Category: Environmental News

July’s Scorching Temperatures Set Potential Record for Hottest Month

Posted on by Muse

On the same day President Joe Biden introduced measures to safeguard workers from the sweltering heat, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that July is likely on track to be the hottest month ever documented.

Following a record-shattering June, July’s first three weeks showcased a concerning heat trend. As per the WMO, the chances are high that this month will surpass previous records.

“Consistent record-breaking temperatures signify the alarming trend of surging global temperatures,” remarked Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. He emphasized that anthropogenic emissions are the primary culprits behind this temperature escalation.

Copernicus, an initiative under the European Union’s space program, conducts Earth monitoring through satellites. The claim of this potential record-breaking month is grounded in climate reanalysis data. This method integrates terrestrial observations, satellite readings, and climate modeling to estimate historical global temperatures. Such a holistic approach addresses any gaps in data and is a trusted tool for scientists gauging climate change effects.

The latest findings indicate that average global surface temperatures have slightly surpassed 62.5°F until Sunday, overtaking the prior record of 61.9°F set in July 2019.

Read Also: 3 Ways You Can Do to Extend the Age of the Earth

Concurrently, the Biden administration instructed the Department of Labor to prioritize workplace heat-related incidents. On Thursday, a heat hazard alert was rolled out as a reminder to employers about their responsibilities.

Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, stated to NBC News, “We aim to educate both workers about heat-related risks and employers about their preventive duties.” Su is optimistic that this initiative will foster better heat protocols in workplaces and embolden workers to report any infringements.

More stringent actions against heat-safety violations in workplaces, especially in sectors like construction and agriculture, are on the cards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), affiliated with the Labor Department, initiated the development of contemporary heat standards in 2022.

Julie Su reiterated the urgency of establishing a comprehensive standard addressing heat, especially considering the challenges posed by climate change. However, finalizing and instituting these regulations could be a lengthy process, according to experts. This has led Congressional Democrats to advocate for provisional rules amidst a relentless southern heat wave.

Emphasizing the encompassing threat of heat, Su stated, “The menace isn’t confined to outdoor settings. Internal environments like warehouses, the interiors of overheated buildings cleaned by janitors, or even airplane cabins can surpass 100°F under the current temperature trends.”

July witnessed both the Southwest U.S. and Southern Europe grappling with unprecedented heat waves. Scientists specializing in assessing extreme weather events’ probabilities deduced that such occurrences would have been “nigh impossible” without climate change. Likewise, China’s third heatwave was an anomaly, only explainable by global warming.

The US has confronted a series of extreme weather events this summer – ranging from the atmospheric aftermath of massive Canadian wildfires to unprecedented rainfall in the Northeast and searing temperatures along Florida’s shores.

In a news release, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas lamented, “The July events that impacted countless lives symbolize the grim reality of climate change and serve as a prelude to our impending future.”

Climate Protection: Land Use Alterations Diminish the Carbon Sink’s Capacity

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Terrestrial carbon sinks play a vital role in mitigating the impacts of the greenhouse effect. In a collaborative effort, scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and partnering research institutions analyzed multiple data sources and determined that the primary storage of carbon in Europe is located in the surface biomass of Eastern Europe.

However, this significant carbon sink has experienced a decline, primarily due to changes in land use. This finding was recently documented in the journal, Communications Earth & Environment.

Forests possess the remarkable ability to capture vast amounts of carbon on terrestrial surfaces. They play a pivotal role in reducing the overall emissions of greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, certain regions, especially in Eastern Europe, still lack comprehensive data. The region has a sparse network of monitoring stations, resulting in limited knowledge about the movement of carbon and its influencing factors. “Eastern European forests hold immense potential as enduring carbon sinks,” remarks Karina Winkler of the Atmospheric Environmental Research Department at KIT’s Campus Alpine in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She further emphasizes that the political shifts in Eastern Europe have initiated significant changes in land use patterns. Alongside these changes, the climate has also been affecting the forests. “This interplay between socioeconomic factors and climatic changes directly impacts carbon sinks,” she adds.

The study encompassed a vast region, spanning 13 countries—from Poland in the West, extending to the Russian Ural Mountains in the East, and from the Kola Peninsula in the North down to Romania in the South. The research team based their calculations on various data sources, including computational models, satellite-generated biomass estimates, forest audits, and national statistics.

Green Vehicles Dominate Auto Shows in India

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India Auto Expo is back in 2023 after an absence of three years. Environmentally friendly vehicles are seen dominating the largest automotive exhibition in India.

Asian brands dominated the event, including Tata, BYD, Maruti Suzuki, Lexus and Toyota. Major European manufacturers such as Mercedes, Skoda, Audi and BMW did not participate in the event.

Many startups and large corporations are showing much greater participation in showcasing sustainable and futuristic products. One of them is electric vehicles.

According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a government agency that oversees brand equity, India’s electric vehicle market is growing rapidly, with more than 300,000 of them sold in 2021, up 168 percent from the previous year.

According to the exhibition organizers, this year’s India Auto Expo features many eco-friendly vehicles, reflecting the themes of sustainable living and the transition to clean energy.

India is currently the chair of the G20, a group of 20 leading economies and places climate as its top priority. Climate change has become a top issue for the country after it was hit by a heat wave and pollution is at alarming levels.

Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, vice president, director, BYD India, said the exhibition reflects the spirit of the COP, the United Nations conference on working conventions on climate change.

“The government is encouraging electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions, according to the global COP agreement. As industry experts, and many studies show, 30 percent penetration will be achieved in the electric vehicle market by 2030. This is an optimistic note, if all regulations are enforced, charging infrastructure will be built, and development is underway,” he commented.

Kia offers the Kia Concept EV9, an all-electric SUV. Expected to be marketed globally this year, this car is equipped with a 77.4 kWh battery. With vertical LED taillights and an upright design, the car features hood-mounted solar panels and an interior made of eco-friendly materials.

Kia claims that the EV6 can cover a distance of 700 kilometers on a single battery charge, and can go from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.2 seconds.

The Chinese automaker BYD offers the YD Atto 3 with a cutting-edge design and a futuristic look. The interior is sporty, with components designed to feel like you’re in a gym.

The company claims that the car has a range of up to 420 kilometers and goes from 0 to 100 Kmph in 7.3 seconds.

One of the newcomers to the auto industry present at the fair was Vayve Mobility, a startup that claims to have built India’s first solar and electric car.

Eva, the compact car that Vayve makes can accommodate up to two adults and one child. According to Vilas Deshpande, co-founder and COO of Vayve, this car is a perfect fit for India.

“This car is perfectly designed for city trips, for Indian conditions, but what I like the most, is this is India’s first solar and electric car. The battery can be solar charged,” explained Deshpande.

Toyota exhibited the Toyota Corolla Cross, which uses compressed hydrogen fuel, and the Toyota Mirai which uses electric batteries and hydrogen fuel.

Understanding the 3 Symbiosis in Interaction: Mutualism, Commensalism, and Parasitism

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In this life, interactions occur with each other. The interaction shows that every creature needs each other. Humans interact with other humans, animals, and plants. This process and connection scheme is known as symbiosis.

In life, there are many symbioses that occur in humans, animals and plants. There are at least three types of symbiosis that characterize the interactions of creatures in life. What’s that? Mutualism symbiosis, commensalism symbiosis, and also parasitism symbiosis.

Curious to understand the meaning and differences of these three symbioses? Here’s an explanation:

  • Mutualism symbiosis

Mutualism symbiosis

The first is Symbiosis Mutualism. Where the relationship between two different types of organisms is mutually beneficial.

This relationship is considered a very positive relationship because both parties benefit. In other words, both parties reap benefits or profits from the interactions that are carried out.

Take the example of butterflies and flowers. Butterflies suck nectar from flowers, thus the flowers also get help from the movement of butterflies for the pollination process to occur.

Another example of symbiotic mutualism is between humans and bacteria. E. Coli bacteria in humans can work to reduce the growth of bad bacteria and accelerate the process of decay in the large intestine. The advantage obtained by E. Coli bacteria is that they get food from the remains of the large intestine.

  • Commensalism symbiosis

Commensalism symbiosis

Commensalism symbiosis is an interaction between two living things that only benefits one organism, while the other organism is not harmed and does not benefit (neutral).

Take a simple example that happened to Remora fish and sharks. After the shark eats, usually the leftovers will fall. When the food scraps fall, the Remora fish will stick with the shark to take the leftovers from the shark. Sharks are neither harmed nor benefited.

Another example can be observed in the interaction between orchids and mango trees. Orchids benefit because they have a place to grow, and get sunlight, water, and substances for photosynthesis, by attaching to the mango tree. While the mango tree is not harmed in any way.

  • Parasitism symbiosis

Parasitism symbiosis

This last symbiosis is interesting and often disliked, aka has a negative tendency. The reason is, parasitism, and symbiosis is the opposite of mutualism symbiosis.

Parasitism symbiosis is a condition of dependence that occurs when one party benefits, but harms the other party. Or in other words, there is one party who is sacrificed or harmed.

Take for example this symbiosis that occurs in mosquitoes and humans. Mosquitoes benefit by sucking blood from humans, while humans are disadvantaged because they can contract dangerous diseases.

Another example can be observed in flies with fruit. Flies get food from fruit and can breed in fruit. Fruit that flies land on loses money because it will rot.

Yes, so those were the three types of symbiosis that occur in life. All three provide important lessons for humans about how the best symbiosis is one that does not harm either party. May be useful!

Trump’s Policies Have Little Impact on the Recovery of the Coal Industry

Posted on by Muse

At the historic 2015 Paris Summit, world leaders vowed to take steps to avoid damaging climate change. On November 6-17, UN negotiators will again work out the details of how to reduce emissions of gases that heat planet Earth.

This is the first conference since President Donald Trump said the United States would withdraw from the deal, leaving questions about the direction of America’s greenhouse gas emissions.

While Trump was campaigning for president, he promised to put coal miners back in work. Since taking office, he has sought to reverse policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants and elsewhere.

The efforts include a move to overturn the Obama administration’s regulations targeting coal-fired power plants known as the Clean Power Plan.

Trump said, “Perhaps no single regulation threatens our energy workers, miners, and companies more than the attack that destroyed this American industry.”

But according to Amit Ronen of George Washington University, the impact on America’s emissions will probably be minimal.

Coal-fired power plants were shut down across the country. Power companies are turning to cheaper clean natural gas.

Renewable sources like wind and solar are in vogue, driving prices down. The price of electricity from renewable energy is competitive with fossil fuels in many places.

But other Trump administration actions can still restore coal. The trade case will soon authorize the president to place tariffs on imported solar panels – nearly all solar panels in America are imported. This could cost 88,000 jobs, said Tony Clifford of development company Standard Solar.

Experts say that many states and cities are stepping up efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, even though the federal government is pulling back. So federal tariffs won’t kill the renewable energy industry, says Rhodium Group analyst John Larsen.

DOE – the Department of Energy – has proposed paying more for coal and nuclear power than for electricity from other energy sources. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said the plant provides constant, reliable power that no other source has.

Ultimately, experts say the Trump administration has limited power to save the coal industry.

However, while reducing coal use helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, experts say the results are not fast enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

The Beauty, Real Picture If Garbage in the Sea is Breathing

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The sea without human intervention is heaven. That is, if heaven is described as full of beauty , then the natural sea is also like that.
Then how about the sea in 2050? You may answer them; Horrible. That is when referring to the predictions of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the World Economic Forum in a publication entitled The New Plastics Economy in 2016.

By 2050, according to the prediction, there will be more plastic waste in the sea than fish. The light nature of plastic makes it possible to reach the sea quickly, even if it is dumped on top of a mountain.

When it reaches the sea, plastic can become smaller, only 5 mm in size. This mini size is known as microplastics.Currently, microplastics have been found in human blood.

Some of the plastics do not only become inhabitants of the sea but also become inhabitants of the stomachs of marine life. Is plastic waste that terrible if it reaches the sea, yes it is.

Who is behind the plastic pouring into the sea? The answer is not animals or plants, but humans. The most perfect creature created and has intelligence.

So, intelligence is what brought humans to discover plastic. The findings were initially predicted and glorified as a savior for the environment.

Disastrous savior

The existence of plastic aims to reduce packaging made of paper. Paper made from wood, the more massively used, the thinner the wood on earth.

That’s why when John Wesley Hyatt invented synthetic polymers in 1869. It was considered a solution to save the earth. However, as time moves on, plastic, which was originally a savior for the environment or the earth, has become a disaster. But the waste, especially the plastic waste that we throw away in Pascal Schelbli’s imagination and creativity, becomes a new life in the sea. The trash turned into living things.

Pascal Schelbli demonstrates just that in an animated short film called The Beauty. Where trash transforms into living things in the ocean replacing real fish, seaweed and coral.

At first, the short film, which was produced in 2019, did not show the horrors of plastic waste in the sea. Instead, we will find fish swimming happily, changing faces into flip flops, seaweed turning into plastic straws, and plastic spoons turning into coral.

Not only that, but spectators will also find eels from used tires swimming around. Pufferfish are made of plastic air bubbles, and plastic bottles turn into fish and plastic bags turn into jellyfish.

What Pascal Schelbli displays in his short film more or less describes sea conditions in 2050 which are predicted to produce more waste, especially plastic than fish.

Garbage breathes

The animated short film does highlight the issue of pollution in the oceans. The Beauty is a poetic journey across the ocean, which is astonishing and disgusting, which illustrates that the trash in the sea is not dead—they breathe.

“Sometimes I feel numb and helpless on the topic of marine pollution. So, I have an idea of what if plastic could be integrated into marine life? Apparently, this simple dream can actually be achieved. Through sweat, tears and the help of an extraordinary team, this (project) is something to be proud of and I want to share it with the whole world,” Schelbli told Bored Panda.

For those who watch the short film, it is possible that it will give birth to feelings of guilt because they have disposed of their trash irresponsibly.

Even though the duration of the animated short film is only 4:13 minutes, it takes up to 20 months in total to be made.

In making The Beauty, Schelbli was not alone, he was assisted by 9 core crew members. The crew came from Schelbli’s colleagues at film school. If in total there are 20 people involved in the film.“Through this film, I can inject a hidden influence on someone who watches The Beauty. So far I haven’t gotten any negative feedback. When someone tells me they cried after watching this film, I’m really impressed,” he explained. Anyway, green friend, The beauty has won the 2020 Student Academy Award.