Do you ever stop to wonder how much our lifestyle demands of Earth’s resources? Or how we could adapt our way of life to fit within Earth's boundaries?



The world's population stands at a staggering eight billion. Every human's consumption pattern significantly impacts our environment. So, what cost does our lifestyle impose on the Earth?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planetary-boundaries-pushing-the-limits">Planetary boundaries: Pushing the limits</h2>



Our carbon footprint is no secret. Since the 1960s, we have witnessed a rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, triggering global warming and its <a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.earth.com%2Fnews%2Fai-predicts-global-warmings-impact-on-extreme-weather%2F&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">perilous impacts</a>. 



This surge in CO2 levels is just one aspect of our human lifestyle that pushes the limits of our planet.



Back in 2009, scientists identified nine “planetary boundaries.” Crossing these thresholds pushes our planet towards irreversible damage and instability.



These boundaries represent aspects like ocean acidification and global fresh-water utilization. As of 2023, we have already stepped over six of the planetary boundaries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keeping-lifestyles-within-earth-s-limits">Keeping lifestyles within Earth's limits</h2>



This study was led by Professor Klaus Hubacek, Science, Technology, and Society scholar at the <a href="https://www.rug.nl/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Groningen</a>, Netherlands. 



His academic pursuits revolve around scrutinizing humanity's performance in relation to the planetary boundaries, and identifying changes to prevent us from traversing them further.



"The basic calculation is: given a certain number of people on the planet and the planetary boundaries, how much can we consume to stay inside these limits?” said Hubacek.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-rich-poor-divide-is-massive">The rich-poor divide is massive</h2>



Did you know that just one percent of the world population contributes to 50 times more greenhouse gases than the bottom half - four billion people?



This gaping wealth disparity is a consistent theme within Hubacek's work. One of his papers, recently published in the journal Nature, is specifically focused on this issue.



This paper, backed by a massive dataset covering 201 consumption groups across 168 countries, examines the implications of varying spending habits on six key environmental indicators. 



The findings reveal that a shift towards more sustainable consumption habits by the world's wealthiest 20 percent could slash their environmental impact by 25 to 53 percent.



Moreover, modifying consumption patterns in the food and services sectors might help shift several planetary boundaries back within safety limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-our-lifestyle-and-earth-s-resources">Balancing our lifestyle and Earth's resources</h2>



Hubacek doesn't only illuminate the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-environment-day-2024-a-call-for-land-restoration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">issue</a>; he also provides possible solutions. In a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-02084-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a> he co-authored last August, he suggested a diet alteration for the world's wealthiest.



A switch from red meat to legumes and nuts could reduce food-based emissions by 17 percent, even if inhabitants of poorer nations increase their meat consumption.



Another of his <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479724024307?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent studies</a> explores the livestock sector - which dangerously exceeds several planetary boundaries. This paper suggests that countermeasures should be “region-specific,” recognizing cultural and regional disparities.



For instance, a plant-based diet could be ineffective for traditional Mongolian nomads, whose livelihood depends on yaks and their milk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aligning-earth-s-policies-with-lifestyles">Aligning Earth’s policies with lifestyles</h2>



"We shouldn’t focus so much on creating new technical solutions, as there are already so many solutions which we don’t implement," said Hubacek.&nbsp;



Sometimes our policies paradoxically stimulate harmful behavior. For instance, our fossil fuel subsidies globally eclipse the mitigation effect achieved through carbon pricing strategies. 



Other policies can be inconsistent, such as promoting the use of heat pumps and then subsequently raising electricity prices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-towards-a-sustainable-future">Towards a sustainable future</h2>



While individual sustainable efforts are important, tackling this challenge requires cooperation among governments, corporations, and international organizations. 



Policies supporting green industries, renewable energy investments, and public awareness form a vital multi-faceted approach. A global framework, similar to the Paris Accord, could help manage these transitions. 



Establishing a unified, transparent system for tracking consumption and emissions could accelerate progress. Both developed and developing nations must collaborate and share knowledge to address environmental issues at local and global levels effectively.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-economic-models">Rethinking economic models</h2>



A deeper transformation calls for rethinking traditional economic models that favor relentless growth over ecological balance. This shift involves adopting circular economy principles, where recycling, Earth's resource efficiency, and sustainable lifestyle management become standard.



Unlike the "take-make-waste" model, a circular approach reduces waste and energy use. This change requires policy reforms, innovation, and active participation from key economic sectors. 



It’s about fundamentally reshaping economies to align with the planet’s ecological limits. By embedding sustainable practices into economic policies, nations can secure a healthier future that values ecological stability alongside prosperity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hope-is-not-lost">Hope is not lost</h2>



Hubacek's message is clear: all hope is not lost. Humanity can indeed remain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-life-and-environment-co-evolved-over-500-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">within the planetary boundaries</a>. However, one obstacle remains - our political willingness to tackle climate change.



Hubacek's work, driven by academic interest rather than activism, emphatically calls for an evidence-based approach to policy. 



Ultimately, at the heart of planetary sustainability lies the collective action of us humans– all eight billion of us.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08154-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Human lifestyles are stressing Earth’s natural boundaries

Do you ever stop to wonder how much our lifestyle demands of Earth’s resources? Or how we could adapt our way of life to fit within Earth's boundaries? The world's population stands at a staggering eight billion. Every human's consumption pattern significantly impacts our environment. So, what cost does our lifestyle impose on the Earth? Planetary boundaries: Pushing the limits Our carbon footprint is no secret. Since the 1960s, we have witnessed a rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, triggering global warming and its perilous...

When the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortés landed in Mexico in 1519, the native population was about 25 million. Just 100 years later, the population had plunged to around 1 million, as a result of war and a number of epidemics.

In 1576, the outbreak of a mysterious disease is estimated to have killed between 7 and 17 million of the Aztec people, effectively destroying the Aztec empire. It was known to the locals as cocoliztli, and presented as red spots on the skin, as well as vomiting and bleeding from various orifices. This epidemic was one of the most deadly in human history, and now scientists may know what caused it.

In a study from the <a href="http://www.shh.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History</a> (MPI-SHH), researchers analyzed ancient teeth and found that the collapse of the Aztec civilization may have been due to an epidemic of salmonella – the food poisoning bacteria. Scientists looked at samples of pulp from inside the teeth of skeletons found in an untouched cemetery in Oaxaca, Mexico. Ten of the skeletons whose burials were dated after the Spanish conquest tested positive for salmonella, but none of the five skeletons buried before the conquest tested positive for the bacteria.

These findings make salmonella “a strong candidate” for the cause of the devastating epidemic that wiped out the Aztecs and other civilizations like the Mixtecs. It did so by leading to a condition called enteric fever, which is still the cause of millions of deaths globally. Spread by poor sanitation – and likely brought by the European travelers – this disease causes high fevers, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-dehydration-climate-change/">dehydration</a>, and gastrointestinal complications.

This study is the first example of scientists finding molecular evidence of this bacterium using ancient material from the New World. 

“A key result of this study is that we were successful in recovering information about a microbial infection that was circulating in this population, and we did not need to specify a particular target in advance,” says Alexander Herbig of the MPI-SHH and co-author of the study. 

Not only have we learned more about the history of the people and civilizations that came before us, but this result was achieved through advancing science and technology in our current world.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Salmonella poisoning wiped out the Aztec Empire

When the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortés landed in Mexico in...

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced new goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making New York a global leader in the battle against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-removed-websites/">climate change.</a>

According to the mayor, New York City will divest five billion dollars of city pension funds from the fossil fuel industry.

“This city is standing up and saying, ‘We’re going to take our own actions to protect our own people,’” the mayor said.

De Blasio also discussed a city lawsuit against five oil companies: Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, and Royal Dutch Shell.

The who's who of “big oil” are accused of willingly hiding the fact that fossil fuels are a major contributor of global warming and keeping any scientific findings away from the public. 

The lawsuit, which has been compared to similar lawsuits brought against tobacco companies years ago will take time, and there is concern that it is a largely futile endeavor.

The oil companies themselves say that the lawsuit won’t do anything actually to help solve the climate change crisis, but those in favor are more hopeful that it will strike at the heart of the fossil fuel industry. 

New York City is looking for reparations to the tune of billions meant to repay the money spent on damages caused by climate change, such as the flooding from Hurricane Sandy. 

Time will tell if de Blasio will follow through on his plans for combating climate change and if the lawsuits against oil companies will be successful. If the oil companies are asked to shell out money, it could create new, unprecedented demands for renewable energies in the United States. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New York City announces plans to divest from fossil fuels

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced new...

A new study from the UK shows just how influential junk food commercials are on teenagers. 

Teens who regularly watch more than three hours of commercial TV a day are more likely to eat hundreds more junk food snacks per year than those who don’t watch TV or watch TV without commercial breaks. 

The report was conducted by <a href="https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/">Cancer Research UK</a> and is the largest study of its kind examining the impact of commercial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/watching-tv-diminished-mobility/">TV</a> on diet and food preferences. 

The researchers based their results on a <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/">YouGov </a>survey that included responses from 3,348 people in the UK ages 11 through 19. 

Among those surveyed, the teens who regularly streamed TV with commercials were 139 percent more likely drink sugary carbonated beverages and 65 percent more likely to eat pre-packaged, frozen dinners than those who don’t watch as much TV. 

The researchers also found that watching TV without commercials had no impact on junk food preferences. 

These results are especially concerning because high-calorie junk food increases the risk of obesity, and obesity in the UK is the second most preventable cause of cancer after smoking. 

“This is the strongest evidence yet that junk food adverts could increase how much teens choose to eat,” said Dr.  Jyotsna Vohra, a lead author on the study. “We're not claiming that every teenager who watches commercial TV will gorge on junk food, but this research suggests there is a strong association between advertisements and eating habits.” 

One of the problems, according to Dr. Vohra, is the lack of regulations on TV junk food marketing. Vohra suggests limiting exposure to junk food commercials and removing them from programming with a largely younger demographic. 

Limiting exposure could help teenagers who would normally binge on snacks while watching TV cut back on calories and help reduce the risk of obesity. 

“Obese children are five times more likely to remain obese as adults which can increase their risk of cancer later in life,” said Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK's prevention expert. “The food industry will continue to push their products into the minds of teens if they're allowed to do so. The Government needs to work with Ofcom [the UK’s Office of Communications] to protect the health of the next generation.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Watching commercial TV can induce junk food cravings for teens

A new study from the UK shows just how influential...

The One-Straw Revolution isn’t, at face value, a book about what most would consider environmentalism.  However, The One-Straw Revolution through example shows an almost ideal way of living with the land in an environmentally friendly way. 

If you focus on yourself as an individual within a greater community (not only a community of people but of plants, fungi, other animals, etc.) you naturally tend towards an environmentally friendly way of living.  For example, The One-Straw Revolution talks about ‘do nothing’ farming, and initially it seems like this way of farming is for the ease of the farmer.  Do nothing agriculture may be easier than traditional forms of farming but it’s much more than that.  Do nothing agriculture is admitting that natural systems are closer to harmony and balance within a greater ecological community than an agriculture system of a human unilaterally exerting ‘control’.  This way of thinking and living is the epitome of the high tech ways of living we embrace now and more so are developing.  Crops with a host of pesticides, herbicides, artificial fertilizers and automated watering systems now have even their genes edited by human control.

I say all of this to define at the outset of this article what ‘living small’ means to me. Someone can live on 10,000 acres of land and be living smaller than someone living in a 400 square foot apartment with no lawn.  I define living small as a matter of which resources we use but also how we use them and the extent to which others may also use.  

For instance, living on 10,000 acres of undeveloped land allows use by many other organisms than living in a sterile apartment treated for any sort of ‘pests’.  Likewise, ‘do nothing’ farming allows for more use by other organisms of the same land than does traditional or high tech agriculture.  Doing anything always incurs cost.  If you eat, it costs something to the environment; that cost is paid back through waste which may nourish other organisms and inevitably your own body which through decomposition again becomes parts of other organisms.  Doing anything risks damaging the environment or other organisms, the key to less damage is less doing.  This idea is counter intuitive to many westerners, even or perhaps especially those exposed to the hyperactive Teddy Roosevelt school of doing and taking the mistakes as they come.  There have been many mistakes in mainstream conservation when doing nothing was better than doing something.  Examples that spring immediately to mind are Mariana Crows and Kaibab Deer.  

Kaibab deer of the Kaibab Plateau of Arizona are a unique population, wishing for them to be protected the U.S. government initiated an intense management and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-water-conservation-benefits/">conservation</a> plan.  Predators of the deer were killed off and hunting of the deer themselves was outlawed.  For a short time the deer population boomed.  After the boom in deer numbers came a hard crash.  Quickly deer numbers grew too large to be supported by the plant life available and the deer in turn starved in masses.  Predators it turns out can in their own way help a prey species or at least keep them from the slow agonizing death of starvation.

The Hawaiian Crow is another example of hubris on the part of those who would protect a wild animal.  Crows were endangered and to learn more and hopefully implement a conservation plan, monitoring ensued.  Cameras were set up at crow nests to record the bird’s behavior on public land.  There was a local rancher who refused to allow research on her land saying the bird is best left alone.  In the end, the rancher was right.  The cameras scared the crows, causing many to abandon their nests due to the noise of the now antiquated recording devices.  The crows left alone on the ranch fared much better in the long run, being more successful in rearing young.  

I believe the two examples along with others can be applied not only to science or environmentalism but to our daily lives.  The more we do, the more unintended consequences we incur.  Part of the problem is thinking deeply about what doing more or less, living bigger or smaller means.  Doing more for yourself and requiring less from businesses, the government or other organizations means doing less.  Living on a hundred acres that you cultivate is living smaller than living in a hundred square foot apartment where you buy all your food from a grocery store.  Likewise, when you do purchase, purchasing truly local items can help, buying not from a local business but a local producer or grower for instance.  

As a rule of thumb, the simpler your lifestyle, the less extravagant and the more you take personal responsibility for all you use, the better.  It’s about being humble and admitting you are part of a greater community as much as it is about self-sufficiency.  Self-sufficiency is really an illusion, you always depend on others: other plants, fungi, animals, people, bacteria, the sun, etc.  Living simply means working with the seasons, with the environment and surrendering a little, not unilaterally imposing your will on everything around you.  It’s about simple observing and just being a part of a whole instead of consuming the whole to merely feed a part.        

--         

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner,</a> <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

What it really means to be living small

The One-Straw Revolution isn’t, at face value, a book about...

According to a survey from the marketing research group <a href="http://www.comresglobal.com/">ComRes</a>, many people who are not <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/religious-beliefs-linked-upbringing/">religious</a> still pray during difficult times. The study has revealed that one in four atheists and agnostics pray on a regular basis in times of personal crisis.

Atheists and agnostics reported that the most common reason for them to pray is during a tragedy, but 25 percent of these individuals admitted to also praying for comfort or simply out of loneliness.

According to the online poll, which was sponsored by the Christian aid agency <a href="https://www.tearfund.org/">Tearfund</a>, over half of the adults in the UK pray on a regular basis. However, only about one third of participants said that they pray in a church.

A 2014 <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/05/04/5-facts-about-prayer/%3famp=1">Pew Research Center</a> survey found similar results, reporting that 55 percent of Americans pray on a daily basis. Even of those respondents who were religiously unaffiliated, 20 percent said that they prayed daily. Most of the American participants said that they relied on prayer when they were making major decisions in their lives.

In the UK survey, individuals were asked what they pray about. Over 70 percent of the participants reported praying for family members, while 40 percent mentioned their friends to God. 

In addition, 40 percent of the UK respondents asked for healing through prayer. Around one-third of the participants said they pray just before going to sleep or first thing in the morning.

A little less than half of the individuals surveyed thought that God actually hears their prayers, while 40 percent of the participants said they believe that prayer can change the world.

Tearfund representative Ruth Valerio told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk">The Guardian</a>, “While it is often easier to pray for issues closer to home, we want to encourage people to continue to engage with global issues and pray for an end to extreme poverty.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Many who are not religious still turn to prayer when in trouble

According to a survey from the marketing research group ComRes,...

Plague, also known as the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague, is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. There have been several major pandemics and outbreaks of the plague, including the Great Plague of 1665 when reportedly 7,000 people a week died in London. 

The Black Death which hit medieval Europe in 1347 saw such rapid mortality rates, sometimes half of a city’s entire population, that mass graves became a necessary way to bury the dead. 

The impacts of the plague are well known, and when determining the cause of the outbreaks, many scientists blamed rats, which carried fleas infected with Yersinia pestis. This theory is so widely held that most people would say with certainty that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rats-major-cities-monitored/">rats</a> caused the spread of the Black Death. 

However, a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.uio.no/english/">University of Oslo, Norway</a>, found that rats may have been unfairly blamed all these years, and that infection was likely spread by human fleas and lice. 

Many people were infected with fleas and lice, and thanks to close living quarters and sharing beds, the black death could have quickly spread from human to human. 

Frequent bathing was also not as common an activity during the middle ages, at least not by today’s current standards of hygiene. 

For the study, the researchers ran models using both rats and human fleas and lice to see if rates of infection matched the mortality patterns from nine different European plague outbreaks during the Second Pandemic. 

The rat models, even supposing there was one rat for every human at the time, didn’t come close to matching the real spread of infection during the plague. Instead, the human-parasite model came much closer to matching the mortality records of the time. 

This means that as humans were infected with the plague, their fleas and lice would spread to other humans close by, and with them the disease, rather than rats spreading the disease. 

The study could help inform plague research and shed light on just how the plague spread. The Great Plague and Black Death wiped out millions in Europe and with the plague still causing outbreaks today, it’s important to better understand how it spread and what set it apart from plague today. 

“The plague really transformed human history, so it’s really important to understand how it was spreading and why it was spreading so fast,” Katharine Dean, the study’s lead author, told <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/rats-plague-black-death-humans-lice-health-science/">National Geographic. </a>

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Fleas and lice, not rats, were to blame for the Black Death

Plague, also known as the Black Death or the Bubonic...

The <a href="https://www.rand.org/">RAND Corporation</a> is reporting that an increasing amount of disagreement over facts in America has led to political paralysis and a lack of civil engagements to discuss and better resolve issues. The experts say that this phenomenon, known as “Truth Decay,” is characterized by the blurring of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/battling-climate-change-misinformation/">opinions</a> and facts and by the declining trust in formerly respected sources of factual information.

While this type of shift may have occurred previously in the history of the United States, the Truth Decay over the last two decades is intensified by the ways in which Americans now consume information, such as through cable news and social media. The researchers pointed out that political, economic, and social polarization may also be responsible for worsening the conditions of Truth Decay today.

Michael D. Rich is the president and CEO of the nonprofit RAND Corporation and co-author of the study.

“Although we see some evidence that previous eras also experienced a decline in trust in institutions, this trend seems to be more pronounced now than in the past,” said Rich. “Today we see that lack of trust across many more pillars of society - in government, media and financial institutions - and a far lower absolute level of trust in these institutions than before.”

The study has revealed that Truth Decay has many damaging consequences, such as political paralysis and uncertainty in national policy, which also lead to economic costs. For example, the government shutdown of 2013 lasted 16 days and resulted in a $20 billion loss to the United States economy, according to the researchers.

The research team analyzed past eras in American history when similar periods of Truth Decay took place, focusing on events such as the rapid industrialization and economic inequality during the 1880s and 1890s. The experts found that government transparency backed by policy changes and the renewal of responsible journalism were capable of ending most of these tumultuous times.

The RAND researchers will continue to monitor three trends which are related to Truth Decay, including the shifting balance of opinion and objective reporting in journalism, the decline of public trust in major institutions, and initiatives to improve media literacy in light of “fake news.”

"We urge individuals and organizations to join with us in promoting the need for facts, data and analysis in civic and political discourse - and in American public life,” said Rich. “The challenge posed by Truth Decay is great, but the stakes are too high to permit inaction.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The blurring of fact and opinion in America has big consequences

The RAND Corporation is reporting that an increasing amount of...

Life expectancy and mortality rates are improving in the United States, thanks largely in part to decreases in smoking.

However, new research has found that mortality rates are also heavily impacted by a rise in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-junk-food-tax/">obesity</a> over the past several decades, resulting in a reduced rate of improvement in American mortality.

The study was conducted by a trio of researchers from the <a href="https://www.sas.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a> and <a href="https://www.bu.edu/">Boston University</a>.

The study examined mortality rates in conjunction with body mass index (BMI) over a person’s lifetime. BMI is a standard measurement of obesity and defines a healthy mass based on both height and weight. 

The researchers found that looking at a person’s lifetime maximum BMI instead of just using a baseline BMI garnered far more accurate results in predicting mortality. 

Data was gathered from the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm">National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey</a> from the years 1998 through 1994 and 1999 through 2010, and any mortality files that were linked to the survey. The last survey year used for the study had a group of 25,269 adults ages 40 to 79. 

Results of the analysis showed that mortality was not declining at a fast enough rate to reflect a major shift to non-smoking in the population and this was directly linked to a rise in obesity. 

“We estimated that the impact of rising obesity was about twice as important for mortality trends as the impact of declining smoking,” said Samuel Preston, a member of the research team. “Smoking is such an important variable in mortality analysis, and U.S. mortality is improving faster than it otherwise would because of reductions in smoking, but it's not improving fast enough to offset the effect of obesity."

The results also showed that if obesity rates hadn’t risen, there would be a half percentage point decrease in mortality, and that rising BMI reduced life expectancy by .9 years at age 40. 

Preston and his fellow researchers note that the study highlights the importance of understanding just how mortality rates are impacted by a rise in obesity, and how reversing the rising trend is vital for raising life expectancy in today’s society. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The rise in obesity is holding back U.S. mortality rates

Life expectancy and mortality rates are improving in the United...

Often when we sneeze – especially in public situations – we do our best to contain the sneeze as much as possible. While some of the more common choreography is to direct the sneeze into your upper arm or elbow, sometimes people will attempt to pinch their nose shut while sneezing with their mouth closed. Now, doctors say that the latter strategy could put you in the hospital. 

In the journal <a href="http://casereports.bmj.com/">BMJ Case Reports</a>, doctors describe the case study of a 34-year-old man who ruptured the back of his throat while using this sneezing technique. Spontaneous rupture of the back of the throat is a rare injury, and is usually caused by trauma, vomiting, retching, or heavy coughing. The doctors were surprised to see a sneeze cause this condition, which left the young <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heavy-drinking-affects-men/">man</a> in significant pain and barely able to speak or swallow.

After he tried to contain a forceful sneeze by pinching his nose and clamping his mouth shut, the patient found that he had developed a popping sensation in his neck. Shortly after, he found it very painful to swallow and lost his voice. “Halting sneezing via blocking [the] nostrils and mouth is a dangerous maneuver, and should be avoided,” caution the authors.

Upon examination, the doctors hear popping and crackling sounds – known as crepitus – extending from his neck all the way down to his ribcage. This is a sign that air bubbles had found their way into the deep tissue and muscles of the chest. This theory was confirmed using a computed tomography scan.

Due to the risk of serious complications, the patient was admitted to a hospital, where he was fed through a tube and given IV antibiotics until the swelling and pain had subsided. Seven days later, his condition had improved enough to be discharged.

The next time you feel a sneeze coming on, be sure to leave your nose un-pinched, since keeping this force inside could result in perforating your eardrum or even rupture of a cerebral aneurysm – none of which are worth being overly polite with your sneeze.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Holding your nose while sneezing may put you in the hospital

Often when we sneeze – especially in public situations –...

The public outcry that followed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-trump-tweets/">President Trump’s</a> “Muslim Ban” made headlines as thousands protested the ruling in airports across the country.

The order was soon struck down by the federal court, but the flood of information and emotion in opposition to the ban created a shift in public opinion, according to a new study. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.ucr.edu/">University of California, Riverside</a>,<a href="https://msu.edu/"> Michigan State University,</a> and the <a href="http://www.udel.edu/">University of Delaware</a> found that the rhetoric calling the ruling “un-American” on social media and news coverage after the executive order was signed actually increased opposition to the ban. 

The researchers describe the shift as caused by "an influx of information portraying the ban as being at odds with egalitarian principles of American identity and religious liberty.” 

According to the study, in this rare instance public opinion on a major issue was influenced by the institution of American values like liberty and freedom of religion that many consider central to their identity.  

The study was published in the journal Political Behavior and the results were based on two surveys of the same group of people. 

311 people were surveyed both before and after the ban was announced and put into effect. The second survey, two weeks after the order was signed, showed more than 30 percent of responders changed their minds and opposed the order. 

Those whose opinions most drastically shifted considered American values a core part of their identity and were influenced by the anti-American nature of the ban that the media portrayed. 

Several news anchors, commentators, public figures, and journalists came out in open opposition to the ban, which only helped the movement gain traction especially when American ideals were called into question. 

The researchers tested their results against other major issues such as the Keystone Pipeline and the border wall and found that opposition did little to sway public opinion on these counts. 

With the Muslim ban, the fact that public opinion was swayed by American values shows that American identity is a strong motivator and could be used to change minds on important issues. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Study: Trump’s Muslim ban shifted public opinion against policy

The public outcry that followed President Trump’s “Muslim Ban” made...

Experts are now developing technology that may be able to translate some of the mysterious vocalizations of animals into English. This would not only help humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/easiest-pets-care/">animals</a> to communicate better, but may also enable humans to better care for animals.

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence systems are beginning to make animal language translation a reality. One new program, in particular, can interpret the calls of marmosets and report what the monkeys are saying.

Dr. Con Slobodchikoff of <a href="https://nau.edu/">Northern Arizona University</a> has studied prairie dogs for more than 30 years and has determined that they have “a sophisticated communication system that has all the aspects of language.” 

According to <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news">CBC News</a>, Dr. Slobodchikoff <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/technology/prairie-dogs-language-decoded-by-scientists-1.1322230">explained</a>: “They're able to describe the color of clothes the humans are wearing, they're able to describe the size and shape of humans, even, amazingly, whether a human once appeared with a gun.”

The Biology professor teamed up with a computer scientist to design an algorithm that will be able to turn prairie dog vocalizations into English. He has also created a company called Zoolingua, a team that is dedicated to developing a tool which will help humans to understand the verbal and non-verbal language of other animals as well. 

Dr. Slobodchikoff told CBC News, “We could potentially have something maybe the size of a cellphone in five to 10 years where a dog would say, ‘Woof’ and the device would say, ‘I want to eat chicken tonight,’ or a cat could say, ‘Meow’ and the device would say, ‘My litter box is filthy, please clean it.’" 

In a book entitled, “Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of Animals,” Dr. Slobodchikoff presents evidence of what he considers to be animal language according to his own research and also based on other scientific studies.

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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

New translator technology could help us understand our pets

Experts are now developing technology that may be able to...

Just how bad are energy drinks for your health? For young people, the answer isn’t good. A new study has found that more than half of Canadian youths who have consumed energy drinks have experienced negative health effects.

Drinking the sugary, caffeine-laden beverages could be even riskier for young people than consuming coffee, the researchers found.

"Most risk assessments to date have used coffee as a reference for estimating the health effects of energy drinks; however, it is clear [energy drinks] pose a greater health risk," said Dr. David Hammond of the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> in a press release about the study. "The health effects from energy [drinks] could be due to the different ingredients than coffee, or the ways in which they [are] consumed, including with alcohol or during physical activity; regardless, the findings suggest a need to increase surveillance of health effects from these products."

The study surveyed 2,055 young Canadians from the ages of 12 to 24. More than half of those who said they’d consumed energy drinks in the past reported that they’d also experienced negative health events they associated with the beverages, the researchers found.

Among the findings:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">24.7 percent reported experiencing a fast heartbeat</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">24.1 percent reported difficulty sleeping</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">18.3 percent reported experiencing headaches</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">5.1 percent reported nausea, vomiting or diarrhea</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">5 percent sought medical attention</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">3.6 percent reported experiencing chest pains</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">0.2 percent reported having a seizure</li>
</ul>
"The number of health effects observed in our study suggests that more should be done to restrict consumption among children and youths," Hammond said in the press release. "At the moment, there are no restrictions on children purchasing energy drinks, and they are marketed at the point-of-sale in grocery stores, as well as advertising that targets children."

The researchers believe the study supports regulations that would ban caffeinated energy drink makers from marketing the drinks to children and teens, as well as recommendations that people not drink them during athletic activities.

The study has been published in the <a href="http://cmajopen.ca/">Canadian Medical Association Journal Open</a>. 

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Are caffeinated energy drinks bad for young people's health?

Just how bad are energy drinks for your health? For...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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