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Lost Worlds? The Myths of Atlantis and Lemuria Still Refuse to Die

September 16, 2025 by Julie Majid

Ancient stories of sunken continents continue to shape modern culture.

The names Atlantis and Lemuria conjure visions of vanished civilizations, swallowed by oceans and remembered only in myths. For centuries, they’ve been treated as tantalizing clues that maybe history is incomplete, that entire worlds could vanish without a trace. The allure isn’t just about ruins and treasure, it’s about what their survival in story form says about human imagination.

Despite repeated debunking by scientists, the tales refuse to fade. Writers, spiritualists, and conspiracy theorists keep them alive, reshaping the legends for each generation. What lingers is not evidence of lost continents, but something more enduring, the power of myth to blend scraps of geology, philosophy, and cultural longing into stories that refuse to die.

New Landslides Linked to Climate Change Are Hitting Minnesota’s Growing Cities

September 16, 2025 by Katy Stublen

Heavy rains are destabilizing hillsides faster than urban planners can adapt.

Minnesota, a state better known for snowstorms and lakes, is seeing a new kind of natural disaster unfold on its bluffs and hillsides. Intense rainfall, supercharged by climate change, is triggering landslides and rockfalls that threaten homes, highways, and neighborhoods in growing urban centers. The risk is no longer confined to rural areas—it’s arriving in Duluth, St. Paul, and smaller cities along the Mississippi River.

Scientists have warned that warmer air holds more moisture, producing heavier bursts of rain that overwhelm soils and slopes. Now, those warnings are visible in real time. The question hanging over city planners isn’t whether another slope will fail, but which community will be next. Minnesota’s fast-growing cities are suddenly realizing they sit on terrain more fragile than they ever imagined.

The World’s Most Popular Pet Now Faces Scrutiny Over Its Ecological Footprint, According to New Data

September 16, 2025 by Nicole Gehweiler

Feeding and caring for dogs is shaping global emissions in surprising ways.

Dogs are everywhere. From apartment balconies in Paris to ranches in Montana, they’ve become so embedded in human life that it’s easy to forget how many there are—nearly a billion worldwide. Yet their sheer numbers are drawing scientific attention, not because of their companionship but because of the ecological shadow they cast.

Recent studies are examining how pet food production, land use, and even waste disposal add up to a measurable share of global environmental strain. Researchers stress that no one is arguing for fewer dogs, but the conversation is shifting. Owning the world’s most beloved pet comes with hidden costs, and those costs are forcing a rethink of what sustainability looks like when man’s best friend is part of the equation.

Illegal Gold Mining & Mercury Pollution are Poisoning People and Wildlife, Creating Crisis Across Mexico

September 16, 2025 by Katy Stublen

A surge in unregulated mining has unleashed toxic fallout across entire regions.

Rising gold prices have fueled a rush of illegal mining operations across Mexico, and with them comes a hidden contaminant—mercury. The toxic metal is used to extract gold from ore, but once released into rivers and soils, it spreads far beyond mining pits. Communities, wildlife, and even distant food chains are now absorbing the costs.

Scientists and activists warn that the scale of mercury pollution rivals some of the country’s most urgent environmental crises. From the Sierra Madre mountains to river valleys downstream, mercury contamination is leaving a signature in fish, farmland, and human blood samples. The boom may be enriching cartels and small operators, but it is also spreading poison in ways that will last for generations.

Millions of Kangaroos Die in Drought While Australia Debates Killing Them Faster

September 16, 2025 by Katy Stublen

Extreme drought and new culling laws put kangaroos at the center of Australia’s survival struggle.

The story of kangaroos in Australia has never been straightforward. For some, they are symbols of the continent, bounding across postcards and tourism ads. For farmers, they are competitors for grass and water, especially in regions where every blade of pasture matters. That conflict has only sharpened in recent years as droughts kill millions naturally, while governments debate new legislation to make killing them easier.

The contrast is jarring. In 2019, during one of Australia’s harshest droughts in decades, reports described paddocks strewn with carcasses as kangaroos starved or collapsed from thirst. Now, instead of relief, new policies are expanding commercial culling quotas. The country is faced with a paradox—kangaroos are dying in staggering numbers, yet lawmakers argue that more killing is the solution.