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• Canada is Banning Single-Use Plastics

• • The Arctic is Packed with Microplastics

  Much of it Consists of Polyester Fibers

  January 13, 2021(ZME Science)-By simply washing your clothes, you might be flooding the oceans with plastic pollution, a new study showed. Researchers found that nearly three-quarters of the microplastics in the Arctic seawater were polyester fibers, which are most likely coming from textiles manufacturing and household laundry.

  Millions of tons of plastic enter marine ecosystems every year, and quantities are expected to increase in the coming years. Over time, plastic items in the ocean can break down into smaller pieces(microplastics). They can be the size of a rice grain or even smaller, making them easy to be ingested by sea creatures.

  
  Click now to read or listen to this story.
• • Almost Half of the Global Waste is Not Collected Properly

  And Much of it Gets Burned

  Jan. 11, 2021(ZME Science)-Nearly a billion tons of waste are disposed of improperly every year and this is threatening the health and wellbeing of billions worldwide, a new study reports. The study looked at what happens to consumer goods and other products at the end of their useful life and concludes that urgent action is needed to address open burning of solid waste and ill-managed dumpsites.

  
  Click now to read or listen to the story.
• • An Ethanol Plant is Dangerously Polluting a US Village

  There's a Red Flag Here

  Jan. 10, 2021(The Guardian)-For the residents of Mead, Nebraska, the first sign of something amiss was the stench, the smell of something rotting. People reported eye and throat irritation and nosebleeds. Then colonies of bees started dying, birds and butterflies appeared disoriented and pet dogs grew ill, staggering about with dilated pupils.

  There is no mystery as to the cause of the concerns in Mead, a farming community so small that its 500 residents refer to it as a village and not a town.

  
  Click now to read on.
• • Boston Wants Net-zero Emissions From New Buildings

  Buildings Energy Consumption
  is Responsible For 70% of the
  City’s CO2 Output

  January 8, 2021(Renewable Energy World)-The city of Boston is laying plans to require newly constructed large buildings to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, a move supporters hope will help make carbon-neutral design more approachable and mainstream.

  “There are going to be folks that find this incredibly challenging — there are a lot of industry norms that are being questioned and challenged,” said John Dalzell, senior architect for sustainable development at the Boston Planning and Development Agency. “But I’m pleased to see some of these old norms starting to fall away.”

  
  Click now for more on this story.
• • There Have Been Strong Additions to Our Atmospheric CO2 Levels

  It Could Soon Reach 150% of Pre-Industrial Revolution Times

  Jan. 8, 2021(ZME Science)-Our climate is changing, and the cause is our own emissions. To put those into perspective, new research estimates that atmospheric CO2 levels in 2021 will be 50% higher than the average value in the 18th century (the onset of the Industrial Revolution).

  
  Click now read or listen to the story.
• • The Pandemic Can Teach How to Reduce Air Pollution

  COVID-19 Shutdowns Didn’t Fix
  Air Pollution, but Create
  a Natural Experiment to Study it

  (ScienceNews), Jan. 4, 2021, -The COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t just a shock to the human immune system. It was also a shock to the Earth system, dramatically changing the air quality in cities around the globe.

  As countries around the globe struggled to contain the disease, they imposed temporary shutdowns. Scientists are now sifting through data collected by satellite and on the ground to understand what this hiatus in human activities can tell us about the atmospheric cocktail that generates city pollution. Much of this preliminary data was shared at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting in December.

  
  Click now for more.
• • S.Korea to Replacie Diesel Trains by 2029

  This Will Cut CO2 Emissions

  (REUTERS), Jan. 4, 2021, -South Korea aims to cut some 30% of carbon emissions from railway travel by replacing all diesel passenger locomotives with a new bullet train by 2029, President Moon Jae-in said on Monday.

  Moon joined a trial run of the KTX-Eum, an electric multiple unit train as South Korea, one of world’s most fossil-fuel reliant economies, envisages a “greener” recovery from the novel coronavirus. Eum means link in Korean.

  “We will replace all diesel passenger trains with the KTX-Eum by 2029 and establish eco-friendly railway transport nationwide,” Moon said at a station in the eastern city of Wonju.
  

  Click now for the map.
• • Even Organic Meat Has a Climate Impact

  Eating Meat isn't Good for the
  Environment -- Even When it's Organic

  (ZME Science), Dec. 29, 2020, -Organic meat, usually highlighted as friendlier to the environment, actually has a climate cost as high as conventionally farmed meat. According to a new study, which estimated the greenhouse gas emissions (GEI) resulting from different foods in Germany, the only eco-friendly meat is no meat at all.

  A team of German researchers wanted to explore the “invisible” environmental costs of food production, from land use and fertilizers to methane emissions and transportation. They focused on meat products, dairy, and plant-based food and compared organic and conventional production in each case.

  The results are striking. Compared to conventional farming, organic methods improve the emissions profile of dairy and plant-based products, reducing their impact on the planet, because organic farming bans the use of mineral nitrogen fertilizers, which brings down the emissions costs of this production method.

  But meat was the exception

  
  Click now to listen to or read the story.
• • Keeping Our Air in "Lockdown" Condition

  Cities Could Save Millions On Public
  Health Costs and Gain Major Economic Benefits.

  (ZME Science), Dec. 28, 2020 - Cities that can maintain the air quality improvements seen during the coronavirus pandemic over the next few years would enjoy significant health and economic benefits, according to a new study, focused in New York City.

  According to the researchers, this shows the need for wider public policies to address air pollution, and also potential solutions that can be implemented.

  Like other cities around the world, New York City experienced a sharp decline in air pollution during the COVID-19 shutdown period. From March 15 to May 15, much of New York shut down, as many stayed indoors, not using their cars, and most shops and factories were closed down. It came at a high social and economic cost, but the city’s pollution was reduced sharply.
  

  Click now to read or hear the story.
• • Reasons to Be Hopeful in 2021

  There Are Some Good Signs Out There

  Dec. 27, 2020(The Guardian)-2020 has been a difficult year, but there are some glints of light in the gloom. From nature-friendly farms to anti-ageing worms and even a way of conjuring vodka out of thin air, here are a few nuggets of good cheer to look forward to in 2021.

  
  Click now to see what they are.
• • Cooking and Your Carbon Footprint

  Changing Cooking Methods
  Can Make a Real Difference

  (ZME Science), Dec. 25, 2020 - Ever felt powerless in the face of major challenges such as global warming? Well, there’s some good news: the way we cook our meals can actually make a big difference in the world’s climate crisis, according to a new study in the UK. Up to 61% of food-related greenhouse gases come from home cooking, with different methods and appliances releasing different amounts of emissions.

  Food (and cooking practices) are often left out of the food conversation, in part because data on household cooking practices are so scarce. Yet understanding climate change impacts of different food items from cradle to grave is vital for effectively reducing emissions. Food is estimated to emit 37% of global emissions.

  
  Click now to read or listen to the story.
• • Plastic Drinking Water Pipes Exposed to
  High Heat Can Leak Hazardous Chemicals

  Lab Tests May Help Explain
  High Levels of Benzene in Water
  After Recent California Wildfires

  (Science News), Dec. 23, 2020 - In August, a massive wildfire tore through the San Lorenzo Valley north of Santa Cruz, Calif., destroying almost 1,500 structures and exposing many others to extreme heat. Before the fire was even out, lab tests revealed benzene levels as high as 9.1 parts per billion in residential water samples — nine times higher than the state’s maximum safety level.

  This isn’t the first time the carcinogen has followed wildfires: California water managers found unsafe levels of benzene and other volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, in Santa Rosa after the Tubbs Fire in 2017, and in Paradise after the Camp Fire in 2018.

  Scientists suspected that, among other possibilities, plastic drinking water pipes exposed to extreme heat released the chemicals. Now, lab experiments show that’s possible.

  
  Click now to read the whole story.
• • Mollusks Contain More Plastics Than Any Other Sesafoods

  Think About That on Your Next
  Seafood Shopping or Fishing Mission

  (ZME Science), Dec. 23, 2020 - New research found that marine mollusks such as mussels, oysters, and scallops, contain the highest levels of microplastic contamination of all seafood.

  The team, led by members from the Hull York Medical School and the University of Hull has analyzed over 50 studies on the topic of microplastic contamination in seafood. These were published between 2014 and 2020 and worked with species ranging from fish to shellfish all around the world.

  
  Click now to read or listen to the story.
• • California's Greenhouse Gas Pollution Is Increasing Again

  Blame it On Buildings and Cars

  (GIZMODO), Dec 22, 2020, -After five consecutive years of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, California saw an increase in its planet-warming pollution. That’s according to a new report from the nonprofit Next 10 and research firm Beacon Economics.

  The analysis shows that California could get back on track with climate policy by investing in a green stimulus. It also contains important lessons for national climate policymakers, including the fact that unfettered growth in the commercial real estate industry is incompatible with meeting climate targets.

  The 12th annual California Green Innovation Index, released early Tuesday morning, shows that the state’s emissions increased by 830,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent in 2018, representing a 0.2% increase from the previous year. This will make it harder for officials to meet the state’s legal mandate to reduce emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. To reach that goal, California now must lower its emissions by an average of 4.9% each year from 2020 to 2030.

  
  Click now for the story.
• • Court Blocks Drilling Set to Begin in Newly Designated Utah Wilderness

  Sorry, No Helium Wells For You

  (Center for Biological Diversity), Dec 22, 2020, - A federal judge today enjoined the Trump administration’s approval of a plan to punch a helium well into the heart of the Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness in Utah just two days before Christmas. Road construction was set to begin Wednesday.

  That Wilderness is too special to drill,” said Landon Newell, staff attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). “We’re grateful the court enjoined this ill-conceived project and gave this incomparable landscape a brief reprieve. We’ll be ready for round 2 with the Trump administration and company in early January.”

  The SUWA, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity and Living Rivers sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Bureau of Land Management from granting approval to Twin Bridges to begin drilling the helium well pending the resolution of a lawsuit filed last week. The lawsuit says the Bureau violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to take a hard look at the potential climate harms from the fracking project and failing to provide a reasoned basis for offering this land for leasing in the first place.

  
  Click now for the story.
• • Converting Carbon Dioxide into Jet Fuel

  Such Technology Could One Day Cut Green-
  house Gas Emissions From Air Travel

  (Science News), Dec. 22, 2020 - Today, airplanes pump a lot of climate-warming carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. But someday, carbon dioxide sucked from the atmosphere could be used to power airplanes.

  A new iron-based catalyst converts carbon dioxide into jet fuel, researchers report online December 22 in Nature Communications. Unlike cars, planes can’t carry batteries big enough to run on electricity from wind or solar power. But if CO2, rather than oil, were used to make jet fuel, that could reduce the air travel industry’s carbon footprint — which currently makes up 12% of all transportation-related CO2 emissions.

  Past attempts to convert carbon dioxide into fuel have relied on catalysts made of relatively expensive materials, like cobalt, and required multiple chemical processing steps. The new catalyst powder is made of inexpensive ingredients, including iron, and transforms CO2 in a single step.

  
  Click now to read the whole story.
• • Microplastics Revealed in the Placentas of Unborn Babies

  Scientists Say Particles May
  Cause Long-Term Damage to Fetuses

  (The Guardian), Dec. 22, 2020 - Microplastic particles have been revealed in the placentas of unborn babies for the first time, which the researchers said was “a matter of great concern.”

  The health impact of microplastics in the body is as yet unknown. But the scientists said they could carry chemicals that could cause long-term damage or upset the fetus’s developing immune system. The particles are likely to have been consumed or breathed in by the mothers.

  The particles were found in the placentas from four healthy women who had normal pregnancies and births. Microplastics were detected on both the fetal and maternal sides of the placenta and in the membrane within which the fetus develops.

  
  Click now the whole story.
• • Heart Failure Patients Near Fracking More Likely to be Hospitalized

  And Plenty of Sources From Which to Choose

  (Allegheny Front), Dec 21, 2020, -Heart failure patients who live near fracking operations were more likely to be hospitalized than those who live farther away, according to a new study.

  Researchers at Drexel and Johns Hopkins studied medical records of 12,000 heart patients in Pennsylvania between 2008 and 2015.

  The authors reported “significantly increased odds of hospitalization among heart failure subjects in relation to increasing” fracking activity in the area near them. Heart failure includes any condition, like a heart attack, that leads to the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.

  Older patients and those with more severe heart failure “seem particularly vulnerable to adverse health impacts” from nearby fracking, the authors stated.

  
  Click now for the story.
• • New Tool to Help Regrow Burned-Down Forests

  We All Need Some
  Help Every Now and Then

  (ZME Science), Dec. 21, 2020 - New research at the University of California, Davis with support from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Cal Fire, and the U.S. Forest Service aims to understand how forests regenerate after wildfires.

  The team has managed to create a predictive mapping tool that showcases where forests may have trouble regrowing after burning down. This tool can be used to nurture those areas that could have trouble recovering on their own, an especially important task in the wake of the massive wildfires we’ve seen in Australia and the USA this year.

  
  Click now to read or
  listen to the story.
• • The Food Industry is Skewing Research

  What Are They Hiding?

  (ZME Science), Dec. 18, 2020 - The food industry could be actively working against public health by influencing the results of studies in their favor.

  New research reports that around 13.4% of the nutrition studies it analyzed disclosed ties to the food industry. Studies in which the industry was involved were more likely to produce results that were favorable to its interest, the team adds, raising questions in regards to the merits of these findings.

  
  Click now to read or
  listen to the story.
• • The Dangers of Wildfire Smoke

  It Can Carry Microbes That
  Cause Infectious Diseases

  (ZME Science), Dec. 18, 2020 - Breathing wildfire smoke, even in low amounts, means you’re exposed to noxious gases, plant material, and incinerated synthesis materials. It’s bad enough, especially for those with respiratory conditions. But there’s more: the haze can also be loaded by microbes, a new study showed.

  Wildfires over the past 3 years have resulted in lengthy episodes of smoke inundation across major metropolitan areas in Australia, Brazil, and the United States. In 2020, air quality across the western United States reached and sustained extremely unhealthy to hazardous levels for successive weeks from August through November.

  
  Click now to read or
  listen to the story.
• • Amazon’s Plastic Packaging - What a Waste

  It Could Encircle the Globe 500 Times

  (ZME Science), Dec. 16, 2020 -The plastic packaging of the products we buy online is actually hiding a major environmental problem, a new report showed. Amazon, considered the world’s largest retailer, was responsible for 211,000 metric tons (465 million pounds) of plastic packaging waste last year, 10,000 tons (22 million pounds) of which ended up in the world’s freshwater and marine ecosystems.

  The waste includes air pillows, bubble wrap, and other plastic packaging items added to the approximately 7 billion Amazon packages delivered in 2019, said Oceana, an ocean conservation organization, who published the report. The plastic packaging waste would be enough to circle the Earth more than 500 times, the authors of the report said.

  
  Click now to read or
  listen to the story.
• • Buildings: a Huge Source of Carbon Pollution

  Big Reason For the Emissions Uptick Was
  Increased Use of Energy In Buildings

  (GIZMODO), Dec. 16, 2020 - Carbon emissions from buildings reached an all-time high, according to a new United Nations report. In 2019, buildings were responsible for 9.95 gigatons of carbon—up from 9.7 gigatons in 2018—accounting for 38% of the world’s output of the planet-warming gas.

  The report, put out by the UN Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction on Wednesday, shows the world has a long ways to go to clean up pollution tied to buildings. But it also includes a roadmap for how to get there through a “triple strategy.”

  
  Click now for the story.
• • Plastic Waste & Camel Guts - What a Combination

  It Forms Huge, Deadly
  Masses in the Guts of Camels guts

  (Science News), Dec. 15, 2020 - Marcus Eriksen was studying plastic pollution in the Arabian Gulf when he met camel expert Ulrich Wernery. “[Ulrich] said, ‘You want to see plastic? Come with me.’ So we went deep into the desert,” Eriksen recalls. Before long, they spotted a camel skeleton and began to dig through sand and bones.

  “We unearthed this mass of plastic, and I was just appalled. I couldn’t believe that — almost did not believe that — a mass as big as a medium-sized suitcase, all plastic bags, could be inside the rib cage of this [camel] carcass,” says Eriksen, an environmental scientist at the 5 Gyres Institute, a plastic pollution research and education organization in Santa Monica, Calif.

  “We hear about marine mammals, sea lions, whales, turtles and seabirds impacted” by plastic waste, Eriksen says. But “this is not just an ocean issue. It’s a land issue, too. It’s everywhere.”

  
  Click now to read or
  listen to the story.
• • A Rotting Oil Tanker: Major Problems in the Red Sea

  Could the Issue Be Fixable?

  (ZME Science), Dec. 15, 2020 - The Red Sea is at risk of becoming an oil-drenched waste, according to a new paper. It draws attention to the need of removing an abandoned, decaying tanker from the sea that holds approximately one million barrels of oil.

  The ship, named quite ironically the “FSO Safer”, was employed as a floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) for several years before being abandoned due to the Yemeni Civil War. Now it’s essentially a floating, derelict oil container. Although no longer in use, it still carries around one million barrels of oil, which is four times as much as spilled from the Exxon Valdez in the infamous 1989 spill. Removing the tanker before its current seepage can turn into a full-fledged oil spill is critical for the health of local marine ecosystems and the communities they support.

  
  Click now to read or listen to story.
• • 3D Printing Is Not Doing Your Lungs a Favor

  A New Study Sheds Light On
  the Potential Health Costs of 3D Printing.

  (ZME Science), Dec. 15, 2020 -There’s little room for debate around the merits of 3D printing. That’s reflected in their growing use in homes, schools, and other settings where people spend a lot of time. But a new paper comes to warn that the printers aren’t harmless. The printing process can affect air quality and public health through the airborne particles it generates — these are small enough to enter deep into the lungs, the authors warn.

  “To date, the general public has little awareness of possible exposures to 3D printer emissions,” states Peter Byrley, Ph.D., EPA, lead author.

  “A potential societal benefit of this research is to increase public awareness of 3D printer emissions, and of the possibly higher susceptibility of children”.

  
  Click now to read or listen to the story.
• • When a Gas Plant Moves Next Door

  Not the Best Neighbor One Could Have

  (Allegheny Front), Dec. 11, 2020 -Surrounded mostly by farmland here in Guernsey County, Ohio, 65 miles west of the Pennsylvania border, the Youngs have space to grow grass for hay. They also built their home into something of a tourist business. When a scenic railroad started running on the train tracks along their property, it would stop here. They opened an antique shop, and even hosted weddings in the outdoor setting.

  “We’re getting ready to retire. I thought we had it handled,” Marlene Young said. “We were going to do the horses and this and that and everything and relax, about even got it all paid for.”

  Visiting them now, things don’t seem handled. Big trucks drive past the house throughout the day. The farm field next door has become an industrial construction site. The air is often filled with dust — there’s a thick layer of it on their new truck. Some nights, bright construction lights shine through their windows.

  
  Click now to read or listen to the story.
• • Up to 42,000 Gals. of Gasoline Spills Into California Drainage Canal

  The Kinder Morgan Pipeline Leaked It Into a Walnut Creek Waterway

  (EcoWatch), Dec. 11, 2020 - Walnut Creek, residents worry about the company's safety record.

  Locals are mistrustful of the company after a 2004 explosion on the same line killed five construction workers and injured four others, The San Francisco Chronicle pointed out. In this case, area residents say they saw Kinder Morgan respond to the spill before they were informed of what was happening.

  "They scared quite a few people on this street and no one was saying anything," Matt Dooling told the Chronicle. "This happened right where the 2004 explosion happened, so when they say that it's not dangerous, we don't really believe them."push this project through without carefully studying its risks."

  
  Click now for the rest of the story.
• • Your Clothing Fabric Has a Carbon Footprint

  Changing the Fabric of Our
  Clothes to Cut Climate Emissions

  ( The Revelator), Dec. 10, 2020, -Finding solutions to address the climate emergency means tackling the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions — those coming from the transportation, food and energy sectors. We’re learning to make more climate-friendly decisions about what we eat, how we power our homes and how we get around.

  We don’t often look at what we’re wearing, though. And we should.

  The textile industry pumps between 1.22 and 2.93 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. The result is that, by some estimates, the life cycle of textiles (including laundering) accounts for 6.7% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the equivalent of every person on the planet taking a 2,500-mile flight every year.

  
  Click now for the map.
• • Ocean Floors Are Spewing Methane

  Abandoned Oil and Gas
  Wells Are the Reasons

  (The Daily Climate), Dec. 8, 2020 - The Gulf of Mexico is littered with tens of thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells, and toothless regulation leaves climate warming gas emissions unchecked.

  Out on the deck of a research boat, Tara Yacovitch looked out to the water. In the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, the seascape is peppered with lights. And every light is part of an offshore oil or gas platform.

  Offshore platforms can vary greatly in size—some are as big as multi-storied buildings, while others resemble small but very tall rooms. The boat carrying Yacovitch and her team also housed a variety of science equipment: methane isotope readers, spectrometers, and other tools to measure methane levels in the air around these sites.

  
  Click now for the story.
• • Magma Causing Arctic Geothermal Activity

  The Arctic May Be Cold Outside, But
  it's Pretty Hot Beneath the Surface.

  (ZME Science), Dec. 7, 2020 -The North Atlantic region is awash with geothermal activity. Just think of Iceland’s volcanoes and hot springs, and you get a fairly good idea of what’s going on in some of these areas. It’s not just Iceland, either. Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic, is another area with rich geothermal activity.

  But we don’t know all that much about what’s causing this geothermal activity. Geologists are well aware that it’s a magma plume, but not much is known about the size and spread of this plume.

  
  Click now to learn more.
• • Thanks, Pepsi, Coke and Nestles For Your Plastic Pollution

  They're the World’s Top Plastic
  Polluters For the Third Consecutive Year.

  (CleanTechnica), Dec. 5, 2020 -Break Free From Plastic’s brand audit, which is an annual citizen action initiative involving the counting and documentation of brands on plastic waste found in communities worldwide, collected 346,494 pieces of plastic from 55 countries. This year, the brand audit took a closer look at the essential work of informal waste pickers — especially in the Global South — and the impact that low-value single-use plastic has on their livelihoods.

  
  

  Click now for the full story.
• • Rusty Iron Pipes Are Exposing Us to Cancer

  Exposure to Chromium Can
  Lead to Lung Cancer and Liver Damage

  (ZME Science), Dec. 4, 2020 -In the Oscar-winning movie Erin Brockovich, Julia Roberts plays an activist leading a lawsuit against Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) for contaminating water with it. The movie is based on a true story, ended on a Hollywood high note with a $333 million settlement from PG&E — the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit in US history.

  But all is not fixed in regards to chromium.

  While the substance itself is thought to have a neutral effect on health, certain chemical reactions can change its atoms into a hexavalent form that can create cancer-causing genetic mutations in the cells. Exposure to it can cause lung cancer, liver damage, reproductive problems, and other types of developmental harm.

  
  

  Click now to read or listen to the story.
• • Deplorable Conditions For Pigs on a French Farm

  Their Products Have Been
  Pulled Pending Investigation

  (The Guardian), Dec. 3, 2020 -Undercover footage published on Thursday appears to show pig cannibalism and other serious issues at a supplier for a Nestlé-owned brand of frankfurter sold by most major supermarkets.

  Waitrose has suspended the pork products by bestselling French brand Herta while it investigates.

  Herta is being sued by campaigners for animal mistreatment and misleading consumers. The brand, which is sold in UK supermarkets, is 60% owned by Spanish food company Casa Tarradellas and 40% by Nestlé.

  
  Click now for the cruel story.
• • Norway's PM Reveals Plans to Protect the World's Oceans

  The High Level Panel for
  a Sustainable Ocean Economy

  (nature), Dec. 2, 2020 -This week, world leaders are announcing a series of pledges to protect and sustainably use the world’s oceans. The pledges form the crowning achievement of the ‘High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy’ a multinational group formed back in 2018. The panel has sought to bring together research, published in a number of so-called ‘blue papers’ and special reports by scientists, policy- and legal-experts from around the world – all with the ear of 14 participating world leaders.

  Erna Solberg, the prime minister of Norway, co-led the Panel. In this podcast, she speaks with Springer Nature’s editor-in-chief Philip Campbell about the panel’s work.

  
  Click now to listen to the story.

• • How About a Side of Micro-plastics With Those Clams?

  Scientists Found Micro-plastics in Razor
  Clams From the Coast of Washington

  (ZME Science), Dec. 2, 2020 -Whether we realize it or not, micro-plastics are creeping into every place and organism in the world. These very small pieces of plastic are all over the place, with scientists finding them even in the most remote regions of the world. The most recent example are razor clams in the sparsely populated coast of Washington.

  Millions of tons of plastic enter marine ecosystems every year, and quantities are expected to increase in the coming years. Over time, plastic items in the ocean can break down into smaller pieces, known as micro-plastics. These can be the size of a rice grain or even smaller, making it easy to be ingested by all sorts of sea creature — including one that doesn’t move.

  
  Click now to read or
  listen to the story.
• • 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.
• • Half-Million Diesel Pickup Owners Are Worsening Pollution

  The Trucks Would Release More Than
  570,000 Excess Tons of Nitrogen Dioxide

  (NY Times Climate Forward), Nov. 25, 2020 -The owners and operators of more than half a million diesel pickup trucks have been illegally disabling their vehicles’ emissions control technology over the past decade, allowing excess emissions equivalent to 9 million extra trucks on the road, a new federal report has concluded.

  The practice, described in a report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Civil Enforcement, has echoes of the Volkswagen scandal of 2015, when the automaker was found to have illegally installed devices in millions of diesel passenger cars worldwide — including about half a million in the United States — designed to trick emissions control monitors.

  But in this case no single corporation is behind the subterfuge; it is the truck owners themselves who are installing illegal devices, which are typically manufactured by small companies.

  
  Click now to read all about it.
• • 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.
• • Using Soya Is Linked to Deforestation

  Can We Get the World
  to Stop Using It?

  (The Guardian), Nov. 25, 2020 - Nearly all soya is used by the farming sector as a livestock feed for chickens, pigs and other animals. The biggest users are chicken producers; soya makes up around a quarter of the diet of birds. It has been the cheapest source of protein poultry available to farmers since the ban on meat and bonemeal after BSE. Soya remains key to producing fast-growing, low-priced chickens.

  Can’t they use alternatives to soya?

  Alternatives such as lentils or other legumes are more expensive and less available to farmers. Some poultry farmers have been experimenting with adding black soldier fly larvae to the diets of their birds, with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimating that insects could replace between 25 and 100% of soymeal for chickens. However, at present insects are seen as a supplement, rather than a replacement, for soya.

  
  Click now to read on.
• • 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.