Healthy eating often feels like a moving target. Advice flips, trends flare up, and people are left unsure about what actually supports the heart.



A careful look at spicy food offers a clear signal worth your attention. A new population analysis from Sichuan Province, China, tracked adults and linked frequent chili intake to lower rates of major heart and brain events.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spicy-food-and-heart-health">Spicy food and heart health</h2>



<a href="https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/706473/bio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marialaura Bonaccio</a> of <a href="https://www.reteneuroscienze.it/en/Istituto/irccs-istituto-neurologico-mediterraneo-neuromed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IRCCS</a> Neuromed has spent years studying chili peppers and heart outcomes in Europe, and her work helps frame this topic globally. 



Her perspective complements findings from China while reminding us to keep lifestyle and culture in the mix.



The Chinese team analyzed 54,859 adults and found that compared with people who rarely ate spicy food, those who ate it 6 to 7 days per week were less likely to develop ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases. 



They also saw a reduced risk of ischemic stroke, a blockage in brain blood flow, with the likelihood of these problems dropping further as spicy food consumption became more frequent.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spicy-foods-can-slow-down-eating-and-cut-calorie-intake/">Moderate spice</a> intensity tracked with a lower overall risk of cardio and cerebrovascular disease in the cohort. 



Starting regular spicy intake earlier in life also lined up with lower risk, although the effect did not extend to hemorrhagic stroke.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-food-gets-spicy">How food gets spicy</h2>



The main bioactive in chilies is <a href="https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/capgen.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">capsaicin</a>, which is responsible for the burning sensation people feel when eating spicy foods. 



Beyond taste, capsaicin works on a special sensor in the body, found in nerves and in the lining of blood vessels. 



When this sensor is stimulated regularly, research in animals shows that it can increase the natural production of nitric oxide, a chemical that relaxes blood vessels and helps blood flow more smoothly. 



This process has also been linked to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trying-to-lower-your-blood-pressure-this-common-nutrient-can-help/">lower blood pressure</a>, especially in animals with hypertension, which is long term high blood pressure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-capsaicin-and-arteries">Capsaicin and arteries</h2>



These changes are important because they improve the overall health of the inner walls of arteries. 



Strong, flexible arteries are better able to expand and contract, which reduces the workload on the heart and lowers the chance of damage over time. 



Better vessel relaxation means the circulatory system can adjust more easily when the body needs more blood flow, such as during exercise or stress.



Capsaicin’s impact is not just about the immediate burning feeling on the tongue. Inside the body, it sets off chemical signals that affect how cells behave. 



Over time, researchers have measured changes in proteins connected to nitric oxide pathways, and these shifts line up with long term improvements in how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-blood-vessels-may-fuel-the-spread-of-cancer-cells/">blood vessels function</a>. 



This suggests that eating spicy foods regularly may provide benefits for cardiovascular health that go well beyond flavor or temporary sensation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-this-fits-with-past-evidence">How this fits with past evidence</h2>



Large-scale work in China from 2004 to 2013 linked frequent spicy eating to lower all cause mortality. 



In that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26242395/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study,</a> participants who ate spicy food 6 or 7 days per week had a 14 percent lower risk of death than those who ate it less than once a week, with inverse associations also seen for ischemic heart disease and respiratory diseases.



A separate Italian <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31856971/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cohort</a> found that people who ate chili peppers more than four times per week had lower total and cardiovascular mortality. The association persisted even when researchers accounted for adherence to the Mediterranean diet.



Findings from the Italian study showed that chili pepper consumption appeared to offer protection for the heart even when overall eating habits differed. 



The benefit was seen both in people who followed a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-diet-boosts-brain-power-by-altering-the-gut/">Mediterranean diet</a> and in those whose diets were less healthy, suggesting that the positive effect of chili peppers was consistent across different dietary patterns. 



Marialaura Bonaccio, who also led this study, underscored this point when presenting the results.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-spicy-food-means-in-real-life">What spicy food means in real life</h2>



None of these studies say <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mild-chili-peppers-may-be-the-anti-spice-weve-been-looking-for/">chili peppers</a> cure heart disease. They do say that in large groups of people, more frequent spicy intake is linked to fewer heart and brain problems across time.



This is observational research, so cause and effect remain open questions. Still, the consistency across settings argues that spicy eating patterns often travel with other helpful choices or may deliver direct biological benefits.



Spice strength matters too. The Chinese work reported signals at weak to moderate levels, which gels with the simple idea that daily habits beat extremes.



Whole chilies, simple sauces, and meals that use chili to season real food are sensible places to start. People with reflux, ulcers, or other conditions should adjust to tolerance and talk to a clinician if symptoms flare.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-and-what-comes-next">Limits and what comes next</h2>



A much larger China Kadoorie Biobank incidence <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12273639/">paper</a> followed 486,335 adults for a median of 12.1 years. 



They found lower risks of vascular disease in people who ate spicy foods one to seven days per week, with trends that held for ischemic heart disease and major coronary events. 



The association was particularly clear in younger adults and those living in rural regions.



It is also possible that people who enjoy spicy foods eat differently in other ways, or live in places where chili use reflects cultural patterns that bring other benefits or risks. 



Careful sensitivity checks, such as excluding early events, help probe these points but do not close the book on causality.



Future studies could test how foods high in capsaicin or standardized chili products influence blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood vessel health over time. 



Researchers could also examine how chili affects nitric oxide activity in people by using amounts similar to those found in everyday cooking.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cutting-through-the-noise">Cutting through the noise</h2>



Nutrition debates can feel noisy, yet some messages are steady. Frequent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-chili-during-pregnancy-may-actually-be-a-good-idea/">chili</a> use, inside a balanced pattern of eating, shows a consistent association with better heart and brain outcomes across very different populations.



People do not need to chase extreme heat or complicated protocols. A modest, regular habit built around meals you enjoy is easier to keep, and the data suggest that rhythm matters more than bragging rights.



Taste and tolerance vary, so personal comfort should lead the way. If spicy foods agree with you, using chilies to season home cooked meals looks like a choice with upside and little downside for most healthy adults.



The study is published in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40677177/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi</a>.



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Eating spicy food protects heart and brain health, according to a new study

Healthy eating often feels like a moving target. Advice flips, trends flare up, and people are left unsure about what actually supports the heart. A careful look at spicy food offers a clear signal worth your attention. A new population analysis from Sichuan Province, China, tracked adults and linked frequent chili intake to lower rates of major heart and brain events. Spicy food and heart health Marialaura Bonaccio of IRCCS Neuromed has spent years studying chili peppers and heart outcomes in Europe, and her work helps frame...

While the oceans are the largest <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/peatlands-carbon-sinks-emit/">carbon sink</a> on the planet, forests make a major contribution as well. A new study by the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a> has revealed that more than half of the carbon stored in the world’s forests is located in regions where the trees are relatively young.

These trees, which are under 140 years old,  have typically re-grown on land that was previously cleared for agricultural purposes or by natural disturbances such as fire. 

The researchers examined the amount of carbon uptake by old, established areas of forest between 2001 and 2010 and compared this to younger areas of forest. They found that the young age of the trees is one of the main drivers of their carbon uptake. The age effect accounted for around 25 percent of the total carbon dioxide absorbed by forests. 

The researchers also discovered that this age-driven carbon uptake is primarily taking place within middle and high latitude forests, not in the tropics. These forests include areas of forest re-growth in the eastern United States, Canada, Russia and Europe.

“It's important to get a clear sense of where and why this carbon uptake is happening, because this helps us to make targeted and informed decisions about forest management,” said Dr. Tom Pugh, of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR).

The study not only highlights the important role that the world's temperate forests will play in combating climate change, but also provides new insight into how much carbon these younger forests can be expected to take up in the future.

“The amount of CO2 that can be taken up by forests is a finite amount: ultimately reforestation programmes will only be effective if we simultaneously work to reduce our emissions,” explained Dr. Pugh.

The study is published in the <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

Young forests are storing much more carbon than previously realized

While the oceans are the largest carbon sink on the...

Pollinators existed long before flowers, new research suggests. Which came first, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-butterflies-existed-flowers/">flower or the pollinator</a>? 

The mutually beneficial relationship between angiosperms (flowering plants) and pollinating insects is the result of millions of years of coevolution. 

Angiosperms evolved special adaptations to attract pollinators, who in turn became masters at gathering nectar and spreading pollen. 

But as far as which came first, a new study is shedding insight on some of the Earth's earliest pollinators which evolved long before flowers started blooming. 

The research, published in the journal Gondwana Research, shows that early insects likely first pollinated gymnosperms like conifers until flowering plants evolved in the Cretaceous period.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.paleo.ru/museum-en/audioguide/">Borissiak Palaeontological Institute</a> in Russia focused on a late Jurassic insect, the Archocyrtus kovalevi fly, which was first described in 1996. 

After examining the specimen, the researchers found that it contained an extremely long proboscis which the fly would have used to suck up nectar from plants. The drinking straw-like mouthpart was nearly twice as long as the insect itself. 

Previously it was assumed that the appendage was actually the imprint of a piece of vegetation in a fossil of the specimen, but the researchers realized it was actually a body part. 

Archocyrtus kovalevi is about 40 million years older than the emergence of angiosperms, and so the discovery of its nectar-sucking proboscis is remarkable. 

“Finding a fossil insect of that age with such a wonderfully long proboscis is like finding a caveman with an AK-47,” Alexander Khramov, the lead author of the study, told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2199471-pollinators-may-have-evolved-40-million-years-before-flowers-existed/??utm_medium=NLC&amp;utm_source=NSNS&amp;utm_campaign=2019-0412-GLOBAL-NSDAY&amp;utm_content=NSDAY">New Scientist</a>. 

The long proboscis may have aided the insect as it gathered up nectar from gymnosperm cones. 

Another potential explanation for the insect is that angiosperms evolved sooner than fossil records show, but the researchers think this is probably not the case. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pollinators existed long before flowers, new research suggests

Pollinators existed long before flowers, new research suggests. Which came...

Blueberries are prone to iron deficiency, but the right type of fertilizer can make all the difference. A new study suggests that surrounding blueberry plants with grass helps them absorb more iron and increases their antioxidant content. 

The researchers pointed out that while soils are rich in iron, most of it is insoluble. Study senior study author Dr. José Covarrubias is an assistant professor of Agriculture Sciences at the <a href="http://www.uchile.cl/english">University of Chile</a>. 

“Most plants get enough iron by secreting chemicals that make it more soluble. These iron ‘chelators’ can be released directly from the roots, or from microbes that grow among them, and allow the iron to be absorbed,” explained Dr. Covarrubias. “Blueberries, however, lack these adaptations because they evolved in uncommonly wet, acid conditions which dissolve the iron for them.”

“Iron is essential for the formation and function of plant molecules like chlorophyll that allow them to use energy. That's why iron deficiency shows up as yellowing leaves - and drastically reduces plant growth and yield.”


[caption id="attachment_1869490" align="aligncenter" width="567"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/blueberry-plant.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1869490" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/blueberry-plant.jpg" alt="" width="567" height="377" /></a> Image Credit: Dr. José I. Covarrubias[/caption]

Dr. Covarrubias said that in blueberries, iron-dependent enzymes produce the antioxidants that make them a “superfruit.” To correct iron deficiency in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/blueberry-vinegar-battle-dementia/">blueberries</a>, the soil must be acidified or synthetic iron chelators must be added. According to Dr. Covarrubias, each of these techniques has its drawbacks. 

“The commonest industrial approach is soil acidification using sulfur, which is gradually converted by soil bacteria into sulfuric acid. The effects are slow and difficult to adjust - and in waterlogged soils, hydrogen sulfide might accumulate and inhibit root growth.”

“Acids can also be added directly via irrigation systems for more rapid acidification - but these are hazardous to farmers, kill beneficial soil microbes, and generate carbon dioxide emissions.”

“A commoner strategy among growers is application of iron bound to synthetic chelators - often sold as 'ericaceous fertilizer' - but these are very expensive and leach potentially toxic chemicals into the water table.”

Grass provides a cheaper and safer alternative for large-scale blueberry production.

“Grasses - which are well-adapted to poor soils - can provide a sustainable, natural source of iron chelators via their roots when grown alongside fruiting plants. Intercropping with grass species has been shown to improve plant growth and fruit yield in olives, grapes, citrus varieties - and most recently, in blueberries.”

The research team measured the effects of five different iron chelation treatments on an orchard of “Emerald” blueberry bushes. They compared the use of a “gold-standard” synthetic iron chelator, intercropping with common meadow or red fescue grass, cow's blood, or no treatment as a control. 

“We found the association with grasses increased not only the total weight and number of blueberries per plant, but also the concentration of anthocyanins and other antioxidant compounds in their skins, compared to control. The effect sizes were comparable with the proven synthetic chelator Fe-EDDHA, whereas applications of Fe-heme from cow's blood - a fertilizer commonly used in home gardens - had no significant effect.”

Dr. Covarrubias concluded: “Our findings validate intercropping with grasses as a simple, effective, sustainable alternative to standard iron correction strategies in blueberries. Both commercial and private growers can put this strategy to use right away to boost their blueberry crop and antioxidant content.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science">Frontiers in Plant Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Blueberries turn out better when grown alongside grass

Blueberries are prone to iron deficiency, but the right type...

Adding trees can help keep cities cool during heatwaves. After <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/european-heat-wave-greenland/">record-breaking heatwaves</a> and wetter, warmer summers expected in the coming years, the UK’s <a href="https://www.forestryengland.uk/">Forestry Commission</a> says that planting trees could be the key to keeping cities cool. 

The <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/16/britain-will-see-four-heatwaves-year-twice-many-flash-floods/">Met Office</a> recently reported that Britain could experience four heatwaves a year and twice as many flash floods in 50 years.

The Forestry Commission, in collaboration with the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs">Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs</a> and the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a>, conducted a study investigating whether or not trees could mitigate the urban heat island effect. 

Urban forests could serve as an effective, eco-friendly solution to air conditioning. 

According to the study, areas with high forest cover were as much as four degrees Celsius cooler than areas with sparse foliage.

The study suggests that planting trees in areas where people and homes would benefit most from the shade could decrease air conditioning by 13 percent and save the UK £22million in energy costs a year. 

Trees like the London Plane Tree, the Cherry Tree, and the Sessile Oak could go a long way in reducing emissions and shrinking carbon footprints. 

To reap the maximum cooling benefits, city managers should plant drought-resistant trees with dense foliage and high transpiration rates. 

Transpiration is the process by which moisture travels through a plant before it is released as vapor into the atmosphere. 

“In collaboration with Ricardo Energy &amp; Environment and Uppsala University, Sweden, we have identified which tree characteristics are linked to the greatest cooling and have proposed a methodology that can be used by urban planners and tree managers to compare and select tree species according to their cooling ability,” the Forestry Commission said. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Adding trees can help keep cities cool during heatwaves

Adding trees can help keep cities cool during heatwaves. After...

Heavy marijuana use may lower sperm quality, new study shows. Whether or not marijuana use causes fertility problems and negatively affects sperm remains inconclusive as studies on the topic are mixed. 

Research has shown that moderate cannabis use can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/men-marijuana-higher-sperm-counts/">increase sperm counts</a>, but another study found that THC in cannabis can lead to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-changes-mens-sperm/">pronounced genetic changes in sperm</a>. 

An estimated one in seven US adults uses marijuana. With more and more states legalizing medicinal and recreational marijuana, it’s important to understand the effects of cannabis on sperm and if these changes hinder healthy fetal development. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english">University of Copenhagen</a> may be closer to understanding why the effects of cannabis use on sperm are so varied. 

Heavy cannabis users are more likely to have poor quality sperm the researchers found due to the way THC in cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system in the body. 

The endocannabinoid system is made up of endocannabinoid molecules, and cannabinoid receptors which are found all over the body. 

In a new study, the researchers analyzed testicle tissue from 15 men and pieces of the cannabis system were found within the tissue samples. 

The researchers say that heavy THC use may overwhelm cannabis receptors and disrupt signaling crucial to healthy sperm development.  

Moderate cannabis users may see some benefits, but heavy use could counter these benefits and lead to lower quality sperm in men. 

“The study provides new evidence supporting observations that recreational cannabis can have possible deleterious effects on human testicular function,” the researchers wrote in the study. Heavy marijuana use may lower sperm quality, new study shows

The full findings of the study were published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49177-y">Scientific Reports</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Mitch M

Heavy marijuana use may lower sperm quality, new study shows

Heavy marijuana use may lower sperm quality, new study shows....

While <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ozone-layer-full-recovery-2060/">atmospheric ozone</a> serves as a vital barrier protecting the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, ground ozone pollution is another matter entirely.  

Ozone forms when nitrogen oxide from vehicle emissions reacts with volatile organic compounds, some of which come from plants. 

Inhaling too much ozone can cause respiratory problems, trigger asthma attacks, and harm lung tissue, according to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution/ground-level-ozone-basics#wwh">Environmental Protection Agency</a>. 

In a new study, researchers examined how drought conditions impact ozone pollution by reviewing data from two cities in California with high levels of ozone pollution during the worst drought in the state’s history.

As droughts have a major impact on vegetation and plant growth, the researchers wondered to what extent drought influenced ozone pollution due to the relationship between nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds from plants. 

The study was published in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science &amp; Technology journal. 

Plants and ozone have a complicated relationship as some compounds like isoprene contribute to ozone production, but plants also take in and store ozone through their leaves. 

The researchers reviewed ground and satellite data from Fresno and Bakersfield in California from 2011 to 2015.

The data contained information on isoprene and ozone concentrations in the air, leaf area index, and nitrogen oxide levels before, during and after the drought. 

Isoprene concentrations were unaffected at the start of the drought, but dropped more than 50 percent during the peak of the drought. 

This drop in isoprene concentrations, in turn, impacted ozone production and ozone dropped 20 percent during the drought. 

However, because the drought limited the plants’ ability to take up ozone in the two cities, ozone levels overall only dropped by six percent even though ozone production dropped significantly. 

The study adds an important factor to consider when researchers study ways to limit ground ozone pollution. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Severe drought conditions impact ozone pollution levels

While atmospheric ozone serves as a vital barrier protecting the...

An international research team led by the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts Amherst</a> has conducted the first global assessment of the impacts to native species by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/invasive-rusty-crayfish-demise/">invasive species</a>. The experts wanted to measure the extent of the damage as invaders become more widespread and abundant. 

“What surprised me most was the magnitude of some of these effects,” said study lead author and invasion ecologist Professor Bethany Bradley. “Invasive animal pests, like Emerald Ash Borer or lionfish, cause nearly a 50 percent decline in native populations. That's the average case - on average, invasive pests will cut the populations of native species in half if we don't prevent or control those invasions.”

According to Professor Bradley, as alien garlic mustard invades forest understory in New England, the number of native sugar maple seedlings declines. Across the region’s wetlands, invasive purple loosestrife is linked to declines in native red-winged blackbirds and song sparrows.

“Our principal finding is that if the invasive species is at a higher trophic level, that is, they are likely eating the native species, then just a few invasive individuals can cause a sharp decline in native populations,” said Professor Bradley. “Once those invaders reach higher abundance, the damage has long ago been done. This has big implications for management. Early detection becomes critical.”

The investigation was based on the analysis of 1,258 case studies from 201 published research papers. Professor Bradley said that one of the primary goals was to understand how impacts accumulate during an invasion in order to support evidence-based management.

“We know that invasive species have negative impacts, but past meta-analyses have only looked at studies where invaders were absent vs. present.”

Professor Bradley explained that for native species faced with an invader at the same trophic level, where the two are likely competing for resources, there is a “strong negative linear response," but no sharp initial decline. “As you increase invasive species' abundance, the native species decline in abundance and in community diversity. The management implications are that if you control the invasion at any point, it's a win for ecosystems.”

On the other hand, when an invader enters at a lower trophic level than the native species, the results were not as clear.

“It could be creating new resources or it could compete against resources that the natives need. It's not clear whether the effects will be positive or negative, unless you're talking about terrestrial plants. Invasive plants are likely to have negative effects on native insects.”


Ultimately, the study authors concluded that “increasing the abundance of invasive alien species has pronounced negative impacts on native species populations and communities.” They said the fact that rapid declines in native populations have been found to occur at initial stages of the invasion process “highlights the increasing need for early detection and rapid response (EDRR) to new invasive alien species.”

“Avoiding the ecological impacts of invasive species will require a much stronger commitment to proactive policies designed to prevent novel introductions as well as increased management targeting the early stages of invasion.”

The study is published in the <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

Image Credit: CJB Sorte/UC Irvine

Early detection is key to preventing damage from invasive species

An international research team led by the University of Massachusetts...

Botanists Markus Riederer and Amauri Bueno from <a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/university/">Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg </a>(JMU) in Germany have finally cracked the case of what guards desert plants against brutal heat — up to 56 degrees Celsius (133 degrees Fahrenheit). They found that a natural high-temperature wax keeps plants’ leaves from drying out. 

Plant leaves have invisible skins that keep them from drying out. These skins are made from small individual pores, called stomata, that can open and close as needed. 

“[The plant] thereby uptakes the carbon dioxide the plant needs for photosynthesis,” said Professor Riederer, head of the JMU Chair of Botany II.

But each time a plant opens its stomata to receive <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tropical-forests-excess-carbon/">carbon dioxide</a>, water evaporates. So, where does that leave desert plants? It turns out each plant deals with this issue in a unique way. 

For example, colocynth (Citrullus colocynthis), better known as bitter cucumber, opens pores to cool down by transpiration cooling, or “sweating.” It can do so because it has a deep root that can trap water deep in the soil and replenish its hydration as needed. 

"This makes colocynth a water-spender," Professor Riederer explained.

In contrast, the desert date palm is a “water-saver.” Instead of “sweating,” the date palms’ leaves are able to stand high heat thanks to a special nearly-impermeable wax embedded in its skin. Each desert plant seemingly has this wax, but the permeability of the wax differs from plant to plant.

Bueno and Riederer are still piecing together the chemistry of the wax to better understand this difference between plants and their wax content. However, they realize that this information may be crucial for future plant breeders who aim to breed plants that can survive in hot temperatures.

Their findings are published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jxb">Journal of Experimental Botany</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Desert plants use a secret weapon to endure the extreme heat

Botanists Markus Riederer and Amauri Bueno from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU)...

Plants produce medically-valuable chemicals to maintain microbe communities. Plants produce medically-valuable chemicals to maintain microbe communities. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.jic.ac.uk/">John Innes Centre</a> and the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences </a>investigated why plants produce medically-valuable chemicals in their roots. 

Their findings, published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau6389&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;">Science,</a> reveal that they produce these chemicals in order to maintain a communities of microbes, which can help a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/native-plants-rescue/">plant</a> survive.

"This question has fascinated people for hundreds of years and we've found this chemistry enables plants to direct the assembly and maintenance of microbial communities in and around the roots," said coauthor Professor Anne Osbourn of the John Innes Centre.

"We assume that the plant is shaping the root microbiota for its own benefit,” she added. “If we can understand what the plant is doing and what kind of microbes are responding to it and what the benefits are then we may be able to use that knowledge to design improved crops or to engineer the root microbiome for enhanced productivity and sustainability and to move away from fertilizers and pesticides.”

Professor Osbourn and the team located a metabolic network expressed in the Arabidopsis thaliana plant, which can make over 50 previously undescribed molecules, which belong to a family of natural plant products called Triterpenes. The team generated plants that were altered during the production of these root-derived chemicals and planted them in natural soil. 

These plants showed a host of differences in their microbial communities compared to wild plants.

The team then exposed communities of cultured microbes in a lab to a group of these synthesized chemicals with the hope of better understanding the plant-microbial interaction that takes place in the soil.

"Using this approach, we can see that very small differences in chemical structures can have profound effects on whether a particular molecule will inhibit or promote the growth of a particular bacteria. Taken together we can clearly see that very subtle, selective modulation of microbes by this cocktail of chemicals," said first author Dr. Ancheng Huang.

The team hopes to further explore the benefits of altering the microbial communities within plants and taking note of how plant chemistry can be influenced.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Phil Robinson

Plants produce medically-valuable chemicals to maintain microbe communities

Plants produce medically-valuable chemicals to maintain microbe communities. Plants produce...

Forest ‘glow’ helps reveal its CO2 storage and photosynthesis capacity. Satellites are becoming increasingly important in how we monitor the Earth’s climate, greenhouse gas emissions, water levels, cloud cover, and even photosynthesis. 

In the first study of its kind, researchers from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> have found a way to monitor GPP and photosynthesis in evergreen forests using satellites. 

Forests can store large amounts of carbon and so monitoring photosynthesis is an accurate way for researchers to track global carbon levels and measure how much CO2 is being stored. 

The total amount of chemical energy produced by the process of photosynthesis is called <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-working-climate-change/">Gross Primary Production (GPP)</a>, and for deciduous forests, satellites can easily track GPP because of the seasonal changes that impact leaf growth and color. 

In the spring and summer, deciduous trees see a spike in chlorophyll in their leaves in preparation for photosynthesis. In the fall and winter, chlorophyll levels drop, and trees lose their leaves. 

For evergreen trees which remain green all year round, it’s challenging to measure photosynthesis and carbon uptake. 

In the new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found a way to use solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) emitted by evergreen trees to monitor seasonal changes in photosynthesis and GPP.Forest ‘glow’ helps reveal its CO2 storage and photosynthesis capacity 

SIF occurs when chlorophyll levels return from a dormant state, and a photon is emitted which produces a faint “glow” not visible to the naked eye. 

Satellites can now detect SIF glow, and the researchers used scanning spectrometers to measure SIF in an evergreen forest in Colorado. 

The team found that fluorescence was a reliable indicator of seasonal chlorophyll changes matching the same patterns found in deciduous forests. 

Having a way to monitor GPP in both evergreen and deciduous forests will help researchers understand how climate change is impacting forests over a large scale. 

“Ultimately, measuring the small fluorescent glow from plants will allow us to see exactly timing and magnitude of carbon uptake from the terrestrial biosphere. This will help us understand how forests are responding to climate change and suggest how they might respond to future climate change,” said Troy Magney, research scientist of the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> and a lead author of the study. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Troy Magney

Forest ‘glow’ helps reveal its CO2 storage and photosynthesis capacity

Forest ‘glow’ helps reveal its CO2 storage and photosynthesis capacity....

How the apple became such a ubiquitous, iconic fruit across the globe. Nearly every children's book about the alphabet starts with “A is for apple”. References to apples exist throughout many aspects of Western culture. They have been used as a symbol for everything from beauty, to knowledge, to original sin. Apples are used in phrases such as “The Big Apple,” “the apple of my eye,” and "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Apples dipped in honey are traditionally eaten to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. 

Apples are the archetype of a fruit. But where did this ubiquitous fruit come from? How did it become so widespread? And why has it taken on so much meaning in our culture? This history of the apple will follow this plant’s journey from the mountains of Kazakhstan to the <a href="https://bestapples.com/washington-orchards/regions/">Columbia Basin of Washington state</a>.How the apple became such a ubiquitous, iconic fruit across the globe
<h2>The wild apple (<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/malus-sieversii/">Malus sieversii</a>)</h2>
Supermarkets are full of many different shapes, sizes, colors and flavors of apples. Each of these varieties of apple has been created through millennia of artificial selection by humans. These uncountable <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.654#discussion">variations are all descended from one wild species</a> in the rose family (Malus sieversii). They produce large, soft fruits and are the closest thing to a domestic apple that grows naturally in the wild.

[caption id="attachment_1874176" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/tree.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874176" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/tree.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" /></a> Malus sieversii, Image Credit: Yakov Fedorov[/caption]

This tree is native to dense forests in Kazakhstan, surrounding the city of Almaty. This city is <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Almaty-Kazakhstan">named after the Kazakh word for apple</a>, “Alma”. This plant likely grew in this region for millions of years before the first humans arrived there.

In his book, <a href="https://michaelpollan.com/books/the-botany-of-desire/">The Botany of Desire</a>, Michael Pollan describes the mutualistic relationship developed between humans and plants. He uses the apple as a prime example of how the domestication of plants is a two way street. In exchange for nutritious food, we have expanded the range of this tree from a small region of central Asia to the entire planet. That’s a pretty great deal for the apples. During the process we have accelerated and directed their evolution through artificial selection. This has created apples adapted to grow in nearly any environment.

The cultivated apple (<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/malus-pumila/">Malus domestica or Malus pumila</a>) has over 7,500 cultivars. These are grown around the world. Most of these are genetically closest to their direct ancestor, (Malus sieversii.) However, breeding with wild crabapples has created many new types of domestic apples. Most modern apples have large genetic contributions from <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/malus-sylvestris/">(Malus sylvestris,) the European crabapple</a>.
<h2>A ride on The Silk Road</h2>
The apple began its journey out of Central Asia long ago. References to this fruit are found in Greek and Roman mythology, as well as the Old Testament.

As trade between Europe and Asia increased, so did the exchange of living species. Around 130 BCE, the trade routes from Asia to Europe had <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-silk-road-created-modern-apple-180964521/">become established as the Silk Road</a>. Textiles, technology and luxury goods were far from all that moved through these routes. Seeds of the apple tree moved from Kazakhstan to China in the East and Europe in the West. During this time, the modern apple was exposed to the genes of many related species. The European crabapple and other species in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/crabapples/">genus Malus</a> hybridized with these ancestral apples. This trade of genetic material jumpstarted the diversity of apples that we see today.
<h2>Johnny Appleseed and the American apple</h2>
Most people today (or at least most Americans) would not think of the apple as an exotic Asian fruit. Apples are considered as American as baseball, freedom, and of course… apple pie. However, like most “uniquely American” things, the apple was simply changed into its modern form in America.
<h3>The Devil’s Fruit</h3>
Originally, most apples were used to <a href="https://www.history.com/news/all-about-apples">brew hard cider</a>. The majority of apples in American were genetically similar to crabapples and were too bitter to eat. These fruit could, however, be fermented into a palatable, and alcoholic beverage. Hard cider was a common beverage in the colonies served at all meals. The lack of reliable clean water meant that the alcoholic cider was a far safer alternative. For those who wanted something stronger, cider could be partially frozen to concentrate the alcohol into applejack.

Eventually this led to the temperance movement condemning apples as evil. They encouraged the burning and killing of apple trees. As prohibition began at the start of the 20th century, <a href="https://www.grunge.com/75944/untold-truth-prohibition/">FBI agents would chop down orchards</a> of apples to enforce the law. Clearly, the apple has taken on a new identity since then.
<h3>The Historical Johnny Appleseed</h3>
As settlers began to move West from the colonies, so did apples. Along with the settlers came apple orchards. Most of these offered cuttings of their apple trees for settlers to plant. This ensured that the tree would have sweeter and larger apples, matching those of their parent tree. Planting apples from seed was a gamble, likely to produce inedible apples that needed to be fermented to be used.

One man ran his apple business differently. John Chapman (known to us as Johnny Appleseed) was part of the Swedenborgian Christian church, and practiced naturalistic, earth-focused version of Christianity. Chapman’s faith and convictions led <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2014/07/22/history-of-apples/">him to believe grafting apples was unnatural and "wicked"</a>. Therefore, he grew all his apples from seed, planting orchards from Pennsylvania to Illinois. He would sell these apples trees to settlers also sharing his faith, worldview and philosophy.

Though Johnny Appleseed has taken on mythic proportions in the American consciousness, the historical man’s physical legacy lives on. By planting apples from seed, Chapman created many new, uniquely American varieties of apples.  Cuttings from these trees are still grown today, though it is hard to say exactly which he planted.
<h2>The modern apple</h2>
Today apples are grown in every single state in the US. Though Americans now <a href="https://www.history.com/news/all-about-apples">eat more bananas than apples</a>, the American apple industry is still generates $2.7 billion annually. 

Internationally, China is an even bigger supplier of apples, <a href="http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC">growing half of the global supply</a>. 

The apple has stood the test of time. It is a unique fruit that has made it from a small region of Asia to becoming a global cash crop. This fascinating history gives insight into the process of domestication and the way humans fundamentally change evolution. How the apple became such a ubiquitous, iconic fruit across the globe

For more about the apple (and other common crops), check out the book <a href="https://michaelpollan.com/books/the-botany-of-desire/">“The Botany of Desire,” by Michael Pollan</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:casey.hofford@gmail.com">Casey Hofford</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

How the apple became such a ubiquitous, iconic fruit across the globe

How the apple became such a ubiquitous, iconic fruit across...

Marijuana use has increased but has moved away from the illegal market. The results of a new study from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> suggest that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/medical-marijuana-treats-chronic-disease/">marijuana</a> use has both increased and substantially shifted away from the illegal market since retail sales began in 2014.

The researchers analyzed wastewater samples collected between 2013 and 2016 from two treatment plants that service 200,000 residents in western Washington.

"We set out to perform a wastewater-based analysis that explored the impact of newly legalized retail cannabis sales on its use, and to determine if this approach could estimate the size of the legal marketplace," said study lead author Professor Dan Burgard, who chairs the Chemistry Department at the <a href="https://www.pugetsound.edu/">University of Puget Sound</a>.

The wastewater samples were tested for the metabolite of psychoactive THC that is created within the human body (THC-COOH). The researchers found that THC-COOH levels in wastewater have increased by an average of nine percent per quarter from 2013 to 2016. Meanwhile, marijuana sales increased at nearly 70 percent per quarter in stores operating from 2014 to 2016.

"Given that wastewater represents a total population measure, these findings suggest that many established users switched very quickly from the illegal to the legal market," said Professor Burgard. "This is the strongest statement possible regarding displacement of the illegal market."

Study co-author Caleb Banta-Green is the principal research scientist at the University of Washington's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute.

"This project was designed to aid the understanding of how the sales of adult recreational cannabis impact its total consumption within a population," said Banta-Green. "We believe this will be a valuable tool for local, state, national and international policy makers as they assess and consider Washington's recreational cannabis law."

"Existing measures, particularly surveys are subject to important biases and limitations, including potential changes in self-report as social norms change as well as very limited information on the amount of THC actually consumed. Wastewater based estimates help address these limitations."

According to the researchers, the findings suggest that legalization is, at least in part, achieving one of its primary objectives to eliminate black market sales.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/addiction">Addiction</a>.

 --

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marijuana use has increased but has moved away from the illegal market

Marijuana use has increased but has moved away from the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 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://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...

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...

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