Overpopulation Defined
the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash .
the condition of having a population so dense as to cause environmental deterioration, an impaired quality of life, or a population crash .
19.03.2025
(106) New Hydrogel Material Removes Microplastics From Water
A hybrid silica gel, developed by a non-profit start-up in Germany, acts like "magic glue" to remove microplastics from drinking water by making them stick together and float to the surface for easy removal. This gel, developed by the non-profit company Wasser 3.0, is made primarily from carbon and silica, a natural mineral found in sand and rocks.
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16.01.2025
(105) Tire Shredding Machine Which Process 30 Tons of Tires Per Hour
This machine processes an impressive 30 tons of tires per hour, transforming old, discarded tires into valuable raw materials for various applications. Turning them into rubber crumb which can then be used on roads or in playgrounds as well. Tire shredders play a pivotal role in the tire recycling ecosystem. By efficiently shredding tires, valuable resources can be recovered - or they can be made usable for energy, for example for the production of cement.
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22.11.2024
(104) From Forgotten Grain to Superfood, Millets’ Comeback in Health and Nutrition
"Millets, once seen as "poor man's food," are now celebrated for their health benefits and sustainability, emerging as a powerful solution for nutrition and climate change." Millets don’t need a lot water to grow, nor any pesticides or fertilisers. This has a direct impact on the soil, the ecology and finally, the food we eat.
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09.10.2024
(103) 1 in 3 Children Are Now Nearsighted Globally
The study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, analyzed the results of 276 studies that involved more than 5.4 million children from 50 countries across six continents. According to the numbers, those with nearsightedness rose from 24 per cent in 1990 to almost 36 per cent as of last year. But projections by the study’s researchers showed the number could hit almost 40 per cent in 2050.
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13.09.2024
(102) The 'Insane' Plan To Save The Arctic's Sea-Ice
A team of scientists is heading to the Arctic to test whether pumping seawater on top of the ice, making it thicker and longer-lasting, can combat annual ice loss. As sea-ice vanishes, the dark ocean surface can absorb more of the Sun's energy, which accelerates warming. So the researchers want to thicken it to stop it melting away. The ultimate goal of the Arctic experiment is to thicken enough sea-ice to slow or even reverse the melting already seen, says Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, whose team at the University of Cambridge's Centre for Climate Repair is behind the project.
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20.08.2024
(101) European Heatwave Killed Over 47,000 People In 2023
More than 47,000 people died in Europe due to scorching temperatures in 2023. The report by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) found countries in the continent's south were hit the hardest by the deadly heat. Last year was the world's hottest on record. As climate change continues to increase temperatures, Europeans live in the world's fastest-warming continent, facing growing health risks stemming from intense heat.
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25.07.2024
(100) Solutum, Eliminating Plastic Waste. For Good.
Solutum has developed a patented biodegradable material that can seamlessly replace conventional plastic -- in manufacturing and in our lives. It isn't just a sustainable alternative. With holistic end-of-life and better mechanical properties, elasticity, and barriers than traditional plastic, their compound is the next big thing in packaging.
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26.06.2024
(99) Liquid Natural Clay Turns Desert Sand Into Fertile Soil in Just Seven Hours
Invented in the early 2000s by Norwegian scientist Kristian Olesen, Liquid NanoClay is the secret behind Desert Control’s amazing achievements. When sprayed onto sand, this amazing invention trickles down and percolates the sand, turning it into water-retaining soil where plants can germinate and thrive. The company’s secret is its ability to turn thick clay into a liquid “nearly as thin as water,” which is then sprayed over the sands, percolating the top layer all the way to a few dozen centimeters.
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18.05.2024
(98) WaterROAM Gets Clean Drinking Water Without Any Electricity
A Singapore-based company's award-winning water filtering device - which has been providing clean drinking water to disaster-struck and rural communities worldwide - was inspired by an ordinary bicycle pump. Once a tube connected to the device is dipped into a silt-ridden river or traditional well, the user just has to push down the piston, and out flows clean water.
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25.04.2024
(97) The Ancient Tradition Of Rice Fishing Has Multiple Modern Benefits
A rice-fish system is an integrated rice field or rice field/pond complex, where fish are grown concurrently or alternately with rice. Fish may be deliberately stocked (fish culture), or may enter fields naturally from surrounding water ways when flooding occurs (rice field fisheries). Rice-fish systems allow the production of fish and other aquatic animals, from the same rice field area and generally without causing reductions in rice yields. This source of animal protein may be important for household nutrition and farm income.
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20.03.2024
(96) 2023 Confirmed As World's Hottest Year On Record
The year 2023 has been confirmed as the warmest on record, driven by human-caused climate change and boosted by the natural EI Nino weather event. It's well-known that the world is much warmer now than 100 years ago, as humans keep releasing record amounts of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. More than 200 days saw a new daily global temperature record for the time of year, according to BBC analysis of Copernicus Climate Change Service data.
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30.01.2024
(95) Purifies Contaminated Acid Mine Water Safe For Local Communities
Boitumelo Nkatlo, an innovator from the Scaling Out for Impact (SOFI) programme and founder of BN Aqua Solutions has turned to acid mine drainage water to provide a solution to this water shortage crisis. BN Aqua Solutions has developed a water treatment plant based at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa.
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22.12.2023
(94) World Humanitarian Day 2023
On 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day (WHD). Each year, WHD focuses on a theme, bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers.
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25.11.2023
(93) Canadian Man Fights Climate Change By Planting 23,000 Trees In 24 Hours
In an effort to reverse some of the effects of climate change, 24-year-old Antoine Moses from La Crete, Alberta, Canada, planted an astonishing 23,060 trees on 17 July 2021, earning the record title for the most trees planted by an individual in 24 hours. Over the years, Antoine claims to have planted more than 1.3 million plants across Canada.
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20.10.2023
(92) Turning Textile Waste Into Building Blocks: FabBRICK
In the modern age of rapid consumption and fast fashion, unwanted clothes often end up in the trash. Clarisse Merlet, an ingenious entrepreneur, defied the odds and thought outside the box to create a solution to the textile waste problem. Brimming with determination, she embarked on a quest to convert discarded textiles into something extraordinary - bricks!
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17.09.2023
(91) Fionn Ferreira: Removing Microplastics From Water
Irish environmentalist Fionn Ferreira has won third place in the Young Inventors Prize at the European Inventor Award 2023. He created a way to remove microplastics from water using a unique magnetic mixture. The 22-year-old chemistry master’s degree student and teaching assistant at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, created Ferrofluid, a magnetic liquid mixture, which binds to microplastic particles, separating them from water and allowing for their removal using magnets.
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16.08.2023
(90) Europe’s Largest Green Facade
Eight kilometres of green hedges, some 30,000 plants in total, cover the surface of the Ko-Bogen II in the heart of Dusseldorf. Consequently, Kö-Bogen II’s facade hedges were chosen for their microclimate improving qualities: they protect the building against sun rays in summer, and by doing so reduce the overall urban heat in their surroundings.
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02.06.2023
(89) Shredded Diapers Could Replace 40% of Concrete Sand in Construction
Seeking to find sustainable solutions to low-cost housing in Indonesia, scientists in the world’s third-most-populous nation hypothesized that used diapers could replace some of the sand in concrete mixtures. Disposable diapers are usually manufactured from wood pulp, cotton, viscose rayon, and plastics such as polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene, they are the Third most common item landfills worldwide.
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26.05.2023
(88) Why Loneliness Could Be The Biggest Threat To Your Health
Loneliness has become more pervasive than before, and it is important to take this issue seriously. In present times the society is moving towards more and more individualistic way of living and there is a lot of isolation that is detrimental for all age groups, especially for children and the elderly. Lonely people are at a higher risk of premature death, dementia, depression, anxiety, heart diseases, stroke, and high blood pressure.
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18.04.2023
(87) Couple Created New Rainforest By Planting 2 Million Trees Over 20 Years
A married couple had helped breathe new life into the world's lungs by restoring a barren plot of land into a healthy rainforest. Photojournalist Sebastião Ribeiro Salgado and his wife Lélia decided to replant the forest seeing how the area around his family’s cattle ranch had diminished. Now 20 years later, the 1,754-acre plot of land is the lush and verdant forest Salgado remembered as a child. Restoring the land to its former glory would be a mammoth task, so in 1998 the Salgados set up the Instituto Terra – an organisation ‘dedicated to the sustainable development of the Valley of the River Doce.’
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06.04.2023
(86) New Zealand Bans Smoking For Future Generations
New Zealanders born on and after 1st January 2009 cannot buy cigarettes as a part of a package of anti-smoking laws. This means that the base age for buying cancer-causing smoke-sticks will keep going up for the citizens of New Zealand. This law has been passed after decades of hard work by the anti-smoking/tobacco organisations, and is in conjunction with the government’s goal of making New Zealand smoke-free by 2025.
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05.02.2023
(85) Singapore Is Leading The Way In Recycling Wastewater
Singapore is taking the “waste” out of its wastewater by turning sewage into safe, clean drinking water using an advanced filtration and treatment system. The Changi Water Reclamation Plant forms the core of the system, with capacity to treat up to 900 million litres of wastewater daily – roughly equivalent to the water held by 350 Olympic swimming pools. Land is in short supply in Singapore, because it is an island state, so much of the treatment system operates below ground. It reaches as far as 25 stories deep in places through an expansive network of tunnels, pipes, tanks, filtration equipment and other infrastructure.
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12.12.2022
(84) Bangladesh’s Farmers Revive Floating Farms As Seas Rise
Farmers in southwestern Bangladesh have revived a 200-year-old agricultural practice to battle the challenges emanating from floods, hurricanes and rising sea levels. The unique method, now practiced by about 6,000 farmers, may prove crucial in sustaining agriculture during a period of erratic monsoons and worsening climate crisis. The rafts, where farmers grow radish, cucumber, papaya, bitter gourd and tomato are woven from stems of invasive hyacinths.
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12.11.2022
(83) Handmade Soap Keeps Malaria-Carrying Mosquitos Away in Uganda
Malaria is also one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Uganda, especially among children under five years. Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that malaria accounts for over 27% of deaths. It kills at a rate of 478 cases per 1,000 populations per year. Mosquito sprays, nets or gels are not only expensive to the low-income earners but they are also rare to find in rural shops. To help curb the malaria deaths, 25-year-old Joan Nalubega, under her company Uganics, invented bar soap that repels mosquitoes. It is an organic and affordable soap that prevents the spread of malaria. Uganics' soap can be utilized in a variety of ways, such as bathing, washing hands and washing clothes.
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07.09.2022
(82) Antarctica's "Doomsday Glacier" Could Raise Global Sea Levels By 10 Feet
Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, the widest on Earth, is in trouble. The glacier extends out into the Southern Ocean and is losing about 50 billion tons of ice per year, with that loss doubling over the last 30 years. In 2019, NASA scientists discovered a huge cavity beneath the glacier, about two-thirds the size of Manhattan, which could speed up the glacier's demise. This week, researchers mapped the ocean floor in front of Thwaites, showing the glacier had rapidly retreated in the past.
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18.08.2022
(81) Moss Grows On Concrete, Empowering Cities To Respire And Live Green
Respyre has developed a bio-receptive concrete solution that paves a way for the growth of moss on concrete. the group concocts an in-house mixture that confers elements of porosity, water retainment, micropore texture, acidity, and other nutrients to the concrete, the perfect setting for moss to thrive on. ‘moss is incredibly well-suited for green facades as moss has rhizoids instead of roots. rhizoids are nondestructive. they mainly function as an adhesive, leaving the facade in perfect condition, whereas roots are very invasive and demand a lot from the substance they grow in. our bio-receptive concrete creates a substrate that suits the rhizoids’ wishes perfectly,’
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09.07.2022
(80) Converting Plastic Waste To Fuel in India
Every year, India witnesses 18 million tonnes of plastic waste that ends up in landfills. And the figures are only increasing. In a bid to make a difference, two Pune-based environmentalists, Dr Medha Tadpatrikar and Shirish Phadtare, have developed a solution that converts 25 lakh tonnes of plastic waste into poly fuel. Much cheaper than market alternatives, this poly fuel can be used in cooking stoves, generators, and running tractors.
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27.06.2022
(79) Eight Climate Change Records The World Smashed In 2021
Here are eight climate change records the world broke in 2021, according to the WMO.
1.Warmest years on record 2.Record high sea levels 3.Antarctic ozone hole grows “unusually” big 4.First ever rain at Greenland’s highest point 5.Climate change led to record-breaking heat waves 6.Hurricane Ida matches record wind speeds 7.Record flooding in Western Europe 8.Lowest water level for US reservoir |
13.06.2022
(78) Regenerative Farming Boosts Soil Health, Yielding More Nutritious Crops
Regenerative agricultural practices — such as planting a diversity of crops, rotating those crops, and using no-till methods — foster diverse and healthy soil microbiomes. Food grown on the regenerative farms, they found, contained, on average, more magnesium, calcium, potassium and zinc; more vitamins (including B1, B12, C, E and K), and more phytochemicals. They were also lower in elements that can be detrimental to human health, including sodium, cadmium, and nickel. The regenerative farms had overall healthier soil with more carbon, as measured by their organic matter and a test that determines the quantity of soil nutrients available to soil microbes.
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05.06.2022
(77) Once Called Crazy, An Indonesian Eco-Warrior Turned 250 Hectares Arid Hills Green In 24 Years
Once considered crazy by fellow villagers, Indonesian eco-warrior Sadiman has turned barren hills green after 24 years of effort, making water resources available in the drought-prone mountainous region where he lives. Affectionately addressed as ‘mbah’ or ‘grandpa’, the 69-year-old has worked relentlessly to plant trees in the hills of central Java after fires to clear the land for cultivation nearly dried up its rivers and lakes. The long and wide-spreading roots of at least 11,000 banyans and ficus trees Sadiman has planted over 250 hectares (617 acres) help to retain groundwater and prevent land erosion.
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20.05.2022
(76) An Airbus Powered By Used Cooking Oil
An A380 Airbus recently flew for three hours with one engine powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), made from used cooking oil and other fats. Switching from petroleum-based kerosene to sustainable fuels plays a big part in aviation’s efforts to cut CO2 emissions in the race to net-zero. The aviation industry is widely acknowledged as one of the hardest to decarbonize and its share in global emissions is around 2%. The A380 joins its smaller relatives, the Airbus A350 and the A319neo, which went through similar tests last year.
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22.04.2022
(75) Sustainable Toilets: Serving People, Serving the Environment
Two billion people, nearly one quarter of the world’s population, lack access to basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or latrines; 673 million people defecate in the open. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 10 percent of the world’s population consumes food irrigated by wastewater, and that a cropland size of approximately 36 million hectares - almost the size of Germany – is irrigated by untreated wastewater. Poor sanitation remains a global challenge, one that leads to transmission of life-threatening diseases and contamination of both land and water.
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15.04.2022
(74) Tuberculosis Deaths On The Rise Again , 1.5 Million People Died From TB In 2020
Deaths from tuberculosis (TB) have risen again for the first time in more than a decade as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts access to health services, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. In the 2021 Global TB report, the WHO estimated that about 4.1 million people have TB but are undiagnosed or not officially declared to health authorities, a sharp increase from 2.9 million in 2019. An estimated 1.5 million people died from TB in 2020, including 214,000 people who also have HIV.
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06.03.2022
(73) This Organic Milk Farm Was Set Up In One Of China’s Largest Deserts
Ulan Buh is one of China’s largest deserts, stretching over 14,000km2 in Inner Mongolia. Starting in 2009, dairy company ShengMu has transformed this landscape into a farm for 80,000 cows. The dairy industry in the desert was developed by a local company, Bayannur Shengmu High-tech Ecological Forage Co., Ltd., following the successful greening of the desert, which was brought about through the implementation of a series of shelterbelt afforestation programs. With an upfront investment of 260 million yuan, the company started from scratch in the middle of a desert in 2009. Afterwards, it started growing grass, raising cows and processing milk in line with organic standards.
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24.01.2022
(72) Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs Kill More People Than AIDS Or Malaria: Study
More than a million people worldwide die each year from infections linked to microbes resistant to antibiotics, a new study has found. Researchers describe the threat as "one of the greatest challenges facing humanity." Superbug infections killed 1.2 million people in 2019, according to a study published in The Lancet on Thursday. Using data from 204 countries and territories, researchers found that drug-resistant bacterial infections directly caused 1.27 million deaths worldwide and were associated with an additional 4.95 million deaths.
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28.12.2021
(71) The First Algae-Powered Building Presents Unique Renewable Energy Solution
The world’s first algae-powered building was constructed in Hamburg, Germany by Splitterwerk Architects in 2013. The facade of the building has 129 panel glass bioreactors containing algae. When sunlight heats the building, the algae multiplies and generates biomass and heat. A management center within the building controls the panels and stores the heat it creates for other uses.
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31.10.2021
(70) Over 2 Billion People To Be Affected If Melting Of Himalayan Glaciers Continue
Rising temperatures are melting glaciers and other frozen water across the Hindu Kush Himalayas. Urgent action to curb emissions is needed to secure water supplies, protect livelihoods and prevent disasters across the region. In the Hindu Kush Himalayan region – which includes the mountain ranges of the Pamirs, the Tien Shan and the Tibetan Plateau – the cryosphere is a vital source of freshwater. Approximately 2 billion people rely on the rivers that flow from these mountain ranges, with more than 240 million people living in the mountain areas. As well as providing a water supply for humans, livestock and wildlife in the region, freshwater originating in the cryosphere is essential for agriculture, hydropower, inland navigation, and spiritual and cultural uses.
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07.10.2021
(69) Global Report on Food Crises 2021
More than 155 million people experienced acute food insecurity at crisis level or worse around the world in 2020, an increase of 20 million from 2019 and a five-year high, as the COVID-19 pandemic compounded economic shocks, conflicts, and climate and severe weather impacts, estimates the 2021 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) , was driven by persistent conflict, pre-existing and COVID-19-related economic shocks, and weather extremes. The number identified in the 2021 edition is the highest in the report’s five-year existence. The report is produced by the Global Network against Food Crises (which includes WFP), an international alliance working to address the root causes of extreme hunger.
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26.09.2021
(68) Costa Rica Running Entirely on Renewable Energy
For starters, Costa Rica is a relatively small nation, with just 4.8 million people living in a land mass that measures 51,000 square kilometers. Also, its primary industries are tourism and agriculture, and not the particularly energy-intensive industries of manufacturing or mining. Nevertheless, this is still a major accomplishment for the small nation. According to the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Costa Rica’s carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels totaled 5.8 million metric tons in 2002. To reduce that to zero in the space of just nineteen years gives hope to many nations that are looking to curb their emissions.
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12.09.2021
(67) The Innovation Turning Desert Sand Into Farmland
By mixing clay nanoparticles with water and then bonding them to sand particles, the arid soil can be conditioned to bear fruit. Normal sand particles are very loose so they have a very low water retention capacity and that does not allow the soil to be fertile. Morten explains that when Liquid Nanoclay is added to the sand, these particles come together, which means that they can retain water for a long time increasing the possibility of agricultural yield. Liquid Nanoclay (LNC) is the name of the discovery of the Norwegian scientist Kristian Morten Olesen .
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23.07.2021
(66) Overfishing & Destructive Fishing
Currently, less than two percent of our oceans are set aside as marine reserves, making it all too easy to exploit their resources. Overfishing and destructive, wasteful fishing practices are threatening the health of our oceans and food security for communities everywhere. Overfishing is threatening food security for hundreds of millions of people and destroying ocean ecosystems worldwideFor example, bottom trawling—in which giant nets are run along the sea floor picking up or crushing whatever is in their path—is particularly damaging to fragile coral and sponge habitats. Longlining—a technique that consists of baiting thousands of hooks along miles-long fishing lines—snag thousands of creatures that are typically thrown back into the water dead or dying.
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13.06.2021
(65) How Digging Holes Can Save Kenyan Dryland Farmers ?
In the Southen part of Kenya, the Maasai community has taken up digging holes, referred to as rainwater bunds, to reclaim the land from the desert effects and have vegetation for their livestock. The communities in collaboration with Justdiggit, a Dutch foundation that restores degraded ecosystems by developing, initiating, and co-funding large-scale landscape restoration programs within Africa, has dug over 145,248 semi-circular rainwater bunds since 2016. They have successfully re-greened 1,250 hectares of grass - and woodland in and around Amboseli National Park.
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10.04.2021
(64) Why The World Is Running Out Of Sand ?
Sand, however, is the most-consumed natural resource on the planet besides water. People use some 60 billion tonnes of “aggregate” – the industry term for sand and gravel, which tend to be found together – every year. The problem lies in the type of sand we are using. Desert sand is largely useless to us. The overwhelming bulk of the sand we harvest goes to make concrete, and for that purpose, desert sand grains are the wrong shape. Eroded by wind rather than water, they are too smooth and rounded to lock together to form stable concrete. The sand we need is the more angular stuff found in the beds, banks, and floodplains of rivers, as well as in lakes and on the seashore.
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21.03.2021
(63) Urbanization Causes and Impacts
Poor air and water quality, insufficient water availability, waste-disposal problems, and high energy consumption are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments. Strong city planning will be essential in managing these and other difficulties as the world's urban areas swell. Currently, half of the total population of the world lives in urban cities, a trend that is definitely going to continue for years to come. Despite urbanization creating opportunities for people who take the leap to look for greener pastures in urban areas, it is often faced with a lot of challenges .
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17.01.2021
(62) Camera Shows Your Carbon Footprint
We know about CO2 emissions, but we're blind to the problem. Not anymore! This camera calls out emissions EVERYWHERE that are driving climate disaster. Now that we can actually see the problem, will we finally see real change ? The effect is startling - far more pollution rising into the air than we ever actually see from vehicle tailpipes and factory smokestacks. Greenhouse gases , which include carbon dioxide, methane and other gases, cannot be seen because their molecules are shaped so as to allow the hot light from the sun to pass through - like the clear glass of a greenhouse, while trapping the heat.
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26.12.2020
(61) Turning CO2 Into Rocks
In 2018, global carbon emissions reached a record high and the United Nations warned we could have just 12 years left to prevent the catastrophic effects of climate change. With time running short, some scientists have been working on other ways to mitigate global warming, including capturing carbon emissions from power plants and industrial processes, and then sequestering them safely underground.
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17.12.2020
(60) Affordable Housing By Plastic Waste
Growing awareness of PET environmental consequences is encouraging people to take action. Mexico’s Carlos González, CEO of EcoDom, is an example. His company, based in Xicotepec de Juárez, Puebla, turns plastic waste into construction materials to build affordable housing for low-income families. “Our goal is to deeply clean Mexico, and the world, of plastic by taking advantage of its properties’ potential for construction – it doesn’t biodegrade, get damp or moth-eaten,” the entrepreneur explains. The company recycles mainly PET, but also high-density Polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), usually found in broken buckets, toys or bags.
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12.12.2020
(59) This 2-Acre Vertical Farm Produces More Than ‘Flat Farms’ That Are Using 720 Acres
Another massively successful vertical farming startup is pushing the future of farming towards the sky, literally and figuratively. From an ag-tech startup named Plenty, a two-acre indoor vertical farm produces yields that would normally require a 720-acre ‘flat farm’—and it can be done with 95% less water. The vision is truly one out of Star Trek, with Plenty’s use of robotics and artificial intelligence to ensure perfect plants year round. The reasons to support indoor vertical farming are varied, ranging from climate-related benefits to removing cumbersome logistical challenges like long-distance transportation.
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05.12.2020
(58) Five Ways Coronavirus Is Deepening Global Inequality
Before coronavirus, inequality was already increasing in many parts of the developing world. But the pandemic is going to greatly heighten existing economic and social inequalities. Here are five of the main ways inequality is heightening around the world.
1. Access to Healthcare 2. Access to Green Space 3. Access to The Internet 4. Ability to Work Remotely 5. Accessibility |
10.10.2020
(57) Nobel Peace Prize: UN World Food Programme Wins for Efforts to Combat Hunger
The agency was given the prize for its efforts to combat hunger and improve conditions for peace. To receive this award is a recognition to the men and women at the World Food Programme who put their lives on the line every day for the struggling, suffering people around the world. So I hope this is a signal and a message that the World Food Programme is a role model and that we all have got to do more. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the WFP was declared winner of the prestigious award "for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict".
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30.07.2020
(56) Blood Farms: Cruel Horse Hormone Scandal as Pregnant Mares' Blood Is Injected Into Pigs and Other Animals
Thousands of pregnant horses are kept on blood farms for fertility product which is then sold to the vets and factory farmers to help increase production. Crammed into pens and repeatedly forced into pregnancy, these are the pitiful horses whose blood is extracted on horrific “vampire” farms to boost meat production. Tens of thousands of mares have giant needles stuck into their jugular veins to suck out a powerful fertility hormone which is later injected into other animals so they can have more babies much quicker.
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14.06.2020
(55) Which Country Has The Best Environmental Performance ?
The 2020 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) provides a data-driven summary of the state of sustainability around the world. Using 32 performance indicators across 11 issue categories, the EPI ranks 180 countries on environmental health and ecosystem vitality. These indicators provide a gauge at a national scale of how close countries are to established environmental policy targets. The EPI offers a scorecard that highlights leaders and laggards in environmental performance and provides practical guidance for countries that aspire to move toward a sustainable future. Notably, the 2020 rankings include for the first time a waste management metric and a pilot indicator on CO2 emissions from land cover change.
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24.03.2020
(54) How Does The COVID-19 Coronavirus Kill? What Happens When You Get Infected.
In severe cases, the viral infection moves from the nasal passage and throat to the lungs, where it can cause pneumonia and prove fatal. The coronavirus pandemic originated in China in late 2019 as a cluster of mysterious cases of pneumonia. The culprit was found to be a new type of virus, now called severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-Cov-2. The virus, and the disease it causes — COVID-19 — is fatal to a small percentage of the people it affects. Most of the danger is related to pneumonia, or an inflammation of the lungs caused by infection, although there is still much uncertainty about how the viral infection spreads and progresses in the body.
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16.02.2020
(53) Generating Water from Air Humidity to face Global Drought.
As the climate crisis continues to unfold, professionals in architecture, engineering, and sustainable design have relentlessly searched for new ways to mitigate the negative effects of modern industrial production. One group of such innovators, Zero Mass Water, have contributed to this effort through their creation of ‘the world’s first and only hydropanel’. It uses solar energy to generate water from the humidity in the air. Appearing like a solar panel, it is completely self-contained, producing clean water even in conditions with low sunlight and humidity. Since its release, the product has benefited communities where water-independence, drought, and other climate conditions remain looming considerations.
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22.01.2020
(52) As Australia Burns, Its Leaders are Clinging to Coal.
Australia is the world’s largest coal exporter, but its government is downplaying its contributions to climate change. The devastating bushfires across Australia have cemented the fact that the country is on the front lines of a major climate-linked disaster, one that scientists saw coming and one that will only get worse from here. Prime Minister Scott Morrison also said that the country doesn’t need to do more to limit its greenhouse gas emissions.
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06.11.19
(51) Over 11,000 Scientists From 153 Countries Declare "Climate Emergency"
A new study by 11,258 scientists in 153 countries from a broad range of disciplines warns that the planet "clearly and unequivocally faces a climate emergency," and provides six broad policy goals that must be met to address it. The study, published Tuesday in the journal Bioscience, clearly lays out the huge challenge of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. The paper bases its conclusions on a set of easy-to-understand indicators that show the human influence on climate, such as 40 years of greenhouse gas emissions, economic trends, population growth rates, per capita meat production, and global tree cover loss, as well as consequences, such as global temperature trends and ocean heat content.
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21.10.19
(50) United Nations Confirms the Ocean Is Screwed.
The seas, which hold some 332,519,000 cubic miles of water, are warming, rising, acidifying, and losing oxygen. And a new comprehensive U.N. climate special report, released Wednesday, presents an encyclopedic review of how Earth's oceans and ice sheets have been altered as the world relentlessly warms. Today's disrupted seas, though, are just the inception of the ocean's transition. That's because the oceans are the true keeper of climate change: Most of the heat humanity traps on the planet gets soaked up by the ocean. And modern civilization won't stop saturating the atmosphere with heat-trapping carbon dioxide anytime soon.
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06.10.19
(49)The Cutting Edge Invention Turns farming Waste Into Fuel for Homes.
With the majority of farmers using firewood, charcoal or kerosene to meet their energy needs, this project offers a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels – biogas. Biodigesters are installed at household level, generating gas from anaerobically digested animal manure and solving the problem of managing unhygienic animal waste, while enabling families to cook with a smoke-free fuel. The digesters also produce slurry – a rich fertiliser comprised of manure and water – that can be used to promote soil health. In addition to multiple health benefits, the biodigesters save families money and time, as well as cutting 4.2 tonnes of CO2 each annually.
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08.09.19
(48)Global Heating Made Hurricane Dorian Bigger, Wetter – and more Deadly.
On a basic physics level, we know that warm waters fuel hurricanes, and Dorian was strengthened by waters well above average temperatures. The fact that climate change has heated up our oceans means Dorian was stronger than it would have been had we not spent the past 150 years dumping carbon pollution into the atmosphere. Sea surface temperatures were more than 1C warmer in the region where Dorian formed and strengthened than they were before we started burning fossil fuels. |
07.09.19
(47)UN Warning: Food Is Going To Get REALLY, REALLY EXPENSIVE.
The global food supply is on the brink of disaster, according to a newly published report by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. More than 100 experts contributed to the report, which concludes that climate change is already negatively impacting food production in real ways. And the problem is poised to get even worse if global temperatures continue to increase — though it’s not yet too late to avoid a total catastrophe.
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02.09.19
(46) 22 Inventions That Are Saving The Earth.
These are 22 amazing inventions that help saving our planet. The Earth is struggling, it has given us incredible resources that make our lives so much easier, but we are pushing the planet to its limit. Thankfully, people are now setting all kinds of eco-friendly trends, and companies are coming up with green technologies that let consumers live a low-waste yet equally comfortable lifestyle. Here are some of the best examples !
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15.08.19
(45)Carbon Dioxide (CO2)'s Impact on Fruits & Vegetables are Devastating.
Increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) — projected to be beneficial for crop productivity — can reduce the nutritional quality of staple foods like fruit, vegetables, wheat and rice, according to a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). it’s also making some of our most important crops less nutritious by changing their chemical makeup and diluting vitamins and minerals. This could put about 900 million people, living in low-income countries, especially in Asia, at risk of low nutrition.
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31.07.19
(44)According to a new UN climate report, we only have 30 years left to live.
if we don’t change how we behave, climate change will lead to the extinction of our species before 2050. Since the Paris Agreement on climate in 2016, the main objective concerning the rise of temperature is to stay lower than 2°C. One ambition that needs urgently concrete actions. However, on October 8th 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2001) published a worrying report simulating the consequences of the temperature rise of 1,5°C. However, the conclusion of the IPCC is this time qualified as optimistic by BNCCR’s report, which declared that “even if the warming stop at 2°C, more than one billion people will be obliged to move and, in the most extreme forecast, the magnitude of the destruction seems to exceed our capacities of simulation, with a high probability of the end of the Human civilisation.”
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16.07.19
(43)Water Shortages to Affect 52% of World’s Population by 2050
More than 5 billion people could suffer water shortages by 2050 due to climate change, increased demand and polluted supplies, according to a UN report on the state of the world’s water. The comprehensive annual study warns of conflict and civilisational threats unless actions are taken to reduce the stress on rivers, lakes, aquifers, wetlands and reservoirs. Water scarcity already affects every continent. Water use has been growing globally at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and an increasing number of regions are reaching the limit at which water services can be sustainably delivered, especially in arid regions.
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18.06.19
(42)Deadly Record-Breaking Global Heat Waves.
The deadly heat waves, floods and fires occurring from Japan to the Middle East, and North America to Europe have clear links to human-caused climate change, according to climate scientists, and this summer's abnormal weather is just the beginning of what's in store for us in coming years. An unprecedented global heatwave has shattered records in nearly every corner of the planet. Death Valley set a new record. Cities in the Middle East have seen record hot days. There were days in India where it was so hot outside that conditions were nearly unlivable for human beings. Hundreds of people have died from heatstroke worldwide this summer.
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18.04.19
(41)Amount of food wasted by Malaysians enough to feed 12 million people a Day
Enough to feed 12 million people a day. That is how much Malaysians waste food every day. Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) deputy chief executive officer Mohammad Diah Wahari said Malaysians threw away 16,688 tonnes of food daily. He said the figure was based on a SWCorp study conducted last year. “The amount of food wastage in Malaysia is enough to feed 12 million people three times a day. On top of that, the amount rises by about 15 to 20 per cent during festive seasons.
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29.03.19
(40)‘Asia’s water tower’ is in danger as 80 per cent of glaciers in China may disappear in the 21st Century.
China's glaciers supply drinking water to more than two billion people, but climate change means 80 per cent of them are forecast to disappear this century. How can Asian countries survive without Tibetan glaciers and water? But due to climate change, the Tibetan plateau’s glaciers are depleting faster than anywhere else on earth. The loss of Tibetan glaciers means the loss of livelihood for the people who are dependent on these rivers — over a quarter of the world’s total population.
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25.03.19
(39)The 15 years old Climate Activist Greta Thunberg nominated for Nobel peace prize.
Greta Thunberg, the founder of the Youth Strike for Climate movement, has been nominated for the Nobel peace prize, just before the biggest day yet of global action. Thunberg began a solo protest in Sweden in August but has since inspired students around the globe. Strikes are expected in 1,659 towns and cities in 105 countries on Friday, involving hundreds of thousands of young people.
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08.03.19
(38)These ’10 Year Challenge’ Climate Change Photos Are Absolutely Haunting.
The “10 year challenge” has been sweeping social media with people posting pics of themselves in 2009 versus 2019. The results have been everything from adorable to hysterical, but a new set of pictures are popping up to show a more somber side to what can happen in a decade — the terrifyingly rapid changes in our environment. Environmental activists and scientists are using the challenge to highlight a very real concern — the dramatic changes to our planet. If you read the news, it’s no surprise to hear, but seeing the images side-by-side puts another, more depressing lens on the issue. According to Business Insider, 2018 was the hottest year on record for the world’s oceans (and are heating up 40 percent faster than previously thought), sea levels are rising, coral reefs (and the ecosystems they support) are being wiped out, and Antarctic ice is melting at a faster rate than in previous years (six times faster than in the 1980s). Glaciologists think half of Switzerland’s small glaciers will be eradicated within the next 25 years, according to Reuters. Credit: NOW THIS
22.02.19
(37)Companies are seriously underestimating how climate change will affect business.
As climate change progresses, it will continue to trigger more intense storms, drought, wildfires, sea-level rise, species extinction, and crop failure. The recent National Climate Assessmentrevealed that regional economies and industries dependent on natural resources are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change – as are energy systems. Warmer climates will increasingly disrupt international trade, prices, and supply chains, and costs could reach hundreds of billion dollars per year by the end of the century. Climate change doesn’t just threaten ecological balance, it threatens corporate balance sheets. Companies and investors are waking up to the dangers posed by climate change and extreme weather. Many now consider environmental risks, such as droughts and wildfires, to be even more dangerous than turbulent markets, cyberattacks or geopolitical snafus. Credit: THE YEARS PROJECT
25.01.19
(36)Greenland’s ice sheet is melting at its Fastest Rate in centuries.
A paper earlier this year reported that Western Greenland is melting at its fastest rate in 400 years. Another study last year found that one section of Greenland suddenly started melting 80 percent faster. There are several mechanisms at work here. Greenland gains some ice in the winter and loses some in the summer, but as the planet has warmed, the latter has outpaced the former. The ice in Greenland is also getting darker, as soot carried through the air and microorganisms like algae coat the ice. This allows the ice to absorb more solar energy, thereby heating up and melting faster, which in turn allows the microorganisms to spread further. The key uncertainty for sea level rise is what the world will do to limit global warming, but on our current trajectory, we can expect upward of FIVE feet of sea level rise by the end of the century. Credit: TIME
The Ice on Greenland would raise global sea levels by 20 feet if it were all to melt.
18.01.19
(35)This desert farm is growing 15% of Australia's tomatoes using only sunlight and seawater.
Part greenhouse, part solar plant, this farm is harvesting food from the Australian desert. Officially launched in October 2016 at Port Augusta in South Australia after a six-year pilot, it's the first outpost of Sundrop Farms. The company wants to make farming more resilient to climate change by using the desert's plentiful sunshine, as well as piped-in seawater, to produce food in arid environments. "Our farm grows more than 15,000 tonnes of tomatoes each year," says CEO Philipp Saumweber. That accounts for 15 per cent of the Australian tomato market. Sundrop's tomato plants are grown hydroponically, free of soil, in a watery solution fed by nutrient-rich coconut husks. "Intake water is pumped, using sustainable electricity produced by our concentrated solar plant, in a 450mm pipe over 5km to our desalination unit," Saumweber explains. The solar plant, which flanks the eight-hectare building, is made of 23,000 mirrors reflecting the Sun's heat on to a solar tower. This transforms 1,000,000 litres of seawater each day into fresh water. It also drives a turbine to generate electricity. Additional water is also taken from the roof of the greenhouse.
Credit: Sundrop Farms
Credit: Sundrop Farms
12.01.19
(34) 2018 TEN Worst Climate Change Disasters Did in Damage
From floods to extreme heat, 10 of the worst climate-linked disasters in 2018 caused at least $184.8 billion worth of damage, said a study released by the charity Christian Aid on Thursday. Experts say a warming world will lead to sweltering heatwaves, more extreme rainfall, shrinking harvests and worsening water shortages, causing both monetary losses and human misery. The report’s authors collated total cost figures using data from sources including governments, banks and insurance firms, though in some cases the figures only covered insured losses and also failed to take account of the human costs of such events. They added that rising temperatures would continue to drive extreme weather events as they urged action to prevent further global warming, which would impact the poorest and most vulnerable communities hardest. Credit: THE YEARS PROJECT
12.01.19
(33)Pollution And Climate Change Cause 'Dead Zones' In World's Oceans To Spread
Ocean regions with low oxygen levels have a huge impact on aquatic organisms and can even destroy entire ecosystems. Areas of extremely low oxygen, known as oxygen minimum zones or “dead zones”, are estimated to constitute 10% and rising of the world’s ocean. This expansion has been attributed to a warming climate, which increases water temperature, changes ocean circulation, and decreases the solubility of oxygen in sea water. At the same time fertiliser and pesticide run-off from farming and other human activities leads to rising levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous reaching the sea. To prevent the possibility of a 1,000-year (or longer) recovery period from a dead zone seafloor, we need to be much more aware of how the various environmental aspects are connected. An understanding of how de-oxygenation has affected the ocean in the past and how our actions are affecting the ocean in the present is critical to either preventing a recurrence or at least minimising effects of what we have already done. Credit: THE YEARS PROJECT
12.01.19
(32)Newly Developed Gel Extracts Drinking Water From The Air
A cheap hydrogel that can suck moisture out of the air and then release it on demand might be the answer to drinking water shortages in arid regions. Researchers from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) suggest an inexpensive hydrogel-based material they have developed can suck water from the air, even in low humidity conditions and release the water back out when warmed by sunlight. There are many areas around the globe that are affected by a lack of access to clean water. The earth’s air is a possibly untapped resource for clean water. It is estimated that the Earth's air contains more than 13 trillion tonnes of potable water. A simple 35-gram prototype of the completed extraction device was left outside and managed to collect 37 g of water in weather conditions of 60 percent humidity. Credit: Seeker
26.12.18
(31)Climate change will make rice less nutritious, putting millions of the world’s poor at risk.
The future of rice production is now threatened because of rising sea levels and temperature increases attributed to climate change. Rice will become less nutritious as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, potentially jeopardising the health of the billions of people who rely on the crop as their main source of food, new research suggests. About two billion people rely on rice as a primary food source and among those that are the poorest, often the consumption of rice in terms of their daily calories is over 50%, The production of rice, one of the world's most important crops, is facing major problems such as slow growth and climate change, which could increase its price by more than 30 per cent by 2050. Credit: TheYearsProject
24.11.18
(30)Ocean Shock: Big aquaculture bulldozes Borneo.
The company is Sunlight Inno Seafood. Owned by Cedric Wong King Ti, a Malaysian businessman known as "King Wong," it has bulldozed swaths of mangroves in the Tombonuo's homeland in northern Borneo to make space for plastic-lined ponds filled with millions of king prawns. The shrimp are destined to be fattened for three months, scooped up in nets, quick frozen, packed into 40-foot refrigerated containers and loaded onto cargo ships bound for distant ports. Nevertheless, some governments in Southeast Asia have concluded that it's worth sacrificing more mangroves in return for the export earnings and employment the projects can generate. Among them is the Malaysian state of Sabah, which is a partner in King Wong's shrimp farm. The Sabah Environmental Protection Association, a non-governmental organisation, says Sunlight Seafood has already cut down 2,300 acres of mangroves, citing satellite imagery. Credit: Seeker
03.11.18
(29)Humanity Has Wiped Out 60% of Global Wildlife in the Past 45 Years, WWF Report Says.
In nearly 45 years, humanity has wiped out 60% of global wildlife populations, according to a newly released Living Planet Report from the World Wildlife Fund, the animal rights and conservation organization. What’s more, the huge loss of animal life is also a threat to humanity and the planet, scientists say. The WWF’s report comes just weeks after a UN report on climate changewarned that global temperatures are rising quickly, and risk rising to 1.5 degrees, which would wipe out most of the planet’s coral reefs and cause severe heatwaves. “Time is running out,” the report says. Credit: WWF
22.9.18
(28)Ending Poverty & Hunger With Just a Fraction of Global Military Spending.
Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger—two of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by the United Nations in 2017—may seem far out of reach. But, according to a new study, it could done with about ten percent of the world's military spending. A price has been set and estimated by the United Nations to solve this crisis – $116 billion a year. It may seem like a large sum of money, but when compared to the 10 countries defense budget – $1,243 billion in 2016 – $116 billion seems more attainable.
Credit: ScienceNaturePage
Credit: ScienceNaturePage
22.9.18
(27)How Much Food Do We Waste? Probably More Than You Think
Globally, we throw out about 1.3 billion tons of food a year, or a third of all the food that we grow. That’s important for at least two reasons. The less the world wastes, the easier it will be to meet the food needs of the global population in coming years. Second, cutting back on waste could go a long way to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “As you get higher and higher income, you get more and more profligacy in food waste,”. Food waste and loss has a huge carbon footprint: 3.3 billion tons of carbon equivalent. Credit: OUTRIDER
8.9.18
(26)Shocking secrets of the food industry.
- There are a multitude of chemicals used in processed food that do not have to be in any way disclosed, as they’re considered “processing aids”
- The goal of food technologists is to reduce the amount of real ingredients by finding substitutes that mimic the real thing; the end product looks, smells, and tastes like “good food,” . Credit: 5-MINUTE CRAFTS
1. Processed Foods Are Addictive and Can Cause You To Overeat
2. Processed Foods Are Linked to Obesity
3. Processed Foods Often Contain Ingredients That Do Not Follow The Principle of Food Combining
4. Processed Foods Contribute to An Imbalanced Inner Ecosystem
5. A Diet High in Processed Foods Can Lead to Depression, Memory Issues and Mood Swings
6. Processed Foods Often Go Hand In Hand With “Eating on the run” or Multitasking
7. Nutrition Labels on Processed Foods Are Often Misleading and Have Harmful Health Effects
8. Diets High in Processed Meats (like hot dogs and deli meats) Have Been Linked to Various Forms of Cancer
9. Eating Too Many Processed Foods Can Lead to Infertility and Malnutrition
10. Processed Foods are Made For Long Shelf-life, Not Long Human Life!
2. Processed Foods Are Linked to Obesity
3. Processed Foods Often Contain Ingredients That Do Not Follow The Principle of Food Combining
4. Processed Foods Contribute to An Imbalanced Inner Ecosystem
5. A Diet High in Processed Foods Can Lead to Depression, Memory Issues and Mood Swings
6. Processed Foods Often Go Hand In Hand With “Eating on the run” or Multitasking
7. Nutrition Labels on Processed Foods Are Often Misleading and Have Harmful Health Effects
8. Diets High in Processed Meats (like hot dogs and deli meats) Have Been Linked to Various Forms of Cancer
9. Eating Too Many Processed Foods Can Lead to Infertility and Malnutrition
10. Processed Foods are Made For Long Shelf-life, Not Long Human Life!
25.8.18
(25)Putting algae on the menu could help lower pollution, fight world hunger.
Commercial production of marine microalgae as a staple human food and feed for animals and farmed fish. These tiny organisms are the ultimate source of omega-3 fatty acids and amino acids that humans need in our diets, and which many of us get by eating fish. Microalgae are a nearly untapped resource, and are found in both freshwater and marine aquatic systems. Although they are only few micrometers in size, they produce amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, polymers and carbohydrates. One sustainability metric for comparing protein production from animals, plants and marine algae is the amount of land and water needed to produce an equal quantity of essential amino acids from each type of food. We calculate that producing one kilogram of beef-sourced essential amino acids requires 148,000 liters of freshwater and 125 square meters of fertile land. In contrast, producing the same amount from an algae farm raised in an open pond with brackish water requires only 20 liters of freshwater and 1.6 square meters of nonfertile land. Credit: attn:
25.8.18
(24)Solubag – The Invention That Just Might Save The Oceans.
A new company based in Chile has developed Solubag, a 'plastic' bag that dissolves in water. Their bags work just as well as traditional plastic bags for carrying item around, but they have several major advantages. These bags are not made using petroleum products. That means their production does not use up the limited amount of crude oil we have and does not lead to the increased release of hydrocarbons into the environment. The really big feature of these bags though in term of protecting our seas and oceans is the fact that they are completely soluble in water. This means that within five minutes of entering the water they are fully dissolved. Removing the chance of an animal accidentally ingesting the bag, as a result of mistaking it for food. Credit: Reuters
25.8.18
(23)Fish-friendly whirlpool turbine makes hydropower green again.
A company from Belgium wants to make hydropower green again. Turbulent’s whirlpool turbine can be installed in most canalsor rivers, harnessing flowing water to generate power for as many as 60 homes, according to Business Insider. The clean, fish-friendly energy source can operate at night and during the day. Credit: Turbulent
11.8.18
(22)Climate Impacts on Water Resources.
In many areas, climate change is likely to increase water demand while shrinking water supplies. This shifting balance would challenge water managers to simultaneously meet the needs of growing communities, sensitive ecosystems, farmers, ranchers, energy producers, and manufacturers. In some areas, water shortages will be less of a problem than increases in runoff, flooding, or sea level rise. These effects can reduce the quality of water and can damage the infrastructure that we use to transport and deliver water. Credit: Seeker+SCI
11.8.18
(21)Meet Wave Star: Harnessing ocean waves for unlimited clean energy.
The Denmark-based company are developing a process – called the Wavestar – that converts the energy from waves through floats on the surface of the ocean. The concept was invented by sailing enthusiasts Niels and Keld Hansen in 2000. The challenge was to create a regular output of energy from periodic ocean swells and waves that are 5-10 seconds apart . This was achieved by developing a floating machine with a row of half-submerged buoys, which rise and fall in turn as the wave passes. This rise and fall movement allows energy to be continually produced despite waves being periodic. Credit: Wavestar
11.8.18
(20)Eco-Friendly Replacement For Plastic Wrap Made From Crab Shells.
Researchers have found that instead of going into garbage , crab shells could be going into a new form of biodegradable packaging . According to J. Carson Meredith, one of the project’s participating researchers and a professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, the product the team is working on is remarkably similar in texture and appearance to the common petroleum-derived plastic used in soda bottles and potato chip bags—and it might even work better at keeping food fresh.
Credit: Georgia Tech
Credit: Georgia Tech
20.7.18
(19)This device turns your trash into fuel.
The machine, dubbed the 'Home Energy Resources Unit' or 'Heru' works by filling up the machine's main chamber with rubbish and food waste. Plastic coffee cups and bottles, food trays, nappies and even grass cuttings are placed inside the cylinder which is the size of a washing machine drum. Credit: reuters
20.7.18
(18)Countless people who deny climate change.
Climate change is a major issue facing the world today, but some people believe that climate change is a hoax. This term refers to the changes in temperatures and climates experienced by people living in countries all around the world. Even some famous people believe that this is an example of fake science, and others believe that it exists but not to the degree that some say. Those who deny it exists have a few key reasons for their belief.
Credit: TODAY WATCHED
Credit: TODAY WATCHED
20.7.18
(17)From Europe to Africa, extreme and widespread heat raises climate concerns in hottest La Niña year to date on record.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the rising temperatures were at odds with a global cyclical climate phenomenon known as La Niña, which is usually associated with cooling. Even when the sun goes down, night is not providing the cooling relief it once did in many parts of the world. The concern is that weather fronts – hot and cold – are being blocked more frequently due to climate change. This causes droughts and storms to linger, amplifying the damage they cause. Credit: Washington Post
20.7.18
(16) Five cool inventions that could save the planet.
You've heard about the impact that our technology-driven population is having on the planet -- from cars, to energy factories, to the over-consumption of the earth's resources. It's causing a lot of problems. Yet, inventors are also using this technology to improve lives across the planet. Here are a few of their creations: Credit: attn:
14.7.18
(15)What will the world look like in 2030 & 2040 ?
- The world will need at least 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water than it did in 2016, according to United Nations High Level Panel on Global Sustainability estimates.
- India will surpass China as the most populous country this year or earlier.
- According to projections by the United Nations, the world population of humans is estimated to be between approximately 7,800,000,000 (7.8 billion) and 8,500,000,000 (8.5 billion) people.
- A study estimated that due to continued economic growth in Africa, most impoverished Sub-Saharan African countries will graduate from low to middle-income status by 2030.
- It is estimated that the global middle class will number about 4.9 billion people, about 66% of whom will live in Asia,and 80% living in what in 2015 is considered the developing world.Overall, middle classes will be the most important economic and social sector, and a majority of the world's population will be out of poverty. Credit: ScienseNaturePage
14.7.18
(14)Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects
Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses. An estimated 18 million acres (7.3 million hectares) of forest, which is roughly the size of the country of Panama, are lost each year, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
- About half of the world's tropical forests have been cleared, according to the FAO.
- The Earth loses 18.7 million acres of forests per year, which is equal to 27 soccer fields every minute, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
- It is estimated that 15 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation, according to the WWF. Credit: Rainforest Alliance
7.7.18
(13)Cape Town water crisis.
A drought in the Western Cape province of South Africa began in 2015 and is resulting in a severe water shortage in the region, most notably affecting the city of Cape Town. With dam levels predicted to decline to critically low levels, the city announced plans for "Day Zero", when if a particular lower limit of water storage was reached, the municipal water supply would largely be shut off, potentially making Cape Town the first major city to run out of water.
Credit: Now World
Credit: Now World
07.07.18
(12)Here are 6 foods available on future dinner tables .
Credit: Nameless Network
30.6.18
(11)China’s plastic waste ban will leave 111 million tons of trash with nowhere to go .
On December 31st, 2017, China put a halt to a lot of the plastic waste that foreign countries like the US sent to its shores for disposal. To calculate the impact of that ban, researchers at the University of Georgia looked at how much plastic waste China imported from 1988 to 2016. They then used that information to calculate that by 2030, the ban might leave 111 million metric tons of plastic trash with nowhere to go, according to a study published today in Science Advances. Credit: Brooks, Wang, Jambeck
30.6.18
(10)What Happens to Recycling After It's Collected ?
The separation process starts when the truck arrives at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The process may vary from place to place, but each MRF has one goal: to separate and recycle different materials so they can be made into new products. Credit: NOW THIS
15.6.18
(9)Fruits and Vegetables Have Become Less Nutritious.
Because of soil depletion, crops grown decades ago were much richer in vitamins and minerals than the varieties most of us get today. Modern intensive agricultural methods have stripped increasing amounts of nutrients from the soil in which the food we eat grows. Sadly, each successive generation of fast-growing, pest-resistant carrot is truly less good for you than the one before. Credit: Popular Science
15.6.18
(8)Pulling fresh water from desert air .
Last October, a UC Berkeley team headed down to the Arizona desert, plopped their newest prototype water harvester into the backyard of a tract home and started sucking water out of the air without any power other than sunlight.The successful field test of their larger, next-generation harvester proved what the team had predicted earlier in 2019: that the water harvester can extract drinkable water every day/night cycle at very low humidity and at low cost, making it ideal for people living in arid, water-starved areas of the world. Credit: UC Berkeley
19.5.18
(7)The largest head tax passed in U.S. history to help the housing & homelessness crisis.
The Seattle City Council unanimously passed a compromise proposal Monday on the controversial employee head tax that aims to help the city's affordable housing and homeless crisis. Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez said she negotiated with Mayor Jenny Durkan and her staff on the new amendment, which was unveiled hours before the council vote. Gonzalez says the new terms with be $275 a head to raise between $45 million and $49 million a year, with a sunset clause January 1, 2024. It would only impact businesses with over $20 million a year in gross revenue. The head tax is the largest in U.S. history. Credit: Chicago Tribune
8.5.18
(6)Fatberg 'autopsy' reveals growing health threat.
Fatbergs, the congealed mass of fat and discarded items that are increasingly blocking Britain’s sewers, are the consequence of the plastic crisis in Britain and contain potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria, tests show. The forensic analysis revealed that cooking fat is the biggest contributor to the crisis, making up nearly 90% of the sample. It also showed a higher concentration of prohibited gym supplements than street drugs such as cocaine and MDMA. According to experts, the bacteria not only poses an immediate risk to operatives who work in sewers, but also to the public in the event of a blockage, as contents of the sewers could come back up through domestic or commercial pipes causing flooding to homes and businesses. Credit: Seeker+Sci
4.5.18
(5)Five things YOU can do to HELP the environment.
Going green is easier than you think. There are little things you can do every day to help reduce greenhouse gases and make a less harmful impact on the environment. Taking care of the Earth is not just a responsibility -- it's a privilege. Credit: SCI
24.4.18
(4)Rising ocean waters, scorching temperatures, food scarcity and disease - here's how humans could ultimately be responsible for the end of the world.
Population growth has been so rapid that there is no real precedent we can turn to for clues about the possible consequences. In other words, while the planet might hold over 11 billion people by the end of the century, our current level of knowledge does not allow us to predict whether such a large population is sustainable, simply because it has never happened before. Credit: NOW THIS
21.4.18
(3)Could feminism save the planet ?
Too many in the environmental movement have understood the importance of women’s empowerment narrowly and simply as improving sexual and reproductive health and rights in order to reduce population growth. This then also restricts the analysis on women’s empowerment to those countries where women do not have these rights. Many argue cogently that ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights for women is essential in its own right but also as a means of empowering women as agents of environmental change.
Put simply, women make up half of society and therefore must be part of the solution. Credit: Re:
Put simply, women make up half of society and therefore must be part of the solution. Credit: Re:
21.4.18
(2)You use 16kg/35lbs of resources extracted from Earth every day , or 57kg/125lbs if you live in the western world.
Credit: SCIENCE NATURE PAGE
21.4.18
(1)This is 20 years of satellite observations of our ecosystems from space.
From space, satellites can see Earth breathe. A new NASA visualization shows 20 years of continuous observations of plant life on land and at the ocean’s surface, from September 1997 to September 2017. On land, vegetation appears on a scale from brown (low vegetation) to dark green (lots of vegetation); at the ocean surface, phytoplankton are indicated on a scale from purple (low) to yellow (high). This visualization was created with data from satellites including SeaWiFS, and instruments including the NASA/NOAA Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. Credit: NASA
Poverty deprives people of adequate education, health care and of life's most basic necessities- safe living conditions (including clean air and clean drinking water) and an adequate food supply. The developed (industrialized) countries today account for roughly 20 percent of the world's population but control about 80 percent of the world's wealth.
Poverty and pollution seem to operate in a vicious cycle that, so far, has been hard to break. Even in the developed nations, the gap between the rich and the poor is evident in their respective social and environmental conditions.
Poverty and pollution seem to operate in a vicious cycle that, so far, has been hard to break. Even in the developed nations, the gap between the rich and the poor is evident in their respective social and environmental conditions.
