Hospital workers evacuate patients from the Feather River Hospital during the Camp Fire on Nov. 8, 2018 in Paradise, California. People in 128 countries have experienced an increased exposure to wildfires, a new Lancet report finds. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
The climate crisis already has a death toll, and it will get worse if we don't act to reduce emissions.
<p>That's the warning from the latest Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, an annual <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-health" target="_self">public health</a> report <a href="http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/climatecountdown.pdf?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_a4k1xKrc4iQK5UG0pgWB-t3pa1Jt2r8ygJQx_Q6eEw3Ex7v3n470_GZ8yKLSRc2lhjD2LJgE8M4eWcjcjuKrnzya4hg&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">released Wednesday</a>.</p><p>"This past year, we have seen the harms of our converging crises — COVID-19, climate disasters, and systemic racism; it's been a preview of what lies ahead if we fail to urgently make the necessary investments to protect health," <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/19364/Renee-Salas" target="_blank">Renee Salas</a>, lead author of the U.S. Lancet Countdown Policy Brief, said in a statement reported by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/02/2020-just-a-preview-if-we-dont-fix-climate-change-the-lancet.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_q0ii1o9A1XUEYGGfwsCbUnhzEoZ6MBWNMdhJ193M2NK1JOwrCCsu5fPc_zFsIiNkpX8vNt1nCVdmDLwxSUdNcYH4qjg&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CNBC</a>.</p>
<p>Wednesday's report was the work of more than 100 experts from 35 institutions or universities including the World Health Organization and University College London (UCL). The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has been running since 2015, when the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris agreement</a> was negotiated, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/covid-pandemic-offers-chance-to-act-on-climate-report-says?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--gcNgs9GFu8_wOcYinzepbFuzmlWytO9wqVQ9TJbowk-QSdSkvXnqxsWJnJQMGgx7gloJpBKi2AaTqqwHblzUgtfnz7g&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian pointed out</a>. However, this year, the health impacts of climate change were their "most worrying" since the report began. All 16 health indicators monitored in the report are worsening, according to <a href="https://institutions.newscientist.com/article/2261184-health-impacts-of-climate-change-have-reached-worrying-levels/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ZcLh0Q6ozgSQetEAzToko4gEB-3DVWhTRKmSRTvlnd07ArL3U2Pa99bp1XsUAqWlnjJ47GXG-oTk9ykBE_eywbIHiMw&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New Scientist</a>.</p><p>"Climate change-induced shocks are claiming lives, damaging health and disrupting livelihoods in all parts of the world right now. That means no continent or community remains untouched," Ian Hamilton of UCL told New Scientist.</p><p>For example, the number of people over 65 who died prematurely because of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/heat-waves" target="_self">heat waves</a> increased by almost 54 percent between 2000 and 2018 to reach 296,000, mostly in Japan, China, India and Europe.</p><p>The number of people exposed to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires" target="_self">wildfire</a> risk also increased in 128 countries when 2016 to 2019 were compared with 2001 to 2004.</p>
<div id="97b40" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bd1b9e4c781bce94f654197bd26031cf"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1334439131938762756" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The #COVID19 pandemic and #ClimateChange represent converging crises. Wildfires and tropical storms in 2020 have tr… https://t.co/LbZRp9te5i</div> — The Lancet (@The Lancet)<a href="https://twitter.com/TheLancet/statuses/1334439131938762756">1606990056.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The report found that the health impacts of the climate crisis were unevenly distributed and disproportionately impacted the people who had done the least to contribute to the crisis. However, this does not mean that wealthier countries are immune.</p><p>"A nation's wealth offers no protection against the health impacts of even a 1.2C global average temperature rise," Hugh Montgomery, Lancet Countdown co-chairman and a UCL intensive care medicine professor, said in a statement reported by the <a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20201202230439-fiytx/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_rNCyinSosAHluXOeDjnopyyWWrdIJKs_cH4rHOLV7Zd96HJjRSmO37Meums4COi3x8dvAzdmFsjHhHw9aRlhrb8KrQA&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Thomson Reuters Foundation</a>. "Flames, floods and famine do not respect national borders or bank accounts."</p><p>In the U.S., for example, heat waves killed 19,000 people over 65 and pollution claimed more than 68,000 lives, according to CNBC.</p><p>However, these effects were also distributed unequally within the U.S. itself.</p><p>"In the U.S., we see clear evidence of how certain communities are more burdened by pre-existing inequities," Dr. Jeremy Hess, author on both the global report and the U.S. breakout, told CNBC.</p>
<p>The report authors put forward specific policy recommendations for the incoming Biden administration, including an end to subsidies for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuel" target="_self">fossil fuels</a>, supporting public transportation and reducing the use of nitrogen fertilizers, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/climate/climate-change-health-risks.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>.</p><p>"The overarching theme I stress to the incoming administration is making health central," Salas told reporters. "Climate action is a prescription for health."</p><p>Globally, the report authors recommended that governments use the recovery from the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic as an opportunity to also fight climate change and meet the goals of the Paris agreement.</p><p>"The only way you can meet the Paris agreement is by taking advantage of this moment … by combining the recovery from COVID-19 with the response to climate change," report coauthor and chief sustainability officer for the UK's National Health Service Dr. Nick Watts told The Guardian.</p>
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Workers harvest asparagus in a field by the Niederaussem lignite coal power plant in Cologne, Germany. Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning are reaching new highs. Henning Kaiser / picture alliance via Getty Images
By Stuart Braun
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the dire threat of climate change Wednesday in a speech on the state of the planet delivered at Columbia University in New York.
<p>"The state of the planet is broken, humanity is waging war on nature," he said. "Nature always strikes back, and is doing so with gathering force and fury."</p><p>Referring to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) provisional report, <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/climate/wmo-statement-state-of-global-climate" target="_blank">The State of the Global Climate 2020</a>, that was released Wednesday, he reiterated that the last decade was the hottest on record, and that ice sheet decline, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/siberia-heatwave-climate-change/a-54192654" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">permafrost melting</a>, vast climate fires and unprecedented hurricanes were just some of the consequences.</p><p>"Stop the plunder," Guterres added, referring to the ongoing <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/brazil-amazon-deforestation-races-to-12-year-high-under-bolsonaro/a-55779726" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deforestation</a> that is also fueling climate change. "And start the healing."</p><p>Climate policies have failed to rise to the challenge, Guterres said, noting that emissions in 2020 are 60% higher than in 1990. "We are heading for a temperature rise of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius (by 2100)."</p><p>Yet the secretary-general sees hope for 2021, saying it's time to "build a truly global coalition towards carbon neutrality."</p><p>This goal will require net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. More than 110 countries are already committed to carbon neutrality by this date, he noted, representing more than 65% of emissions. Central to achieving this goal will be to encourage renewable energy by instituting a carbon price and phasing out fossil fuel financing and subsidies.</p><p>"There is no vaccine for the planet," he said regarding the need to build a global climate action movement.</p>
<h2>Last Six Years Are Six Hottest on Record</h2><p>The WMO state of climate report referenced by Guterres confirms that 2020 is currently placed as the second warmest for the year-to-date when compared to equivalent periods in the past.</p><p>The annual climate scorecard details a litany of symptoms of a heating planet: a high frequency of severe droughts, unparalleled major hurricanes, retreating sea ice, heavy rain and flooding across Asia and Africa and extensive marine heat waves.</p><p>Headlining the global climate report is confirmation in 2020 that global heating is accelerating. Though 2016 remains the warmest year on record to date, it kicked off with a very strong El Niño warm phase, via which hotter oceans elevate global temperatures.</p><p>Four years later, these <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/global-heating-could-pass-key-mark-in-5-years-un/a-54116525" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">peak temperatures</a> have continued, despite a cooler La Niña weather phase that started in September, and comparatively weak El Niño conditions. The global mean temperature for January to October 2020 was around 1.2°C above the 1850–1900 baseline.</p><p>"With 2020 on course to be one of the three warmest years on record, the past six years, 2015–2020, are likely to be the six warmest on record," states the WMO climate report.</p><p>In the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/siberia-heatwave-climate-change/a-54120019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Siberian</a> Arctic, temperatures were more than 5 degrees Celsius above average in 2020, reaching as high as 38 Celsius at Verkhoyansk in late June, provisionally the highest known temperature anywhere north of the Arctic Circle.</p><p>"We saw new extreme temperatures on land, sea and especially in the Arctic," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. "Wildfires consumed vast areas in Australia, Siberia, the U.S. West Coast and South America, sending plumes of smoke circumnavigating the globe."</p>
<h2>Despite Pandemic, Greenhouse Gases Still Rising</h2><p>The lockdowns implemented to slow the coronavirus pandemic have only resulted in a "temporary reduction in emissions" in 2020, according to the report. As a result, there will be a "practically indistinguishable" slowing of the fast-increasing CO2 concentrations recorded in 2019.</p><p>Greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations generated largely by fossil fuel burning reached new highs in 2019, with carbon dioxide (CO2), <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/why-we-should-be-worried-about-methane/a-55241028" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">methane (CH4)</a> and nitrous oxide (N2O) levels rising to a larger degree from 2018 (2.6 parts per million) than the increases from the previous two years.</p><p>"Real-time data from specific locations, including Mauna Loa (Hawaii) and Cape Grim (Tasmania) indicate that levels of CO2, CH4 and N2O continued to increase in 2020," stated the report.</p><p> This increase comes at a time when there should be rapid cuts in emissions in line with the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C.</p>
<h2>Global Heating Symptoms Getting Worse</h2><p>The report also notes that sea levels have risen at a higher rate year-on-year due partly to increased melting of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica.</p><p>Meanwhile, over 80% of the ocean area has experienced at least one marine heat wave in 2020. In addition, 43% of the ocean experienced marine heat waves that were classified as "strong."</p><p>2019 also saw the highest ocean heat content on record.</p><p>Heavy rain and extensive flooding affected large parts of Africa and Asia in 2020, especially across much of the Sahel, the Greater Horn of Africa, the India subcontinent and neighboring areas, China, Korea and Japan. With 30 named storms (as of November 17, 2020), the north Atlantic hurricane season recorded the highest ever number of named storms.</p><p>Moreover, severe drought affected much of the interior of South America in 2020, with the badly affected areas including northern Argentina, Paraguay and western border areas of Brazil.</p><p>"Climate and weather events have triggered significant population movements and have severely affected vulnerable people on the move, including in the Pacific region and Central America," the climate report said.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/un-chief-antonio-guterres-theres-no-vaccine-for-the-planet/a-55796224?maca=en-VAM_volltext_ecowatch-28485-html-copypaste" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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man in black shirt sitting on bench looking at the sunset
Photo by Jozsef Hocza on Unsplash
If you're like many busy Americans, you may feel the need for an extra boost of energy to stay focused and perform at your best throughout the day. Whether you experience the age-old 3 p.m. slump at your desk, or you need an extra jolt to power through a morning workout, you may be looking for a natural way to increase your energy levels.
<p>Caffeine happens to be the most-consumed energy booster in the world. From coffee to tea to chocolate, about 90% of Americans consume caffeine in some form every day. And increasingly, people are turning to energy drinks to satisfy their energy needs. </p><p>Energy drink consumption is especially high among young adults. In a 2016 <a href="https://supplements101.net/energy-drink-statistics/#:~:text=In%202016%2C%20the%20sales%20of,drinks%20on%20a%20regular%20basis." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">survey</a>, over one-third of 18- to 29-year-old respondents said they consumed energy drinks on a regular basis. </p><p>There are dozens of energy and sports drink companies out there to meet this growing demand for a regular energy boost. From flashy cans packed with bold flavors to all-natural alternatives, it can be difficult to cut through the noise and choose the right caffeine source for you. </p><p>That's why we're reviewing the top five healthy energy drinks that will give you a moderate level of caffeine without added sugars and artificial ingredients. </p><h2>The Downside of Mainstream Energy Drinks</h2><p>Step into most gas stations, and you'll find a fantastically colorful, shiny, and attention-grabbing display of canned energy drinks. These cans and bottles are slapped with powerful names like "Rockstar" and "Red Bull!". But often, hidden behind the neon graffiti-scribbled cans are ingredients best avoided for the sake of your health. </p><p>Most mainstream energy drinks are packed with high amounts of caffeine, sugar, and other undesirable ingredients. According to the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678#:~:text=Up%20to%20400%20milligrams%20(mg,widely%2C%20especially%20among%20energy%20drinks." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic</a>, adults should aim to consume no more than 400mg of caffeine a day. </p><p>To put that into perspective, a 1-ounce shot of espresso contains about 64 milligrams of caffeine. A regular cup of coffee has about 70 to 100 milligrams. Some energy shots contain more than 400 milligrams of caffeine in a single serving.</p><p>Overdoing your caffeine intake can have negative impacts on your health. The extent to which you experience side effects will depend on your tolerance for the drug, age, and genes. Signs of too much caffeine include headaches, anxiety, an elevated heart rate, muscle jitters, irritability, and frequent urination. </p><p>Added sugar is another common unhealthy ingredient in mainstream energy drinks. The American Heart Association recommends that adult men consume no more than 37 grams of sugar per day and women consume no more than 25 grams. However, a single serving of many mainstream energy drinks can easily contain 27 or more grams of added sugars per serving. </p><p><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Studies</a> show that consuming excess added sugars (those that aren't naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables) can have serious health implications. For most Americans, these added sugars come from flavored drinks, cereals, baked goods, and other processed foods, including energy drinks. </p><p>All of this sugar adds up to an increased risk for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. In one 15-year Harvard study, participants who consumed 17-21% of their daily calories from added sugars increased their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 38% compared to individuals who consumed 8% of their calories from added sugar. </p><p>Obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease are all leading causes of death in the US. By choosing no- to low-sugar healthy energy drinks without large amounts of caffeine, you can reduce your intake of added sugars and avoid overdoing your caffeine intake. </p><h2>What to Look for in a "Healthy" Energy Drink</h2><p>So how can you be sure your daily pick-me-up is a healthier option that will still sustain your energy levels? Start by reviewing the caffeine and sugar content. Many natural energy drinks on the market are sugar-free and made with natural caffeine sources. For example, matcha green tea is an herbal source of caffeine that has other nutritional benefits for overall wellness like antioxidants. </p><p>In addition to the caffeine and sugar content, many healthy energy drinks are fortified with essential nutrients that have positive health effects. You may get the added benefit of antioxidants from black tea, for example. </p><p>As always, be sure to read the label of any energy drink carefully and with an eye to added sugars, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients. And remember that caffeine is a natural diuretic, so it's important to watch your hydration and drink plenty of water. </p><h2>Best Healthy Energy Drinks</h2><p class="media-headline"><strong>Zevia Soda Zero Calorie </strong><br></p>
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<p><br></p><p>We like that this Zevia's zero-calorie option is made with clean ingredients. You won't find artificial colors, preservatives, soy, or sodium in these cans. With six simple ingredients, including carbonated water, you can rest assured that every sip is wholesome and good for you. Zevia offers a higher caffeine content than other healthy energy drinks, so it's a good option for someone with a higher caffeine tolerance or who reaches for just one serving of caffeine a day. </p><p><strong>Strength: </strong>120mg of caffeine per can</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> Sugar-free; Zero calorie; Non-GMO Project Verified; Kosher; Vegan</p><p><br></p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>Sambazon Organic Amazon Energy Drink</strong></p><p><strong><br></strong></p><div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="85c4853615e47cd7cbb10a107aacb6a2" contenteditable="false">
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<p>We love that this drink is both low in calories and sugar (with only 6 grams per serving) while providing other important vitamins. The green tea and yerba mate that give each can its 120 mg of caffeine come with potent antioxidants and vitamin C. This is another slightly more caffeinated option if you're looking for a stronger jolt from your healthy energy drink without the excess sugars and artificial ingredients you'll find in mainstream high-caffeine options. With fruity Amazon-inspired flavors like acai berry and pomegranate, Sambazon ensures every sip is delicious and refreshing. </p><p><strong>Strength: </strong>120mg per can </p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> Made with guarana, yerba mate & green tea; USDA-Certified Organic; Non-GMO; Vegan; Gluten-free; Kosher</p><p><br></p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>Sunshine Good Energy Drink</strong></p><p><br></p><div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="6eb3213e344554c1cf64811f99368be2" contenteditable="false">
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<p>This brightly colored can is not only enticing, but it's also good for you. It has a moderate amount of caffeine (about the same amount as a cup of coffee) for a light buzz that won't cause a crash. This low-calorie option (60 calories per can) is especially great for plant-based diets, which can often lack essential b vitamins, especially vitamin B12. Sunshine Energy Drinks are fortified with B12, and the clementine flavor also offers 100% of your daily Vitamin C requirements.</p><p><strong>Strength:</strong> 70mg caffeine per can</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> Made with organic green coffee beans; Added B12; Contains electrolytes; 100% of your daily Vitamin C</p><p><br></p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>GURU Lite Organic Low Calorie Energy Drink with Green Tea</strong></p><p><br></p><div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="4ab4b338d9d1410089b9f5d9f9be8a35" contenteditable="false">
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<p>GURU's Lite Energy drink is brewed with antioxidant-packed green tea and hydrating carbonated water. This vegan energy drink includes the added bonus of natural sweeteners and vitamin sources. Every can is made with ginseng, echinacea, guarana, and sweetened with stevia and monk fruit for a lightly sweet, nutrient-packed sip. Plus, GURU has an environmentally-friendly commitment to using natural, organic ingredients in this low-sugar, lightly caffeinated energy drink.</p><p><strong>Strength:</strong> 100mg caffeine per can</p><p><strong>Why buy: </strong>Non-GMO; Vegan; No artificial sweeteners; Organic</p><p><br></p><p class="media-headline">
<strong>Raspberry Sparkling Yerba Mate </strong></p><p><br></p><div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="425712ca3a2ade8e1f15a1ad7241b81c" contenteditable="false">
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<p>Clean Cause donates 50% of its profits from sales of this USDA Certified Organic energy drink to support addiction recovery. The company's mission is to support recovery from alcohol and drug addiction through sustainable funding. Clean Cause brews its energy drinks from the dried leaves of yerba mate, a vitamin-rich South American plant that is naturally high in caffeine and antioxidants. Every serving offers plant-based polyphenols, a group of antioxidants shown to reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.</p><p><strong>Strength: </strong>160mg per can (two servings)</p><p><strong>Why buy:</strong> USDA Certified Organic; Natural caffeine from yerba mate; Four fruity, sparkling flavors</p>
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The miserable ones: Young broiler chickens at a feeder. The poor treatment of the chickens within its supply chain has made Tyson the target of public campaigns urging the company to make meaningful changes. U.S. Department of Agriculture / Flickr
By David Coman-Hidy
The actions of the U.S. meat industry throughout the pandemic have brought to light the true corruption and waste that are inherent within our food system. Despite a new wave of rising COVID-19 cases, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently submitted a proposal to further increase "the maximum slaughter line speed by 25 percent," which was already far too fast and highly dangerous. It has been made evident that the industry will exploit its workers and animals all to boost its profit.
<p>The revelations continued when Tyson Foods, the world's second-largest producer of chicken, beef and pork, cooperated with the Department of Justice to avoid scrutiny into the company's role in the monopolization of the industry to <a href="https://www.fooddive.com/news/new-chicken-price-fixing-indictment-charges-6-more-with-conspiracy/586595/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fix prices</a> of chicken for both consumers and retailers. This news comes at a time when Tyson has already been <a href="https://talkbusiness.net/2020/06/tyson-foods-reports-199-positive-covid-19-cases-at-springdale-plant/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">under fire</a> for <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/04/17/tyson-foods-officials-call-plant-close-over-coronavirus-cases/5158361002/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exposing</a> its workers to an enormous risk of contracting COVID-19. We can now add competitors and consumers to the ever-growing list of those victimized by the corporate giant. This is further evidence that it's time for our nation's food supply chain to change in a big way.</p>
<p>Tyson Foods former CEO Noel White, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/03/tyson-foods-names-new-ceo-as-coronavirus-raises-costs.html" target="_blank">replaced</a> by Dean Banks in October, rushed to cooperate under the Department of Justice's antitrust leniency program, <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/5ee39382ebfb13423b279658" target="_blank">stating</a>, "I am proud to lead a company that took appropriate and immediate actions in reporting the wrongdoing we discovered to the Department of Justice." What White failed to mention is that cooperating will afford Tyson protection from public scrutiny and legal fines, at the expense of its competitors.</p><p>Unethical business practices seem to be the norm for Tyson Foods. Due to a lack of proper safety measures and harsh attendance policies, <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/news/10000-tyson-employees-positive-covid-19" target="_blank">more than 10,000 Tyson plant workers</a> tested positive for the virus, substantially more than any other U.S. meat company. Before the pandemic, <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/04/interview-how-us-making-meatpacking-jobs-even-more-dangerous" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">working on a meat processing line was one of the most dangerous jobs</a> in the United States. Now, with the constant threat of COVID-19 looming over these elbow-to-elbow assembly lines, meat processing may be among the <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-meatpacking-plants-have-become-covid-19-hot-spots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">most deadly</a> jobs in the world. <a href="https://thehumaneleague.org/article/whats-more-essential-workers-lives-or-meat-on-the-table" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Workers</a> are not just getting sick from this virus—they're dying.</p><p>The pandemic has led to <a href="https://www.inddist.com/supply-chain/article/21131454/keough-pandemic-has-caused-supply-chain-disruptions-for-80-of-us-businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">major disruptions in the supply chain</a>. While Tyson has not yet engaged in the mass "<a href="https://thehumaneleague.org/article/emergency-legal-petition-filed-with-usda-to-end-depopulation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">depopulation</a>" of animals that other producers resorted to, in a typical week, the company slaughters an estimated <a href="https://sentientmedia.org/tyson-foods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">37 million chickens</a>. The poor treatment of the chickens within its supply chain—including <a href="https://thehumaneleague.org/article/study-reveals-the-chicken-we-eat-live-in-agony" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">breeding</a> birds to grow at such an unnaturally fast rate that they can't even hold up their own bodies—has made Tyson the target of <a href="https://www.change.org/p/tyson-stop-neglecting-workers-animals-and-public-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">public campaigns</a> urging the company to make meaningful changes.</p><p>More than 120 labor, food justice, animal welfare and environmental organizations have banded together to <a href="https://thehumaneleague.org/article/120-organizations-target-tyson-foods-for-failing-to-protect-workers-covid19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">take action against</a> the company. Tyson must take immediate action to protect the safety and well-being of its workers, make improvements to support animal welfare and reduce its harsh impact on the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/01/commission-report-great-food-transformation-plant-diet-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">environment</a>.</p><p>For too long, the unethical, avaricious practices of the meat industry have been hidden from view. The scandals surrounding Tyson and other major producers are making clear that vulnerable workers, abused animals and a rigged system are the foundation of an unethical and destructive business model.</p><p>Tyson had a role in creating the industrialized system, and it must step up its role in fixing it. The meat giant has had one singular focus since its inception: profit. The company's greed has caused it to exploit anyone in its path. Tyson's disregard for human and animal life extends to its workers, animals killed in its plants, consumers and now its competitors. Tyson took ownership for rigging the system using price-fixing. It's time for Tyson to take ownership for exploiting and endangering its more vulnerable victims as well.</p><p><a href="https://www.change.org/p/tyson-stop-neglecting-workers-animals-and-public-health" target="_blank"><em>Sign the petition</em></a><em> urging Tyson to stop neglecting workers, animals and public health.</em></p><p><a href="https://actnow.thehumaneleague.org/live-shackle-slaughter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Sign the petition</em></a><em> urging the U.S. chicken meat industry to end the cruel practice of boiling birds alive.</em></p><p><em> David Coman-Hidy is president of <a href="https://thehumaneleague.org/broken-food-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Humane League</a>, a global nonprofit working to fix our broken food system and end the abuse of animals raised for food.</em></p><em><p><em>This article first appeared on </em><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/tyson-exploits-consumers-just-like-its-animals-and-the-workers-who-raise-them/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Truthout</em></a><em> and was produced in partnership with </em><a href="https://independentmediainstitute.org/earth-food-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Earth | Food | Life</em></a><em>, a project of the Independent Media Institute.</em></p></em>
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Altamira, state of Para, north of Brazil on Sept. 1, 2019. Amazon rainforest destruction surged between August 2019 and July 2020, Brazil's space agency reported. Gustavo Basso / NurPhoto via Getty Images
According to Brazil's space agency (Inpe), deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has surged to its highest level since 2008, the BBC reported.
<p>Despite Brazil previously setting a goal of slowing the pace of deforestation to 3,900 sq km annually by 2020, deforestation increased 9.5% from last year, and a total of 11,088 sq km (4,281 sq miles) of rainforest was destroyed from August 2019 to July 2020, according to the news report. That area is just smaller than the state of Connecticut, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/30/world/americas/brazil-amazon-rainforest-deforestation.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> noted.</p><p>Scientists blame part of this acceleration on far-right Brazilian President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/jair-bolsonaro" target="_self">Jair Bolsonaro</a>, who was elected on a pro-development promise and took office in Jan. 2019. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/bolsonaro" target="_self">Bolsonaro</a> encourages agriculture and mining in the world's largest rainforest and has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/brazil-bolsonaro-bill-open-indigenous-land-2645088985.html" target="_self">actively introduced policies and bills that open up the forest to loggers, ranchers and mining operations</a>. He has also cut critical funding for federal enforcement agencies that police farmers and loggers breaking environmental laws, the BBC reported.</p>
<p>Bolsonaro has simultaneously shunned outside influence from other countries, especially concerning the development of the Amazon. He has been accused of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/brazil-amazon-deforestation-coronavirus-2645950493.html" target="_self">using the coronavirus shutdowns as a smokescreen</a> to promote more deforestation and exploitation of forest resources. He has argued that he wants to develop the forest's resources to lift the area out of poverty, The New York Times reported.</p><p>As a result, deforestation and forest fires have increased under Bolsonaro's leadership. Fires are often used to clear vegetation from clear-cut areas of the forest to prepare them for illegal cattle-raising and agriculture, the report said.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bolsonaro-amazon-deforestation-court-2646172097.html" target="_self">Civil society groups and public prosecutors in Brazil filed lawsuits against the Bolsonaro government</a> to stop deforestation, taking issue with the president's reduction of inspections of exported timber and freezing of climate funds that help preserve the forests when other countries use these to offset their carbon emissions.</p><p>The trees in the Amazon are a vital component in the fight against the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> because they absorb billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, The New York Times reported. As the Amazon is cut down, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-deforestation-carbon-emissions-2645127492.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2" target="_self">it is becoming a carbon source instead of one of the world's largest carbon sinks</a>. This will have dire consequences for global temperatures.</p>
<p>The rainforest is also home to roughly three million species of plants and animals and one million indigenous people, the BBC reported. As habitat is lost, many species could be driven to extinction before they are even discovered. Protected tribal lands serve as a buffer against deforestation, and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/indigenous-tribes-drone-protect-amazon-2647584474.html" target="_self">indigenous tribes survey the land to protect the trees</a>. Their way of life and actual lives are at risk as the forest is cut down.</p><p>Despite the total size of deforested land being at a 12-year high, at least one federal official highlighted the slowing percentage-of-growth figure (9.5%) as a sign of progress because it is far lower than the 34% increase seen in 2019, The New York Times reported.</p><p>"While we are not here to celebrate this, it does signify that the efforts we are making are beginning to bear fruit," Vice President Hamilton Mourão said.</p><p>Environmentalists and scientists disagree and remain skeptical because Bolsonaro has asserted that "deforestation and fires will never end" because they are "cultural," reported <a href="https://www.axios.com/brazil-amazon-deforestation-12-year-high-0a7991c6-68e2-48f3-8a2d-715b49209cad.html" target="_blank">Axios</a>.</p><p>"The [new] figures show that Bolsonaro's plan worked, Brazilian non-governmental organization <a href="http://www.observatoriodoclima.eco.br/en/" target="_blank">Climate Observatory</a> said in a statement, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment/deforestation-in-brazils-amazon-skyrockets-to-12-year-high-under-bolsonaro-idUSKBN28A2RG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported. "They reflect the result of a successful initiative to annihilate the capacity of the Brazilian State and the inspection bodies to take care of our forests and fight crime in the Amazon."</p>
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United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press briefing at United Nations Headquarters on February 4, 2020 in New York City. Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images
By Kenny Stancil
"The state of the planet is broken. Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal."
That's how United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres began a Wednesday address at Columbia University, in which he reflected on the past 11 months of extreme weather and challenged world leaders to use the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to construct a better world free from destructive greenhouse gas emissions.
<p>Guterres' plea for countries to invest in a more just and sustainable future, transforming the economy and curbing climate change at the same time through the development of renewable energy among other green industries, coincided with the publication of two U.N. reports detailing the relationship between the continued extraction of fossil fuels and 2020's extreme weather.</p><p>In its annual <a href="https://library.wmo.int/doc_num.php?explnum_id=10444" target="_blank">report</a> on the state of the global climate, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that "global temperatures from January to October were around 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, putting 2020 on track to being one of the<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/14/planet-earth-says-noaa-just-had-its-hottest-september-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> three warmest years </a>on record," <em>Bloomberg Green</em> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-02/global-temperatures-already-1-2-c-above-pre-industrial-levels" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> Wednesday. "This decade will be the hottest on record, with the warmest six years all happening since 2015."</p><p>The <em>Associated Press</em> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-climate-climate-change-paris-floods-d144cda34053abbd0758e22d9ff8f7c6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noted</a> as well that "the WMO's report found global warming is worsening in all seven key climate indicators, but the problem is increasing human suffering in an already bad year."</p><p>According to the report, "over 50 million people have been <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/08/31/wake-lauras-devastation-and-amid-pandemic-and-heat-wave-calls-emerge-end-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">doubly hit</a> [in 2020]: by climate-related disasters (floods, droughts, and storms) and the Covid-19 pandemic." Guterres <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2020-12-02/secretary-generals-address-columbia-university-the-state-of-the-planet-scroll-down-for-language-versions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">emphasized </a>that "the impacts fall most heavily on the world's most vulnerable people."</p>
<p>"Those who have done the least to cause the problem are suffering the most," the U.N. leader pointed out,<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/01/without-climate-action-number-low-income-homes-affected-flooding-projected-triple" target="_blank"> including</a> in the deeply unequal developed world where "the marginalized are the first victims of disasters and the last to recover."</p><p>Guterres summarized the worsening toll of the world's interrelated environmental crises:</p><blockquote>Biodiversity is collapsing. One million species are at risk of extinction. Ecosystems are disappearing before our eyes. Deserts are spreading. Wetlands are being lost. Every year, we lose 10 million hectares of forests. Oceans are overfished—and choking with plastic waste. The carbon dioxide they absorb is acidifying the seas. Coral reefs are bleached and dying. Air and water pollution are killing 9 million people annually—more than six times the current toll of the pandemic. And with people and livestock encroaching further into animal habitats and disrupting wild spaces, we could see more viruses and other disease-causing agents jump from animals to humans. <br></blockquote>
<p>The U.N. leader also spelled out the catastrophic contours of the climate emergency:</p><blockquote>Ocean heat is at record levels. This year, more than 80 percent of the world's oceans experienced marine heatwaves. In the Arctic, 2020 has seen exceptional warmth, with temperatures more than 3 degrees Celsius above average—and more than 5 degrees in northern Siberia. Arctic sea ice in October was the lowest on record—and now re-freezing has been the slowest on record. Greenland ice has continued its long-term decline, losing an average of 278 gigatons a year. Permafrost is melting and so releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Apocalyptic fires and floods, cyclones and hurricanes are increasingly the new normal.<br></blockquote><p>"Covid-19 lockdowns have temporarily reduced emissions and pollution," Guterres added, "but carbon dioxide levels are still at record highs—and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/23/no-time-lose-climate-action-atmospheric-co2-continued-rise-2020-despite-covid-19" target="_blank">rising</a>," along with other greenhouse gases. </p><p>Despite the gravity of the situation, "climate policies have yet to rise to the challenge," the U.N. leader lamented. </p><p>In a special<a href="http://productiongap.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/PGR2020_FullRprt_web.pdf" target="_blank"> report</a> on the production gap—"the discrepancy between countries' planned fossil fuel production and global production levels consistent with limiting warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius"—researchers from the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), and other institutions explained that the world must decrease fossil fuel production by 6 percent per year between 2020 and 2030 to limit catastrophic global warming.</p><p>Instead, countries are planning on increasing fossil fuel production by 2 percent per year, putting the world on pace to burn more than twice the amount of carbon by the end of the decade than deemed compatible with a 1.5 degree Celsius pathway. </p>
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<p>"As we seek to reboot economies following the Covid-19 pandemic, investing in low-carbon energy and infrastructure will be good for jobs, for economies, for health, and for clean air,"<a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/worlds-governments-must-wind-down-fossil-fuel-production-6-year" target="_blank"> said</a> UNEP executive director Inger Andersen."Governments must seize the opportunity to direct their economies and energy systems away from fossil fuels, and build back better towards a more just, sustainable, and resilient future."</p><p>Ivetta Gerasimchuk, a sustainable energy expert at the International Institute for Sustainable Development and a co-author of the production gap report, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-climate-climate-change-paris-floods-d144cda34053abbd0758e22d9ff8f7c6" target="_blank">explained</a> to <em>AP</em> that "investing in oil, coal, and gas no longer makes economic sense because renewable energy is becoming <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/13/so-what-are-you-waiting-say-climate-campaigners-after-iea-says-solar-now-cheapest" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cheaper</a> than fossil fuels," especially after what she <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/worlds-governments-must-wind-down-fossil-fuel-production-6-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called</a> "the pandemic-driven demand shock and the plunge of oil prices this year."</p><p>Nevertheless, she <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-climate-climate-change-paris-floods-d144cda34053abbd0758e22d9ff8f7c6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> <em>AP</em>, "We see that instead of governments letting these fossil fuel projects die, they resurrect them from the dead," channeling billions of dollars in public <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/01/100-billion-lifeline-while-most-americans-are-being-left-behind-report-details" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">subsidies</a> to the production and consumption of fossil fuels.</p><p>Guterres implored government officials to treat the trillions of dollars being invested in the post-coronavirus crisis recovery process as a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/18/no-vaccine-climate-change-coronavirus-has-been-disastrous-says-red-cross-global" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mechanism</a> to catapult the world onto a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/09/world-closing-paris-warming-limit-un-report-makes-case-transformational-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">trajectory</a>. </p>
<p>He stated unequivocally that devoting more funds to dirty energy than to clean energy at this pivotal moment in history, which<a href="http://productiongap.org/" target="_blank"> locks in</a> "unsustainable fossil fuel pathways," is an injustice inflicted on future generations as well as society's most vulnerable members who bear the least responsibility for climate risks and disruptions.</p><p>"The science is clear," Guterres <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55147647" target="_blank">told</a> the <em>BBC</em>. "Unless the world cuts fossil fuel production by 6 percent every year between now and 2030, things will get worse. Much worse."</p><p>The solution, <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/worlds-governments-must-wind-down-fossil-fuel-production-6-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> Michael Lazarus, director of the SEI's U.S. Center and a co-author of the report on the production gap, is "government policies that decrease both the demand and supply for fossil fuels and support communities currently dependent on them." </p><p>Gerasimchuk <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/worlds-governments-must-wind-down-fossil-fuel-production-6-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acknowledged </a>that "this may be one of the most challenging undertakings of the 21st century, but it's necessary and achievable."</p><p>"It's time," <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/worlds-governments-must-wind-down-fossil-fuel-production-6-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> SEI's executive director Måns Nilsson, "to imagine, and plan for, a better future."</p><p>Watch Guterres' entire address here:</p>
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Scaling up offshore renewable energy is one of the ways that governments can improve ocean sustainability efforts. BerndBrueggemann / Getty Images
On Wednesday, governments responsible for 40 percent of the world's coastlines and 20 percent of global fisheries announced a series of new commitments that comprise the world's biggest ocean sustainability initiative.
<p>The <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VW_ypy3S_jgNN9byR2ys4BzfW824bMN4k7sNjN1YBnv93p_8SV1-WJV7CgNTvW9lfXJd8Fkx0GW5DDTkJ49SyXxW1dVD6l3GPhxqW3pj49q59Yv1YN7nnMSZvnSpjW7HfmFt5wwRTrW6mC5VB1wCPgyW6qF3Pg2sCSF-W8z9Mzy5hzzCDVJHN8W53qh_6VdPWX39c5V7wW5tGWbp13HrrCW9kjgt71hRg7MW1blDfF4_LL4bW2Jh8Pw2Jhmx0W1yBYXL3yTLnMV6KD3l8Kq5FrW8_TXGL79rTMpN2K08B9YP9qDW20s99V5wybyfW349WdH7brMdpW8p2dkf4zJQJl35S_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fourteen countries</a>, which combined control an ocean area the size of Africa, committed to sustainably manage their national waters by 2025 and encouraged all other nations to join them by 2030. </p><p>In practice, this means that these governments will pursue a range of strategies, including reducing shipping emissions, reducing marine pollution, scaling up offshore renewable energy, and taking a precautionary approach to deep sea mining. </p><p>"You can't just prosper, prosper, prosper—fish more, drill more," Jane Lubchenco, an environmental scientist, former NOAA administrator, and one of the panel's expert co-chairs, told Fast Company.</p>
<p>"You have to do it in a way that minimizes the impacts on the ecosystem and maximizes the equitable benefit." </p><p>The new sustainable ocean agenda, if achieved worldwide, would dramatically increase food and renewable energy production, and contribute a fifth of the greenhouse gas pollution reductions required to stay within 1.5°C of global warming.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/global-sustainable-fishing-initiative-agreed-by-14-countries?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_UWMXguHF4B8mDRgLMPfsNbTEZWLXr2iO9m1C_OOJ5RXJqUEZCuHm1ZpfkTqtz_kbAuLwIQ2qcG8bXRzcCvZLRun3B0wqw6Hd67TBFFD-5WjQihwk&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90581007/14-countries-launch-a-new-plan-to-achieve-a-sustainable-ocean-economy?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8eHPkod09Lrg8Olfh8Rc8t1dqwdt7DkRJG7ZSBgLdxj50vaR-bmOaOyn7aogHUlftEA3W064mZFANV2PKwax17ZFL0VJx7s51jFvDRHE90ulz_Hfk&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Fast Company</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/immersive/d42859-020-00084-7/index.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8aHFAlO_LqaMAAZlXr_dLoOJIoDZOdIrB_yIyCdJUXBS5vynN4PGaVhtwUokL1XYzT7o6MN57Re1x1hQfO6Aq9KzPyiSXNyDRmPsPiKk5ij5morsg&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Nature,</a> <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/oceans-key-to-solving-climate-crisis-say-world-leaders/a-55789573?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_ascIVyKdy3ucnvJQIbAyxCLhXw2y5t8dkt02FOqfFYZiMl_aOCDpD86z33ei5xjwhXkL-c-DV2vJTWBkZkcFfeieRg77HaIPcPaY77lqwv-1hbc4&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/oceanpanel/bbc-world-service-with-pm-solberg-of-norway?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_WkSVHR0EtEthuS5HEYKxTL0MThvp12bEdGOc3BBtkP4BBK_SHhza8_CkpYOg3FRTp1zHD1GAwkxCcuUdu_RvrDWgB7uhS3cJT4pZLGO3hC4zKy0k&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">BBC Radio</a>, <a href="https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2020/12/02/14-nations-commit-to-manage-sustainably-their-waters-by-2025/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_JundZm7dqs79UkBXFXwOYFOHNuKpGM7ttOVH7QyH3zCxjiibJhyhhi_imQLbWeuRks4_zUEswZjN20kdG03AP6wxEXEqY4HW8jHOFWnNHSZXLdLg&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Undercurrent News</a>, <a href="https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/environment-sustainability/world-s-biggest-ocean-sustainability-initiative-signed-by-14-countries?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9lnymFpaQ5SYT7ihvf-KB6OHlRD1h2YmBE2vUI0KGEZjL5JNKaM-trcJpO03T7NxoRmu2KnKeR4PP6N2sjhiDc8GIW_KLgayzH9yciuIYmSPpu214&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Seafood Source</a>, <a href="https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2020/12/02/key-fishing-nations-endorse-the-protection-of-30-of-the-ocean/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--koAEW4Ll_dwV60oqQazyGoxxnw-t1kwDqzskZXHjGG_aJGf9XnyTBlwgRAGfPlEFzRb8bl6A37uGxREfm6sQJEMVamLsel0o2C76_YbURgvBRPuo&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">National Geographic</a>; Commentary: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03303-3?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--STJt6CIUuKWYBNapAcJj35oaKn8XqMcBhePyf8rXh3bENLGMVinUwsVuJxIqw2EVfiSAp9kUd6ZcVbgkOJkg1Bya52Iy3sgeep0dfL1WyB6Y6Sp4&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Nature, Jane Lubchenco, Peter Haugan, Mari Elka Pangestu comment</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03302-4?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=101740057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8T5OTZHQQTzZYnSOW3cS-bSiqCGwcH2PBruHmvxGwH16S4Ku_1BPQekFufmWHoYo7vtcC97aA-VPxrCompd7j-gtGrSfP8GM3_mAiHboxPY1q7ABw&utm_content=101740057&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Nature, Erna Solberg op-ed</a></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>, and sign up for daily </em><a href="http://climatenexus.us4.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=d1f5797e59060083034310930&id=7c84c08aaa" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Sheep like these will no longer be exported from England and Wales for slaughter under a proposed ban. Chris Jackson / Getty Images
The UK has taken steps toward becoming the first European country to ban the export of live animals for slaughter.
<p>Environment Secretary George Eustice announced the new plans Thursday, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/03/uk-to-become-first-country-in-europe-to-ban-live-animal-exports" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. The ban would fulfill a campaign promise from the ruling Conservative Party, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55167473" target="_blank">BBC News explained</a>.</p><p>"We are committed to improving the welfare of animals at all stages of life," Eustice told <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/live-animal-export-ban-uk-defra-b1765196.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a>. "Today marks a major step forward in delivering on our manifesto commitment to end live exports for slaughter."</p><p>The ban would apply to live animals exported for slaughter from England and Wales, BBC News reported. The plan will first undergo an eight-week consultation period that will cover how to improve animal welfare during transport within the UK. The results will be presented to Parliament in the summer of 2021 and should go into effect by the end of 2021.</p>
<p>The plan already includes a few exceptions. Animals will still be exported from Northern Ireland, and the export of poultry or animals intended for breeding will not be covered by the ban, according to The Guardian. The results of the eight-week consultation will be used to discuss a joint ban with Scotland.</p><p>The announcement won wide praise from UK <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/animal-welfare" target="_self">animal welfare</a> groups. Both the <a href="https://www.rspca.org.uk/" target="_blank">RSPCA</a> and <a href="https://www.ciwf.org.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Compassion in World Farming</a> told The Independent that they had campaigned against the practice for more than 50 years.</p><p>"There is absolutely no reasonable justification to subject an animal to an unnecessarily stressful journey abroad simply for them to be fattened for slaughter," RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood told The Independent. "Ending live exports for slaughter and further fattening would be a landmark achievement for animal welfare."</p>
<p>The government stressed that the proposed ban was made possible by Brexit.</p><p>"Now that we have left the EU, we have an opportunity to end this unnecessary practice. We want to ensure that animals are spared stress prior to slaughter," Eustice told The Independent.</p><p>In 2012, for example, a local government in Kent tried to ban the practice after a truck full of lame sheep was discovered at a port and had to be put to sleep, BBC News reported. However, the High Court ruled that the ban violated EU free trade laws.</p><p>"The government has long maintained that exporting live animals was a practice which could be ended as a result of Brexit — a good example of where leaving the EU would bring benefits," BBC political correspondent Helen Catt wrote. "No surprise then that it is keen to deliver on it fully."</p>
<p>The government has also promised a number of other post-Brexit animal protection measures.</p><p>"This announcement marks the start of renewed efforts from government to raise standards on animal welfare even further now we are outside the EU, including taking steps to ban primates as pets and crack down on the illegal smuggling of dogs and puppies, with further proposals to improve standards and eradicate cruel practices expected to be set out in the coming months," the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement, The Independent reported.</p><p>However, a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/brexit-environment-risk-2559682645.html?share_id=3522712" target="_self">2018 analysis</a> from <a href="https://friendsoftheearth.uk/" target="_blank">Friends of the Earth</a> found that Brexit was likely to weaken environmental regulations overall in both the UK and the EU.</p>
<p>Yet there are also moves within the EU to restrict the practice of animal export, according to The Guardian. In September the Dutch suggested that animal transport should be limited, and a European parliamentary committee on the protection of animals during transport has been holding hearings since October.</p><p>Animal welfare groups in the EU also responded favorably to the news of the proposed UK ban.</p><p>"This is great news, it is far too stressful to export live animals for slaughter," Iris Baumgaertner from Germany's Animal Welfare Foundation told The Guardian.</p>
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A group of climate activists that have been cycling from the North of the country in stages to draw attention to the climate case are arriving to the Court of Justice on the day that the climate lawsuit against Shell starts in The Hague, on December 1st, 2020. Romy Arroyo Fernandez / NurPhoto / Getty Images
By Julia Conley
Representing more than 17,000 claimants who support climate action, the international organization Friends of the Earth on Tuesday opened its case against fossil fuel giant Shell at The Hague by demanding that a judge order the corporation to significantly reduce its carbon emissions in the next decade.
<p>Milieudefensie, the Dutch arm of Friends of the Earth, <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/01/climate-change-activists-take-energy-giant-shell-to-court-in-the-hague-over-emissions" target="_blank">says</a> Shell has broken the law in The Netherlands by knowingly standing in the way of the country's phase-out of fossil fuels. Shell says it has set a goal of cutting its emissions to net zero by 2050, but the group is demanding a more rapid reduction. </p><p>"We are relying on the Dutch courts to protect communities around the globe," tweeted Nils Mollema, a policy advisor at ActionAid, which is supporting Milieudefensie in the case. </p>
<div id="47348" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5afbc9986f5a700bcaa4f88e3046024b"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1333715559301713922" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today in The Hague: Shell on trial for its role in climate catastrophe. @Shell must take responsibility and correct… https://t.co/siy20sVKxF</div> — Nils Mollema (@Nils Mollema)<a href="https://twitter.com/MollemaNils/statuses/1333715559301713922">1606817543.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The case comes five years after the Dutch government was ordered to reduce its emissions by at least 25% from 1990 levels by the end of 2020. Under the Paris climate agreement, the European Union has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030.</p><p>"The claimants therefore conclude that Royal Dutch Shell's corporate policy is on collision course with global climate targets," Roger Cox, a lawyer representing Milieudefensie in the civil case, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/dutch-climate-activists-take-shell-to-court-over-emissions/2020/12/01/ed68d494-33ac-11eb-9699-00d311f13d2d_story.html" target="_blank">told</a> a panel of three judges at The Hague District Court on Tuesday. </p><p>The organization has vehemently rejected Shell's defense in the case, in which the multinational corporation is suggesting that it is no more responsible for solving the climate emergency than other businesses or individuals.</p><p>"What will accelerate the energy transition is effective policy, investment in technology, and changing customer behavior," Shell <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/01/climate-change-activists-take-energy-giant-shell-to-court-in-the-hague-over-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> Tuesday as the first of four days of hearings began. "None of which will be achieved with this court action."</p><p>Cox noted in his opening remarks that Shell is responsible for about 1.2% of the planet's industrial fossil fuel emissions.</p><p>"The main argument of Shell is that everybody is responsible: the consumer, the state, the international community, everybody is responsible except Shell, except the biggest polluter of the Netherlands, one of the 10 biggest polluters in the world," said Donald Pols, director of Milieudefensie, on Monday. "And we are going to change that."</p><p>The case opened a month after Shell drew outrage from climate action campaigners by <a href="https://twitter.com/Shell/status/1323184318735360001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">posting a poll </a>on its official Twitter account, asking ordinary citizens what they plan to do to help mitigate the climate crisis. </p><p>"I'm willing to hold you accountable for lying about climate change for 30 years when you secretly knew the entire time that fossil fuels emissions would destroy our planet," U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/02/shell-oil-asked-what-people-are-willing-do-reduce-emissions-im-willing-hold-you" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">replied</a> at the time, denouncing the company's "audacity."</p><p>On Monday, Pols called the opening of the case at The Hague "a historic moment."</p><p>"This is actually 'the People versus Shell,' a company that has got away with greenwashing for too long," he said in statement. "This case will make it clear to everyone that more than 95% of what Shell does is causing dangerous climate change. This has to change as soon as possible."</p><p><span></span><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/01/friends-earth-vs-shell-historic-moment-climate-movement-takes-big-oil-hague" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em></p>
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Eat Just, Inc. announced that its cultured chicken has been approved for sale in Singapore as an ingredient in chicken bites. The company has developed other cultured chicken formats as well. Eat Just
As concern mounts over the environmental impacts of animal agriculture, Singapore has issued the world's first regulatory approval for lab-grown meat.
<p>The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has declared that the U.S.-based company <a href="https://www.ju.st/en-us" target="_blank">Eat Just</a> can sell its cultured "chicken bites" in the country, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/no-kill-lab-grown-meat-to-go-on-sale-for-first-time" target="_blank">The Guardian reported Wednesday</a>.</p><p>"I think the approval is one of the most significant milestones in the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/food/" target="_self">food</a> industry in the last handful of decades," Eat Just co-founder and CEO Josh Tetrick said in a statement reported by The Guardian. "It's an open door and it's up to us and other companies to take that opportunity. My hope is this leads to a world in the next handful of years where the majority of meat doesn't require killing a single animal or tearing down a single tree."</p>
<p>Giving up on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat-consumption" target="_self">meat consumption</a> is one of the most important things an individual can do to fight the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> and environmental destruction, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vegan-climate-change-2558286917.html" target="_self">studies</a> have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vegan-earth-footprint-2574241439.html" target="_self">found</a>. Companies have tried to tap into this growing ecological awareness by offering meat alternatives. Plant-based meat replacements like <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/beyond-meat" target="_self">Beyond Meat</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/impossible-foods" target="_self">Impossible Foods</a> are gaining traction, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55155741" target="_blank">BBC News pointed out</a>, and the market for meat alternatives could be worth about 10 percent of the global meat industry within the next decade.</p><p>However, some companies think that plant-based meat replacements will not be enough to wean meat-lovers off of steak and chicken, The Guardian pointed out. Instead, companies like Eat Just, Future Meat Technologies and the Bill Gates-backed Memphis Meats have worked to grow meat in labs, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/01/singapore-issues-first-regulatory-approval-for-lab-grown-meat-to-eat-just.html" target="_blank">CNBC reported</a>. They argue that their meat is also less cruel, healthier for consumers and better for the environment.</p><p>"We think that [the way] to really solve the meat problem — which is a health problem, a deforestation problem, a morality problem — is to make animal protein," Tetrick told CNBC.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg1NzE4Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTUzMjA4N30.-5EwlKgZejlzA25BqWo0VkOuhK2_4BZ6nxbfLcrtC4M/img.jpg?width=980" id="9c1fe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="01f8f414e028394386321c455c4436f8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Eat Just's cultured chicken has been approved for sale in Singapore as an ingredient in chicken bites. Eat Just
<p>Eat Just worked to gain the approval of Singapore health regulators for about two years. To do so, they had to develop a consistent manufacturing process for their product and satisfy food safety standards for new foods.</p><p>"It was found to be safe for consumption at the intended levels of use, and was allowed to be sold in Singapore as an ingredient in Eat Just's nuggets product," the SFA ruled, as BBC News reported.</p><p>Eat Just's meat is made by putting animal stem cells into a culture that feeds the cells, and then putting the growing cells in a bioreactor, CNBC explained. Tetrick said the process was similar to making beer.</p><p>The product already has health benefits compared to conventional meat. It has a high protein content and many amino acids, but it has no antibiotics and very low amounts of microbes like salmonella.</p><p>It is also largely cruelty free. The meat cells can be taken from live animals, and they are fed with plant-derived nutrients, The Guardian explained. The Singapore lab chicken did use a growth serum from foetal bovine blood, but a plant-based serum will be used for the next round of production.</p>
<p> Lab-grown meat also uses less land and water than conventional meat. However, the process does have some environmental disadvantages. It is high-energy, and, because it is currently being done at a small scale, requires a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Once the process is scaled up, the energy costs will go down.</p><p>There are many challenges that must be overcome before cultured meat is widely available. Eat Just's product will first be offered in just one restaurant in Singapore, Tetrick told CNBC.</p><p>"We're going to start out with a single restaurant and then scale out to five, 10, 15 and then eventually into retail," Tetrick told CNBC. "The infrastructure required to do it is primarily the bioreactors, so we'll eventually be moving to 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 liters."</p><p>It is currently costly to produce cultured meat, and the product will be the price of premium chicken. However, costs have already decreased from $50 per chicken nugget, according to BBC News. They are expected to continue to do so as production is scaled up, and Eat Just says its products will eventually be cheaper to produce than conventional meat, according to The Guardian.</p><p>Another hurdle is making meat lovers comfortable with the idea of lab-grown meat.</p><p>Still, Bruce Friedrich of the Good Food Institute called the new approval a "very big deal for the future of meat production globally."</p><p>"A new space race for the future of food is under way," he told The Guardian.</p>
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Wildfires are seen burning out of control on November 30, 2020 on Fraser Island, Australia. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services / Getty Images
The world's largest sand island has been on fire for the past six weeks due to a campfire, and Australia's firefighters have yet to prevent flames from destroying the fragile ecosystem.
<p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires" target="_blank">wildfires</a> on <a href="https://fido.org.au/moonbi/backgrounders/49%20Fraser%20Fauna%20Backgrounder.pdf" target="_blank">Fraser Island</a>, also called by its Indigenous name K'gari, have burned almost <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/australia/australia-bushfire-fraser-island-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">200,000 acres </a>of its unique habitat, including large sand dunes, swamps and rainforests. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-environment-july-2639073995.html?rebelltitem=1" target="_blank">Fraser Island</a> is near Brisbane on the northeastern coast, where dingos, swamp wallabies, sugar gliders and more than 60 reptile species call the island home. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.</p><p>Several tourists visiting the island had to be <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-bushfires/bushfires-threaten-tourist-areas-on-australias-fraser-island-idUSKBN28C05U" target="_blank">evacuated</a> as conditions worsened, Reuters reported.<br></p><p>"I think it's frustrating for everybody, the fact that a campfire has started this fire. Having the impact that it has had, it started in a very, very remote part of the island… really difficult to access," Queensland Fire and Emergency Services deputy commissioner Mike Wassing told CNN affiliate Nine News, according to Reuters.</p><p>Since Saturday fire crews have dropped more than 200,000 gallons of water and flame retardant on the island, Reuters added. </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/01/catastrophic-bushfire-on-queenslands-fraser-island-threatens-ecological-disaster" target="_blank">The Guardian </a>reported that crews are mainly addressing the problem from above, focusing on key ecological areas and sites that are important to the Butchulla Aboriginal people, who have called the island home for thousands of years.</p>
<p>However, fighting sand fires is difficult, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services assistant commissioner Gary McCormack told The Guardian. He explained how water quickly drained from the sand floor, even when dropped from above. Ground conditions weren't any better due to a lack of firebreaks. </p><p>"Unfortunately the current conditions are not conducive to extinguishment," McCormack said.</p><p>The fires are approaching the Valley of Giants, a tourist attraction known for its 1,000-year-old trees. </p><p><span></span>Researcher Dr. Gabriel Conroy, a conservation biologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast whose work focuses on Fraser Island, took a student group there last week.</p><p>"A northerly wind had kicked in and it was other-worldly with ash falling down on the students," he told The Guardian. "There's a sense of panic on the island."</p>
<p>Conroy explained that traditional fire practices by the Butchulla people were suppressed more than a century ago, and European loggers altered the island's ecology. Prior to this, the Butchulla had burned smaller fires on the island for thousands of years in order to prevent more widespread ones.<br></p><p>"This is a very large and very hot fire for this island. It's a big fire and it's the wrong kind of fire," Conroy said. He added, "It's a catastrophe. Even ecosystems that are meant to burn don't bounce back from widespread hot fires. It can be beyond their capacity to bounce back."<span></span></p><p>According to <a href="Queensland's Bureau of Meteorology said the fire danger is likely to be exacerbated by strong winds and extreme heat wave conditions, which are forecast to continue in the state for the next few days." target="_blank">CNN,</a> Queensland's Bureau of Meteorology warned that an extreme heat wave and strong winds, forecast for the next couple of days, would likely worsen the fires.</p><p>The current fires may be the start of a harsh and long fire season, and are already drawing comparison to the devastating <a href="https://news.trust.org/item/20201112231540-id4yp/#:~:text=Fires%20razed%20more%20than%2011,called%20Australia's%20%22black%20summer%22." target="_blank">wildfires</a> Australia experienced in early 2020, where more than 37 million acres were destroyed, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/australia-wildfires-animals-2646814591.html" target="_blank">three billion animals killed</a>, and 33 people died.</p>
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Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' Were Dropped Over Millions of Acres via Aerial Pesticide, Tests Reveal
02 December
Health + Wellness
A plane sprays pesticide over the Wynwood neighborhood in the hope of controlling and reducing the number of mosquitos, some of which may be capable of spreading the Zika virus on Aug. 6, 2016 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
A national nonprofit revealed Tuesday that testing commissioned by the group as well as separate analysis conducted by Massachusetts officials show samples of an aerially sprayed pesticide used by the commonwealth and at least 25 other states to control mosquito-borne illnesses contain toxic substances that critics call "forever chemicals."
<p>Officially known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas" target="_blank">PFAS</a>), this group of man-made chemicals — including PFOA, PFOS, and GenX — earned the nickname because they do not break down in the environment and build up in the body. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pfas">PFAS</a> has been linked to suppressed immune function, cancers, and other health issues.</p><p>Lawmakers and regulators at various levels of government have worked to clean up <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drinking-water">drinking water</a> contaminated by PFAS. The newly released results of pesticide testing by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) generated alarm about the effectiveness of such efforts.</p><p>"In Massachusetts, communities are struggling to remove PFAS from their drinking water supplies, while at the same time, we may be showering them with PFAS from the skies and roads," PEER science policy director Kyla Bennett, a scientist and attorney formerly with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>), <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/01/aerially-sprayed-pesticide-contains-pfas-forever-chemicals-potentially-spread" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement Tuesday.</p><p>"The frightening thing is that we do not know how many insecticides, herbicides, or even disinfectants contain PFAS," added Bennett, who arranged for the testing. "PEER found patents showing chemical companies using PFAS in these products, and recent articles discuss the variety of pesticides that contain PFAS as either an active or an inert ingredient."</p>
<div id="d4091" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="64ed42ca263b7280932e8f8d4e445802"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1333816394283065344" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">NEW: @PEERorg found that toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” were sprayed on millions of acres in MA & 25 other states.… https://t.co/TcR3vCuXna</div> — Food & Water Watch (@Food & Water Watch)<a href="https://twitter.com/foodandwater/statuses/1333816394283065344">1606841584.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The product tested initially by PEER and subsequently MADEP, once the nonprofit alerted the department of its findings, is Anvil 10+10, produced by the Illinois company Clarke.</p><p>Karen Larson, Clarke's vice president of government affairs, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/01/metro/toxic-forever-chemicals-found-pesticide-used-millions-mass-acres-when-spraying-mosquitos/" target="_blank">told</a> the Boston Globe that "when this was first brought to our attention, we conducted an internal inquiry of our manufacturing and supply chain to ensure that PFAS was not an ingredient in the production, manufacturing, or distribution of either the active or inactive ingredients of Anvil."</p><p>"No PFAS ingredients are used in the formulation of Anvil, nor in the production of any source material in Anvil. PFAS components are not added at any point in the production of Anvil," she said. Larson added that while it is unclear why the Clarke pesticide contained PFAS, the company "will continue to work closely with the EPA to conduct our own testing."</p>
<p>PEER executive director Tim Whitehouse detailed the recent testing results in a <a href="https://www.peer.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/MA-DEP-Ltr-Anvil-11-25-20-1.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=1c783f1a-fbb9-4fe2-b9b5-a694dc19b99e" target="_blank">letter</a> sent last week to MADEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg that called for halting the use of Anvil 10+10, ensuring any replacement does not contain forever chemicals, and requiring pesticide companies to comprehensively test their products for PFAS:</p><blockquote>This fall, PEER conducted several tests for PFAS of a 2.5 gallon jug of Anvil 10+10, the pesticide used in the aerial spraying programs of Massachusetts and many other states. Our tests revealed that Anvil 10+10 contains roughly 250 parts per trillion (ppt) of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and 260–500 ppt of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), a GenX replacement for PFOA. Both these results are hovering around the detection limits of the laboratory's equipment, but there is no doubt that these PFAS are in the insecticide. While PFAS may be useful when added to pesticides as surfactants, dispersants, and anti-foaming agents, it is unclear whether the PFAS found in Anvil 10+10 is an ingredient added by the manufacturer, contained in one of the ingredients supplied to Anvil's manufacturer by other companies, or whether it is a contaminant from the manufacturing/storage process. Moreover, since we were only able to test for 36 PFAS out of the 9,252 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) inventory, it is impossible to know how many other PFAS might be in Anvil 10+10.<br>[...]<br>When PEER obtained its first positive PFAS results on Anvil 10+10, we immediately contacted DEP because of the far-reaching implications. MADEP independently tested nine samples of Anvil 10+10 from five different containers, and found eight different PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS. Some PFAS levels were over 700 ppt. As such, there appears to be no doubt that there are PFAS in the pesticide Massachusetts has chosen for mosquito control.</blockquote>
<p>Whitehouse noted that Massachusetts aerially sprayed 2.2 million acres with Anvil 10+10 last year and more than 200,000 acres this year. The Boston Globe explained that "most of the <a href="https://www.mass.gov/service-details/mosquito-control-and-spraying?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=1c783f1a-fbb9-4fe2-b9b5-a694dc19b99e" target="_blank">spraying</a> has been done in the southeastern part of the state, where EEE, a rare but deadly mosquito-borne disease, has been most prevalent."</p><p>The EPA, which has been lambasted by lawmakers as well as environmental and public health advocates for its handling of PFAS contamination on a national scale, is working on "an analytical method" to detect the forever chemicals in pesticides and plans to conduct its own tests of Anvil 10+10, according to the newspaper.</p><p>"There are significant unanswered questions about the data currently available," Dave Deegan, a spokesperson for the federal agency's offices in New England, told the Boston Globe. "EPA will continue to work closely with and support the state on this issue. Aggressively addressing PFAS continues to be an important, active, and ongoing priority for EPA."</p>
<p>Bennett and other critics of the EPA's response to PFAS reiterated concerns about the agency in the wake of the revelations in Massachusetts.</p><p>"This PFAS fiasco shows that public trust in EPA having a full accounting of these materials and their safety is utterly misplaced," said Bennett. "Until EPA acts, states need to adopt their own safeguards and chemical disclosure requirements because they certainly cannot depend upon the diligence of EPA."</p><p>In a statement about the testing on Tuesday, Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/01/pfas-discovered-common-pesticide-sprayed-millions-acres" target="_blank">declared</a> that "these findings shock the conscience — states likely have unknowingly contaminated communities' water with PFAS hidden in pesticides. Once again, the EPA has failed to protect the American people from harmful pollution."</p><p>Emphasizing that "we need to stop the introduction of toxic forever chemicals into the environment and our water sources to protect public health," Hauter said that "the EPA must ban all pesticides with PFAS components, designate PFAS as hazardous substances to hold polluters accountable for cleanup of contamination, and set strong enforceable standards for PFAS in our drinking water."</p><p>"The GOP-controlled Senate must step up and pass the PFAS Action Act, which passed the House in January, to regulated these toxic compounds and hold polluters accountable, and Congress must pass he WATER Act to provide the financial relief to community water providers and households with wells to remove PFAS from drinking water or find alternative sources where treatment fails," she added. "Now is the time for decisive action to protect people's health and safety."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/01/tests-reveal-toxic-forever-chemicals-aerial-pesticide-showered-over-millions-acres" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern plants a tree as part of Trees That Count, a project to help New Zealand make a positive impact on climate change, on June 30, 2019 in Wellington, New Zealand. Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
The government of New Zealand declared a climate emergency on Wednesday, a symbolic step recognizing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predictions of substantial global warming if emissions do not fall.
<p>Alongside the declaration, New Zealand announced it would require its public sector to become carbon neutral by 2025. Government agencies would need to measure, report and offset emissions.</p><p>"The public sector needs to be and will be an exemplar that sets the standard we all need to achieve by 2050," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told parliament in Wellington.</p>
<h2>New Zealand Going Green</h2><p>"This is a declaration of science," Ardern told said, adding the move is "an acknowledgement of the next generation… of the burden they will carry if we do not take action now."New Zealand's decarbonization program is supported by a NZ$200 million ($141 million) state fund and includes a phase-out of coal, a requirement for government agencies to use electric vehicles and a green standard for public buildings, according to Radio New Zealand.</p><p>Declaring a climate emergency, however, comes without any new statutory powers or money, making the move purely symbolic.</p>
<p>Thirty-two other countries, including Japan, Canada, France and the United Kingdom, have already declared a climate emergency. Doing so indicates that governments recognize climate change as an existential threat that requires urgent action in response.</p><p>Climate activists and scientists continue to warn that not enough is being done by governments to meet the Paris Agreement target of curbing emissions to keep global temperature levels within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) of pre-industrial levels.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/new-zealand-declares-climate-emergency/a-55792222" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em></p>
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