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Oceana
“Protecting the oceans top predators is not a luxury, but a necessity,” said Elizabeth Griffin Wilson, senior manager of marine wildlife at Oceana. “While some progress has been made towards shark management, the vast majority of sharks caught in the Atlantic remain unprotected by ICCAT. The fishing countries of the Atlantic can no longer ignore that shark populations are being decimated by ICCAT fisheries.”
Most shark species in the Atlantic are vulnerable to overfishing because of their exceptionally low reproductive rates. In fact, the IUCN considers porbeagle sharks critically endangered in the Northeast Atlantic and a recent scientific report found that silky sharks are the most vulnerable to overfishing by longliners in the Atlantic. Other unmanaged shark species in the Atlantic include shortfin mako and blue sharks, which are the two species most frequently reported to be caught in ICCAT waters.
Currently, ICCAT only has protections in place for bigeye thresher, hammerhead and oceanic whitetip sharks. Oceana is calling on ICCAT, which is composed of 48 countries that fish in the Atlantic, to adopt the following actions to protect sharks:
- prohibit the retention of endangered or particularly vulnerable species, including porbeagle and silky sharks
- establish science-based precautionary catch limits for blue and shortfin mako sharks
- require reporting of catch data as a prerequisite for landing a particular shark species
- improve the current ICCAT finning measure by requiring that sharks be landed with their fins wholly or partially attached in a natural manner.
"The capture of sharks as both bycatch and targeted species by ICCAT fisheries is having detrimental impacts on our oceans top predators,” said Griffin Wilson. “It is time to stop putting short-term financial interests before the long-term health of our oceans.”
Shockingly, 50 percent of ICCAT fishing countries did not report any shark catches in 2009, the most recent year for which data is available. Misreporting of shark catch data and confusion over reporting requirements are widespread issues at ICCAT and limit the ability to adequately assess the impact of fisheries on shark species.
Earlier this month, U.S. Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Mark Begich (D-AK), showed their support for U.S. action to protect sharks at ICCAT by sending a letter to Dr. Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Oceana is also urging ICCAT to address the overfishing of Mediterranean swordfish and the bycatch of numerous vulnerable species, including sea turtles, marine mammals and sea birds, that are being caught in these fisheries.
For more information about ICCAT, sharks and swordfish, and for downloadable images, click here.
For more information, click here.
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Oceana is the largest international organization working solely to protect the world’s oceans. Oceana seeks to make our oceans as rich, healthy and abundant as they once were.
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The Ministry of Trade issued a regulation revoking its decision from February to no longer require Indonesian timber companies to obtain export licenses that certify the wood comes from legal sources. BAY ISMOYO / AFP / Getty Images
By Hans Nicholas Jong
The Indonesian government has backed down from a decision to scrap its timber legality verification process for wood export, amid criticism from activists and the prospect of being shut out of the lucrative European market.
<p>On May 11, the Ministry of Trade issued <a href="http://jdih.kemendag.go.id/peraturan/detail/1998/2" target="_blank">a regulation</a> revoking its decision from February to no longer require Indonesian timber companies to obtain export licenses that certify the wood comes from legal sources. That earlier decision caught environmental activists, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and even timber businesses by surprise, prompting a widespread outcry.</p><p>Sulistyawati, the trade ministry's director of forestry product exports, said that with the revocation, the export process would go back to the previous system. She <a href="https://kompas.id/baca/humaniora/ilmu-pengetahuan-teknologi/2020/05/14/lemahkan-sistem-verifikasi-legalitas-kayu-peraturan-menteri-perdagangan-dicabut/" target="_blank">said</a> the revocation was in accordance with a request from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.</p><p>Under the trade ministry's <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/indonesia-timber-illegal-logging-legality-license-svlk/" target="_blank">controversial February regulation</a>, which would have taken effect on May 27, exporters would no longer have needed to obtain licenses verifying that their timber and finished wood products come from legal sources. The so-called v-legal ("verified legal") licenses are at the heart of Indonesia's timber legality verification system, or SVLK, which took the country a decade to develop and implement in an effort to tackle illegal logging.</p>
<p>The European Union, one of the key markets for Indonesian timber and finished wood products, <a href="https://www.euflegt.efi.int/background-indonesia" target="_blank">recognizes the SVLK</a> as the basis for importing timber from Indonesia into its market. Scrapping the standard would have <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/indonesia-eu-timber-wood-legality-svlk-license-logging/" target="_blank">jeopardized exports to the EU</a>, experts warned. Activists were also quick to <a href="https://theconversation.com/penghapusan-syarat-lisensi-kayu-bisa-tingkatkan-penebangan-liar-dan-beri-citra-buruk-pada-produk-mebel-lokal-136509" target="_blank">criticize</a> the move, saying it would open up the black market for illegally logged timber.</p><p>Businesses, meanwhile, were worried the decision would undermine hard-won gains for the reputation of Indonesian timber, which was heavily associated with illegal logging in the past.</p><p>A recent poll by Gadjah Mada University showed that nearly half of 137 timber businesses surveyed felt ending the v-legal license requirement for exports would harm their business. Industry groups in key export markets have also raised questions about the policy, including the International Wood Product Association (IWPA) in the United States and the Australian Timber Importers Federation (ATIF).</p>
<p>The Indonesian Furniture Entrepreneurs Association (Asmindo), a trade group, welcomed the government's U-turn and reinstatement of the v-legal license requirement. Robert Wijaya, the deputy head of regulation reviews at Asmindo, said the rationale that the licensing requirement put an onerous burden on exporters was baseless. He said data from the national statistics agency, the BPS, showed Indonesia's furniture exports increasing since the implementation of the SVLK.</p><p>In 2019, Indonesia exported $1.95 billion worth of wood furniture, a 14.6% increase from 2018.</p><p>"So it's not true that the SVLK is said to be hampering exports," Robert said.</p><p>Muhammad Kosar, from the Indonesian Independent Forest Monitoring Network (JPIK), which keeps track of the SVLK's implementation, said the trade ministry's about-face showed the lack of coordination between government institutions. As a result, he said, different government departments have different interpretations of the importance of the system.</p>
<p>Krystof Obidzinski, a timber legality expert at the European Forest Institute, agreed that appreciation of the SVLK and associated export agreement with the EU might have declined in recent few years. Thus it's important to communicate the importance of the SVLK to ministries other than the environment ministry, the main proponent of the system, so that the SVLK isn't jeopardized in the future, he said.</p><p>"Communication and understanding of the SVLK outside the environment ministry are very minimal," Obidzinski said. "Maybe that's because [of] staff turnover or other interests. So to increase export and [strengthen] the SVLK, it's important to build bridges with other ministries so that the level [of understanding] can be the same."</p><p>Under the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2013/10/indonesia-eu-sign-historic-deal-to-end-the-illegal-timber-trade/" target="_blank">signed</a> in 2013, all timber shipped to the EU from Indonesia must be certified under the SVLK, which aims to track the chain of custody of timber products and ensure that timber is harvested in compliance with Indonesian law. The agreement also requires Indonesia to commit to SVLK certification for all timber exports — not just to the EU — as well as timber traded in the domestic market.</p>
<p>That stringent implementation of checks at every stage of the process was the justification for cited by the trade ministry for dispensing with the requirement at the end stage — exports. In making this argument, the ministry adopted the main talking point of the Indonesian Furniture and Craft Association (HIMKI), a trade body that has been at the forefront of the lobbying efforts to drop the SVLK requirement for producers of finished wood items. It <a href="https://ekonomi.bisnis.com/read/20180826/257/831697/kenapa-svlk-di-industri-hilir-mebel-perlu-dihapus-ini-jawabannya" target="_blank">argued</a> that if a piece of timber has already been legally certified at the logging stage, then there's no need to continue with legality checks further on down the line, including for exporters.</p><p>HIMKI chairman Sunoto denounced the trade ministry's backtracking, insisting the SVLK requirement made it difficult for producers to export their furniture products overseas.</p><p>"Two months ago, we were already happy because the SVLK had been cancelled at the downstream level [exporters]," he <a href="https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/20200513145438-4-158200/pak-jokowi-aturan-legalitas-kayu-bikin-pengusaha-mebel-marah" target="_blank">said</a>. "Now it is resurrected. It's not that we don't agree with the SVLK. HIMKI doesn't agree if the SVLK is implemented at the downstream level."</p>
<p>This argument was echoed by Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita during a government meeting on May 22. He <a href="https://bisnis.tempo.co/read/1345507/alasan-menteri-luhut-sebut-svlk-atau-legalisasi-kayu-penting/full&view=ok" target="_blank">suggested</a> that the SVLK requirement should only be made mandatory at the logging stage, but not at the downstream level.</p><p>To address the concerns over the high cost of SVLK certification, the environment ministry will issue a regulation containing several changes to the system. Under the regulation, it'll be the government who verify SVLK certification, not third-party agencies, according to Bambang Hendroyono, the secretary-general of the environment ministry.</p><p>"So in the [planned] ministerial regulation, we will make sure that small-and-medium businesses no longer have problems for export, especially to China and Korea," he said.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/05/indonesia-svlk-legal-timber-license-eu-vlegal-export/" target="_blank">Mongabay</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Viruses, pollution and warming ocean temperatures have plagued corals in recent years. The onslaught of abuse has caused mass bleaching events and threatened the long-term survival of many ocean species. While corals have little chance of surviving through a mass bleaching, a new study found that when corals turn a vibrant neon color, it's in a last-ditch effort to survive, as CBS News reported.
<p>Rather than going through a bleaching where the coral turns white, many reef regions around the world have seen coral reefs go through a "colorful bleaching," where the coral turns brilliant hues of bright purple, pink, and orange. The colors appear as a survival technique as the corals face stress from increased ocean temperatures and a lack of nutrients, according to <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/coral-reefs-dying-climate-change-oceans-seas-bleaching-a9529261.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a>.</p><p>The new <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(20)30571-6.pdf?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982220305716%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank">study</a> led by researchers from the University of Southampton in the UK was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)30571-6#secsectitle0090" target="_blank">Current Biology</a></em>. Scientists had first spotted the neon coral a decade ago, but they were stumped as to why the vibrant colors appeared.</p>
<p>In coral bleaching, the algae that live in healthy coral try to flee from rising ocean temperatures. Their symbiotic relationship can end if ocean temperatures rise just 1 degree Celsius. The warmer temperatures cause the algae to escape the shelter provided by the coral, leaving behind a bleached skeleton.</p><p>However, in colorful bleaching events, the coral add an extra protective layer to help them endure difficult ocean conditions. That new layer is made up from pigments similar to the green fluorescent protein that makes some jellyfish glow, according to <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/coral-reefs-glow-neon-colors-in-an-effort-to-survive/" target="_blank">CNET</a>. The glowing pigment is produced through the algae's interaction with sunlight.</p>
<p>To perform the study, researchers at the University of Southampton's Coral Reef Laboratory analyzed 15 colorful bleaching events between 2010 and 2019. They identified the trends that caused them and recreated those conditions in their lab. They noticed that the color comes out to protect the coral from the sun's harmful rays, effectively making it a sunscreen layer. That display of glowing color is an attempt to signal the algae to come back, as <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dying-coral-reefs-colorful-bleaching-survival-effort-climate-change/" target="_blank">CBS News</a> reported.</p><p>"Our research shows colorful bleaching involves a self-regulating mechanism, a so-called optical feedback loop, which involves both partners of the symbiosis," lead researcher professor Jörg Wiedenmann of the University of Southampton said in a <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2020/05/colourful-corals.page" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p>
<p>"The resulting sunscreen layer will subsequently promote the return of the symbionts. As the recovering algal population starts taking up the light for their photosynthesis again, the light levels inside the coral will drop and the coral cells will lower the production of the colorful pigments to their normal level."</p><p>Bleaching is not always a death sentence for corals, the coral animal can still be alive," said Dr. Cecilia D'Angelo, professor of molecular coral biology at Southampton, as <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/coral-reefs-dying-climate-change-oceans-seas-bleaching-a9529261.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a> reported. "If the stress event is mild enough, corals can re-establish the symbiosis with their algal partner.</p><p>"Unfortunately, recent episodes of global bleaching caused by unusually warm water have resulted in high coral mortality, leaving the world's coral reefs struggling for survival."</p><p><a href="https://earth.google.com/web/@-22.3116493,166.2806091,2.21258836a,0d,60y,286.28320394h,95t,0r/data=CkoSSBIgY2EwYzk0ZGNhN2I4MTFlN2I1ZDBiNzRhMWFlNGU2MDMiJGVmZWVkX29jZWFuX2FnZW5jeV9jb3JhbF9ibGVhY2hpbmdfNCIwCixBRjFRaXBNV1VMNTBRSWIxYmMzNkdmb2JmV3JrSU9rWmtGWEZiTExDeW5kVRAF" target="_blank">The Ocean Agency</a> describes the process as a "chilling, beautiful and heartbreaking" final cry for help as the coral attempts to grab the algae's attention, as <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dying-coral-reefs-colorful-bleaching-survival-effort-climate-change/" target="_blank">CBS News</a> reported.</p>
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Harmful algal blooms, seen here at Ferril Lake in Denver, Colorado on June 30, 2016, are increasing in lakes and rivers across the U.S. Helen H. Richardson / The Denver Post / Getty Images
During summer in central New York, residents often enjoy a refreshing dip in the region's peaceful lakes.
But sometimes swimming is off-limits because of algae blooms that can make people sick.
<iframe style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/14386367/height/45/theme/standard/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/" height="45" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>"Some of the algae may produce chemical toxins that can have harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, terrestrial and marine mammals, and birds," says Jennifer Graham, a research hydrologist with the United States Geological Survey.</p><p>She says reports of harmful algal blooms are increasing across the country, and climate change could be part of the reason.</p><p>Some harmful algae prefer warm temperatures, so blooms may be growing more common as rivers and lakes warm.</p>
<p>Extreme weather can also contribute to algal blooms because heavy rain can cause nutrients to run off farm fields and sewage systems into waterways.</p><p>"Nutrients are basically the food source for algae," Graham says.</p><p>In New York's Finger Lakes and other locations across the country, the USGS is monitoring algal blooms.</p><p>Graham says they are trying to better understand toxic bloom growth and severity, so local agencies can make informed decisions about how to protect people.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/05/as-u-s-lakes-and-rivers-warm-reports-of-harmful-algal-blooms-are-on-the-rise/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A group of doctors prepared to treat coronavirus patients in Brazil. SILVIO AVILA / AFP via Getty Images
More than 40 million doctors and nurses are in, and they are prescribing a green recovery from the economic devastation caused by the new coronavirus.
<p>More than 350 health organizations representing some 40 million medical professionals, as well as more than 4,500 individual health workers from 90 countries, signed a <a href="https://healthyrecovery.net/" target="_blank">letter</a> to the G20 leaders Tuesday urging them to craft what they are promoting as a #HealthyRecovery by taking measures such as reforming <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuel</a> subsidies and fighting pollution and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" target="_self">deforestation</a>.</p><p>"A truly healthy recovery will not allow pollution to continue to cloud the air we breathe and the water we drink," the health professionals wrote. "It will not permit unabated <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate change</a> and deforestation, potentially unleashing new health threats upon vulnerable populations."</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Health workers are at the frontline of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> pandemic, working tirelessly to ensure that people receive the treatment they need. <br><br>Now millions of them have signed a letter with a simple message: We need a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HealthyRecovery?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HealthyRecovery</a> from this crisis.<br><br> 👉<a href="https://t.co/MfkPaoUu8A">https://t.co/MfkPaoUu8A</a> <a href="https://t.co/XErStuXCAM">pic.twitter.com/XErStuXCAM</a></p>— UN Climate Change (@UNFCCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNFCCC/status/1265287853694738433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>The signatories represent about half of the world's medical workers, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/26/world-health-leaders-urge-green-recovery-from-coronavirus-crisis" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. They include the World Medical Association, the International Council of Nurses, the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation, the World Organization of Family Doctors and the World Federation of Public Health Associations, according to a <a href="https://unfccc.int/news/medical-professionals-want-green-recovery-from-covid-19" target="_blank">UN Climate Change press release</a>. The letter also has the support of the World Health Organization and the Global Climate and Health Alliance, <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/world-needs-green-recovery-health-experts-tell-g20-leaders-doc-1s95mj3" target="_blank">AFP reported</a>.</p><p>By writing the letter, the health workers are joining a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/un-earth-day-coronavirus-climate-crisis-2645802263.html">growing movement</a> for a recovery from the impacts of the virus and subsequent lockdown measures that also addresses the climate crisis and other environmental problems.</p><p>"Health professionals are at the frontlines of this emergency, and we are seeing the immense loss of lives because of acting too late," World Medical Association President Miguel Jorge said, as The Guardian reported. "We know now more than ever that healthy lives depend on a healthy planet. As we walk on the road to recovery, we need to build a system that will protect us from further damage. We need a healthy and green recovery."</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WMA joins +40 million doctors, nurses and health professionals calling upon <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/G20?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#G20</a> leaders to put public health at the center of their countries' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> recovery plans. <a href="https://t.co/QMZJuXj065">https://t.co/QMZJuXj065</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HealthyRecovery?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HealthyRecovery</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dz6tIRJQbc">pic.twitter.com/Dz6tIRJQbc</a></p>— World Medical Association (@medwma) <a href="https://twitter.com/medwma/status/1265284083082498050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>The letter highlighted the damage caused by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution" target="_self">air pollution</a>, which led to seven million early deaths a year before the emergence of the new coronavirus. There is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/coronavirus-air-pollution-fatality-2645656760.html" target="_self">evidence</a> that exposure to air pollution could make the new disease more deadly, and one of the most memorable effects of the lockdown measures has been the clearing of skies from <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/coronavirus-china-pollution-2645356657.html" target="_self">China</a> to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/coronavirus-italy-air-pollution-2645508891.html" target="_self">Italy</a> as factories closed and cars stayed off the roads.</p><p>To maintain some of these gains while fighting the climate crisis, the health professionals recommended reforming fossil fuel subsidies and putting more of that money towards <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/renewable-energy" target="_self">renewable energy</a>, something they argued would grow global GDPs by nearly 100 trillion dollars by 2050.</p><p>They also urged G20 leaders to involve their chief medical and scientific advisors in creating economic stimulus plans.</p><p>"The enormous investments your governments will make over the coming months in key sectors like health care, transport, energy and agriculture must have health protection and promotion embedded at their core," they wrote.</p><p>The next G20 meeting has been scheduled for November, according to AFP.</p><p>However, some world leaders on the list, such as U.S. President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> and Brazil's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/jair-bolsonaro" target="_self">Jair Bolsonaro</a>, have already faced criticism for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/doctor-bright-coronavirus-trump-drug-2645811981.html" target="_self">sidelining science</a> in their response to the coronavirus and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/brazil-amazon-deforestation-coronavirus-2645950493.html" target="_self">using the crisis</a> as an excuse to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-dismantles-environmental-protections-under-cover-of-coronavirus-2645989316.html" target="_self">roll back environmental protections</a>.</p>
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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
3h
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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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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