You may be focused on getting enough iron, calcium and protein, but do you ever think about zinc? The essential trace mineral is responsible for proper immune function and cell growth and can cause serious issues when not fully present in our daily diets.
Zinc deficiencies are most common in older adults, vegetarians and pregnant women who are outputting much of their nutritional resources into their growing babies.
So what is zinc exactly and why do we need it? The essential mineral helps enzymes carry out imperative cellular functions, including cell division and metabolism. This means healthy levels of zinc are vital for our bodies to grow at a normal clip and for our immune systems to protect us. Zinc is also associated with the function of our hormones and emotions, meaning more stable moods and cognitive balance.
According to a study done by LabDoor.com, zinc deficiency symptoms can range from hard-to-notice issues, like an impaired sense of taste, loss of appetite or acne, to serious effects such as impaired immune function and delayed wound healing.
Zinc deficiencies are most common in older adults, vegetarians and pregnant women who are outputting much of their nutritional resources into their growing babes.
Vegetarians and vegans are at risk for zinc deficiency, as the most abundant sources of zinc tend to be animal proteins. Zinc can, of course, be found in plant sources such as legumes and grains, but they must be consumed in greater quantities. 2016 is the year of the pulse, after all, which are great sources of plant-based zinc.
Pregnant women should pay great attention to their zinc levels, as the mineral plays a huge role in growth and development in unborn babies. Prenatal vitamins tend to load women with folate and iron, which are also important for fetus development. However, these minerals decrease the bioavailability of zinc or our bodies absorption ability. Because low levels of zinc can lead to premature delivery and low birth weight, women who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant should talk to their doctors about the best zinc supplements.
So how much zinc do you need? Adults 19 and over need between 8 and 11 mg. Pregnant women should focus on getting a full 11 mg and lactating or breastfeeding women should aim for 12.
Looking to add more zinc to your diet? Here's a list of 11 plant-based foods packed with zinc.
1. Chickpeas
2. Lentils
3. Almonds
5. Oatmeal
6. Chia seeds
8. Kidney beans
9. Tofu
10. Tempeh
11. Cashews
Looking for creative ways to add zinc to your diet? Oat flour lends these vegan pumpkin oatmeal cookies a zinc boost.
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From Your Site Articles
Map shows tracks and strength of Atlantic tropical cyclones in 2020. Blues are tropical depressions and tropical storms; yellow through red show hurricanes, darker shades meaning stronger ones. Master0Garfield / Wikimedia Commons
By Astrid Caldas
As we reach the official end of hurricane season, 2020 will be one for the record books. Looking back at these long, surprising, sometimes downright crazy past six months (seven if you count when the first named storms actually started forming), there are many noteworthy statistics and patterns that drive home the significance of this hurricane season, and the ways climate change may have contributed to it.
<p><br/></p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU0Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTk3NzI3M30.nuos3jK9lDTK2Y7lsUuwGwoYLSDW0lvEYLwvBPs60OM/img.jpg?width=980" id="8e32e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="56d35cc370ede3d2f965a897182686ca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
NOAA
<p>Hurricane activity this year <a href="https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/1329930734635630593" target="_blank">broke some records</a>. As of today, we have had a record 30 named storms, of which 13 turned into hurricanes. The first two, Arthur and Bertha, even formed before June 1, the official start of hurricane season. The third formed on June 1 itself.</p><p>This is also only the second time in tropical storm naming history, the first time being in 2005, that the National Hurricane Center <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml" target="_blank">had to use the Greek alphabet letters</a> to name storms after the regular list of names was exhausted. As the season progressed, storms generally got stronger – the image below gives a good idea of this progression. While a pattern like this is not unseen, it certainly is not usually this striking (for instance, see timelines of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2005_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2005</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2017_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2017</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2018_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2019_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019</a>).</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTAyMDY3Nn0.BhJhN_ErgAy_w5VzMcYKPf9KHfLF6NvhQqJS8cj3HEY/img.png?width=980" id="e8972" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ea63282304cdf72c8bf095c11469abf9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>Fortunately, the high level of activity did not translate into a higher number of major hurricanes this season. The August <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/extremely-active-hurricane-season-possible-for-atlantic-basin" target="_blank">updated forecast</a> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had called for 19-25 named storms, with 7-11 turning into hurricanes, 3-6 of which would be major (Category 3 or higher). The total number of named storms and hurricanes went up, but the latter prediction did not change from the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/busy-atlantic-hurricane-season-predicted-for-2020" target="_blank">original forecast released in May</a> (see infographics below).</p><p>So, even though 2020 surpassed the predicted number of named storms and hurricanes, as of today, six of the 13 hurricanes were major, still (barely) within the prediction. Of all the named storms, 12 made landfall in the U.S., six as hurricanes. As of today, the season was record-setting for named storms. It ranks <a href="https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/1329930734635630593" target="_blank">second</a> for hurricanes & major hurricanes.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDQwNzE4OH0.BqYImnv3vRtvgqZvRcIk8ESQX7eOePgn1Vp4RHivhT0/img.png?width=980" id="dc297" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="68446095682eb5c2bd085d14e6f920b7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A summary infographic showing hurricane season probability and numbers of named storms predicted from NOAA's 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook. NOAA
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTkxMzk3OX0.a7NktMsiV-68Dtwf8uURYvGtByvjbcvPIxbS-itZz4E/img.png?width=980" id="d2ccc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9a1b178bc5490c39407c8b0d2293ed16" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The updated 2020 Atlantic hurricane season probability and numbers of named storms. NOAA
<p>Both Gulf and East Coast states were affected by landfalling hurricanes, and, strikingly, very <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/16/tropical-storm-winds-lower-48/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">few coastal counties have not been affected</a> by tropical storm winds this season. Many of the 2020 storms formed in the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico, hence nine out of the 12 U.S. landfalling storms targeting the Gulf states. Louisiana, for example, suffered five landfalls starting in May with TS Bertha.</p><p>This is the 6th year in a row that named storms formed before the official start of the season, and the 5th season in a row with at least one category 5 hurricane. It was also the first year to have two major hurricanes in the month of November (Eta and Iota, a Category 4 and 5 respectively), and September 2020 alone had 10 storms – almost equal to the number of total storms for the entirety of an average season, which is currently 12.</p><p>The 2020 season also had 27 named storms that hold the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Atlantic_hurricane_records" target="_blank">record for earliest formation by initial letter</a> – most of the previous records were set in 2005.</p>
<h3>A Bit of Science</h3><p>One characteristic of the 2020 season that will be discussed for quite a while is the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutgloss.shtml#r" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rapid intensification</a> of storms. <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2020-11-15-atlantic-hurricane-season-ten-storms-rapidly-intensify" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ten storms</a> so far this year have seen sustained winds gain 35 mph or more in speed within 24 hours or less, with Eta and Iota beating all records with 80 mph increases as they neared landfall on the coast of Nicaragua. The <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2020-11-15-atlantic-hurricane-season-ten-storms-rapidly-intensify" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1995 season also had 10 rapidly intensifying storms</a> – but not at the same rate. Some scientists <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/bams/article/98/3/495/70036/Will-Global-Warming-Make-Hurricane-Forecasting" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">argue</a> that rapid intensification is likely to become a more common feature of future storms, making forecasting trickier. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08471-z.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research has shown</a> that rapid intensification, observed over the past 40 years, has become more frequent, a pattern that is not supported by models of internal climate variation alone, suggesting that human-caused global warming might be a factor. <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/jcli/article/31/20/8281/92614/Projected-Response-of-Tropical-Cyclone-Intensity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Another study</a> determined that the chance of a hurricane intensifying went from 1 in 100 in the early 80s to 1 in 20 by mid-2005.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMjI2NjM3MX0.753Urx0au33Hqz3vy1bTqOWf4rZLyp3JPPGCF-nZ4Co/img.jpg?width=980" id="3d54a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="021f4862a8df4f5a055d450e7a7b0522" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>What we are seeing in the U.S. is also being seen across the globe. Rapidly intensifying <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/10/07/tropical-storm-category-hours-super-typhoon-hagibis-intensifies-one-fastest-rates-record/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">typhoons</a> have wreaked havoc in Asia this year, and we saw storms crossing the Caribbean and hitting Central American countries as major hurricanes formed in less than 24 hours. Nicaragua was hit by two category 4 hurricanes in two weeks, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/17/nicaragua-eta-iota-landfalls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">something never seen before</a>.</p><p>I have <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/dangerous-hurricane-season-to-open-amidst-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previously written</a> that hurricanes are becoming <a href="https://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-013-1713-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stronger</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0673-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wetter</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-019-0074-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slower</a>, and <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/48/23942" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more destructive</a>, and all these trends have been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/climate/climate-change-hurricanes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">linked to anthropogenic global warming</a> in one way or another. <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/link-between-heat-and-hurricanes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New studies</a> since have also pointed to the fact that the link between heat and the intensity of tropical cyclones is becoming clearer, and that their <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/117/22/11975" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">intensity over the past four decades</a> has increased.</p><p>Another new characteristic of Atlantic hurricanes determined in a study is that they are losing strength more slowly. Whereas in the 60's hurricanes lost 75 percent of their strength within 24 hours of making landfall, today they lose only 50 percent in the same amount of time. That certainly contributes to a higher impact from rainfall and winds.</p><p>The very active forecast released in August by NOAA was based on some variables that historically affect Atlantic tropical cyclone activity. In addition to the <a href="https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#sst" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">abnormally warm sea surface temperatures</a>, which act as a type of "fuel" to the formation of storms, there were other factors at play.</p><p>The establishment of a <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">La Niña</a> pattern, which historically affects high winds in the Atlantic, tends to diminish the vertical wind shear that could help prevent the formation of a tropical cyclone. Also, according to <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/extremely-active-hurricane-season-possible-for-atlantic-basin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NOAA</a>, a large-scale climate pattern called the <a href="https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/atlantic-multi-decadal-oscillation-amo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation</a> has also been favoring more active hurricane seasons since 1995 by making wind conditions in the tropics more conducive to tropical cyclone formation. This favors weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon, which also affect Atlantic tropical cyclone formation.</p>
<h3>Costs and Future of Hurricanes</h3><p>Tropical cyclones are the <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/calculating-cost-weather-and-climate-disasters" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">costliest of weather and climate disasters</a>, no doubt due to their widespread impacts: storm surge, wind, rain, all come together to create compound risks in the areas affected. In addition, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/nyregion/rebuild-home-hurricane.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hurricane recovery</a> – ecological, structural, economic – tends to last for years, and <a href="https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/Looking-lingering-health-effects-Hurricane/96/i37" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">health impacts</a> add to the costs.</p><p>The trend in rapid intensification, especially as a storm approaches landfall, can make preparations and evacuations more difficult, if not impossible, and is bound to increase the danger to people and the costs of these disasters. Plus, we cannot forget that storms are more consistently forming before and after the official hurricane season, and that extension can signify a longer period of disaster recovery, as well as a longer period during which communities will have to stay in a state of preparedness.</p><p>Especially costly and worrisome from the point of view of preparedness and recovery is when storms hit the same area successively. Hurricane Laura hit the Louisiana Lake Charles area in August as a Category 4, one of the strongest storms to hit the state. Then Hurricane Delta hit the same general area only six weeks later, while many houses still <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/10/922637167/hundreds-of-thousands-without-power-after-hurricane-delta-sweeps-through-south" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">had tarps covering their roofs</a>, and people in the region, especially low-income segments of the population, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/10/922637167/hundreds-of-thousands-without-power-after-hurricane-delta-sweeps-through-south" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">were far from recovered</a>.</p><p>Last but certainly not least, we are dealing with a pandemic that added to the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/kristy-dahl/as-hurricane-laura-bears-down-on-gulf-coast-data-shows-how-covid-19-may-affect-evacuations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">challenges of evacuations, sheltering, and recovery</a>. Because of the unprecedented confluence of hurricane season and the pandemic, many emergency preparedness officials <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/real-time-lessons-on-covid-19-and-us-hurricane-response-what-weve-learned-from-hanna-and-isaias" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">learned on the fly</a> how to best accommodate evacuees while trying to contain spread of the novel coronavirus.</p><p>The economic crisis from the pandemic is also leading to a lack of resources for both the people and the authorities to deal effectively with the disaster and take suitable action, something that could take years to resolve. The pandemic is of course a concern around the world, and everywhere people are scrambling to deal with these compound risks.</p>
<h3>The Need for Action</h3><p>There is an urgent need for policies and funding for equitable pre-disaster preparedness to help curtail post-disaster costs and recovery. Resources and technical assistance also must be allocated equitably so that those most in need and with the least capability of rebounding have the means to do so.</p><p>We know that human-induced global warming is making storms worse and bringing more destruction with them. We also know we have a path to reduce the carbon emissions that are driving our temperatures up. It is imperative that countries – including the U.S. – continue to increase the ambition of their pledges to reduce global warming emissions and cap warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, as promised in the Paris Agreement. Only by keeping the worst of climate change at bay will we also limit the wrath of hurricanes, saving lives, property, and resources.</p><p>But for now, any way you look at it, the unprecedented 2020 season is one for the history books.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/rapid-intensification-unprecedented-number-of-storms-make-2020-a-record-hurricane-season" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Tropical Storm Theta Is Record-Breaking 29th Storm of 2020 ... ›
- Hurricane Delta Breaks Record for Earliest 25th Named Storm ... ›
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Protesters shouting slogans on megaphones during the climate strike on September 25 in Lisbon, Portugal. Hugo Amaral / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images
By Dana Drugmand
An unprecedented climate lawsuit brought by six Portuguese youths is to be fast-tracked at Europe's highest court, it was announced today.
The European Court of Human Rights said the case, which accuses 33 European nations of violating the applicants' right to life by disregarding the climate emergency, would be granted priority status due to the "importance and urgency of the issues raised."
<p>This is the first climate lawsuit to be filed with the <a href="https://www.echr.coe.int/Pages/home.aspx?p=home&c=" target="_blank">international court in Strasbourg, France</a>, and campaigners say the decision represents a major step towards a potential landmark judgment.</p>
‘Protect Our Future’
<p>Cláudia Agostinho (21), Catarina Mota (20), Martim Agostinho (17), Sofia Oliveira (15), André Oliveira (12) and Mariana Agostinho (8) are <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/09/03/youth-climate-lawsuit-portugal-33-european-countries" target="_blank">bringing the case</a> with nonprofit law firm Global Legal Action Network (<span style="background-color: initial;">GLAN</span>), arguing that none of the countries have sufficiently ambitious targets to cut their emissions.</p><p>Portugal recently sweltered through its <a href="https://www.ipma.pt/pt/media/noticias/news.detail.jsp?f=/pt/media/noticias/textos/resumo-clima-julho-20.html" target="_blank">hottest July in 90 years</a> and has seen a rise in devastating heatwaves and wildfires over recent years due to rising temperatures. Four of the applicants live in Leiria, one of the regions worst-hit by the forest fires that killed more than 120 people in 2017. </p><p>Responding to the development, André Oliveira, 12, said: "It gives me lots of hope to know that the judges in the European Court of Human Rights recognise the urgency of our case." </p><p>"But what I'd like the most would be for European governments to immediately do what the scientists say is necessary to protect our future. Until they do this, we will keep on fighting with more determination than ever."</p>‘Highly Significant'
<p>The decision represents a "highly significant" step, <a href="https://www.glanlaw.org/about-us" target="_blank">GLAN</a> Director Dr. Gearóid Ó Cuinn said in a <a href="https://youth4climatejustice.org/" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>"This is an appropriate response from the Court given the scale and imminence of the threat these young people face from the climate emergency," he added. </p><p>By suing the 33 countries all together, the youths aim to compel these national governments to act more aggressively on climate through a single court order, which would potentially be more effective than pursuing separate lawsuits or lobbying policymakers in each country.</p><p>If successful, the defendant countries would be legally bound not only to ramp up emissions cuts, but also to tackle overseas contributions to climate change including those of their multinational enterprises.</p>‘Major Hurdle’
<p>The <a href="https://youth4climatejustice.org/the-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">countries targeted</a> include all of the European Union member states as well as Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, none of which are currently aligned with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a> target to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) and pursue a limit of 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F).<a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> </a></p><p><a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climate Action Tracker rates</a> most of Europe as "insufficient" in terms of its emissions reduction policies based on the Paris target, while Ukraine, Turkey and Russia are assessed as "critically insufficient" – meaning they are on track for a warming of 4 degrees C or higher.</p><p>The European Union has pledged to slash its emissions by <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/eu-climate-action/2030_ctp_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">at least 55 percent by 2030</a>. But the Portuguese youth plaintiffs are calling for cuts of at least 65 percent by 2030, a level that <a href="http://www.caneurope.org/energy/climate-energy-targets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">European climate campaigners say</a> is necessary to meet the 1.5 degrees warming limit.</p><p> The 33 countries must each respond to the youths' complaint by the end of February, before lawyers representing the plaintiffs will respond to the points of defense. </p><p>"Nothing less than a 65 percent reduction by 2030 will be enough for the EU member states to comply with their obligations to the youth-applicants and indeed countless others," Gerry Liston, legal officer with GLAN, said in a press release.</p><p>"These brave young people have cleared a major hurdle in their pursuit of a judgment which compels European governments to accelerate their climate mitigation efforts."</p><p><span></span><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/11/29/court-advances-landmark-youth-climate-lawsuit-against-33-european-nations" target="_blank">DeSmog</a>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A child plays with a planet Earth ball during the Extinction Rebellion Strike in London on Apr. 18, 2019. Brais G. Rouco / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images
Will concern over the climate crisis stop people from having children?
<p>A first-of-its-kind academic study suggests that it already has. The study, published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-020-02923-y" target="_blank">Climate Change</a> this month, found that 96.5 percent of respondents were "very" or "extremely concerned" about what the lives of their current or hypothetical children would look like in a future they see as overwhelmingly bleak.</p><p>"[C]limate change is the sole factor for me in deciding not to have biological children," a 31-year-old study participant from Washington said. "I don't want to birth children into a dying world. I dearly want to be a mother, but climate change is accelerating so quickly, and creating such horror already, that bringing a child into this mess is something I can't do."</p><p>The question of whether it is right or desirable to have children in the context of the climate crisis has been <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/overpopulation-children-climate-crisis-2648533200.html">raised</a> in recent years. New York Representative and Green New Deal champion Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in 2019 that it was legitimate to ask whether it was "OK to still have children" given scientific predictions for what the world could look like if industrial societies do not rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. </p><p>A 2018 poll found that 11 percent of 20-to-45 year olds in the U.S. who either did not want children or were unsure about having them cited being "worried about climate change" as one reason. Another 2020 poll found that 14.3 percent of 18-to-44 year olds in the U.S. without children cited climate change as a "major reason" and a further 20.7 percent cited it as a "minor reason."</p>
<p>"This suggests that approximately 12.5 million Americans of what is traditionally considered childbearing age were not having children at least partially because of their climate concerns," the study authors wrote.</p><p>However, the new research is the first time an academic, peer-reviewed study has examined how the climate crisis is influencing reproductive choice. Most academic research has focused on the ethics of having children in countries with large environmental footprints. One <a href="https://today.oregonstate.edu/archives/2009/jul/family-planning-major-environmental-emphasis" target="_blank">2009 study</a> found that having one less child as a U.S. resident was 20 times more effective at reducing one's carbon footprint than other lifestyle choices such as driving more fuel-efficient cars.</p><p>Ethical concerns did partly motivate the study respondents. When asked, "How concerned were/are you about your (potential) child's lifetime carbon footprint?" 59.8 percent of respondents said they were "very" or "extremely concerned."</p>
<p>"I really didn't think a lot about the carbon footprint of having another child, until I read something saying that the best thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint is not reproduce," a 38-year-old teacher and mother from Minnesota said in the study. "Thinking about that has influenced my decision not to have a third child."</p><p>However, respondents were more concerned with their hypothetical or actual children's futures than the environmental impact of reproducing.</p><p>"The fears about the carbon footprint of having kids tended to be abstract and dry," study leader Matthew Schneider-Mayerson of Yale-NUS College in Singapore told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/27/climate-apocalypse-fears-stopping-people-having-children-study" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. "But the fears about the lives of existing or potential children were really deep and emotional. It was often heartbreaking to pore through the responses — a lot of people really poured their hearts out."</p>
<p>Six percent of respondents even admitted to feeling regret for having children. "I was surprised," Schneider-Mayerson told The Guardian. "For parents, this is an extremely difficult statement to make."</p><p>Schneider-Mayerson noted that more research is needed using a wider and more diverse group of respondents. This particular study questioned 607 U.S. adults aged 27 to 45, and they tended to be white, liberal and living in urban areas, Schneider-Mayerson told The Guardian.</p><p>The study respondents were also motivated by an overwhelmingly negative view of the future. Of the 400 who offered their opinions, 92.3 percent predicted a negative future, 5.6 percent thought it would be mixed and only 0.6 percent were positive.</p>
<p>But some climate scientists have argued that having children despite these concerns can bring hope.</p><p>"Personally, I can't advocate for people not to have children in order to fix climate change because why am I fixing climate change? I'm doing it because of my child and because of everybody else's children," atmospheric scientist and Texas Tech University political science professor Katharine Hayhoe told the Canadian Press in 2019, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7490799/climate-change-apocalypse-study/" target="_blank">Global News reported</a>. "So that's what gives us hope."</p><p>Ultimately, Schneider-Mayerson saw the data as another reason to act on climate. "To address this, we really need to act immediately to address the root cause, which is climate change itself," he said.</p>
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By Liz Kimbrough
Six grassroots environmental activists will receive the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in a virtual ceremony this year. Dubbed the "Green Nobel Prize," this award is given annually to environmental heroes from each of the world's six inhabited continents.
<p>This year's winners include an Indigenous Mayan beekeeper who led a coalition to ban genetically modified soy in seven Mexican states, a French activist who pressured France's three largest banks to stop financing coal, a woman who harnessed youth activism to enact a ban on single-use plastics in the Bahamas, an Indigenous Waorani woman who organized legal action preventing oil extraction in a huge expanse of Amazon rainforest, an Indigenous Karen organizer who spearheaded the formation of the world's first peace park in an active conflict zone, and an activist who prevented the construction of what would have been the first coal-fired power plant in Ghana.</p><p>"These six environmental champions reflect the powerful impact that one person can have on many," John Goldman, president of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, said in a statement. "Even in the face of the unending onslaught and destruction upon our natural world, there are countless individuals and communities fighting every day to protect our planet. These are six of those environmental heroes, and they deserve the honor and recognition the Prize offers them — for taking a stand, risking their lives and livelihoods, and inspiring us with real, lasting environmental progress."</p><p>The prize ceremony, typically held in April each year was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/goldmanprize/" target="_blank">ceremony</a> will take place virtually today, Nov. 30, at 4 p.m. PST and will be hosted by Sigourney Weaver, with musical appearances by Jack Johnson, Michael Franti, Danni Washington and Lenny Kravitz.</p><p>Here are the winners of the 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize:</p>
Kristal Ambrose, the Bahamas
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzI3MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDM5NTk5MX0.fdMrrUqf0HvWq0Uh0Ii3mXxJczHPyN1jcnSsQoXoerE/img.jpg?width=980" id="b9e66" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b8b8777f7964bb7100672b3be0abf3fe" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Kristal Ambrose. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Kristal Ambrose started a youth movement that convinced the government of the Bahamas to enact a ban on single-use plastic bags, plastic cutlery, straws, and Styrofoam cups and containers.</em></p><p>Millions of tourists travel to the Bahamas each year to see the islands' famed beaches and diverse marine life. However, plastic waste has increasingly polluted beaches and coral reefs, harming marine life and the economy. Worldwide, at least <a href="https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">8 million tons</a> of plastic end up in the ocean each year. By some estimates, <a href="https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/#:~:text=The%20Facts%20Are%20Overwhelming&text=We%20are%20producing%20over%20300,into%20our%20oceans%20every%20year." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than half</a> of all plastic produced are for single-use purposes.</p><p>Ambrose, a 29-year-old Bahamian woman, says she once witnessed the removal of plastic lodged internally in a sea turtle and, according to a statement, vowed, "I'll never drop a piece of plastic on the ground again." She went on to join an expedition to study the western garbage patch in the Pacific and, upon returning home, founded the Bahamas Plastic Movement in 2013. The goal: develop solutions and educate the youth. Ambrose created a free camp to train youth leaders and researchers who spent their days surveying beaches for plastic, measuring microplastics from boats, and dissecting fish to find plastic within.</p><p>Ambrose drafted legislation to ban single-use plastics on the islands and organized outreach and advocacy campaigns around the issue. In January 2018, Ambrose and students from her camp met with the environment minister to discuss the economic and environmental impacts of plastic waste. Three months later, the environment minister officially announced a ban on single-use plastic bags, straws, food utensils, and Styrofoam cups and containers. The ban was enacted in January this year.</p>
Chibeze Ezekiel, Ghana
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzM2MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTgzOTE3OX0.KoEZr3oMPKbeG2uT8q-ZsGPOGtIZ3l6V6NXEK5U90FU/img.jpg?width=980" id="65224" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6ec640a8ba56a4db22b57e4f8734a7a4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Chibeze Ezekiel. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Chibeze Ezekiel </em><em>led a four-year grassroots campaign to cancel the construction of the first coal-fired power plant in Ghana, changing the trajectory of Ghana's energy future</em>.</p><p>Ghana has faced energy shortages and blackouts. Increasing droughts have made hydroelectric projects less reliable. Searching for solutions, the government of Ghana proposed the construction of a 700-megawatt coal-fired power plant and an industry-ready shipping port in Ekumfi district, a coastal fishing community where fresh water resources are limited.</p><p>Knowing that wastewater and mercury emissions from the coal plant could threaten the health and safety of the districts, Chibeze "Chi" Ezekiel, 40, got to work. As national coordinator of <a href="https://gofossilfree.org/" target="_blank">350 Ghana Reducing Our Carbon</a> and an experienced youth organizer, he launched an awareness campaign around the dangers of coal plants. When the coal company pitched the plant to local communities and community leaders, the latter were prepared to ask tough questions and provide contrary evidence to their claims.</p><p>In 2016, Ghana's environment minister announced the coal plant would not move forward, and in 2017 the country's president said all new power projects would be renewable energy-based. Ghana has now released a Renewable Energy Master Plan, signaling its commitment to a renewable energy future. Ezekiel's work prevented the coal industry from gaining access to Ghana, and he now works toward a cleaner energy future for the country.</p>
Nemonte Nenquimo, Ecuador
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzM2Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNzYxODYwM30.cys5ZsFGd75UcjybADGBPFt20jrzgrsFujoj_qMTK4E/img.jpg?width=980" id="96b5a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0778ab7334e3297e0ead52d5fd1499e5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Nemonte Nenquimo. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Nemonte Nenquimo filed a lawsuit against the Ecuadoran government and successfully </em><em>safeguarded 202,000 hectares of Indigenous territories and Amazon rainforest from oil exploration and extraction.</em></p><p>Nenquimo, 33, is an Indigenous Waorani woman from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. In 2015, she co-founded an Indigenous-led coalition called the <a href="https://www.alianzaceibo.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ceibo Alliance</a> and was elected president of an organization that represents the Waorani of Ecuador's Pastaza province.</p><p>Ecuador is among the most biodiverse places in the world, but its forests and people have been increasingly threatened by logging, road construction, oil exploration and other extractive industries. In 2018, in an effort to bring oil company investments into the nation<em>, </em>Ecuador's minister of hydrocarbons announced 2.8 million hectares (7 million acres) of land constituting primary rainforest would be auctioned off for oil concessions.</p><p>In 2019, Nenquimo and other Waorani leaders filed a lawsuit against three government ministries in Ecuador for falsely claiming they had consent from the Waorani to sell their lands at auction. She also bolstered Indigenous community independence by installing solar and rainwater catchment systems in villages and supporting cottage industries such as chocolate production. Nenquimo helped secure funds for Indigenous filmmakers to tell their stories and played a lead role in a community mapping project charting the Waoroni territory around 16 communities.</p><p>In April 2019, Nenquimo and the Waorani won the court case against the Ecuadoran ministries, and the ruling was upheld in the court of appeals, safeguarding 202,000 hectares of Indigenous territories and Amazon rainforest from oil exploration and extraction. This case set an important legal precedent for Indigenous rights in Ecuador.</p><p>Nenquimo was named one of <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/09/times-list-of-100-most-influential-people-in-2020-includes-indigenous-waorani-leader/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TIME magazine's list of 100 most influential people of 2020</a>, and continues to work as a leader of her people and the environmental movement in Ecuador.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d65efe06ca7f2b92ef7e1feb233c9c55"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RBb-UETVbGA?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p><em>Nemonte Nenquimo filed a lawsuit against the Ecuadoran government and successfully </em><em>safeguarded 202,000 hectares of Indigenous territories and Amazon rainforest from oil exploration and extraction.</em><em> </em></p><p>Nenquimo, 33, is an Indigenous Waorani woman from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. In 2015, she co-founded an Indigenous-led coalition called the <a href="https://www.alianzaceibo.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ceibo Alliance</a> and was elected president of an organization that represents the Waorani of Ecuador's Pastaza province.</p><p>Ecuador is among the most biodiverse places in the world, but its forests and people have been increasingly threatened by logging, road construction, oil exploration and other extractive industries. In 2018, in an effort to bring oil company investments into the nation<em>, </em>Ecuador's minister of hydrocarbons announced 2.8 million hectares (7 million acres) of land constituting primary rainforest would be auctioned off for oil concessions.</p><p>In 2019, Nenquimo and other Waorani leaders filed a lawsuit against three government ministries in Ecuador for falsely claiming they had consent from the Waorani to sell their lands at auction. She also bolstered Indigenous community independence by installing solar and rainwater catchment systems in villages and supporting cottage industries such as chocolate production. Nenquimo helped secure funds for Indigenous filmmakers to tell their stories and played a lead role in a community mapping project charting the Waoroni territory around 16 communities.</p><p>In April 2019, Nenquimo and the Waorani won the court case against the Ecuadoran ministries, and the ruling was upheld in the court of appeals, safeguarding 202,000 hectares of Indigenous territories and Amazon rainforest from oil exploration and extraction. This case set an important legal precedent for Indigenous rights in Ecuador.</p><p>Nenquimo was named one of <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/09/times-list-of-100-most-influential-people-in-2020-includes-indigenous-waorani-leader/" target="_blank"><em>Time </em>magazine's list of 100 most influential people of 2020</a>, and continues to work as a leader of her people and the environmental movement in Ecuador.</p>
Leydy Pech, Mexico
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzQwNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzkzOTYzOH0.uHlN2FQoJJ_KFJWTn4oL__lDyjA0-HDnxewBhwgQRVg/img.jpg?width=980" id="9ab07" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccc347126d4ce9ddbb3b9c1b4673391b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Leydy Pech. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Leydy Pech, a Mayan beekeeper, spearheaded a coalition that prevented Monsanto from planting genetically modified "Roundup ready" soybeans in seven states in southern Mexico.</em></p><p>Pech, a 55-year-old Indigenous woman from the state of Campeche in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, works with a rare, stingless, native bee species (<em>Melipona beecheii</em>) that has been cultivated by the Mayans since pre-Columbian times. Beekeeping is a key part of Mayan culture, and quite important economically. In Campeche, an estimated 25,000 families, many Indigenous, rely on the honey trade for their livelihoods, and Mexico is the sixth-largest producer of honey worldwide.</p><p>In 2012, after failing to consult with local and Indigenous communities, the Mexican government granted Monsanto permission to plant genetically modified soybeans in seven Mexican states, including Campeche. Pech formed a coalition of NGOs, beekeepers and activists who filed a lawsuit against the Mexican government. Her coalition advocated for research into the effects of the GM plots, resulting in evidence that GM soy pollen was present in local honey, and that glyphosate, a chemical best known from the widely used pesticide Roundup, was found in the water supply and urine of people in Pech's hometown of Hopelchén.</p><p>In 2015, the Supreme Court of Mexico ruled unanimously that Indigenous communities must be consulted before the planting of GM soy. Monsanto's permits were canceled in Campeche and Yucatán states. Further organizing by Pech led to Mexico's Food and Agricultural Service revoking Monsanto's permits to grow GM soy in seven states.</p>
Lucie Pinson, France
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzQxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NzE0NTU1NX0.OutmX3sfl4pMaoYssTQ4zk7Y14_hans7-Z-0B0xsjfM/img.jpg?width=980" id="4bcd7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4bff14750dc0a70fc79e9484ea2bdbd4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Lucie Pinson. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Lucie Pinson used a variety of methods to pressure banks and insurers to cease support of coal development. Now, 17 insurers and 22 global banks have pledged to no longer fund coal projects.</em></p><p>Nearly half of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions, as well many other harmful toxins, come from the burning coal. Yet new coal projects are still popping up, all of them reliant on financing from banks and investors. France's three largest banks gave out more than $32 billion in loans to coal companies between 2007 and 2013.</p><p>Lucie Pinson, a 36-year-old French climate activist, used a multifaceted approach to persuade French banks to stop investing in coal. As a campaigner for the <a href="http://www.sunrisemovement.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sunrise Movement,</a> she and her team threatened the banks' reputations through media campaigns and handed out flyers to bank customers. Pinson cultivated relationships with journalists, making clear to them the links between French finance and coal through documentation. She also worked from within, purchasing shares in the banks so she could attend shareholder meetings and develop relationships with professionals within the banks.</p><p>Her work was fruitful. By 2017, none of the French banks were financing new coal projects. With that done, she focused on insurers of banks with similar tactics. Now, 17 insurers and 22 global banks have ceased support of coal development. Pinson is now working to stop all financial institutions from investing in coal.</p>
Paul Sein Twa, Myanmar
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzQxNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDAyNjU0MH0.DHrKykngmcJyJ5rn4r91ANH7FmQ7Us6ZMEOis8yAzGY/img.jpg?width=980" id="8fa36" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0e703d62288df00931cd678c861c6e0b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Paul Sein Twa. Goldman Environmental Prize
<p><em>Paul Sein Twa worked to establish a 546,000-hectare (1.35-million-acre) peace park to safeguard biodiversity and culture in the Salween River Basin in Myanmar, the first in a conflict zone.</em></p><p>Paul Sein Twa, 47, is a member of the Karen Indigenous group in Myanmar. The Karen sought independence from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) after World War II, leading to what has been described as the world's longest ongoing civil war, displacing hundreds of thousands to camps along the Thai border.</p><p>The Salween River Basin, home to the Karen people, holds the longest dam-free river in Asia. This basin, largely undeveloped due to decades of conflict, is a biodiversity hotspot with large, intact teak forests home to iconic species such as tigers, clouded leopards, gibbons, sun bears, Asiatic black bears, and Sunda pangolins. Agribusiness, extractive industries, deforestation, and mining are on the rise in the region, and in 1998, a mega dam was proposed within the Karen territory in the Salween River Basin.</p><p>Sein Twa began exploring community-driven approaches to conservation and decided to work proactively to protect Karen territory by advocating for the creation of a transboundary protected area, also known as a peace park. He worked with NGOs, government and Karen civil society to rally support and to educate people from 348 villages about the process of forming the park. He also worked with the forest department in Karen state to transition forestry practices back to Indigenous methods and to map the territory to show Karen ownership of land.</p><p>The idea of the park gained widespread support, and in December of 2018, the 546,000-hectare Salween Peace Park was formed. It includes 27 community forests and three wildlife sanctuaries. It is the first peace park to be established in a conflict zone.</p><p>Sein Twa continues to work with communities in the still-volatile region to develop plans for land management, document changes in biodiversity, and resist development.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/11/meet-the-2020-goldman-environmental-prize-winners/" target="_blank">Mongabay</a>.</em></p><div><strong><div><strong><strong><div><strong><div><strong><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div></strong></div></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div></strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div>From Your Site Articles
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Mount Ili Lewotolok spews ash during a volcanic eruption in Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara on November 29, 2020. Joy Christian / AFP / Getty Images
A large volcano in Indonesia erupted Sunday, sending a plume of smoke and ash miles into the air and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate the region.
<p>Mount Ili Lewotolok's eruption in Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara caused the local airport to shut down and created panic among locals. East Nusa Tenggara province is located in a remote section about 1,615 miles east of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/29/indonesian-volcano-erupts-forcing-residents-to-flee" target="_blank">Al Jazeera </a>reported.</p><p>Raditya Jati, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, said no deaths or injuries have been reported, but about 2,780 residents from 26 villages have sought refuge, according to <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/29/indonesian-volcano-erupts-forcing-residents-to-flee" target="_blank">Al Jazeera</a>.</p><p>Local Muhammad Ilham, a 17 year old who captured video of the eruption, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-volcano/indonesian-volcano-erupts-forcing-residents-to-flee-idUSKBN2890I2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> people were "panicked and they're still looking for refuge and in need of money right now." </p>
<p>Reuters reported that Indonesia has raised its threat level to the second-highest on a four-tier alert system. <a href="https://magma.vsi.esdm.go.id/" target="_blank">Three</a> other volcanoes in Indonesia are currently at the second-highest level as well.</p><p>Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) website warned that "hot clouds, lava stream, lava avalanche and poisonous gas" would impact the immediate area around the volcano, Al Jazeera reported.</p><p>There are approximately 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, Reuters reported, the most in the world. According to the CVGHM, 79 have erupted in the last 400 years. </p>
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