Hello hello!
Here is the environmental news for this week in case you missed it :) Let's keep the conversation going around conservation and environmental protection throughout this pandemic and maybe take a moment to reflect on how different the environmental narrative would sound if we reacted to climate change as we have to COVID-19...
Tribes and campaigners fight to save the Amazon Rainforest
A Four Corners investigation has thrown new light on the fight for the Amazon and the corruption behind it. Over the past decade, more than 300 Brazilians who were fighting for the protection of the rainforest have been killed as local campaigners explain how illegal loggers are often protected by armed men or pay men to kill people who threaten their operations. The right-wing government and police forces are little help and are known to accept bribes and effectively turn a blid eye to the destruction of the forest which stores more than 100 billion tonnes of carbon.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-23/battle-to-save-the-amazon-rainforest/12067822
Queensland coast vulnerable to rising sea-levels
Large parts of the QLD coast were hit by flooding in February after heavy rain however scientists warn that these properties face a more challenging problem. Models suggest rises in sea-levels of up to 60cm by 2100 putting many properties at risk. The Gold Coast has been identified as a global hotspot where low-lying infrastructure are protected only by sand-dunes that may be eroded by rising seas. Conservationists warn that drastic measures to reduce and reverse climate change are needed to protect properties and coastal ecosystems.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-22/rising-sea-levels-queensland-gold-coast/12060230
Hopes that new Ipswich council will be anti-dump
Voters preparing to elect a new council for Ipswich are relaying their strong anti-dump sentiments in a town that has become a tip hotspot. Abandoned mines are attractive sites for waste companies but residents are resisting and don’t want smelly pits by their homes and extra trucks on their roads. Locals want jobs and infrastructure that don’t rely on the waste industry and they want a council that is prepared to regenerate their economy on a greener plan.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-27/ipswich-city-council-election-dump/12094360
Global efforts slowly reversing climate change
A world-wide initiative to reduce ozone-depleting chemicals is yielding positive results as the southern jet stream begins to return to its natural location. This powerful wind over the southern hemisphere shapes weather patterns and water temperatures in Australia, South America and east Africa. The widening of the ozone hole meant that this wind was shifting Southwards however efforts to reverse this have successfully paused the southwards movement of the jet stream. This means that Australia could see more rain however the southern climates are far from returning to their normal tracks.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/25/global-efforts-on-ozone-help-reverse-southern-jet-stream-damage
Lockdown lets environment regenerate
In Venice, the absence of boat traffic seems to have left canals running cleaner than ever. Although stories of dolphins in the canals were fake, scientists have noticed many improvements in the state of the environment since the coronavirus pandemic. Restrictions on daily life and industrial operations resulted in a 25% drop over 4 weeks in China’s carbon dioxide emissions and consumption at power plants fell by 36%. San Francisco recorded a 40% lower concentration of fine-matter particles while New York recorded the concentration to be 28% lower. Scientists are hoping that this ignites a change in mindset over how we prioritise the environment.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/coronavirus-shutdowns-have-unintended-climate-benefits-n1161921
Here is the environmental news for this week in case you missed it :) Let's keep the conversation going around conservation and environmental protection throughout this pandemic and maybe take a moment to reflect on how different the environmental narrative would sound if we reacted to climate change as we have to COVID-19...
Tribes and campaigners fight to save the Amazon Rainforest
A Four Corners investigation has thrown new light on the fight for the Amazon and the corruption behind it. Over the past decade, more than 300 Brazilians who were fighting for the protection of the rainforest have been killed as local campaigners explain how illegal loggers are often protected by armed men or pay men to kill people who threaten their operations. The right-wing government and police forces are little help and are known to accept bribes and effectively turn a blid eye to the destruction of the forest which stores more than 100 billion tonnes of carbon.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-23/battle-to-save-the-amazon-rainforest/12067822
Queensland coast vulnerable to rising sea-levels
Large parts of the QLD coast were hit by flooding in February after heavy rain however scientists warn that these properties face a more challenging problem. Models suggest rises in sea-levels of up to 60cm by 2100 putting many properties at risk. The Gold Coast has been identified as a global hotspot where low-lying infrastructure are protected only by sand-dunes that may be eroded by rising seas. Conservationists warn that drastic measures to reduce and reverse climate change are needed to protect properties and coastal ecosystems.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-22/rising-sea-levels-queensland-gold-coast/12060230
Hopes that new Ipswich council will be anti-dump
Voters preparing to elect a new council for Ipswich are relaying their strong anti-dump sentiments in a town that has become a tip hotspot. Abandoned mines are attractive sites for waste companies but residents are resisting and don’t want smelly pits by their homes and extra trucks on their roads. Locals want jobs and infrastructure that don’t rely on the waste industry and they want a council that is prepared to regenerate their economy on a greener plan.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-27/ipswich-city-council-election-dump/12094360
Global efforts slowly reversing climate change
A world-wide initiative to reduce ozone-depleting chemicals is yielding positive results as the southern jet stream begins to return to its natural location. This powerful wind over the southern hemisphere shapes weather patterns and water temperatures in Australia, South America and east Africa. The widening of the ozone hole meant that this wind was shifting Southwards however efforts to reverse this have successfully paused the southwards movement of the jet stream. This means that Australia could see more rain however the southern climates are far from returning to their normal tracks.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/25/global-efforts-on-ozone-help-reverse-southern-jet-stream-damage
Lockdown lets environment regenerate
In Venice, the absence of boat traffic seems to have left canals running cleaner than ever. Although stories of dolphins in the canals were fake, scientists have noticed many improvements in the state of the environment since the coronavirus pandemic. Restrictions on daily life and industrial operations resulted in a 25% drop over 4 weeks in China’s carbon dioxide emissions and consumption at power plants fell by 36%. San Francisco recorded a 40% lower concentration of fine-matter particles while New York recorded the concentration to be 28% lower. Scientists are hoping that this ignites a change in mindset over how we prioritise the environment.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/coronavirus-shutdowns-have-unintended-climate-benefits-n1161921