-
The tipping points at the heart of climate crisis
Sep 24, 2020 15:25We have known for years that many parts of the climate have so-called tipping points. That means a gentle push, like a slow and steady warming, can cause them to change in a big way that is wholly disproportionate to the trigger. If we hit one of these tipping points, we may not have any practical way to stop the unfolding consequences.
-
'Nature is unraveling': New WWF report reveals 'alarming' 68% plummet in wildlife populations worldwide since 1970
Sep 14, 2020 09:10In the midst of a global pandemic, it is now more important than ever to take unprecedented and coordinated global action to halt and start to reverse the loss of biodiversity.
-
Hunger: The other way COVID will kill
Sep 14, 2020 09:03An outbreak of coronavirus pandemic-related nationalism — with countries blaming one another for the spread of the disease — has produced an escalating wave of trade barriers that has amplified the trouble on the roads. Rwanda has refused to allow Tanzanian truck drivers to haul goods into the country, forcing a time-consuming change of driver at the border.
-
Some trees may social distance to avoid disease
Jul 10, 2020 08:57It seems wind plays a crucial role in helping many trees maintain their distance. The boundaries carved by bouts between branches may improve the plants’ access to resources, such as light. Gaps in the treetops might even curb the spread of leaf-munching insects, parasitic vines, or infectious disease.
-
Global wake-up call
Jul 05, 2020 10:18The coronavirus pandemic, as horrible as it is, must be a wake-up call that prompts all political leaders to understand that our assumptions and approaches have to change, and that division is a danger to everyone. This understanding could lead people to recognize that the only way to address global fragilities is through much more robust mechanisms of global governance with international cooperation.
-
Human-derived mercury shown to pollute the world’s deepest ocean trenches
Jun 28, 2020 09:38Scientists have found that man-made mercury pollution has reached the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean — the Marianas Trench. This has significant implications for how mercury affects the marine environment, and how it may be concentrated in the food chain. According to Phys.org, the findings, which come from two independent research groups, are presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference.
-
WHO reports largest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases
Jun 25, 2020 09:59The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this week that Sunday saw the highest number of new cases of coronavirus across the globe since the pandemic began. More than 183,000 new cases were reported within a 24-hour time period around the world, WHO said, with Brazil tracking the highest amount during that time, counting 54,771 new cases. The United States had the second-highest single-day increase, according to WHO statistics, with 36,617 new cases during that period.
-
Save the insects, save the farmers, save ourselves: new global report calls for end of industrial agriculture
Jun 18, 2020 10:54A new report released on Tuesday draws attention to the worldwide decline in insects and calls for global policies to boost the conservation of both agriculture and the six-footed creatures. The report points to various studies documenting that loss, including 2018 research finding 41% of insect species are in decline and that one-third of all insect species are threatened by extinction.
-
Heart failure: Poor health literacy raises death risk
Jun 05, 2020 08:31Lila J. Finney Rutten, Ph.D., professor of health services research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota said “Our findings showed that an inadequate level of health literacy is associated with increased risks in mortality and hospitalization among patients with heart failure.”
-
Museums are losing millions but working hard to preserve COVID-19 artifacts
May 20, 2020 10:37In the future, generations will need the means to understand how the coronavirus pandemic affected our world, just as they can now reflect on the Spanish flu or the Black Death. The world heritage sector is already working hard to preserve the COVID-19 moment, predicting that future generations will need documentary evidence, photographic archives and artifacts to help them understand this period of history.