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vox_mundi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #750 on: March 13, 2019, 03:58:35 PM »
The 'Ecological Foundations of Society' are In Peril, a Massive UN Report Warns
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/03/13/millions-could-die-prematurely-without-unprecedented-action-clean-air-water-new-un-report-warns/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c7443e4ce4ca

Human activities are degrading the global environment at a pace that could endanger the "ecological foundations of society" and human health, according to a landmark United Nations report released Wednesday.

The authors say that with unprecedented action on a global scale -- including drastically cutting carbon emissions, improving water management and reducing pollution -- humans can achieve a future with less poverty and hunger while preserving the environment. ... our window for action is closing fast. If we continue business as usual, the authors warn, we can expect:

Quote
- Millions of premature deaths caused by air pollution across large swaths of Asia, the Middle East and Africa by the middle of this century.
- The continuation of a major species extinction event, impairing Earth's capacity to meet human food and resource needs.
- Freshwater pollutants making antimicrobial-resistant infections a major cause of death by 2050.

The 740 page report is the sixth Global Environment Outlook and is the UN's most comprehensive report on the state of the global environment since the fifth edition in 2012. More than 250 scientists and experts from more than 70 countries contributed to the assessment.



The authors echo findings from last fall's UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that, to avoid disastrous levels of global warming, urgent changes to all aspects of society are needed.

Unfortunately, greenhouse gas emissions have locked the world into a period of climate change defined by rising seas, more frequent and intense storms and food security crises, the report says.

Climate change is hardly the only environmental crisis unfolding due to human activity that the report urges action to address.

Species extinction rates continue to increase at a pace that could compromise Earth's ability to meet human needs, the report says.

The authors also detail how feeding the growing human population remains a challenge that is taking a toll on the environment. Land is getting less fertile and useful. The report says degradation “hot spots,” where it’s difficult to grow crops, now cover 29 percent of all land areas.

... it comes on the heels of another U.N. report, issued in October, which said that the international community has 12 years to limit the disastrous effects of climate change.



https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/27652/GEO6SPM_EN.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/video/planet-focus-global-environment-outlook

------------------------

Environment is Deadly and Worsening Mess, but Not Hopeless: U.N.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/13/world/science-health-world/environment-deadly-worsening-mess-not-hopeless-u-n/#.XIkbMyJKjIU



... “There is still time but the window is closing fast.”

The sixth Global Environment Outlook, released Wednesday at a U.N. conference in Nairobi, Kenya, painted a dire picture of a planet where environmental problems interact with each other to make things even more dangerous for people. It uses the word “risk” 561 times in a 740-page report.

The report concludes “unsustainable human activities globally have degraded the Earth’s ecosystems, endangering the ecological foundations of society.”



“Time is running out to prevent the irreversible and dangerous impacts of climate change,” the report says, noting that unless something changes, global temperatures will exceed the threshold of warming — another 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above current temperatures — that international agreements call dangerous.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2019, 04:23:47 PM by vox_mundi »
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

wdmn

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #751 on: March 14, 2019, 05:30:50 AM »
This follows on vox_mundi's post above.

Because I wasn't sure where else to put it... places becoming less livable: Earth.

New UN report discusses arctic temperatures:

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/433886-un-report-finds-globe-is-past-the-point-of-halting-temperature-rise

Dramatic temperature increases in the globe’s northernmost region, which is typically covered by permafrost, is unavoidable, according to the report released at the United Nations Environment Assembly.

Even if countries were to meet the original goals of the Paris climate agreement, it would do nothing to stop Arctic winter temperatures from increasing 3 to 5 degrees Celsius by 2050 and 5 to 9 degrees Celsius by 2080, according to the report.

The resulting sea level rises worldwide would be devastating.

The report also warned that the rapid thawing of permafrost in the region could likely accelerate the effects of climate change, which could completely negate any long-term international pacts and goals to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius compared to 1986-2005 levels.

.....

To put the study’s findings into perspective, even if global emissions were to completely stop overnight, winter temperatures in the arctic would still increase between 4 to 5 degrees Celsius by 2100 compared to the late 20th century’s temperatures, the study found.


*gulp*

vox_mundi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #752 on: March 14, 2019, 08:13:30 AM »
More from the Guardian ...

Sharp Rise in Arctic Temperatures Now Inevitable – UN 
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/13/arctic-temperature-rises-must-be-urgently-tackled-warns-un

... Winter temperatures at the north pole are likely to rise by at least 3C above pre-industrial levels by mid-century, and there could be further rises to between 5C and 9C above the recent average for the region, according to the UN.

... Scientists fear Arctic heating could trigger a climate “tipping point” as melting permafrost releases the powerful greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere, which in turn could create a runaway warming effect.

If melting permafrost triggers a tipping point, the likely results would be global temperature rises well in excess of the 2C set as the limit of safety under the Paris agreement. Nearly half of Arctic permafrost could be lost even if global carbon emissions are held within the Paris agreement limits, according to the UN study.

UN Report: https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/27652/GEO6SPM_EN.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

... Even if the Paris Agreement is met, Arctic permafrost is expected to shrink 45% compared to today. Globally, these frozen soils hold an estimated 1,672 billion metric tonnes of carbon. Increased thawing is expected to contribute significantly to carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The resulting warming will in turn lead to more thawing – an effect known as ‘positive feedback’

https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/3-5degc-temperature-rise-now-locked-arctic
« Last Edit: March 14, 2019, 08:54:31 AM by vox_mundi »
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

kassy

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #753 on: March 14, 2019, 02:51:31 PM »

The Toxic Consequences of America’s Plastics Boom

Thanks to fracking, petrochemicals giants are poised to make the plastic pollution crisis much, much worse.

Companies are investing $65 billion to dramatically expand plastics production in the United States, and more than 333 petrochemical projects are underway or newly completed, including brand-new facilities, expansions of existing plants, vast networks of pipelines, and shipping infrastructure. This is a sharp reversal of fortune for American plastics manufacturers. Just over a decade ago, major plastics makers shed tens of thousands of jobs as cheaper operating costs in Asia and the Middle East lured production overseas. Now, thanks to the fracking revolution, producing plastic has become radically cheaper in the United States, leading to a glut of raw materials for its creation. The economic winds have shifted so profoundly that petrochemical companies have declared a “renaissance” in American plastics manufacturing. In turn, plastic is becoming an increasingly important source of profit for Big Oil, providing yet another reason to drill in the face of climate change.

...

<during Trumps may 2017 Saudi Arabia visit>
Meanwhile, in a mint-and-gold-colored room within the Saudi royal court, executives struck their own deals. Among them were Darren Woods, the CEO and chairman of ExxonMobil, and Yousef Al-Benyan, CEO of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), one of the world’s largest producers of petrochemicals. With Trump, Saudi King Salman, and then–US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (a former Exxon CEO) looking on, Woods and Al-Benyan shook hands on a joint venture to build what will be the largest plastics facility of its kind, on Texas’s Gulf Coast.

...

Plotted on a map, the rectangle of land where Exxon plans to build is nearly as large as Portland and about twice the size of neighboring Gregory, a low-income, largely Hispanic community.

...

According to Exxon’s requested air permit, the facility will emit sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides, which can combine to form ozone smog; carcinogens, including benzene, formaldehyde, and butadiene; and other particulate matter. The health risks of these emissions include eye and throat irritation, respiratory problems, and headaches, as well as nose bleeds at low levels and, at high levels, more serious damage to vital organs and the central nervous system.

...

Now, the Texas Campaign for the Environment and the Sierra Club, working on behalf of Portland and Gregory residents, are contesting the air-quality permits that Exxon requested from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Summerlin is not naive about the prospects of this effort: The commission is notoriously friendly to industry and, as far as Summerlin knows, has never denied a permit

...

All of these new facilities will require water; Exxon’s cracker alone will consume 20 to 25 million gallons per day, more than all the water currently used each day in San Patricio County’s water district. But the area is prone to drought. The Port of Corpus Christi has plans to build a seawater-desalination plant on Harbor Island near Port Aransas, which could lead to discharges of extremely salty water back into the bays that serve as nurseries for shrimp and fish. The development is also vulnerable to hurricanes. When Hurricane Harvey swept across Houston in 2017, many chemical plants shut down, releasing an estimated 1 million pounds of excess toxic emissions that drifted into neighboring communities.

https://www.thenation.com/article/plastics-pollution-crisis-fracking-petrochemicals/

Just some quotes from a long and good (and rather depressing) article.
Þetta minnismerki er til vitnis um að við vitum hvað er að gerast og hvað þarf að gera. Aðeins þú veist hvort við gerðum eitthvað.

ritter

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #754 on: March 14, 2019, 04:26:04 PM »
@vox and wdmn,

Those are horrific studies. It would appear the referenced "tipping point" has already been exceeded. Now commencing feedback loop.

wdmn

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #755 on: March 14, 2019, 05:40:27 PM »
@vox and wdmn,

Those are horrific studies. It would appear the referenced "tipping point" has already been exceeded. Now commencing feedback loop.

Yeah, I'm surprised how little coverage it's getting, though I guess I shouldn't be.

anthropocene

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #756 on: March 14, 2019, 08:47:18 PM »
More from the Guardian ...

Sharp Rise in Arctic Temperatures Now Inevitable – UN 
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/13/arctic-temperature-rises-must-be-urgently-tackled-warns-un

... Winter temperatures at the north pole are likely to rise by at least 3C above pre-industrial levels by mid-century, and there could be further rises to between 5C and 9C above the recent average for the region, according to the UN.

<---- snip
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/3-5degc-temperature-rise-now-locked-arctic

You would think that when quoting just about straight from the source the Guardian would be more accurate: The unenvironment link says;
"Even if Paris Agreement goals met, Arctic winter temperatures will increase 3-5°C by 2050 compared to 1986-2005 levels."     

1986-2005 is NOT pre-industrial.

vox_mundi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #757 on: March 15, 2019, 12:32:36 AM »
Malaysia Shuts 111 Schools as Toxic Dumping Poisons Hundreds 
https://dw.com/en/malaysia-shuts-111-schools-as-toxic-dumping-poisons-hundreds/a-47905693

The situation is becoming "increasingly critical" after hundreds more children were admitted to hospital. Three people suspected of involvement in the dumping of toxic waste have been arrested.

Malaysia has closed 111 schools after hundreds of people, many of them children, were hospitalized following the suspected dumping of toxic waste in a nearby river, authorities said.

Hazardous fumes spread across Johor in the country's south last week after a truck was believed to have dumped the waste, causing symptoms including nausea and vomiting.   

--------------------------
Over 2,000 Fall Ill in Malaysia after Toxic Waste Dumped 
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-fall-ill-malaysia-toxic-dumped.html

More than 2,000 people, including many children, have fallen ill after toxic waste was dumped in a Malaysian river and emitted hazardous fumes over a wide area, an official said Friday.

The number of those needing medical treatment has been slowly rising since the crisis began and on Friday the figure stood at 2,355, including 113 still in hospital, local lawmaker Sahruddin Jamal told AFP.

Local media have reported the waste was a type of oil commonly used to lubricate ship's engines which emitted methane and benzene fumes. Up to 40 tonnes of the toxic substance is believed to have been tipped into the river.

« Last Edit: March 15, 2019, 02:02:45 PM by vox_mundi »
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Shared Humanity

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #758 on: March 16, 2019, 04:17:23 PM »
Now multiply this 1000 fold to begin to grapple with the challenges that climate change will present even the wealthiest nation in the world.


Shared Humanity

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #759 on: March 16, 2019, 04:32:56 PM »
https://apnews.com/e0ceae76d5894734b0041210a902218d

In hindsight, he said, it might not have been a bad idea to inform the public about the worst of “dozens of spills.”

Ya think?

Just wait until the next storm that dumps 80 inches of rain instead of 50 inches...and it will happen...

vox_mundi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #760 on: March 16, 2019, 04:48:32 PM »
https://apnews.com/e0ceae76d5894734b0041210a902218d

In hindsight, he said, it might not have been a bad idea to inform the public about the worst of “dozens of spills.”

Ya think?

Just wait until the next storm that dumps 80 inches of rain instead of 50 inches...and it will happen...
Related ...

https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,1858.msg191257.html#msg191257

Post-Hurricane Harvey, NASA Tried To Fly a Pollution-Spotting Plane over Houston… Trump's EPA Said No!
https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-nasa-jet-epa-hurricane-harvey-20190305-story.html
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Human Habitat Index

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #761 on: March 18, 2019, 03:23:06 PM »
There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance. That principle is contempt prior to investigation. - Herbert Spencer

bbr2314

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #762 on: March 18, 2019, 03:29:09 PM »
Polio is the result of infection by the poliovirus.

20 Things You Don’t Know About Polio

https://realnewsaustralia.com/2019/02/27/the-real-history-of-polio-20-things-you-didnt-know/

Is Neven going to allow anti-vax BS to proliferate on his website? Because that's what this is. Neven???

Human Habitat Index

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #763 on: March 18, 2019, 03:54:41 PM »
Polio is the result of infection by the poliovirus.

20 Things You Don’t Know About Polio

https://realnewsaustralia.com/2019/02/27/the-real-history-of-polio-20-things-you-didnt-know/

Pesticides - DDT - Rachel Carson - Silent Spring

There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance. That principle is contempt prior to investigation. - Herbert Spencer

Mozi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #764 on: March 18, 2019, 04:13:59 PM »
Polio is the result of infection by the poliovirus.

gerontocrat

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #765 on: March 18, 2019, 05:19:35 PM »
This anti-vax bullshit is making this thread less livable.
Let us hope the infection does not spread throughout the forum.

Has Neven got a vaccination to hand?
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
"And that's all I'm going to say about that". Forrest Gump
"Damn, I wanted to see what happened next" (Epitaph)

Shared Humanity

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #766 on: March 18, 2019, 06:37:02 PM »
This anti-vax bullshit is making this thread less livable.
Let us hope the infection does not spread throughout the forum.

Has Neven got a vaccination to hand?

Anti-vax persons are anti-science and I would look at individuals with a jaundiced eye as regards to their attitudes towards climate change.

Back on topic people.

magnamentis

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #767 on: March 18, 2019, 07:30:10 PM »
This anti-vax bullshit is making this thread less livable.
Let us hope the infection does not spread throughout the forum.

Has Neven got a vaccination to hand?

Anti-vax persons are anti-science and I would look at individuals with a jaundiced eye as regards to their attitudes towards climate change.

Back on topic people.

i'm anti anything that:

- would have to be produced for billions to save a few and at the same time leaves a direct energy and resources footprint, and supports over population. it's turning the screws of nature under the disguise of humanity and political correctness but ultimately kills a big part of the fauna and flora on this planet.

the urge to insure everything and protect ourselves from everything will kill us all.

vaccine is only one example but just imagine the energy and resources needed to produce
them for all mankind and how few really benefit with an often unknown long-term price tag (side-effects)

this would become to long to read to go deeper but i know that GW is manmade and still am against vaccine and i'm not against science while not all that is released by scientists is sacrosanct.

where does overpopulation in third world country come from, when did it start ?

i won't answer this, ask yourself and think whether africa for example wouldn't be better of with the population they had a hundred years ago or even before that.

too many people with to little perspectives are, beside all natural causes, another huge factor in an eventually ultimate mass extinction and this does apply to almost any organic population, trees, animals and animals who think they are the crown of creation while in fact they're mostly stupid and cruel at the same time, only intentionally as compared to simple animaliistic instincts.

egos are greeting ;)

Neven

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #768 on: March 18, 2019, 11:51:12 PM »
I'm a bit of an anti-vaxxer myself (not because I'm anti-science per se, but mostly because I'm anti-Big Pharma, against the economic reasons for vaccines, and think there are much bigger health problems than infectious diseases that don't get the attention they deserve, because they're causing human degeneration), but I've seen this type of discussions and they're very tiresome. I don't want the ASIF to become less livable.  ;)

Because HHI keeps on shooting those posts from the hip, I've put him on moderation.

The enemy is within
Don't confuse me with him

E. Smith

rboyd

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #769 on: March 19, 2019, 02:04:56 AM »
bbr2314, attempting to shut someone down with a highly emotive image is not what I expect in this forum. There is a place for discussion, I myself definitely question the efficacy of some vaccines (e.g. the flu vaccine) while most definitely accepting the efficacy of others (e.g..smallpox, whooping cough, polio etc.). This is not a forum about vaccines, but climate change, so having noted my distaste I will not post on this subject again.

Juan C. García

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #770 on: March 19, 2019, 03:24:45 PM »
https://apnews.com/e0ceae76d5894734b0041210a902218d

In hindsight, he said, it might not have been a bad idea to inform the public about the worst of “dozens of spills.”

Ya think?

Just wait until the next storm that dumps 80 inches of rain instead of 50 inches...and it will happen...
Related ...

https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,1858.msg191257.html#msg191257

Post-Hurricane Harvey, NASA Tried To Fly a Pollution-Spotting Plane over Houston… Trump's EPA Said No!
https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-nasa-jet-epa-hurricane-harvey-20190305-story.html

Now on Deer Park (TX), the situation has changed from flooding to chemical plant fire. Parents are concerned that kids are allowed to go to schools close to the fire. Seems to me that authorities are more concerned on keeping the business as usual, than concerned on the children's health.

https://abc13.com/parents-concerned-after-classes-resume-while-itc-fire-still-burns/5205019/
« Last Edit: March 19, 2019, 03:45:41 PM by Juan C. García »
Which is the best answer to Sep-2012 ASI lost (compared to 1979-2000)?
50% [NSIDC Extent] or
73% [PIOMAS Volume]

Volume is harder to measure than extent, but 3-dimensional space is real, 2D's hide ~50% thickness gone.
-> IPCC/NSIDC trends [based on extent] underestimate the real speed of ASI lost.

Chuck Yokota

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #771 on: March 19, 2019, 04:01:11 PM »
I found the polio article full of BS with a heavy conspiracy theory mindset, about like a typical denier rant against climate science.

Anyway, Big Pharma has no interest in promoting treatments that cost a few dollars once in a lifetime; the real money is in medications for chronic conditions that people need to take every day. That is where the scandals about unethical and illegal marketing and promotion have been revealed.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2019, 04:10:18 PM by Chuck Yokota »

b_lumenkraft

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #772 on: March 19, 2019, 04:30:59 PM »
I agree with you Neven that the system we are living in is not optimal. Yeah, there is indeed a problem with corporate interests in health care. But, this does not change the fact that vaccinations work and prevent a lot of harm.

Seriously, if we allow this anti-vaxxer shit we might as well open a flat-earth thread to attract all the lunatics out there.

That said, i would prefer this to stay a forum for people who base their opinions on facts.

silkman

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #773 on: March 19, 2019, 04:38:15 PM »

Anyway, Big Pharma has no interest in promoting treatments that cost a few dollars once in a lifetime; the real money is in medications for chronic conditions that people need to take every day.

That's the 20th century paradigm and its not really true any more. Most of the big markets for chronic medication are now well satisfied by out of patent drugs. There's a few fancy formulations out there, particularly in asthma but the big bucks these days are in biologics, primarily monoclonal antibodies, supported by genetic markers for disease.

This approach will prove increasingly divisive as the cost of development is high and the fragmentation of markets for genetically targeted therapy results in financial models demanding stratospheric prices for effective personalised medicine.

The outcome, increasingly, is resulting in 21st century healthcare being beyond the means of the majority of the population. In the UK NHS there are stories every week of the agency responsible of cost effectiveness in healthcare failing to approve targeted therapies on cost grounds to the dismay, often, of the parents of young children. It's a model that is driving social division.

Against this background vaccines are at the other end of the scale and represent true social medicine. The objective is herd immunity and the risk to the vaccinated population is not zero but it's very low. And it's the poor and the disadvantaged in society that benefit most as, in general, they are at greatest risk.

After a long career in life sciences I find it difficult to understand how my good, mostly science minded friends on this site could be swayed by the fallacious arguments of the anti-vaccine lobby.

Neven

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #774 on: March 19, 2019, 07:59:26 PM »
Just to be clear, that was the last anti-vaccination post I'm letting through, because HHI is on moderation now. I'm not interested in the discussion. There are millions of them on the Internet. No need for another one here.

So, on-topic again, please.
The enemy is within
Don't confuse me with him

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Gray-Wolf

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #775 on: March 19, 2019, 08:35:56 PM »
A.F.A.I.K when Saharan dust reaches the Caribbean there is a notable uptick in asthma attacks. They reckon it is the biological bits , and not the silica, that drives this?

Should we be seeing a new 'go to' for atmospheric pressure distribution for NW Europe the shift from 'trough off Ireland' to 'Ridge over Shetland' ity could bring NW Europe far more than high temps and sunny summers!

In my youth here it the UK we look out for 'Spanish plumes' if we like storms over summer. Recently they are more often 'African Plumes' and bring us red dust for our cars. Will they bring the same asthma issues the Caribbean see?
KOYAANISQATSI

ko.yaa.nis.katsi (from the Hopi language), n. 1. crazy life. 2. life in turmoil. 3. life disintegrating. 4. life out of balance. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living.
 
VIRESCIT VULNERE VIRTUS

Juan C. García

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #776 on: March 20, 2019, 07:42:25 PM »
Ruined crops, salty soil: How rising seas are poisoning North Carolina’s farmland
Quote
“It’s been getting worse,” the farmer tells East Carolina University hydrogeologist Alex Manda, who drove out to this corner of coastal North Carolina with a group of graduate students to figure out what’s poisoning Pugh’s land — and whether anything can be done to stop it.
Of climate change’s many plagues — drought, insects, fires, floods — saltwater intrusion in particular sounds almost like a biblical curse. Rising seas, sinking earth and extreme weather are conspiring to cause salt from the ocean to contaminate aquifers and turn formerly fertile fields barren. A 2016 study in the journal Science predicted that 9 percent of the U.S. coastline is vulnerable to saltwater intrusion — a percentage likely to grow as the world continues to warm. Scientists are just beginning to assess the potential effect on agriculture, Manda said, and it’s not yet clear how much can be mitigated.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ruined-crops-salty-soil-how-rising-seas-are-poisoning-north-carolinas-farmland/2019/03/01/2e26b83e-28ce-11e9-8eef-0d74f4bf0295_story.html?utm_term=.5f82c77da373
Which is the best answer to Sep-2012 ASI lost (compared to 1979-2000)?
50% [NSIDC Extent] or
73% [PIOMAS Volume]

Volume is harder to measure than extent, but 3-dimensional space is real, 2D's hide ~50% thickness gone.
-> IPCC/NSIDC trends [based on extent] underestimate the real speed of ASI lost.

vox_mundi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #777 on: March 21, 2019, 05:06:41 PM »
National Guard Called Into Houston After Chemical Fire, Residents Told to Stay Inside 
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna985776

HOUSTON — National Guard troops have been called in and residents were told to stay inside after elevated levels of benzene were detected early Thursday near a Houston-area petrochemicals storage facility that caught fire this week.

Harris County officials said the Guard and hazardous materials teams have established perimeters around the Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park, which is about 15 miles southeast of Houston.

The Texas Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that benzene levels near the facility didn't pose a health concern. But authorities issued a shelter-in-place order Thursday following "reports of action levels of benzene or other volatile organic compounds" within Deer Park, according to the city.

Several school districts also canceled classes for the day, citing "unfavorable air quality conditions."


« Last Edit: March 21, 2019, 05:27:45 PM by vox_mundi »
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

vox_mundi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #778 on: March 23, 2019, 04:19:57 PM »
New Fire Erupts at Deer Park Plant as Leaking Toxins Close Ship Channel
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/New-fire-erupts-at-Deer-Park-plant-as-leaking-13710439.php

Friday brought a bout of deja vu to the Houston Ship Channel, where for the sixth consecutive day firefighters battled a massive chemical fire that has so far burned 11 storage tanks at Intercontinental Terminals Company.

A day ITC hoped would bring no surprises as the company carefully drained flammable compounds from exposed 80,000-barrel tanks devolved into a series of emergencies that exposed new dangers. Around noon, a wall surrounding the tank farm breached, increasing the risk that airborne and liquid toxins would be released and forcing a portion of the Ship Channel to close.

Three hours later, the fire re-ignited in at least two locations, sending familiar smoke into the sky.

Quote
“People are scared. I’m scared,” said Jennifer Tijerina of Pasadena, as she held her 10-month-old boy, Sammy, on her hip. “Just information and reassurance would’ve been nice.”

Jennifer Tijerina’s husband, Sam, said he was frustrated by the amount of inaccurate social media posts, which residents often turn to when official sources offer little.

An ITC spokesman said that because the Friday reading was “localized,” there was no need for a public notice or shelter-in-place order.

-------------------------------

1,000 Locals Reportedly Seek Treatment After Multi-Day Fire at Houston Chemical Facility   
https://earther.gizmodo.com/1-000-locals-reportedly-seek-treatment-after-multi-day-1833518984

Roughly 1,000 people sought treatment at a pop-up treatment center for symptoms including nausea, headaches, and respiratory problems after Intercontinental Terminals Co.’s (ITC) chemical storage facility in Deer Park, Houston caught fire this week, Bloomberg reported on Friday, with at least 15 cases dubbed serious enough to warrant a transfer to local emergency rooms.

Environmental Protection Agency National Air Toxics Assessment data shows the communities surrounding the ITC facility in Deer Park such as Manchester, Harrisburg, Meadowbrook, and Allendale already face some of the highest cancer risks in Houston from ethylene oxide emissions. The ITC facility in question has, since 2003, usually experienced at least three unauthorized emissions of air contaminants a year.   
« Last Edit: March 24, 2019, 12:48:24 AM by vox_mundi »
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

vox_mundi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #779 on: March 25, 2019, 09:33:52 PM »
Related to: https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,428.msg189529.html#msg189529 and https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,428.msg189625.html#msg189625
https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/18/10/04/pfas-levels-at-nj-base-24-000-times-higher-than-proposed-federal-standard-study-says/
---------------------------------------

New Jersey Orders Cleanup of Clothing, Cookware Chemicals (PFAS)
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-jersey-cleanup-cookware-chemicals.html

New Jersey is ordering five companies that manufacture chemicals used to stain-proof clothing and produce non-stick cookware to spend what could be hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up contamination from the substances.

The state Department of Environmental Protection ordered the manufacturers Monday to provide a detailed account of their use and discharge of so-called PFAS substances over the years.

The firms—Solvay, DuPont, Dow DuPont, Chemours and 3M—also must pay to clean up any contamination they caused. If they refuse, or drag their feet, they could be charged three times the amount of money the state spends to deal with the problem.

The substances are sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down, and tend to accumulate in the air, water, soil and even fish. They can harm fetuses and newborns, and have been associated with kidney and testicular cancer, auto-immune illnesses and decreased response to vaccines, according to the state.

McCabe said the substances are discovered on a near-daily basis in New Jersey's drinking water, groundwater, surface waters, sediments, soils, air, fish, plants and other natural resources. Similar contamination has occurred throughout the country.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a plan to address PFAS contamination nationally, but that plan could take years to enact.



"It seems like we keep doing this to ourselves: inventing these fabulous new things—remember DDT?—and putting them into commerce without looking enough at the risks," McCabe said.

--------------------------------------

EPA Drags Heels on Oil Dispersant Rules
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-groups-epa-heels-oil-dispersant.html

Environmental groups and women from Alaska and Louisiana say the Environmental Protection Agency has dragged its heels on issuing rules for oil spill dispersants, and they're ready to sue to demand them.

They say dispersants such as Corexit, used during the Exxon Valdez and BP oil spills, were more toxic to people and the environment than oil alone but, nearly four years after taking public comments about such rules, the agency hasn't acted.

"We depend on feeding our families from the ocean. We need the ocean to be a clean environment for our animals," Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, a plaintiff from Alaska, said in a telephone interview. With the Trump administration considering an oil and gas lease sale in Alaska's Beaufort Sea, she said, people fear both spills and dispersants.

... Arnesen said the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon spill off Louisiana severely damaged her family's commercial fishing business. She also blames it for migraines, lesions, rashes and respiratory problems that she, her husband and their two children still have.

"One reason the oil companies like Corexit is because it causes the oil to sink and makes the water look clear, when in fact it's actually increasing the toxicity," she said in a news release for the law clinic.

The EPA's oil spill response guidelines haven't been updated since 1994 to reflect research on dispersant effects after the Exxon Valdez broke open on rocks in Prince William Sound in 1989 and BP's Gulf of Mexico spill, according to the notice of intent to sue.

"Given the history of offshore oil drilling, it is simply a matter of when—not if—a devastating oil spill will occur," the letter states.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2019, 10:31:36 PM by vox_mundi »
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Sigmetnow

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #780 on: March 27, 2019, 08:06:17 PM »
US Air Force: We Need $5 Billion To Fix Weather-Damaged Bases
Quote
The U.S. Air Force says it needs nearly $5 billion over the next three years to rebuild bases in Florida and Nebraska severely damaged by weather in the past six months.

If it does not receive $1.2 billion of those funds by June for repairs at Tyndall Air Force Base and Offutt Air Force Base, service officials warned they would be forced to cut projects at bases in 18 states and cancel 18,000 pilot training hours.
...
Caught by surprise

The damage to both bases appears to have caught the military by surprise. The Pentagon’s widely criticized climate-impact report for 2019 listed Offutt as a base with climate-related vulnerabilities, but only for drought, and said there was no current or potential risk of recurrent flooding. While the report mentioned Tyndall in its text, the base did not appear in the list of at-risk facilities. ...
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2019/03/us-air-force-we-need-5-billion-fix-weather-damaged-bases/155863/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

gerontocrat

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #781 on: March 27, 2019, 09:16:39 PM »
US Air Force: We Need $5 Billion To Fix Weather-Damaged Bases
Quote
The U.S. Air Force says it needs nearly $5 billion over the next three years to rebuild bases in Florida and Nebraska severely damaged by weather in the past six months.

If it does not receive $1.2 billion of those funds by June for repairs at Tyndall Air Force Base and Offutt Air Force Base, service officials warned they would be forced to cut projects at bases in 18 states and cancel 18,000 pilot training hours.
Sorry, USAF, Trump needs your money to build a wall.
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
"And that's all I'm going to say about that". Forrest Gump
"Damn, I wanted to see what happened next" (Epitaph)

Klondike Kat

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #782 on: March 27, 2019, 09:37:16 PM »
This was hardly a surprise.  They have known for years that this was a potential problem.  In 2011, flood waters came within 50 feet of the runway, which NOAA said was within the range of natural variability.  Comparisons are being made to the great flood of 1952. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna985926

Juan C. García

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #783 on: March 28, 2019, 01:53:10 AM »
US Air Force: We Need $5 Billion To Fix Weather-Damaged Bases
If it were a "AGW image of the month" topic, I will surely vote for this one!
 ;D
(I find hard to believe that the U.S. Air Force is facing this problem and the U.S. Government still don't recognize the consequences of anthropogenic global warming).
« Last Edit: March 28, 2019, 04:59:16 AM by Juan C. García »
Which is the best answer to Sep-2012 ASI lost (compared to 1979-2000)?
50% [NSIDC Extent] or
73% [PIOMAS Volume]

Volume is harder to measure than extent, but 3-dimensional space is real, 2D's hide ~50% thickness gone.
-> IPCC/NSIDC trends [based on extent] underestimate the real speed of ASI lost.

vox_mundi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #784 on: April 06, 2019, 01:50:28 PM »
Tons of Fish Killed in German River Contamination 
https://dw.com/en/tons-of-fish-killed-in-german-river-contamination/a-48233190

A chemical spill is being blamed for the death of several tons of fish, as well as waterfowl and a deer in southwest Germany. Police have warned local residents to keep their children and animals away from the river.

Authorities in the southwestern German city of Heilbronn on Friday announced that a chemical spill at a local shipping company likely killed every living creature in a 16 kilometer (10 mile) stretch of the Schozach River, a tributary of the Neckar.

... Local fishers say it could take years for the river to recover.
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

gerontocrat

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #785 on: April 12, 2019, 12:20:46 PM »
A little bit more expensive to keep the natural gas flowing into the UK. Coastal erosion. They think that the work being done will last 15 years. I wonder....

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-12/u-k-s-bacton-gas-pipeline-link-to-europe-needs-sand-pump-rescue?srnd=premium-europe
A Stadium Full of Sand Needed to Prop U.K.’s Teetering Gas Link
Bacton pipeline hub is in danger of tumbling into the North Sea with erosion consuming the Norfolk coast.

Quote
Britain’s only link with continental Europe’s natural gas network is at risk of tumbling into the North Sea, prompting a rescue involving thousands of tons of sand.

For five decades, the Bacton terminal on the Norfolk coast in eastern England has served as the nation’s most important energy-supply hub even as waves and wind eat away at its foundations. The facilities run by companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Perenco SA draw in gas from offshore fields and from two interconnector pipelines.

Yet erosion at the site is increasingly dangerous, with an average of about 1 meter of earth tumbling into the sea every three years. A single storm in December 2013 wiped out 10 meters of cliff, according to Royal HaskoningDHV, the Dutch company that’s been hired to fortify the beach in front of the terminal. At the narrowest point, there’s only 15 meters separating the Bacton terminal from the cliff edge........
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
"And that's all I'm going to say about that". Forrest Gump
"Damn, I wanted to see what happened next" (Epitaph)

kassy

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #786 on: April 12, 2019, 01:26:35 PM »
Well if they do they beat the New Orleans levees:

After A $14 Billion Upgrade, New Orleans’ Levees Are Sinking
Sea level rise and ground subsidence will render the flood barriers inadequate in just four years

...now, 11 months after the Army Corps of Engineers completed one of the largest public works projects in world history, the agency says the system will stop providing adequate protection in as little as four years because of rising sea levels and shrinking levees.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/after-a-14-billion-upgrade-new-orleans-levees-are-sinking/
Þetta minnismerki er til vitnis um að við vitum hvað er að gerast og hvað þarf að gera. Aðeins þú veist hvort við gerðum eitthvað.

Shared Humanity

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #787 on: April 12, 2019, 10:58:47 PM »
Well if they do they beat the New Orleans levees:

After A $14 Billion Upgrade, New Orleans’ Levees Are Sinking
Sea level rise and ground subsidence will render the flood barriers inadequate in just four years

...now, 11 months after the Army Corps of Engineers completed one of the largest public works projects in world history, the agency says the system will stop providing adequate protection in as little as four years because of rising sea levels and shrinking levees.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/after-a-14-billion-upgrade-new-orleans-levees-are-sinking/

The only real solution here is to retreat from much of the massive Mississippi River delta.

Juan C. García

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #788 on: April 16, 2019, 02:45:01 PM »
How Trump’s border crisis is driven by climate change

Quote
For months, President Trump has tweeted and raged about the ongoing migration crisis along the U.S. southern border.

What Trump has spent far less time discussing are the driving forces of this current wave of migration — at least not the one whose very existence the president still disputes. But it’s become increasingly clear that climate change has played a significant part in deepening the extreme poverty and insecurity that compels many to head north. According to the World Bank, climate change could lead to at least 1.4 million people leaving their homes in Mexico and Central America over the next three decades.

A recent lengthy exposé by the New Yorker’s Jonathan Blitzer focused on the expanding “dry corridor” — a region in Central America marred by drought that stretches from Panama to the southern reaches of Mexico. Conditions are particularly acute in the highlands that link central Honduras to western Guatemala, where millions of subsistence farmers have seen their livelihoods ravaged not just by lack of rain, but also its excess — floods, landslides and hurricanes. Their plight has been compounded by woeful agricultural infrastructure and national governments that have few resources to help them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/04/16/how-trumps-border-crisis-is-driven-by-climate-change/?utm_term=.ad18a34655ce
Which is the best answer to Sep-2012 ASI lost (compared to 1979-2000)?
50% [NSIDC Extent] or
73% [PIOMAS Volume]

Volume is harder to measure than extent, but 3-dimensional space is real, 2D's hide ~50% thickness gone.
-> IPCC/NSIDC trends [based on extent] underestimate the real speed of ASI lost.

gerontocrat

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #789 on: April 16, 2019, 03:46:08 PM »
Well if they do they beat the New Orleans levees:

After A $14 Billion Upgrade, New Orleans’ Levees Are Sinking
Sea level rise and ground subsidence will render the flood barriers inadequate in just four years

...now, 11 months after the Army Corps of Engineers completed one of the largest public works projects in world history, the agency says the system will stop providing adequate protection in as little as four years because of rising sea levels and shrinking levees.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/after-a-14-billion-upgrade-new-orleans-levees-are-sinking/

The only real solution here is to retreat from much of the massive Mississippi River delta.

The current delta (No #6 in the Holocene) was born to die. Human interference (the latest being climate change including sea level rise) merely accelerates the process. Louisiana, the State that lost its boot (certainly its toes).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River_Delta
Coastal change in southeastern Louisiana
The modern day Mississippi River Delta plain began to evolve during the Holocene Epoch (around 7,500 to 8,000 years ago) due to the deceleration of sea level rise and the natural shifting of the river's course every 1,000–1,500 years.

The delta cycle refers to a dynamic process whereby the river deposits sediment at its outfall, growing a delta lobe, then eventually, seeking a shorter path to the sea, abandons its previous course and associated delta. After the river changes course and abandons the delta headland, the region experiences land loss due to the processes of subsidence, erosion of the marsh shoreline, and the natural redistribution of sands deposited along the delta that create the barrier islands. The delta cycle contains the natural process of land loss and land gain, due to the directionality and discharge of the river. This process formed the bays, bayous, coastal wetlands, and barrier islands that make up the coastline of Louisiana.

The Mississippi River major deltaic cycle began over 7,000 years ago, eventually forming six delta complexes which are major depositional elements of a delta plain. The Mississippi River Delta complexes consist of smaller areas known as delta lobes, which contain the basins and other natural landscapes of the coastline.[13]

The six Mississippi River Delta complexes are as follows:

1. The Maringouin delta formed 7,500 to 5,500 years ago when relative sea level rapidly rose.[6]
2. The Teche delta formed 5,500 to 3,500 years ago after relative sea level rise decelerated.[6]
3. The St. Bernard delta formed 4,000 to 2,000 years ago following an avulsion that caused the river's relocation to the east of present-day New Orleans.[6]
4. The Lafourche delta formed 2,500 to 500 years ago from a second avulsion that caused the river to relocate to the west of present-day New Orleans.[6]
5. Modern day development (over the past 1,500 years) formed the Plaquemines-Balize delta, also known as Bird's Foot Delta, between the St. Bernard and Lafourche delta.[6]
6. Diversion to the Atchafalaya began 500 years ago with the Atchafalaya and Wax Lake Outlet deltas emerging in the mid-20th century.[14] More recent influences created the most recent land building processes in the Wax Lake Outlet when the Wax Lake Outlet channel was created in 1942 to reduce water levels at Morgan City.
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
"And that's all I'm going to say about that". Forrest Gump
"Damn, I wanted to see what happened next" (Epitaph)

Klondike Kat

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #790 on: April 16, 2019, 05:33:50 PM »
Very nice Gerontocrat.  Thank you.

Tor Bejnar

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #791 on: April 16, 2019, 06:16:11 PM »
Curious that Wikipedia posts conflicting ages of the several lobes (different recent publications, per references).  But the concept is very real.  This image from the Wikipedia article shows that un-fed lobes disintegrate when not fed - during the course of 6,000 years with insignificant sea level change (compared to what's coming).
Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"

Tor Bejnar

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #792 on: April 16, 2019, 09:14:30 PM »
The southern half (so far) of Florida, apparently, is becoming less livable for native pygmy rattlesnakes.  Bloodsucking worms found in Florida rattlesnake species alarm researchers: It's a 'nasty situation'
Quote

Farrell and his students have tested a total of three pygmy rattlesnakes and found the same type of bloodsucking parasitic worms in each of the reptile's lungs and near their tracheas. The researchers then collaborated with the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine to conduct tests on the creatures' DNA to determine how the parasites were being introduced.

They discovered the parasite species appeared to be from southeast Asia, indicating they may be connected to Burmese pythons, a species native to that particular region that also happens to be an invasive species in the Sunshine State. They published their findings in the Herpetological Review in March.

Arctic ice is healthy for children and other living things because "we cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice"

vox_mundi

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #793 on: April 18, 2019, 02:40:56 PM »
'Decades of denial': major report finds New Zealand's environment is in serious trouble
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/18/decades-of-denial-major-report-finds-new-zealands-environment-is-in-serious-trouble

A report on the state of New Zealand’s environment has painted a bleak picture of catastrophic biodiversity loss, polluted waterways and the destructive rise of the dairy industry and urban sprawl.

Environment Aotearoa is the first major environmental report in four years, and was compiled using data from Statistics New Zealand and the environment ministry.

It presents a sobering summary of a country that is starkly different from the pristine landscape promoted in the “Pure New Zealand” marketing campaign that lures millions of tourists every year.

It found New Zealand is now considered one of the most invaded countries in the world, with 75 animal and plant species having gone extinct since human settlement. The once-vibrant bird life has fared particularly badly, with 90% of seabirds and 80% of shorebirds threatened with or at risk of extinction.

Almost two-thirds of New Zealand’s rare ecosystems are under threat of collapse, and over the last 15 years the extinction risk worsened for 86 species, compared with the conservation status of just 26 species improving in the past 10 years.


https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5954379-Environment-Aotearoa-2019-Embargoed.html

--------------------------

Mass deforestation: How trade fells trees in Brazil and Indonesia 
https://dw.com/en/mass-deforestation-how-trade-fells-trees-in-brazil-and-indonesia/a-48280649

... Persson and an international team of researchers have quantified how much foreign demand for commodities drives that destruction.

The study, published last week, found that 29-39 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released through deforestation is driven by international trade — with farmers felling forests to clear space for croplands, pastures and plantations that grow goods often consumed abroad.

In many rich countries, the authors wrote, the deforestation-related emissions "embodied" in imports are greater even than those generated by domestic agriculture.


https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378018314365
« Last Edit: April 18, 2019, 03:02:41 PM by vox_mundi »
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.” ― anonymous

Insensible before the wave so soon released by callous fate. Affected most, they understand the least, and understanding, when it comes, invariably arrives too late

Tom_Mazanec

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #794 on: April 20, 2019, 01:00:28 PM »
Rising groundwater at coastlines, river mouths from sea level rise is making those places less habitable:
https://baynature.org/article/the-sea-beneath-us/

Sigmetnow

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #795 on: April 24, 2019, 07:46:22 PM »
List of areas with the worst, and best, air (in the U.S.) at the link. Wildfires are a factor.

Report reveals worsening US air pollution, emissions concerns
Quote
A new report shows air pollution is getting worse in the US, and the current EPA’s efforts to weaken emissions regulations on cars and power plants are seen as a major threat to improving the state of affairs.

The American Lung Association released its 20th annual “State of the Air” report, which focuses on the years 2015-2017. In these years, “more cities had high days of ozone and short-term particle pollution compared to 2014-2016.” Many cities also suffered from increased levels of year-round particle pollution.

The report found that 141 million Americans — about 43% of the population — live in counties that have monitored unhealthy ozone and/or particle pollution. While that’s an increase from 2014-2016, it’s still a big improvement from 2012-2014, which saw 166 million Americans experience unhealthy pollution. ...
https://electrek.co/2019/04/24/state-of-air-pollution/
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

sidd

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #796 on: April 24, 2019, 10:42:13 PM »

sidd

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #797 on: April 26, 2019, 09:57:02 PM »
oceans getting windier, wave height increasing since 2018:

https://edition-m.cnn.com/2019/04/26/australia/oceans-turbulent-study-scn-scli-intl/index.html

I have not yet found the paper, but it seems the southern ocean wind speed and wave height have increased by 8% and 5% respectively. If some does find the paper please post the reference.

sidd

SteveMDFP

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #798 on: April 26, 2019, 10:19:49 PM »
oceans getting windier, wave height increasing since 2018:

https://edition-m.cnn.com/2019/04/26/australia/oceans-turbulent-study-scn-scli-intl/index.html

I have not yet found the paper, but it seems the southern ocean wind speed and wave height have increased by 8% and 5% respectively. If some does find the paper please post the reference.

sidd

Mainstream press does such a crappy job with science reporting.  I think the study is this one:

Joint Calibration of Multiplatform Altimeter Measurements of Wind Speed and Wave Height over the Past 20 Years
Science. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aav9527 
Global satellite data are analyzed to determine trends in oceanic wind speed and wave height over the 33-year period 1985 to 2018. The analysis uses an extensive database obtained from a total of 31 satellite missions comprising three independent instruments—altimeters, radiometers and scatterometers. The analysis shows small increases in mean wind speed and wave height over this period, with stronger increases in extreme conditions (90th percentiles). The strongest increases occur in the Southern Ocean. Confidence in the results is strengthened because the wind speed trends are confirmed by all three satellite systems. An extensive set of sensitivity analyses confirm that both the mean and 90th percentile trends are robust with non-significant impacts caused by satellite calibration and sampling patterns.

sidd

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Re: Places becoming less livable
« Reply #799 on: April 26, 2019, 11:16:07 PM »
Thanks for the reference.

sidd