A hiker looking up at a Redwood tree in Redwoods State Park. Rich Wheater / Getty Images
By Douglas Broom
- Redwoods are the world's tallest trees.
- Now scientists have discovered they are even bigger than we thought.
- Using laser technology they map the 80-meter giants.
- Trees are a key plank in the fight against climate change.
They are among the largest trees in the world, descendants of forests where dinosaurs roamed.
<ul class="ee-ul"></ul><p>Now laser technology reveals the true scale of the giant Redwoods of North America — and it's bigger than we imagined.</p>
<p>As well as being <a href="https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/largest-trees-in-world.htm#:~:text=The%20General%20Sherman%20Tree%20is,neighboring%20trees%20are%20so%20large" target="_blank">the grandest,</a> California's Sequoias are among the oldest trees on the planet, living for up to 2,000 years. Measuring their size is much more than a matter of cultural curiosity since their bulk determines how much carbon dioxide they've sequestered over the centuries — a factor that's rising up the agenda in the fight against climate change.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcwNzQ2OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzkzMjM1MX0.17ufHfW8fBH40g5UqC-l8ogt9QsY15-bWNeKYg0lEC8/img.png?width=980" id="7d8da" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6b48ceb6e0f93fbc097b588c1414406e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="990" data-height="656" />
Pixabay / Simi Luft
<p><span>Until recently, measuring these trees meant scaling their 80 meter high trunks with a tape measure. Now, a team of scientists from University College London and the University of Maryland uses advanced laser scanning, to create 3D maps and calculate the total mass.</span></p><p>The results are striking: suggesting the trees <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73733-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">may be as much as 30% larger than earlier measurements suggested.</a> Part of that could be due to the additional trunks the Redwoods can grow as they age, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73733-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a process known as reiteration</a>.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcwNzQ3Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODU0Mzc5Nn0.-G6C4DtknHyZaWf485WzgiJEZ23Z7mNN0_pRyGHxI4A/img.png?width=980" id="49683" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f4611c9584d36e406ba4873db378fab5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1040" data-height="1370" />
New 3D measurements of large redwood trees for biomass and structure. Nature / UCL
<p>Measuring the trees more accurately is important because carbon capture will probably play a key role in the battle against climate change. Forest <a href="https://www.wri.org/blog/2020/09/carbon-sequestration-natural-forest-regrowth" target="_blank">growth could absorb billions of tons</a> of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.</p><p>"The importance of big trees is widely-recognised in terms of carbon storage, demographics and impact on their surrounding ecosystems," the authors wrote<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73733-6" target="_blank"> in the journal Nature</a>. "Unfortunately the importance of big trees is in direct proportion to the difficulty of measuring them."</p><p>Redwoods are so long lived because of their ability to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73733-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cope with climate change, resist disease and even survive fire damage</a>, the scientists say. Almost a fifth of their volume may be bark, which helps protect them.</p>Carbon Capture Champions
<p><span>Earlier research by scientists at Humboldt University and the University of Washington found that </span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112716302584" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Redwood forests store almost 2,600 tonnes of carbon per hectare</a><span>, their bark alone containing more carbon than any other neighboring species.</span></p><p>While the importance of trees in fighting climate change is widely accepted, not all species enjoy the same protection as California's coastal Redwoods. In 2019 the world lost the equivalent of <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">30 soccer fields of forest cover every minute</a>, due to agricultural expansion, logging and fires, according to The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcwNzQ4Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNjA0NzIzM30.PDWbo3FqXO_GYcl6WaCThOyKfzKd-yj8AwUw9X2GJ0M/img.png?width=980" id="7b4d6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="90a4055ea97300380384f0eaaed1a054" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="996" data-height="604" />
Pixabay
<p>Although <a href="https://c402277.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/publications/1420/files/original/Deforestation_fronts_-_drivers_and_responses_in_a_changing_world_-_full_report_%281%29.pdf?1610810475" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the rate of loss is reported to have slowed in recent years</a>, reforesting the world to help stem climate change is a massive task.</p><p><span>That's why the World Economic Forum launched the Trillion Trees Challenge (</span><a href="https://www.1t.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1t.org</a><span>) and is engaging organizations and individuals across the globe through its </span><a href="https://uplink.weforum.org/uplink/s/uplink-issue/a002o00000vOf09AAC/trillion-trees" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Uplink innovation crowdsourcing platform</a><span> to support the project.</span></p><p>That's backed up by research led by ETH Zurich/Crowther Lab showing there's potential to restore tree coverage across 2.2 billion acres of degraded land.</p><p>"Forests are critical to the health of the planet," according to <a href="https://www.1t.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1t.org</a>. "They sequester carbon, regulate global temperatures and freshwater flows, recharge groundwater, anchor fertile soil and act as flood barriers."</p><p><em data-redactor-tag="em" data-verified="redactor">Reposted with permission from the </em><span><em data-redactor-tag="em" data-verified="redactor"><a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/redwoods-store-more-co2-and-are-more-enormous-than-we-thought/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em></span></p>From Your Site Articles
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A female condor above the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Ventura County, California. Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
<p><br/></p>
<p>The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) <a href="https://www.fws.gov/birds/bird-enthusiasts/threats-to-birds.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">estimated</a> that a median average of 234,012 birds were killed by land-based wind turbines a year as of 2017. While that number is far fewer than the 599 million killed by glass buildings and the 2.4 billion killed by cats, it is not nothing. Further, the American Bird Conservancy <a href="https://abcbirds.org/program/wind-energy-and-birds/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">warns</a> it could climb to five million a year if wind power increases to provide 35 percent of U.S. electricity.</p>
<p>Now, at least one wind energy company is trying to compensate for the damage it might cause. Avangrid Renewables is working with federal <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> officials and the Oregon Zoo to breed <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered</a> California condors to replace any that might be killed by its turbines, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildlife-wind-power-california-condors-2f8fc5848b6d903718593d4fc7f24409" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported Monday</a>.</p><p>"We see this as a win for condors," Amy Parsons, Avangrid's operations wildlife compliance manager, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/01/california-condor-endangered-wind-turbines-breeding" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p>Specifically, Avangrid seeks to offset any damage done by its Manzana wind power project, a 126-turbine wind farm in the Tehachapi mountains northeast of Los Angeles. The turbines have 252-foot diameter blades, which might pose a threat to the birds that have a 9.5 foot wingspan.</p><p>The farm has been open since 2012, and since that time there are no records of any condors being killed there. However, the company estimates that as many as two adult condors with two chicks or eggs each may be killed by the turbines in the next 30 years, according to The Associated Press.</p>
<p>To offset this, the company will provide more than $500,000 in funding to breed six condors over three years at the Oregon Zoo's Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation.</p><p>"We're prepared to start this condor mitigation effort as early as this spring," Oregon Zoo condor recovery lead Kelly Flaminio told The Associated Press. "Our zoo already nurtures the second-largest breeding population of condors in the nation."</p>
<p>Once raised, the condors will then be released into the wild. California condors were nearly driven to extinction by the 1980s because of hunting, habitat loss and poisoning from lead bullets left in the animals they scavenged from, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-condor-chick-born-2639303735.html" target="_self">as EcoWatch reported previously</a>. A breeding program has helped their populations to recover, however, and there are now more than 300 in the wild and 500 worldwide.</p><p>If no condors are killed by Avangrid's turbines, then the wild population will simply increase by six, Flaminio told The Associated Press. However, some conservationists argue that the company's plans do not go far enough.</p><p>The plan "should provide funding to raise a minimum of 30 condors to 1.5 years of age when they are released into the wild." the Center for Biological Diversity wrote in comments to the FWS.</p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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Kentucky received record-breaking rainfall and flooding this past weekend. Keith Getter / Getty Images
Kentucky is coping with historic flooding after a weekend of record-breaking rainfall, enduring water rescues, evacuations and emergency declarations.
<p>More than a dozen rainfall records were broken in the state on Sunday, CNN Meteorologist <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/02/us/kentucky-flood-vaccine-boat-rescue/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Guy said</a>. Many parts of Kentucky received two to four inches of rain in 72 hours, while a few received as much as 10 inches. The rainfall mixed with melting snow to produce major flooding.</p><p>"We expect this to be one of the largest flash-flooding events that we've had," Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett said Monday during a press conference, CNN reported.</p><p>Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a statewide emergency while 29 counties and seven cities also issued emergency declarations.</p><p>"We are acting swiftly to ensure the safety and security of Kentucky families and to get the needed help to our communities," Beshear said in a statement, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-power-outages-kentucky-evacuations-tennessee-2c03eddc4918599e9bd8fa9a976c0edc" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a> reported.</p><p>Floodwaters filled downtowns and required water rescues. In the town of Beattyville, boats could be spotted on Main Street, <a href="https://www.lex18.com/news/covering-kentucky/beattyville-experiencing-historic-flooding" target="_blank">LEX 18 reported</a>.</p>
<div id="0f31c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4290ab3e7ec4e142f8bce774bab39f03"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1366307788155219969" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Just got back from my office... downtown Beattyville Kentucky is not a pretty sight. @KySportsRadio… https://t.co/6nXwyMKtRb</div> — Tom Jones (@Tom Jones)<a href="https://twitter.com/8atticus/statuses/1366307788155219969">1614588136.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Lee County Judge/Executive Chuck Caudill said that water levels rose six to seven feet on most roads, prompting evacuations Sunday night. By Monday afternoon, there had been 25 evacuations and six major water rescues.</p><p>"We really had to do some serious lifesaving because they were literally walking out of houses with two to three feet of water in them," Caudill told LEX 18.</p><p>In addition to the human rescues, a batch of COVID-19 vaccines were also evacuated from the Lee County Health Department in Beattyville after rain threatened the department's power supply, CNN reported.</p><p>In Wolfe County, Kentucky, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hazelgreenvfd/posts/3975632505829919" target="_blank">Hazel Green Volunteer Fire Department</a> said it rescued 15 people Sunday night, including a family of five who were trapped in their car, and were only spotted thanks to their cell phone light.</p><p>Additionally, ninety-one patients were evacuated from Salyersville Nursing and Rehabilitation in Salyersville, Kentucky, Sunday night, according to <a href="https://weather.com/news/news/2021-03-01-kentucky-west-virginia-flooding-evacuations-road-closures-rescues" target="_blank">The Weather Channel</a>.</p><p>The rain also caused flooding in West Virginia and Tennessee. In West Virginia, flooding and mudslides closed more than 100 roads, while rising waters trapped 11 people in a church in Cross Lanes. In Tennessee, four adults and one infant were rescued after a truck slid off a flooded bridge in Dekalb County.</p>
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<p>Extreme precipitation events are set to increase with the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>. This is because warmer oceans mean more water evaporates into the air, turning into rain or snow when a storm system forms, the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heavy-precipitation" target="_blank">Environmental Protection Agency explained</a>. In the U.S. as a whole, extreme precipitation events have increased in the last three decades. Nine of the 10 years with the most single-day extreme precipitation events took place after 1990.</p><p>Kentucky has also gotten wetter overall in recent years, <a href="https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/lexington/news/2021/01/22/how-climate-change-explains-a-soggy-2020#:~:text=In%202017%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Army,to%20dump%20sediment%20on%20farmland." target="_blank">Spectrum News 1 reported in January</a>. While the state has not substantially warmed, five of its wettest years were in the last decade, and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather" target="_self">extreme weather</a> events have increased.</p><p>"It's a more complicated set of changes than just warming," Jeff Dukes, director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, told Spectrum News 1 about the impacts of climate change on the state. "It's the amount of precipitation. It's the timing of precipitation. It's rain when you got snow before. There are a lot of different things involved. It's why I think the better term is 'climate disruption,' because we're disrupting the stable climate that we've had for thousands of years."</p><p>He said Kentucky could anticipate more winter and spring rain, along with flooding, as the planet continues to warm.</p>
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Spring is coming. And soon, tree swallows will start building nests. But as the climate changes, the birds are nesting earlier in the spring.
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<p>"It's getting warmer overall. They're thinking, OK, it's a good time to breed, to lay my eggs," says Lily Twining of the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior in Germany.</p><p>She says that despite recent warming, late-season cold snaps remain common. Those cold snaps can harm newborn chicks.</p>
<p>Hatchlings cannot regulate their body temperature, so they are vulnerable to hypothermia. And the insects they eat stop flying in cold weather, potentially leaving the chicks to starve.</p><p>"These chicks are growing very, very fast," Twining says. "They have very high energy demands, so… if they don't get a lot of that good high-quality food during this pretty specific time… that's when these cold weather events seem to be most devastating."</p><p>For example, data from Ithaca, New York, shows that a single cold snap in 2016 killed more than 70% of baby tree swallows.</p><p>"And there have been more and more of these severe cold weather die-off events for these tree swallows as they've been breeding earlier and earlier over the past 40 or so years," Twining says.</p><p>So for these songbirds, earlier springs can come with devastating consequences.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/03/climate-change-cues-tree-swallows-to-nest-earlier-in-spring/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
- Spring Is Arriving Earlier Across the U.S. - EcoWatch ›
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An Exxon oil refinery is seen at night. Jim Sugar / Getty Images
Citigroup will strive to reach net-zero greenhouse gas pollution across its lending portfolio by 2050 and in its own operations by 2030, the investment group announced Monday.
<p>The plan, published by CEO Jane Fraser, on her first day in the role, included few details but promised more within the coming year. </p><p>Citi's pledge follows similar announcements by Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase amid efforts by the group <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VW12pK3RP4wWW7VrLG-4gQ48qW1KLHGL4nHcLsMDyKnp3p_9LV1-WJV7CgZcVW6dxBrb6S8q3rW3qnwpq6YMcnXW6X81xF814HdPW30bQ6285vNx7N3nSYpGv9zFlW9hrJNB7my_bTN2WsJFgWsZR9V5XHC06LHFvjW8vcRxB2-qW9PW25SPND8nSh3QW8HpGht1BnD2wW8QKdqg4Jbh3FW96YSVp91by3NN3zch6CrYKdDW813L1n1bCw-4N9dpv0LBj3ncW2J4ZWs1_rzYJVjPyNV8YwXBrM_RvMg-QsqhW3GWgH539JwwnMf01t66F3jWW71GP2Q96r9kXW92pGBf1TQgyBN5lqmlC5Qt2KW99HT6z3D7f98W1Lv39L1JLLnGW20xsgC3nr4ysW2gVGXx65byDd33K41" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BankFWD</a> to push U.S. banks to slash greenhouse gas pollution from their investments. </p><p>Those three firms, plus Citigroup, have provided more than $705 billion to fossil energy companies since the Paris Agreement went into effect. </p><p>Also Monday, Exxon Mobil Corp. named activist investor Jeffrey Ubben and former Comcast executive Michael Angelakis to its board, in a move to parry calls for the oil giant to focus more on clean energy. </p><p>Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission determined both Citigroup and Exxon could not prevent shareholders from voting on resolutions tied to racial equity and climate change.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p>Citigroup: <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/541020-citigroup-sets-goal-to-achieve-net-zero-emissions-by-2050?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8JAMXp-yLHJbHxbvmDGfX2S-FYGMVpbawKZ0L_lon_lqt14dH4LzmTvKI9aESVbIEqfL5G6YJ6-pGTa1bLJiM5rXr3PdBqynfiMb0C44NWBz50EpQ&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Hill</a>, <a href="https://login.politicopro.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriber.politicopro.com%2Farticle%2F2021%2F03%2Fciti-pledges-to-stop-financing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-3987303%3Futm_campaign%3DHot%2520News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_YfzbNr-q9hDWRJo3ACPfkC6i-2ocHo2VrVypVvHdxMn84PsEPB2n14IuJVzaekX5gUUqqYtQPXv5U0TEnijLlOmJ8JD_57BDmBrvhcv3McLvcvVs&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Politico Pro</a>; Fossil investments: <a href="https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2021/03/01/stories/1063726287?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--M0ZQdvCKkCSpUAWG5LdObCV0J2zGbgHNOiPuaHy_aA4Z4AykqIkE-8HD3lLwg-10v9dJVM7940Kbo0YNxlYL_nwyiKA8LPdRHEwUwVHptx9BPfug&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">E&E</a>; Exxon: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/exxon-adds-two-new-board-members-after-activist-pressure-11614607512?mod=searchresults_pos2&page=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--m9T1M8rNEEIgOwgajbNq3NTDkvWWMjdPqPqnlUPN2A5aW3UJUO4y4NEB5ps-OKz-2N3IG_4UuqYEKoDiUZ_UZZS7aB2kHN0-I3lVkrqR70PwD3gI&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal,</a> <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2AT2K0?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8f5L7QA1MNONzvBKjuP6s_y3zBOIbjn8Rc4K0b6zPnO_UslDCfWD_twOH98CoQPPesIGDeZHPSVDC6AXN8A5PqHyx6kRft3u0pBSIwKEeGwKcGtQo&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Reuters,</a> <a href="https://www.axios.com/exxon-board-activist-climate-195cbfb1-cd52-4c92-bd59-13d6781d9896.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_LGXqzYZPEqroDVZv-euFStCRUvQgVX3D3fItkuSfAKB0fOwASTqpFThUU8Bt7d_kgwIlNUfkbWostNHKFWu6Pig81CqI57Cy9lMAdkRXRQ3hAm4M&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Axios</a>; SEC: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-01/citigroup-exxon-must-let-investors-vote-on-esg-issues-sec-says?sref=oUjKJw8m&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9-4on_47qkmXwBeosuro4FJLIPnKjdgOKraW7KJJa0HwquHKfV2lO8eCjRfs2ZqAAQgrKbMR6HGZwqpENToCahHevV-7ATh-8GkFy0M09MkmH3gAU&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Arctic fox's coat changes from the mixed gold and black of summer to a mostly pure white fur in winter. Dennis Fast / VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
By Jacob Job
Maybe you've seen a video clip of a fluffy white fox moving carefully through a frozen landscape. Suddenly it leaps into the air and dive-bombs straight down into the snow. If so, you've witnessed the unusual hunting skills of an Arctic fox.
<p>During winter at the most northern parts of Earth, snow and ice transform the Arctic tundra into a blanket of white as far as the eye can see. It's a long, cold and harsh season, and animals like the Arctic fox have a number of special tricks that help them survive. Here's how they're able to locate and catch their prey.</p>
<h3>Blending in With the Arctic Landscape<br></h3><p>Some Arctic animals have evolved unique camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. The most obvious example is the polar bear. These large predators have white fur that makes them nearly invisible as they hunt seals on the white sea ice.<br></p><p>Arctic foxes actually <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.359.6379.1004-a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">change color with the seasons</a>. During summer, their <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/arctic-fox" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">gray and brown fur blends in</a> with tundra rocks and plant life. This camouflage helps Arctic foxes slowly sneak up on their prey and avoid being eaten themselves.</p><p>But dark fur would make Arctic foxes easy to see on the all-white winter tundra once it's covered with snow. As winter nears, Arctic foxes shed their dark fur and begin growing all white fur to blend in with the snow and ice. Their changing color helps keep these foxes hidden year-round.</p>
<h3>Changing Hunting Strategies</h3><p>Many of the bird species that Arctic foxes hunt during the summer migrate south to escape the harsh winter weather. The foxes are left with fewer food choices. While they still hunt some birds, like ptarmigan, on top of the snow, Arctic foxes often turn their attention to <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/Arctic_fox/natural_history.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">food found underneath the snow</a> – specifically, lemmings.</p><p><a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lemmus_lemmus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lemmings are small rodents</a> that live on the Arctic tundra all year. To survive the cold winters, they remain active under deep snow, moving through tunnels, and search for leaves, roots and berries to eat. The snow insulates them from the cold air above, allowing them to stay active even during the middle of winter.</p><p>But how do Arctic foxes find lemmings that are hidden underneath the snow? The answer: by listening for their footsteps!</p>
<h3>Hearing Like a Dog</h3><p>Like other canid species – a fancy way to describe dog-like animals – Arctic foxes have very sensitive ears.</p><p>Have you ever seen a dog running through tall grass and then suddenly stop short, tilting its head back and forth? It probably looked like it was listening to something, even though you couldn't detect what might attract its attention. In fact, there was probably a mouse or vole moving nearby, and your dog was able to hear its footsteps.</p><p><a href="https://youtu.be/RCqQYpM1hCA?start=100" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What does a mouse or lemming sound like</a> when it runs through the grass or snow? It makes a quiet, high-pitched rustling sound. It sort of sounds like the softest gust of wind causing grass blades to rub against each other.</p><p>Most people can't hear this sound, but your dog and Arctic foxes can hear it just fine. Because human beings domesticated dogs, they don't need to use their special hearing to find food – we make it easy by filling their food bowls every day. But wild canids, including Arctic foxes, still very much <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2014.12.001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">need this unique ability to survive</a>.</p>
<h3>An Ambush From Above</h3><p>Arctic foxes spend hours each day roaming across the tundra during winter looking for food. This includes listening for lemmings under the snow. But hearing a lemming is only the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198515562.003.0008" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first step in getting a meal</a>. Arctic foxes still must catch them.</p><p>Once a fox hears a lemming, it becomes almost completely still. The fox then tilts its head back and forth, trying to better locate where the lemming is. It requires careful listening to pinpoint the lemming's quiet movements in the snow.</p>
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<p>When a fox is confident it knows exactly where the lemming is, the ambush begins. It will jump straight up in the air, sometimes several feet, and plunge headfirst into the snow with its mouth wide open. If the attack was successful, the fox will emerge from the snow with a lemming in its mouth. Dinner is served.</p><p>Although this pouncing technique, known as "mousing," may seem easy enough, an Arctic fox may attempt it hundreds of times per day with little success. It takes <a href="https://youtu.be/9UaX4RBIThI?start=62" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">practice and persistence</a>.</p>
<h3>Hunting in Noise</h3><p>Humans make a lot of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12207" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noise that makes it harder for predators to find prey</a>. Although Arctic foxes live far enough north to avoid most noise pollution, other species including coyotes and red foxes live much farther south, where many more people live.</p><p>Coyotes and red foxes also hunt like Arctic foxes. The noise from airplanes, vehicles and other engines likely makes it harder for these species to hear rodent footsteps under the snow. And as the human population grows, bringing noise with them as they spread across the globe and into Arctic regions, it's reasonable to assume that Arctic foxes will also have a harder time finding food.</p>
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<em>Jacob Job is a research associate in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University.<br/>
</em>
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<em>Disclosure statement: Jacob Job does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795" target="_blank">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a>.</em><br/>
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<em>Reposted with permission from The <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-arctic-foxes-hunt-in-the-snow-153371" target="_blank">Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153371/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>From Your Site Articles
- Animals With White Winter Camouflage Could Struggle to Adapt to ... ›
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Ahead of UN COP26, Survey Finds International Support for Greater Environmental Protection
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Young protesters participate in the Global Strike For Future march to raise climate change awareness in September 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. Thierry Monasse / Getty Images
By Brett Wilkins
An international survey conducted by the University of Cambridge and YouGov ahead of this November's COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference, and published on Monday, found overwhelming support around the world for governments taking more robust action to protect the environment amid the worsening climate crisis.
<p>The pollsters surveyed 14,627 adults in seven countries—Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. According to Cambridge University:</p><blockquote>Participants were randomly assigned to read either one of four 'treatment' texts about climate change—drafted to reflect current U.N. messaging, public health, social norms, and patriotism—or a neutral text, unrelated to climate and used to test "baseline" support. The participants were then asked if they agreed or disagreed with the statement that "all national governments should do more to protect the environment."<br></blockquote><p>In all of the countries except the U.S., at least 90% of baseline respondents agreed with the statement. In the U.S., the figure was 79%.</p>
<div id="26ea0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7aa0d6136bd98584572b3d9cc3ccc8fc"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1366418460289470467" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Nine out of ten people in the UK, Brazil, India, China, Indonesia and Poland want governments to “do more” to prote… https://t.co/URLdsms6LB</div> — Cambridge University (@Cambridge University)<a href="https://twitter.com/Cambridge_Uni/statuses/1366418460289470467">1614614522.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"Compared to the baseline, exposure to one of the climate change texts led to a small but significant rise of about one or two percentage points on average," wrote University of Cambridge political psychologist Lee de-Wit. "The figures ranged in the U.K. from 89-93%; as against 96-98% in Brazil, 91-95% in China, 92-97% in India, 99-100% in Indonesia, 91-94% in Poland, and 76-79% in the USA."</p><p>In the U.S., the survey found tremendous differences between people who voted for former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election—only 55% of whom said governments should do more to protect the environment—and those who elected President Joe Biden, 95% of whom agreed that governments should make more of an effort to safeguard the environment.</p><p>When asked to choose from a list of specific actions governments can take to better protect the environment, the most popular choice among survey respondents was "to protect and preserve" wildlife, marine life, and plants; followed by a policy "to plant more trees to absorb the gases that cause climate change"; spending more on developing clean technologies; and finally reducing "the production over 30 years of the gases that cause climate change."</p><p>On average, 58% of survey respondents also agreed that businesses should be forced "to pay for the damage they do when their activities contribute to climate change."</p>
<p>De-Wit wrote that "we live in a time of polarization, and environmental issues have long embodied the political divisions in society."</p><p>"However, this may be changing," he wrote. "We can see an overwhelming consensus emerging for greater government-led action to protect the environment in major nations."</p><p>"As we approach COP26, politicians the world over should take confidence from these findings," added de-Wit. "Voters across party lines want to see more government action. The time is now."</p><p>"We face huge challenges protecting the environment, but global public opinion may no longer be chief among them," concluded de-Wit.</p><p>The COP26 conference—which was delayed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic—will take place in Glasgow, Scotland November 1-12.</p><p>A U.N. report released last week <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/26/red-alert-our-planet-new-un-report-shows-radically-bolder-action-needed-hit-15degc" target="_blank">revealed</a> the world is far from meeting the emission-reduction goals of the Paris climate agreement, with scientists warning that accomplishing the accord's target of a maximum global temperature rise of 1.5°C requires cutting planet-heating emissions 45% by 2030 from 2010 levels.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/01/time-now-survey-finds-overwhelming-international-support-greater-environmental" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>
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A boy plays basketball in front of an oil well covered with large colorful flowers and located next to Beverly Hills High School. Wells like this have been hidden throughout Los Angeles. Faces of Fracking / Flickr
While the hazards of fracking to human health are well-documented, first-of-its-kind research from Environmental Health News shows the actual levels of biomarkers for fracking chemicals in the bodies of children living near fracking wells far higher than in the general population.
<p>The research fills a gap in the science between the <a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/top_story/racism-gas-flaring-preterm-births/?swcfpc=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--IeKYsJkanyv2krbRsHJYxOkofQcR7PNdbAKUOWyWVgo641V3oi78yiiALF6Bs_6g-0ll4FRFpZfIBzg4iuv0d4TxgvA&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">health harms</a> <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VWl5n_3q5CJ8W1vkcM622ZDlgW8LzBkh4nHcKTN3V8l9V3p_9LV1-WJV7CgDHwW5-d9Tn58WbjLW29YYkj1XKTLxW6fxzrF5qVzLQW728zK68hv09gW6XMg5S6P2pm4W8H7t2g7fkYbxW7LK3Rj3lBqjhW6psXpd6BW69mW4LxNjC1fBkckW6zrLg869tPj5VBjczC3NL9KdW3Y7c8w60yrFXW6pQ6db7hmyZbV24BBj6k-9gQW3p45qg1l9h8tVVCGK-https://nexusmedianews.com/top_story/texas-fracking-well-racial-equity/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9HnKTZpGsUpmqPPGaK4yztwgHCQlDwqY7CdovXbWiGnBCvO1jjWXhqUUD1EBXlzR4hXse4J1GNm47XfPzFkOsdqPs5GA&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced by</a> those <a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/top_story/fracking-causes-radiation/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Z9oDs8ErdTJkOBGkw6yk4DqDqbSJbq4c6Cn32fWeLj3YeiEB6S_IUkDKTaBN4cw4yzClKvupyBMWiQOv4d78IjZrttQ&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">living near fracking</a> and the known harms caused by fracking chemicals: whether fracking chemicals were actually in people's bodies. They are. Of the southwestern <a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/top_story/frack-attack-fail/?swcfpc=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Ac7K45kaZuV9bo0mx6c4YENox9oKgEpZX0jkcmR3SCs8X7yL0MjwvSPhqa3ymTYnvF-oIYfh-bQThZp7c5YmULwelNQ&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pennsylvania</a> families who participated in the study, those who lived closer to fracking wells had higher levels of fracking chemicals or their biomarkers than those who lived far away. </p>
<p>One nine-year-old boy had biomarkers for toluene, which can damage the nervous system or kidneys, 91 times higher than the average American. Another had biomarkers for ethylbenzene and styrene, 55 times higher than the average American. Exposure to ethylbenzene and styrene is linked to skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation, reproductive harm, endocrine disruption, and increased cancer risk. The research is part one of a multi-part series by Environmental Health News exploring the multifaceted "body burden" of fracking.</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://www.ehn.org/fractured-harmful-chemicals-fracking-2650428324/family-video" target="_blank">Environmental Health News</a>:</p><blockquote>In Texas, researchers found that babies born near frequent flaring—the burning off of excess natural gas from fracking wells—are <a href="https://www.ehn.org/fracking-preterm-births--2646411428.html" target="_blank">50 percent</a> more likely to be premature. In Colorado, the state Department of Health <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ST8yZ0bUBrEzIkWsalOWCMHNjHNXarHO/view" target="_blank">found</a> that people living near fracking sites face elevated risk of nosebleeds, headaches, breathing trouble, and dizziness. In Pennsylvania, researchers found that people living near fracking face <a href="https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=75575&PageSpeed=noscript" target="_blank">increased rates of infant mortality</a>, <a href="https://www.ehn.org/pennsylvanians-who-live-near-fracking-are-more-likely-to-be-depressed-2590186370.html" target="_blank">depression</a>, and <a href="https://www.ehn.org/fracking-linked-to-increased-hospitalizations-for-skin-genital-and-urinary-issues-in-pennsylvania-2630649093.html" target="_blank">hospitalizations</a> for skin and urinary issues. <a href="https://www.ehn.org/health-impacts-of-fracking-2634432607.html" target="_blank">Studies of fracking communities</a> throughout the country have found that living near fracking wells increases the risk of premature births, high-risk pregnancies, asthma, migraines, fatigue, nasal and sinus symptoms, skin disorders and <a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/full/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.10.023" target="_blank">heart failure</a>; and laboratory studies have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/endo/article/156/12/4458/2422671" target="_blank">linked</a> chemicals used in fracking fluid to endocrine disruption—which can cause hormone imbalance, reproductive harm, early puberty, brain and behavior problems, improper immune function, and cancer.</blockquote><blockquote>"We have enough evidence at this point that these health impacts should be of serious concern to policymakers interested in protecting public health," Irena Gorski Steiner, an environmental epidemiology doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told <em>Environmental Health News</em> (EHN).</blockquote>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTcwNjM4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDY3MjcwM30.AYi_2gzgqE9i4HLu995WAMYiYDZiIbQiAS8nWHXm2xg/img.jpg?width=980" id="15f12" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2c985021edf24fb61f16e3a1c5831a11" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="800" data-height="531" />
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.ehn.org/fractured-harmful-chemicals-fracking-2650428324.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=113718159&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9O7c9gr0YQxB-7EgWVqaoE01Bpt_vt5POEcj-_cXeFCr8B40TWI__h7eT2FqSJjb30O5mEqc32t8GiONxzhkBMhF4Sog&utm_content=113718159&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Environmental Health News</a>; Series overview: <a href="https://www.ehn.org/fractured-series-on-fracking-pollution-2650624600/fractured-fracking" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Environmental Health News</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>A man stands with his granddaughter in front of the Murphy Oil site located next door to his apartment in West Adams, Los Angles, California on July 16, 2014. Sarah Craig / Faces of Fracking
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The Sierra Nevada mountains are among the ranges most at-risk for early snowpack melt. CampPhoto / Getty Images
As the planet warms, mountain snowpack is increasingly melting. But "global warming isn't affecting everywhere the same," Climate Scientist Amato Evan told the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.
<p>In a recent study, a team of researchers examined if snowpack melted faster in the Western U.S. than in other areas. Their <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-00996-w" target="_blank">findings</a> were published Monday in the journal <em>Nature Climate Change.</em></p><p>Snowpack disappearance is occurring most rapidly in coastal regions and the south, according to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scientists" target="_blank">scientists</a>. This means that the Sierra Nevadas, Cascades and Southern Arizona mountains are at most risk for melting compared to the Rockies or Utah mountains. </p><p>"As you get closer to the ocean or further south in the U.S., the snowpack is more vulnerable, or more at-risk, due to increasing temperature, whereas in the interior of the continent, the snowpack seems much more impervious, or resilient to rising temperatures," Evan, the study's lead author, told Scripps Oceanography. </p><p>Funded by NOAA's Climate Program Office, the study analyzed regional variations in snowpack melt with temperature increases. Using four decades of observations, the scientists created a new model to understand the "discrepancy in the timing of snowpack disappearance," according to Scripps Oceanography.</p>
<p>They found shorter winters and early springs changed the amount of time snow had to accumulate and cover the ground. "Our theory tells us why that's happening, and it's basically showing that spring is coming a lot earlier in the year if you're in Oregon, California, Washington, and down south, but not if you're in Colorado or Utah," Evan told Scripps Oceanography.</p><p>For example, California's snowpack is not only melting faster but also accumulating less, threatening the state's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/the-california-drought-who-gets-water-and-whos-hung-out-to-dry-1881866570.html" target="_blank">water</a> supply — one-third of which comes from the Sierras, <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/climate-in-crisis/sierra-snowpack-has-major-drop-over-the-past-decade/2475777/" target="_blank">NBC Bay Area reported</a>. Rapid melting could also have "adverse societal effects because it contributes to a longer fire season," Scripps Oceanography wrote.</p><p>During a typical summer, gradual snowpack runoff keeps soil and plants moist. Yet in early spring 2020, the West experienced a warm and dry climate, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/05/08/california-snowpack-fire-season/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Washington Post reported</a>.</p><p>"The magnitude we're seeing right now is pretty startling," Bryan Henry, a meteorologist with the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, told The Washington Post last spring. By September, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires" target="_blank">wildfires</a> had burned more than five million acres in California, Oregon and Washington, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/24/climate/fires-worst-year-california-oregon-washington.html#:~:text=With%20more%20than%20a%20month,the%20largest%20fires%20ever%20recorded." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The New York Times reported</a>.</p>
<p>Understanding the threats limited snowpack had on regions, researchers were also able to use their models to make global projections. Coastal regions, the Arctic, Central Europe and South America will experience rapid snowpack melts sooner than the northern interiors of North America and Eurasia, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-00996-w" target="_blank">the scientists wrote</a>.</p><p>While their findings offer a dire warning, they could also help climate leaders focus on areas where action is most needed.</p><p>"I was excited by the simplicity of the explanation that we ultimately arrived at," Climate Scientist Ian Eisenman told Scripps Oceanography. "Our theoretical model provides a mechanism to explain why the observed snowmelt dates change so much more at some locations than at others, and it also predicts how snowmelt dates will change in the future under further warming."</p>
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With restaurants and supermarkets becoming less viable options during the pandemic, there has been a growth in demand and supply of local food. Baker County Tourism Travel Baker County / Flickr
By Robin Scher
Beyond the questions surrounding the availability, effectiveness and safety of a vaccine, the COVID-19 pandemic has led us to question where our food is coming from and whether we will have enough.
<p><br/></p>
<p>According to a United Nations World Food Program (WFP) <a href="https://www.wfp.org/news/covid-19-will-double-number-people-facing-food-crises-unless-swift-action-taken" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a>, COVID-19 might have left up to 265 million people with acute food shortages in 2020. The combined effect of the pandemic as well as the emerging global recession "could, without large-scale coordinated action, disrupt the functioning of food systems," which would "result in consequences for health and nutrition of a severity and scale unseen for more than half a century," states another UN <a href="https://unsdg.un.org/resources/policy-brief-impact-covid-19-food-security-and-nutrition" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a>.</p>
<p>In the United States, "food insecurity has doubled overall, and tripled among households with children" due to the pandemic, states a <a href="https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/documents/reports/ipr-rapid-research-reports-pulse-hh-data-10-june-2020.pdf#link=%7B%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22href%22:%22https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/documents/reports/ipr-rapid-research-reports-pulse-hh-data-10-june-2020.pdf%22,%22target%22:%22%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22,%22linkText%22:%22June%20report%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">June 2020 report</a> by the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) at Northwestern University, which relied on data provided by the <a href="https://www.census.gov/data/experimental-data-products/household-pulse-survey.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey</a>. In a recent <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/staggering-need-covid-19-has-led-to-rising-levels-in-food-insecurity-across-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interview</a> with CBS News, IPR Director Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach warned that these statistics would likely "continue to hold," with the numbers indicating particularly dramatic rises in food insecurity among Black and Latinx families. Indeed, families of color are being disproportionately impacted. According to an analysis of new Census data by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/economy/struggling-families-and-economy-need-robust-bipartisan-covid-relief-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">22 percent of Black and 21 percent of Latinx respondents reported not having enough to eat</a>, compared to just 9 percent of white people.</p>
<p>Globally, the effects of COVID-19 on food security are equally, if not more, severe. According to a CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-famines-united-nations-warning/" target="_blank">report</a>, WFP Director David Beasley <a href="https://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-chief-warns-hunger-pandemic-covid-19-spreads-statement-un-security-council" target="_blank">told</a> the UN Security Council in April 2020 that the world is on "the brink of a hunger pandemic." He added, "In a worst-case scenario, we could be looking at famine in about three dozen countries, and in fact, in 10 of these countries we already have more than one million people per country who are on the verge of starvation."</p><p>"The number of chronically hungry people increased by an estimated 130 million last year, to more than 800 million — about eight times the total number of COVID-19 cases to date," <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/prevent-next-food-crisis-now" target="_blank">wrote</a> Mark Lowcock, the under-secretary-general and emergency relief coordinator at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and Axel van Trotsenburg, managing director of operations at the World Bank. "Countries affected by conflict and climate change are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. Empty stomachs can stunt whole generations."</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) <a href="https://www.usda.gov/oce/energy-and-environment/food-security" target="_blank">warns</a> that climate change "is likely to diminish continued progress on global food security through production disruptions that lead to local availability limitations and price increases, interrupted transport conduits, and diminished food safety." The same might be said about the pandemic, which has made it abundantly clear: climate resilience, food security and global health are closely intertwined.</p><p>In terms of food security, another major concern is the pandemic-related school closures that have occurred across the globe, with UNICEF reporting that more than <a href="https://data.unicef.org/covid-19-and-children/" target="_blank">1.6 billion children and young people</a> have been affected. Schools provide a food lifeline for children; for so many, that is where they get their only nutritious meal of the day. In January, the UNICEF Office of Research — Innocenti, and WFP released a new <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/nutrition-crisis-looms-more-39-billion-school-meals-missed-start-pandemic-unicef-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> that found that more than 39 billion in-school meals have been missed worldwide since the pandemic began, with 370 million children worldwide having missed 40 percent of in-school meals.</p>
<p>In early 2020, when COVID-19 was still a looming specter rather than the deadly virus we're more familiar with today, the threat of food insecurity was a practical problem. Scenes of shoppers descending on aisles to stock up on supplies were a common sight. As <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/18/business/supermarkets-rationing-coronavirus/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a> in March 2020, supermarkets around the world rationed food and other products such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies, in an effort to curb stockpiling.</p><p>In Vermont, for instance, a steady increase in food insecurity since the start of the pandemic has correlated to employment levels, according to a <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/uvmnews/news/uvm-survey-food-insecurity-vermont-rose-33-during-pandemic" target="_blank">survey</a> conducted by the University of Vermont between March and April 2020. Approximately 45 percent of respondents "had lost their jobs, been furloughed or had their hours reduced during the pandemic," and a further two-thirds of survey participants who recorded scarcity of food in their households "had experienced job losses or work disruptions since the outbreak of the pandemic," according to the survey. Vermont is just one example; the impact has been felt across the U.S. During the week before Thanksgiving in 2020, the Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/nov/25/us-hunger-surges-spiraling-pandemic?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that 5.6 million U.S. households "struggled to put enough food on the table," while referring to the analysis of the Census data by CBPP.</p>
<p>As the pandemic continues to upend lives across the world, it has impacted the entire food supply chain. With factory and supermarket workers being <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31200-9/fulltext" target="_blank">highly susceptible</a> to COVID-19, there's been a concomitant <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2020/05/28/another-look-availability-and-prices-food-amid-covid-19-pandemic" target="_blank">decline</a> in food production and a rise in prices. As Scott Faber, senior vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2020/04/what-if-coronavirus-strikes-tens-thousands-food-and-farm-workers-same-time" target="_blank">reported</a>, farmers in the U.S. were already facing labor shortages prior to the pandemic, and with tightened immigration as well as the heightened risk and poor compensation associated with these jobs, "food processors and farm labor contractors may struggle to find other workers willing to risk their lives to work in meat plants, packing sheds or produce fields."</p><p>The pandemic has exposed the weakness of the industrialized global food system, which depends on long, complex transportation chains and cross-border travel. "[T]he monstrous and unsustainable food industry known as <a href="https://psmag.com/social-justice/big-ag-monopolies-have-stifled-small-farmers-2020-democrats-want-to-break-them-up" target="_blank">Big Ag</a>... relies on the horrendous <a href="https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2018/01/18/improving-working-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">treatment</a> of laborers, a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/business/coronavirus-destroying-food.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wasteful allocation of resources</a>, worldwide <a href="https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/factory-farming-is-killing-the-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">environmental devastation</a> — and in a pinch, can quickly devolve into near-collapse of the entire system, as evidenced by the delays, shortages and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/coronavirus/food-supply-chain" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pressure</a> during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pandemic-of-hunger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deepening hunger crisis</a> in America," April M. Short, a fellow at the Independent Media Institute, recently <a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/02/04/covid-19-has-exposed-the-fragility-of-our-food-system--heres-how-we-can-localize-it_partner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a> in Salon. "Among the many necessary systemic changes 2020 has illuminated is the need to majorly restructure the way we cultivate and access food in our communities."</p>
<p>It didn't take the pandemic to reveal the inefficiency and injustice of our food system: Globally, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/20/health/global-food-waste-higher/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a third of all food is wasted</a>, while nearly <a href="https://gho.unocha.org/global-trends/hunger-rising-covid-19-will-make-it-worse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">690 million people were undernourished in 2019</a> — almost 60 million more people than in 2014. But the pandemic has underscored the matter: According to <a href="https://gho.unocha.org/global-trends/hunger-rising-covid-19-will-make-it-worse" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">OCHA</a>, "the number of acutely food insecure people could increase to 270 million due to COVID-19, representing an 82 percent increase compared to the number of acutely food insecure people pre-COVID-19."<br></p><p>And the disruption of transportation has shown that the long distances it normally takes for food to get from one place to another can be a serious liability during a crisis. "[F]ood banks are under tremendous pressure to meet the skyrocketing demand," said a CNN article quoting from a letter Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Feeding America CEO, and Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/13/business/farmers-food-supply-food-banks-donations-trnd/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote</a> to then-Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in April 2020. "At the same time, however, we are seeing literally tons of agricultural goods being discarded because of the shutdown of so much of the economy."</p>
<p>Consumer demand has shifted from eating out at restaurants and food services away from home, and food supply chain operations have had to be retooled. And that impact has been felt within the transportation sector. Forbes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennysplitter/2020/03/18/covid-19-and-truck-driver-shortage-may-threaten-food-supply-chain/?sh=5495ccbd523e" target="_blank">reported</a> that Andrew Novakovic, an agricultural economist at Cornell University, "points to a number of weak spots in the food transportation system that could be aggravated by the increased demand for food." A shortage of truck drivers is one potential weak spot, says Novakovic. Although he concedes there is debate on this matter, Novakovic maintains that "[t]rucking companies are finding it much harder to recruit [those] long haul drivers." China, which was the first country to be hit by the virus, offers insight into the prolonged impact of the pandemic on transportation and food systems. The lockdown in the Hubei province of China, which is home to 66 million people, led to a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-coronavirus-will-delay-agricultural-export-surges-promised-in-trade-deal-with-china-132227" target="_blank">shortage</a> in delivery of animal feed as well as refrigerated containers full of imported vegetables, fruit and frozen meat in February 2020, according to an article in The Conversation.</p>
<p>In addition to shifting consumer demand, the pandemic has also made us take a closer look at where our food comes from and how it impacts not only the lives of food workers but also the lives of animals trapped in the food system. According to a <a href="https://www.aspca.org/news/survey-says-covid-19-crisis-drives-americans-desire-reform-animal-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new public opinion survey</a> conducted by Lake Research Partners and commissioned by the animal rights group American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, "[t]he vast majority (89 percent) of Americans are concerned about industrial animal agriculture, citing animal welfare, worker safety or public health risks as a concern." The survey also found that "85 percent of farmers and their families support a complete ban on new industrial animal agriculture facilities — almost twice the level of support expressed by the general public." This finding shows key support for the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3221/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Farm System Reform Act</a>, legislation that was introduced in 2019 by Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey that, among other reforms, seeks to put a <a href="https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-unveils-bill-to-reform-farm-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">moratorium on new or expanding factory farms</a>.</p>
<p>Food insecurity has long been a pressing issue, particularly for developing countries. However, as Mir Ashrafun Nahar, a research associate at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling, <a href="https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/fallout-of-covid-19-on-food-security-1603117667" target="_blank">explained</a> in a Financial Express article, "the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more acute." In response, Nahar argues for a policy-based approach that includes "subsidy based transportation systems for agriculture" to support supply chains, as well as policies aimed at cutting down on agricultural production costs in order to help farmers recover from the effects of the pandemic.</p><p>With the pandemic still affecting food supply, though, there are a number of logical measures for reducing the impact of the virus and maximizing output. "First, OSHA [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] and the USDA must be directed to issue emergency standards that require employers to provide personal protective equipment, enough space to work without spreading the virus, and housing and transportation options that will reduce the spread of the virus," <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2020/04/what-if-coronavirus-strikes-tens-thousands-food-and-farm-workers-same-time" target="_blank">wrote</a> Faber.</p>
<p>Proposed in April 2020, Faber's suggestions, unfortunately, remained <a href="https://www.ewg.org/testimony-official-correspondence/covid-19-bill-fails-protect-workers-and-hungry-families" target="_blank">unaddressed</a> under the Trump administration. Faber's relief measures further include the expansion of USDA programs to purchase surplus commodities to offset supply chain disruption; redirecting food that might be destroyed toward food banks; and increasing the standard SNAP benefit (food stamps) by 15 percent. And, echoing Nahar, Faber also proposes adopting policies that will help to alleviate financial burdens faced by farmers and food suppliers, as well as offering subsidy support.</p><p>The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental economic group with 37 member countries, said that the pandemic "has laid bare pre-existing gaps in social protection systems" in a <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y2jp7zk9" target="_blank">report</a> published in June 2020. "While the impacts of COVID-19 are still unfolding, experience so far shows the importance of an open and predictable international trade environment to ensure food can move to where it is needed," the OECD report states. "The biggest risk for food security is not with food availability but with consumers' access to food: safety nets are essential to avoid an increase in hunger and food insecurity."</p>
<p>Another problem is the lack of media coverage about the food insecurity being witnessed around the world, particularly during the COVID-19 era. As the Economist recently <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/6d94f9a8ea3ab919370c4bbd22ce9956" target="_blank">pointed out</a>, journalists in 2020 "wrote more than 50,000 articles about the canceled Eurovision song contest, but only around 2,000 about drought and hunger in Zambia."</p><p>Fortunately, beyond the failings of a state-led response to the pandemic, some positives have emerged at a community level. With restaurants and supermarkets becoming less viable options, there has been a growth in demand and supply of local food. According to <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-small-local-farms-food_n_5e86332cc5b6d302366ccdcc" target="_blank">HuffPost</a><em>,</em> farmers have seen "a massive rise in demand for local produce." The result of this trend is that consumers who are able to access local food are changing their behavior toward procurement and consumption of food permanently.</p>
<p>Things are changing on a federal level, too. In a recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/dining/usda-food-policy-biden.html" target="_blank">article</a> about how the U.S. food system could be transformed during the Biden administration, New York Times food correspondent Kim Severson noted that "[h]unger relief is a pressing issue" for Tom Vilsack, who has been <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/23/politics/tom-vilsack-confirmed-agriculture-secretary/index.html" target="_blank">confirmed</a> by the Senate to become the agriculture secretary in Biden's Cabinet, a job the former Iowa governor also held under the Obama administration. However, while Severson notes that Vilsack has his <a href="https://secure.everyaction.com/9xZA4zPWO0m7iAvPbf4H4A2" target="_blank">critics</a>, President Biden has already made changes at the top, signing an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/01/22/fact-sheet-president-bidens-new-executive-actions-deliver-economic-relief-for-american-families-and-businesses-amid-the-covid-19-crises/" target="_blank">executive order</a> meant to deliver relief to families and businesses amid the COVID-19 crisis, including "expanding and extending federal nutrition assistance programs" to "[a]ddress the growing hunger crisis facing 29 million Americans." His proposal to Congress includes a $3 billion package to "help women, infants and children get the food they need" and "access to nutritious food for millions of children missing meals due to school closures."</p><p>For meaningful reform to the food system to occur, change is going to have to happen at every level: from federal, state and local governments, to Big Ag, small farmers and everyday consumers. With the future looking ever more uncertain due to the climate crisis — one of President Biden's top priorities — adapting to new ways of producing and transporting food will be key to our survival.</p>
<p>Robin Scher is a writer based in South Africa. He is a graduate of the Cultural Reporting and Criticism program at New York University. Find him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/robscherhimself" target="_blank">@RobScherHimself</a>.<br/></p><p><em>T</em><em>his article first appeared on </em><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/pandemic-may-have-left-265-million-people-with-acute-food-shortages-in-2020" target="_blank"><em>Truthout</em></a><em> and was produced in partnership with </em><a href="https://independentmediainstitute.org/earth-food-life/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Earth | Food | Life</em></a><em>, a project of the Independent Media Institute.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Tearing through the crowded streets of Philadelphia, an electric car and a gas-powered car sought to win a heated race. One that mimicked how cars are actually used. The cars had to stop at stoplights, wait for pedestrians to cross the street, and swerve in and out of the hundreds of horse-drawn buggies. That's right, horse-drawn buggies. Because this race took place in 1908. It wanted to settle once and for all which car was the superior urban vehicle. Although the gas-powered car was more powerful, the electric car was more versatile. As the cars passed over the finish line, the defeat was stunning. The 1908 Studebaker electric car won by 10 minutes. If in 1908, the electric car was clearly the better form of transportation, why don't we drive them now? Today, I'm going to answer that question by diving into the history of electric cars and what I discovered may surprise you.
<p>In 1881, at a blistering pace of 9 mph, inventor Gustave Trouvé introduced the streets of Paris, and ultimately, the world to the quiet hum of the electric carriage. For the wealthy socialites of Paris, and their counterparts in New York, the horseless carriage was a must have, and electric motors were the superior choice. "By 1900, there were 4,192 vehicles on the streets in the U.S. Steam cars accounted for 1,681 of these; 1,575 were electric, and 936 had internal-combustion engines."* If you just wanted to get around town, the electric carriage was a better option — that is, if you were rich enough to afford one. Unlike internal combustion engines, electric vehicles were easy to turn on, accelerate, brake, there was no exhaust, and didn't have something exploding under your seat. Oh, and you also didn't have to crank the engine every time you stopped, which is part of the reason why that electric Studebaker won the Philadelphia race so handily. As a result of this ease of use, electric cars were looking like big business in the early 1900s, especially for the industry giant Electric Vehicle Company. At the time, the Electric Vehicle Company was the biggest car manufacturer in the country, and they used a model that seems revolutionary now, but makes sense back then. Instead of selling their cars, they rented them to people for the day or for multiple days. Each night the renter could return the car to a central garage and the Electric Vehicle Company would charge and service the vehicle, a model very similar to how stables worked at the time. But despite the electric car's success, its golden age was about to end. </p>
<p>To find out what happened, watch the video above!</p><p><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Our Changing Climate</a> is an environmental YouTube channel that explores the intersections of social, political, climatic, and food-based issues. The channel dives into topics like zero waste and nuclear energy in order to understand how to effectively tackle climate change and environmental destruction.</em></p><p><em><em>To receive all the latest videos produced by Charlie subscribe to his YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXvxXpDJXp-mZu3pFMzYHQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></em></p><p><em><em></em>*</em><em>Rudi Volti Cars and Culture: The Life Story of a Technology (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006</em></p>
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A technician inspects a bitcoin mining operation at Bitfarms in Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec on March 19, 2018. LARS HAGBERG / AFP via Getty Images
As bitcoin's fortunes and prominence rise, so do concerns about its environmental impact.
<p>The process of mining the cryptocurrency is enormously energy intensive, so much so that it consumes more electricity in a year than Argentina or the Ukraine, according to the latest data from the <a href="https://cbeci.org/cbeci/comparisons" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index</a>. Its energy hunger even led to a warning from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last week, as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/22/yellen-sounds-warning-about-extremely-inefficient-bitcoin.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNBC reported</a>.</p><p>"It's an extremely inefficient way of conducting transactions," Yellen said, "and the amount of energy that's consumed in processing those transactions is staggering."</p>
<p>Bitcoin's value rose past $50,000 two weeks ago, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/16/investing/bitcoin-50000-price-record/index.html" target="_blank">CNN Business reported at the time</a>. It was in part buoyed by the success of Elon Musk, whose electric car company <a href="http://tesla/" target="_blank">Tesla</a> made more than $900 million after buying $1.5 billion of the currency, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56215787" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>. Its value has subsided somewhat since then, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/feb/27/bitcoin-mining-electricity-use-environmental-impact?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR32SsssuI2vJel6JIv35Rynz8rUuwDOjKG06vMdBGDQA0LuFQ389eE9B_g#Echobox=1614421164" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. But Musk's endorsement raised a concern: How did his support of the currency meld with Tesla's <a href="https://www.tesla.com/about#:~:text=Tesla's%20mission%20is%20to%20accelerate%20the%20world's%20transition%20to%20sustainable%20energy.&text=Today%2C%20Tesla%20builds%20not%20only,energy%20generation%20and%20storage%20products." target="_blank">goal</a> of moving the world towards a "zero-emission future?"</p><p>The question is larger than Musk, of course. Bitcoin mining is energy intensive by design. There are only 21 million bitcoins that can be mined, a process that involves solving complex math problems on a computer to release new coins. When bitcoin first started in 2009, it was possible to mine for bitcoin on a normal computer. However, the currency is designed so that the fewer bitcoins left to be released, the more complicated the problems become. Now that 18.5 million bitcoins have been mined, an average computer cannot handle the calculations.</p>
<p>As the price rises, more people are motivated to get in on the action.</p><p>"They want to get that revenue," University of Chicago economics professor Gina Pieters told BBC News, "and that's what's going to encourage them to introduce more and more powerful machines in order to guess this random number, and therefore you will see an increase in energy consumption."</p><p>Pieters is part of the University of Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), which runs the bitcoin electricity use index. CCAF <a href="https://cbeci.org/" target="_blank">calculates</a> that bitcoin now uses 129.22 terawatt hours of electricity a year, according to its most recent update.</p>
<p>This doesn't necessarily mean that mining bitcoin is increasing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/greenhouse-gas-emissions" target="_self">greenhouse gas emissions</a>. Bitcoin proponents say that the mining can be powered using <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/renewable-energy" target="_self">renewable energy</a> sources, according to The Guardian. However, the mining process does motivate miners to seek out cheap energy sources.</p><p>"The more machines a miner operates, the more likely he is to find the solution to the puzzle," the CCAF <a href="https://cbeci.org/faq/" target="_blank">explained</a>. "However, more machines also means that more electricity is needed to run and cool the equipment, which in turn results in higher costs for the miner in question. Miners are thus always searching for abundant electricity sources at the lowest possible price."</p><p>Seeking the cheapest electricity source may mean <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coal" target="_self">coal</a> in many places, The Guardian pointed out. More bitcoin is mined in China than in any other country, and about two-thirds of its electricity still comes from coal.</p>
<p>The CCAF said it does not yet have the data to determine the cryptocurrency's carbon footprint, since this would require accurate assessments of the energy mix behind mining. However, it pointed out that even if all bitcoin mining was powered by coal, an unlikely scenario, it would still only account for 0.17 percent of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. That doesn't mean bitcoin's growth isn't a concern for the attempts to combat the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>, however.</p><p>"There are valid concerns that Bitcoin's growing electricity consumption may pose a threat to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the future," the index wrote.</p><p>That threat increases the more bitcoin gains in popularity. Bitcoin expert and Digiconomist founder Alex de Vries told BBC News what would happen if bitcoin were adapted as a global reserve currency.</p><p>"[T]he Bitcoin price will probably be in the millions, and those miners will have more money than the entire [US] Federal budget to spend on electricity. We'd have to double our global energy production," he said. "For Bitcoin."</p>
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