We've all been told that a good night's sleep can do wonders. And indeed, who can deny the refreshing feeling that comes after a great sleep session?



Yet, the intricate processes that unfold in our brains while we're catching some z's are still shrouded in mystery. 



The intriguing world of sleep studies is seeing some fresh revelations, thanks to the efforts of researchers at <a href="https://www.rice.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rice University</a>, Houston Methodist’s Center for Neural Systems Restoration, and Weill Cornell Medical College.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-journey-of-discovery-begins">A journey of discovery begins</h2>



The main purpose of the study was to shed light on the elusive neural mechanisms that enhance cognitive performance during nonrapid eye movement (<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-reboots-the-brain-making-room-for-new-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NREM</a>) sleep.



This is the kind of sleep you experience when you're taking a quick nap, nothing too deep. 



The results of the research could potentially change our understanding of how sleep sharpens our brain and might even open new avenues in treating sleep disorders and identifying methods to enhance cognitive and behavioral performance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unraveling-the-magic-of-sleep">Unraveling the magic of sleep</h2>



The researchers began their investigation by studying the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-emotions-linked-to-unique-brain-activity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neural activity</a> of multiple brain areas in macaque monkeys.



They examined the brain activity of these animals as they performed a visual discrimination task before and after a 30-minute NREM sleep period.



To ensure the animals were indeed sleeping, the team used polysomnography, a method that measures brain and muscle activity.



The results were fascinating. The visual task performance of the animals improved post-sleep and showed enhanced accuracy.



This improvement was found only in the macaques who actually fell asleep - those that remained awake didn't see the same performance shift.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-deeper-dive-into-sleep-s-magic">A deeper dive into sleep’s magic</h2>



The effects of sleep on neural activity in the macaques were described by Dr. Natasha Kharas, the study's first author. 



“During sleep, we observed an increase in low-frequency delta wave activity and synchronized firing among neurons across different cortical regions," noted Dr. Kharas.



"After sleep, however, neuronal activity became more desynchronized compared to before sleep, allowing neurons to fire more independently. This shift led to improved accuracy in information processing and performance in the visual tasks.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-simulating-sleep">The power of simulating sleep</h2>



In their relentless pursuit of understanding sleep's magic, the researchers went a step further. 



They replicated the neural effects of sleep through low-frequency electrical stimulation of the visual cortex in macaques that were awake.



In this way, specific patterns of stimulation could potentially be used to mimic the cognitive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/consistent-sleep-slows-down-aging-at-a-cellular-level/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">benefits of sleep</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-restorative-effects-of-sleep">Restorative effects of sleep</h2>



The implications of the replicated sleep effects are game-changing.



The results hint that the restorative and performance-enhancing effects of sleep could potentially be achieved even without actual sleep.



“The ability to reproduce sleeplike neural desynchronization in an awake state opens new possibilities for enhancing cognitive and perceptual performance in situations where sleep is not feasible - such as for individuals with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/daylight-saving-time-changes-are-directly-linked-to-sleep-disorders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep disorders</a> or in extenuating circumstances such as space exploration,” stated Valentin Dragoi, the study's co-author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deepening-our-understanding-of-sleep">Deepening our understanding of sleep</h2>



According to Dragoi, the study is unique as it not only deepens our understanding of sleep's role in cognitive function but also breaks new ground by showing that specific patterns of brain stimulation could substitute for some of the restorative effects of sleep.



“We have uncovered a surprising solution that the brain employs after sleep whereby neural populations participating in the task reduce their level of synchrony after sleep, despite receiving synchronizing inputs during sleep itself,” explained Dragoi.



This revelation highlights how NREM sleep effectively 'boosts' cognitive function by resetting neural activity.



“Our study not only deepens our mechanistic understanding of sleep’s role in cognitive function but also breaks new ground by showing that specific patterns of brain stimulation could substitute for some benefits of sleep, pointing toward a future where we might boost brain function independently of sleep itself,” said Dragoi.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-the-research">Broader implications of the research </h2>



This fascinating study opens exciting possibilities for practical applications in various fields.



From improving cognitive performance in individuals with sleep disorders to optimizing productivity in high-stakes scenarios, such as military operations or space exploration, the potential is vast. 



Additionally, the ability to simulate sleep's effects could pave the way for innovative therapies for neurodegenerative diseases and mental health conditions, where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-who-watch-screens-in-bed-have-the-most-disrupted-sleep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">disrupted sleep</a> plays a significant role. 



As research progresses, integrating these findings into wearable technology or non-invasive devices could make cognitive enhancement accessible and customizable for everyday use.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr3339" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



-----



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How sleep transforms brain performance

We've all been told that a good night's sleep can do wonders. And indeed, who can deny the refreshing feeling that comes after a great sleep session? Yet, the intricate processes that unfold in our brains while we're catching some z's are still shrouded in mystery. The intriguing world of sleep studies is seeing some fresh revelations, thanks to the efforts of researchers at Rice University, Houston Methodist’s Center for Neural Systems Restoration, and Weill Cornell Medical College. A journey of discovery begins The main purpose of...

Trees With Large Leaves Are Less Susceptible To Global Warming. The response of leaf unfolding phenology to climate warming has significantly reduced

The sensitivity of large leaves unfolding phenology to climate warming has significantly declined since 1980s, according to a study recently published in the journal Nature by an international collaboration of scientists. Earlier spring leaf unfolding is a frequently observed response of plants to climate warming. Many deciduous tree species require cold temperatures, in other words 'chilling', for dormancy release, and the warming-related reductions in chilling may counteract the advance of leaf unfolding in response to warming. Empirical evidence for this, however, was very limited.

To check whether warm winters have already attenuated the advance in spring phenology, an international team of researchers from China, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland and Germany investigated the change in the sensitivity of leaf unfolding to climate warming using long-term observations for seven dominant European tree species at 1245 sites in Central Europe.

Their analyses show that leaf unfolding occurred, on average, four days earlier per degree Celcius increase in spring temperature between 1980 and 1994, whereas this advance dropped to 2.3 days per degree between 1999 and 2013, a decrease of over 40 percent. "This lower sensitivity of trees to climate change likely reflects the reduced cold during winter that delays dormancy release. However, we could not fully exclude photoperiod and/or insolation as co-controlling mechanisms. These two factors may also become limiting when leaf unfolding dates occur too early in spring" said Yongshuo H. Fu, the first author of this study.

The study provides the first large-scale empirical evidence for a declining sensitivity of spring phenology to warming in mature trees for Central Europe. Professor Annette Menzel from the department of Ecoclimatology at Technical University of Munich who was also involved in the interational research said "The European PEP725 phenological database was a perfect basis to reveal that strong winter warming in the future may result in a slowdown in the advance of spring phenology".

Since plant phenology is a very important determinant of the carbon uptake and water balance of ecosystems, the declining temperature sensitivity of leaf unfolding might reduce the potential of forests to sequester even more carbon than they currently do. However, in the end it may be beneficial for the trees by reducing the risk of late spring frost damage, since extreme climatic events are projected to increase in future. Trees With Large Leaves Are Less Susceptible To Global Warming

---

<a href="http://www.tum.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Munich</a>

Trees With Large Leaves Are Less Susceptible To Global Warming

Trees With Large Leaves Are Less Susceptible To Global Warming....

Ocean Surface Impacts Climate More Then Previously Thought. Ocean surface seems to produce significantly more isoprene, and consequently affect stronger the climate than previously thought. This emerges from a study by the Institute of Catalysis and Environment in Lyon (IRCELYON, CNRS / University Lyon 1) and the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), which had studied samples of the surface film in the laboratory.

The results underline the global significance of the chemical processes at the border between ocean and atmosphere, write the researchers in the journal Environmental Science &amp; Technology. Isoprene is a gas that is formed by both the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=vegetation&amp;cvid=6c2a3cd4dcf04f62a8c8449142499a9b&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">vegetation</a> and the oceans. It is very important for the climate because this gas can form particles that can become clouds and then later affect temperature and precipitation. Ocean Surface Impacts Climate More Then Previously Thought Previously it was assumed that isoprene is primarily caused by biological processes from plankton in the sea water. The atmospheric chemists from France and Germany, however, could now show that isoprene could also be formed without biological sources in surface film of the oceans by sunlight and so explain the large discrepancy between field measurements and models. The new identified photochemical reaction is therefore important to improve the climate models.

The oceans not only take up heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they are also sources of various gaseous compounds, thereby affecting the global climate. A key role is played by the so-called surface microlayer (SML), especially at low wind speed. In these few micrometers thin layer different organic substances such as dissolved organic matter, fat and amino acids, proteins, lipids are accumulating as well as trace metals, dust and microorganisms.

For the now published study, the research team took samples from the Norther Atlantic Ocean. The surface film was collected in the Raunefjord near Bergen in Norway. For this purpose, a glass plate is immersed in water and then again carefully pulled from the water. The 200 micron thin film sticks to the glass and is then scraped off with a wiper. The sample thus obtained is analyzed in the laboratory later. At the Institute of Catalysis and Environment in Lyon (IRCELYON), which belongs to the French research organization CNRS and the University of Lyon 1, the team investigated its photochemical properties during which collected samples were irradiated with light and the gases were analyzed: it became clear that isoprene was produced in magtnetudes that were previously attributed solely to <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/colorful-phytoplankton-blooms-off-argentina/">plankton</a>. "We were able for the first time trace back the production of this important aerosol precursor to abiotic sources, so far global calculations consider only biological sources," explains Dr. Christian George from IRCELYON.

Thus, it is now possible to estimate more closely the total amounts of isoprene, which are emitted. So far, however, local measurements indicated levels of about 0.3 megatonnes per year, global simulations of around 1.9 megatons per year. But the team of Lyon and Leipzig estimates that the newly discovered photochemical pathway alone contribute 0.2 to 3.5 megatons per year additionally and could explain the recent disagreements. "The existence of the organic films at the ocean surface due to biological activities therefore influences the exchange processes between air and sea in a unexpected strong way. The photochemical processes at this interface could be a very significant source of isoprene", summarizes Prof. Hartmut Herrmann from TROPOS.

The processes at the boundary between water and air are currently of great interest in science: In August, the team from the CNRS and TROPOS presented evidence in Scientific Reports, the open-access journal of Nature, that dissolved organic material in the surface film is strengthening the chemical conversion of saturated fatty acids into unsaturated gas phase products under the influence of sunlight. For the first time it was realized that these products have to be of biological origin not only, but also abiotic processes at the interface between two media have the potential to produce such molecules. In early September another team from Canada, the US, Great Britain and Germany showed in the journal Nature that organic material from the surface film of the oceans can be an important source for the formation of ice in clouds over remote regions of the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Southern Ocean. The recent publication of the teams from CNRS and TROPOS in Environmental Science &amp; Technology provides indications how the climate models in the important details of the influence of isoprene could be improved. Because of the great importance this paper will be open access as "Editor's Choice".

---

<a href="http://www.tropos.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TROPOS</a>

Ocean Surface Impacts Climate More Then Previously Thought

Ocean Surface Impacts Climate More Then Previously Thought. Ocean surface...

EPA Sets Toxic Pollution Limits For Waterways. The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday imposed new standards for mercury, lead and other toxic pollutants that are discharged into the nation's rivers and streams from steam electric power plants.
If exposed at high levels, the pollutants can cause neurological damage in children, lead to cancer and damage the circulatory system, <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=kidneys&amp;cvid=c6f75b38da574c2498b69ef93e2e861e&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">kidneys</a> and livers. EPA Sets Toxic Pollution Limits For Waterways
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the rules, the first national limits on pollutants from coal-fired steam electricity plants, "will provide significant protections for our children and communities across the country, including minority and low-income communities, from exposure to pollutants that can cause ... serious health problems."
The rule will remove 1.4 billion pounds a year of toxic metals discharged nationwide, including mercury, arsenic, lead and selenium, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/gentoo-penguins-are-not-one-species-but-four/">EPA</a> said.
The EPA said most of the nation's 1,080 steam electric power plants already meet the requirements. About 12 percent, or 134 plants, will have to make new investments to meet the new rules, including dozens of plants across the South and Midwest.
More than 23,000 miles of rivers and streams across the country are polluted by steam electric discharges, which occur close to 100 public drinking water intakes and nearly 2,000 public wells across the nation, the EPA said.
Toxic metals do not break down in the environment and can contaminate sediment in waterways and harm aquatic life and wildlife, including killing large numbers of fish. Steam electric power plants account for about 30 percent of all toxic pollutants discharged into streams, rivers and lakes from U.S. industrial facilities.
The new standards come as Duke Energy agreed Tuesday to pay North Carolina regulators $7 million to settle allegations of groundwater pollution at its coal ash pits and to perform accelerated cleanups costing millions of dollars at four sites. Coal ash is the waste left after coal is burned to generate electricity and contains toxic heavy metals including arsenic and mercury.
Duke agreed in May to plead guilty to nine criminal violations of the federal Clean Water Act and pay more than $102 million in fines and restitution for failing to contain water contaminated by coal residues at five North Carolina coal-burning plants. A massive spill at a Duke coal ash pond in Eden, N.C., coated 70 miles of the Dan River in gray sludge in 2014.
The wastewater rule is one of three major actions expected this week as the EPA announces a flurry of new rules intended to reduce air and water pollution.
On Tuesday, the agency set new rules 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 benzene and other toxic emissions enter neighboring communities.
The EPA faces a court-ordered deadline of Thursday to set a new limit on smog-forming pollution linked to asthma and respiratory illness. Officials are expected to set an ozone limit of 70 parts per billion or less in the atmosphere, down from the existing standard of 75.
----
Follow Matthew Daly: <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 Toxic Pollution Limits For Waterways

EPA Sets Toxic Pollution Limits For Waterways. The Environmental Protection...

Trees With Large Leaves Are Less Susceptible To Global Warming. The response of leaf unfolding phenology to climate warming has significantly reduced

The sensitivity of large leaves unfolding phenology to climate warming has significantly declined since 1980s, according to a study recently published in the journal Nature by an international collaboration of scientists. Earlier spring leaf unfolding is a frequently observed response of plants to climate warming. Many deciduous tree species require cold temperatures, in other words 'chilling', for dormancy release, and the warming-related reductions in chilling may counteract the advance of leaf unfolding in response to warming. Empirical evidence for this, however, was very limited.

To check whether warm winters have already attenuated the advance in spring phenology, an international team of researchers from <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/historic-flooding-has-killed-hundreds-across-china/">China</a>, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland and Germany investigated the change in the sensitivity of leaf unfolding to climate warming using long-term observations for seven dominant <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=eurpoean&amp;cvid=7acad6dd007c4224812b94a134fa0350&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">European</a> tree species at 1245 sites in Central Europe.

Their analyses show that leaf unfolding occurred, on average, four days earlier per degree Celcius increase in spring temperature between 1980 and 1994, whereas this advance dropped to 2.3 days per degree between 1999 and 2013, a decrease of over 40 percent. "This lower sensitivity of trees to climate change likely reflects the reduced cold during winter that delays dormancy release. However, we could not fully exclude photoperiod and/or insolation as co-controlling mechanisms. These two factors may also become limiting when leaf unfolding dates occur too early in spring" said Yongshuo H. Fu, the first author of this study. The sensitivity of large leaves unfolding phenology to climate warming has significantly declined since 1980s. Trees With Large Leaves Are Less Susceptible To Global Warming

The study provides the first large-scale empirical evidence for a declining sensitivity of spring phenology to warming in mature trees for Central Europe. Professor Annette Menzel from the department of Ecoclimatology at Technical University of Munich who was also involved in the interational research said "The European PEP725 phenological database was a perfect basis to reveal that strong winter warming in the future may result in a slowdown in the advance of spring phenology".

Since plant phenology is a very important determinant of the carbon uptake and water balance of ecosystems, the declining temperature sensitivity of leaf unfolding might reduce the potential of forests to sequester even more carbon than they currently do. However, in the end it may be beneficial for the trees by reducing the risk of late spring frost damage, since extreme climatic events are projected to increase in future.

---

<a href="http://www.tum.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">University of Munich</a>

Food Industry CEOs Call For <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=climate&amp;cvid=f3b80f2934dc40ecb5a0ac9f83350268&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Climate</a> Change Deal. The CEOs of several major food and beverage companies are calling on world leaders to push for a meaningful agreement at the United Nation's conference on climate change later this year in Paris.
The 10 companies, including cereal maker General Mills and candy maker Mars Inc., will run an open letter as a full-page ad in the Financial Times and Washington Post on Thursday. They say they will "re-energize" their own efforts to make their supply chains more sustainable as well.
"We are asking you to embrace the opportunity presented to you in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/inconsistent-paris-agreement-pledges/">Paris</a>, and to come back with a sound agreement, properly financed, that can affect real change," the open letter reads.
The effort was organized by the environmental nonprofit Ceres, which is inviting other food and beverage companies to join in the commitment. Food Industry CEOs Call For Climate Change Deal
None of the companies involved would say their own practices are perfect, according to Anne Kelly, who directs Ceres' climate policy program, but they've demonstrated a commitment to changing.
Others signing the letter are the CEOs of Unilever, Dannon, Ben &amp; Jerry's, Kellogg, Nestle USA, New Belgium Brewing, Stonyfield Farms and Clif Bar. Representatives of some of the companies also will take part in a bipartisan congressional roundtable briefing Thursday in Washington, D.C.
© 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.

Food Industry CEOs Call For Climate Change Deal

Food Industry CEOs Call For Climate Change Deal. The CEOs...

EPA Sets Toxic Pollution Limits For Waterways. The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday imposed new standards for mercury, lead and other <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=toxic&amp;cvid=9a03b90642464f0b80c2ae680e25b294&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">toxic</a> pollutants that are discharged into the nation's rivers and streams from steam electric power plants.
If exposed at high levels, the pollutants can cause neurological damage in children, lead to cancer and damage the circulatory system, kidneys and livers. EPA Sets Toxic Pollution Limits For Waterways
EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the rules, the first national limits on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/honey-trace-environmental-pollutants/">pollutants</a> from coal-fired steam electricity plants, "will provide significant protections for our children and communities across the country, including minority and low-income communities, from exposure to pollutants that can cause ... serious health problems."
The rule will remove 1.4 billion pounds a year of toxic metals discharged nationwide, including mercury, arsenic, lead and selenium, the EPA said.
The EPA said most of the nation's 1,080 steam electric power plants already meet the requirements. About 12 percent, or 134 plants, will have to make new investments to meet the new rules, including dozens of plants across the South and Midwest.
More than 23,000 miles of rivers and streams across the country are polluted by steam electric discharges, which occur close to 100 public drinking water intakes and nearly 2,000 public wells across the nation, the EPA said.
Toxic metals do not break down in the environment and can contaminate sediment in waterways and harm aquatic life and wildlife, including killing large numbers of fish. Steam electric power plants account for about 30 percent of all toxic pollutants discharged into streams, rivers and lakes from U.S. industrial facilities.
The new standards come as Duke Energy agreed Tuesday to pay North Carolina regulators $7 million to settle allegations of groundwater pollution at its coal ash pits and to perform accelerated cleanups costing millions of dollars at four sites. Coal ash is the waste left after coal is burned to generate electricity and contains toxic heavy metals including arsenic and mercury.
Duke agreed in May to plead guilty to nine criminal violations of the federal Clean Water Act and pay more than $102 million in fines and restitution for failing to contain water contaminated by coal residues at five North Carolina coal-burning plants. A massive spill at a Duke coal ash pond in Eden, N.C., coated 70 miles of the Dan River in gray sludge in 2014.
The wastewater rule is one of three major actions expected this week as the EPA announces a flurry of new rules intended to reduce air and water pollution.
On Tuesday, the agency set new rules 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 benzene and other toxic emissions enter neighboring communities.
The EPA faces a court-ordered deadline of Thursday to set a new limit on smog-forming pollution linked to asthma and respiratory illness. Officials are expected to set an ozone limit of 70 parts per billion or less in the atmosphere, down from the existing standard of 75.
----
Follow Matthew Daly: <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.

Waste water in the world. Grass die and all life on the Earth.

Officials: California Is Meeting Water Conservation Targets. A state water official said Californians have met a water conservation target for a third consecutive month during the grinding drought.
The State Water Resources Control Board on Thursday will release statewide conservation figures for August.
Max Gomberg, a senior climate scientist for the board, declined to provide specific figures ahead of the announcement but said he expects the results to meet the 25 percent savings goal set by Gov. Jerry Brown. Officials: California Is Meeting Water Conservation Targets
However, Gomberg warned that Californians can't allow themselves to be distracted by the hype of a coming El Nino weather pattern that has raised hopes that it will break California's four-year drought.
He said an El Nino doesn't guarantee a wet winter for<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=california&amp;cvid=6eed2d58f00e47cda9420ca2a2028cde&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> California</a> and urged people to keep saving water.
"We need to continue the conservation efforts," he said. "People need to keep on doing what they've been doing."
The state reported savings of 27 percent in June and 31 percent in July.
The board also is expected to release figures for August showing how each community is performing. The mandate by Brown gave each city an individual conservation target based on water use in the same month of 2013, the year before Brown declared a drought emergency.
Some of the state's largest cities contacted independently reported meeting their mandates.
Officials in Los Angeles said the city saw savings of 17 percent in August, beating its target of 16 percent. Fresno reported a 28 percent drop, hitting its requirement. Water use in San Diego was 21 percent lower, exceeding its mandated cutback of 16 percent.
State officials said they are working with cities and water districts that have failed to meet targeted cuts.
Gomberg said climate change - signaled by warmer temperatures, a low snowpack and intense wildfires - has made water conservation an ongoing effort.
"Climate change is not something that's happening in the future," Gomberg said. "California is already dealing with the impacts."
© 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.

Officials: California Is Meeting Water Conservation Targets

Officials: California Is Meeting Water Conservation Targets. A state water...

Food Industry CEOs Call For Climate Change Deal. The CEOs of several major food and beverage companies are calling on world leaders to push for a meaningful agreement at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/united-nations-bans-trade-of-african-grey-parrots/">United Nation's</a> conference on climate change later this year in Paris.
The 10 companies, including cereal maker General Mills and candy maker Mars Inc., will run an open letter as a full-page ad in the Financial Times and <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=wasgington+post&amp;cvid=42693e6e1cf040309249b3f476fa3e61&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Washington Post</a> on Thursday. They say they will "re-energize" their own efforts to make their supply chains more sustainable as well.
"We are asking you to embrace the opportunity presented to you in Paris, and to come back with a sound agreement, properly financed, that can affect real change," the open letter reads.
The effort was organized by the environmental nonprofit Ceres, which is inviting other food and beverage companies to join in the commitment. Food Industry CEOs Call For Climate Change Deal
None of the companies involved would say their own practices are perfect, according to Anne Kelly, who directs Ceres' climate policy program, but they've demonstrated a commitment to changing.
Others signing the letter are the CEOs of Unilever, Dannon, Ben &amp; Jerry's, Kellogg, Nestle USA, New Belgium Brewing, Stonyfield Farms and Clif Bar. Representatives of some of the companies also will take part in a bipartisan congressional roundtable briefing Thursday in Washington, D.C.
© 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.

Study: Global Pledges To Cut Carbon Emissions Will Actually Help. A climate research group says carbon emissions cuts pledged by governments could rein in global warming by up to 1 degree C (1.8 degrees F) by 2100.
On Thursday - the deadline for submitting pledges for a U.N. climate pact - the Climate Action Tracker group said if fully implemented, the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=emissions&amp;cvid=3c19c02d10624d438c539034a4e1155e&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">emissions</a> targets would result in 2.7 C (4.9 F) of warming compared to pre-industrial times. Without those cuts, the group calculated that there would be an additional 0.5-1.1 C (0.9-2.0 F) of warming. Study: Global Pledges To Cut Carbon Emissions Will Actually Help
Currently, temperatures are about 1.8 C (3.2 F) warmer than in pre-industrial times.
A separate analysis this week by the U.S.-based <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-reaction-norms-will-become-more-common-in-plants/">Climate</a> Interactive group projected 3.5 C (6.3 F) of warming based on the current pledges. Study: Global Pledges To Cut Carbon Emissions Will Actually HelpAt the global scale, the key greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are: 1. Carbon dioxide (CO2): Fossil fuel use is the primary source of CO2. CO2 can also be emitted from direct human-induced impacts on forestry and other land use, such as through deforestation, land clearing for agriculture, and degradation of soils. Likewise, land can also remove CO2 from the atmosphere through reforestation, improvement of soils, and other activities. 2. Methane (CH4): Agricultural.
All major carbon polluters except India submitted targets by Thursday.
© 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.

Study: Global Pledges To Cut Carbon Emissions

Study: Global Pledges To Cut Carbon Emissions Will Actually Help....

Officials: California Is Meeting Water Conservation Targets. A state water official said Californians have met a water conservation target for a third consecutive month during the grinding drought.
The State Water Resources Control Board on Thursday will release statewide conservation figures for August.
Max Gomberg, a senior climate scientist for the board, declined to provide specific figures ahead of the announcement but said he expects the results to meet the 25 percent savings goal set by Gov. Jerry Brown.
However, Gomberg warned that Californians can't allow themselves to be distracted by the hype of a coming El Nino weather pattern that has raised hopes that it will break California's four-year drought.
He said an El Nino doesn't guarantee a wet winter for California and urged people to keep saving water.
"We need to continue the conservation efforts," he said. "People need to keep on doing what they've been doing."
The state reported savings of 27 percent in June and 31 percent in July.
The board also is expected to release figures for August showing how each community is performing. The mandate by Brown gave each city an individual conservation target based on water use in the same month of 2013, the year before Brown declared a drought emergency.
Some of the state's largest cities contacted independently reported meeting their mandates.
Officials in Los Angeles said the city saw savings of 17 percent in August, beating its target of 16 percent. Fresno reported a 28 percent drop, hitting its requirement. Water use in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/san-diego-greenest-cities/">San Diego</a> was 21 percent lower, exceeding its mandated cutback of 16 percent.
State officials said they are working with cities and water districts that have failed to meet targeted cuts.
Gomberg said climate change - signaled by warmer temperatures, a low snowpack and intense wildfires - has made water conservation an ongoing effort. Officials: California Is Meeting Water Conservation Targets
"Climate change is not something that's happening in the future," Gomberg said. "California is already dealing with the impacts."
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Carbon Dioxide

India Pledges To Slash Carbon Emissions By 35 Percent. As the last major economy to submit a target for a global climate pact, India is pledging to reduce the intensity of its carbon emissions and boost the share of electricity produced from sources other than fossil fuels to 40 percent by 2030.
The world's third-largest carbon polluter filed its climate action plan to the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=germany&amp;cvid=16f93c49322b4d40b31515606b375c86&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Germany</a>-based U.N. climate secretariat late Thursday, the deadline for pledges before a December conference in Paris, where governments are supposed to adopt a landmark deal to fight climate change.
In a 38-page submission citing Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian government said it would slash the rate of emissions relative to gross domestic product by 33-35 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels.
It said India has already reduced its carbon intensity by 12 percent since 2005.
The carbon intensity goal will allow India's emissions to grow as its economy expands, but at a lower rate than now.
"It is estimated that more than half of India of 2030 is yet to be built," the government said.
Environmental groups following the U.N. climate talks welcomed India's pledge.
"India now has positioned itself as a global leader in clean energy, and is poised to play an active and influential role in the international climate negotiations this December," said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental think tank based in New York.
India plans a fivefold boost in renewable energy capacity in the next five years to 175 gigawatts, including solar power, wind, biomass and small hydropower dams.
Even with a major boost of renewable energy, India is also planning to expand coal power - the biggest source of emissions - to satisfy its energy needs. Coal-fired power plants account for about 60 percent of India's installed power capacity.
By 2030, the government said its installed capacity from "non-fossil fuel based energy resources" would grow to 40 percent. It wasn't immediately clear whether that would also include nuclear power.
India said boosting its renewables to that level would require help with transfer of clean technology and financing - two of the crunch issues before the Paris deal, which is supposed to apply to all countries but also include provisions for rich countries to help poor countries fight climate change and adapt to its consequences.
Scientists say the heat-trapping carbon emissions released by the burning of fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas - are a key driver of rising temperatures that could lead to potentially catastrophic impacts, including flooding of island nations and intensifying droughts.
China and the U.S. are the only countries with higher emissions than India. As a bloc, the 28-nation European Union's emissions are also higher.
Like other developed countries, the U.S. and the EU committed to absolute reduction targets, while China pledged that its emissions would stop growing by 2030. India, with more than 300 million people living in poverty, wasn't expected to offer a peak year because its emissions are projected to increase for decades as energy demand rises along with economic growth.
Indian Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar last week told The Associated Press that developed countries should "vacate the carbon space" to allow India's emissions to increase. "That <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-carbon-cycle-trends-of-the-past-50-million-years/">carbon</a> space demand is climate justice," he said.
Two climate research groups this week said that the pledges put forth before the Paris conference would slow down global warming but projected that temperatures would still rise by 2.7 and 3.5 degrees C (4.9 and 6.3 degrees F), respectively. India Pledges To Slash Carbon Emissions By 35 Percent
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India Pledges To Slash Carbon Emissions By 35 Percent

India Pledges To Slash Carbon Emissions By 35 Percent. As...

Study: Global Pledges To Cut Carbon Emissions Will Actually Help. A climate research group says carbon emissions cuts pledged by governments could rein in global warming by up to 1 degree C (1.8 degrees F) by 2100.
On Thursday - the deadline for submitting pledges for a U.N. climate pact - the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-favors-some-arctic-insects-over-others/">Climate</a> Action Tracker group said if fully implemented, the emissions targets would result in 2.7 C (4.9 F) of warming compared to pre-industrial times. Without those cuts, the group calculated that there would be an additional 0.5-1.1 C (0.9-2.0 F) of warming. A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O₃). Without greenhouse gases, the average temperature of Earth's surface would be about −18 °C (0 °F), rather than the present average of 15 °C (59 °F). The atmospheres of Venus, Mars and Titan also contain greenhouse gases.
Currently, temperatures are about 1.8 C (3.2 F) warmer than in pre-industrial times.
A separate analysis this week by the U.S.-based Climate Interactive group projected 3.5 C (6.3 F) of warming based on the current pledges. Study: <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=Global&amp;cvid=d628c981480a4a5b9ca02261042068fc&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Global</a> Pledges To Cut Carbon Emissions Will Actually Help
All major carbon polluters except India submitted targets by Thursday.
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Study: Global Pledges To Cut Carbon Emissions Will Actually Help

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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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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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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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

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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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How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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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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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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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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

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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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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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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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



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

How 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



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.

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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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