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A group of indigenous Australians plans to submit a complaint to the UN that accuses Australia of failing to act on climate change.
The group resides in the low-lying Torres Strait Islands in the country's north. It argues that Australia's lack of climate change policies is putting their culture and ancestral homeland at risk.
"Tides are rising every year, flooding homes, lands and important cultural sites. Rising sea temperatures are blighting the health of the marine environments around the islands, by bleaching the coral and acidifying the ocean," a statement from the indigenous group said.
"We are seeing this effect on our land and on the social and emotional well-being of our communities who practice culture and traditions," said Kabay Tamu, one of the petitioners.
"Many Islanders are worried that their islands could quite literally disappear in their lifetimes without urgent action," the group said.
The islanders are set to ask the UN to rule that existing international human rights law requires Australia to reduce its emissions to at least 65% below 2005 levels by 2030.
They will also demand that the government invest some $14 million in emergency infrastructure, such as sea walls, to protect Torres Strait communities.
A Human Rights Case
The case represents the first time that government inaction on climate change has been equated with a violation of human rights.
"Climate change is fundamentally a human rights issue," said Sophie Marjanac, the lead lawyer on the case.
"Australia's continued failure to build infrastructure to protect the islands, and to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, constitutes a clear violation of the islanders' rights to culture, family and life," she added.
The announcement comes as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the world was "not on track" to confine the rise in global warming and decried a "fading political will to act."
Australia is due to hold parliamentary elections on Saturday. Climate change has been a central issue, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison's opponents accusing him and his government of not supporting emission reduction efforts, while backing the expansion of coal mining.
Reposted with permission from our media associate DW.
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Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) and Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte shake hands during an event to launch the United Nations' Climate Change conference, COP26, in central London on February 4, 2020. CHRIS J RATCLIFFE / POOL / AFP / Getty Images
The U.K. government has proposed delaying the annual international climate negotiations for a full year after its original date to November 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
<p>The UNFCCC COP26, which was <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/c/*W2G3xB-365jDnW7FKT0q4fMDf10/*W7mzLKG7tDPWfW91dsgq3nnS2m0/5/f18dQhb0S1Wd2RMFdXV11TtV2qy7pLN34PF4vjRgVqW8FqQ885Jsq0TW58BCvB5YYLg9W1mBYw16TClNQW7lcb078Qz-49N1fd-MyMZtdbVmZZPX1HRDfsW8VRs1v5ZPKVJVSDjNt9g5w7-W1f2W8F7B0W-RW44CHhW8nqc0CN6GXR3kY3n6SW1_7cM_5m4gSGVV7ctz1Q2qYzW5CWBtk2FY3D6W1-HJhY795-RDW7GssYn7Jld55W5SLLBH3SvxdNW5chH-f78YRW1W3JZSl8477PTRW4V5vmj2JR3bfW32wBsP79XBhhW7sPKm-6KgCzwW2Ds88Y5tBYhRW5t23HG7XGttkW4Xc8Km1FBQrcN7Jxl-LT2pXLN4h9zBycfl10N44VzMhGnJvlN3__bBCPPXR-W4rGfw64hNLR9W8Dq7wk6XQY-BN6m9SqCjmRfGW7GP_CP1tLb3_W8Ch-wJ5S7dkfW6DHhHm4gLK1cVgj-Dv7b3kXNW5Z-tSt4NbSBZW3Tt0xN6JS3NGW7vY8pY7XxV3lW5yvwDd7r87ycN46Pv811gf1sW81GG9G3FWMkHW2WK_F68q-yC_W30Bd3S5jGCnKW1lWJ1l3TMH9zW6jf9jy9jRbRhW8Nl_Gk8M35VpW7plpB09f9Q0JW9f8728936FS5W7QQwM93FThBGW3V6g6F1rTssH111" target="_blank">first delayed</a> from November 2020 to early 2021, is the most important COP since world leaders met in Paris in 2015 because countries are expected to bring revised targets for how they will meet the Paris Agreement goals to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius (35.6 F). The additional delay worried diplomats and experts that governments will craft economic recovery policies that do not align with the aggressive greenhouse gas pollution cuts needed by 2030 to avoid the worst of climate change impacts, according to the "<a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/c/*W2G3xB-365jDnW7FKT0q4fMDf10/*W3Cd5lX4JtGPrW25dC4H2-mmHF0/5/f18dQhb0SbTW8XJ93YN834vY8HyjJqVQBs5C64zxy8N3hHhcDXL0jYVnQ9Qq8--HBkW8ZPJ4K5pYx6BW8Ywp0W2SRqVtN2MTPSyKng6qW1Wg4bj2gd99PW58jrRT7rD5W4W8hrVbp2yJF1WVYT2jk6P4lCXW6hFc9L69NG1wW6Pr5q24MK9wZW4r1Pm71nq3H7W3cKN1v6gXBFnN67h1zcQC5z2VPC2cV3j5wXvVgvbF36TdDFQW2zGrSs3P_nV_W4Vs8-W6SN4p-VXhZrM36GfSQVQDpH03h24bMW5Hw66-4tpPR1W6Nz3wK1msDV8W2zWgNK1sdH0NW5CzfQH10JPclM-d-tDZMQwSW98bP2295LLcnW2xkLjl3kSB6WW8rZsJm63kCgxW5yJGY56Q_NSKW5HFsGK8dt46NW4Pw1Vk2sbPxnV_sGSc2xFq_DN3J3zp77DTKjN3jL8vRyvCdqW49X0tl4QDcJ_W1vt3zQ4dS8dTW3tVQ5k5_5lxDW4m8Tyn4ddW-XW3Df1mh10rzlyW1NwBMn1MVsRjTjMl_2MHrzj103" target="_blank">1.5 Report</a>" published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018. </p>
<p>Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, also expressed concern over the wording of the U.K.'s postponement proposal. "What will surprise some is that despite saying 'ambition must continue,' the proposal doesn't specify sticking to the schedule of the Paris Agreement," he told the BBC.</p>
<p class=""><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-52814996?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=88545146&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Y0wSxkkDfKIYYaKhmWfVV8OGk103MmjyH2Us08v9D0s7yTIJ9BFFYdfaCeeXkLkaefB49qO2Dpe2IOq3C35LIufLAmNX01_9b0OmpBJfnx7tofiE&_hsmi=88545146" target="_blank">BBC</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/climate/cop26-climate-talks.html?searchResultPosition=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=88545146&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Y0wSxkkDfKIYYaKhmWfVV8OGk103MmjyH2Us08v9D0s7yTIJ9BFFYdfaCeeXkLkaefB49qO2Dpe2IOq3C35LIufLAmNX01_9b0OmpBJfnx7tofiE&_hsmi=88545146" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/26/cop26-climate-talks-in-glasgow-likely-to-be-delayed-again?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=88545146&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Y0wSxkkDfKIYYaKhmWfVV8OGk103MmjyH2Us08v9D0s7yTIJ9BFFYdfaCeeXkLkaefB49qO2Dpe2IOq3C35LIufLAmNX01_9b0OmpBJfnx7tofiE&_hsmi=88545146#maincontent" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-27/u-k-proposes-one-year-delay-for-key-climate-talks-pa-says?cmpid=BBD052720_GREENDAILY&utm_term=200527&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=88545146&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Y0wSxkkDfKIYYaKhmWfVV8OGk103MmjyH2Us08v9D0s7yTIJ9BFFYdfaCeeXkLkaefB49qO2Dpe2IOq3C35LIufLAmNX01_9b0OmpBJfnx7tofiE&_hsmi=88545146" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> </em></p><p><em><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/" 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/" 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></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Upcycled Food Association announced on May 19 that they define upcycled foods as ones that "use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and have a positive impact on the environment." Minerva Studio / Getty Images
By Jared Kaufman
Upcycled food is now an officially defined term, which advocates say will encourage broader consumer and industry support for products that help reduce food waste. Upcycling—transforming ingredients that would have been wasted into edible food products—has been gaining ground in alternative food movements for several years but had never been officially defined.
<p><br/></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.upcycledfood.org/" target="_blank">Upcycled Food Association</a> announced on May 19 that they define upcycled foods as ones that "use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and have a positive impact on the environment."</p><p>The definition was drafted by a working group convened by the Upcycled Food Association, which included representatives from Harvard University, Drexel University, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/" target="_blank">Natural Resources Defense Council</a>, <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/initiatives/food-waste" target="_blank">World Wildlife Fund</a>, and <a href="https://www.refed.com/" target="_blank">ReFED</a>, a nonprofit that analyzes solutions to food waste. The Upcycled Food Association is a member-based industry non-profit that aims to boost the profile of upcycled foods. The association's working group hopes that such a definition will make it easier for food companies to show how their products contribute to food waste reduction.</p><p>The definition is "putting some teeth into a trend that is doing the right thing for our food supply, our environment, consumers, and businesses," Jonathan Deutsch, a professor at Drexel University and the director of the Drexel Food Lab, says in a statement.</p>
<p>Standardizing the term is also a first step toward legislation that supports upcycling, according to Emily Broad Leib, a Harvard University law professor and the director of Harvard's Food Law and Policy Clinic. "Further research can be done to identify and leverage policy incentives to support upcycled foods as a model to reduce food waste and support a more sustainable food system," she says in a statement.</p><p>Upcycling has emerged in recent years as a way for food producers to add value to byproducts or surplus ingredients that might otherwise have been wasted. Already, food companies such as <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/01/philabundances-abundantly-good-cheese-benefiting-dairy-farmers-hungry-families/" target="_blank">Philabundance</a> and <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2018/10/treasure8s-inventions-aim-to-change-the-idea-of-food-waste/" target="_blank">Treasure8</a> are repurposing safely edible ingredients, like excess milk or "ugly" vegetables, into nutritious cheeses and chips.</p><p>"We can take these very large waste streams and we can upcycle them into safe, tasty, healthy products and ingredients that can work at large scale distribution," Treasure8 co-founder Timothy Childs told Food Tank in 2018.</p>
<p>Food waste is a significant plague on both the food system and the climate. The <a href="https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates</a> that between 30–40 percent of the food supply is lost or wasted—about 133 billion pounds a year. The impact is magnified by the water, energy, and land resources that went into producing food that was never consumed. Project Drawdown, an organization that advocates cutting greenhouse gas emissions, <a href="https://drawdown.org/drawdown-framework/drawdown-review-2020" target="_blank">has identified reducing food waste</a> as the No. 1 solution to keep warming below 2ºC.</p><p>And research shows that consumers not only understand the term "upcycled" as a distinct category, but also see added value in it. According to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cb.1689?systemMessage=Wiley+Online+Library+usage+report+download+page+will+be+unavailable+on+Friday+24th+November+2017+at+21%3A00+EST+%2F+02.00+GMT+%2F+10%3A00+SGT+%28Saturday+25th+Nov+for+SGT" target="_blank">a benchmark study conducted by Deutsch's team at Drexel University</a> in 2017, customers surveyed viewed "value-added surplus foods" as being significantly different from conventional products and preferred the term "upcycled" over eight alternatives. The results suggest that many customers might find the benefit of upcycled food to be on par with organic certification, meaning they assign value to—and may be willing to pay more for—truly sustainable upcycled products.</p>
<p>The Upcycled Food Association hopes to use the new definition as a way to signal to consumers that food waste reduction claims on products are consistent and verifiable. To follow up on the definition, Upcycled Food Association COO Ben Gray says the association is planning to launch a product certification program for upcycled foods later this year.</p><p>"We want to give people the ability to participate in the solution every time they visit a grocery store," Gray says in a statement. "We envision a future in which many products in every aisle and around the perimeter proudly display the upcycled certification, giving consumers the opportunity to vote to reduce food waste with their dollars."</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/05/upcycled-food-is-officially-defined-with-a-goal-of-paving-the-way-for-industry-food-waste-reduction/" target="_blank">Food Tank</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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How to Lower Your Coronavirus Risk While Eating Out: Restaurant Advice From an Infectious Disease Expert
1h
Health + Wellness
A couple has a lunch under plexiglass protection designed by Christophe Gernigon at the H.A.N.D restaurant, on May 27, 2020 in Paris, as France eases lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. ALAIN JOCARD / AFP via Getty Images
By Thomas A. Russo
As restaurants and bars reopen to the public, it's important to realize that eating out will increase your risk of exposure to the new coronavirus.
<p>Two of the most important public health measures for keeping illnesses to a minimum are nearly impossible in these situations: First, it's hard to eat or drink while wearing a face mask. Second, social distancing is difficult in tight spaces normally filled with back-to-back seating and servers who weave among the busy tables all evening long.</p><p>So, what should you look out for, and how can you and the restaurant reduce the risk? Here are answers to a few common questions.</p>
<h3>How Far Apart Should Tables and Bar Stools Be?</h3><p>There is nothing magical about 6 feet, the number we often hear in <a href="https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/6935-CDC-opening-guidelines/e1a8802d0d76b3eb43a8/optimized/full.pdf#page" target="_blank">formal guidance</a> from government agencies. I would consider that the minimum distance required for safe spacing.</p><p>The "6-foot" rule is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.4756" target="_blank">based on old data about the distance</a> droplets can spread respiratory viruses. These droplets tend to settle out of the air within 6 feet, but that isn't always the case. <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.13689v1" target="_blank">Aerosols can spread the virus</a> <a href="http://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000000448" target="_blank">over larger distances</a>, though there remains some uncertainty about how common this spread is. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.4756" target="_blank">Particles generated by sneezes</a> or <a href="http://www.urbanphysics.net/Social%20Distancing%20v20_White_Paper.pdf" target="_blank">someone running</a> can travel up to 30 feet.</p><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2006874117" target="_blank">Talking alone has been shown to generate respiratory droplets</a> that could be infectious.</p><p>If there is a fan or current generated in a closed space such as a restaurant, particles will also travel farther. This was shown in a paper from China: <a href="http://doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.200764" target="_blank">People in a restaurant downwind of an infected person</a> became infected even though the distance was greater than 6 feet.</p><p>The closer the distance and the greater the time someone is exposed to a person who is infectious, the greater the risk.</p>
<h3>If the Servers Wear Masks, Is That Enough?</h3><p>If servers wear masks, that will afford a layer of protection, but customers eating and talking could still spread the virus.</p><p>One way to mitigate that risk in this imperfect situation, at least from a public health point of view, would be to have tables surrounded by protective barriers, such as plexiglass or screens, or put tables in separate rooms with doors that can be closed. Some states are encouraging restaurants to <a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-issues-guidance-partially-resuming-dine-restaurant-and-tavern-industry-phase-2" target="_blank">limit each table to only one server</a> who delivers everything.</p><p>Restaurants could also screen guests before they enter, either with temperature checks or questions about symptoms and their close contacts with anyone recently diagnosed with COVID-19. It's controversial, but <a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2020/03/07/in-response-to-coronavirus-fears-restaurant-checks-customers-temperatures-at-the-door/" target="_blank">restaurants in California have tried it</a>. Washington state tried to require restaurants to <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/inslee-retracts-requirement-that-diners-provide-contact-info-to-be-able-to-dine-at-restaurants/" target="_blank">record visitors' contact information</a> in case an outbreak is discovered, but it pulled back to only recommend doing so.</p><p>It's easier to screen employees. In fact, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/community/restaurants-and-bars-decision-tree.pdf" target="_blank">guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> recommend restaurants have employee screening in place before they reopen. But while screening employees for possible infection could decrease risk, it's important to remember that people <a href="http://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2020" target="_blank">can be infectious six days</a> before they develop symptoms. That is why masks, eye protection, social distancing and hand hygiene are critical measures for preventing infection.</p>
<h3>Should I Ask for Disposable Utensils and Wipe Everything Down?</h3><p>Regular dishwashing of plates, glasses and utensils, and laundering of napkins and tablecloths, will inactivate the virus. No need for disposables here.</p><p>The table should also be cleaned and disinfected between uses and marked as sanitized.</p><p>Menus are a bit more problematic, depending on the material. Plastic menus could be disinfected. Disposable menus would be more ideal. Remember, even if someone touches a surface that has infectious virus, as long as they don't touch their mouth, nose or eyes they should be safe. So, when in doubt, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.</p>
<h3>Can I Get the Virus From Food From the Kitchen?</h3><p>The risk of becoming infected with the new coronavirus from food is very low.</p><p>This is a respiratory virus whose primary mode of infection is accessing the upper or lower respiratory tract through droplets or aerosols entering your mouth, nose or eyes. It needs to enter the respiratory tract to cause infection, and it cannot do this by way of the stomach or intestinal tract.</p><p>The virus also is not very stable in the environment. Studies have shown it <a href="http://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc2004973" target="_blank">loses half its viral concentration</a> after less than an hour on copper, three and a half hours on cardboard and just under seven hours on plastic. If food were to be contaminated during preparation, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.11.036855" target="_blank">cooking temperature would likely inactivate</a> much if not all of the virus.</p><p>The use of masks and maintaining good hand hygiene by food preparers should significantly reduce the risk of food contamination.</p>
<h3>Is Outdoor Seating or a Drive-Through Any Safer?</h3><p>Vulnerable people may want to pass on dine-in options and focus on pickup or perhaps outside dining if the conditions are appropriate.</p><p>Drive-up windows or carry-out are probably the safest; transient interaction with one individual when everyone is wearing masks is a lower-risk situation.</p><p>Overall, outside dining is safer than indoor dining with everything else being equal on a nonwindy day due to the larger air volume. Maintaining eye protection via glasses and intermittent mask use between bites and sips would further decrease the risk.</p>
<p>
<em>Thomas A. Russo is a professor and chief of infectious disease with the Department of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.</em>
</p>
<p>
<em>Disclosure statement: Thomas A. Russo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond his academic appointment.</em>
</p>
<p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-lower-your-coronavirus-risk-while-eating-out-restaurant-advice-from-an-infectious-disease-expert-138925" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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A Malinois dog is taught to find a piece of fabric infected with COVID-19 bacteria during a training session, on May 13, 2020, in France. JOEL SAGET / AFP / Getty Images
By Alexander Freund
In a pilot study at the University of Helsinki, dogs trained as medical diagnostic assistants were taught to recognize the previously unknown odor signature of the COVID-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus. And they learned with astonishing success: After only a few weeks, the first dogs were able to accurately distinguish urine samples from COVID-19 patients from urine samples of healthy individuals.
<p>"We have solid experience in training disease-related scent detection dogs. It was fantastic to see how fast the dogs took to the new smell," says <a href="https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/organisations/faculty-of-veterinary-medicine" target="_blank">DogRisk group leader Anna Hielm-Björkman</a>. After only a short time, the animals identified the urine of people infected by the novel coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, almost as reliably as a standard PCR test.</p><p>The Finnish scientists are now preparing a randomized, double-blind study in which the dogs will sniff a larger number of patient samples. Only then will the scent tests be used in clinical practice.</p>
Important Findings for Other Teams
<p>The very rapid and promising findings from Finland are also important for other research teams, such as those in Great Britain and France, who are training sniffer dogs to detect COVID-19.</p><p>Fellow researchers from the <a href="http://assistenzhunde-zentrum.de/index.php/news/covid-19-hunde" target="_blank">German Assistance Dog Center (TARSQ)</a> have also benefited from the Finnish results.</p><p>"No one could tell us with certainty whether training with the aggressive virus is <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/dutch-house-pets-test-positive-for-coronavirus/a-53460111" target="_blank">dangerous or not for humans and dogs</a>. We wanted to gather more information first before we started training because the German virologists advised us against it — after all, so little is known about the virus so far," explains Luca Barrett from TARSQ.</p>Where Does the Characteristic Smell Come From?
<p>It is still unclear which substances in urine produce the apparently characteristic COVID-19 odor. Since SARS-CoV-2 not only attacks the lungs, but also causes damage to blood vessels, kidneys and other organs, it is assumed that the patients' urine odor also changes. This is something which the dogs, with their highly sensitive olfactory organs, notice immediately.</p><p>Certain diseases appear to have a specific olfactory signature that trained dogs can sniff out with amazing accuracy, Barrett says.</p><p>"According to one study, dogs can detect breast cancer with a 93% probability, for example. And lung cancer with a 97% probability," she says.</p><p>But dogs can also identify skin cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer or prostate cancer very reliably, according to Barrett. "The hit rate, which was not so good in the early days of training, has risen enormously in recent years," she says.</p>Hit Rate Decisive
<p>Besides cancer, the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/german-sniffer-dog-makes-1-million-drug-bust/a-53433307" target="_blank">dogs</a> can also detect Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's sufferers smell different even years before they have the disease. "That's how we came up with the idea of training dogs as an early warning system for Parkinson's," Barrett says.</p><p>Dogs are also trained to detect malaria, but the hit rate is not yet satisfactory, she says. So far, the dogs recognize seven out of 10 infected persons, which is not enough.</p><p>A high hit rate is, of course, also absolutely necessary when training for the aggressive SARS-CoV-2 pathogen, according to Barret. "We hope that the hit rate for the coronavirus is significantly higher in the fully trained dogs; after all, it would be very dangerous if COVID-19 were not detected," she says</p>Trained Tracking Dogs
<p>Dogs' ability to smell is about a million times better than that of humans. Humans have about 5 million olfactory cells, compared with 125 million for dachshunds and 220 million for sheepdogs.</p><p>Dogs also inhale up to 300 times per minute in short breaths, meaning that their olfactory cells are constantly supplied with new odor particles. In addition, dogs' noses differentiate between right and left. This spatial sense of smell allows the animals to follow a trail more easily.</p><p>During the training sessions, the dogs — mostly Labrador retrievers or retrievers in general, but also cocker spaniels or sheepdog breeds — are each trained for one scent. That can be the smell of a drug or an explosive, or, as here, the olfactory signature of a specific disease.This means that one dog cannot recognize several types of cancer.</p><p>The animals are trained with containers holding samples of breath or sweat, for example. As soon as they have identified the smell they are looking for, the dogs hear a click and get a treat. They are reliably trained for the one smell on this reward principle.</p>Great Potential, Great Skepticism
<p>Drug and explosive detection dogs have been used for some time. But trained medical scent detection dogs are also now working in hospitals. For example, they sniff the bodies of patients with suspected skin cancer to try and detect the disease — only with the patients' consent, of course. So these skilled snufflers are helping doctors in diagnosing diseases and detecting them early on.</p><p>However, so far there are only very few medical detection dogs. The dog owners almost always work voluntarily and the trained sniffer dogs live in normal households. There is great skepticism, especially among traditional doctors and health insurance companies, even though the first indications given by the dog have to be followed by further medical tests anyway and a lot of time and costs could be saved by early cancer detection.</p>Possible Coronavirus Applications
<p>If the findings from Finland are confirmed, the sniffer dogs with their extremely sensitive sense of smell could prove to be a great help in the fight against the new coronavirus.</p><p>Luca Barrett from TARSQ can easily picture coronavirus sniffer dogs being used in situations where there is a high risk of infection. For example, people attending football matches and other major events could be checked before they are admitted.</p><p>The dogs could also be employed at airports to scan people entering a country. "When the dogs go down the queue, they can detect if someone is healthy and can enter the country. But if a person smells of COVID-19, the handler could send that person to a coronavirus testing center instead," Barrett says. That is because a second test is still needed to confirm the dog's initial sniff detection.</p><p><span></span>Barrett says dogs could also be used to search for the virus on surfaces. For example, before passengers board an aircraft, a four-legged friend could first check whether the machine is free from SARS-CoV-2. Similar measures are planned for doctors' surgeries, aged care homes or nursing homes that have had to be evacuated because of COVID-19 cases. Before these are used again, a sniffer dog could check whether the environment is "clean."</p>From Your Site Articles
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Locusts swarm over Jaipur, India on May 25, 2020. Vishal Bhatnagar / NurPhoto via Getty Images
India is facing its worst desert locust invasion in nearly 30 years, and the climate crisis is partly to blame.
<p>The locusts spawned a swarm of social media posts Monday when they entered the city of Jaipur, as <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-in-india/large-swarms-of-the-locusts-enter-jaipur-netizens-share-frightening-videos-of-attack-6427856/" target="_blank">The Indian Express reported</a>, but the crop-devouring <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/insects" target="_self">insects</a> have been wreaking havoc since May in an invasion that both began earlier and is extending farther than usual. Several farmers told <a href="https://thewire.in/agriculture/locust-attack-india-jaipur-climate-change" target="_blank">The Wire</a> that they hadn't seen an invasion this severe in their lifetimes.</p><p>"Even my father, who is 86, said he hasn't ever seen anything like this. Only heard about this in folk tales," 64-year-old Madhya Pradesh farmer Sooraj Pandey told The Wire.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Locust Ataack in Jaipur 🤮 <a href="https://t.co/QWHfOXasvf">pic.twitter.com/QWHfOXasvf</a></p>— Akanksha🎨 (@art_lover_09) <a href="https://twitter.com/art_lover_09/status/1264802499782991873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Locusts are not uncommon in the northwest Indian state of Rajasthan, but this year they have also entered the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for the first time since 1993 and the state of Maharashtra for the first time since 1974. They also do not usually move so far into Rajasthan from the border with Pakistan, according to AFP reporting <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/crops-destroyed-india-faces-worst-locust-attack-27-years-200526160727430.html" target="_blank">published by Al Jazeera</a>.</p><p>So far, the insects have devoured almost 50,000 hectares or 123,500 acres of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/agriculture" target="_self">agricultural</a> land in seven Indian states, <a href="https://apnews.com/707418101bef8e5a2340e905fb97fdd7" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>, putting pressure on farmers already struggling with the impacts of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> lockdown.</p>
<p>The government has responded with pesticides, drones and sprayers mounted on vehicles, while farmers have resorted to banging plates, whistling and throwing stones to drive the locusts away.</p><p>"These insects are giving us sleepless nights. We are more worried about them than the virus," Mandeep Singh, a cotton farmer from Punjab, told The Associated Press.</p><p>A swarm of 40 million locusts can cover the space of a square kilometer (approximately 0.4 square miles) and eat the same as 35,000 people in a day, according to UN Food and Agricultural Organization data reported by The Wire.</p>
<p>Unusually large locust swarms bred on the Arabian Peninsula in early 2019 following heavy rains and cyclones in the region, according to AFP. Those ideal breeding conditions were the product of the climate crisis, as warmer than usual temperatures in the western Indian Ocean fueled the storms.</p><p>"These warm waters were caused by the phenomenon called the Indian Ocean Dipole — with warmer than usual waters to its west, and cooler waters to its east. Rising temperatures due to global warming amplified the dipole and made the western Indian Ocean particularly warm," Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology climate scientist Roxy Mathew Koll told The Wire.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This time desert locust attack is severe. They have arrived earlier, in huge numbers & now reached till Panna in MP. The changing climate conditions are linked with locust growth in east Africa. The swarms has potential of eating everything & destroy the crops. This from Panna. <a href="https://t.co/8aqLa8lA4O">pic.twitter.com/8aqLa8lA4O</a></p>— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ParveenKaswan/status/1265124661718847489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>The locusts have already <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/locust-swarm-east-africa-2644928358.html" target="_self">caused significant damage</a> in East Africa earlier in 2020 before migrating to India through Iran and Pakistan.</p><p>India's locust situation could get even worse, both this year and in the future.</p><p>In the short term, more locusts could arrive from Africa in June, according to AFP. There is also a concern that the locusts already in India could breed, The Associated Press pointed out.</p><p>"It is an alarming situation," KL Gurjar, a top official at India's Locust Warning Organization, told The Associated Press. "But we are more worried of their breeding. If that happens, it could be devastating for our farmlands."</p><p>In the future, climate change could also make locust invasions like this year's more common.</p><p>"Climate change may well play a role here, mainly because, according to forecasts by international climate researchers, precipitation will increase in the southern Arabian Peninsula and northern East Africa," University of Trier biodiversity scientist Axel Hochkirch told The Wire. "This means that there will be more frequent 'very humid' phases, such as we have had since 2018, and it is therefore possible that such swarms will simply occur more frequently."</p>
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A baby humpback whale tail slaps in the Pacific Ocean in front of the West Maui Mountains. share your experiences / Moment / Getty Images
The depths of the oceans are heating up more slowly than the surface and the air, but that will undergo a dramatic shift in the second half of the century, according to a new study. Researchers expect the rate of climate change in the deep parts of the oceans could accelerate to seven times their current rate after 2050, as The Guardian reported.
<p>The study, published in the journal <em><a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0773-5" target="_blank">Nature Climate Change</a></em>, found that different parts of the ocean undergo change at different rates as the extra heat from increasing levels of greenhouse gases moved through the vast ocean depths, making it increasingly tricky for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" target="_self">marine life</a> to adapt, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/26/climate-change-in-deep-oceans-could-be-seven-times-faster-by-middle-of-century-report-says" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>The researchers saw grim prospects for marine life after looking at a metric called climate velocity, which measures the speed and direction a species shifts as their habitat warms, according to <a href="https://www.coastfm.co.uk/news/technology/deep-ocean-life-faces-escalating-threat-from" target="_blank">Sky News</a>.</p>
<p>The scientists, led by Isaac Brito-Morales, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Queensland in Australia, used data from 11 different climate models to predict what the rest of the 21st century will look like, as <a href="https://www.coastfm.co.uk/news/technology/deep-ocean-life-faces-escalating-threat-from" target="_blank">Sky News</a> reported. Brito-Morales and his team looked at the past 50 years of data and projections for future greenhouse gas emissions.</p><p>"This allowed us to compare climate velocity in four ocean depth zones — assessing in which zones <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity" target="_self">biodiversity</a> could shift their distribution the most in response to climate change," said Brito-Morales, in a University of Queensland <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-05-deep-ocean-slowlybut.html" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p>
<p>The researchers looked at future rates of change in three different scenarios, one where emissions start to fall, another where they start to fall by the middle of this century, and a third where emissions continued to rise up to 2100.</p><p>The study found "a rapid acceleration of climate change exposure throughout the water column" in the second half of the century, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/26/climate-change-in-deep-oceans-could-be-seven-times-faster-by-middle-of-century-report-says" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>Professor Jorge García Molinos, a climate ecologist at Hokkaido University's Arctic Research Center in Japan, and a co-author of the study, said to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/26/climate-change-in-deep-oceans-could-be-seven-times-faster-by-middle-of-century-report-says" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, "Our results suggest that deep sea biodiversity is likely to be at greater risk because they are adapted to much more stable thermal environments."</p><p>"The acceleration of climate velocity is consistent through all tested greenhouse gas concentration scenarios," Moinos added, as <a href="https://www.aninews.in/news/science/climate-change-can-affect-deep-sea-biodiversity-slowly-study-finds20200526181939/" target="_blank">ANI News</a> in India reported.</p>
<p>So far, ocean water surfaces are experiencing climate velocity about twice the rate of the lower regions. Consequently, life in the depths of the ocean has been less affected than, say, coral, which are much closer to the surface of the water.</p><p>"However by the end of the century, assuming we have a high-emissions future, there is not only much greater surface warming, but also this warmth will penetrate deeper," said Brito-Morales in a <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-05-deep-ocean-slowlybut.html" target="_blank">statement</a>. "In waters between a depth of 200 and 1000 meters, our research showed climate velocities accelerated to 11 times the present rate.</p><p>"And in an interesting twist, not only is climate velocity moving at different speeds at different depths in the ocean, but also in different directions which poses huge challenges to the ways we design protected areas," he added.</p><p>Several problems exist for marine life such as tuna. First, although they live in the depths, the plankton they eat are near the surface, meaning tuna will have to go through changing water to find food. Secondly, fish in the depths of the ocean are accustomed to a highly stable environment. They are extremely vulnerable to any slight changes in ocean temperatures, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/26/climate-change-in-deep-oceans-could-be-seven-times-faster-by-middle-of-century-report-says" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p>
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Opinions vary among healthcare providers and the conditions of their patients, as well as the infection rate in their communities and availability of personal protective equipment. Aekkarak Thongjiew / EyeEm Getty Images
By Joni Sweet
Should you skip your annual checkup? The answer would have been a resounding "no" if you asked most doctors before the pandemic.
But with the risk of COVID-19, the answer isn't so clear anymore.
<p>Many states banned nonessential medical procedures in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. Patients have also put off routine care out of fear that they could be exposed to the new coronavirus at hospitals and doctors' offices.</p><p>With states starting to open up, you might be wondering whether you can finally get that checkup, dental cleaning, or cancer screening you've been pushing off.</p><p>Here's what you need to know about scheduling preventive care appointments during the pandemic</p>
Are States Allowing Preventive Care Visits?
<p>First things first: If you're experiencing a medical emergency, don't delay treatment.</p><p>While there's the potential that you could be <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/hai/data/portal/index.html" target="_blank">exposed to infections at the emergency room</a>, the health risks of avoiding urgent medical care could be far more severe.</p><p>Hospitals have also implemented precautionary measures, like distributing masks to patients, that help cut down the risk of viral exposure.</p><p>Now that that's out of the way, is it possible to start catching up on routine healthcare appointments, like physicals and dental cleanings?</p><p>"Different places are in different stages of opening up," said <a href="https://www.methodisthealth.org/doctors/arvind-ankireddypalli/" target="_blank">Dr. Arvind Ankireddypalli</a>, primary care physician and geriatrician at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. "Preventative services might not even be available in some communities, [and in others] medical appointments may be on a case-by-case basis."</p><p>Like medical care, dental appointments fall under similar guidelines.</p><p>"Dental cleanings are nonessential treatments, and the department of health in most states only allowed emergency dental treatments to be completed during COVID-related shutdowns," said Dr. John Nelson of <a href="https://www.midtowndentalmiami.com/miami-dentist/" target="_blank">Midtown Dental Miami</a>.</p><p>"As states begin to slowly reopen and restrictions begin to relax, dental cleaning services are starting to be provided again. I expect [that within the next few weeks], barring any setback, your local dental office will begin providing cleanings," he said.</p><p>Check with your local and state health departments for the most up-to-date guidelines.</p>
Is it Safe to Go to the Doctor?
<p>If your state is open (or will end its lockdown soon), you may be able to start booking preventive care appointments, like Pap smears, cancer screenings, checkups, and dental cleanings.</p><p>But is it worth the risk of possible exposure to the new coronavirus?</p><p>Opinions vary among healthcare providers and the conditions of their patients, as well as the infection rate in their communities and availability of personal protective equipment.</p><p><a href="https://www.lenhorovitz.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Len Horovitz</a>, internist, pulmonary specialist, and director of Carnegie Medical, recommends that patients avoid delaying their annual physical or other types of preventive care.</p><p>"You will encounter problems that are best seen earlier rather than later," he said. "It is possible to provide a safe environment for a patient in the doctor's office. There's no reason for people to put off an annual exam; these are important appointments that help keep problems from getting out of control."</p><p>In an effort to curb the spread of infection, Horovitz has been following a strict set of procedures at his office, including allowing just one patient in at a time, requiring patients to wear masks and gloves, and disinfecting the examination room between every patient.</p><p>Other physicians, like Ankireddypalli, conduct a risk-benefit analysis for every patient before agreeing to see them in person.</p><p>"It is probably not appropriate to keep delaying visits for high-risk patients, like older adults or people with chronic conditions," he explained.</p>Role of Telehealth Visits
<p>Telemedicine visits, where doctors connect with patients via phone or video chat, can be an option if in-person appointments are risky or prohibited.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/downloads/medicaid-chip-telehealth-toolkit.pdf" target="_blank">Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services</a> and some private insurance companies have expanded coverage for telehealth services during the pandemic. As a result, some practices have seen the <a href="https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/during-pandemic-telehealth-visits-soar-10-week-300-group-practice" target="_blank">use of telemedicine services soar</a> over the last few months.</p><p>"Telemedicine is a way that patients can be seen, evaluated, counseled, and informed about their healthcare without being exposed to the dangers of going into lobbies and offices," said <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/biographies/ommen-steve-r-m-d/bio-20053861" target="_blank">Dr. Steve Ommen</a>, cardiologist and associate dean of the Mayo Clinic Center for Connected Care, which offers telemedicine services.</p><p>"It is particularly relevant for patients who already have a relationship with a provider, the appointment is for an ongoing care episode, and the patient doesn't need to be touched," he said.</p><p>A virtual doctor's visit can't be a substitute for all routine care, though. Cancer screenings, blood draws, evaluations of lumps, Pap smears, and other services still need to be done in person.</p><p>But even if you do have to go to the doctor's office, telehealth services can help cut down on the amount of time you spend there, thus potentially reducing your exposure to the new coronavirus and other germs.</p><p>"Patients often come to the Mayo Clinic for a major evaluation and then sit with us to go over the results, but we can go over the results through telemedicine when they're at home, rather than having them stay another day," Ommen explained.</p><p>He adds that telemedicine services generally won't suffice for patients who are unwell or experiencing any new symptoms.</p><p>"That's a different level of acuity than a health maintenance visit," he said.</p><p>With so much uncertainty, the best thing you can do is keep an open line of communication with your doctor, dentist, and the rest of your healthcare team.</p><p>Don't just push off your routine services indefinitely, doctors say.</p><p>"By delaying preventative care, we can miss the window of catching certain conditions early. Patients can work with their healthcare providers to put a plan in place and get their services back on track," Ankireddypalli said.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank">Healthline</a>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/can-you-get-your-annual-physical-dental-checkup-right-now" target="_blank">Healthline</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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