A recent scientific breakthrough reveals the profound influence of human breast milk on the health of an infant. In a nutshell, our body's most natural nourishment for newborns, breast milk, is found to have a protective effect against asthma by shaping the baby's microbiome during the first year of life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mother-s-milk-natural-pacemaker-for-infants">Mother's milk: Natural pacemaker for infants</h2>



You might wonder why breast milk is a big deal. Well, the answer lies in our body's complex community of microorganisms, known as the microbiome. 



A recent study led by NYU Langone Health and the <a href="https://umanitoba.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Manitoba</a> shows that breastfeeding for more than three months supports the gradual maturation of the microbiome in the infant's digestive system and nasal cavity. 



Stopping breastfeeding before this period disrupts this development process, leading to a higher risk of preschool asthma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breast-milk-and-the-microbiome">Breast milk and the microbiome</h2>



Human breast <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-gmo-plants-make-baby-formula-healthy-as-breast-milk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> isn't just about nutrition. It is also about promoting the right microbes in the infant's gut and nasal cavity. 



Some components in breast milk, like complex sugars called human milk oligosaccharides, can only be broken down with the help of certain microbes. 



This gives a leg-up to these microbes over others, creating a specialized microbiome environment within the infant.



Early weaning from breast milk, on the other hand, leads to a different set of microbes thriving, ones that help digest formula components.



These microbes eventually colonize all babies, but their early arrival is linked to an increased risk of asthma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breast-milk-for-asthma-prevention">Breast milk for asthma prevention</h2>



Study co-senior investigator Dr. Liat Shenhav is an assistant professor at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a> in the Institute for Systems Genetics and the Department of Microbiology.



“Just as a pacemaker regulates the rhythm of the heart, breastfeeding and human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thc-from-cannabis-use-lingers-breast-milk-new-mothers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> set the pace and sequence for microbial colonization in the infant’s gut and nasal cavity, ensuring that this process occurs in an orderly and timely manner,” said Dr. Shenhav. 



“Healthy microbiome development is not only about having the right microbes. They also need to arrive in the right order at the right time."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbiome-asthma-and-breast-milk">Microbiome, asthma, and breast milk</h2>



This is the part where science gets interesting. Breastfed children had a later appearance of a bacterial species called Ruminococcus gnavus in their guts compared to formula-fed babies. 



This bacterium is related to the production of molecules called short-chain fatty acids, and the formation and breakdown of the amino acid tryptophan.



Both of these processes have ties to immune system regulation and disruption, including an increased asthma risk.



Through tracking the changes in the infants' microbiomes and their mothers' breastfeeding habits, the researchers were able to identify breastfeeding duration as a crucial determinant of the child's microbial makeup. 



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



The team also created a machine-learning model that predicted asthma years in advance based on these microbial patterns and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-triggers-the-release-of-breast-milk-in-mothers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk components</a>. The primary way breastfeeding reduces asthma risk, they found, is through shaping the infant's microbiome.



“The algorithms we developed provide valuable insights into microbial dynamics during an infant’s first year of life and how these microbes interacted with the infant,” said Dr. Shenhav.



These insights allowed the team to move beyond identifying associations, enhancing their ability to make predictions and explore causal relationships.



“Our research highlights the profound impact of breastfeeding on the infant microbiome and breastfeeding’s essential role in supporting respiratory health,” Shenhav explained.



By uncovering the mechanisms behind the protective effects of breast milk, as demonstrated in this study, scientists aim to inform national guidelines on breastfeeding and weaning from breast milk in a data-driven manner.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-milestone-in-infant-health-research">Milestone in infant health research</h2>



The research has been supported through a variety of grants and programs, including the National Institutes of Health and the <a href="https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canada Research Chair Program</a>.



The study was a part of the CHILD Cohort Study, which has been studying the same 3,500 Canadian children at different life stages, starting from the womb and stretching into adolescence.



The tireless efforts of a large, dedicated group of investigators from various institutions have made this research possible. 



The experts have provided valuable insights into the complex dynamics of the microbiome in an infant's first year of life, showing us how important mother's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nutrition-for-neurons-the-role-of-breast-milk-in-shaping-our-brains/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milk</a> are for respiratory health and asthma prevention.



This is a reminder that sometimes, the most natural solutions are the most effective ones.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00782-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



-----



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-----

Breast milk is crucial for microbiome development in babies

A recent scientific breakthrough reveals the profound influence of human breast milk on the health of an infant. In a nutshell, our body's most natural nourishment for newborns, breast milk, is found to have a protective effect against asthma by shaping the baby's microbiome during the first year of life. Mother's milk: Natural pacemaker for infants You might wonder why breast milk is a big deal. Well, the answer lies in our body's complex community of microorganisms, known as the microbiome. A recent study led by NYU...

Volkswagen Faces Stiff Fines Due to Emissions Deception. Who knew about the emissions deception, when did they know it and who directed it?
Those are among questions that state and federal investigators want answered as they plunge into the emissions scandal at Volkswagen that has cost the chief executive his job, caused stock prices to plummet and could result in billions of dollars in fines. Volkswagen Faces Stiff Fines Due to Emissions Deception
Legal experts say the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plant-diversity-is-declining-at-a-steady-rate-across-germany/">German</a> automaker is likely to face significant legal problems, including potential criminal charges, arising from its admission that 11 million of its diesel vehicles sold worldwide contained software specifically designed to help cheat emissions tests.
The Environmental Protection Agency has accused VW of installing sophisticated stealth software that enabled "clean diesel" versions of its Passat, <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=jetta&amp;cvid=62b74f2da3564475b8605eb7ec4ea686&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Jetta</a>, Golf and Beetle models to detect when they were being tested and emit less-polluting exhaust than in real-world driving conditions. The agency says the "defeat devices" allowed those models to belch up to 40 times the allowed amounts of harmful fumes in order to improve driving performance.
The Justice Department says it's "working closely" with EPA investigators.
"If there is sufficient evidence to show that Volkswagen intentionally programmed its vehicles to override the emission control devices, the company and any individuals involved could face criminal charges under the Clean Air Act, and for conspiracy, fraud and false statements," said David M. Uhlmann, a former chief of the Justice Department's Environmental Crimes Section who is now a law professor at the University of Michigan. He called criminal charges "almost certain."
But Uhlmann cautioned that hauling the executives involved into a U.S. courtroom could be challenging because much of the conduct at issue probably occurred overseas. While the U.S. has an extradition treaty with Germany, European regulators are also now investigating and could claim first dibs on prosecuting company officials.
It's not the first time Volkswagen has been accused of cheating on emissions testing by the EPA. In July 1973, the agency found that VW had installed temperature-sensitive devices that turned off emissions controls on about 25,000 Fastback, Squareback and bus models. The company agreed to remove the devices and eventually settled with the Justice Department, paying a $120,000 penalty.
CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned on Wednesday, and Volkswagen announced it would set aside $7.3 billion to cover the cost of the scandal, but even that may not be enough. The company has apologized, but has not yet detailed who was responsible for the defeat devices.
German media reported Sunday that Volkswagen had received warnings years ago about the use of illegal tricks to defeat emissions tests. Bild am Sonntag said VW's internal investigation has found a 2007 letter from parts supplier Bosch warning Volkswagen not to use the software during regular operation. Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung said a Volkswagen technician raised concerns about illegal practices in connection with emissions levels in 2011.
A Volkswagen spokesman declined to comment on the reports.
The Clean Air Act allows for fines of up to $37,500 for each of the 482,000 suspect VWs sold in the United States, potentially totaling more than $18 billion. Attorneys general for nearly 30 states and the District of Columbia have announced a coordinated investigation and said they are issuing subpoenas for company records.
There's also a high likelihood of class-action lawsuits by angry VW owners.
"They're facing a tsunami of possible state and federal enforcement actions, and a potential large number of violations - including administrative, civil and criminal," said William Carter, a former federal prosecutor in Los Angeles who specialized in environmental crimes and served as general counsel of the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Investigators will almost certainly look for any false statements made to the EPA and for signs that VW has tried to conceal wrongdoing or obstruct regulators. Fraud charges could be considered if evidence emerges that company executives used the Internet or the mail system to carry out the emissions deception. And money laundering allegations will be explored if investigators suspect that VW sent illicit proceeds overseas.
"If a software package such as this were intentionally designed to defeat the emissions testing, there may well be email traffic, meetings, records that would establish that intent," said Gregory Linsin, a former environmental crimes prosecutor at the Justice Department.
But Linsin said he expected the Justice Department also to take into account the multiple investigations likely to take place worldwide, and to not punish the automaker in a way that jeopardizes its ability to stay in business.
The problems at VW come as the Justice Department faces growing pressure to prosecute individual executives and employees for corporate misdeeds. The last two major criminal investigations against auto companies - Toyota and General Motors - yielded massive fines over car safety problems but has resulted in no prosecutions of executives. Those outcomes dismayed consumer watchdog groups and grieving victims' relatives, who demanded better accountability for failure to disclose vehicle defects.
A memo this month by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates sought to reaffirm the Justice Department's commitment to prosecuting employees and executives, directing among other policy mandates that corporations pushing for credit for cooperating with the government must first turn over evidence against individuals.
"Volkswagen has a fundamental choice to make," said Uhlmann, the former prosecutor. "That is whether it intends to cooperate and seek leniency, or whether it wants to fight the charges. Every indication over the last several days from Volkswagen is that it intends to cooperate."
Asked whether that meant he expected company executives to voluntarily come to the United States to stand trial, he laughed.
"Absolutely not," he said.
---
AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.
---
Online:
EPA announcement: http://www3.epa.gov/otaq/cert/violations.htm
---
Follow Michael Biesecker: http://twitter.com/mbieseck and Eric Tucker at http://twitter.com/etuckerAP
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Volkswagen Faces Stiff Fines Due to Emissions Deception

Volkswagen Faces Stiff Fines Due to Emissions Deception. Who knew...

Taiwan Prepares for Super Typhoon Dujuan. Authorities in Taiwan evacuated thousands of people in anticipation of Super Typhoon Dujuan, which is expected to make landfall Monday evening.

The storm featured maximum sustained winds of about 114 mph with gusts reaching 141 mph. Dujuan's trajectory carries it just south of the capital of Taipei.

[caption id="attachment_2384763" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/09/28152944/Super-Typhoon-Dujuan-prompts-evacuations-in-Taiwan_UPIjpg.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2384763" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/09/28152944/Super-Typhoon-Dujuan-prompts-evacuations-in-Taiwan_UPIjpg-150x150.jpg" alt="This satellite image of Typhoon Dujuan shows the center of the storm as it rolls across the Pacific Ocean. Image by NOAA" width="150" height="150" /></a> This satellite image of Typhoon Dujuan shows the center of the storm as it rolls across the Pacific Ocean. Image by NOAA[/caption]

The storm is also expected to hit Japan's small Yaeyama Islands, bringing torrential rains. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/powerful-typhoon-changed-seismic-activity-in-taiwan/">Taiwan </a>Prepares for Super Typhoon Dujuan

Some 4,000 people were relocated from the region Monday, in addition to 3,000 more forced to leave two resort islands in the region over the weekend. About 24,000 troops were placed on standby and more than a hundred shelters were erected in the region.

A Bon Jovi concert slated to take place in the capital city of Taipei on Monday was also canceled.

Local authorities issued land and sea warnings in anticipation of the storm. Plans to shut down rail service were announced and more than 200 international and domestic flights were canceled.

Weather forecasters expect Dujuan to weaken to the equivalent of Category 3 hurricane prior to making landfall. They expect 20 inches of rain to fall on mountainous areas throughout central Taiwan.

Dujuan is also expected to hit the southeastern <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=chinese&amp;cvid=2dc3590549a94a1193438cda45e132a6&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Chinese</a> coastal province of Fuijan on Tuesday. Its winds should be diminished by that point, but torrential rains will still pose a threat to the region.

---
<a href="http://www.upi.com/">UPI</a>

Taiwan Prepares for Super Typhoon Dujuan

Taiwan Prepares for Super Typhoon Dujuan. Authorities in Taiwan evacuated...

Taiwan Prepares for Super Typhoon Dujuan. Authorities in Taiwan evacuated thousands of people in anticipation of Super Typhoon Dujuan, which is expected to make landfall Monday evening.

The storm featured maximum sustained winds of about 114 mph with gusts reaching 141 mph. Dujuan's trajectory carries it just south of the capital of Taipei.

[caption id="attachment_2384763" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/09/28152944/Super-Typhoon-Dujuan-prompts-evacuations-in-Taiwan_UPIjpg.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2384763" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/09/28152944/Super-Typhoon-Dujuan-prompts-evacuations-in-Taiwan_UPIjpg-150x150.jpg" alt="This satellite image of Typhoon Dujuan shows the center of the storm as it rolls across the Pacific Ocean. Image by NOAA" width="150" height="150" /></a> This satellite image of Typhoon Dujuan shows the center of the storm as it rolls across the Pacific Ocean. Image by NOAA[/caption]

The storm is also expected to hit <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nearly-all-native-japanese-bats-are-endangered/">Japan's</a> small Yaeyama Islands, bringing torrential rains. Taiwan Prepares for Super Typhoon Dujuan

Some 4,000 people were relocated from the region Monday, in addition to 3,000 more forced to leave two resort islands in the region over the weekend. About 24,000 troops were placed on standby and more than a hundred shelters were erected in the region.

A Bon Jovi concert slated to take place in the capital city of Taipei on Monday was also canceled.

Local authorities issued land and sea warnings in anticipation of the storm. Plans to shut down rail service were announced and more than 200 international and <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=domestic&amp;cvid=d21a910ffdd9438ab02b7f639b7323ca&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">domestic</a> flights were canceled.

Weather forecasters expect Dujuan to weaken to the equivalent of Category 3 hurricane prior to making landfall. They expect 20 inches of rain to fall on mountainous areas throughout central Taiwan.

Dujuan is also expected to hit the southeastern Chinese coastal province of Fuijan on Tuesday. Its winds should be diminished by that point, but torrential rains will still pose a threat to the region.

---
<a href="http://www.upi.com/">UPI</a>

Alaska Fears Fallout of Shell's Arctic Evacuation. Royal Dutch Shell's dry hole in the Chukchi Sea may be disappointing to shareholders, but it's potentially devastating to Alaska.
The company's decision to end oil exploration in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future means the state must find another source to fill the 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline and solve its economic woes, Gov. Bill Walker said.
"We need to get some oil in the pipeline, and we need to do it as quickly as possible and in the safest method possible," Walker said. He is suggesting the federal government open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to natural gas drilling.
The petroleum industry funds upward of 90 percent of state government. Declining oil production and low prices have left Alaska with a billion-dollar budget gap, and state leaders saw rays of hope in Shell's offshore prospects.
Confirmation of the estimated 15 billion barrels in the Chukchi lease area could have led to additional exploration by other leaseholders. And a transition to production - though a decade or more off - would have meant jobs, potential revenue and a source to replenish the trans-Alaska pipeline, now running less than one-quarter full.
Kara Moriarty, president and CEO of the pro-industry Alaska Oil and Gas Association, noted other companies holding leases in the Arctic were waiting to see what happened with Shell and will follow its lead.
"I haven't talked to anyone, but I have very low expectation that we're going to see any type of exploration or development in the Arctic anytime in the near future," she said.
She cited a loss of jobs as one of the biggest immediate effects in the state.
"At any given day during the project this summer, they'd have 600 to 800 workers and another 600 to 800 workers waiting to shift in and out, on a two-to three week rotation," Moriarty said. "So, I think in the short-term, it's loss of jobs, it's loss of investment."
Shell spent $2.1 billion on 275 Chukchi Sea leases in 2008 and $7 billion overall on Arctic offshore development. Before this year, the company last drilled off Alaska's northwest coast in 1991.
The exploratory well Shell drilled this month extended to 6,800 feet in 150 feet of water. It found oil and gas but not in commercial quantities that would justify additional exploration with two drill vessels, thousands of workers and a flotilla of 28 vessels supplied from a base 150 miles away in the community of Barrow.
A return to Alaska waters will depend, as always, on how drilling prospects compare to other areas, Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said.
"At any given time, we have a suite of investment options in our portfolio," Smith said. "Not all of them can be funded."
Today's oil prices were not a factor in the decision.
In an interview earlier this month, Shell USA President Marvin Odum said the company looks at projected prices at least a decade out.
Moving forward, he said, would hinge on finding a petroleum basin large enough to justify the enormous cost of a transition to development: Arctic-strong production platforms, undersea pipe to the Alaska coast, and an overland pipeline connection to the trans-Alaska pipeline.
The well results were a major driver in the decision, Smith said, but the regulatory environment also was a factor.
"It's our view that the current permitting system brings very high levels of operating uncertainty to offshore Alaska planning," he said. "Under normal circumstances, an exploration program like this one should have taken significantly less time."
Federal regulators are preparing to issue Arctic-specific exploratory drilling regulations, crafted in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. One expensive provision is a requirement that two drilling rigs be on hand. If one is destroyed in a blowout, the second could drill a relief well.
Environmental groups were ecstatic with Shell's announcement. They contend the risk of a major spill is too great to allow Arctic offshore drilling.
Industrial activity, they say, will harm polar bears, walrus and ice seals already affected by diminished sea ice.
Burning the U.S. Arctic's oil reserves, estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey to exceed 26 billion barrels of conventionally recoverable oil, would add to climate warming and further delay a transition away from fossil fuels.
Susan Murray of oceans advocate Oceana said Shell's decision allows government to step back and apply science and careful planning to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-penguins-need-protection-from-human-activities/">Arctic</a>. Alaska Fears Fallout of Shell's Arctic Evacuation
"As President Obama saw firsthand, there are many challenges in the Arctic region, and we can use this opportunity to address changing climate and the need to protect and conserve important ocean resources," she said in a statement.
Shell is the major leaseholder in the Chukchi. ConocoPhillips holds 98 tracts but backed off of exploration plans in April 2013, citing regulatory uncertainties.
---
Associated Press writer Mark Thiessen contributed to this report.
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Alaska Fears Fallout of Shell's Arctic Evacuation

Alaska Fears Fallout of Shell's Arctic Evacuation. Royal Dutch Shell's...

Alaska Fears Fallout of Shell's Arctic Evacuation. Royal Dutch Shell's dry hole in the Chukchi Sea may be disappointing to shareholders, but it's potentially devastating to Alaska.
The company's decision to end oil exploration in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future means the state must find another source to fill the 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline and solve its economic woes, Gov. Bill Walker said.
"We need to get some oil in the pipeline, and we need to do it as quickly as possible and in the safest method possible," Walker said. He is suggesting the federal government open the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=arctic&amp;cvid=455bea9e62f745b9a2e371e825fce307&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Arctic</a> National Wildlife Refuge to natural gas drilling.
The petroleum industry funds upward of 90 percent of state government. Declining oil production and low prices have left Alaska with a billion-dollar budget gap, and state leaders saw rays of hope in Shell's <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/offshore-wind-farms-europe/">offshore</a> prospects.
Confirmation of the estimated 15 billion barrels in the Chukchi lease area could have led to additional exploration by other leaseholders. And a transition to production - though a decade or more off - would have meant jobs, potential revenue and a source to replenish the trans-Alaska pipeline, now running less than one-quarter full.
Kara Moriarty, president and CEO of the pro-industry Alaska Oil and Gas Association, noted other companies holding leases in the Arctic were waiting to see what happened with Shell and will follow its lead.
"I haven't talked to anyone, but I have very low expectation that we're going to see any type of exploration or development in the Arctic anytime in the near future," she said.
She cited a loss of jobs as one of the biggest immediate effects in the state.
"At any given day during the project this summer, they'd have 600 to 800 workers and another 600 to 800 workers waiting to shift in and out, on a two-to three week rotation," Moriarty said. "So, I think in the short-term, it's loss of jobs, it's loss of investment."
Shell spent $2.1 billion on 275 Chukchi Sea leases in 2008 and $7 billion overall on Arctic offshore development. Before this year, the company last drilled off Alaska's northwest coast in 1991.
The exploratory well Shell drilled this month extended to 6,800 feet in 150 feet of water. It found oil and gas but not in commercial quantities that would justify additional exploration with two drill vessels, thousands of workers and a flotilla of 28 vessels supplied from a base 150 miles away in the community of Barrow.
A return to Alaska waters will depend, as always, on how drilling prospects compare to other areas, Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said.
"At any given time, we have a suite of investment options in our portfolio," Smith said. "Not all of them can be funded."
Today's oil prices were not a factor in the decision.
In an interview earlier this month, Shell USA President Marvin Odum said the company looks at projected prices at least a decade out.
Moving forward, he said, would hinge on finding a petroleum basin large enough to justify the enormous cost of a transition to development: Arctic-strong production platforms, undersea pipe to the Alaska coast, and an overland pipeline connection to the trans-Alaska pipeline.
The well results were a major driver in the decision, Smith said, but the regulatory environment also was a factor.
"It's our view that the current permitting system brings very high levels of operating uncertainty to offshore Alaska planning," he said. "Under normal circumstances, an exploration program like this one should have taken significantly less time."
Federal regulators are preparing to issue Arctic-specific exploratory drilling regulations, crafted in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. One expensive provision is a requirement that two drilling rigs be on hand. If one is destroyed in a blowout, the second could drill a relief well.
Environmental groups were ecstatic with Shell's announcement. They contend the risk of a major spill is too great to allow Arctic offshore drilling.
Industrial activity, they say, will harm polar bears, walrus and ice seals already affected by diminished sea ice.
Burning the U.S. Arctic's oil reserves, estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey to exceed 26 billion barrels of conventionally recoverable oil, would add to climate warming and further delay a transition away from fossil fuels.
Susan Murray of oceans advocate Oceana said Shell's decision allows government to step back and apply science and careful planning to the Arctic.
"As President Obama saw firsthand, there are many challenges in the Arctic region, and we can use this opportunity to address changing climate and the need to protect and conserve important ocean resources," she said in a statement.
Shell is the major leaseholder in the Chukchi. ConocoPhillips holds 98 tracts but backed off of exploration plans in April 2013, citing regulatory uncertainties.
---
Associated Press writer Mark Thiessen contributed to this report.
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Alaska Fears Fallout of Shell's Arctic Evacuation. Royal Dutch Shell's dry hole in the Chukchi Sea may be disappointing to shareholders, but it's potentially devastating to Alaska.
The company's decision to end oil exploration in offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future means the state must find another source to fill the 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline and solve its economic woes, Gov. Bill Walker said.
"We need to get some oil in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secretary-tillerson-pipeline-issues/">pipeline</a>, and we need to do it as quickly as possible and in the safest method possible," Walker said. He is suggesting the federal government open the Arctic National <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=wildlife&amp;cvid=8fff9b6933e649b9aa32aa39edb408df&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Wildlife</a> Refuge to natural gas drilling. Alaska Fears Fallout of Shell's Arctic Evacuation and has caused a lot of panic of the unknown.
The petroleum industry funds upward of 90 percent of state government. Declining oil production and low prices have left Alaska with a billion-dollar budget gap, and state leaders saw rays of hope in Shell's offshore prospects.
Confirmation of the estimated 15 billion barrels in the Chukchi lease area could have led to additional exploration by other leaseholders. And a transition to production - though a decade or more off - would have meant jobs, potential revenue and a source to replenish the trans-Alaska pipeline, now running less than one-quarter full.
Kara Moriarty, president and CEO of the pro-industry Alaska Oil and Gas Association, noted other companies holding leases in the Arctic were waiting to see what happened with Shell and will follow its lead.
"I haven't talked to anyone, but I have very low expectation that we're going to see any type of exploration or development in the Arctic anytime in the near future," she said.
She cited a loss of jobs as one of the biggest immediate effects in the state.
"At any given day during the project this summer, they'd have 600 to 800 workers and another 600 to 800 workers waiting to shift in and out, on a two-to three week rotation," Moriarty said. "So, I think in the short-term, it's loss of jobs, it's loss of investment."
Shell spent $2.1 billion on 275 Chukchi Sea leases in 2008 and $7 billion overall on Arctic offshore development. Before this year, the company last drilled off Alaska's northwest coast in 1991.
The exploratory well Shell drilled this month extended to 6,800 feet in 150 feet of water. It found oil and gas but not in commercial quantities that would justify additional exploration with two drill vessels, thousands of workers and a flotilla of 28 vessels supplied from a base 150 miles away in the community of Barrow.
A return to Alaska waters will depend, as always, on how drilling prospects compare to other areas, Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said.
"At any given time, we have a suite of investment options in our portfolio," Smith said. "Not all of them can be funded."
Today's oil prices were not a factor in the decision.
In an interview earlier this month, Shell USA President Marvin Odum said the company looks at projected prices at least a decade out.
Moving forward, he said, would hinge on finding a petroleum basin large enough to justify the enormous cost of a transition to development: Arctic-strong production platforms, undersea pipe to the Alaska coast, and an overland pipeline connection to the trans-Alaska pipeline.
The well results were a major driver in the decision, Smith said, but the regulatory environment also was a factor.
"It's our view that the current permitting system brings very high levels of operating uncertainty to offshore Alaska planning," he said. "Under normal circumstances, an exploration program like this one should have taken significantly less time."
Federal regulators are preparing to issue Arctic-specific exploratory drilling regulations, crafted in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. One expensive provision is a requirement that two drilling rigs be on hand. If one is destroyed in a blowout, the second could drill a relief well.
Environmental groups were ecstatic with Shell's announcement. They contend the risk of a major spill is too great to allow Arctic offshore drilling.
Industrial activity, they say, will harm polar bears, walrus and ice seals already affected by diminished sea ice.
Burning the U.S. Arctic's oil reserves, estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey to exceed 26 billion barrels of conventionally recoverable oil, would add to climate warming and further delay a transition away from fossil fuels.
Susan Murray of oceans advocate Oceana said Shell's decision allows government to step back and apply science and careful planning to the Arctic.
"As President Obama saw firsthand, there are many challenges in the Arctic region, and we can use this opportunity to address changing climate and the need to protect and conserve important ocean resources," she said in a statement.
Shell is the major leaseholder in the Chukchi. ConocoPhillips holds 98 tracts but backed off of exploration plans in April 2013, citing regulatory uncertainties.
---
Associated Press writer Mark Thiessen contributed to this report.
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Alaska Fears Fallout of Shell's Arctic

Taiwan Prepares for Super Typhoon Dujuan. Authorities in Taiwan evacuated thousands of people in anticipation of Super Typhoon Dujuan, which is expected to make landfall Monday evening.

The storm featured maximum sustained winds of about 114 mph with gusts reaching 141 mph. Dujuan's trajectory carries it just south of the capital of Taipei.

[caption id="attachment_2384763" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/09/28152944/Super-Typhoon-Dujuan-prompts-evacuations-in-Taiwan_UPIjpg.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2384763" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/09/28152944/Super-Typhoon-Dujuan-prompts-evacuations-in-Taiwan_UPIjpg-150x150.jpg" alt="This satellite image of Typhoon Dujuan shows the center of the storm as it rolls across the Pacific Ocean. Image by NOAA" width="150" height="150" /></a> This satellite image of Typhoon Dujuan shows the center of the storm as it rolls across the Pacific Ocean. Image by NOAA[/caption]

The storm is also expected to hit Japan's small Yaeyama Islands, bringing torrential <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/animals-needed-sleep-before-they-even-had-brains/">rains</a>.

Some 4,000 people were relocated from the region Monday, in addition to 3,000 more forced to leave two resort islands in the region over the weekend. About 24,000 troops were placed on standby and more than a hundred shelters were erected in the region. Taiwan Prepares for Super Typhoon Dujuan

A <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=bon+jovi&amp;cvid=34b38169501544048c45dfec1c28235b&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Bon Jovi</a> concert slated to take place in the capital city of Taipei on Monday was also canceled.

Local authorities issued land and sea warnings in anticipation of the storm. Plans to shut down rail service were announced and more than 200 international and domestic flights were canceled.

Weather forecasters expect Dujuan to weaken to the equivalent of Category 3 hurricane prior to making landfall. They expect 20 inches of rain to fall on mountainous areas throughout central Taiwan.

Dujuan is also expected to hit the southeastern Chinese coastal province of Fuijan on Tuesday. Its winds should be diminished by that point, but torrential rains will still pose a threat to the region.

---
<a href="http://www.upi.com/">UPI</a>

Mothers Wait with Children to Receive Polio Vaccination

Climate Change Affects Birth Weight of Babies. Stronger storms, higher tides, longer droughts and lower birth weights -- global warming's rap sheet continues to get longer and longer.

According to a new study, expecting mothers in Africa who are exposed to higher temperatures and less precipitation tend to birth infants weighing less.

Researchers from the University of Utah analyzed the birth weights of 70,000 infants born in 19 African countries between 1986 and 2010. They cross-referenced birth weights with weather data from the estimated time of conception through birth.

[caption id="attachment_2384781" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/09/29172937/Study-Climate-change-negatively-affects-birth-weight.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2384781" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/09/29172937/Study-Climate-change-negatively-affects-birth-weight-300x200.jpg" alt="A woman and her children collect water from a well inside a rural village in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Photo by Kathryn Grace/University of Utah" width="300" height="200" /></a> A woman and her children collect water from a well inside a rural village in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Photo by Kathryn Grace/University of Utah[/caption]

The evidence showed that the greater the number of the days with a temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the more likely the baby was to be born with a low birth weight -- defined by the World Health Organization as less than 2,500 grams. Additionally, analysis showed that increases in precipitation resulted in higher, healthier birth weights.

Previous climate models suggest much of sub-Saharan Africa will feature hotter, drier weather, should climate change continue unfettered.

"Our findings demonstrate that in the very early stages of intra-uterine development, climate change has the potential to significantly impact birth outcomes," lead study author Kathryn Grace, a geography professor at Utah, said in a press release. "While the severity of that impact depends on where the pregnant woman lives, in this case the developing world, we can see the potential for similar outcomes everywhere."

Grace says efforts to provide resources to pregnant women in Africa's developing nations will be all for not if direct action isn't taken to slow climate change and protect the world's most vulnerable populations from its effects. Climate Change Affects Birth Weight of Babies

"At the end of the day, the services we invest in to support these developing countries won't reap the same level of benefits as long as climate change continues," Grace said. "Services such as education, clean water efforts and nutrition support won't be as effective. We need to work faster and differently to combat the evident stresses caused by climate change."

Earlier this week, new evidence linked lower birth weight to diminished levels of social trust -- the glue that psychologists and sociologists say holds society together. Taken together, the two studies suggest global warming could bring about a less trusting world.

---

<a href="http://www.upi.com/">UPI</a>

Climate Change Affects Birth Weight of Babies

Climate Change Affects Birth Weight of Babies. Stronger storms, higher...

EPA Sets Stricter Standards For Oil Refineries. The Environmental Protection Agency announced new rules Tuesday to reduce toxic air pollution from oil refineries by forcing operators to adopt new technology that better monitors and controls emissions.
The rules will require for the first time that refineries install air monitors along "fence lines" where pollution enters neighboring communities. The monitors will measure levels of benzene and other dangerous pollutants. Corrective action will be required if levels exceed established limits. EPA Sets Stricter Standards For Oil Refineries
<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=epa&amp;cvid=11e74c6b7144453c990f654fffd95e61&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">EPA</a> Administrator Gina McCarthy said the rules would protect the health of more than 6 million people who live within 3 miles of a refinery. The rules will serve as a kind of "neighborhood watch for toxic pollutants" near the nation's 140 petroleum refineries, including dozens across the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/tornado-track-tuscaloosa-alabama/">Alabama</a>, McCarthy said. Refineries also are located near major cities such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York and Chicago.
McCarthy called the rules a demonstration of the Obama administration's commitment to "environmental justice," noting that many people who live near refineries are poor, including a large percentage who are members of minority groups.
Announcement of the long-delayed refinery rule came as the EPA prepared to set new limits on smog-forming pollution linked to asthma and respiratory illness.
Facing a court-ordered deadline, the EPA is expected to act by Thursday to set a new ozone standard. Officials are expected to set a limit of 70 parts per billion or less in the atmosphere, down from the existing standard of 75.
A top EPA official said Tuesday the current ozone limit "is not adequate to protect the public health."
Janet McCabe, the EPA's top air regulator, told Congress that a new, stricter standard is needed to cut dangerous ozone pollution and prevent thousands of asthma attacks, emergency room visits and even premature deaths.
A new ozone standard, combined with greenhouse gas reductions mandated by a new rule limiting carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, "will extend the trajectory of the last 40 years when we've cut air pollution 70 percent - all while our economy has tripled," McCabe said Tuesday at a Senate hearing.
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, countered that a new ozone limit would likely have negligible environmental benefits and comes with huge economic costs. Instead of creating a job-killing mandate, the EPA should focus on helping counties across the nation that have not yet met the current standards, he said.
"A new standard at this time is not only irresponsible, but also impractical and economically destructive," Inhofe said.
The National Association of Manufacturers is leading opposition to the new rule and argues in TV ads that the current ozone rule works. The ad features a video clip of Obama saying at the White House last month that the U.S. has largely "solved" the smog problem since the days when thick air pollution in Los Angeles and other big cities made it difficult to breathe.
Obama made the comment - recalling his college days in Los Angeles - as he announced unprecedented carbon dioxide limits on coal-fired power plants, the biggest step taken by the U.S. on climate change.
"The president is right," the ad says. "The current ozone rule is working."
McCabe declined to specify what the new ozone limit will be, but assured senators that the standard will be based on the law, a thorough scientific review and recommendations from independent advisers.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said the EPA's plan could be disastrous for his state.
"We've got a regulation coming at states and consumers that is going to absolutely explode the price of power in our state," Wicker said, calling the EPA plan "unworkable."
Paul Billings, senior vice president of the American Lung Association, said EPA should not consider cost but instead focus on protection of the public's health and safety.
Once a standard is set that protects the public, then cost can be factored in, Billings said. The lung association has played a key role in development of ozone standards through a series of legal actions over the past two decades.
"Less smog means better health for all of us," Billings said.
Cutting ozone emissions to 70 parts per billion would cost industry about $3.9 billion in 2025, the EPA estimated.
--
Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC</a>
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

EPA Sets Stricter Standards For Oil Refineries

EPA Sets Stricter Standards For Oil Refineries. The Environmental Protection...

Big Utilities Are Embracing Small-Scale Rooftop Solar Market. Traditional power companies are getting into small-scale rooftop solar energy and competing for space on your rooftop.

The emerging competition comes as utilities and smaller solar installers fight over the future of the U.S. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=energy+systems&amp;cvid=907d8d056fb04bd6b2937942e454c61f&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">energy system</a>. While the market for residential solar power remains a financial drop in the bucket for a big utility, the installation of solar panels overall grew by more than 50 percent in 2014 and is on track for another record-breaking year at time when the traditional utility business is pretty flat.

"The whole theory is you need to serve your customer or someone will serve them for you," said Raiford Smith, a vice president at CPS Energy in San Antonio, <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/padre-island-off-the-coast-of-texas/">Texas</a>, where 3,000 customers are interested in getting utility-owned rooftop panels. "I think the entire market is in a race for rooftop." Big Utilities Are Embracing Small-Scale Rooftop Solar Market

These moves may have a range of effects for customers. The utilities experimenting in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Texas could make solar more affordable for average consumers by energizing competition and driving down prices. Some utility programs may be beneficial to people who cannot afford big up-front investments, get affordable loans or find existing solar leases too cumbersome.

Smaller solar companies fear the incumbents will use their power to drive competitors from the market. After all, every time an installer puts solar panels on a home, a utility company sells less power and makes less money.

These experimental programs are one part of a bigger, yearslong battle between the solar industry and utilities. Since 2013, legislation to limit rooftop solar has been introduced in nearly two dozen states.

Some utilities like NV Energy in Nevada and PNM in New Mexico have debated charging solar customers special fees since they still buy electricity from the traditional utility system but end up paying less money to support common infrastructure. Even small fees could have big consequences since the financial decision to install solar panels can be a close call for many consumers.

Solar panels remain pricey, at least upfront.

For example, Gregg Dufort said he wanted to install panels on his Phoenix home but couldn't justify spending $25,000 on an investment that he estimated would pay off in 20 years or more. He considered leasing solar panels, but found the multi-year leases would be difficult to end if he eventually sold or rented the property.

Instead, he became the first customer this year to lease part of his roof to Arizona Public Service Co., which installed all the equipment at its own cost. APS pays Dufort $360 in annual credits on his power bills. Arizona regulators capped the pilot program at 1,500 homes. So far, several dozen homes have been outfitted. Installations on another 500 homes are ongoing or will soon start.

"Somebody had to figure out a way to do it because we had this huge untapped energy source out here," Dufort said. "And the prohibitive part of it is the cost."

APS' manager of renewable energy, Marc Romito, said the utility will use the program to test new equipment, batteries and distribution systems.

Critics accuse APS of rigging the system by undervaluing the solar energy, which lowers prices and makes it difficult for rivals to compete. APS generally faces less risk than competitors since regulators grant the monopoly guaranteed profits on all investments, including solar panels.

Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power started in July helping customers interested in solar energy analyze their electricity usage. A utility website refers customers to multiple installers, including one run by an unregulated wing of Georgia Power itself.

Regulators will be watching to see if Georgia Power uses the advantages of its monopoly electric business - for example, customer databases, advertising budgets or staff - to subsidize its commercial solar venture. So far, no formal complaints have been filed.

In Michigan, Consumers Energy is asking that it get paid a referral fee anytime it successfully connects a customer with a solar installer. It's also offering financing for solar projects through a bank that specializes in home-improvement loans.

Bradley Klein, an attorney for the Environmental Law and Policy Center, said there should be a way for Consumers Energy customers to share their electrical usage data with any solar installer, not just those selected to participate in Consumer's program.

"As these markets are opening. We want to make sure there's full and fair competition and there's not an unequal playing field," he said.

---

Henry reported from Atlanta.

© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Big Utilities Are Embracing Small-Scale Rooftop Solar Market

Big Utilities Are Embracing Small-Scale Rooftop Solar Market. Traditional power...

EPA Sets Stricter Standards For Oil Refineries. The Environmental Protection Agency announced new rules Tuesday to reduce toxic air pollution from oil refineries by forcing operators to adopt new technology that better monitors and controls emissions.
The rules will require for the first time that refineries install air monitors along "fence lines" where pollution enters neighboring communities. The monitors will measure levels of benzene and other dangerous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-trace-environmental-pollutants/">pollutants</a>. Corrective action will be required if levels exceed established limits.
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the rules would protect the health of more than 6 million people who live within 3 miles of a refinery. The rules will serve as a kind of "neighborhood watch for toxic pollutants" near the nation's 140 petroleum refineries, including dozens across the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, McCarthy said. Refineries also are located near major cities such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia,<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=new+york&amp;cvid=6a0d08af9e4345efbd99a93765218d47&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> New York</a> and Chicago.The Environmental Protection Agency announced new rules Tuesday to reduce toxic air pollution from oil refineries EPA Sets Stricter Standards For Oil Refineries
McCarthy called the rules a demonstration of the Obama administration's commitment to "environmental justice," noting that many people who live near refineries are poor, including a large percentage who are members of minority groups.
Announcement of the long-delayed refinery rule came as the EPA prepared to set new limits on smog-forming pollution linked to asthma and respiratory illness.
Facing a court-ordered deadline, the EPA is expected to act by Thursday to set a new ozone standard. Officials are expected to set a limit of 70 parts per billion or less in the atmosphere, down from the existing standard of 75.
A top EPA official said Tuesday the current ozone limit "is not adequate to protect the public health."
Janet McCabe, the EPA's top air regulator, told Congress that a new, stricter standard is needed to cut dangerous ozone pollution and prevent thousands of asthma attacks, emergency room visits and even premature deaths.
A new ozone standard, combined with greenhouse gas reductions mandated by a new rule limiting carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, "will extend the trajectory of the last 40 years when we've cut air pollution 70 percent - all while our economy has tripled," McCabe said Tuesday at a Senate hearing.
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, countered that a new ozone limit would likely have negligible environmental benefits and comes with huge economic costs. Instead of creating a job-killing mandate, the EPA should focus on helping counties across the nation that have not yet met the current standards, he said.
"A new standard at this time is not only irresponsible, but also impractical and economically destructive," Inhofe said.
The National Association of Manufacturers is leading opposition to the new rule and argues in TV ads that the current ozone rule works. The ad features a video clip of Obama saying at the White House last month that the U.S. has largely "solved" the smog problem since the days when thick air pollution in Los Angeles and other big cities made it difficult to breathe.
Obama made the comment - recalling his college days in Los Angeles - as he announced unprecedented carbon dioxide limits on coal-fired power plants, the biggest step taken by the U.S. on climate change.
"The president is right," the ad says. "The current ozone rule is working."
McCabe declined to specify what the new ozone limit will be, but assured senators that the standard will be based on the law, a thorough scientific review and recommendations from independent advisers.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said the EPA's plan could be disastrous for his state.
"We've got a regulation coming at states and consumers that is going to absolutely explode the price of power in our state," Wicker said, calling the EPA plan "unworkable."
Paul Billings, senior vice president of the American Lung Association, said EPA should not consider cost but instead focus on protection of the public's health and safety.
Once a standard is set that protects the public, then cost can be factored in, Billings said. The lung association has played a key role in development of ozone standards through a series of legal actions over the past two decades.
"Less smog means better health for all of us," Billings said.
Cutting ozone emissions to 70 parts per billion would cost industry about $3.9 billion in 2025, the EPA estimated.
--
Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC</a>
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Arctic Sky

Environmental Groups Seek End To All Arctic Ocean Drilling. Royal Dutch Shell's decision to end its quest for oil in the Arctic waters off Alaska sparked jubilation among environmental activists, who said Tuesday that they will seize the opportunity to seek an end to all arctic ocean drilling.
But while Shell's move is a definite setback for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-is-a-source-of-food-contamination/">oil</a> companies, it does not mean offshore drilling is dead or that the Arctic Ocean has any greater protection now than it had last week.
Shell's decision gives advocates on both sides a chance to pause and consider whether Arctic drilling should continue, said Mike LeVine of the ocean-advocacy group in Juneau known as Oceana.Environmental Groups Seek End To All Arctic Ocean Drilling
"Meaningful action to address climate change is almost certainly going to mean we can't keep looking for oil in remote and expensive places," LeVine said. "Rather than investing in programs like this, we need to figure out how to transition away from <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=fossil+fuels&amp;cvid=0d081c2f8c20435a8360165c79ad018d&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">fossil fuels</a> and toward sustainable energy."
Shell announced Monday that it would abandon exploration in U.S. Arctic waters "for the foreseeable future" after a well drilled this summer in the Chukchi Sea off the Alaskan coast failed to find natural gas and oil in sufficient quantities.
Royal Dutch Shell PLC spent more than $7 billion on Arctic offshore development in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas and was dogged at every regulatory level by environmental groups, which feared that a spill in the harsh climate would be difficult to clean up and devastating to polar bears, walruses, seals and other wildlife.
The next step for many environmental advocates is to establish "some sort of binding policy so that these decisions are not up to oil companies," said Cassady Sharp, spokeswoman for Greenpeace USA in Washington, D.C.
Over the summer, Greenpeace protested drilling by boarding a Shell vessel as it crossed the Pacific. The group helped organize on-the-water demonstrations in Seattle by "kayaktivists" in kayaks. Protesters with climbing gear hung suspended from a bridge in Portland, Oregon, to briefly delay a Shell support vessel from departing for the Chukchi Sea.
"I think the activism played a huge role and probably a bigger one than Shell is going to admit," Sharp said.
Greenpeace remains opposed to Arctic offshore oil development and will turn its attention to other Alaska leases and potential drilling in other countries, she said.
"We don't want to get too confident and assume no company is going to move forward," she said.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that American Arctic waters hold 26 billion barrels of conventionally recoverable oil. That's considerably more than the 17 billion barrels of crude that moved through the trans-Alaska pipeline from 1977 through 2014.
Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said Shell's experience and public pressure may serve as a warning message to other companies. However, Arctic offshore drilling is by no means over.
The Department of Interior continues to evaluate Arctic-specific exploratory drilling regulations. The leases that allow oil companies to explore for crude run through 2017 in the Beaufort Sea and through 2020 in the Chukchi Sea, and corporations have sought extensions.
Arctic waters continue to be part of President Barack Obama's "all-of-the-above" energy strategy, which embraces a wide range of sources, from oil and natural gas to renewables such as wind and solar power.
Depending on interest by petroleum companies, the Interior Department could hold lease sales in Arctic waters in 2016 and 2017.
Both the Chukchi and the Beaufort seas could be included in the federal government's next five-year plan for offshore leases, which covers leasing through 2022.
Environmental groups are also lining up to oppose a proposed Beaufort Sea project 19 miles east of Prudhoe Bay. HilCorp Alaska LLC has applied to build a 9-acre artificial island in 20 feet of water about 6 miles off shore to tap into 150 million barrels of crude oil.
Shell's decision ended hope that within a decade or so Arctic offshore oil could help replenish the trans-Alaska pipeline. Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, a Republican-turned-independent, said the state must find ways to address Alaska's multi-billion dollar budget gap between income and spending.
"If it's not going to come offshore, let's safely develop it from onshore," he said.
He will lobby Obama to not only extend offshore leases but to open reserves on land now closed, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, he said. Congress in the 1990s voted to open part of the refuge. President Bill Clinton vetoed the measure.
"So I'm going to start with the person with the veto authority and start with that," Walker said. "I'm going to work from the top down."
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Environmental Groups Seek End To All Arctic Ocean Drilling

Environmental Groups Seek End To All Arctic Ocean Drilling. Royal...

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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.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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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



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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



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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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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



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.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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



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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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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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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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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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How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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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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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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