Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? 



Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-children-s-books-animal-characters">Children's books animal characters</h2>



The research has shed light on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toddlers-learn-faster-after-witnessing-impossible-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potential influence</a> of non-human characters in children's books.



The researchers aimed to gauge how these animal characters affected children's theory of mind skills - crucial abilities which include deciphering social changes in the environment based on voice tone, word choice, or facial expressions.



They worked with over 100 children aged five to 10, each of whom were tested on their theory of mind skills after hearing stories featuring animal characters, as well as those highlighting human characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-vs-animal-characters-in-books">Human vs. animal characters in books</h2>



The study unveiled an interesting pattern. When exposed to stories centered around human characters, an age-related progression was observed. 



Older children were consistently outperforming their younger counterparts, with 3rd grade children surpassing the researchers' expectations in tests featuring human characters.



But the revelations didn't stop there. The tests that involved animal characters threw up another surprise. 



The younger participants were able to match the scores achieved by pupils in 3rd grade, who were two years their senior. That's quite a feat for our young champions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-insight-into-children-s-development">New insight into children's development</h2>



These findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, highlight the importance of both human and non-human characters in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-classes-improve-childrens-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">children's developmental stages</a>.



The research was led by Dr. Gray Atherton and Dr. Liam Cross from the University of Plymouth’s <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Psychology</a>.



"Animals play a huge part of children’s stories, whether that is in books and comics or through TV and film. We wanted to test if that is down to more than simply liking the characters, and whether there are actual benefits of children learning through by watching or reading about animals and if this changes over time," said Dr. Atherton.



"Our findings showed that both human and non-human characters are important in helping children interpret the world around them, and that they play differing roles at different stages in their development. Adapting activities and lessons in nurseries and the early school years to take that into account could be hugely effective in helping to support their development."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-educators-and-parents">Implications for educators and parents</h2>



The insights gained from this study have substantial implications for educators and parents aiming to support children's cognitive and social development.



By incorporating both human and animal characters into books, educators can craft a more balanced learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of children across age groups. 



Parents, too, can enrich their children's home learning experiences by selecting a variety of stories that include both human and animal protagonists. 



This approach not only makes reading sessions more engaging but also aids in developing empathy and understanding of complex social scenarios.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



While this study provides valuable insights, it also opens avenues for further exploration. 



Future research could go deeper into the types of animal characteristics that are most effective in nurturing children's theory of mind. For instance, exploring whether anthropomorphized animals or more realistic portrayals have differing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-who-use-humor-have-better-relationships-with-their-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">impacts</a>. 



Similarly, cross-cultural studies could investigate whether the affinity towards animal characters holds true in diverse cultural contexts. These inquiries could refine understanding and application in educational strategies, enhancing the efficacy of storytelling as a developmental tool.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-characters-and-autism-treatment">Animal characters and autism treatment</h2>



In previous studies, Dr. Atherton and Dr. Cross examined the factors influencing the educational and social development of individuals with autism and learning difficulties.



The experts launched initiatives proving how board and online games can bolster confidence among people with autism. 



Borrowing insights from this research, the scholars now plan to dig deeper to explore if their findings could provide specific benefits to children with such conditions.



Dr. Cross envisions a significant impact of this study on individuals with autism or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-with-behavioral-issues-have-high-cortisol-levels-in-their-hair/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">other conditions</a> affecting their learning. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-way-of-looking-at-animal-characters">A new way of looking at animal characters</h2>



The researchers have observed how tasks involving animal characters can result in autistic individuals performing on par with non-autistic children. 



The plan is to replicate this study with autistic children in an effort to unveil more effective ways to support them at a critical stage in their development.



In a nutshell, this study has unraveled an entirely new dimension of how we view animals in children's books. 



Those delightful animal characters do more than simply entertain; they help shape our children's minds and understanding of the world around them in their formative years.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002209652400256X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Experimental Child Psychology</a>. 



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Animal characters boost social and emotional skills in children

Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters. Children's books animal characters The research has shed light on the potential influence of non-human characters in children's books. The researchers aimed to gauge how these...

For the first time, scientists have quantified the precipitation that must have been present on <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/devon-island-helps-scientists-prepare-for-mars-exploration/">Mars</a> between 3.5 and 4 billion years ago, when lakes and rivers filled up with water across the planet.

The new study from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> reveals that prolonged storms may have been responsible for a massive influx of water on ancient Mars. The research comes at a time when the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is making its way to a lake bed that holds crucial information.

The ancient climate of Mars is an intriguing mystery for scientists to unravel. While geologists view the existence of riverbeds and lake basins as evidence of significant rainfall or snowmelt, scientists have not yet managed to simulate the climate conditions that support this concept.

"This is extremely important because 3.5 to 4 billion years ago Mars was covered with water. It had lots of rain or snowmelt to fill those channels and lakes," said study lead author Gaia Stucky de Quay. "Now it's completely dry. We're trying to understand how much water was there and where did it all go."

Despite the presence of frozen water on Mars, the planet currently has no significant amount of liquid water.

The analysis showed that precipitation must have been between 13 and 520 feet in a single episode to be able to fill the lakes. Although this is a very large range, it can be used to help understand which climate models are accurate, said Stucky de Quay.

"It's a huge cognitive dissonance. Climate models have trouble accounting for that amount of liquid water at that time. It's like, liquid water is not possible, but it happened. This is the knowledge gap that our work is trying to fill in."

The scientists looked at nearly 100 lakes and their watersheds, which are all believed to have formed between 3.5 billion and 4 billion years ago. They observed both open lakes that had been ruptured at some point by overflowing water and closed lake basins that are intact. 

The team used satellite images and topography to measure lake and watershed areas, as well as lake volumes, to determine how much water was needed to fill the lakes.

By looking at ancient closed and open lakes along with the river valleys that fed them, the experts were able to determine a minimum and maximum precipitation that must have occurred. 

Beyond searching for the best climate model to calculate the amount of precipitation that once filled the lake basins on Mars, the researchers are interested in evaluating how long the rainfall or snowmelt episode must have lasted - which could have been days, years, or thousands of years. That is the next step of the research, said Stucky de Quay.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geology">Geology</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Planetwide storms filled up lakes on Mars 4 billion years ago

For the first time, scientists have quantified the precipitation that...

Over the next three decades, the global <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/increasing-air-pollution-affects-half-of-the-global-population/">population</a> is expected to grow by two billion and reach 9.8 billion people. According to researchers at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>, seafood has the potential to help Earth's booming population meet much of the increased need for protein and nutrition.

An international team of experts, including marine ecologist and OSU Professor Jane Lubchenco, set out to investigate how much food the ocean could be expected to sustainably produce 30 years from now.

The team found that a combination of technological improvements and policy reforms could drive seafood production up by as much as 75 percent over the next 30 years.

"As mariculture technology improves and policies surrounding the ocean and its resources are reformed, food from the sea could increase by between 21 million and 44 million metric tons annually," said Professor Lubchenco. 

"Those increases amount to between 12% and 25% of the estimated animal protein increases needed to feed the almost 10 billion people expected to live on the Earth in 2050. Rising incomes and shifts in food preferences will greatly increase demand for nutritious food in the coming decades, and the ocean can be a big part of meeting that demand."

Increasing the food supply from land-based crops is challenging because of declining yield rates and competition for land and water, as well as various environmental and health concerns associated with large-scale agriculture, noted Professor Lubchenco. Similar challenges are also faced by seafood derived from freshwater aquaculture and inland fisheries.

"Land-based sources of fish and other foods are certainly part of the solution, but we show that sustainable food from the sea can play a major role in global food supply and food security as well," said Professor Lubchenco. 

"Stories of overfishing, pollution and unsustainable mariculture give the impression that it is impossible to sustainably increase the supply of food from the sea. But unsustainable practices, regulatory barriers and other constraints may be limiting seafood production - meaning shifts in policies and practices could benefit both conservation and food production." 

"We've seen, for example, how changes in policy in U.S. fisheries resulted in significantly reducing overfishing and rebuilding wild stocks, thus increasing the abundance of fish in U.S. waters as well as fishery yields."

Nutritionally diverse and less environmentally burdensome than land-based food production, seafood is uniquely positioned to help feed the Earth's growing population, said Professor Lubchenco. 

A key step in achieving this will be to direct resources away from subsidies that enhance fishing capacity and toward building the technical capacity for fisheries research, management, and enforcement.

"The potential for increased global production from wild fisheries hinges on maintaining fish populations near their most productive levels," said Professor Lubchenco. "For overfished stocks, that means adopting or improving management practices that prevent overfishing and allow depleted stocks to rebuild."

"We have shown that the sea can be a much larger contributor to sustainable food production than is currently the case, via a collection of plausible and actionable mechanisms."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

 

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Seafood will help feed Earth's future population of 10 billion

Over the next three decades, the global population is expected...

Around 400 million years ago, limbs with functional digits evolved from fish fins, allowing vertebrates to move onto land. This set the stage for the appearance of all four-legged tetrapods, including <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/oral-venom-glands-found-in-amphibians-for-the-first-time/">amphibians</a>, reptiles, birds, humans, and other mammals.

Since the nineteenth century, scientists have used fossil evidence to propose many different theories explaining the series of events that led up to this major transformation. However, it has remained a mystery how fish fins developed into hands with fingers and toes.

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Konstanz</a>, an international team of biologists has used embryos of the Australian lungfish to examine how limbs evolved from fins.

The Australian lungfish is the closest living fish relative of tetrapods. It is often referred to as a "living fossil" because it still resembles the fish that were present when the first four-limbed vertebrates began to walk on land. 

The study revealed that a primitive hand is present in lungfish fins. However, the research also suggests that the unique anatomy of limbs with digits only evolved during the rise of tetrapods through changes in embryonic development.

"During embryogenesis, a suite of 'architect' genes shapes an amorphous group of precursor cells into fully grown limbs," said study first author Dr. Joost Woltering.

The same architect genes also drive fin development, but due to evolutionary changes in the activity of these genes, the developmental process now produces fins in fish and limbs in tetrapods.

To compare this developmental stage in fins and limbs, the team studied architect genes in the embryos of the Australian lungfish. 

"Amazingly, what we discovered is that the gene specifying the hand in limbs (hoxa13) is activated in a similar skeletal region in lungfish fins," explained Woltering. This particular region has never been found in the fins of other fish that are more distantly related to tetrapods. "This finding clearly indicates that a primitive hand was already present in the ancestors of land animals."

To understand the genetic basis for the lungfish hand, which lacks fingers and toes, the team analyzed genes that are known to be associated with the formation of digits. The study showed that a gene which is important for the formation of fingers and toes, hoxd13, was switched on in a dynamic manner during tetrapod limb development.

According to the study, the hoxd13 gene first becomes activated in the developing pinky finger and then expands all the way throughout the future hand towards the thumb. This process coordinates the correct formation of all five fingers. 

While the experts observed a similar activation pattern of hoxd13 in lungfish fins, it only remained activated in exactly one half of the fin. 

"All of this goes to show that while lungfish fins unexpectedly have a primitive hand in common with tetrapods, the fins of our ancestors also needed an evolutionary 'finishing touch' to produce limbs. In this sense it looks as if the hand was there first, only to be complemented with digits later during evolution," explained Woltering. 

Going forward, the researchers will conduct further analyses using techniques like CRISPR to gain more insight into the development of fins and limbs, focusing not just on lungfish but also on more modern fish species such as cichlids as their embryos.

"To complete the picture of what happened in our fish ancestors that crawled onto land hundreds of millions of years ago, we really rely on currently living species to see how their embryos grow fins and limbs so differently," said Woltering.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

&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

&nbsp;

Lungfish fins reveal how hands and limbs evolved

Around 400 million years ago, limbs with functional digits evolved...

Salmon returning to rivers in Alaska have become much smaller over the last six decades as the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/major-changes-in-fish-stocks-are-expected-as-temperatures-rise/">fish</a> are spending fewer years at sea, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz</a>.

Younger and smaller salmon have less value for commercial fisheries and transport fewer nutrients from the ocean to the rivers where they spawn. They also provide less food for the people who depend on them.

While it has been apparent that wild salmon in Alaska have been getting smaller in recent years, the underlying reasons have remained unclear. 

For the current investigation, the researchers studied four salmon species across all regions of Alaska. They analyzed data for 12.5 million fish collected by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game over 60 years.

This massive dataset allowed the experts to analyze body size changes in Chinook, chum, coho, and sockeye salmon throughout the state.

Alaskan salmon typically spend up to seven years at sea, depending on the species, which is when they feed and grow to maturity before returning to fresh water to spawn. The results of the study showed that salmon are returning to their spawning grounds at younger ages than they have in the past, and this is the primary cause of changes in their body size. 

"There are two ways they could be getting smaller - they could be growing less and be the same age but smaller, or they could be younger - and we saw a strong and consistent pattern that the salmon are returning to the rivers younger than they did historically," said study co-author Professor Eric Palkovacs.

The researchers identified a range of factors that appear to be driving this shift, some affecting all regions and others affecting only certain species.

"There's not a single smoking gun," said study first author Krista Oke. "Small contributions from a lot of factors are adding up to drive these changes."

Professor Palkovacs said that two main factors have clearly contributed to size declines across all species and regions: climate change and competition with growing numbers of wild and hatchery salmon in the ocean.

The impacts of commercial fishing were found to affect the size of some salmon types, but not others. Recovering populations of marine mammals that prey on salmon were also found to influence the size of certain species.

"We know that climate drives changes in ocean productivity, and we see a consistent signal of climate factors associated with decreasing salmon size," said Professor Palkovacs. "Another consistent association is with the abundance of salmon in the ocean, especially pink salmon. Their abundance in the North Pacific is at historic highs due in part to hatchery production in Alaska and Asia, and they compete with other salmon for food."

Salmon that remain in the ocean longer and grow larger have greater reproductive success, but each additional year at sea increases the risk of not returning to the spawning grounds at all.

"Natural selection has always pushed in both directions, but the balance between the two is changing, pushing harder against the older, larger salmon," said Professor Palkovacs. "It seems that the ocean is becoming a riskier place to be."

Oke noted that gaining a clearer understanding of what is going on in the ocean to drive this shift is a difficult challenge that will require further study. 

"That's the next hard step I hope we can get to soon," said Oke. "It could be that they're having to spend more time feeding, which is putting them in risky places. Lots of things could be happening to increase the overall risk of mortality in the ocean, but we weren't able to pin that down."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Why are Alaska's wild salmon getting smaller?

Salmon returning to rivers in Alaska have become much smaller...

A few days after a full moon, corals participate in an incredible mass <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fish-worldwide-are-shockingly-vulnerable-to-climate-change/">spawning</a> event. Stony corals release their sperm and eggs at the same time, creating a giant underwater cloud of gametes.

A team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> set out to investigate how the sperm and eggs survive for several hours while they are exposed multiple threats from predators, microbes, and environmental stressors such as warming waters.

Despite coral eggs being very large and sperm cells being tiny, the scientists discovered that eggs and sperm appear to perform similar genetic functions during the planktonic stage. 

The researchers also identified two genes that may be involved in how coral sperm and eggs recognize each other in dynamic ocean waters and come together for fertilization.

Study senior author Debashish Bhattacharya is a distinguished professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

"Much more attention needs to be paid to coral gametes because both egg and sperm are vulnerable to climate change and other insults," said Professor Bhattacharya.

"It goes without saying that without robust sperm and egg, the coral reproductive cycle will be significantly weakened. Therefore, we need to understand in more detail how natural selection has acted on coral gametes to ensure their survival, leading to successful fertilization."

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coral reefs provide food for about 500 million people, protect coastlines from erosion and storms, and support thousands of fish species.

Corals are severely threatened by various aspects of climate change, including ocean acidification, sea-level rise, and hotter temperatures that cause bleaching events.

Tropical storms, unsustainable fishing, and pollution are also major threats to the future of coral reefs.

Through their genetic analysis of the Hawaiian stony coral Montipora capitata, the scientists have revealed a blueprint for how coral eggs and sperm function. Next, the team hopes to identify the substances they produce to ensure their survival and fertilization. 

"Our results pave the way for future genetic investigations, particularly in the context of climate change influences on the marine environment," said Professor Bhattacharya.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://peerj.com/">PeerJ</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Study reveals reproductive secrets of stony corals

A few days after a full moon, corals participate in...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> have found that the evolution of bird skulls slowed down after dinosaurs were wiped out. This contradicts the long-standing theory that bird skull diversity accelerated after non-avian <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-predators-prey/">dinosaurs</a> were killed at the end of the Cretaceous 66 million years ago.

Modern birds have an incredible amount of diversity in skull shape and size, and a team of scientists led by evolutionary biologist Ryan Nicholas Felice set out to investigate the history of bird skull morphology.

The researchers used 3D geometric morphometrics to map the shape of 354 living and 37 extinct avian and non-avian dinosaurs in unprecedented detail.

The team investigated the evolutionary relationships among the various species to look for a shift in the pace of skull diversification after modern birds emerged.

The study revealed that all regions of the skull evolved more rapidly in non-avian dinosaurs than in birds. There were certain regions that showed rapid bursts of evolution in particular lineages, and the experts identified the reasons behind these spurts.

In non-avian dinosaurs, for example, rapid evolutionary changes in the jaw joint were associated with changes in the animals' diet. In addition, accelerated evolution of the roof of the skull occurred in lineages that sported bony ornaments such as horns. 

Among birds, the most rapidly evolving part of the skull was the beak. The study authors attribute this to the need to adapt to different food sources and feeding strategies.

"In contrast to the appendicular skeleton, which has been shown to evolve more rapidly in birds, avian cranial morphology is characterised by a striking deceleration in morphological evolution relative to non-avian dinosaurs," wrote the study authors. 

"These results may be due to the reorganisation of skull structure in birds—including loss of a separate postorbital bone in adults and the emergence of new trade-offs with development and neurosensory demands." 

"Taken together, the remarkable cranial shape diversity in birds was not a product of accelerated evolution from their non-avian relatives, despite their frequent portrayal as an icon of adaptive radiations."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Birds got their diverse skulls in the time of dinosaurs

Researchers at University College London have found that the evolution...

Airborne viruses such as the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/early-exposure-to-seasonal-flu-lowers-susceptibility-later-in-life/">flu</a> and COVID-19 can spread through the air on dust, fibers, and other microscopic particles, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a> and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai.

The research is shedding new light on virus transmission, with major implications for the ongoing pandemic and the upcoming flu season.

"It's really shocking to most virologists and epidemiologists that airborne dust, rather than expiratory droplets, can carry influenza virus capable of infecting animals," said study co-author Professor William Ristenpart of the UC Davis Department of Chemical Engineering.

"The implicit assumption is always that airborne transmission occurs because of respiratory droplets emitted by coughing, sneezing, or talking." The flu virus is believed to be transmitted in several different ways, such as through droplets released from the respiratory tract. The flu is also known to spread through contact with objects like door handles, and these secondary objects are called fomites. 

It remains a mystery which route of transmission is the strongest. The answer to this important question may be different for various strains of the flu virus or for other respiratory viruses, including coronaviruses.

Professor Ristenpart collaborated with virologists at Mt. Sinai to investigate whether tiny, non-respiratory particles called "aerosolized fomites" could pass the flu virus along among guinea pigs.

The experts used an automated particle sizer to count airborne particles. They found that uninfected guinea pigs released up to 1,000 particles per second as they moved around a cage. 

The study revealed that guinea pigs which were known to have immunity to the influenza virus were able to transmit the virus through the air to susceptible guinea pigs. This showed that the virus did not have to originate in the respiratory tract to be infectious.

In addition, a trial with microscopic fibers proved that an inanimate object such as a facial tissue could carry infectious viruses.

"Transmission via dust opens up whole new areas of investigation and has profound implications for how we interpret laboratory experiments as well as epidemiological investigations of outbreaks," said Professor Ristenpart.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Viruses can spread on non-respiratory particles like dust

Airborne viruses such as the flu and COVID-19 can spread...

Experts at <a href="https://www.earth.columbia.edu/">Columbia University's Earth Institute</a> have developed a model for pricing carbon that will help the world meet net-zero <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-pandemic-shows-us-how-to-tackle-the-climate-crisis/">climate</a> change targets. The "Near-term to Net Zero" approach is a method of setting carbon prices that will ensure net-zero emissions goals are met.

Net-zero emissions is the point at which the overall balance between emissions released and emissions removed from the atmosphere equals zero.

Carbon prices are established to encourage the reduction of CO2 emissions. The most crucial aspect of a carbon pricing policy is determining how much to charge per ton of emissions.

Up until now, economists have focused on the social cost of carbon to calculate carbon prices. The idea is that it balances the benefits and costs of emissions reductions. 

However, the Columbia researchers argue that the social cost of carbon cannot be estimated accurately enough to provide any practical value to policymakers for setting carbon prices.

The Near-term to Net Zero approach uses reliable information that we have now and avoids using uncertain future changes. The method estimates the carbon prices needed for a net-zero emissions target.  

Study lead author Noah Kaufman is a research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy.

"The social cost of carbon is a useful concept, but the risks of climate change are far too complex for credible comprehensive damage estimates," said Kaufman.

"Near-term to Net Zero enables policymakers to use both climate science and economics to chart an effective and efficient pathway to net-zero emissions."

The estimates for Near-term to Net Zero carbon prices in 2025 are $32, $52 and $93 per metric ton for net-zero targets in 2060, 2050, and 2040, respectively.

Professor Jason Bordoff is the founding director of the Center on Global Energy Policy. 

"There's no debate about the fact that climate change is happening now, and reducing our contribution to a warming planet is critical to our efforts to avoid the worst impacts of climate change," said Professor Bordoff.

"This important research gives us another tool in the toolbox to figure out how we can get to net-zero as quickly as possible, and no later than 2050, by setting a price on carbon that, along with complementary policies, discourages continued pollution and creates incentives for innovation to deliver the clean energy the world needs."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate">Nature Climate Change</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Carbon pricing will help achieve net-zero emissions

Experts at Columbia University's Earth Institute have developed a model...

A substance that is found in cashew shells can restore damaged <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/music-medications-calm-nerves/">nerves</a>, according to a study from  <a href="https://www.vumc.org/">Vanderbilt University Medical Center</a>. 

In lab experiments, the researchers identified  a chemical compound in the shell of the cashew nut that promotes the repair of myelin, an insulating layer that forms around nerves for protection.

The myelin sheath is made up of protein and fatty substances that allow electrical signals to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells.

Damage to this protective layer, which is known as demyelination, is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis and other diseases of the central nervous system.

"We see this as an exciting finding, suggesting a new avenue in the search for therapies to correct the ravages of MS and other demyelinating diseases," said study senior author Dr. Subramaniam Sriram.

In previous work, Dr. Sriram showed that a protein called interleukin 33 (IL-33) induced myelin formation. IL-33 is, among other things, an immune response regulator.

Dr. Sriram and team turned their attention to a cashew shell compound called anacardic acid because it is known to inhibit an enzyme involved in gene expression called histone acetyltransferase (HAT). The researchers had already discovered that whatever inhibits HAT triggers the production of IL-33.

The study authors describe a range of new findings that implicate the potential for anacardic acid to be used to treat demyelinating diseases.

For example, an experiment with rat cells in vitro showed that the addition of the compound initiated the production of IL-33 and rapidly increased the expression of myelin genes and proteins.

In a separate experiment based on an animal model of demyelination, anacardic acid was also found to enhance myelination and the increases in myelin were dose-dependent. The results of two additional trials indicate that the compound could even reduce paralysis.

"These are striking results that clearly urge further study of anacardic acid for demyelinating diseases," said Dr. Sriram.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Compound in cashew shells repairs nerve damage

A substance that is found in cashew shells can restore...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lakes-green-environment/">Lakes</a> release considerably larger amounts of methane during the day than they do at night, according to a new study from <a href="https://liu.se/en">Linköping University</a>. The researchers found that as a result of the reduced nighttime activity, methane emissions from the northern lakes are 15 percent lower than previously estimated.

Rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are the second biggest source of methane emissions, which are a major contributor to global warming. Out of the greenhouse gases, methane has increased most in the atmosphere over the past 250 years.

"The methane flux has increased irregularly, and we don't actually know why," said study co-author Anna Sieczko.

Methane emissions fluctuate over time and space, and a growing collection of research is dedicated to identifying all methane sources to get a better understanding of the fluctuations.

Led by Professor David Bastviken from Environmental Change, the LiU team measured methane fluxes from four different types of lakes during the ice-free period, from early summer to autumn. Overall, the researchers collected more than 4,500 measurements.

"Previously methane fluxes from lakes were often measured primarily during daytime, but now we have a representative set of measurements covering both daytime and nighttime," said Sieczko.

The study revealed a clear pattern in which methane emissions were considerably higher from 10:00 to 16:00 in 80 percent of the cases. The experts found evidence to suggest that the wind, which is usually stronger during the day, creates turbulence in the water that increases the methane emissions. The wind explains the majority of the day-night variability, but the rest is caused by unknown environmental factors.

"Current calculations of methane emissions from freshwater lakes don't include variation between day and night, which means the contribution from northern lakes has been overestimated by about 15 percent," said Sieczko.

"It's essential that we, as in this study, identify and consider variations in time and space when estimating all large-scale fluxes of greenhouse gases," said Professor Bastviken. "If we don't, there's a risk that climate models will be inaccurate and that our priorities of flux mitigation measures become suboptimal." 

"Estimates of all methane sources and sinks are connected via the global methane budget and inaccurate estimates of some fluxes affect our understanding of the whole budget."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Methane emissions from lakes are higher during the day

Lakes release considerably larger amounts of methane during the day...

When an ecosystem suffers as a result of environmental pressures, it can reach a point when the damage becomes irreparable, which is referred to as a tipping point. Many policies the are designed to address <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-pandemic-shows-us-how-to-tackle-the-climate-crisis/">climate change</a> rely on tipping points in an attempt to keep environmental pressures below a certain threshold. 

In a study led by Professor Dr. Helmut Hillebrand from the <a href="https://uol.de/en/">University of Oldenburg</a>, an international team of experts has set out to investigate whether the concept of tipping points is an acceptable approach for developing environmental policies.

The researchers analyzed data from more than 4,600 field experiments and found little evidence to support the use of thresholds. It seems that by relying on tipping points, policies are neglecting to account for the impact that gradual changes have on ecosystems, with potentially disastrous consequences.

Professor Hillebrand said if such thresholds are to become the standard tool to assess global change, we should be able to show at which levels such thresholds might be.

The experts wanted to determine whether threshold levels can be identified from available data, or whether they can even be predicted for different drivers of environmental change in the first place. 

"In order to develop environmental policies we need a general guideline," said Professor Hillebrand. "But the problem is, that thresholds might be hard to detect in natural ecosystems when the anthropogenic change hasn't been large enough yet. And we can't determine thresholds for each process in each ecosystem."

The team conducted a meta-analysis of experimental data to gain more insight into how ecosystems respond to change. 

Overall, the analysis included data from 4,601 unique field experiments on natural ecological communities. Each experiment was characterized by a certain amount of environmental pressure that resulted in a specific response by the ecological communities.

The researchers developed statistical tools to test whether the magnitude of response related to the strength of pressure. If this was the case, they could determine if there was a specific amount of pressure that triggered the beginning of extraordinarily strong responses. 

"This change in the response would then indicate the presence of thresholds," explained study co-author Dr. Jan Freund.

Professor Hillebrand said the results of the analysis were stunning. The vast majority of the studies found that the strength of pressure affected the response magnitude, but only three of the studies produced any statistical evidence. This means the thresholds are either truly absent or they exist but they remain undetectable, said Professor Hillebrand.

"If scientists cannot measure how close a certain ecosystem is to a threshold inducing a tipping point, how useful can then a regulation or policy be relying on such a threshold?" said Professor Hillebrand. 

"If we wait to see clear tipping points in response to any of the major human-induced environmental changes such as warming or biodiversity change, we risk overlooking the small gradual changes which sum up to a shifting baseline over time, that is a shift in the perception of what a healthy ecosystem looks like."

Study co-author Dr. Ian Donohue said that we need to abandon the idea of safe operating spaces. "It gives the completely erroneous impressions that small pressures do not affect ecosystems at all. Rather, the statistical analysis of the data would demonstrate that responses to even the smallest change can be large."

According to Professor Hillebrand, scientists and policy makers should shift their focus to the size and lifetime of random fluctuations and their possible consequences to be able to act according to the precautionary principle.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Environmental tipping points are not predictable

When an ecosystem suffers as a result of environmental pressures,...

An investigation from the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a> has revealed that more than half of the world's oceans are already affected by <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/creating-plants-to-help-fight-climate-change/">climate</a> change. Over the next few decades, this amount will rise to 80 percent.

Human-induced changes in ocean salinity and temperatures will eventually overpower natural variations. Using climate models and deep sea observations, the researchers have calculated the timing of this tipping point for the very first time. 

"We were interested in whether the levels of temperatures and salt were great enough to overcome natural variability in these deeper areas, that is if they had risen or fallen higher than they ever would during the normal peaks and troughs," said study lead author Yona Silvy. "This affects global ocean circulation, sea level rise and poses a threat to human societies and ecosystems."

The study estimated that 20 to 55 percent of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans now have noticeably different temperatures and salt levels. These alterations will reach to up to 60 percent by the middle of the century and to 80 percent by 2080.

The researchers also found that oceans in the Southern Hemisphere oceans are transforming more rapidly as a result of global warming compared to oceans in the Northern Hemisphere, with changes detected as early as the 1980s.

"We have been detecting ocean temperatures change at the surface due to climate change for several decades now, but changes in vast areas of the ocean, particularly deeper parts, are much more challenging to detect," explained study co-author Professor Eric Guilyardi.

Previous studies have primarily assessed the impact of climate change on the ocean by looking at surface temperatures, rainfall, and sea level rise. However, the complex task of analyzing the effects deeper in the ocean delivers a clearer picture. In the deep sea, heat and salt spread at a slower rate due to weaker mixing processes. 

The researchers analyzed computer model simulations of the deep sea with and without the influence of human activities. They accounted for temperature and ocean salinity to detect significant changes and their date of likely detection, also known as the "time of emergence." Regardless of this timing, deep sea regions will hold the memory of the impacts for centuries.

The simulations showed that changes above natural variability will be seen in the Northern Hemisphere oceans between 2010 and 2030, which means that shifts in temperature and salinity have already taken place.

The earlier changes seen in the Southern Hemisphere are likely more extreme than what is known, considering that this part of the world is poorly observed and sampled. 

According to the researchers, improved ocean observation and greater investment in ocean modeling is needed to monitor the extent of the impact of climate change on the world's oceans, and predict more accurately the wider effect this could have on the planet.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Oceans will soon shift from natural to manmade

An investigation from the University of Reading has revealed that...

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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



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.

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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[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



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.

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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[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

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[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...