Bison and motorists try to navigate the same road in Yellowstone National Park on July 12, 2014. Roan Retera
A woman was gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park last week, in a reminder that there are serious consequences for forgetting that the wildlife in Yellowstone is wild.
<p>The incident took place after the woman, a 72-year-old from California, moved within 10 feet of the bison more than once in order to take a photograph, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-parks" target="_self">National Park</a> Service (NPS) <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/062920.htm" target="_blank">said in a statement Monday</a>.</p><p>"The series of events that led to the goring suggest the bison was threatened by being repeatedly approached to within 10 feet," Yellowstone's senior bison biologist Chris Geremia said in the statement. "Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behaviors like pawing the ground, snorting, bobbing their head, bellowing, and raising their tail. If that doesn't make the threat (in this instance it was a person) move away, a threatened bison may charge."</p>
<p>The goring took place the evening of June 25 at the woman's campsite at the Bridge Bay Campground. She was wounded multiple times and received medical attention from rangers before being flown by helicopter to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-72-gored-bison-yellowstone-after-getting-too-close-photos-n1232496" target="_blank">NBC News</a> was not able to obtain any more information about her condition as of Monday night.</p><p>NPS is investigating the incident.</p>
<p>This is not the first time a park visitor has been injured after standing too close to a bison since the park reopened following its <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/national-parks-coronavirus-closings-2645599791.html" target="_self">closure</a> due to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic. Another woman was hurt in late May, only days after the park's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/national-parks-opening-coronavirus-2645998472.html" target="_self">reopening</a>, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/bison-gores-woman-yellowstone-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p><p>That woman was "knocked to the ground" after coming too close to an animal in the Old Faithful Upper Geyser Basin, officials said, as <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/29/california-woman-gored-bison-yellowstone-national-park/3283467001/" target="_blank">USA TODAY reported</a>. That woman received medical attention from park staff but did not choose to go to the hospital, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/yellowstone-bison-attack-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">according to CNN</a>. Hers was the first injury of the 2020 season, USA TODAY reported.</p><p>NPS recommends that Yellowstone visitors stay more than 25 yards away from large animals like bison, elk and moose and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.</p><p>"To be safe around bison, stay at least 25 yards away, move away if they approach, and run away or find cover if they charge," Geremia said.</p>
<p>One positive example of bison safety went viral in March, when reporter Deion Broxton saw a herd of bison approaching while on the job in Yellowstone and packed up his gear and drove away, <a href="https://abc11.com/bison-reporter-montata-deion-broxton/6052358/" target="_blank">ABC 11 reported</a>.</p><p>"I ain't messing with you," he said in a video he tweeted of the incident.</p>
<div id="6e24a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="98502f801663ce63637c38b8b636d002"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1242965245414391808" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Here's the video of the bison I shot once I got a safe distance away lol https://t.co/uL3XiR2ISR</div> — Deion Broxton (@Deion Broxton)<a href="https://twitter.com/DeionBroxton/statuses/1242965245414391808">1585180982.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>NPS hailed Broxton as a positive role model for bison safety.</p><p>"A perfect example of what to do when approached by wildlife!" the <a href="https://twitter.com/YellowstoneNPS/status/1242912596488933376" target="_blank">park tweeted</a>.</p><p>The park said there are usually one to two bison-related injuries every year, ABC 11 reported.</p>
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The SpaceX crew capsule will launch out of Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX
After a minor setback, a new era in space travel and tourism is set to launch this weekend.
<p>On Wednesday, a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/spacex" target="_self">SpaceX</a> rocket launch carrying NASA astronauts was postponed 16 minutes before liftoff due to weather concerns.</p><p>"We had simply too much electricity," said Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator, to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52809664" target="_blank">BBC</a>. "There was a concern that if we did launch, it could actually trigger lightning."</p><p>They will try again at 3:22 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 30 and on Sunday, May 31 should the former also get scrapped.</p><p>The joint-mission, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-spacex-demo-2-briefings-events-and-broadcasts" target="_blank">Demo-2</a>, will make history as the first-ever manned commercial space flight and will take place in SpaceX's spacecraft "Crew Dragon."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM0OTI0OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDM5ODk3MH0.u837y0JZgcAG-_e0DLTNW9bn9LG0uqUwi00DKl7tzac/img.png?width=980" id="6cf6d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0908068303f5758667a1bded49a27f69" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
When the SpaceX shuttle launches its private spacecraft, the Crew Dragon, with NASA astronauts in tow, it will mark the beginning of commercialized space exploration. SpaceX
<p>The endeavor is actually a groundbreaking public-private partnership between NASA and SpaceX, who both hope the collaboration will further open up the universe of space exploration, literally.</p><p>In 2011, NASA retired its aging space shuttle program. Since then, the U.S. hasn't launched its own astronauts into space, booking them tickets instead to train on and launch from Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, reported <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/tech/spacex-nasa-launch-may-27-scn/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p><p>When the Crew Dragon launches, it will mark the return of America's ability to launch its own astronauts into space.</p>
<p>"When we launch from America with a rocket built in America by an American company who's only been flying vehicles for the last decade or so, that is a success story straight out of the movies," said Douglas Hurley, one of the two NASA astronauts manning the mission, reported <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rokzTKl8FDo" target="_blank">NBC News</a>. "The Russians have been great partners, but it's important for the United States to have its own launch capabilities."</p><p>NASA hopes that its partnership with SpaceX will also usher in a new commercial marketplace for low-Earth orbit transportation.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM0OTM4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTYzMjI0MH0.Mt22Fatx1PdZxG97qDA5jheIoaf3zlferTiYyvqqllM/img.jpg?width=980" id="e9091" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7cd4a685e37b624699cdf2e2d25fee3a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will man the SpaceX Crew Dragon to the International Space Station. NASA
<p>Rather than finance a replacement for the Space Shuttle, NASA has created the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html" target="_blank">Commercial Crew Program</a> to outsource "safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation" of cargo and crew to and from the International Space Station (ISS) to the private sector. The underlying objective was to free up <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/updates-to-coverage-of-landmark-nasa-spacex-commercial-crew-test-flight" target="_blank">NASA</a>'s time and resources for deeper space exploration, reported <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/tech/spacex-nasa-launch-may-27-scn/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p><p>"NASA has an ability to be a customer in a very robust commercial marketplace in low-Earth orbit," Bridenstine told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rokzTKl8FDo" target="_blank">NBC News</a>. The top NASA official also envisioned a future where that marketplace is "entirely commercialized," where NASA is "one customer of many customers," and where numerous providers continue to compete on cost, innovation and safety, reported <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52809664" target="_blank">BBC</a>.</p>
<p>SpaceX senior advisor Garrett Reisman told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_SrhPnffNs" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> that the "new venture" is a different model from what the space agency has used in the past. Private companies can now retain their intellectual property and own and operate the new technology, a huge upside for innovators.</p><p>"It's also the beginning of a whole new age, a whole golden age of commercial space flight," he continued, reported Bloomberg. "One of the things that is different is the fact that NASA doesn't own the Falcon 9 [rocket] and Dragon [spacecraft]; SpaceX does. So after this mission is over, we can use the same rocket, the same spacecraft to take ordinary citizens up into space. It's opening up all kinds of new possibilities."</p>
<p>The outsourcing has potentially saved taxpayers $20-30 billion dollars, Reisman estimated, reported Bloomberg. While seats on the Soyuz cost NASA up to $86 million each, Crew Dragon seats cost the agency roughly $55 million each for this mission, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/tech/spacex-nasa-launch-may-27-scn/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> found. According to CEO <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/elon-musk" target="_self">Elon Musk</a>, filling all seven seats in the SpaceX capsule will lower costs to $20 million per astronaut, reported <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-27/spacex-nasa-flight-to-iss-opens-up-space-tourism,-moon-and-mars/12290080" target="_blank">ABC News</a>.</p><p>With the successful completion of this last test mission, which is also SpaceX's first flight with humans aboard ever, the company will have the green light to ferry crew to the ISS regularly starting in August or September, reported ABC News.</p><p>"This is a huge milestone for NASA, for the country, and for SpaceX, but there will be other milestones after this," Reisman told <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_SrhPnffNs" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>. He said it is "extremely realistic" that the Crew Dragon will be used to fly private citizens into space in 2021.</p>
<p>"This era of commercial space travel and space tourism is literally right around the corner," he added, reported Bloomberg.</p><p>Musk will continue to seek out potential new clients for his budding space transport business, perhaps space tourists looking for a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/elon-musk-mars-plan-2492016693.html" target="_self">quick getaway to the Moon or Mars</a>, reported Bloomberg.</p><p>The news report also found that SpaceX's success has catalyzed the competition, with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/BA:US" target="_blank">Boeing</a> also gearing up to carry astronauts to orbit under the same NASA Commercial Crew Program. New market entrants like Blue Origin, financed by Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos, are trying to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/spacex-recycled-rocket-elon-musk-2338284296.html" target="_self">cut costs using reusable rockets</a>, a strategy Musk is also exploring.</p>
<p>"We're standing at the threshold of all of this commercial activity in space," said Wayne Hale, who led NASA's space shuttle program, reported Bloomberg. "One of the whole points of this exercise is to build a commercial business that can go on and do things in space that are not funded by the taxpayer, that actually create wealth and jobs."</p><p>After launch, Hurley and Robert Behnken, the other NASA astronaut, will spend roughly 19 hours aboard the Crew Dragon before arriving at the ISS, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/tech/spacex-nasa-launch-may-27-scn/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. They will stay in space to staff the ISS for anywhere from 30 to 110 days, according to NASA. Then, the SpaceX Crew Dragon will return on its second manned mission with fresh crew and to bring the veteran astronauts back to Earth, CNN reported.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Meet the NASA astronauts that will make history with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LaunchAmerica?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LaunchAmerica</a> SpaceX flight <a href="https://t.co/PqKHxUsjbg">pic.twitter.com/PqKHxUsjbg</a></p>— Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuickTake/status/1265426021521686529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Sunrise over the terrain at North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park on June 4, 2014. National Park Service
You can be forgiven for not realizing that we're in the midst of National Park Week. After all, spring is in the air but you're probably missing the great outdoors.
<p>On Earth Day, President <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" target="_self">Trump</a>, who seems eager to see social distancing ended, announced that some of the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/national-parks" target="_self">national parks</a> would start to reopen, though he did not offer any details.</p><p>"We will begin to open our national parks and public lands for the American people to enjoy," Trump announced at an Earth Day event at the White House, but gave no other information. Pressed for details, White House representatives deferred answers to the Department of the Interior, which oversees the parks, as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-parks/trump-plans-to-reopen-us-national-parks-details-to-come-idUSKCN2242PF" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported.</p>
<p>Fortunately, the internet is here to help you take a virtual tour of some of your favorite national parks. The National Park Service <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/find-your-virtual-park.htm" target="_blank">Find Your Virtual Park</a> website offers an array of options, including videos, webcams, games and kid-friendly activities.</p><p>The National Park Foundation also offers <a href="https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/take-virtual-visit-national-park" target="_blank">virtual tours</a> of historic sites and park attractions. They posted a <a href="https://www.nationalparks.org/parks-at-home" target="_blank">Parks at Home page</a> to encourage people to "travel" to their favorite park through real-time webcams, photo galleries, online tours and recorded soundscapes. It also has a <a href="https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/park-activities-you-can-do-comfort-your-home" target="_blank">page dedicated to family-friendly home activities</a> and immersive audio to "bring the wonder of our national parks into your home."</p><p>In fact, the National Park Foundation has a trove of resources dedicated to <a href="https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/campaigns-initiatives/national-park-week" target="_blank">National Park Week</a>.</p>
<p>Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation, is using his time "to revisit places I have been in the past and explore new places to go," as <a href="https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2020-04-21/for-national-park-week-here-are-the-best-webcams-to-watch" target="_blank">the Los Angeles Times</a> reported. He has been listening to the sounds of Rocky Mountain National Park.</p><p>"Most fascinating are the bird calls ... red-wing blackbirds, crows, magpies," he said. Rocky Mountain National Park's <a href="https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/photosmultimedia/soundlibrary.htm#soundscapes" target="_blank">sound library</a> also features sounds of coyote and elk.</p><p>Camping sites are closed, so if you miss the sounds of the park you'd hear at night, there is ParkTracks. "<a href="https://findyourpark.com/about/news/parktracks?_ga=2.91465050.1349434979.1586806694-1175764937.1586806694" target="_blank">This twelve-minute innovative audio experience</a> ... helps listeners escape into the sounds of a national park with recordings from the National Park Service's Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division. So whether you're ready to greet the day with the sounds of birds in the woods or listen to the rain as you go to sleep, they'll be something for everybody," says <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/national-parks-week-how-take-virtual-reality-tour-us-national-parks-1499736" target="_blank">Newsweek</a>.</p><p>One of <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/national-parks-you-can-virtually-hike-to-avoid-cabin-fever" target="_blank">Architectural Digest's</a> recommendations is a virtual tour of Yosemite in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, one of the most internationally recognized parks. The park features a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/media/webcam/view.htm?id=81B464CB-1DD8-B71B-0BCE050658CED5EF" target="_blank">High Sierra webcam</a> that shows views from Glacier Point of the park's famous Half Dome. Just a click away are real-time webcams of <a href="https://www.nps.gov/media/webcam/view.htm?id=81B464D8-1DD8-B71B-0B27F29DCD4CE913" target="_blank">El Capitan</a> and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/media/webcam/view.htm?id=81B46503-1DD8-B71B-0BABF33689031F0B" target="_blank">Badger Pass Ski Area</a>, as <a href="https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2020-04-21/for-national-park-week-here-are-the-best-webcams-to-watch" target="_blank">the Los Angeles Times</a> reported.</p><p>In Yellowstone National Park, which spans the border of Wyoming and Montana, you can watch its iconic <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm" target="_blank">Old Faithful</a> geyser erupt.</p>
Old Faithful Geyser Webcam
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEucmJsLm1zL2ltYWdlP3U9JTJGd2ViY2Ftcy15ZWxsJTJGb2xkZmFpdGhmdWwuanBnJmhvPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3Lm5wcy5nb3Ymcz0yMDUmaD1hYjQ0NDUxMTlmNDFmZTI0MWM5ZTBiMzk0MjRmZTNlYzJlNjljMzlmYTI0ZDNiMDVlYWViZGUzNDcwM2M1ODJmJnNpemU9OTgweCZjPTM3MjI4MzgzNTYiLCJleHBpcmVzX2F0IjoxNjI1NjI5NzU4fQ.rnf0uOJ4e6qzF4cRop0t4-YP9NgEgCF6FrOOhvLvoXY/img.jpg" id="a8aac" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5ce9de9893f0d33af5ad377f264fbd8a" /><p><a href="https://earth.google.com/web/data=CiQSIhIgMzVhNjc1YmQ0NjVjMTFlOTg0Yjg1NTMyNWRjMDk2MzQ" target="_blank">Google Earth</a> also offers virtual tours of 31 national parks, where you can view breathtaking vistas from Acadia in Maine to the red rock canyons of Zion in Utah.</p>
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Underwater explorers have videoed a strange and record-breaking organism in a deep ocean canyon off Australia.
<p>The string-like creature, which was introduced to the internet by the <a href="https://twitter.com/SchmidtOcean/status/1247231196347674625" target="_blank">Schmidt Ocean Institute</a> (SOI) on Twitter April 6, is estimated to have an outer ring 154 feet long — the size of an 11-story building — and a possible total length of more than 390 feet, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/otherworldly-150-foot-long-string-like-organism-deep-sea-millions-interconnected-clones-1496512" target="_blank">Newsweek reported</a>.</p><p>"We think it's the longest animal recorded to date," SOI director of marine communications Carlie Wiener told <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/04/08/animal-news-giant-silly-string-like-apolemia-found-indian-ocean/2968221001/" target="_blank">USA TODAY</a>.</p>
<div id="bb662" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fb4191e320488c4dd3ddd7a5bd33ddf1"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1247231196347674625" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Check out this beautiful *giant* siphonophore Apolemia recorded on #NingalooCanyons expedition. It seems likely tha… https://t.co/oiNIRLrJZ8</div> — Schmidt Ocean (@Schmidt Ocean)<a href="https://twitter.com/SchmidtOcean/statuses/1247231196347674625">1586198064.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>But the creature isn't, strictly speaking, one animal. Instead, it's a genus of siphonophore called Apolemia, as <a href="https://www.livescience.com/longest-animal-ever-underwater-australia.html" target="_blank">Live Science explained</a>:</p><blockquote>Every individual siphonophore is made up of many little "zooids," which each live lives that are more similar to animals we're used to talking about, albeit always connected to the larger colony. Zooids are born axsexually, and each one performs a function for the siphonophore's larger body, according to a research article published in the journal <a href="https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/dvdy.20483" target="_blank">Developmental Dynamics</a> in 2005. Linked together in long chains, the colonies were already known to reach lengths of up to 130 feet (40 m) <a href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/giant-siphonophore" target="_blank">according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium</a> — though each siphonophore is only about as thick as a broomstick.</blockquote>
<p>This siphonophore was videoed as part of a month-long expedition of deep sea canyons off Western Australia's Nigaloo coast undertaken by Western Australian Museum researchers on board SOI's research vessel <em>Falkor</em>, <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/new-species-discovered-during-exploration-of-abyssal-deep-sea-canyons-off-ningaloo/" target="_blank">SOI said in a press release</a>. In addition to the siphonophore, the researchers also discovered as many as 30 new species of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" target="_self">marine life</a>.</p><p>"There is so much we don't know about the deep sea, and there are countless species never before seen," SOI co-founder Wendy Schmidt said in the press release. "Our planet is deeply interconnected – what happens in the deep sea impacts life on land–and vice versa. This research is vital to advance our understanding of that connection – and the importance of protecting these fragile ecosystems. The Ningaloo Canyons are just one of many vast underwater wonders we are about to discover that can help us better understand our planet."</p><p>Rebecca Helm, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Asheville who was not involved with the expedition, <a href="https://twitter.com/RebeccaRHelm/status/1247238896766914567" target="_blank">explained on Twitter</a> why the siphonophore was so remarkable.</p><p>She said she had seen siphonophores of around 20 centimeters to a meter (approximately eight to 39 inches), but never anything this large, and that it was hunting in a remarkable way, by making itself into a spiral to catch prey.</p>
<div id="080b4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c3ef43375b6bb191be5b03da82d267de"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1247240111684714496" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Some of the clones specialize in catching prey. Their slender bodies hang with a single long tentacle dangling like… https://t.co/eYxZGeyZFJ</div> — Open Ocean Exploration (@Open Ocean Exploration)<a href="https://twitter.com/RebeccaRHelm/statuses/1247240111684714496">1586200189.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="eae09" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f70af4ceb91ca8641053c0954dce158e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1247241828983857153" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">...once a clone captures its prey (a fish or crustacean) it will reel it to the colony & other clones that work as… https://t.co/igvAX1ziOQ</div> — Open Ocean Exploration (@Open Ocean Exploration)<a href="https://twitter.com/RebeccaRHelm/statuses/1247241828983857153">1586200599.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"I've gone on numerous expeditions and have never, EVER, seen anything like this," she wrote.</p>
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This Man Is Helping Explorers Carry out Scientific Research at the Ends of the Earth
12 March
Adventure
Gregg Treinish is the founder of Adventure Scientists and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. adventurescientists.org / our
By Robin Pomeroy
For the great explorers of the 19th and 20th centuries, the prime motivation was getting to places no one had been before: "Because it's there," is what British mountaineer George Mallory famously replied when asked why he wanted to climb Everest.
But no longer. With all the biggest peaks climbed, poles reached and jungles explored, modern-day Mallories are seeking to solve even bigger challenges.
<p>"It's not enough to be just an explorer any more, it's 'been there, done that,'" said Gregg Treinish, who recruits today's adventurers to conduct scientific research in some of the world's most inaccessible places.</p><p>Over the last decade, Treinish's organization <a href="https://www.adventurescientists.org/" target="_blank">Adventure Scientists</a> has co-opted thousands of adventure travelers to do the field research that lab-based researchers could not. One of the first projects was getting Everest mountaineers to obtain samples of plants growing at almost impossibly high altitudes. U.S. researchers were able to determine how that moss could survive in such extreme conditions and used the results to develop methods of increasing yields and protecting crops from adverse weather events.</p>
<p>On the sea, Adventure Scientists has used a network of 6,000 citizen researchers to build what it believes is the world's biggest database on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics">microplastics</a> in <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans">oceans</a> around the world.</p><p>Treinish has been named on of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders (YGLs) for 2020 - joining an illustrious network of influential people aiming to improve the planet, alongside U.S. soccer star and gender equality campaigner Megan Rapinoe, and whose alumuni include actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, Google co-founder Larry Page and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.</p><p>In his office in Bozeman, a small city in Montana near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 30-year-old Treinish is close to nature. But he did not start life there.</p><p>Growing up far from the mountains, in Cleveland, Ohio, he was thrown out of high school for, in his words, "being a jerk." After a troubled childhood he found a form of redemption by communing with nature.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e6e68050ee891b4b333dffca3160f0c8"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MqgbTZgaBbk?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>One of his first adventures was walking the <a href="https://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail" target="_blank">Appalachian Trail</a> - a hiking route in the eastern U.S. which at 2,200 miles (3,500 km) may be the longest in the world. It was there that, aged 22, he had his eureka moment.</p><p>"Half way through the trail, my girlfriend dumped me," Treinish said. In frustration, he threw a rock against a tree, gouging a hole in it - something that made him realize how selfish he was being. Heading into the wilderness was not enough – he knew he had to give something back.</p><p>For a while Treinish provided "wilderness therapy," taking teenagers struggling with drug and alcohol problems into the wild, and later turned to scientific research.</p><p>"I wanted two things: to understand ecology and to fight for plants, animals and the environment."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjg3NDE0Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjAwMDcyNX0._KpNGUOjENJ8q12lM2US0ZmWz9Vk4IUw8Rdt6qOBzfA/img.png?width=980" id="dd091" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4847ea4223dfe54255a377bf7456a9c4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The reach of Adventure Scientists around the world. Adventure Scientists
<p>Adventure Scientists trains the volunteers - most of them non-scientists - on how to collect data and samples with scientific rigor. And Treinish says he now wants to encourage scientists to use his network to be even more ambitious with their work.</p><p>"Take the blinkers off - how big are the questions that scientists can ask?"</p><p>And for explorers, the big scientific questions are the challenges they are seeking.</p><p>"In the early 20th century it was the biggest, the furthest, etc," Treinish said. "People are now motivated again by <em>these </em>incredible challenges."</p><p>Find out more about the Young Global Leaders class of 2020 <a href="https://www.younggloballeaders.org/new-class" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/gregg-treinish-founded-adventure-scientists/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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NelliSyr / iStock / Getty Images
<p>However, finding healthy snacks in gas stations, convenience stores, and rest stops along your route is often challenging.</p><p>Plus, eating irregularly and sitting for hours on end while driving can lead to digestive issues like constipation and bloating, making healthy snacking all the more important.</p><p>As such, you should keep an eye out for nutritious snacks to pack with you or purchase along the way. Note that many portable and shelf-stable snack options are calorie-dense, so keep that in mind when traveling and your activity level is likely lower than normal.</p><p>Here are 14 healthy snacks that are perfect for road trips.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-road-trip-snacks" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
1. Fresh Fruit and Nut Butter
<p>Fresh fruit is not only highly nutritious but also easily portable.</p><p>During road trips, munching on hydrating, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/22-high-fiber-foods" target="_blank">high-fiber foods</a> like fruit may keep your bowel movements regular and help prevent constipation caused by inactivity.</p><p>Apples, strawberries, and bananas are great paired with high protein nut butters like almond or peanut butter for a filling snack.</p><p>Nut butters are even sold in single-serve pouches, which can come in handy when you need a quick bite while driving. Brands like <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=artisana%20butter%20pouches&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=d9b20014dd49ca5875c63a31296b515e&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Artisana</a> and <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=Once%20Again%20squeeze%20pack&passthrough_i=grocery&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=375e8f279cf2811bdc3595fe5e630cca&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Once Again</a> offer unsweetened, organic nut butter squeeze packs.</p>2. Trail Mix
<p>Trail mix is a go-to snack for road trips — and for good reason. It doesn't require refrigeration, is easy to eat, and provides ample protein, healthy fats, and fiber to fuel you on those extra long road trips.</p><p>What's more, you can buy nutritious, low sugar versions at most rest stops and gas stations. Look for a variety with <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-healthy-nuts" target="_blank">nuts</a>, seeds, and unsweetened dried fruit — and steer clear of those that contain candies, candied nuts, and sugared fruits.</p><p>You can also make your own at home.</p><p>Start with raw or roasted nuts and seeds, then add your favorite unsweetened dried fruits. Toss in unsweetened dried coconut, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cacao-nibs" target="_blank">cacao nibs</a>, dark chocolate chips, or spices for extra flavor and crunch.</p><p>Note that even without added candy, trail mix is high in calories and best meant for — you guessed it — the trail. Keep this in mind if you are sitting for hours on end.</p><p>That said, trail mix also works as a meal replacement when other food choices are limited. Pairing trail mix with lower calorie fresh fruits or vegetables is one way to balance its calorie density.</p>3. Protein and Granola Bars
<p>Protein and granola bars are convenient, and most don't require refrigeration, making them a good choice for road trips.</p><p>Yet, many bars are loaded with added sugars and other <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/common-food-additives" target="_blank">unhealthy additives</a>, which is why it's important to choose products made from whole, nutritious ingredients like nuts, oats, chia seeds, egg whites, and dried fruit.</p><p>You can shop for nutritious bars online or at your local grocery store. Healthy brands include <a href="https://amzn.to/3a0p42n" target="_blank">RxBar</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2SZTsEl" target="_blank">Larabar</a>, <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=thunderbird%20bars&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_1&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=7922551552becd12be00f3eb2bf95d55&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Thunderbird</a>, <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=jonesbar&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_2&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=08c5e39f63b9b6885b6f688fcd38c9e9&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Jonesbar</a>, <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=go%20raw%20bar&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_1&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=ac7309344220eb0281a28bf9f8e0319d&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Go Raw</a>, and <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=purely%20elizabeth%20bars&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_1&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=a29e56637183cbe4302a196520c03798&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">purely elizabeth</a>.</p>4. Energy Bites
<p>Energy bites, also called energy balls, are bite-sized morsels made from healthy ingredients like nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Though small, they pack a punch of nutrition and calories.</p><p>You can easily make them at home and pack them in a cooler to take on the road. Check out <a href="https://joyfoodsunshine.com/paleo-chocolate-brownie-energy-bites/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> for energy bites that include dates, nuts, cocoa powder, and almond butter.</p><p>Additionally, companies like <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=navitas%20%22power%20snacks%22&passthrough_i=grocery&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_2&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=851f2205156508c341fa1e783e1843f2&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Navitas</a>, <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=ello%20raw&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_1&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=bc51ae2186495da8acf13436de5579d3&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Ello Raw</a>, and <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=made%20in%20nature%20energy&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_2&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=3bbfe019176c3b4131ac3c0870ffb63b&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Made in Nature</a> all make delicious energy balls.</p>5. Nuts and Seeds
<p>Nuts and seeds are delectable on their own and pair well with many other road trip snacks, including dried or fresh fruit.</p><p>Both nuts and seeds are high in protein, healthy fats, and fiber. In fact, eating more of these foods may decrease your risk of heart disease and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-ways-to-lower-blood-sugar" target="_blank">lower your blood sugar levels</a>.</p><p>Walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sunflower-seeds" target="_blank">sunflower seeds</a> can supply a needed energy boost during your road trip.</p>6. Fruit and Veggie Chips
<p>Many road trippers turn to highly processed snacks like potato chips to satisfy their cravings. However, these chips are typically high in calories, sodium, and unhealthy additives.</p><p>If you long for a salty snack with a bit of crunch, try healthy chips made from dried fruits and vegetables instead. For example, baked apple chips, plantain chips, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-kale" target="_blank">kale chips</a> make excellent stand-ins for their highly processed counterparts.</p><p>Choose products that don't contain added sugar or preservatives, or make your own fruit and veggie chips at home. Follow <a href="https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-kale-chips/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> for crunchy kale chips that are ideal for travel.</p>7. Unsweetened Yogurt
<p>You can expand your snacking options during your road trip if you take a cooler.</p><p>Unsweetened yogurt is a great snack food that doubles as a quick breakfast when your choices are limited, but it needs to be kept cool to prevent spoilage, so be sure to fill your cooler with ice or ice packs.</p><p>Many flavored yogurts are high in added sugar, which you should limit. It's <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-yogurt-for-health" target="_blank">best to choose</a> unsweetened, plain varieties, then add your own toppings, such as berries, nuts, seeds, chia seeds, and dried coconut.</p><p>Unsweetened Greek yogurt is especially beneficial because it's <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-high-protein-snacks" target="_blank">packed with protein</a>, which helps keep you full.</p>8. Roasted Chickpeas
<p>Chickpeas are highly nutritious, providing protein, fiber, magnesium, folate, and zinc.<span></span></p><p>While taking a can of chickpeas on the road is doable but a little more cumbersome, dried chickpeas are portable and easy to eat while driving or navigating.</p><p>It's easy to make your own using <a href="https://www.jessicagavin.com/make-crispy-roasted-chickpeas-in-the-oven/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>.</p><p>Alternatively, you can purchase dried chickpeas in various flavors at your local health food store, as well as online.</p>9. Fresh Veggies and Nutritious Dip
<p>If you bring a cooler, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/14-healthiest-vegetables-on-earth" target="_blank">fresh vegetables</a> like celery, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, and peppers make scrumptious, low calorie road trip snacks.</p><p>Eating veggies can not only satisfy your crunch cravings but also reduce your risk of various illnesses, including obesity, certain cancers, and mental decline.</p><p>To boost the protein content and flavor of this snack option, pair fresh vegetables with <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-dips-and-spreads" target="_blank">nutrient-dense dips</a> like hummus or Greek yogurt dip.</p>10. Hard-Boiled Eggs
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/boiled-egg-nutrition" target="_blank">Hard-boiled eggs</a> are another option to power you through long car trips.</p><p>They're chock-full of healthy fats, protein, vitamin B12, <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank">choline</a>, and antioxidants like <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lutein-and-zeaxanthin" target="_blank">lutein and zeaxanthin</a>, making them a particularly nutritious choice.</p><p>Just be sure to keep them in a cooler with ice packs and eat them within 1 week.</p>11. Drinkable Soups
<p>Although soup may seem like an odd choice for a road trip, shelf-stable, drinkable soups are a healthy and convenient choice when driving. Plus, veggie-based soups can help you meet your nutrient needs when <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fresh-vs-frozen-fruit-and-vegetables" target="_blank">fresh produce</a> is scarce.</p><p>Many companies make drinkable soups in portable containers that don't require refrigeration.</p><p>For example, <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=41977X1601025&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrinkfawen.com%2F%23shop" target="_blank">Fawen</a> and <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=karine%20and%20jeff%20soup&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_2&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=69d90d4806d12703185d72e5bdb75383&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Karine & Jeff</a> offer high quality organic soups that you can drink straight from the bottle.</p>12. Avocados
<p>Whole avocados are a high fiber, high fat snack that's especially suitable if you're following a low carb diet.</p><p>Plus, they're full of nutrients like <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/high-potassium-foods" target="_blank">potassium</a>, folate, and vitamins C and E.</p><p>These buttery fruits can be salted and eaten with a spoon, or mashed and served with crackers or veggies during a break from driving. Bring a mix of ripe and unripe <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-benefits-of-avocado" target="_blank">avocados</a> to ensure that you always have one that's ready to eat.</p>13. Cheese and Crackers
<p>Cheese and crackers make a classic snack for anyone looking for a quick bite on the road.</p><p>When buying crackers, choose whole grain products from brands like <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=simple%20mills%20crackers&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_2&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=e1f89d63170821e2aec12c8cf1fd534e&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Simple Mills</a>, <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=mary%27s%20gone%20crackers&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_2&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=5362f6e306892be56b4425e2ac34c130&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Mary's Gone Crackers</a>, and <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-road-trip-snacks&passthrough_k=jilz%20crackerz&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_2&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-road-trip-snacks-20&passthrough_linkId=6b47df0c76c84e25f6a90c7f8c081e13&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Jilz</a>.</p><p>Top your crackers with cheddar, brie, or <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthiest-cheese" target="_blank">your cheese of choice</a> for a satisfying, filling treat. You can also add fresh fruit for a hint of sweetness.</p>14. Dark Chocolate and Almonds
<p>When you're craving something sweet during a long road trip, don't cave into the endless candies, baked goods, and sugary beverages available at rest stops and gas stations.</p><p>Instead, pack your car with healthy options like <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate" target="_blank">dark chocolate</a>.</p><p>This treat is loaded with powerful polyphenol antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory and heart-protective properties. What's more, eating chocolate in moderation may safeguard against conditions like stroke and diabetes.</p><p>Add a handful of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-proven-benefits-of-almonds" target="_blank">almonds</a> for a crunchy, fiber- and protein-rich snack.</p>The Bottom Line
<p>Although eating healthy on the road may seem difficult, planning ahead and bringing nutritious snacks can keep your body fueled and your hunger at bay.</p><p>If you take a cooler, fresh veggies, unsweetened yogurt, and hard-boiled eggs are great options. Other foods that don't necessarily need to be kept cool and are easy to store and eat on the road include fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, nut butter, drinkable soups, and protein bars.</p><p>Keep these snacks in mind when you're looking for portable, nutritious options for your next adventure.<br></p>From Your Site Articles
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Some backcountry skiers and snowboarders are not just hitting the slopes. They're measuring how deep the snow is and sending the data to climate scientists.
<p>Listen here:<em></em></p>
<iframe style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/13184339/height/45/theme/standard/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/" height="45" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe><p>"Data is lacking in mountain areas across the globe and particularly in western North America," says Gabriel Wolken of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. "And if we don't have a better understanding of how snow is distributed in these areas, we have a limited amount of baseline data to evaluate changes in the future."</p><p>Wolken says melting mountain snow feeds rivers and lakes through the spring, summer, and fall. So understanding and predicting changes in the snowpack is important for managing water supplies.</p><p>But collecting data is time-consuming. So five years ago, when Wolken and other researchers were working in Alaska, they asked a local ski club for help.</p>
<p>"We gave them GPS and of course they all had avalanche probes in their backpacks," Wolken says. "And we said, 'OK, go out and sample as much as you can.'"</p><p>The effort was a success, and soon the NASA-funded <a target="_blank" href="http://communitysnowobs.org/">Community Snow Observations</a> project was born. Now, thousands of volunteers from around the world have submitted observations — serving science while they're out having fun.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/02/skiers-and-snowboarders-send-snow-data-to-climate-scientists/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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By Tim Lydon
Climate-related disasters are on the rise, and carbon emissions are soaring. Parents today face the unprecedented challenge of raising children somehow prepared for a planetary emergency that may last their lifetimes. Few guidebooks are on the shelves for this one, yet, but experts do have advice. And in a bit of happy news, it includes strategies already widely recognized as good for kids.
<p>First, consider that a child born today enters a world growing progressively hotter, where recent weather extremes have displaced <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/06/lets-talk-about-climate-migrants-not-climate-refugees/" target="_blank">tens of millions</a> of people. Scientists say displacement may swell into the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimdobson/2019/10/30/shocking-new-maps-show-how-sea-level-rise-will-destroy-coastal-cities-by-2050/#6195a2a9456c" target="_blank">hundreds of millions</a> in the years ahead, as the rapid <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2019/12/05/alaska-climate-change-glacier/" target="_blank">melting</a> of glaciers now underway drives sea levels upward. The resulting <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/mental-health/2018/10/18/climate-change-and-its-staggering-refugee-crisis/" target="_blank">migrations</a> will likely trigger conflict, hunger, and political instability. As we already see in the children pressed against the U.S.-Mexico border, many of them fleeing drought in <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/418976-migrant-caravan-shows-the-destabilizing-effect-of-climate-change" target="_blank">Central America</a>, migrations may also lead to hardened borders and xenophobic or <a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/8/7/20756775/el-paso-shooting-trump-hispanic-invasion" target="_blank">racist</a> impulses. All this causes military analysts to call climate change a "<a href="https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/06/why-climate-change-is-a-threat-multiplier/" target="_blank">threat multiplier</a>" that can exacerbate existing social problems.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2020/02/18/climate-change-kids/" target="_blank">YES! Magazine</a>. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2645215980#/" target="_self"></a></em><em></em></p>
<p>Parents today must brace kids for both the direct physical impacts of climate change and the humanitarian crises they will trigger, which may be worsened by human behaviors. Whether kids experience the events personally or in the context of world news, experts say kids will need strong foundations in resilience, positive thinking, compassion, and other skills to maintain mental health and inform their responses.</p><p>"It's a lot for parents to think about," said Tracey Wiese, an advanced nurse practitioner who specializes in family practice and psychiatric mental health in Alaska. As warming brings <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/new-report-highlights-alaska%E2%80%99s-last-five-years-dramatic-climate" target="_blank">transformative change</a> to Alaska, upending landscapes, cultural norms, and nutritional resources, Wiese sees growing anxiety among parents.</p><p>"I hear about it every week now," she said from her office in Anchorage. "Parents are worried about existential stuff, like clean water, a livable planet for their kids, even catastrophic environmental events."</p><p>Wiese said parents can use a range of strategies to help children, but that kids first require a supportive relationship with one or more caregivers.</p><p>"That connection is vital for helping children develop skills such as resilience," she said.</p>
PoPositive Stress and Strong Support Networks
<p>Wiese defines resilience as the ability to manage stress and adapt to change. Her words are backed by a 2017 American Psychological Association <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/03/mental-health-climate.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> on the mental health impacts of climate change, which also emphasizes strong caregiver support and the value of resilience. For parents, the report's authors recommend cultivating belief in a child's own resilience, fostering optimism, and teaching children to control emotional responses to change. These are common tenets of modern parenting the report said are made especially important by climate change.</p><p>Psychologists also describe the value of "<a href="https://center.uoregon.edu/StartingStrong/uploads/STARTINGSTRONG2016/HANDOUTS/KEY_49962/TypesofStress.pdf" target="_blank">positive stress,</a>" which may include public speaking, making new friends, and other experiences that can briefly increase heart rates but that help wire young minds to adapt to change. Parents who provide supportive coaching through these normal life experiences help kids develop resilience.</p><p>"Parents also need to model positive and appropriate responses to stress," Wiese said.</p><p>Like many things, what happens earliest in life matters most, but teens and even adults can still improve resilience. The APA offers an online <a href="https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resilience" target="_blank">guide</a> with age-appropriate strategies for parents.</p><p>In contrast, stress related to poverty, malnutrition, violence, or abuse can weaken a child's resilience, acting as "threat multipliers" of their own for children born into the climate change era. In such cases, climate can compound existing stress, potentially increasing odds for substance abuse, anxiety, or depression, according to the authors of the APA report.</p><p>Especially where caregiver support is lacking, coaches, teachers, and other mentors can help young people manage these negative stressors. It's a reminder that entire communities, not just parents, will have a hand in raising climate-resilient children.</p><p>That community focus is an important factor according to Susan Clayton, a psychologist at Wooster College in Ohio and co-editor of <em><a href="https://www.elsevier.com/books/psychology-and-climate-change/clayton/978-0-12-813130-5" target="_blank">Psychology and Climate Change: Human Perceptions, Impacts, and Responses</a>,</em> which summarizes psychological research tied to climate change.</p><p><span></span>"Strong social support networks give children a better foundation in resilience," Clayton said. She lists teachers, clubs, and faith communities as good examples of social networks that become "sources of meaning" for kids.</p>Connnection to the Outdoors
<p>Connecting youths to the outdoors is also important when it comes to climate change. <a href="https://www.parentingscience.com/outdoor-learning.html" target="_blank">Research</a> shows time outdoors, especially at an early age, can reduce childhood stress and anxiety, while strengthening confidence, imagination, and physical health — all characteristics that will help tomorrow's adults adapt to a changing world.</p><p>"Nature-based education [and] therapy are real sources of strength and resilience for young people," Clayton said.</p><p>But not everyone grows up with access to the outdoors, and both climate change and population growth are driving greater <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/03/climate-migrants-report-world-bank-spd/" target="_blank">movement</a> to urban areas worldwide. It means more kids live in developed areas with limited time in nature.</p><p>Fortunately, concern over how much time kids spend hitched to phones and computers has already sparked a <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2019/12/13/nature-based-education/" target="_blank">revival</a> in nature-based education. Parents and teachers today can access a growing network of tested programs. Some, such as <a href="https://www.plt.org/about-us/" target="_blank">Project Learning Tree</a> and the <a href="https://www.neefusa.org/nature/water/benefits-environmental-education" target="_blank">National Environmental Education Foundation</a>, are active across the country, but an expanding galaxy of others function at the local level. At the movement's cutting edge is a growing number of outdoor-focused <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/04/early-childhood-outdoor-education/558959/" target="_blank">preschools</a> and <a href="https://www.rei.com/blog/news/are-outdoor-preschools-the-wave-of-the-future" target="_blank">kindergartens</a> that provide formative experiences in natural settings, including within urban areas.</p><p>Proponents say nature-based education is good for older kids, too, and can spark interest in science and other fields that will be crucial in the decades ahead, as people engineer solutions to climate-related challenges. Such programs may steer teens toward promising careers. But in the short term, learning about science and nature can instill optimism in the face of discouraging climate news.</p>Discuss and Model Solutions
<p>But what about day-to-day actions in the home? Experts agree that discussing climate change and modeling behaviors that reflect climate solutions are important, too. Discussions need to be <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/04/raising-kids-climate-change/554969/" target="_blank">age-appropriate</a> to protect young children from unnecessary stress and anxiety. But exhibiting climate-positive behaviors such as energy conservation and avoiding single-use plastics carries value at all ages. According to Wiese, it shows kids that parents are engaged in trying to better the world, and it fosters resilience by channeling energy toward tangible action.</p><p>Mary DeMocker, author of <a href="https://www.marydemocker.com/" target="_blank"><em>The Parents' Guide to Climate Revolution</em></a>, agrees. As the mother of two young adults, DeMocker spent more than two decades raising kids with climate change in mind, and she believes in empowering young people to create solutions.</p><p>"Anything that gives kids a sense of agency is important," she said. "Maybe they help put together the family's emergency plan or evacuation kit. For older kids, it might mean writing letters to Congress."</p><p>DeMocker's book contains 100 short, action-oriented chapters with ideas on greener lifestyles, getting kids outdoors, and promoting solutions to the climate crisis. She is attentive to the science of climate change and the <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/09/1046972" target="_blank">urgent need</a> for a swift transition to clean energy. That drives her belief that children growing up today must feel empowered to create change. In addition to strong support networks, time outdoors, and positive thinking habits, she said, empowerment comes from solid foundations in both civics and climate science.</p><p>"I encourage parents to push for climate literacy in schools," she said. "Climate change is the biggest thing that's going to affect their children's future. Kids need to know the science and causes but also the solutions. And it needs to be taught free from the constraints of political interests."</p><p>DeMocker said young people should not be told "what to think about climate, but how to think about it." She believes teaching kids to think critically about the issue, including in geopolitical terms, helps them avoid despair and instead empowers them to create change. A grounding in civics and democracy then informs kids how change can occur.</p>Foster Compassion
<p>Compassion is also a theme in DeMocker's work. She said it's an important emotional response for parents to exercise while listening to a child's fears about climate change, which may include concerns about wildlife, natural disasters, or the well-being of friends, family, and even pets.</p><p>In Alaska, Wiese also sees the importance of compassion. She said parents foster compassion when they provide a safe emotional place for kids to express their feelings and where feelings are respected. For younger children, she also sees value in <a href="https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/raising-includers-5-tips-to-help-your-kids-be-kind-and-compassionate?gclid=Cj0KCQiApaXxBRDNARIsAGFdaB9Dp67VmyJHY5kke0ptpDapbSc767cVtYMrs-05ZI0DtfKRAKVgRw8aArYCEALw_wcB#disqus_thread" target="_blank">compassion-based play</a>.</p><p>Exercising compassion models behaviors young people will need in the future, too, as they emerge as adults into a world undergoing significant physical and societal change. Global experts <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/06/1041261" target="_blank">predict</a> low- and middle-income people — and especially children — will continue feeling the brunt of weather extremes, food shortages, and other climate-related events. Tomorrow's adults will need to know the value of compassion to promote responses that alleviate suffering, foster social justice, and decarbonize the economy. That provides a check against intolerance, nationalism, and other negative reactions that can compound suffering and civil unrest. Practicing compassion also carries mental health <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/the-compassionate-mind" target="_blank">benefits</a> that can help tomorrow's adults weather the climate disruption they will experience.</p><p>Like climate change itself, the prospect of raising children on a warming planet is daunting. When it becomes overwhelming, Wiese said, parents should focus on what they can control: Practice self-care. Provide kids with safety and support. Teach resilience and compassion. And model planet-healthy choices that orient children away from anxiety and toward solutions.</p><p><em>Tim Lydon has worked on public lands issues for many years and is a founding member of the Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation. His writing has appeared in Hakai Magazine, The Revelator, The Hill, Terrain.org, and elsewhere.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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By Tyler Wells Lynch
For years, Toni Genberg assumed a healthy garden was a healthy habitat. That's how she approached the landscaping around her home in northern Virginia. On trips to the local gardening center, she would privilege aesthetics, buying whatever looked pretty, "which was typically ornamental or invasive plants," she said. Then, in 2014, Genberg attended a talk by Doug Tallamy, a professor of entomology at the University of Delaware. "I learned I was actually starving our wildlife," she said.
<p>The problem, Tallamy explained, is with the picky diets of plant-eating insects. Most of these bugs — roughly 90 percent — eat and reproduce on only certain native plant species, specifically those with whom they share an evolutionary history. Without these carefully tuned adaptations of specific plants, insect populations suffer. And because bugs themselves are a key food source for birds, rodents, amphibians, and other critters, that dependence on natives — and the consequences of not having them — works its way up the food chain. Over time, landscapes that consist mainly of invasive or nonnative plants could become dead zones.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2020/02/07/yard-sustainability-native-plants/" target="_blank">YES! Magazine</a>.<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2645075454#/" target="_self"><br/></a> </em><em></em></p>
<p>Croplands can be just as destructive, making up nearly 20 percent of all land in the United States. And that doesn't even include the single largest irrigated crop in the country. Covering more than 40 million acres in the U.S., grass lawn consumes an area roughly the size of New England — land that, for the sake of habitat conservation, might as well be pavement.</p><p>Considering how little habitat and food these monocultures provide, and the incredible amount of resources they require, is there any wonder why the global insect populations <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature" target="_blank">are plummeting</a>?</p><p>But there are solutions. One, at least in theory, is quite simple: Plant more native species. It's a calling that has spoken to a growing number of park managers, home gardeners, and landscapers — many of whom trace a direct line of inspiration to Tallamy. His research has helped overturn decades of harmful horticultural practice, forcing us to rethink how we tend to both public and private spaces.</p>
SaSavanna Syndrome
<p>In lieu of monocrops, landscapes with a larger, more diverse biomass of native species help support pollinators, sequester carbon, capture runoff, and rebuild habitats. <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905094056.htm" target="_blank">One recent study</a> found habitats with two or three native tree species are on average 25 percent to 30 percent more productive than monocultures, meaning they contribute that much more food and energy to an ecosystem. Habitats with five native tree species were 50 percent more productive. Wildlife is drawn to lands teeming with native plants.</p><p>For individuals who'd like to live a more sustainable lifestyle, the simple message of planting more native species is both productive and rewarding — a refreshing contrast to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2017/jul/17/neoliberalism-has-conned-us-into-fighting-climate-change-as-individuals" target="_blank">consumerist </a><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2017/jul/17/neoliberalism-has-conned-us-into-fighting-climate-change-as-individuals" target="_blank">exhortations</a> that blame the collective problem of environmental collapse on individual shopping choices. Like anything else, real change has to happen at the macro level, especially when it comes to turfgrass — a crop with deep cultural, even evolutionary roots.</p><p>Sociobiologists refer to the preference humans have for vast swaths of low-cut grass as "Savanna Syndrome." Open grasslands allowed our primitive ancestors to keep an eye out for predators. So even today, on a deep level, we feel safer when we can see to the horizon.</p><p>Until the Industrial Age, the demands of agriculture kept lawns at bay. They were seen mostly as status symbols that said a person had enough money to brush off the territorial demands of farmland. The invention of the lawnmower democratized the lawn, and further embedded its pathological hold on our psyches.</p><p>But lawns require huge quantities of water and often chemical treatments to maintain them — not to mention the emissions produced by two-cycle lawnmowers. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, running a lawnmower for one hour <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010529234907.htm" target="_blank">emits as much air pollution</a> as driving a typical car 100 miles. This resource allocation becomes more and more difficult to justify as climate change continues to dry up once-productive habitats. As a monocrop, lawns displace landscapes that could benefit people, plants, animals, and insects. It's time for us to reconsider lawns on a grand scale, several researchers have concluded.</p><p>Considering how entrenched lawns are in the American imagination, to uproot them will require some give-and-take. Advocates say we need a culture shift as well as policies that support it.</p><p>"As climate change and droughts worsen, we might get to a point where there's political support to outlaw lawns," said Sarah B. Schindler, a professor of law at the University of Maine, who has written several papers about the legal authority of municipalities to ban lawns. "I do think we're seeing a change in norms, and I think part of that is tied to rising awareness of climate catastrophe."</p><p>Part of that work is simply raising awareness. Many people don't think about the possibility of their yards as anything but turfgrass. As Tallamy puts it, lawn is the default landscape, but it doesn't have to be. "People don't realize there's an alternative."</p>Choosing Native Plants
<p>Some communities are beginning to impose alternatives. In <a href="https://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-ga-turf-removal-class-20190307-story.html" target="_blank">California</a>, <a href="https://www.coloradoindependent.com/2019/07/18/rebate-turf-replacement-water-conservation/" target="_blank">Colorado</a>, and <a href="http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2013/10/cities-offering-rebates-to-encourage-residents-to-convert-yards-to-xeriscaping/index.html" target="_blank">Arizona</a>, where water shortages are a growing crisis, cities offer rebates for each square foot of lawn replaced with native or water-saving landscapes—a process known as "xeriscaping." In wetter climes, <a href="https://doee.dc.gov/service/raingardenrebate" target="_blank">Washington, DC</a>, and cities in <a href="https://lincoln.ne.gov/city/ltu/watershed/grant/landscape.htm" target="_blank">Nebraska</a>, <a href="https://www.12000raingardens.org/about-rain-gardens/incentives/" target="_blank">Washington state</a>, <a href="https://www.cityofames.org/home/showdocument?id=3456" target="_blank">Iowa</a> and <a href="https://www.southstpaul.org/680/Rebate---Rain-Barrel-Rain-Gardens" target="_blank">Minnesota</a> have implemented rebate programs for the planting of rain gardens, which capture and infiltrate more runoff than grass. The city of <a href="https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/recreation/parks/Managed%20Meadows%20and%20Grassland%20Habitats%20in%20the%20City%20of%20Alexandria,%20Virginia.pdf" target="_blank">Alexandria, Virginia</a>, recently changed its municipal mowing to allow for the growth of meadows and glades in city parks. </p><p>Throughout the country, local groups are advocating for the planting of natives on roadsides, medians, campuses, and parks. Some, like <a href="http://www.foodnotlawns.com/" target="_blank">Food Not Lawns</a>, encourage homeowners and neighborhoods to replace lawns with edible plants to establish food sovereignty and food security within their communities. Others take a more clandestine approach by planting "guerrilla gardens" or tossing "seed bombs" into abandoned lots and properties where they don't have the legal right to garden.</p><p><span></span>"One thing that we've learned with our research is that there is room for compromise," Tallamy said. Native planting doesn't have to be all or none to make a difference. He gave the example of chickadee reproduction: If you have at least 70 percent native plant biomass in a given habitat, you can have sustainable chickadee reproduction. "That gives you 30 percent to plant perennials and exotics and other ornamental plants."</p><p>Tallamy's research into the relationship between native plants and insects has inspired gardeners to do more than just turn their yards into native oases. Many are now creating resources to empower others to do the same.</p><p>The National Wildlife Federation created a <a href="https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/" target="_blank">native plant finder web tool</a>, which allows users to plug in a ZIP code to find trees, shrubs, and plants native to their region. Following her horticultural revelation, Toni Genberg created <a href="http://choosenatives.org/" target="_blank">ChooseNatives.org</a>, a resource to help users find, purchase, and learn about native plants. Since switching to natives, Genberg herself has seen all sorts of wildlife return to a property that, before, was only a suburban simulacrum.</p><p>Matt Bright founded the nonprofit charity Earth Sangha with the goal of propagating and restoring local native plant communities in the DC area. "We've set records for total plants distributed from our wild plant nursery for four years running," he said. "And overall, the trend has been towards more demand from all corners, whether that's from park managers and ecologists, homeowners, or landscaping companies."</p>Biodiversity Among Buildings
<p>But shifting away from lawns is complicated by the fact that municipalities have long adopted rules called "weed ordinances," which require short ground cover for purely aesthetic reasons. This effectively mandates the planting and maintaining of lawns, as do many local zoning laws and HOA bylaws. And these rules aren't always taken lightly. In Michigan a few years ago, a woman <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/julie-bass-may-face-jail-time-for-planting-vegetables/2011/07/08/gIQAZZOv3H_blog.html" target="_blank">faced jail time</a> for growing a vegetable garden in her front yard instead of lawn.</p><p>People don't want to be told that they can't have their lawns, but they also don't want to be told that they have to have a lawn.</p><p>The elephant in the room, of course, is property rights. Limits and requirements can inspire backlash. As Genberg points out, "Americans don't want to be told what to do, especially when it comes to their properties."</p><p>That's why Tallamy has focused on talking to the public instead of advancing top-down regulation. Laws, especially bans, need public support to pass. To even think about regulating lawns you first need to change the culture around them. As people like Toni Genberg and Matt Bright show, Tallamy's message is resonating.</p><p>"What you do on your property affects everybody," Tallamy said. Nonnative or ornamental plants may not look like pollutants, but from an ecological standpoint, they are. Tallamy's research bears this out: A new paper from his team shows just how effective nonnative plants are at destroying local habitats.</p><p>"We compared caterpillar communities in hedgerows that were invaded with non-natives versus hedgerows that were mostly native," he explained. "There's a 96% reduction in caterpillar biomass when they're nonnative, so if you're a bird and you're trying to rear your young, you just lost 96% of your food."</p><p>But there's a flip side, he said. If you take the invasive species out and put the native plants in, you've just created 96 percent more food.</p><p>And this isn't some gardening trend reserved for America's suburbs and conservation lands. In Manhattan, the most densely populated urban center in the country, officials converted an abandoned railway line into a public park called the High Line, with a policy of planting at least 50 percent native species.</p><p>"There are monarch butterflies there, there are all kinds of native bees, which really surprised me," Tallamy said. "If you can do that in Manhattan, you can do it anywhere."</p>From Your Site Articles
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Ambassadors with the #SuperCoralPlay campaign. Nicolette Amico / Newlink
Only the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will get to play in Super Bowl 54 in Miami Sunday. But anyone can make a #SuperCoralPlay.
<p>That's the name of a joint campaign from MSC Cruises, the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee (MSBHC),and 54 NFL players and influencers to raise awareness about the need to protect <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coral-reefs" target="_self">coral reefs</a>. It invites individuals and businesses to make a <a href="https://supercoralplay.org/pages/take-the-challenge-now" target="_blank">#SuperCoralPlay</a> by pledging to take action to help save coral and the wider environment and then posting on social media to spread the word. The campaign launched with a music video Jan. 16 featuring Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry and broadcaster and retired NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez.</p><span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8bbbda9d5d16a6af790c22c857a8e0c4"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O0WEWF2XbBY?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>"I'm a diver and I love the ocean – it's certainly a passion point for me," Sanchez said of his decision to get involved.</p><p>He highlighted the fact that coral reefs are in serious trouble — the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-ipcc-report-2610866229.html" target="_self">estimates</a> that 70 to 90 percent of them could be wiped out in the next two decades because of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>.</p><p>That's why the <a href="https://mscfoundation.org/" target="_blank">MSC Foundation</a> is working in its <a href="http://www.oceancaymsc.com/" target="_blank">Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve</a> in the Bahamas to identify and rebuild the reefs using "Super Coral" — hardy species of corals that have survived extreme ocean heat waves.</p><p>"We were just at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve a couple weeks ago and it's impressive to see the work MSC Foundation is doing by researching Super Coral – something that can have a global impact. But it's everyone's responsibility to take care of the world's reefs and that's why we wanted to get involved in Super Coral Play," Sanchez said.</p><p>If you're wondering exactly how to participate, Landry has the answers.</p>
<p>"We all have to do our part by making a play to reduce our carbon footprint. It's easy. You can switch to LED lightbulbs, refuse single use plastic or ride a bike instead of a car. Once you choose your play, post about it on social media using #SuperCoralPlay and challenge two friends to join the movement," he said.</p><p>You can also purchase a <a href="https://supercoralplay.org/products/super-coral-play-bracelet" target="_blank">Super Coral Play bracelet</a> made from abandoned fishing nets. For every bracelet sold, the MSC Foundation will propagate a new Super Coral.</p><p>So why is all this environmental activity centering around the Super Bowl?</p><p>"Every year the Super Bowl has a philanthropic focus, and this year it is the environment," Matthew McKinnon, Chair of the Advisory Board of the MSC Foundation, explained. "We were excited to team up with Miami Super Bowl Host Committee (MSBHC) and these 54 NFL players and influencers to help amplify our message about the importance of coral and raise awareness of the need to protect them."</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjY0MjI4NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5NTc4MzE0Nn0.Cy0gdo37BpzxVlUsexB0z-2Ww8IEmDcHXhwDOFcQNcQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="78c50" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="45c44aa4b0a26b15faf2b563907f25cf" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Ocean Cay in the Bahamas, where the MSC Foundation is working to find and promote 'Super Coral.' Conrad Schutt
<p>Participating in #SuperCoralPlay isn't the only way the Super Bowl is going green. For three years now, the game has worked to make sure stadium trash doesn't end up in a landfill, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/01/super-bowl-54-zero-waste-miami/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=Science_20200129&rid=48CC0311F587B019F9A7DFAEDA55B8D6" target="_blank">National Geographic explained</a>.</p><p>In 2018, 90 percent of the waste generated at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis was composted or recycled. This year, the stadium is aiming to phase out 99.4 percent of its single-use <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic" target="_self">plastic</a>. To that end, it is using aluminum containers for beer and water and compostable material like bamboo for cutlery.</p><p>Environmental groups say the big game is an excellent chance to raise awareness about sustainability.</p><p>"There really is no bigger stage than the Super Bowl to bring folks around the conversation," George Leonard, the chief scientist at the <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/" target="_blank">Ocean Conservancy</a>, told National Geographic.</p>
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200 Years of Exploring Antarctica — the World’s Coldest, Most Forbidding and Most Peaceful Continent
27 January
Science
The Antarctic Peninsula on Feb. 28, 2019. Daniel Enchev / Flickr
By Dan Morgan
Antarctica is the remotest part of the world, but it is a hub of scientific discovery, international diplomacy and environmental change. It was officially discovered 200 years ago, on Jan. 27, 1820, when members of a Russian expedition sighted land in what is now known as the Fimbul Ice Shelf on the continent's east side.
<p>Early explorers were drawn there by the mythology of <a href="https://lib-dbserver.princeton.edu/visual_materials/maps/websites/pacific/pacific-ocean/terra-australis.html" target="_blank">Terra Australis</a>, a vast southern continent that scholars imagined for centuries as a counterweight to the Northern Hemisphere. Others sought economic bounty from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247416000644" target="_blank">hunting whales and seals</a>, or the glory of conquering the planet's last wilderness. Still others wanted to <a href="https://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/highlights/2012/terraNova.html" target="_blank">understand Earth's magnetic fields</a> in order to better navigate the seas.</p><p>I am a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2atjAwMAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">geologist</a> who specializes in understanding the timing and extent of past ice ages. Much of my work focuses on the glacial history of Antarctica, and I've been privileged to conduct five field seasons of research there.</p><p>For the next two years I'll be working with a field team made up entirely of undergraduate students from Vanderbilt University to determine whether the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Antarctic_Ice_Sheet" target="_blank">East Antarctic Ice Sheet</a> changes flow patterns as it changes shape. All of the research these budding scientists conduct will be done under the auspices of the <a href="https://www.ats.aq/index_e.html" target="_blank">Antarctic Treaty</a>, a global agreement that promotes scientific cooperation and environmental protection.</p>
<h2>Frozen but Abundant</h2><p>Antarctica separated from South America 35 million years ago, and its climate started to change. It began to grow <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/quickfacts/icesheets.html" target="_blank">ice sheets</a> – masses of glacial land ice covering thousands of square miles. As plate tectonics shifted other continents, Antarctica became colder and drier. For the past 14 million years, it has been the frigid continent that persists today.</p><p>Antarctica is the only continent that was literally discovered, because it has no native human population. British explorer Sir James Cook circumnavigated the continent in 1772-1775, but saw only some outlying islands. Cook <a href="https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-JOD-00020/1" target="_blank">concluded</a> that if there were any land, it would be "condemned to everlasting regidity by Nature, never to yield to the warmth of the sun."</p><p>Cook also reported that Antarctic waters were rich with nutrients and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a>. This drew sealers and whalers, mainly from England and the U.S., who hunted the region's fur seals and elephant seals to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247416000644" target="_blank">near-extinction</a> in the following decades. This hunting spree led to the discovery of the Antarctic mainland and its ice sheets, the largest in the world.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYyMTMxOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDY0MTI4N30.DpM_jVKSqvQlJFmIhmsEPPvDYnOcHftDmYqk8-a7AgY/img.jpg?width=980" id="b9767" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="67367dfa973727d67b54e074149b6f44" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Antarctica is mostly covered by ice sheets on land and fringed by floating ice shelves. NOAA
<h2>Reading the Ice</h2><p>Today the combined East and West Antarctic ice sheets hold 90% of the world's ice, enough to raise global sea levels by <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/quickfacts/icesheets.html" target="_blank">roughly 200 feet (60 meters) if it all melted</a>. Antarctica is the coldest, highest, driest, windiest, brightest, and yes, iciest continent on Earth. And 200 years of research has shown that it is a key component of Earth's climate system.</p><p>Despite the appearance that it is an unchanging, freeze-dried landscape, my research and work by many others has shown that the East Antarctica Ice Sheet does slowly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.2039" target="_blank">thin and thicken over millions of years</a>. Interestingly, my data also suggest that as the ice advances and retreats, it moves in <a href="https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2016AM/webprogram/Paper285013.html" target="_blank">the same patterns each time</a>. Put another way, the ice flows over the same land each time it advances.</p><p>While East Antarctica adds and loses ice slowly, it is so large that it is a <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/4/1095" target="_blank">major contributor to sea level rise</a>. Understanding how the ice has changed in the past is key to predicting how much and how fast it will melt in the coming years.</p><p>These questions are especially important in West Antarctica, where the bottom of the ice sheet is below sea level, making it very susceptible to changes in sea level and ocean temperature. By itself, the West Antarctic ice sheet has the potential to raise sea level by <a href="https://www.the-cryosphere.net/7/375/2013/" target="_blank">16 feet (5 meters) if it collapses</a>.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate change</a> raises global sea levels, parts of the West Antarctica Ice Sheet, such as the <a href="https://thwaitesglacier.org/" target="_blank">Thwaites</a> and <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/pine-island" target="_blank">Pine Island Glaciers</a>, are particularly vulnerable to collapse. At the end of the last ice age, parts of West Antarctica thinned by an average of <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/299/5603/99" target="_blank">1.5 to 3 feet (0.5 - 1 meters) per year</a>. Today with GPS, satellite and airborne measurements, scientists are seeing parts of West Antarctica thin by <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014GL060111" target="_blank">3 to 20 feet (1 to 6 meters) per year</a>.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ce3d9d95770bb88b75dab3921d4ac1a5"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YRe1ymYR45k?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>We also know from the geological record that this ice sheet is capable of rapid collapses, and has sometimes thinned at rates in excess of <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/343/6174/999.abstract" target="_blank">30 feet (10 meters) per year</a>. Recent models show sea level could rise by <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature17145" target="_blank">1 meter by 2100 and 15 meters by 2500</a> if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at current rates and the ice sheet experiences a rapid collapse, as it has in the past.</p>
<h2>Finding Inspiration in Scientific Diplomacy</h2><p>Despite the potential for environmental disaster in Antarctica, the continent also offers evidence that nations can collaborate to find solutions. The <a href="https://www.scar.org/policy/antarctic-treaty-system/" target="_blank">Antarctic Treaty System</a> is the world's premier example of peaceful and scientific international cooperation.</p><p>This landmark accord, signed in 1961, sets aside Antarctica for peaceful and scientific purposes and recognizes no land claims on the continent. It also was the first non-nuclear accord ever signed, barring use of Antarctica for nuclear weapons testing or disposal of radioactive waste.</p><p>The great Antarctic explorer <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/shackleton_ernest.shtml" target="_blank">Sir Ernest Shackleton</a> said that "optimism is true moral courage," and the authors of the Antarctic Treaty were certainly courageous optimists. They were encouraged by the success of the 1957-1958 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/International-Geophysical-Year" target="_blank">International Geophysical Year</a>, a worldwide program of scientific research during which 12 countries built over 50 bases in Antarctica, including <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/support/mcmurdo.jsp" target="_blank">McMurdo Station</a> and the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/geo/opp/support/southp.jsp" target="_blank">Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjYyMTMyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5OTU4MDQ1NX0.ZOlVVKoamPniRPz-7TpcaLWxkOy5JdVs831kjjNces4/img.jpg?width=980" id="08b0a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d6203b818d7ce7e9a395971aedcd71d1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Flags of the 12 original Antarctic Treaty member countries at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. U.S. Antarctic Program / Rob Jones
<p>Under the treaty, scientists from North Korea, Russia and China can freely visit U.S. research stations in Antarctica. Researchers from India and Pakistan willingly share their data about Antarctic <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glaciers">glaciers</a>.</p><p>Thanks to the Antarctic Treaty, 10% of Earth's land surface is protected as a wildlife and wilderness refuge. I have set foot in places in Antarctica where I know no one has ever been before, and the treaty sets areas aside that no one will ever visit. Antarctica's landscapes are unlike anywhere else on Earth. The best comparison may be the Moon.</p><p>Yet in these stark environments, <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/about/antarctica/wildlife/" target="_blank">life finds a way to persist</a> – showing that there are solutions to even the most daunting challenges. If Antarctica has taught us anything in 200 years, it's that we can cooperate and collaborate to overcome problems. As <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/WTfFSJCJ5jkqnGPm4fqHyy/ernest-shackleton" target="_blank">Ernest Shackleton once said</a>, "Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all."</p>
<p>
<em>Dan Morgan is an associate dean and principal senior lecturer in earth and environmental sciences at Vanderbilt University.<br/>
</em><em>Disclosure statement: Dan Morgan receives funding from the National Science Foundation.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/200-years-of-exploring-antarctica-the-worlds-coldest-most-forbidding-and-most-peaceful-continent-129607" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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