someone else’s card to themselves, most only took a small fraction of the total amount. Results also showed that the people most likely to take funds from a wealthier cardholder were often unwilling to transfer their own funds to a poorer cardholder. On the other hand, people more willing to share their money with poorer cardholders were less likely to take funds from those richer than them.

“This suggests that inequality persists in part because individuals are not averse enough to inequality,” says Bechtel. “And because the aversion to favorable and unfavorable inequality is distributed in ways that make it difficult to marshal the level of public support needed to implement the type of ‘Robin Hood’ policies – taking from the rich and giving it to the poor – that would be most effective at reducing inequality,” Bechtel said.

The results of this study show a new method for measuring individual preferences in willingness to redistribute wealth, presenting a potential tool that can be used to determine the likelihood that voters in a particular nation would support and enact progressive wealth redistribution programs. The study found that German participants were more likely to reduce favorable and unfavorable inequality than Americans – a tendency that corresponds with differences that mirror in real-life wealth transfer programs currently in place in these countries. 

In general, this study gives a closer look into how people respond to inequality when given the opportunity to change it, and may help us better understand the political support for certain economic policies among different nations.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Americans don’t like playing Robin Hood to fix income inequality

In today’s modern democracies, the public has the power to...

Scientists from different fields of research have teamed up predict incidences of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-trees-resist-drought/">drought</a> and famine in an effort to save lives.

An early warning system designed by a multidisciplinary team of climatologists and food security and resource experts has already proven successful at mitigating severe food shortages from drought in Africa. 

In 2016, 81 million people worldwide experienced food insecurity, and 80 percent of that group live in Africa. 

Food insecurity in Africa can be traced back to several factors including civil war, but drought due to climate change is a large part of the recent shortages.

Climatologists from the <a href="http://chg.ucsb.edu/">University of California, Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Group</a> have studied the relationship between warm sea-surface temperatures and drough to create accurate predictions that could help those in high-risk areas adequately prepare. 

The UC Santa Barbara team collaborated with the <a href="http://www.fews.net/">Famine Early Systems Network</a>, the <a href="https://eros.usgs.gov/">Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science</a>, and the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. </a>

Understanding the relationship between sea surface temperatures and drier rainy seasons was a key part of the research. 

“Sea surface temperatures create opportunities for prediction because a really warm ocean often triggers changes in atmospheric circulation that produce droughts in some places and more rainfall in others," said Chris Funk, a member of the early predictions research team. “If we pay attention and watch where those exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures are, we then can produce better drought forecasts that help prevent food insecurity in Africa.”

The researchers came up with a series of predictions and effectively created an early warning system for a series of droughts that swept through parts of Africa in 2015. In June of that year, the researchers projected a drier than usual rainy season. 

The predictions ultimately came true, and what little rainfall that did occur in southern Africa  came far later than usual. Soon after, the area experienced a severe drought that could have resulted in many more fatalities had it not been for the early warning given. 

The researchers also predicted and prevented major crises from droughts in 2016 and 2017 in the Eastern Horn of Africa, eastern Ethiopia and southern Somalia. 

The early warning system illustrates the potential of bringing scientists, experts, and policymakers from different fields together to battle food insecurity.
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Predicting drought and famine to help save lives

Scientists from different fields of research have teamed up predict...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lsd-permanently-impact-personality/">hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide</a> (LSD) has been an intensely studied and even more intensely governed illicit substance since the famous MKUltra Project, in which the U.S. government tested its effects on unknowing participants. Since then, the study of this substance has been tightly regulated, but the effects it has on the human brain are still of great intrigue to scientists around the world.

A recent study published in <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/">JNeurosci</a> by researchers from the <a href="http://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a> has found that LSD alters activity of brain regions involved in differentiating between oneself and another. Researchers Katrin Preller and Franz Vollenweider led a team that investigated the role of the serotonin 2A receptor in social interaction – which a number of psychiatric disorders impair. 

For the study, participants received either LSD, ketanserin (a drug that blocks the effects of LSD), or a placebo before they engaged in a gaze-following game with a virtual human-like character. Through a combination of eye-tracking and functional magnetic resonance imaging, the researchers discovered that LSD interfered with participants’ ability to coordinate their attention with the virtual character on a particular object on the screen.

Participants that took LSD had reduced activity in the temporal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, which are areas of the brain imperative for establishing one’s sense of self. The effects of LSD blurred the line between experimental conditions where either the participant or the virtual character took the lead in directing attention. The researchers also found that these effects were blocked by ketanserin, which indicates that this receptor system could be a target for treating social impairments in disorders that are characterized by increased self-focus – such as depression – or loss of the sense of self – like in schizophrenia.

Overall, these findings may have implications for treating mental or mood disorders that affect so much of the population. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

LSD disrupts the boundaries between yourself and others

The hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has been an intensely...

Researchers at <a href="http://eng.suda.edu.cn/">Soochow University</a> in China are developing new solar panels that can be powered even when there is no sunshine available. The technology exploits <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wind-solar-power-supply/">solar power</a> as well as energy produced from the friction of rain.

The mechanism is designed to keep power running even when it may normally fail during a downpour, and the experts believe it may be ultimately used to generate power to devices worn in raincoats. The new creation harnesses the energy of falling raindrops to make electricity.

The prototype consists of a transparent nanogenerator attached to a silicon solar cell, which contributes an extra layer of power for more consistency in varying weather conditions.

Although previous studies have demonstrated that a conventional silicon solar cell and a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) could be connected using an extra wire, the researchers in the current study took a new approach to merging the two energy sources.

Study co-author Zhen Wen told <a href="https://phys.org/">Phys.org</a>: 

“The biggest breakthrough in this work is that an integrated generator composed of a solar cell and a TENG was demonstrated through sharing a mutual electrode.” 

“Compared to previous work, the simple design of the mutual electrode reduces the number of functional layers, which greatly improves the output efficiency.”

The TENG provides protection from weather damage by acting as a waterproof layer over the solar cell. At this point, the scientists are still trying to find a way that TENG and the solar cell can capture energy at the same time.

“Due to the design of the mutual electrode, the solar cell and nanogenerator cannot work together,” explained Wen. “So if there is a sunshower (sunshine and raindrops appearing at the same time), we have to give up one function of the hybrid generator. But I don't think that is often the case.”

The new, dual-action solar panels may ultimately become an efficient way to  generate power, replacing harmful energy sources such as oil and gas.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/ancac3">ACS Nano</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New solar panels are powered by both sunshine and rain

Researchers at Soochow University in China are developing new solar...

Bread is one of the biggest sources of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salt-dangerous-healthy-diet/">salt</a> in our diets, and a recent survey by the <a href="http://www.worldactiononsalt.com/">World Action on Salt and Health</a> (WASH) has revealed the shocking truth about just how salty some breads really are.

The researchers examined over 2,000 white, wholemeal, mixed grain, and flatbreads from 32 countries. Over 500 Canadian products were collected for the survey by the lab of Mary L'Abbe at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a>.

The study revealed that 73 percent of Canadian breads exceeded the sodium targets set forth by Health Canada, and 21 percent exceeded the maximum recommended sodium levels. The bread that contained the most salt of all, Rosemary Focaccia from Canada, had 2.65 grams of salt per 100 grams, which is saltier than ocean water.

Canadian bread products were found to be the saltiest overall. While Canada has a voluntary sodium reduction target in place, there is currently no federal monitoring program to track the food industry’s progress in lowering sodium levels.

“Although recent Health Canada data has documented some progress in the reduction of sodium in prepackaged foods, Canadian bread products surveyed here demonstrate that more work is needed to meet recommended levels,* said L'Abbe.

Previous studies have shown that the salt content of bread could be lowered by 25 percent in just 6 weeks without consumers detecting any difference.

Approximately one third of respondents to the WASH survey felt that the World Health Organization could do more to lower salt content, but the majority of respondents felt that their country's government should be responsible.


WASH Chairman Graham MacGregor is a professor of Cardiology at <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary, University of London</a>.

“Eating too much salt puts up our blood pressure, the major cause of strokes, heart attacks and heart failure, the leading cause of death and disability worldwide,” said MacGregor. 

“Reducing salt intake around the world would save millions of lives each year and all countries should be working towards reducing salt intake by 30% by 2025. Our survey has shown that many bread manufacturers internationally are still adding huge and unnecessary amounts of salt to their products. Governments must act now and reinvigorate salt reduction work in the food industry.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Shocking and unnecessary levels of salt hidden in bread

Bread is one of the biggest sources of salt in...

A research team at the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska-Lincoln</a> is working to transform grape waste into a renewable resource that can produce antioxidants, grape oils, and dietary fibers for health products.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a>, the global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-hurt-european-wine/">wine industry</a> generates around 14 million tons of grape waste every year.

During the process of wine production, the seeds, stalks, and skins are not used and are discarded. About one-fourth of each grape becomes waste, which usually ends up in landfills. 

“Large amounts of grape waste may be detrimental to the environment,” said lead author Changmou Xu. The rebranding of grapes could not only increase their economic value, but could also minimize environmental contamination, explained Xu.

Grape waste, known as pomace, pollutes surface and groundwater when pesticides and fertilizers used on the grapes leak out  into the environment. In addition, grape waste can make soil more acidic because of its low pH. 

Xu pointed out that pomace left in landfills can contribute to the spread of diseases because it attracts flies and pests.

Grape pomace is a rich source of natural antioxidants which bind to free radicals and prevent them from damaging cells. Along with grape seed oil, these pomace ingredients have been used in dietary supplements, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

The research team is working to identify the best methods of extracting and separating nutrients from grape pomace for use in commercial products. Their technique must also remove any pesticides left on the grapes.

“We are also developing some applications in food, aiming to substitute artificial antioxidants with natural antioxidants from grapes for a 'clean label' food with only natural ingredients,” said Xu. 

After separating the phenolic compounds from the other components of the pomace and adding them to fatty foods such as mayonnaise and ranch dressing, the researchers found that these compounds significantly extended the shelf life of the foods, particularly when the samples were exposed to warm temperatures.

The research was presented at a meeting of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer

Grape waste from wine can offer antioxidants for health products

A research team at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is working...

An investigation led by researchers at <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> has revealed that young adults are commonly riding in vehicles operated by impaired drivers. According to the study, 33 percent of recent high school graduates admitted that they had been driven by someone who was under the influence at least one time in the previous year.

The experts also found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/legalized-medical-marijuana-teens/">teenagers</a> are more likely to ride with a driver who is under the influence of marijuana than a driver who is under the influence of alcohol.

“Parents should be a role model by not driving while impaired, and real friends should stop their friends from driving after using substances - if using substances cannot be stopped," said study co-author Dr. Kaigang Li.

The study was based on data from the NEXT Generation Health Study that was collected in 2013 and 2014. Young adults who had recently graduated high school were asked about risky behaviors surrounding substance use.

The participants were asked, “During the last 12 months, how many times did you ride in a vehicle driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol?” The question was also repeated for marijuana use and illicit drug use. 

When asked about riding in a car with a driver who was under the influence of marijuana, 23 percent of the young adults responded “at least once.” In addition, 20 percent reported riding with an alcohol-impaired driver and 6 percent had ridden with a driver impaired by other illicit drugs at least once in the last year.

“We've put a lot of emphasis on drinking and driving, but less effort on driving under the influence of marijuana,” said Li. “Maybe we need more of the latter.”

The researchers discovered that individuals who had ridden with impaired drivers in the past are more likely to do so again. Li said this is why it is important to instill in young adults the dangers of riding with an impaired driver early on.

Previous studies have shown that engaging in one risky behavior increases the risk of others, which means teenagers who ride with impaired drivers often end up driving under the influence themselves.

"These behaviors are not isolated, especially in young people," Li said. “When one risk behavior is present, it can definitely influence other behaviors. We want them to conclude that 'friends don't let friends engage in risky behaviors.' If they know that their friends don't do these risky things, they won't do it themselves.”

Li explained that young adults are transitioning from being kids to being adults, so their perception and behaviors can still be changed.

 “If they realize the problem associated with risky behavior now, they can reduce that behavior and reduce crash risk. But if they don't, and they're influenced by peers who are engaging in risky behavior, that behavior becomes a habit,” said Li.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jsad.com/">Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

One-third of teens say they have ridden with an impaired driver

An investigation led by researchers at Colorado State University has...

While the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” may have begun as a marketing ploy, eating a healthy breakfast is still an important component of a complete diet. This holds especially true for kids who are still growing, as they need the right fuel to properly develop – not to mention stay alert through a full school day.

Unfortunately, a new study of Canadian students published in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1746-1561">Journal of School Health</a> has found that a large number of students are still skipping breakfast, despite the widespread availability of morning meal programs. The study assessed the eating habits of 42,000 students from 87 secondary schools in Alberta and Ontario during the 2014-15 school year. Results showed that 39 percent of students reported eating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breakfast-prevent-cardiovascular-disease/">breakfast</a> less than three days per typical school week.

These findings are consistent with national data, which showed that across the country, 48.5 percent of adolescents skipped breakfast at least once a week.

“In spite of the widely-acknowledged value of youth having a healthy morning meal, breakfast skipping is highly prevalent among Canadian adolescents,” says Katelyn Godin, a doctoral candidate at the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> and lead author of the study. “While we do know that breakfast programs are having a positive impact, with one-fifth of adolescents reporting eating breakfast at school once-a-week, there is still room for improvement.”

Breakfast programs offer the ability for students to access a healthy breakfast before the start of the school day, and are particularly important for students that come from homes that struggle to put food on the table. Godin believes that breakfast programs are not reaching their full potential due to a lack of social awareness about their diverse benefits, as well as continued social stigma and the limited economic support for these programs. “Canadian breakfast programs are currently supported by a patchwork of funding and would benefit from something more consistent,” she says.

While access to a healthy breakfast may seem like a simple concept, or may be something a lot of us take for granted, it’s something that should be an option for every child and adolescent attending school. Sometimes it’s as simple as starting the day off on the right foot, and without an empty stomach.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Many students skip breakfast, even if it’s readily available

While the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of...

E-waste, or electronic waste, is a growing concern as more and more electronics end up in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-twice-as-much-trash-in-landfills-as-previously-estimated-2/">landfills</a>. E-waste covers everything from household appliances to mobile devices, and as technology progresses, people don’t always know the proper ways of disposing of their used electronics. 
In an attempt to tackle this problem, a team from the <a href="https://www.istc.illinois.edu/">Illinois Sustainable Technology Center</a> may have found a sustainable solution for recovering valuable plastics from e-waste. 

The findings were published in the journal Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. 

Safely disposing or recycling “end of life electronics,” unlike other biodegradables or recyclables, is difficult because of the hazardous materials that are used during manufacturing. 

The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/cleaning-electronic-waste-e-waste">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) estimates that in 2009, there was a total of 2.37 million tons of e-waste from consumers and business in the United States. Of that, only 25 percent was recycled, leaving the rest to crowd landfills. 

Electronics in landfills can cause toxic materials to leach into the environment unless properly disposed of. 

One way to combat filling up landfills with e-waste is to recover and reuse valuable plastics such as polycarbonates from old devices, but finding a safe, sustainable, and eco-friendly way has proven challenging. 

For example, one extraction method uses chlorinated substances like dichloromethane (DCM) that are costly and hazardous to work with. 

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center researchers wanted to find alternative options for recovering polymers from e-waste that were both cost-effective, non-hazardous, and eco-friendly. 

The research team focused on a solvent called N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) which recovered more polycarbonate from cell phones than DCM and could be used once again without losing any effectiveness. 

Another possible method proposed by the researchers for more complex e-waste was pyrolysis which heats the waste to high-temperatures, making extraction feasible. 

The results of the study show that there are possible solutions to recovering valuable plastics from cell-phones and disposed electronics. Exploring these methods will be crucial to preventing hazardous contamination, crowding landfills, and reducing the health risks to workers who dispose and recycle electronics on a daily basis. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New solutions to tackling the growing problem of e-waste

E-waste, or electronic waste, is a growing concern as more...

<a href="https://orbmedia.org/">Orb Media</a> has revealed that a shocking majority of bottled water distributed by industry leaders is contaminated with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-deep-sea-fish/">microplastics</a>. 

The nonprofit organization teamed up with experts at the <a href="https://www.suny.edu/">State University of New York</a> (SUNY) to analyze 250 water bottles from 11 top brands include Evian, Nestle, and San Pellegrino.

Of the bottles tested, 93 percent were found to be contaminated with plastics such as nylon, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

SUNY Professor Sherri Mason told the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/">BBC</a> that microplastics were found in “bottle after bottle and brand after brand."

Using infrared microscopic technology, the researchers found that the level of pollution in the water bottles had a global average of 10.4 plastic particles per liter.

The experts also found smaller particles that averaged 314.6 per liter, which they believe are also likely to be plastics. 

According to Orb Media, samples from 19 locations in 9 countries on 5 continents contained anywhere between zero to over 10,000 particles of plastic.


Erik Solheim is the Executive Director of the <a href="http://www.unenvironment.org/">United Nations Environment Program</a>. 

“This is shocking,” Solheim told Orb Media. “Please name one human being on the entire planet who wants plastic in his or her bottle.”

Previously, researchers at Orb had found the presence of microscopic plastic fibers in tap water samples from across the planet. The current study by the nonprofit organization is the first of its kind to show microplastic contamination in bottled water.

The research team first injected a dye that binds to plastic called Nile Red into each bottle. The water was then filtered to 0.0015 millimeters, when a microscopic view of the products revealed tiny plastic particles that glowed “like tiny embers” though orange goggles.

Bigger particles were also detected and, while most contamination was found in plastic bottles, some water contained in glass bottles was also polluted with plastics.

The extent of health issues that could be caused by microplastic contamination is currently unknown.

Martin Wagner is a toxicologist at the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a>. 

“Based on current knowledge, which is very fragmentary and incomplete, there is little health concern,” Wagner told Orb Media. “The human body is well-adapted to dealing with non-digestible particles.”

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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

Major brands of bottled water contaminated with microplastics

Orb Media has revealed that a shocking majority of bottled...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/essential-oils-mosquito-repellent/">Essential oils</a> are usually thought of as natural and safe ingredients for soaps, lotions, detergents, and cleaning products. The oils are also recommended for a myriad of home remedies and are often used for aromatherapy. 

But a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/">National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences </a>has found that both tea tree and lavender oil contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. 

The research revealed that lavender and tea tree oil could be the cause of the growing number of reported cases of prepubertal gynecomastia among young boys. Prepubertal gynecomastia refers to abnormal breast growth before puberty. 

The study will be presented to the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/about-us">Endocrine Society</a>, a global organization that focuses on hormone research and finding new treatments for hormone diseases.

The Endocrine Society classify essential oils as safe, but this new research shows the importance of the understanding the chemical components of different oils before their widespread use in common household and hygiene products. 

“Our society deems essential oils as safe,” said J. Tyler Ramsey, the study’s lead investigator. “However, they possess a diverse amount of chemicals and should be used with caution because some of these chemicals are potential endocrine disruptors.”

Endocrine glands distribute hormones throughout the body, and endocrine disruptors would be any chemicals or processes that disrupt the natural pathways and distribution of hormones. 

For the study, the researchers focused on eight chemicals that are known components of lavender and tea tree oil. 

The researchers then applied these chemicals to human cancer cells using an in vitro method in test tubes to see how each chemical affected or influenced the cells on a hormonal level. 

Each of the eight chemicals tested and analyzed had varying degrees of influence over hormones and contained either estrogenic and anti-androgenic properties. 

These properties could easily account for prepubertal gynecomastia. 

What's more, the chemicals chosen for the study are found in at least 65 other essential oils, which means that many other widely used products could have hormone-disrupting chemicals. 

The results show that even though essential oils are safe, they are not regulated by the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/">Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA) and could contain chemicals that are harmful to the body’s natural endocrine processes.

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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

Tea tree and lavender oils can disrupt your hormones

Essential oils are usually thought of as natural and safe...

My fiancé and I disagree on this one thing.  I argue that there are far too many people on Earth. 

As of December 2017, the world human population is estimated to be 7.6 billion.  7.6 billion is a mind blowing, boggling number. I honestly can’t even comprehend 7.6 billion as a number. I have no comparison to make, except maybe to the stars in the sky, but really that’s just figurative nonsense.  According to a study cited by Sky and Telescope Magazine, there are only 9,096 stars visible to the naked eye, in both hemispheres.  If you do the math, there are about 835,532 times more people than all the stars visible to the naked eye.  I’m not too proud to admit I’ve never seen 835,532 dollar bills in my life, much less owned that much money.  Again, there is simply no comparison, the human mind never evolved to truly understand a number that large in concrete form.  Imagine all those humans out there, eating food, food grown on wildlands cleared for crops. Imagine all the water drank, showered in, used to wash pots and pans by the world population of people.  All the resources being taken from wild things to keep 7.6 billion people alive is somewhat incomprehensible. 

Then again, there is my fiancé Erin’s side of the argument.  Not every human uses the same amount of resources. Places like the United States, western European, and Japan tend to have lower reproduction rates.  Other places like Madagascar have high reproduction rates. The total fertility rate is an estimate of the number of babies a woman will have over her lifetime. In 2016, the total fertility rate for American women was calculated at 1,818 per 1,000 women, the lowest since 1984.  In <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-species-pelican-spiders/">Madagascar</a>, the total fertility rate was calculated as 4.03 children per woman as of 2017. Malagasy woman are clearly having more babies than American women. That means more resource use, more destruction of the natural world; right? The answer is murky and complicated. 

Initially it’s easy to point to the vast amounts of human-caused destruction in Madagascar, as most of the forests are gone and many animals teeter on the brink of extinction.  The whole island of Madagascar appears to bleed from space as red earth is washed to sea from human caused erosion. Things don’t seem to be getting better in Madagascar either, deforestation is still ongoing; I watched fires burning almost nightly from a campsite I slept at for five months.  

In the United States it seems like we’re doing okay.  We’re recycling which is difficult to do in Madagascar), we’re developing solar energy and clean cars, we have huge protected national parks and preserves.  The natural beauty of the Rockies or Alaska seems untouched, pristine, wild. 

So why would Erin argue that the problem isn’t population but consumption?  Is Madagascar’s problem due to a large and growing population or how much each person uses?  I’ll be honest reader, in some ways Madagascar has problems as an example. It’s unfair perhaps to use a tiny island with limited resources and a population of people booming.  Resources are hard to come by on Madagascar and there are an abundance of people competing for them. The United States is wealthy in resources, being rated by some as being second only to Russia on the amount of natural resources we possess.  We also have a relatively low population density.

How many resources are available isn’t as important as how many are being used though.  We live in a world of global imports and exports. I can be using resources from Brazil, China or Colorado just as easily.  The average energy consumption in Madagascar is calculated to be 56 kWh per person each year. The average energy consumption per person in the US is 12,104 kWh, obviously significantly greater.

People in places like Madagascar live a simpler life than Americans, usually working hard for their own farmed food.  The truth is that even with less people, we are consuming resources on a global scale. Places like Madagascar are a window into the future if populations grow or if we continue to consume as we are in America.  The scary thing is that globally, overconsumption and overpopulation are on the rise and both are problems. The whole world needs to change to solve the issue, and if you care, start with yourself.

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Overpopulation vs overconsumption: Which poses a bigger threat?

My fiancé and I disagree on this one thing.  I...

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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

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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

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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...