America

  • The huge problem of food waste could be twice as big as we thought

    The huge problem of food waste could be twice as big as we thought

    May 11, 2020 17:00

    Consumers around the world could be wasting more than twice as much food as thought, according to an analysis that says previous estimates have been gross underestimates. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in 2011 that around a third of food is lost or wasted. This report is considered to have played a key role in food waste reduction becoming one of the world’s Sustainable Development Goals.

  • Ecotourism collapse threatens communities and wildlife

    Ecotourism collapse threatens communities and wildlife

    May 10, 2020 10:27

    Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, scientists have repeatedly urged humanity to reset its relationship with nature or suffer worse outbreaks. But the economic consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown have raised fears of a surge in poaching, illegal fishing and deforestation in life-sustaining ecosystems, with tens of thousands of jobs in the ecotourism sector at risk around the world.

  • Study finds protective masks can be effectively disinfected at home

    Study finds protective masks can be effectively disinfected at home

    May 01, 2020 08:47

    Researchers concluded that homemade masks and some medical masks can withstand simple disinfection without significantly reducing their effectiveness. A new study has found that disinfecting homemade masks by heating them may not significantly reduce their effectiveness — and that some medical masks can undergo this process and still be effective.

  • Earth Day 2020: Nature is a beneficiary of coronavirus

    Earth Day 2020: Nature is a beneficiary of coronavirus

    Apr 23, 2020 08:41

    Human beings have put too much pressure on the Earth causing irreparable damage, however, with the onset of coronavirus outbreak, the planet seemed to prosper and relive the burden which was unprecedented over the past 50 years when the first Earth Day celebrated.

  • Tough times for tourism, but UNWTO predicts holiday traffic will return

    Tough times for tourism, but UNWTO predicts holiday traffic will return

    Apr 22, 2020 14:20

    Tourism may have been brought to a near-standstill by COVID-19, but the industry — which accounts for 10 percent of global GDP — finds itself in a unique position to help put the global economy back on its feet, once the pandemic has passed. That’s the view from the UN World Travel Organization (UNWTO), which is closely monitoring the new coronavirus crisis from its Madrid headquarters and collaborating with other UN agencies on ways to mitigate its impact.

  • Feeling more tired than usual during lockdown? Psychologists explain why?

    Feeling more tired than usual during lockdown? Psychologists explain why?

    Apr 15, 2020 10:30

    The coronavirus pandemic has made people confused and uncertain, and given some a sense of trepidation. All these feelings can lead to poor sleep quality, which in turn can make people more tired and anxious. To break this cycle, exercise is a useful tool. Going for a walk or doing an online exercise class can make you feel physically tired but in the longer-term it will reduce feelings of fatigue as your sleep quality improves.

  • Climate change going to make health crises more frequent and worse

    Climate change going to make health crises more frequent and worse

    Apr 12, 2020 10:11

    While the world is currently facing down the COVID-19 pandemic, until we address an even broader issue — climate change — we'll likely face additional pandemics for years to come. Scientists have long warned that climate change will impact not just our environment, but also our health by increasing rates of infectious disease.

  • Excess dietary salt may weaken immunity against bacteria in kidneys

    Excess dietary salt may weaken immunity against bacteria in kidneys

    Apr 08, 2020 13:48

    Research in mice and humans has found eating more than the recommended amount of salt disrupts the antibacterial function of a type of immune cell. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), nine out of 10 people in the US consume too much salt (sodium chloride).

  • Scientists gather to study risk from microplastic pollution

    Scientists gather to study risk from microplastic pollution

    Feb 27, 2020 14:35

    Tiny bits of broken-down plastic smaller than a fraction of a grain of rice are turning up everywhere in oceans, from the water to the guts of fishes and the abdominal of sea otters and giant killer whales. Yet little is known about the effects of these “microplastics”— on sea creatures or humans.

  • Permafrost is already thawing. Will it tip the scales in the climate crisis?

    Permafrost is already thawing. Will it tip the scales in the climate crisis?

    Feb 24, 2020 15:46

    Across vast swaths of the northern hemisphere’s higher reaches, frozen ground holds billions of tonnes of carbon. As global temperatures rise, this “permafrost” land is at increasing risk of thawing out, potentially releasing its long-held carbon into the atmosphere.