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• Big Oil Reality Check

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• Plastics-Free July

• • The Danger of Talc-Based Beauty Products

  There’s a Good Chance They Also Have Asbestos

  (ZME Science), Nov. 26, 2020 -Talc is a mineral ingredient that has been used in personal care products for decades. It can improve the texture and feel of products, absorb moisture and act as inexpensive filler. But its extended use also comes with risks, a new study showed, finding asbestos in many talc-based products.

  It’s not the first time asbestos and talc have been linked. Because of how and where talc is mined, mineral deposits used for manufacturing products sold in the United States are consistently found to be contaminated with asbestos (such as tremolite and anthophyllite). The problem is that asbestos is a well-known carcinogen and there is no safe level of exposure to it.
  

  Click now to read or listen to the story.
• • New Delhi's Poisonous Air

  A Perennial Crisis of its Own Making

  (ZME Science), Nov. 25, 2020 -Thousands of families who live near a smoldering waste landfill in a northern corner of India’s capital have boarded up their doors and windows because they say the air outside is so toxic that they would be coughing all day.

  New Delhi has the worst air of any capital on the planet, according to IQ AirVisual, a Swiss-based group that gathers air quality data globally.

  Jahangirpuri is one of its most polluted parts, choking daily in the murky mix of smoke from burning rubbish, exhaust fumes from trucks coming in and out a large depot and dust rising from unmetalled roads.

  “We’re dying a slow death. But we can’t think of going anywhere else because our work is here,” said daily wage worker Naresh Yadav, a 33-year-old migrant worker from poverty stricken Bihar state.

  
  Click now for the story.
• • Where Will Plastics Show Up Next?

  Try Mount Everest

  (Science News), Nov. 20, 2020 -Minuscule shreds and threads of plastic are turning up all over, including in the snow on Mount Everest.

  “We’ve known that plastic is in the deep sea, and now it’s on the tallest mountain on Earth,” says Imogen Napper, a marine scientist at the University of Plymouth in England and a National Geographic Explorer. “It’s ubiquitous through our whole environment.”

  Plastic plays an increasingly large role in our lifestyles: Globally, the use of plastics has shot up from around 5 million metric tons in the 1950s to more than 330 million metric tons in 2020. As they’re used and cast away, these plastic products shed tiny particles. The broken-down bits of bags, bottles and other consumer plastics, each smaller than 5 millimeters, can harm animals, such as marine crabs that get plastics stuck in their gills They may also mess with ecosystems .

  
  Click now for more.
• • What's In That Paper Coffee Cup

  Leeching Microplastics Are a Possibility

  (ZME Science), Nov. 20, 2020 -For people who have their coffee on the go, paper cups have become the preferred go-to choice. They’re lightweight, easy to handle, and cheap, but there’s a catch: they’re coated with plastic. This actually makes them non-recyclable and non-biodegradable (and is the reason why they don’t melt).

  Now, researchers have found another reason to ditch them: they might be leaking plastic into your coffee.

  Disposable paper cups are made of 90–95% paper, and the remaining 5–10% is a hydrophobic plastic film. Mostly, the interior layer is made of Polyethylene (PE). Studies have shown in the past that that harmful chemicals and substances can leach from paper into the food or drink meant for human consumption.

  
  Click now to read or listen to the story.
• • Items In Our Homes Are Harming Sea Animals

  A New Report Examines How Plastic
  Waste Affects Marine Wildlife

  (NY Times Climate Forward), Nov. 19, 2020 -How severely the world’s plastic waste crisis is affecting marine wildlife is not fully understood, despite decades of research and gruesome images of whales’ bellies filled with plastic and a turtle with a straw lodged in its nostril. A new report by Oceana, a conservation group, illustrates some of what we know about how plastic affects sea turtles and marine mammals in United States waters.

  The authors focused on sea turtles and marine mammals for practical reasons. These animals are federally protected, so when they are found in distress or wash up dead on a beach, responders are required to document it. By collecting data from government agencies and marine life organizations around the country, the authors found almost 1,800 cases of plastic entanglement or ingestion affecting 40 species since 2009.

  
  Click now to read all about it.
• • 1% of Population Cause 1/2 of Global Aviation Emissions

  These Are Known As 'Super-Emitters'

  (The Guardian), Nov. 17, 2020 -Airlines produced a billion tonnes of CO2 and benefited from a $100bn (£75bn) subsidy by not paying for the climate damage they caused, the researchers estimated. The analysis draws together data to give the clearest global picture of the impact of frequent fliers.

  Only 11% of the world’s population took a flight in 2018 and 4% flew abroad. US air passengers have by far the biggest carbon footprint among rich countries. Its aviation emissions are bigger than the next 10 countries combined, including the UK, Japan, Germany and Australia, the study reports.

  The researchers said the study showed that an elite group enjoying frequent flights had a big impact on the climate crisis that affected everyone.

  
  Click now for more.
• • Time Runs Out for a U.S.-Canada Oil Pipeline

  Mich. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Said
  the State Would Shut Down a
  Line Between Her State and Ontario

  (NY Times Climate Forward), Nov. 17, 2020 -In an unusual move, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, citing environmental concerns, is shutting down an underwater pipeline that carries oil to refineries in her state and Canada.

  Pipeline operations normally fall under federal jurisdiction. Governor Whitmer, a Democrat, is acting under the state’s public trust doctrine, which requires state authorities to protect the Great Lakes. The pipeline in question, known as Line 5, has been in operation since the 1950s.

  The decision, announced on Friday, requires the pipeline operator Enbridge to cease operations on a specific section of Line 5 by May 2021, but it will have the effect of curtailing the entire pipeline, which runs between Superior, Wis., and Sarnia, Ontario.

  
  

  Click now to the story.

• • Pet Flea Treatments Are Polluting Our Rivers & Streams

  Researchers Couldn't Believe Just
  How Prevalent the Pesticides Were.

  (Tampa Bay Times), Nov. 17, 2020 -A highly toxic insecticide used on cats and dogs to kill fleas is poisoning rivers and streams across the United States and the United Kingdom, according to two recent studies. The pollution is directly affecting water insects and the fish and birds that depend on them, the researchers warned.

  Both studies focused on finopril, a pesticide commonly used as an anti-flea substance for pets in many parts of the world. It has several properties that make it an attractive pest control agent (including high toxicity towards invertebrates and water solubility) — but those same properties also make it a nasty pollutant.

  
  

  Click now to read or
  listen to the story.

• • When Technology and Natural Hazards Clash

  'Natech' Disasters Are Created

  (Science News), Nov. 13, 2020 -In August, a dry lightning storm over California sparked an intense wildfire that raged through communities in the Santa Cruz mountains. After the CZU Lightning Complex Fire was contained, local officials advised some residents returning to their homes to not use the drinking water. Benzene, a known carcinogen, had been detected in the water supply. The chemical probably was released by plastic pipes that melted during the fire.

  Scientists call events like this “natech,” or natural hazard-induced technological disasters. Coined in 1994, the term originally applied to industrial incidents such as chemical or fuel spills that occur after hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural hazards. But natech’s definition has recently expanded, says resilience scientist David Yu of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. It now covers any disaster arising from damage caused by a natural hazard to infrastructure that relies on technology, he says.

  
  

  Click now to learn more.

• • Meat Hunters: Get the Lead Out

  Animals/Birds Shot With
  Lead Bullets Are Unsafe to Eat

  (Living On Earth), Nov. 13, 2020 -Millions of American families who eat hunted meat may be exposed to lead poisoning from the bullets that killed the animal. What’s more, hunters donate some 2 million pounds of hunted meat to food banks across the U.S. each year, most of which is not inspected for lead contamination. Sam Totoni reported a series on lead in hunted meat for Environmental Health News and joins Host Steve Curwood to discuss the grave implications of this overlooked risk.

  
  

  Click now to read or
  listen to the transcript.

• • When Will Electricity Companies Quit Natural Gas?

  Wind and Solar Are Better Bets
  For Investors and the Planet

  (NY Times), Nov. 12, 2020 -As Americans suffer through immense wildfires, rising coastal flooding and an epic hurricane season, the nation’s corporations want you to believe they are coming to grips with the climate crisis.

  Among the companies pledging bold emissions cuts are those that generate America’s electricity, which emit more than a quarter of the nation’s global-warming pollution. Yet, that same industry is about to make a strategic error that could render meeting its own goals far more expensive, if not impossible.

  As they shut down costly and dirty coal-burning power plants, the electrical companies are planning to build 235 gas-fired power stations across the country, according to our analysis of figures compiled from commercial databases by the Sierra Club.

  Why?

  
  

  Click now to find out.

• • San Francisco Bans Natural Gas in New Buildings

  With Just a Few Exceptions

  (SFGATE), Nov. 11, 2020 -Now you're not cooking with gas.

  Beginning in June, buildings constructed in San Francisco will be barred from having natural gas heating, gas appliances or gas fireplaces.

  The city Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to prohibit the fuel in buildings that apply for a building permit after June 30, 2021. The ordinance would affect the planned development of more than 54,000 homes and 32 million square feet of commercial space, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

  
  

  Click now for details.

• • Protecting & Restoring Vital Organ Ecosystems Can Reduce CO2 by 49%

  Shouldn’t This Be Priority #1?

  (BioIntegrity), Nov. 11, 2020 -Years ago when Chris Searles started biointegrity it was focused on Tropical Forests. The science shows that their standing value is a greater climate & species protection solution than anything current technology could ever dream of.

  It was clear to me then that restoration of missing Tropical Forests and tropical ecosystems would be equally as significant to reversing climate change & biodiversity loss.

  We finally have a study verifying that —

  “Global priorities for ecosystem restoration” was published mid-October 2020 and essentially shows that the most cost-efficient, climate-effective, species-beneficial thing human beings on Earth can do today is protect & restore the tropical forest system; half of which is missing relative to 1800. (See map bottom of this post.)

  
  

  Click now for the study.

• • 20 Instagram Accounts for Environmental Inspiration

  Accounts For Environmental Inspiration

  (The Revelator)), Nov. 3, 2020 -These days many of us have a natural inclination to “doomscroll” — that constant refreshing of social media so we can gnash our teeth at the most recent bad news.

  There’s an alternative. Let’s call it hopescrolling — the art and act of looking for beautiful things and important information to keep us inspired.

  With the pandemic and election results still looming over our heads, here are 20 of our favorite nature- and environment-related Instagram accounts. May they fill your days with beauty and drive you to fight for the planet.

  
  Click now for the list.

• • The Environmental Impacts of 'Building That Wall'

  The U.S. Border Wall is
  Tearing Through Wilderness

  (National Geographic), Nov. 2, 2020 -In Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, you can find more than 30 species of cactus, including the saguaro, desert giants that tower over the landscape and live for centuries. Desert specialists like endangered Sonoran pronghorn and Sonoyta mud turtles thrive there on just a few inches of rain per year.

  This UNESCO Biosphere Reserve lies right on the United States-Mexico Border, previously demarcated only by a short three-foot-tall fence running through the wilderness, one that allowed animals to move freely. But in early 2020 construction began on President Trump’s signature project: a 30-foot-tall wall of steel and concrete.

  Now that wall is almost entirely complete, along all 30 miles of the reserve.

  Click now for the full article.

• • America May Add 5x More Plastics Than Thought

  The U.S. is Using More Plastic
  Than Ever, and Waste Exported
  For Recycling is Often Mishandled

  (NY Times Climate Forward), Oct. 30, 2020 - The United States contribution to coastal plastic pollution worldwide is significantly larger than previously thought, possibly by as much as five times, according to a study published Friday.

  The research, published in Science Advances, is the sequel to a 2015 paper by the same authors. Two factors contributed to the sharp increase: Americans are using more plastic than ever and the current study included pollution generated by United States exports of plastic waste, while the earlier one did not.

  The U.S., which does not have sufficient infrastructure to handle its recycling demands at home, exports about half of its recyclable waste. Of the total exported, about 88% ends up in countries considered to have inadequate waste management.

  Click now for more of the story.

• • EU Sues France For Second Time Over Air Pollution

  EU Court of Justice Will Rule on
  France Flouting Limits On Air
  Pollution For More Than a Decade

  (REUTERS), Oct. 30, 2020 -Air pollution contributes to more than 400,000 premature deaths in Europe each year, but despite EU laws requiring countries to limit pollution, most of the bloc’s 27 members are set to miss targets this year to tackle dirty air.

  France will face legal action for breaching EU limits on particulate matter pollution in Paris for 12 years, and in Martinique, a French island in the Caribbean, for 14 years, the Commission said.

  The EU’s top court already ruled in 2019 that France had breached limits on nitrogen dioxide pollution in 12 regions.

  
  Click now for more.
• • Botswana's Okavango Delta Elephants (and People) In Trouble

  Oil Drilling, Possible Fracking
  Planned For Okavango Region

  (National Geographic), Oct. 28, 2020 -Conservationists and community leaders in the spectacular Okavango wilderness region of Namibia and Botswana are raising alarms over oil and gas exploration and potential production that they fear would threaten the water resources of thousands of people and endangered wildlife.

  ReconAfrica, a petroleum exploration company headquartered in Canada, has licensed more than 13,600 square miles of land in the two countries. The home page of the company’s website says its intention is to open “a new, deep sedimentary basin”—in other words, a new oil and gas field. The Kavango Basin, as the area is known to geologists, is larger than the country of Belgium, and ReconAfrica says it could hold up to 31 billion barrels of crude oil—more than the United States would use in four years if consumption remained the same as in 2019. It’s possibly the world’s “largest oil play of the decade,” Oilprice.com, an energy news site, said in September.

  Click now for the story.

• • Along the Keystone XL Pipeline, Hoping for a Miracle

  Election Could Decide Whether One
  of the Most Destructive Fossil Fuel
  Projects Continues to Be Built

  (The Nation), By Lance Fourstar -Oct. 27, 2020 -Since the Keystone XL pipeline was first proposed in 2008, it has become one of the most controversial energy projects in North America, stirring conflict across the political spectrum and among the communities in this small corner of Montana. I traveled back to the region this fall, with the looming elections in mind, in order to understand how communities living along the proposed route view the project now. I focused on the individuals and communities who stand to lose the most if the United States continues to prioritize fossil fuels over all else.

  The pipeline, expected to be operational in 2023, would transmit 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Alberta’s tar sands to refineries on the Gulf of Mexico, crossing through the US Midwest. Environmentalists believe that should the pipeline succeed, it will commit North America to continued investment in fossil fuels, dooming any realistic effort to curb climate change.

  
  Click now to read on.
• • One More Reason to Protect the Great Barrier Reef

  Coral Taller than the
  Empire State Building
  Was Found There

  (ZME Science), Oct. 27, 2020 -It’s very rare to hear of positive news from the Great Barrier Reef, which has lost more than half of its coral population in the last three decades at the hand of climate change. Recently, however, Australian scientists have revealed new features inside the greatest living structure on the planet. This includes a blade-like coral whose height is taller than Manhattan’s iconic Empire State Building in some places.

  The stunning discovery was made by scientists aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor, which has been surveying the Great Barrier Reef for the past year in order to map it in unprecedented detail

  During an outing off the cost of Cape York in North Queensland on October 20, the researchers uncovered a ‘detached’ reef measuring 1.5 kilometers in length and over 500 meters in height in some places.

  
  Click now to go deeper.
• • Meditaranean is Packed With Plastic Waste

  It Could Get Even Worse

  (ZME Science), Oct. 27, 2020 -The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most heavily-affected environments in the world in terms of plastic pollution, with about 230,000 tons dumped there every year, according to a new report. The researchers warned that the figure could double by 2040 unless ambitious steps are taken as soon as possible.

  The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published the report “The Mediterranean: Mare plasticum” which reviews the role of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean. It considered 33 countries, either coastal or part of a hydrological basin flowing into the Mediterranean Sea.

  The total plastic accumulated in the Mediterranean is estimated at around 1,178,000 tons, the researchers found. Most of it seems to be deposited on the seafloor either in the form of microplastics in the sediments or as macroplastics and mesoplastics scattered on the seafloor.

  
  Click now to learn more.
• • Better Health Care Can Prevent Tropical Deforestation

  Accessible Indonesia Health
  Clinic Helped Bring Down
  Local Deforestation Rates.

  (ZME Science), Oct. 27, 2020 -Access to affordable healthcare can make a big difference in addressing deforestation, according to a new study. Researchers from Stanford University found that setting up an affordable health clinic near a national park in Indonesia led to a 70% drop in deforestation over a 10-year period.

  Tropical forests lose more than 100 trees every second, altering landscapes and impacting livelihoods, health, biodiversity, and climate change. Across the tropics, forest loss now exceeds forest gain, leading to net carbon emission from some of the most important natural carbon stocks in the world.

  In biodiverse, carbon-rich tropical forests, the establishment of protected areas benefits both conservation and climate mitigation goals. But it often excludes local communities that surround the areas. Failure to address the needs of local people can in turn lead to unsustainable forest use, such as illegal logging.

  
  Click now for more.
• • Chlorpyrifos: A Pesticide DOW Chemical Should Not be Proud of

  The Common Pesticide Is
  Tied To Brain Damage in Children

  (Organic Consumers Association), Oct. 22, 2020 -Chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide, is strongly linked to brain damage in children. These and other health concerns have led several countries and some U.S. states to ban it, but the chemical is still allowed on food crops in the U.S. after successful lobbying by its manufacturer.

  Chlorpyrifos insecticides were introduced by Dow Chemical in 1965 and have been used widely in agricultural settings. Commonly known as the active ingredient in the brand names Dursban and Lorsban, An organophosphate insecticide, acaricide and miticide used primarily to control foliage and soil-borne insect pests on a variety of food and feed crops. Products come in liquid form as well as granules, powders, and water-soluble packets, and may be applied by either ground or aerial equipment.

  Chlorpyrifos is used on a wide variety of crops including apples, oranges, strawberries, corn, wheat, citrus and other foods families and their children eat daily. USDA’s Pesticide Data Program found chlorpyrifos residue on citrus and melons even after being washed and peeled. By volume,chlorpyrifos is most used on corn and soybeans, with over a million pounds applied annually to each crop. The chemical is not allowed on organic crops.

  Click now for the rest of the story.

• • NJ Transit Say's No On Gas-Fired Power Plant

  Northern New Jersey Spared
  From this Environmental Threat?

  (POWERGRID International), Oct. 22, 2020 -New Jersey Transit has backed off a plan to build a gas-fired power plant in northern New Jersey that drew opposition from environmental groups and surrounding towns.

  The agency announced at its board meeting Wednesday night that it will repurpose the project to focus on renewable energy sources. NJ Transit’s board approved the hiring of a renewable energy consultant and up to $3 million in stipends to project bidders.

  NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett called the project “a critical resiliency project that ensures we can maintain limited, but vital, rail service for our customers in the event of local and regional power interruptions.”

  Click now for the rest of the story.

• • Huge Tanker at Risk of Collapse in the Caribbean

  With 1.3 Million
  Barrels of Crude, Potentially1
  Harmful to Ecosystems

  (ZME Science), Oct. 23, 2020 -A damaged oil tanker off the island of Trinidad and Tobago is no longer at risk of spilling 1.3 million barrels of crude oil into the Caribbean, the local government said — but not everyone is convinced.

  For months on end, governments and activists have followed the precarious situation of the Venezuela-flagged oil tanker FSO Nabarima. The ship has been stranded in the Gulf of Paria between Venezuela and Trinidad since January 2019, when President Donald Trump sanctioned Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA.

  
  Click now for the whole story.
• • Air Pollution Is Not Just a Health Concern

  It's Also Costing European
  Citizens $190 Billion Per Year

  (ZME Science), Oct. 23, 2020 -Air pollution is a threat to both public health and economic progress, a new report showed, costing the inhabitants of European cities $190 billion per year. The study looked at air quality, health, and transport data from over 400 cities, finding air pollution costs the average citizen $1.400 per year.

  The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), a group of environmental and social organizations, quantified the monetary “social cost” of premature death, medical treatment, and lost working days. These and others are linked to three air pollutants, particulate matter (PM), ozone (O?), and nitrogen dioxide (NO?).

  London had the highest social cost from pollution in absolute terms, totaling $13.3 billion in lost welfare. Bucharest (with $7.4 billion lost) and Berlin (with $6.1 billion euros lost) came second and third, respectively. All cities with a population of over 1 million feature in the top 25 cities with the highest social costs due to air pollution.

  
  Click now -but try not
  to choke reading this story.
• • This White Paint Really Cools Rooftops

  The Paint Reflects 95.5% of
  Sunlight That Reaches its Surface

  (ZME Science), Oct. 22, 2020 -We’ve all experienced it at some point: white things stay cooler in the sunlight, while black things get hotter as they absorb more sunlight. This is more than just a physics curiosity, it has significant impacts on our world.

  This is the reason, for instance, why the houses around the arid areas of the Mediterranean are often painted white — to reflect more sunlight and keep the buildings a bit cooler. Now, a team of researchers at Purdue University are taking things to the next level: they’ve developed a special white paint that reflects almost all the sunlight cast upon it, helping to keep the surface cool.

  
  Click now for this cool story.
• • Relationship Between Air Pollution and Neurological Disorders

  Air pollution Is Associated with Increases of Hospital Admissions for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Other Dementias

  (ZME Science), Oct. 21, 2020 -It’s the first study that associates neurological disorders and fine particulate matter, says Xiao Wu, co-lead author and doctoral student in biostatistics at Harvard Chan School.

  Wu and colleagues carried out the epidemiological study with more than 63 million older US adults, drawing from an unparalleled amount of data. The results, however, don’t look too pretty.

  In any given day, in any given place, the air contains small aerosols — liquid or solid particles suspended in the atmosphere. The amount of these microscopic particles (called particulate matter, or PM for short) can vary substantially. Normally, the concentration of particulate matter should be very low — but in polluted areas, the amount of particulates can reach high, unhealthy levels.

  
  Click now for the sad story.
• • What Is Driving Plastic Pollution?

  Could Our Stomachs Be to Blame?

  (ZME Science), Oct. 21, 2020 -A polluted air outside makes office workers more likely to order food delivery instead of going out for lunch, which increasing plastic waste from food packaging, a new study showed.

  Since this issue is unlikely to be solved anytime soon, the researchers call for more environmentally friendly packaging and improved waste management to tackle this growing issue.

  
  Click now to learn more.

• • Russia: Unexplained Eco-disaster

  It Kills Marine
  Life, Affects Swimmers

  (Deutsche Welle), Oct. 21, 2020 -A popular surfing beach on Russia's Pacific coastline is now the site of a suspected ecological disaster, as its waters turn yellow and scores of dead sea animals wash up on the shore.

  Local authorities in the eastern Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy have been warning people against visiting the nearby Khalaktyrsky beach, after surfers complained of partially losing their eyesight and experiencing headaches, fevers and nausea when venturing into the water.

  
  Click now for the complete story.
• • Recycling Paper Adds a Price to the Environment

  It's Only Meaningful
  When Powered by Renewable Energy

  (ZME Science), Oct. 20, 2020 -While it’s usually seen as a good practice, recycling paper is actually meaningful to the climate only when it’s powered by renewable energy, according to a modeling study. Greenhouse gas emissions would increase by 2050 if we recycle more paper, as current recycling methods rely on fossil fuels, researchers found.

  A circular economy is expected to achieve sustainability goals through efficient use and reuse of materials. Waste recycling is an important part of a circular economy. However, for some materials, the potential environmental benefits of recycling are unclear or contested, say researchers from University College London.

  Senior author Professor Paul Ekins said: “The recycling of some materials, for instance, metals, can lead to a very large reduction in emissions. But we need to be careful about assumptions that recycling, or a circular economy in general, will always have a positive effect on climate change.”

  
  Click now to read the study.
• • Bottle-Fed Babies sand Microplastics

  Exposure is Far Higher than Previously Thought

  (The Guardian), Oct. 19, 2020 -Bottle-fed babies are swallowing millions of microplastic particles a day, according to research described as a “milestone” in the understanding of human exposure to tiny plastics.

  Scientists found that the recommended high-temperature process for sterilizing plastic bottles and preparing formula milk caused bottles to shed millions of microplastics and trillions of even smaller nanoplastics.

  The polypropylene bottles tested make up 82% of the world market, with glass bottles being the main alternative. Polypropylene is one of the most commonly used plastics and preliminary tests by the scientists found kettles and food containers also produced millions of microplastics per liter of liquid.

  
  

  Click now the worrisome story.
• • New Trump Golf Course Provokes Fury in Scotland

  The Course Badly Damages
  the Surrounding Environment

  (The Guardian), Oct. 17, 2020 -Donald Trump has said he might leave the US if he loses the White House to Joe Biden next month. If so, he has just been handed the perfect place to eke out his final days – by playing golf on a new course in Aberdeenshire, his second in the area.

  If Trump does choose such an option, he can expect a robust welcome from conservationists, however. They say last week’s decision by Aberdeenshire council planners to approve the course could have a catastrophic impact on the area’s delicate environment.

  
  Click now for more.
• • Study: Radiation Levels Higher Downwind of Fracking Sites

  The Study Was Published This Week
  in the Journal Nature Communications

  (Allegheny Front), Oct. 16, 2020 -A team of Harvard researchers found elevated levels of radioactivity on air particles measured downwind of fracking sites around the country.

  The levels found were well below public health limits, but the authors warn they could induce “adverse health effects to residents living close” to fracking sites. The study was published this week in the journal Nature Communications.

  The authors looked at 16 years worth of data from the EPA’s radiation monitoring system, from 2001 to 2017. They found increased radiation on particles 12 miles (20 km) to 31 miles (50 km) downwind of fracking sites. Those close to shallower conventional wells, meanwhile, showed virtually no increases.

  Click now to radiate your interest.

• • Ecosystem Collapse Threatens a Fifth of All Countries

  Trillions of Dollars of GDP Depend on Biodiversity, Swiss Re Reports

  (The Guardian), Oct. 12, 2020 -

  One-fifth of the world’s countries are at risk of their ecosystems collapsing because of the destruction of wildlife and their habitats, according to an analysis by the insurance firm Swiss Re.

  Natural “services” such as food, clean water and air, and flood protection have already been damaged by human activity.

  More than half of global GDP depends on high-functioning biodiversity, according to the report, but the risk of tipping points is growing.

  
  Click now for the story.
• • What Exxon Mobil Says Is Not What Exxon Mobil Does

  Mother Earth Does Not Thank You

  (ZME Science), Oct. 8, 2020 -According to internal documents obtained by Bloomberg, America’s largest oil and gas corporation Exxon Mobil was planning to increase its 2021 greenhouse gas emissions by 17% — an increase equivalent to the entire nation of Greece.

  That’s only Exxon Mobil’s own emissions, not the emissions produced by its customers burning oil. When that is also taken into consideration, the total impact would be about five times bigger.

  
  Click now for the rest of the story.
• • EU Moves to Cut Carbon Emissions 60% by 2030

  The Move Must First Be Approved
  by the Council of Ministers

  (ZME Science), Oct. 8, 2020 -The European Parliament voted to update the EU’s climate target for 2030, backing a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade, up from the current 40%. Lawmakers passed the proposal by 352 votes to 326, with 18 abstentions, sending the text to the EU Council of Ministers for final approval.

  The Parliament’s decision was part of a wider vote on a proposed European Climate Law, which seeks to pass the EU’s goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 into law. Jytte Guteland, the rapporteur on the proposed legislation, celebrated the news on her social media networks.

• • The Micro-plastics Believed to Be on the Seafloor

  Up to 14 Million Tons, Last Estimate

  (ZME Science), Oct. 7, 2020 -The world’s seafloor is filled with 14 million tons of micro-plastics, broken down from the masses of rubbish entering the oceans every year, according to a new study. It’s the first global estimate of sea-floor micro-plastics and the amount registered is 25 times greater than that shown by previous localized studies.

  Researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) looked at the deep ocean 380km (236 miles) from the coast of South Australia. They found that the number of micro-plastics on the seafloor was more than double the amount of plastic pollution on the surface of the sea globally.

  
  Click now for more of this story.
• • The Guardian Climate Pledge

  The Magazine's Promise to Its Readers

  (The Guardian), Oct. 5, 2020 -In 2019, the Guardian made a pledge in service of the planet. We declared that the escalating climate crisis was the defining issue of our lifetime, and that quality, trustworthy reporting on the environment was an important tool to confront it. We promised to provide journalism that shows leadership, urgency, authority and gives the climate emergency the sustained attention and prominence it demands.

  We also vowed to practice what we preach, striving to green our operations as a global news organization and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

  
  Click now for more.
• • Styrofoam Now Banned in Maryland

  State Shows National
  Leadership By Prohibiting This
  Dangerous Single-Use Plastic

  (Environment MARYLAND), Oct. 1, 2020 -Maryland’s statewide ban on polystyrene foam cups and containers begins today. In March 2019, Maryland became the first state in the country to pass a foam ban through its state legislature.

  Polystyrene foam ? commonly referred to as Styrofoam ? is one of the most common and hazardous forms of single-use plastic. Less than 3 percent of it is recycled, and once in landfills or the natural environment, it persists for hundreds of years. In a single year, Americans throw out 25 billion polystyrene foam cups, part of the 8 million tons of plastic dumped in waterways every year.

  
  Click now for the smart news.
• • A New Enzyme Could Create Infinitely Recyclable Plastic

  Less Trash and Cheaper Stuff?

  (ZME SCIENCE), -Sept. 29, The researchers who made the improved version of the plastic-eating PETase enzyme have now developed a new ‘cocktail’ that can break down plastic much faster.

  Half of the cocktail is made up of the previous enzyme, PETase. The other ingredient, MHETase, is an enzyme found in the same strain of bacteria from which PETase was isolated. Together, they can break down plastic six times faster than alone, the team explains.

  The findings can help pave the way towards improved plastic recycling methods, the team explains, which would slash plastic pollution as well as the emissions from plastic production.

  
  Click now for this good news.
• • World Leaders Pledge to Halt Earth’s Destruction

  60 Countries Promise to
  Put Wildlife and Climate at Heart
  of Post-Covid Recovery Plans

  (The Guardian), Sept. 28, 2020 -World leaders have pledged to clamp down on pollution, embrace sustainable economic systems and eliminate the dumping of plastic waste in oceans by the middle of the century as part of “meaningful action” to halt the destruction of nature on Earth.

  Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Justin Trudeau, Jacinda Ardern and Boris Johnson are among 64 leaders from five continents warning that humanity is in a state of planetary emergency due to the climate crisis and the rampant destruction of life-sustaining ecosystems. To restore the balance with nature, governments and the European Union have made a 10-point pledge to counteract the damage to systems that underpin human health and wellbeing.

  
  Click now for the promising news.
• • Oh, What's Wrong With a Brain-Eating Microbe in Your Tap Water?

  Texas Residents Warned of Tap
  Water Tainted With Naegleria fowleri

  (The Guardian), Sept. 26, 2020 -Texas officials have warned residents of some communities near Houston to stop using tap water because it might be tainted with a deadly brain-eating microbe.

  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality warned the Brazosport Water Authority late on Friday of the potential contamination of its water supply by Naegleria fowleri.

  The commission issued an advisory warning people not to use tap water for any reason except to flush toilets in Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton, Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute and Rosenberg.

  
  Click now for more, if you can stand it.
• • Pollution's Effect on the Trees in Siberia and the Arctic

  Industrial Pollution in the Arctic
  is Fasr Worse than We’ve Assumed

  (ZME SCIENCE), -Sept. 25, 2020, The findings are based on the analysis of tree-rings and wood chemistry around the city of Norilsk in the Russian Arctic. According to the authors, ecosystems in this region have been “devastated” by decades of nickel and copper mining, and the effects extend far enough to disrupt the global carbon cycle. They also explain that die-offs have spread to almost 100 kilometers away from the city.

  Norilsk is the northernmost city in the world, housing around 100,000 people. It’s also one of the most polluted places on Earth due to intensive mining operations for nickel, copper, and palladium which have been ongoing since the 1930s under very little environmental regulations. A spill in May 2020, which involved around 17,500 tons of diesel oil making its way into local rivers, further destroyed local ecosystems.

  Click now for more.
• • The Failing US Utilities Emissions Targeting

  They're Not Doing Enough
  to Meet 2050 Targets

  (Renewable Energy World), Sept. 24, 2020 - ‘Zero-percenter’ utilities show significant gaps between their stated goals and the required actions to achieve full decarbonization by 2050.

  “The math simply doesn’t yet add up,” says Deloitte in a review of the actions being taken by 22 United States utilities – ‘zero-percenter utilities – that have announced net zero or carbon free electricity goals.

  For example, these utilities have yet to schedule the retirement of 87% of their coal capacity. They have harnessed only 9GW out of a 400GW rooftop solar potential in their territories. And they have barely started to integrate the growing battery capacity from transport electrification that will convert them into necessary flexible grid assets.

  
  Click now to learn more.
• • Is Your Water Polluted By Fracking?

  There's An App for That!

  (ZME SCIENCE), -Sept. 24, 2020, Exposing drinking water to hydraulic fracturing fluid increases the risk of many adverse health outcomes. Unfortunately, knowing the risks posed by a particular well is very difficult due to the wide range of chemical ingredients used across sites. Now, researchers have created an app that changes this radically.

  Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used to release the oil or gas held within naturally occurring pockets of shale or other dense rock deep within the earth. While it’s not a new technique, it saw a major increase in use since the early 2000s. Following this growth, reports started linking fracking with an increase in seismic activity.

  Penn Medicine researchers have created an interactive tool, called WellExplorer, that allows community members and scientists to find out which toxins may be lurking in their drinking water as a result of fracking. You just have to type your ZIP code in the website or the app and look at the fracking sites near you, with information on the chemicals used at each of them.

  Click now for the whole story.
• • The Richest Are Much Worse For the Environment

  Emissions From This 1% Are
  Double That of the Poor

  (Thje Guardian), -Sept. 21, 2020, Not everyone holds the same responsibility for climate change, according to new research, which showed that the richest 1% of the world’s population produced twice as much carbon dioxide emissions as the poorest 50% between 1990 and 2015.

  A report compiled by Oxfam and the Stockholm Environment Institute showed that CO2 emissions rose by 60% over the 25-year period. The increase in emissions from the wealthiest 1% was three times greater than the increase from the poorest half of the world over the same timeframe. This means that the rich are quickly exhausting the world’s carbon budget, the limit of greenhouse gas emissions mankind can produce before damaging temperature increases become unavoidable.

  The increase in emissions was mainly driven by overconsumption and carbon-intensive transportation.

  Click now to learn more.
• LEGO Plans Let Go Of Plastic Packaging

  They've Responded to Complaints
  From Kids Using the Product

  (INHABITAT), -Sept. 18, 2020, Kids have spoken, and LEGO has listened. “We have received many letters from children about the environment asking us to remove single-use plastic packaging,” Niels B. Christiansen, LEGO Group CEO, said in a statement. “We have been exploring alternatives for some time and the passion and ideas from children inspired us to begin to make the change.”

  The Danish toymaker announced Tuesday that it will replace the plastic bags inside boxed LEGO sets with recyclable paper bags. Over the next five years, the company expects to completely phase out the plastic bags.

  Click now to learn more.
• • The Health Risks From Wildfire Smoke

  What We Know and Don’t Know

  (Science News), -Sept. 18, 2020, Acrid smoke continues to pollute skies in the western United States. On some recent days, the air quality in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles has been so hazardous, it’s ranked among the worst in the world.

  It’s hard to predict when the smoke will fully clear. And with some parts of the West having faced a week or more of extremely polluted air, the unusual, sustained nature of the assault is increasing worries about people’s health.

  There’s plenty of evidence that air pollution — a broad category that includes soot, smog, and other pollutants from sources such as traffic, industry and fires — can harm health. The list of medical ailments associated with exposure to dirty air includes respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

  Click now to learn more.
• • A Device to Curb Micro-plastic Emissions

  Tire Attachment Designed
  By Four Students Aims to
  Reduce Road Transport Pollution

  (The Guardian), -Sept. 17, 2020, A device that captures micr-oplastic particles from tyres as they are emitted – and could help reduce the devastating pollution they cause – has won its designers a James Dyson award.

  The Tyre Collective, a group of masters students from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, scooped the UK prize of the international competition with their solution for the growing environmental scourge of tyre wear caused by road transport.

  Every time a vehicle brakes, accelerates or turns a corner, the tires wear down through friction and tiny particles become airborne. This produces 500,000 tonnes of tyre particles annually in Europe alone. Globally, it is estimated tyre wear accounts for nearly half of road transport particulate emissions. It is also the second-largest micro-plastic pollutant in the oceans after single-use plastic.

  
  Click now for more.
• • World Biodiversity Goals Are Not Being Met

  Not a Single Target Set
  in 2010 Has Been Reached

  (ZME SCIENCE), -Sept. 17, 2020, World leaders have failed to meet a set of important biodiversity goals, meaning ecosystems are still experiencing severe difficulties as a consequence, according to a United Nations report. In fact, not one single biodiversity target has been met ten years after they were proposed. Still, it’s not too late to act, with the UN calling for urgent action and to make major changes before the collapse of the natural world becomes inevitable.

  The Global Biodiversity Outlook, published by the Convention of Biological Diversity (CDB), showed the progress the world has made in meeting the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets, which were set 10 years ago with a deadline to meet them by 2020. They are the equivalent to the Paris Agreement on climate change but on biodiversity.

  Click now to learn more.

• • Brazil Fires Devastate the World’s Largest Tropical Wetland

  The Amazon Fires Have Now Reached the Pantanal Amid a Severe Drought

  (ZME SCIENCE), -Sept. 11, 2020, The world’s largest tropical wetland, the Pantanal, is burning at a record speed in Brazil, with fires expanding fast and threatening its biodiversity. This is happening on a backdrop of a record fire season in the whole Amazon region, with President Bolsonaro being questioned by the international community.

  With an area of 150,000 square kilometers, the Pantanal crosses the Brazilian border and extends through Bolivia and Paraguay. It’s known for its impressive biodiversity, attracting visitors from around the world eager to see jaguars, caimans, toucans, monkeys, giant otters, and many other species living there.

  Click now for the whole story.

• • Now Ecological Threats Will Force Displacement

  More Than One Billion People
  Face That Possibility By 2050

  (ZME SCIENCE), -Sept. 11, 2020, The international think-tank the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) said in its Ecological Threat Register (ETR) report that 1.2 billion people living in 31 countries aren’t sufficiently resilient to endure ecological threats. The report combines measures of resilience with comprehensive ecological data from the UN and other organizations.

  “Ecological threats and climate change pose serious challenges to global peacefulness. Over the next 30 years, lack of access to food and water will only increase without urgent global cooperation. In the absence of action civil unrest, riots and conflict will most likely increase,” said Steve Killelea, founder of the IEP, in a statement.

  The country with the largest number of people at risk of mass displacements is Pakistan, followed by Ethiopia and Iran, according to the report. Haiti faces the highest threat in Central America. In these countries, even small ecological threats and natural disasters could result in mass population displacement.

• • Plastic Food Packaging Now the King of Beach Trash

  Plastics Now Outpace
  Cigarette Butts For That Title

  (National Geographic), -Sept. 8, 2020, Candy wrappers and chip bags have become the most commonly found beach trash, surpassing cigarette butts as the top item for the first time.

  That dreary statistic is among the findings in the Ocean Conservancy’s latest report on its annual beach cleanup, when more than 20.8 million tons of trash were collected from the beaches in 116 countries in 2019. That’s 32.5 million items picked up in one day.

  Even as plastic packaging, which made up nearly 45% of the plastics produced in the U.S., Europe, China, and India between 2002 and 2014, became the dominant plastic in the global waste stream, the lowly cigarette filter clung to first place for the 34-year history of the Ocean Conservancy’s beach cleanups. Now it ranks number two, with 4.2 million butts recovered. Food wrappers top the list, with more than 4.7 million individual wrappers gathered.

• • Asphalt Is a Major Source of Air Pollution

  Especially True During Summer Weather

  (ZME SCIENCE), -Sept. 3, 2020, A petroleum-based substance, asphalt is almost everywhere, from roads and roofs to driveways and paved streets. The US alone has about 18 million tons of it. Unfortunately, it seems that all that asphalt is also the source of air pollution, especially in the summer heat, according to a new study.

  Researcher Peeyush Khare from Yale University and his team were curious about the potential impact of asphalt on air quality, especially in cities, as about 45% of urban surfaces are covered with asphalt. Its uses include paving (mixed with stone aggregate), roofing, and in products such as sealants.

  No studies have previously quantified emission rates, which are essentially absent in emission inventories. The only exception has been solvent evaporation from cutback asphalt application, which was found to have elevated concentrations of hazardous air pollutants.

  Click now for the full story.

• • The Era of Plastics Might Be Coming to an End

  Thank You, Moonlighting Microbes

  (CleanTechnica), Sept. 1, 2020 -Petroleum stakeholders have been seeking safe haven in plastics and other petrochemicals now that global demand for fossil fuel is crashing. However, science is about to crash the gate with new bio-based alternatives. In the latest development, researchers have discovered that certain microbes can moonlight as refineries. They can produce ethylene, a building block for all sorts of plastics as well as glues, coolants, and other products that currently rely on oil and gas.

  Click now for the story.

• • Now You're Cooking With Gas - Should You Be?

  Should You Give Up Cooking With Gas?

  (The Guardian), Aug. 28, 2020 -A future without gas stoves is already looking likely for some Australians. In the Australian Capital Territory, plans are underway to phase out domestic gas use, and gas infrastructure is no longer required for new suburb developments.

  “The fact is, natural gas is a polluting fossil fuel and we must eventually phase it out in favor of clean energy,” says the ACT’s minister for climate change and sustainability, Shane Rattenbury. With uncertainty around gas prices, Rattenbury says the move “is also good for household bills”.

  Click now to read all about it.

• • Veggie Patties vs Meat Burgers

  The Environmental Impact Compared

  ZME SCIENCE, Aug. 28, 2020 -No matter how you look at it, veggie patties are much better for the planet than beef. From the popular alternatives and the lesser-known ones and simple plant alternatives, nothing comes even close to beef.

  It’s not really hard to envision a not-too-distant future where we transition to renewable energy. Even phasing out oil and coal seem plausible. But one environmental culprit seems much harder to phase out: meat.

  Click now learn what's at 'Steak.'