Poisoning Earth and our terrible fate, if, if, if

Nord Stream 1 to stop leaking

gas on Monday, agency says

September 29th, 3:28pm (TASS)

Gas... is likely to stop leaking from the damaged Nord

Stream 1 pipeline next Monday, Reuters reported on

Thursday, citing a spokesperson for Nord Stream
AG, the pipeline's operator.

It is impossible to provide any forecasts for the

pipeline's future operation, until it is possible

to reach the area to assess the damage,

according to the report.

"Until there are some results from an assessment of

the damage, no forecasts can be made. The damage

assessment can be carried out on the spot as soon

as we manage to approach the area. At the
moment... it is a restricted zone,"
a spokesperson said.

___________________________________________

Microplastics are

now discovered
in plant leaves

September 12th, 10:37pm

(Lenta.ru)

The University of Presov in Slovakia said that in the

studied samples of plant leaves, scientists, for
the first time, found traces of microplastics.

The findings are published
in the journal BioRisk.

Plants from the genus of villi (Dipsacus) have

characteristic leaves growing in pairs on

several tiers --- which forms a kind of

receptacle that collects water and

attracts insects into it.

In the samples taken, experts found fragments and

fibres of multi-coloured microplastics -- some of

which were up to 2.4 millimetres long. No third

-party sources of pollution around the territory

were recorded, so the plastic got into the

flowers from the polluted atmosphere,

the researchers say.

Another suggestion is that it could have been

introduced by snails from the soil or from

other plants.

In the future, experts plan to thoroughly study the

impact of microplastics on ecosystems of flora

and insects. In addition, they suggest using

villi as bioindicators of environmental

pollution.

In June 2022, the University of Canterbury

announced the first detection of micro-

plastics in fresh snow.. in Antarctica.

________________________________________

Cuba will host the International

Agroforestry Convention in
October

by Elsy Fors Garzon

August 27th, 3:43am

(Prensa Latina)

Cuba will host the 2022 International Agroforestry

Convention next October, a macro-event aimed

at researchers, academics, businessmen and

communicators, it was reported at a

press conference.

The director of the Agroforestry Research Institute

(INAF), Pedro Pablo Henry, highlighted that the VIII

Forestry Congress of Cuba, the IV International

Congress of Coffee and Cocoa, the VIII

International Meeting of Young

Researchers and the VII Cuban

Congress of Beekeeping, will

meet, as part of the event.

Henry pointed out that for 4 days the event’s agenda

will occupy the link between forests and society,

biodiversity and ecosystem services, climate

change, production, as well as the

interactions of forests and water

and sustainable agricultural

production technologies.

Similarly, the director of the INAF, highlighted, that

the integrated management of soils and nutrients,

agroforestry activity ....facing the challenges
to achieve the UNs Sustainable Development
Goals, the quality, benefit and by-products
of coffee, and cocoa, will be discussed &
the improvement and breeding of bees.

Henry stressed that the convention will be an opportune

moment - to exchange endorsed scientific experiences

that directly affect the increase in productive activity.

The director of the INAF reported that the presence of

about 400 participants is estimated, and that to date

specialists from Italy, Peru, Panama, Mexico,

Colombia and Ecuador, have confirmed.

______________________________________________

Worst-ever drought

devastates Europe

by Samuel Tissot

August 15th, 3:21am

(World Socialist Website)

From Britain to the Balkans, a record-breaking drought

is devastating Europe. Over 60% of the EU and UK

face drought conditions, according to the

European Drought Observatory, in what

one EU Commission scientist called

Europe’s worst drought in

500 years.

Major rivers and lakes are drying up, farmers are facing

unprecedented crop failures, and energy supplies

are collapsing amid unprecedented heat and

lack of rainfall.

The summer of 2022, which broke records for heat,

wildfires and now drought in Europe, has made

clear --- the urgent necessity of dealing with

global climate change. It has now reached

such a vast extent that, without prompt

and large-scale action, it will threaten

basic functions of society critical to

human life—such as the ability to

provide water, food, electricity,

and safe housing.

This summer’s extreme drought was caused by record-

low precipitation in Europe this year and successive

heatwaves ------ including the July heatwave that

shattered temperature records. Extreme heat

and drought also led to record wildfires, with

615,341 hectares burned this year across

Europe — the highest-ever figure for

mid-August.

The drought is disrupting key food and energy

supplies, already undermined by the NATO-

Russia war in Ukraine, driving prices for

essential goods even higher amid the

ongoing inflation crisis.

On the Rhine River, barges are carrying goods at 25%
capacity, due to low water levels. Water levels are

now at 40 centimetres, but are forecast to fall to

around 30cm --- which may completely halt

transport on the river. Such stoppages

in 2018, cost the German economy

an estimated €5 billion.

Last week... France forced its nuclear power plants,

which produce 70% of its electricity, to operate at

reduced capacity: releasing high-temperature

coolant water into rivers that are at record

low levels is an ecological hazard.

Amid the ongoing energy crisis, however, the French

energy agency now has ordered the plants to return

to full capacity, whatever the resulting damage to

the environment, including plant and animal life.

Of France’s 96 mainland departments, 86 are on

drought alert. The Loire River, France’s second

-largest, can be crossed on foot, along much

of its length.

The water level on the Danube River, Europe’s longest,

is currently 43 centimetres, the lowest since records

began. In Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, dredging

efforts are underway to keep the river navigable

for barges, which are crucial for Balkan food

and energy supplies. In southern Germany,

the river’s water temperature exceeded

25°C and is expected to reach 27°C by

the end of the month, the same

temperature, as the

Caribbean Sea.

Across Europe, fish are threatened by record high

water temperatures and low oxygen content.

The entire fish stock of Conopljankso

reservoir in Serbia died, after it

completely dried up.

The surface of the Oder River, running between Poland

and Germany, is now all but covered in dead fish.

While Polish officials have contested reports of

heavy industrial contamination of the river, it

is clear that as the river’s water volume

plummeted to record lows, the

concentrations of industrial

pollutants, have

skyrocketed.

European farmers are facing massive crop failures, with

production of key grains down 30 to 40 percent in Italy

and nearly 20 percent in France. Spain’s olive oil crop,

which counts for nearly half of world exports, is

expected to be one-quarter of the average

produced over the last five years.

In northern Italy’s Po Valley, 60 percent of this year’s

crop has been lost as farmers have been unable to

use local rivers for crop irrigation. This has already

caused at least €6.2 billion in damage. The region,

which produces 30 to 40 percent of Italy’s food

supply, has seen virtually no rain this year.

Near the Po estuary, water levels are so low that salt

water from the Adriatic Sea flowed 30 kilometres

upstream, killing crops near the river’s banks

that had so far survived the drought.

Drinking water supplies are critically low, in every city

along the Po Valley, including Milan and Turin. Water

levels in lakes in the region are also at historical

lows, including the popular tourist destination

of Lake Garda in northern Italy, which has

almost completely dried up.

Even Europe’s northernmost and wettest regions are

suffering. Low water levels in Norway’s reservoirs

are reducing its ability to produce hydroelectric

power. This has led to warnings that it may

have to cut energy exports, further

exacerbating the energy crisis

caused by NATO's threats to

refuse to pay for Russian

gas and Russian threats

to cut off supplies.

Eight UK regions face drought

conditions, including London.

___________________________________________

Many Ways Nature

Nurtures Human

Well-Being

August 7th, 10:31am (FNA)

A systematic review of 301 academic articles,

on "cultural ecosystem services" has enabled
researchers to identify how the nonmaterial

contributions from nature, are linked to and

significantly affect, human well-being.

They identified 227 unique pathways through which

human interaction with nature - positively or

negatively - affects well-being. These were

then used to isolate 16 distinct underlying

mechanisms, or types of connection,

through which people experience

these effects.

The comprehensive review brings together observations

from a fragmented field of research, which could be

of great use to policymakers --- looking to benefit

society through the careful use and protection

of the intangible benefits of nature.

Do you ever feel the need for a bit of fresh air... to

energize yourself, or to spend time in the garden

to relax? Aside from clean water, food & useful

raw materials, nature provides many other

benefits, that we might overlook, or find

hard to grasp and quantify.

Research into cultural ecosystem services (CESs) the

nonmaterial benefits we receive from nature, aims to

better understand these contributions, whether they

emerge through recreation and social experiences,

or nature's spiritual value and our sense of place.

Hundreds of CESs studies have explored the

connections between nature and human

well-being. However -- they have often

used different methods and measure

-ments -- or focused on different

demographics and places.

This fragmentation makes it difficult to identify

overarching patterns or commonalities, on

how these intangible contributions really

affect human well-being. Better under-

standing them could aid real-world

decision-making --- about the

environment, which could

benefit individuals and

the wider society.

To try to get a "big-picture" view, graduate student

Lam Huynh, from the Graduate Program in

Sustainability Science at the University

of Tokyo, and team... conducted a

systematic literature review of

301 academic articles.

After a critical reading, they were able to identify

hundreds of links. "We identified 227 unique

linkages between a single CES (such as

recreation or aesthetic value), and a

single constituent of human well-

being (such as connectedness,

spirituality, or health).

''We knew that there are many linkages, but we were

surprised ---- to find quite so many of them," said
Huynh. "Then, through further critical reading,
we could identify major commonalities."

In particular, they identified 16 distinct underlying

"mechanisms," or types of connection, which

refer to the different ways that people's

interaction with nature... affects
their well-being.

For example, there can be positive interactions through

"cohesive," "creative" and "formative" mechanisms,

but also, negative interactions, through "irritative"

and "destructive" mechanisms. Previous studies

had identified some of these mechanisms, but

10 were newly defined --- including the more

negative effects, clearly showing that our

well-being is linked to the intangible

aspects of nature, in many more

ways than previously thought.

According to the paper, the negative contributions

to human well-being came mainly through the

degradation or loss of CESs, and through

ecosystem "disservices" ------ such as

annoyance at wildlife noise, which

can affect some people's mental

health, in particular.

However, on the other hand, the highest positive

contributions of CESs, were to both mental and

physical health, which were generated mainly

through: recreation, tourism and

aesthetic value.

"It is particularly interesting to note that the identified

pathways and mechanisms, rather than affecting

human well-being independently, often interact

strongly," explained co-author, Alexandros

Gasparatos, associate professor at the

Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI)
at the University of Tokyo.

"This can create negative trade-offs in some contexts,

but also important positive synergies that can be

leveraged, to provide multiple benefits to

human well-being."

Despite the comprehensiveness of the review, the

researchers acknowledge that there may still be

more links, that have not yet been identified,

especially as the review revealed gaps in

the current research landscape.

"We hypothesize... that missing pathways and

mechanisms could be present in ecosystem

-dependent communities, and, especially,

traditional and Indigenous communities,

considering their very unique relations

with nature," said Gasparatos.

"Another of the knowledge gaps we identified --- is

that the existing literature on these nonmaterial

dimensions of human-nature relationships

--- mainly focuses... on the well-being of

individuals, rather than on collective

(community) well-being,"

explained Huynh.

"This significant gap hinders our capacity to identify

possible synergies and trade-offs in ecosystem

management research and practice."

The team has now received a grant, to explore the

effects of CESs provision to human well-being in

the urban spaces of Tokyo. "This project is a

logical follow-up, to test whether and how

some of the identified pathways and

mechanisms unfold in reality and

...intersect with human well-

being," said Gasparatos.

The researchers hope that this study and similar efforts,

will make it possible to apply the key findings from this

complex and diverse body of knowledge, to enable a

real-world impact.

Professor Kensuke Fukushi from IFI, and study co-

author, summarized their hope that: "an improved

understanding of nature's many connections to

human well-being & the underlying processes

mediating them, can help policymakers to

design appropriate interventions. Such

coordinated actions - could leverage

the positive contributions of these

connections - & become another

avenue to protect and manage

ecosystems sustainably."

________________________________

EU Climate Plan Doomed

Unless Anti-Russia

Sanctions Lifted:

Lawmaker

July 10th, 10:29am

(al Manar)

The controversial EU green transition plan, also known

as Fit for 55, which was designed to reduce the bloc’s

greenhouse gas emissions by 55%... by 2030, is

unfeasible --- unless sanctions against Russia

are lifted, EU lawmaker, Roman Haider,

told Sputnik.

“They don’t know how to save their unrealistic

and dangerous, Fit for 55 strategy --- without

canceling the sanctions against Russia,”
Haider considered.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament backed EU

regulations designating nuclear and gas energy: as

environmentally sustainable economic activities,

saying that private investment in gas and

nuclear projects... may play a role in
the green transition process.

Massively harmful to the environment

Haider indicated that the European Parliament

decision signaled that EU governments are

facing a stark reality, recognizing that

more time and more realistic goals

are required to transform the

energy infrastructure

in Europe.

“This package is a massive threat to businesses in

Europe. It makes Europe even more dependent
on imports and drives the price spiral further

upwards. It destroys jobs, promotes the

impoverishment of Europeans --- and is

massively harmful to the environment.

In short, Fit for 55 - is a serious threat

to Europe,” the EU lawmaker warned.

He also stressed that to achieve carbon neutrality

by 2040.. and meet the goals of the Paris climate

agreement, Austria would have to cut emissions,

by 95% over the next 18 years, as a recent study

shows that the country’s CO2 emissions in 2021

reached 1990 levels.

Source: Agencies (edited by

Al-Manar English Website)

______________________________

Colombians Reject Judicial

Authorization for Fracking

July 8th, 2022

(teleSUR)

The decision disregards the risk of serious and

irreversible damage that this experimental

technique represents --- for the human

environment, health, and integrity.

On Thursday, Colombian environmental defenders

rejected a decision whereby the Council of State

facilitates oil exploitation through hydraulic

fracturing (fracking).

"The decision disregards the environmental

precautionary principle -- and the risk of

serious and irreversible damage that

this experimental technique

represents: for the human

environment, health, and

integrity" ...the Fracking

Free Colombia Alliance

(ACLF) stressed.

“Fracking is dangerous, in the context of the

climate crisis and openly inconsistent with

the international commitments acquired

by Colombia,” it recalled.

The ACLF also recalled, that the implementation

of this technique will increase risks to the lives

of environmental defenders and Indigenous

peoples in Magdalena Medio, "a territory

that has suffered oil exploitation and

armed violence, for more than

a century."

The Colombian debate about fracking's environmental

and social consequences intensified during the

administration of President Juan Manuel

Santos (2010-2018), who signed a

decree that opened the doors to

the use of fracking in so-called

"unconventional deposits''.

Later, despite the social rejection of the pollution and

violence associated with the operations of fracking

companies, the far-right President Ivan Duque
implemented this exploitation practice,

arguing that it would contribute to

the country's energy security.

During the last electoral campaign, the Historical

Pact candidate Gustavo Petro openly took a

position against hydraulic fracturing.

On Thursday, ratifying his political promises,

the President-elect Petro said "there will be

no fracking in Colombia."

______________________________________________

The Brazilian Amazon Lost

3,987 SQ KM of Vegetation

July 8th, 12:53pm (teleSUR)

Since Jair Bolsonaro came to power, in

January 2019, the rates of devastation

in the jungle have increased by 73%.

On Friday, Brazil's National Institute for Space

Research (INPE) revealed that deforestation

in the Brazilian Amazon broke a record in

the first half of the year, with 3,987

square kilometres of devastated

vegetation, 10.6 percent more

than the same period in 2021.

The area of lost vegetation is equivalent to 483

football fields. In June alone, 1,120 square

kilometres of native vegetation were

destroyed in that region of the

country, 5.5 percent more

than in the same month

of 2021.

These are the highest rates - for the month and for

the semester - registered since 2016, when the

measurement began. The data corresponds to
the Legal Amazon Deforestation Detection
System in Real Time (DETER) which uses
satellite images to offer early warnings

about the areas that are being
deforested in the Amazon.

This system captures monthly deforestation alarms in

Brazil and differs from the PRODES system, which

only issues annual information between August

and July of the following year, which is

considered the reference period for

measuring environmental

devastation.

However, the figures are beginning to worry, as the

trend shows that the deforestation of the jungle

will grow for the 4th consecutive year,

something that environmentalists

attribute to the lack of controls

and supervision of President

Bolsonaro's administration,

to stop the activities that

destroy the forest, such

as illegal mining or the

illicit trade in wood.

In fact, the far-right politician defends the

exploitation of natural resources in the

Amazon and in indigenous territories,

where the law prohibits

extractive activities.

Since Bolsonaro came to power in January 2019,

the rates of devastation in the jungle have

increased by 73 percent to reach 13,038

square kilometres in 2021. In 2018, a

year before the former Capitan took

office, only 7,536 sq. kilometres

of jungle were devastated.

The largest tropical forest on the planet

concentrates 72%of Brazil's mining

extraction and 99% of the wood

sold by the country is illegally

extracted from the Amazon.

________________________________

Did you know...?

Plastic waste has more

than doubled since 2000

by Pavel López Lazo

February 24th, 6:35pm (Prensa Latina)

A report entitled Global Plastics Outlook on

Thursday, revealed that the amount of

plastic waste has more than doubled

globally since 2000 --- and nearly a

quarter, is dumped in uncontrolled

sites, burned in open pits or leaks

into the environment.

Plastic waste has more than doubled
worldwide, since 2000, with a
whopping 353 million tons
produced in 2019.

After taking into account losses during
recycling, only 9% of plastic waste

was ultimately recycled, while

19% was incinerated and

nearly 50% went to

sanitary landfills.

“The remaining 22% was disposed of in

uncontrolled dumpsites, burned in

open pits, or leaked into

the environment.”

On the other hand, a scientific study shows

the oceans already accumulate 24.4 billion

pieces of microplastic.

Experts estimated that amounts range from

82,000 to 578,000 tons, or the equivalent

of roughly $30 billion 500-ml plastic

water bottles.

According to the journal Microplastics and

Nanoplastics, the study aimed to assess

the true impact these particles have, on

aquatic organisms and the environment.

Microplastics – up to 5-mm size – can travel

thousands of kilometres in the open sea

and, depending on their degradation,

remain at certain distances from

the ocean surface.

Although more research is needed to know the

effects of microplastics, several studies have

confirmed a real impact on people’s lives, as

they can suffer from alveolar lung disease,

and altered hormones, leading to other

disorders, including infertility

or hypothyroidism.

According to a report published by the World

Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), people are at

risk of ingesting around 5 grams of
micro-plastic, per week.

_____________________________________

WHY WE ARE ALL
EATING SH*T

"A recent publication by a European commission
on soil health found up to 70% of soils in the
EU, are losing the capacity to provide
crucial ecological functions."

"When soil is healthy, it stores and drains water.
It also grows 95% of the food humans eat.''

''When soil is degraded, its basic
life-giving processes don't
function properly. "

Go to this site before it's ''lost'':

https://www.sciencealert.com/experts-warn-
mediterranean-soil-is-reaching-a-critical-limit

_______________________________________

Illegal gold mines flood

Amazon forests with

toxic mercury

by Elsy Fors Garzon

January 29th, 3:02am (Prensa Latina)

Illegal gold mines in the Amazon jungle of Peru

contaminate with mercury at levels as high as

those found in the industrial regions of China,

a new investigation revealed today.

The levels, 137 micrograms per square metre

of soil each year, were higher than in any

forest tested near coal-fired power plants

in Europe and North America... the

authors reported... in the British

journal Nature Communication.

They behaved on a par with industrial cities in China

such as coal-dependent Chongqing, they described,

adding that the findings suggest a sponge-like

behaviour of the rainforest trees.

The leaves, which are coated with contaminated dust,

also absorb gaseous mercury as they take in air,

they noted in the article.

The metal, eventually, finds its way to the ground

as leaves fall or rain washes away dust and after

capturing the dripping water, they discovered

more than twice as much rain washout,

compared to any other site.

The results indicated that forests can buffer some

of the harmful effects of mercury, by hiding it in

leaves and soil, the study participants noted.

People and wildlife are generally not at risk from

this locked-up mercury, explained Luis

Fernandez, a tropical ecologist and

executive director of Wake Forest

University’s Amazon Science

Innovation Centre.

You could walk, swim in the water, bury yourself in

the leaves... and you’re not going to get toxicity

doing that -- a reason to keep tropical forests

standing, the expert emphasized.

Still, the airborne form of mercury can become very

dangerous when it seeps into water and sediment

and is converted to something else,

methylmercury, by bacteria in

the liquid, he warned.

The team involved found sobering signs, that

methylmercury is reaching forest creatures,

and by testing three species of songbirds

they had levels two to 12 times higher

than similar species caught in a

forest far from a mine.

This shows that it is entering the food web, said

Emily Bernhardt, a subject supervisor for

biogeochemistry and analysis at Duke

University in North Carolina.

Research data shows that gold mining recently

overtook coal burning, as the world’s largest

source of airborne mercury pollution,

annually releasing up to 1,000 tons

of the potent brain poison into

the atmosphere.

__________________________________

Media report
environmental

impact of sea
traffic in
Europe

by Aleynes Palacios Hurtado

January 11th, 00:15am (Prensa Latina)

Sea traffic in Europe accounts for 13.5 percent

of the emission of greenhouse gases and

carbon microparticles into the airways

of crews working on ships,

media reported.

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) made

public its 2021 report on the environmental impact

of those operations, which revealed that container

ships, bulk carriers and oil tankers account for 60

percent of the emission of those particles (soot).

It noted that cruise ships, despite making up a low

percentage of the total fleet, emit 10 tons per ship

a year, a figure lower than the 1.7 recorded for

an oil tanker.

The report warned about wastewater discharge: large

ships discharge huge quantities of dirty, oily, bilge

and ballast water and solid waste (plastics,

packages, food waste) into the sea,

causing damage to the

sea's ecosystems.

According to EMSA, the main dirty waters discharged

into the sea are used to clean exhaust gases of

chimneys through filters installed to retain

polluting particles.

On the other hand, the report warned about the

accidental loss of huge amounts of containers

with all their content, which ends up at the

bottom of the sea.

Another negative impact is the so-called underwater

noise, caused by ships, which disturbs the life of

cetaceans and other species that use

frequencies to communicate with

each other.

_____________________________

2022 to be among

hottest years

since 1850

by Ana Luisa Brown

January 7th, 00:30am (Prensa Latina)

The average temperature in 2022 will be

between 0.97 and 1.21 degrees Celsius

(°C), among the warmest years since

1850, the World Meteorological

Organization (WMO) noted

regarding the estimates

from the UK Service.

The fact that the central figure has exceeded 1.0°C

since 2015 masks the considerable international

variation, explained one of the leading experts

in climate prediction, Doug Smith, who added

that in some places, such as the Arctic,

temperatures have risen several

degrees... since pre-

industrial times.

According to the head of Long Range Forecasting

at the British Met Office, Professor Adam Scaife,

the predicted temperature illustrates that the

increase in greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere is now warming the

planet at an exponential rate.

____________________________

China's 'man-made sun'

sets new world record

December 31st, 2:22pm (PressTV)

Chinese scientists have set a new world record

by achieving a 1,056 second-long operation of

a "man-made sun".

The breakthrough was made on Thursday during

the latest round of experiments at the

experimental advanced super-

conducting tokamak (EAST),

or China's "man-made sun".

The scientists achieved a temperature of 70 million

degrees Celsius of long-pulse and high-parameter

plasma, lasting for 1,056 seconds, according to

Gong Xianzu, a researcher at the Institute of

Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of

Sciences. The scientist is in charge of the

experiment conducted in Hefei, capital

of east China's Anhui province.

They had earlier set a world record of achieving

a plasma temperature of 120 million degrees

Celsius for 101 seconds on May 28 this year.

The latest round of experiments started in early

December this year, and will last until at least

June 2022.

The ultimate goal of EAST, located in Hefei, is

to create nuclear fusion like the Sun, using

deuterium abounding in the sea, to

provide a steady stream of

clean energy.

_______________________________

World faces largest
species extinction

since dinosaur era,
WWF warns

December 31st, 1:09pm (RT)

Around a million species might disappear

within the next few decades..... the

conservation organization reports

The Earth is facing the biggest extinction event..

since the end of the dinosaur era, with a million

species at risk of becoming extinct, within the

next few decades, the World Wildlife Fund

(WWF) has said in a report.

Titled ‘Winners and Losers of 2021’, the article,

published on Wednesday, lists the endangered

animals whose populations have shrunk or

grown the most this year.

“African forest elephants, polar bears, tree frogs,

cranes and species of fish such as sturgeon and

huchen --- these are just some of the losers in
2021. They represent thousands of
endangered animal species,”
the WWF said.

Among the ‘winners’, the organization lists the Iberian

lynx – one of the rarest cats in the world – along with

Nepalese rhinos and great bustard birds. Noting that
the success of these species is a tribute to

the efforts of conservationists, the WWF

emphasizes that the situation

remains serious.

“Around a million species could become extinct within

the next few decades, which would mark the largest

species extinction since the end of the dinosaur

era,” the organization claimed.

According to a WWF board member Eberhard

Brandes, species protection, now involves

the question of “whether humanity will

someday end up on the red list in a

hazard category and become the

loser of its own way of life.”

There are more than 40,000 animal and plant species

currently on the International Red List, qualified as

threatened with extinction by the International

Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In total the Red List includes almost

142,600 endangered species.

____________________________

Fully biodegradable food

packaging developed

in Russia

December 21st, 2:55am (TASS)

The first food packaging made of laminated

cardboard, which decomposes in soil in

six months, was developed in Russia,

OSQ press service told TASS.

"Laminated craft packaging, when it gets into the

ground, 100% decomposes within six months

& has no analogs in Russia. For comparison,

plastic food packaging begins to decompose

in the ground only after 400 years. The

products of the company’s previous

brand underwent 70%

decomposition in the

environment," the

statement said.

The company specified that the production of

cardboard containers, cups, and other types

of packaging has been established at the

company's plant in Vidnoye, Moscow

Region. In the future, additional

capacities will be added to the

plant in Kaliningrad - with the

investments in construction

of 1.1 bln rubles
($14.85 mln).

___________________________

Biden electric vehicle push

hits ''setback'' in US Senate

December 20th, 11:04am (PressTV)

A bid by the White House to dramatically boost

electric vehicle tax credits hit a major road-

block on Sunday, when a key Senate

Democrat... said he would not

support Biden's $1.75 trillion

domestic investment bill.

West Virginia's Joe Manchin appeared to deal a fatal

blow to President Joe Biden's signature domestic

policy bill, known as Build Back Better, which

also aims to expand the social safety net

and tackle climate change.

The bill includes increasing the current $7,500 EV tax

credit to up to $12,500 for union-made US vehicles

as well as creating a credit of up to $4,000 for

used vehicles. The bill would also, again,

make General Motors and Tesla Inc...

eligible for tax credits after they hit

the 200,000-vehicle cap on the

existing $7,500 credit.

The bill also includes a 30% credit
for commercial electric vehicles.

GM and Ford are both launching electric pickup

trucks in 2022, and new tax credits could be

crucial to meeting initial sales targets,
as well as meeting rising vehicle

emissions requirements.

Biden wants 50% of new US vehicles to be electric or

plug-in electric hybrid, by 2030. The administration

is expected, as soon as this week, to finalize

tougher new vehicle emissions rules

through 2026, automakers say.

Manchin opposes a $4,500 tax credit for union-made

vehicles that is part of the $12,500 proposal. He

calls the union credit "wrong" and

"not American."

The EV tax credits are backed by Biden, many

congressional Democrats and the United
Auto Workers (UAW) union and would

disproportionately benefit Detroit's
Big Three automakers - GM, Ford
Motor Co and Chrysler parent

Stellantis NV - which

assemble their US-

made vehicles in

union plants.

Tesla, and foreign automakers operating in the

United States do not have unions representing

assembly workers --- and many have fought

UAW efforts to organize US plants.

Toyota Motor Corp, which has a plant in West

Virginia, but whose US employees are not

union members, has ''lobbied'' against

the $4,500 union credit.

Toyota announced this month it is building a $1.29

billion battery plant in North Carolina, while EV

startup, Rivian Automotive, said on Thursday

that it will build a $5 billion plant in Georgia.

Vehicles would have to be made in the United States

starting in 2027, to qualify for any of the $12,500

credit, which includes $500 for US made

batteries. It has faced criticism from

Canada, Mexico, Japan and

the European Union.

(Source: Reuters)

_________________________________

‘Doomsday Glacier’

--- melting at an

alarming rate

December, 15th, 11:54am (RT)

A massive glacier in Antarctica, seen as crucial to
the global sea level rise, could lose its ice shelf in

“as little as five years,” a team of scientists

has warned.

The Thwaites Glacier in western Antarctica is

sometimes called the Doomsday Glacier

because of its great potential to raise

sea levels once melted. The glacier

is about 74,000 square miles...

which is roughly the size of

Florida, according to

CBS News.

A team of US scientists reported at a US Geophysical

Union meeting, this week, that new cracks were

forming on the eastern ice shelf --- which

supports one third of the glacier.

The shelf, which “acts as a dam to slow

the flow of ice off the continent into

the ocean,” appears to be “losing

its grip” ...due to warm water

seeping under the glacier,

researchers said, citing

satellite images.

“If this floating ice shelf breaks apart, the Thwaites

Glacier will accelerate, and its contribution to sea

level rise, will increase by as much as 25%,” the

scientists wrote, adding that the shelf could
be broken up in “as little as five years.”

According to the study, one of the fastest-melting

glaciers in Antarctica is contributing as much as

4% of global annual sea level rises, today, while

the cracks are expanding into the central part

of the ice shelf, at rates as high as 2km

(1.2 miles) per year.

“There is going to be dramatic change in the front

of the glacier, probably in less than a decade.

Both published and unpublished studies

point in that direction,” geology

professor Ted Scambos, US

lead coordinator for the

International Thwaites

Glacier Collaboration..

told the BBC, Tuesday.

____________________________

New FAO report on land,

water resources, paints

an alarming picture

by Pavel López Lazo

December 9th, 5:13pm (Prensa Latina)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United

Nations (FAO) on Thursday launched a landmark

report highlighting the worsening state of the

earth’s soil, land and water resources and

the challenges it poses... for feeding a

global population expected to near

ten billion by 2050.

“The pressures on soil, land and water ecosystems...

are now intense, and many are stressed to a critical

point,” FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, wrote in

the foreword to the synthesis report, entitled the

State of the World´s Land and Water Resources

for Food and Agriculture – Systems at breaking

points (SOLAW 2021).... “Against this back-

ground, it is clear our future food security

will depend on safeguarding our land,

soil and water resources.”

The report says if we keep to the current trajectory,

producing the additional 50% more food needed

could mean water withdrawals for agriculture

increasing by up to 35%. That could create

environmental disasters, increase

competition for resources, and

fuel new social challenges

and conflicts.

Among other aspects, it stands out that human-induced
soil degradation affects 34% (1,660 billion hectares)
of agricultural lands. Over 95% of our food is
produced on land, but there is little room
for expanding areas of productive land.
Urban areas occupy less than 0.5% of
the Earth’s land surface but the rapid
growth of cities... has significantly
impacted land & water resources,

polluting & encroaching on prime
agricultural land that’s crucial...
for productivity & food security.

With limited arable land and freshwater resources - a

rapid scaling-up of technology and innovation is vital.

We must strengthen the digital architecture needed
to provide basic data, information & science-based

solutions for agriculture... that make full use of

digital technologies and are climate-proofing.

Land and water governance must be more inclusive

and adaptive, to benefit millions of smallholder

farmers, women, youth, and indigenous

peoples. They are the most vulnerable

to climatic and other socio-economic

risks, and face the greatest food

insecurity.

Sustainable soils, land and water are the foundations

for resilient agrifood systems. So the sustainable

use of these resources... is key to achieving

climate mitigation and adaptation targets.

___________________________

Earth is Getting Its Own

Black Box

That Will Tell What Caused

Humanity's Demise

December 6th, 1:08pm (Sputnik)

The device will be placed on an empty plain in

Tasmania, Australia. The researchers behind

the project, say the area was chosen for its

geological as well as geopolitical stability.

Other locations proposed, were located

in Malta, Norway, and Qatar.

Researchers from the University of Tasmania...

have partnered with the Australian marketing

communications company, Clemenger

BBDO, to create a black box for our

planet, which they say.... will tell

future generations (and maybe

extraterrestrial guests, who

knows)....... what caused

humanity's demise.

Black boxes installed on airplanes and automobiles

play an invaluable role in establishing the causes

of accidents - so why shouldn't Earth have one,

researchers apparently wondered. Jim Curtis,

the executive creative director at Clemenger

BBDO, told ABC --- that the project is

completely non-commercial.

The box will be made from 7.5 centimetre-thick steel

...and will be filled with a mass of storage drives,

which, according to researchers, will record

"every step we take... towards" a potential

catastrophe, meaning they are gathering

information: on pollution, the extinction

of species, ocean acidification, as well

as climate change-related events such

as average temperatures, and levels

of carbon dioxide. The latter traps

heat radiated from the Sun and

consequently leads to

climate change.

The black box will have an internet connection and

will also collect contextual data ...such as news

about key international events like the United

Nations Climate Change Conference,

meetings between world
leaders, etc.

Although the construction of the structure to house the

box will begin in the middle of 2022, the hard drives

have already begun recording information.

The black box, which will be the size of a bus, will also

have solar panels to provide backup power storage.

Jonathan Kneebone, a co-founder of the artistic

collective, Glue Society, which is also involved

in the project, said the device is "built to

outlive us all".

Researchers say that while the main objective is to

help future civilisations, or whoever accesses the

black box, to understand what should be done to

prevent catastrophes, they also hope that it will

make politicians... put their money where their

mouths are, when it comes to preserving the

environment and protecting life on Earth.

"It's also there to hold leaders to account – to make

sure their action - or inaction - is recorded. When

people know they're being recorded... it does

have an influence on what they do and say",

said Jonathan Kneebone.

________________________________________________

FAO calls for urgent action on

sustainable soil management

by Luis Linares Petrov

December 4th, 00:15am (Prensa Latina)

FAO Director General Qu Dongyu called to take

urgent action - to improve information and

capacities in favoor of sustainable soil.

The head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO)took part in a video conference

of the eighth edition of World Soil Day, which has

been celebrated every December 5th, by

decision of the General Assembly,

since 2014.

Stopping salinization is the central topic this year,

which according to Qu is one of the main threats

to having healthy soils around the world.

The director general recalled that some 833 million

hectares are affected by salinization in all corners

of the planet, as shown in the World Soil Map

presented in October.

He pointed out that it is a problem present in all

regions, particularly in the Near East, South

America, North Africa, as well as in the

Pacific and Central Asia.

The effects of salt on soils pose a significant risk

to world food security, he noted, and called to

seek innovative ways to make agri-food

systems more efficient, inclusive,

resilient and sustainable.

________________________________

Shell oil company abandons

controversial project in

British seas

by Erich Tellez Corrales

December 3rd, 9:24am (Prensa Latina)

The Anglo-Dutch multinational Royal Dutch Shell

announced, today, that it will abandon a

controversial oil exploration project

in the North Sea, in a decision

welcomed by the British

environmental groups.

According to the company, a comprehensive

analysis of plans to exploit Cambo, a field

..outlined west of Scotland’s Shetland

islands, showed that the economic

benefits are not strong enough at

the moment, plus there are

possibilities of delays

to put the project

into motion.

The announcement by Shell, which held 30%

of the shares, was greeted with rejoicing by

environmental organizations, and environ-

mental defenders who have been demand-

ing for years.. that the British government

prohibit exploration & exploitation permits.

Shell is out! This is the beginning of the end of

Cambo, said on Twitter the environmental

group, Stop Cambo, which warned,

however, that it will not rest until

the entire project is shut down.

Greenpeace’s UK affiliate, which last October lost a

legal challenge to force the government to reverse

a permit granted to British Petroleum to operate
in a neighbouring North Sea field, said the
Anglo-Dutch oil company’s withdrawal
should be seen as a death blow
to Cambo.

The right decision to ensure the UK’s energy security

is to speed up the introduction of renewable sources

and ensure that the interests of oil and gas workers

are protected through a fair transition, said Labour

MP and well-known environmentalist Ed Miliband.

The company Siccar Point Energy, which shared

the Cambo project with Shell, promised to look

for alternatives to continue exploration, while

the government limited itself to saying that
it is a commercial decision... taken

independently by the Anglo-

Dutch transnational.

___________________________________

The US – the world’s biggest polluter –

calls out countries that need to

'step up' on climate change

December 2nd, 11:26am (PressTV)

US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John

Kerry, has called out a number of countries

that need to “step up” on climate change,

despite the fact that the United States

has contributed more than any other

country - to the atmospheric carbon

dioxide that is scorching the planet.

According to studies, the US military is the

largest consumer of hydrocarbons on

the planet and one of the largest

polluters in history.

However, Kerry, in an interview at the Reuters

Next conference, on Wednesday, accused

other countries of falling short on their

commitments to stave off the worst

effects of global warming.

“And that means you have China, India, Russia,

Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa, a

group of countries that are going to

have to step up,” Kerry said.

“And we... have to help them. This, is not just

unloading responsibility on them,” he added.

Kerry has said the current climate situation

cannot be rectified... without the “full

engagement and commitment”

from China.

Democrats in the US House of Representatives

and Senate --- have already called on US

President Joe Biden to use targeted

sanctions to punish individuals

and companies that are

worsening the global

climate crisis.

In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last month,

Democratic lawmakers particularly targeted

China and its companies.

The lawmakers urged the US administration to use

sanction authorities under the Global Magnitsky

Human Rights Accountability Act --- to target

individuals and companies that are found

to be involved in climate-related

corruption and human rights

abuses abroad.

Both the Trump and Biden administrations used

the Magnitsky Act, to target individuals and
companies they said were engaged in

corruption or human rights abuses

around the world.

Largely, individuals and companies from Russia,

China, Belarus, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Eritrea,

and Cuba, have been targeted.

Last month, scores of countries convened in

Glasgow, Scotland, for the COP26 climate

summit, where they reached a deal that

calls for cutting global carbon dioxide

emissions by 45% by 2030, when

compared to 2010 levels.

Kerry on Wednesday said private investments for

clean-energy technologies are also essential for

fighting climate change, according to Reuters.

“No government on the planet has enough money

to effect this transition... But, the private sector

does have that money. I believe the private

sector has the ability to win this battle

for us,” he said.

US is world's biggest
plastic polluter: Report

According to a new report submitted to the US

federal government on Wednesday, the US is,

by far, the biggest contributor to global

plastic waste in the world.

Entitled "Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global

Ocean Plastic Waste," the report calls for... a

national strategy to tackle the growing crisis.

The US contributed around 42 million metric tons

(MMT) in plastic waste in 2016: more than twice

as much as China has --- and more than all the

countries of the European Union combined,
according to the analysis.

Every US citizen generates 130 kilograms of plastic

waste in a year, with Britain next on the list --- at

99 kilos per person, per year, followed by

South Korea, at 88 kilos per year,

AFP reported.

"The success of the 20th-century miracle invention (sic)

of plastics, has also produced a global scale deluge

of plastic waste, seemingly, everywhere we look,"

wrote Margaret Spring, chief science officer of

Monterey Bay Aquarium, who chaired the

committee of experts that compiled

this report.

Another Government report says climate change

will shrink the US economy and kill thousands

of US people.

_______________________________________

Vietnam readies 2nd largest

garbage recycling plant
...in the WORLD

by Lino Céspedes Rodríguez

December 2nd, 10:03am (Prensa Latina)

Vietnam polishes the finishing touches to a plant

that will recycle garbage into energy, and be

the second largest in the world, of its kind,

officials from investment company Thien

Y Environment, reported today.

Located on the outskirts of Hanoi, the plant will

have the capacity of processing 4,000 tons of

waste per day (60% of what is produced by

the capital) and producing 75 megawatts

of electricity per hour.

Built at a cost of nearly $ 310 million dollars... the

plant covers a surface of 173,900 square metres,

making it the second largest in the world, after

Chinese Shenzhen, which processes 5,000

tons of garbage per day.

Left over matter, after being used to produce energy,

will be incinerated and used in the manufacture of

bricks and other construction materials.

To fully ensure safety, it will count on a gas

filtration system: preventing the emission

of dioxins, mercury, nitrogen and other

polluting substances into

the environment.

Vietnam thus takes a new step towards the

full elimination and use of... solid waste.

Currently the 3 main ways of waste treatment

in the country, are: burial, the production of

microbiological fertilizers, and burning.

Only 30% of Vietnam’s existing dumping areas

meet ecological standards, while most of its

nearly 300 incinerators, are small-scale.

__________________________________

Among Europe’s dirtiest: ‘Green’

biomass power plant in Yorkshire

burning ‘renewable’ wood emits

MORE CO2 than UK’s coal

– report

October 9th, 5:45pm (RT)

A supposedly “carbon neutral” Drax biomass power

plant is the UK’s leading source of CO2 emissions

--- and belches out more harmful carbon and

particulate matter, than some of Europe’s

dirtiest coal plants, according to a

new report.

Renewable energy firm Drax describes its plant in North

Yorkshire as a “purely renewable” facility, boasting that

it has slashed its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, by

90% since 2012. The plant burns biomass – pellets

of compressed wood – and received £832 million

($1.13 billion) in direct government subsidies

last year, on top of an estimated £258
million ($351 million) in carbon
tax breaks.

Yet the energy generated at Drax... is far from green, a

new report by environmental think tank Ember claims.

While the UK and EU consider biomass power “carbon

neutral,” this assessment is based on the assumption

that biomass emissions are offset by the planting of

new trees.

This forest regrowth takes time, and the European

Academies’ Sciences Advisory Council (EASAC)

reported earlier this year that switching plants

from coal to biomass – as was the case at

Drax’ Yorkshire facility – would not cause

any drop in emissions for at least three

to five decades.

“Such technology is not effective in mitigating climate

change and may even increase the risk of dangerous

climate change,” the EASAC stated.

In the UK, wood burning plants like Drax’ currently spew

out more CO2 than coal plants, including coal used in

steel production. Drax is the country’s top emitter

.......releasing 13.3 million tons of CO2 into the

atmosphere per year ---- compared to the

entire coal sector’s yearly emissions

of 10 million tons.

Data shows that Drax is Europe’s third-worst emitter

of CO2, behind Germany's Neurath and Poland’s

BeÅ‚chatów coal plants. It is also Europe’s 4th

-worst emitter of PM10 particulate matter,

coming in behind three coal plants in

Poland and Romania. It is the only

biomass facility... to rank in

Europe’s top ten CO2 and

PM10 emissions lists.

A Drax spokesman responded to Ember’s report by

describing the think tank’s figures as “inaccurate

and completely at odds with what the world’s

leading climate scientists at the UN IPCC

say, about sustainable biomass being
crucial to delivering global

climate targets.”

The company says that its carbon emissions are

“biologically sequestered,” meaning they are

technically counted as zero under the

previously-mentioned EU and UK

assumptions of forest regrowth.

However, critics suggest that the scientific
consensus on “sustainable” biomass...
may soon change.

“Recent science demonstrates that burning forest

biomass for power is unlikely to be carbon

neutral – and there’s a real risk that it’s

responsible for significant emissions,”

Ember Chief Operating Officer
Phil MacDonald stated.

“Before the government spends more taxpayer

money on biomass.. we should make sure we

know we’re getting the emissions reductions

that we’re paying for.”

_________________________________

Gazprom and Aeroflot behind

Russia's first green aviation fuel

September 24th, 12:30pm (Prensa Latina)

The Russian companies Gazprom Oil and Aeroflot

reported the signing of a deal to create the first

production of aviation fuel with a minimal

carbon footprint... from agro-forestry

systems.

The oil company explained that the use of such a

green resource can reduce up greenhouse gas

emissions in the sector up to 80 percent,

TASS news agency reported.

The deal between the Russian firms... provides for

the development of various efficient formulations

of aviation fuel. In this case, the fuel is to be

adjusted to various types of aircraft and

it will be certified in accordance with

Russian and international aviation

safety standards.

'In our country and around the world there is a potentially

high demand from the aviation industry for green fuel,

taking into account the task of reducing the carbon

intensity of air traffic,' Gazprom Oil head

Alexander Diukov noted.

He explained that the main research platform for the new

product, will be the Gazprom Neft Industrial Innovation

Technology Centre in Saint Petersburg.

According to Diukov, the partnership with Russia's largest

airline will make the process of developing this aviation

fuel more efficient.

According to Aeroflot CEO Mikhail Poluboyarinov, ecology

is becoming one of the most important issues in aviation,

and its relevance increased under the influence of the

Covid-19 pandemic.

___________________________________________

FAO launches tools to encourage

soil organic carbon sequestration

September 9th, 12:45pm (Prensa Latina)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the

United Nations, on Wednesday, launched

two practical instruments designed to

encourage soil organic carbon

(SOC) maintenance and

sequestration.

The two products unveiled today, part of the RECSOIL

initiative, are a global map illustrating how much
and where, CO2 can be sequestered by soils...
the GSOCseq, and a technical manual of
good practices, to sequester and
maintain SOC stocks in soils.

'We must look for innovative ways... to transform our agri-

food systems.. to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and

sustainable. Healthy soils are critical to achieving this,'

FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, told the opening

session of the ninth Global Soil Partnership (GSP)

Plenary Assembly.

While soils and soil health are well-rooted in the global

agenda, tangible impacts remain an important

challenge 'for better production, better

nutrition, a better environment and

a better life for all, leaving no
one behind,' Qu said.

___________________________________________

UN chief calls for bold action

to curb biodiversity crisis

August 31st, 12:51pm (Prensa Latina)

UN Secretary-General (UNSG) António Guterres,

on Monday, warned about the threatening loss

of biodiversity and called for greater actions

to prevent further damage.

In remarks to a high-level virtual meeting to develop

a new global framework to address biodiversity

loss... Guterres underlined the need for

commitment, ambition and credibility.

'As people and livestock encroach further into wild

habitats, we run the risk of unleashing terrifying

new pandemics,' he warned.

He also urged Governments to shift the 'perverse

subsidies' that destroy healthy soils, pollute our

water and empty the oceans of fish.

We must incentivize actions to sustain nature and also

establish larger and better managed conservation

areas to safeguard species, functioning

ecosystems and carbon stocks - for

current and future generations.

Likewise, he laid stress on the need to empower the

leadership of indigenous peoples and local

communities whose lands encompass

much of the world's remaining

biodiversity.

One million species are at risk of extinction:

this is wiping out options for society, from

medicines to food, passing over crucial

solutions for mitigating and adapting

to climate changes, Guterres said.

Humanity is now waging an absurd and self-destructive

war on nature, and peace must be declared as soon as

possible, only courageous action on the ground, can

curb the biodiversity crisis, he added.

__________________________________

UN chief warns - about

global temperature rise

September 7th, 12:31pm (Prensa Latina)

The planet is dangerously close to reaching the

internationally agreed threshold of 1.5 degrees

Celsius of temperature increase, the UN

Secretary-General (UNSG) António

Guterres, warned on Monday.

We must act decisively now --- in order to avoid a

climate catastrophe. There is no longer time for

delays, and no room for excuses, Guterres

posted on Twitter.

He shared a link to the interactive atlas containing

information from the most recent report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC). The digital tool enables flexible

spatial and temporal analysis... of a

large part of information checked

and projected on this issue,
in upcoming years.

According to IPCC, human-induced climate change

is widespread and rapidly intensifying, while

several trends are irreversible, at least

during present period, and directly

affect the happening of many

extreme weather events.

Scientists also observed changes throughout the

Earth's climate system, in the atmosphere,

oceans, ice floes, and the ground.

Many of these transformations are unprecedented,

and others, such as the continuing sea level rise,
are already 'irreversible' for centuries or
millenniain the future, according
to the IPCC report.

On Monday, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina

Mohammed called for courageous measures
for a global economy with zero emissions
of harmful gases by 2050, and to limit

increased temperature levels.

The world is going through a season of wildfires

and floods, which mainly affects fragile and

vulnerable populations in rich and poor

countries, she stressed.

____________________________

Era of leaded petrol
worldwide, is over

August 31st, 12:52pm (Prensa Latina)

As the service stations in Algeria stopped providing leaded

petrol in July, the use of this highly polluting fuel ended

globally, international organizations reported. Since

1922, the use of tetraethyllead as a petrol additive

to improve engine performance, has been a

catastrophe for the environment and for

public health. 2021 has marked the

end of leaded petrol worldwide,

after it's contaminated the air,

dust, soil drinking water and

food crops, for the better

part of a century... as

reported by the UN´s

official website.

Plus... leaded petrol caused heart disease, stroke and

cancer. It also affects the development of the human

brain, especially harming children, with studies

suggesting it reduced 5-10 IQ points... so the

UN Environment Program (UNEP) began its

campaign to eliminate lead in petrol

in 2002.

Banning the use of leaded petrol has been estimated
to prevent over 1.2 million premature deaths per
year, increase IQ points among children, save

US$2.45 trillion for the global economy,
and decrease crime rates.

'The successful enforcement of the ban on leaded petrol,

is a huge milestone for global health & our environment,'

said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

'Overcoming a century of deaths and illnesses....

that affected hundreds of millions and degraded

the environment worldwide, we are invigorated

to change humanity's trajectory for the better,

through an accelerated transition to clean

vehicles and electric mobility.'

Experts said, while the world has eliminated the largest

source of lead pollution, bold actions are still needed

to curb it from other sources, such as paints,

batteries, and household items.

____________________________________

Environmentalists block

central London on

2nd day of protests

August 24th, 9:33pm (Prensa Latina)

Hundreds of people today blocked the streets around

Parliament.. and several government buildings in the

centre of this capital on the second day of protests

to demand urgent action against climate change.

Several protesters called by the environmental movement

Extinction Rebellion (XR), lay on the pavement behind a

large green cloth, accusing the 'government of getting

into bed with climate criminals,' while others danced

and sang to the beat of drums. .

We are here because the government does not tell the truth

about climate change and what it will mean for our children

and grandchildren, one of the activists, who said her name

was Mary, told Prensa Latina.

According to the member of XR, an organization that defines

itself as peaceful, the authorities of the United Kingdom and

other developed countries try to hide from people that the

lack of food and water, is a consequence of

this phenomenon.

Mary considers, in turn... that the promises made by British

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to reduce carbon emissions

to zero by 2050 and his plan to replace gasoline and diesel

vehicles with electric ones are 'too few and they are too late'.

We need to act now, because there are people in the Global

South who are already suffering terribly, and there are

even wars for resources affected by climate change,

she said.

Juliana, a Brazilian living in London who, like other protesters,

attended the protest accompanied by her children, explained

that she brought them with her because the future of the new

generations is in danger.

The British environmental group, which also requires the

government to declare a climate emergency and allow

citizen assemblies to decide policies to address

climate change, announced that its so-called

'Impossible Rebellion' will last for 2 weeks,

after a pause of several months, due
to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to its usual demands in central London, XR plans

to also focus on the City's financial district, where the

offices of banks that finance fossil fuel companies

are located.

Although the protests were developing peacefully, the

Metropolitan Police reported that at least 50 people
were arrested between Monday and Tuesday.

__________________________

Activists peacefully take over

Ministry of Petroleum in Norway

August 23rd 5:20pm (Prensa Latina)

A group of activists took over the Norwegian Ministry

of Oil and Energy today, as part of environmental

actions in various parts of the country...

for 10 days.

These are members of the Extinction Rebellion group,

which blocked the main entrance to the ministerial

headquarters and called for the cessation of

hydrocarbon exploitation.

Norway is the main producer in Western Europe

and pumps about four million barrels daily.

In addition to a hundred protesters on the outskirts of

the building with banners and messages in the palms

of their hands, 17 people took to lobbying the

Ministry to demand from its head, Tina Bru,

the cessation of all activity in the sector.

The police, meanwhile, informed the NRK television station

they would not suppress the protests for the moment,

although they invited them to withdraw, in the
next 20 minutes.

'For decades we have written letters, we have spoken, we

have demonstrated. They let us talk, but they are not

listening,' young Hanna Kristina Jakobsen said,

over a megaphone, to the crowd.

That is why we now do peaceful civil disobedience.

We are desperate, added the 22-year-old woman.

The issue is a point of debate for the September 13th

elections, in which a centre-left opposition is

expected to defeat the conservative-

led coalition.

Minister Bru said that, while she shares concerns
about climate change, protesters use what she
called undemocratic methods, that will not

deliver results.

We will never be successful in fighting climate change

if we scrap democracy along the way, she said, in

a statement.

______________________________________

Activists from the international

environmental movement

Extinction Rebellion
plan to begin weeks-
long protests in London.

SEE MORE... INCLUDING

LIVE UP-TO-DATE NEWS

at https://sputniknews.com/uk/

_________________________

July was the hottest month

on record in 142 years

August 16th, 9:47am (Prensa Latina)

Since weather records began in 1880, the month of

July 2021, was the hottest on a global scale, it

was known today.

According to the data published by the U.S. Office of

the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration,

worldwide, the combined temperature of the land

and ocean surface, was 0.93 degrees Celsius

above the 20th century average of

15.8 degrees.

This means one tenth of a degree higher than the

previous record set in July 2016, which was then

tied in 2019 and 2020, making July 2021 the

hottest recorded in 142 years, the report

from that entity pointed out.

It also indicated that in the northern hemisphere, the

temperature on the earth's surface was the highest

ever, with 1.54 degrees Celsius above the average,

surpassing the previous record set in 2012.

Added to this is that the sea ice cover in the Arctic for

July 2021 was the 4th smallest in the 43-year record

according to an analysis by the external link of the

National Snow and Ice Data Centre of the US. Only

July 2012, 2019 and 2020, had a lesser extension.

Those data could place 2021 among the 10 hottest years

on record in the world, according to the Global Annual

Temperature Rankings Outlook.

Recently, a study published in Science Advances journal,

pointed out that the Earth could become more volatile as

temperatures continue to rise, due to global warming, a

paleoclimatic research on extreme phenomena warns.

Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

in the US, examined the last 66 million years during the

Cenozoic era, which began shortly after the extinction

of dinosaurs, and discovered a warming turn in

climate fluctuations.

The finding confirmed the occurrence of more warming

episodes lasting thousands of years than cooling ones,

due to the release of carbon dioxide into the

atmosphere by volcanoes, among other

factors, the article said.

It also revealed that this process ended about five million

years ago, and ice layers began to form in the northern

hemisphere and, with the current melting of the Arctic

..it suggests a greater amplification of human-induced

global warming.

_____________________________

Ocean Current System That Affects

‘Large Part of World’s Climate’ on

Brink of Collapse, Study Says

by Andrei Dergalin

August 12th, 6:54pm (Sputnik)

The study postulates that the current system in question

has suffered "an almost complete loss of stability, over

the last century."

The ocean current system known as the Atlantic

Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC),

which includes the Gulf Stream, may be on

the brink of collapse, Live Science reports

-- citing a new study.

The AMOC, is “responsible for moderating large parts of

the world's climate” as its currents transport water from

the tropics to the north, while bringing cold water from

the north, back south.

Now, the new study warns that AMOC has suffered "an

almost complete loss of stability over the last century."

According to the media outlet, the collapse of this system

would have a "disastrous impact on global weather

systems," with possible consequences, including:

rising sea levels in the Atlantic, "greater cooling

and more powerful storms across the Northern

Hemisphere," and “severe disruption to the

rain that billions of people rely upon to

grow crops in Africa, South America

and India."

Time to Hit the Brakes: Urgent Action Needed

to Prevent ‘Runaway Climate Change’,

Says UN Report

"The findings support the assessment that the AMOC decline

is not just a fluctuation or a linear response to increasing

temperatures but likely means the approaching of a

critical threshold beyond which the circulation

system could collapse," said Niklas Boers,

researcher at the Potsdam Institute for

Climate Impact Research, and
author of the study.

The study reportedly seeks to resolve a debate among scientists

working on the subject about whether the weakening of the

AMOC means its circulation will slow down – "but in a
way that humans can reduce through lowering carbon

emissions," or if the system is "about to flip to a

permanently weaker form, that could not be

reversed for hundreds of years."

"The difference is crucial," Boers said, arguing that the latter

would mean "the AMOC has approached its critical

threshold, beyond which a substantial and, in

practice, likely irreversible, transition to
the weak mode, could occur."

___________________________________

'Code Red for Humanity':

Bombshell UN Climate

Change Report Shows

Global Warming

Accelerating

August 9th, 1:11pm (FNA)

We ignored the warnings, and now it's too late: global

heating has arrived with a vengeance and will see

Earth's average temperature, reach 1.5 degrees

Celsius above preindustrial levels around 2030,

a decade earlier than projected only three

years ago, according to a landmark UN

assessment published on Monday.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

bombshell – landing 90 days before a key climate

summit desperate to keep 1.5C in play – says the

threshold will be breached around 2050, no

matter how aggressively humanity draws

down carbon pollution, France

24 reported.

Years in the making, the sobering report approved by

195 nations shines a harsh spotlight on governments

dithering in the face of mounting evidence --- that

climate change is an existential threat.

Nature itself has underscored their negligence.

With only 1.1C of warming so far, an unbroken cascade

of deadly, unprecedented weather disasters bulked up

by climate change has swept the world this summer,

from asphalt-melting heatwaves in Canada, to

rainstorms turning China's city streets into

rivers, to untameable wildfires sweeping

Greece and California.

"This report is a reality check," said Valerie Masson-

Delmotte, who co-led hundreds of scientists in

reviewing a mountain of published

climate science.

"It has been clear for decades that the Earth's climate is

changing, and the role of human influence on the

climate system is undisputed," Delmotte added.

Indeed, all but a tiny fraction of warming so far is

"unequivocally caused by human activities", the

IPCC concluded for the first time in its three-

decade history.

The world must brace itself for worse – potentially

much worse – to come, the report made clear.

Even if the 1.5C target humanity is now poised to

overshoot, is miraculously achieved, it would

still generate heatwaves, rainfall, drought

and other extreme weather

"unprecedented.... in the

observational record",

it concluded.

At slightly higher levels of global heating, what is today

once-a-century coastal flooding will happen every

year by 2100, fuelled by storms gorged with

extra moisture and rising seas.

"This report should send a shiver down the spine of

everyone who reads it," said Dave Reay, director
of the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute at
the University of Edinburgh, who was not

among the authors.

"In the unblinking delivery style of the IPCC, it sets out

where we are now and where we are headed (on)

climate change: in a hole, and still digging,"

Reay added.

Another looming danger is "tipping points", invisible

thresholds – triggered by rising temperatures – for

irreversible changes in Earth's climate system.

Disintegrating ice sheets holding enough water to raise

seas a dozen metres; the melting of permafrost laden

with double the carbon in the atmosphere; the

transition of the Amazon from tropical forest

to savannah – these potential catastrophes

"cannot be ruled out", the report cautions.

Our natural allies in the fight against climate change,

meanwhile, are suffering battle fatigue.

Since about 1960, forests, soil and oceans have

steadily absorbed 56 percent of all the CO2

humanity has chucked into the atmosphere

– even as those emissions have increased

by half.

But these carbon sinks are becoming saturated,

according to the IPCC, and the percentage
of human-induced carbon they soak up is

likely to decline as the century unfolds.

The IPCC "report, is a code red for humanity",

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

"The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence

is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from

fossil fuel burning and deforestation are

choking our planet and putting billions

of people at immediate risk," he said.

The report does offer a sliver of hope

for keeping the 1.5C goal alive.

The IPPC projected the increase in global surface

temperature for five emissions scenarios –

ranging from wildly optimistic to outright

reckless – and identifies best estimates

for 20-year periods with mid-points of

2030, 2050 and 2090.

By mid-century, the 1.5C threshold will be breached

across the board – by a 10th of a degree along the

most ambitious pathway, and by nearly a full

degree at the opposite extreme.

But under the most optimistic storyline, Earth's surface

will have cooled a notch, to 1.4C, by the century's end.

The other long-term trajectories, however,

do not look promising.

Temperature increases, by 2090, range from a

hugely challenging 1.8C to a catastrophic 4.4C.

The report's authors were at pains to emphasise

that the 1.5C goal is not all-or-nothing.

"It is important politically, but it is not a cliff edge

where everything will suddenly become very

catastrophic," said lead author Amanda

Maycock, director of the Institute for

Climate and Atmospheric Sciences

at the University of Leeds.

Ed Hawkins, a professor of climate science at the

University of Reading and a lead author, said

that "every bit of warming matters".

"The consequences get worse and worse as we

get warmer and warmer. Every tonne of CO2

matters," Hawkins added.

Part 2 of the IPCC assessment – on impacts –

shows how climate change will fundamentally

reshape life on Earth in the coming decades,

according to a draft seen by AFP.

It is slated for publication in February. Part 3,

to be released in March, focuses on ways

to reduce carbon in the atmosphere.

The focus now will shift to the political arena,

where a non-stop series of ministerial and

summit meetings, including a critical G20

in October, will lead up to the COP26 UN

climate conference in Glasgow, hosted

by Britain.

Countries do not see eye-to-eye on many

basic issues, beginning with the 1.5C goal.

China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Russia are

lukewarm on it, US special presidential Envoy

for Climate John Kerry told the New Yorker

last week.

Rich countries, meanwhile, have badly missed a

deadline to provide funding for developing

nations to green their economies and

adapt to climate change already in

the pipeline.

"The new IPCC report is not a drill but the final

warning that the bubble of empty promises is

about to burst," said Saleemul Huq, director

of the International Centre for Climate

Change and Development, in Dhaka.

"It's suicidal, and economically irrational,

to keep procrastinating," Huq added.

_____________________________________

UK's COP26 Head Warns of

Global 'Catastrophe', From

Climate Breakdown: Unless

Measures are Taken NOW

August 8th, 11:30am (Sputnik)

The UK president of the COP26 Climate Change

Conference, Alok Sharma, has warned that the

world is... on the brink of a "catastrophe"

from climate breakdown, calling for

urgent actions.

The remark, made in an interview with The Observer,

came ahead of a report by the Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world's

leading authority on climate science, set to

be released on Monday. The paper... on

how close the world is to a potentially

irreversible disaster due to extreme

weather, will be "the starkest

warning yet, that human

behaviour is alarmingly

accelerating global

warming", the

official said.

"I don't think we’re out of time but I think we're getting

dangerously close to when we might be out of time.

We will see [from the IPCC] a very, very clear

warning: that unless we act now, we will,

unfortunately, be out of time", Sharma

said late on Saturday, noting the

consequences of failure, will

be "catastrophic".

The UK minister in charge of the flagman UN climate talks

noted that the impact of global warming was already

evident across the world, citing deadly flooding in

Europe and China, as well as wildfires and

record high temperatures registered in

parts of the world.

Because of climate change, more sea ice is being lost

each summer than is being replenished in winters.

Less sea ice coverage also means that less sun-

light will be reflected off the surface of the
ocean in a process known as the albedo
effect. The oceans... will absorb more
heat, further fueling global warming.

"I don't think there's any other word for it. You're seeing

on a daily basis, what is happening across the world.

Last year was the hottest on record, the last decade

was the hottest decade on record", Sharma added.

Commenting on the upcoming reports, the official said

that the paper would urge the international community

— governments, businesses and individuals — to

push for stronger action on greenhouse gas

emissions at the COP26.

"This [IPCC report] is going to be a wake-up call, for anyone

who hasn't yet understood why this next decade has to be

absolutely decisive in terms of climate action. We will
also get a pretty clear understanding that human
activity is driving climate change at alarming
rates", he said.

The COP26 is set to take place in the Scottish city of Glasgow

from 31 October to 12 November, gathering representatives

from some 200 countries. The event, which was cancelled

last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will seek to

speed up the implementation of the ground-breaking

2016 Paris Agreement that aims at cutting carbon

emissions and promote green transition.

___________________________________

Leaked report reveals US

oil companies’ conspiracy

July 3rd, 6:27pm (PressTV)

A leaked report has revealed how some "shadow groups"

are undermining government efforts to reduce green-

house gas emissions causing global warming.

The report, which was prepared by some of the world’s top

climate scientists, blames disinformation and lobbying

campaigns funded by big energy companies -- such

as Exxon Mobil -- as a major setback in the fight

against global warming, according to Politico

on Friday.

In the report, which began emerging last week, the Inter-

governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) whose

job is to examine the state and validity of climate

research and studies across the globe, blamed

think tanks, foundations, trade associations

and other third-party groups -- funded by

major energy companies, for spreading

“contrarian” information -- that misled

the public, and undermined efforts to

implement climate policies... needed

to stop global warming phenomena.

“Rhetoric on climate change & the undermining of science

have contributed to misperceptions of the scientific

consensus, uncertainty, unduly discounted risk

and urgency, dissent, and - most importantly -

polarized public support, delaying any
mitigation and adaptative action,
particularly in the US,” the
leaked IPCC report

pointed out.

In a related development, a British television broadcaster

aired a video showing a top Exxon Mobil lobbyist

admitting that the wealthy global energy giant

gives financial support to "shadow groups"

that engage in disinformation campaigns

around climate science, a tactic that

allowed the oil company to avoid

direct scrutiny.

The revelations have prompted some Democratic lawmakers

in the United States to step up efforts to force all major oil

companies to disclose their money payment to research

and study groups that follow an anti-environmental

agenda, seeking to undermine climate action by

distorting the facts and realities proved in

climate science studies and research

...about the damaging effect and

detrimental impact... of burning

fossil fuels. on climate change

and global warming.

____________________________________

Extinction Rebellion Activists

March Through Falmouth,

Cornwall on 2nd Day

of G7 Summit

June 12th, 11:07am GMT (Sputnik)

The environmental movement earlier promised to

organise several major events in Cornwall over

the weekend to demand that governments,

corporations, and the media pay more

attention to climate issues across

the globe.

Sputnik is live from Falmouth, Cornwall, where

environmental activists from the Extinction

Rebellion are organising a rally to march

through the town on the second day of

the 47th G7 summit, urging global

leaders to act against

climate change.

Previously, XR members held a rally in the city of

St Ives, blocking roads and accusing politicians

of failing "to respect the global climate

commitments they made in Paris

in 2015".

Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!

https://sputniknews.com/uk/202106121083

132718-extinction-rebellion-activists-march

-through-falmouth-cornwall-on-2nd-day-

of-g7-summit/

_______________________________

UNGA President
urges to create
sustainable economy

to preserve oceans

June 2nd 12:55pm (Prensa Latina)

The President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA)

Volkan Bozkir on Tuesday called to create a

sustainable economy capable of

preserving the oceans.

Speaking on this Tuesday´s high-level debate on

Sustainable Development Goal number 14
(SDG14) of the 2030 Agenda for the
preservation and sustainable

use of the oceans... Bozkir
urged drawing up stronger

policies... in favour of
marine ecosystems.

He recognized some countries and cities´ stances

prioritizing coastal & marine areas over tourism,

as well as their efforts to address illegal fishing

and the regulation of maritime transport and

resource extraction.

Peter Thomson, UNGA´s Special Envoy for the oceans,

underlined the significance of complying with SDG14

and for this reason he called for setting up a

'sustainable blue economy'.

Similarly, Thomson referred to consequences of marine

pollution by plastic waste in a world dependent on
such a material, for which, he advocated out-
laying on more infrastructure, for
recycling systems.

Oceans provide food, livelihoods and protection to more

than one billion people, worldwide; while the value of

economic activities related to the oceans,
exceeds US$1.5 trillion a year.

___________________________________________

‘Incredibly poisonous’ pesticide

banned by EU --- may receive

approval for use in Scottish
salmon farms

May 27th, 3pm (RT)

A pesticide that has been partially banned by the

European Union and blamed for decimating bee

populations is expected to receive approval for

use in Scottish salmon farms, according

to reports.

The Scottish fish farming industry plans to deploy

imidacloprid, an insecticide, in order to kill sea

lice that can fester among caged salmon. The

chemical is used in a “water filtration”

system developed by fish farm

biotech company Benchmark,

which is reportedly seeking

to trial its CleanTreat

product in Scotland.