An aerial view captures the Torre Guaceto marine reserve in Puglia, Italy. Jeremy Woodhouse / Getty Images
When Cosimo Di Biasi, 66, decides it's the right day to fish, he begins at 5 p.m. He drives 4 miles to the port of Torre Santa Sabina, boards Nonno Ugo, his 21-foot fiberglass boat, and navigates south for a half-hour to reach a marine reserve in Puglia, in southern Italy.
<p>The rocky coast is interspersed with sandy beaches, and at the tip of a tiny peninsula, a majestic tower overlooks the coast. Built by the Aragonese in the 16th century to spot the invading Turkish, the tower is now the symbol of Torre Guaceto—a marine reserve spanning 5,400 acres of sea and 5 miles of coastline, where only five boats and seven fishers are allowed to fish.</p><p>Di Biasi has been operating in the area since he was 10. He would skip school to fish with his father, and he would bring baskets of fish to the teacher to excuse his absences. Still, she failed him in grade six three times.</p><p>When his boat is in position, Di Biasi throws the half-mile-long leaded net into the water, which is then held up by a series of floating buoys. After this quick operation, the fisher returns home. The invisible wall will lay all night, waiting for fish to get entangled. The morning after, Di Biasi wakes up at sunrise, goes to the bar to get a coffee and a croissant, and navigates his boat back to the reserve to load up the abundant catch of the day.</p>
<p>Back at the port in Santa Sabina, locals, restaurant owners, and other buyers wait for Di Biasi. Many of them have already reserved fish from Di Biasi's catch the night before. The species, like mullet, are common here; their incredible size sets Di Biasi's catch apart.</p><p>While other fishers in the Mediterranean struggle to make ends meet, going out every night and extracting fish of any kind and size, from anchovies to dolphins, Torre Guaceto's fishers enter the reserve only once a week, making stellar revenues of up to $10,000 a day. They are part of a cooperative management project that allows the sea to recover while they thrive economically.</p><p>But what may seem like a fairy tale today came after years of struggles and conflicts. Conservationists began the difficult task of working with local stakeholders more than 25 years ago, in a region plagued by organized crime and aggressive exploitation of natural resources. Now those fishers are the marine reserve's greatest allies.</p><p>"We are the guardians," Di Biasi says proudly. "This stretch of sea is ours."</p>
Historic Exploitation
<p>Alessandro Ciccolella, the director of Consorzio di Gestione Torre Guaceto, the management entity of the natural reserve, says that before they took over in 2001, this stretch of coast was a no-man's-land. Organized crime had a stronghold in the area, using the shores of Torre Guaceto as a port for tobacco and drug smuggling.</p><p>"Ciccolella would tell us that one day Torre Guaceto would be a reserve. But we didn't believe him, and we didn't care," Di Biasi says.</p><p>Fishers would detonate homemade bombs underwater, harvesting the dead fish that floated to the surface. In the process, though, they were killing marine life, destroying the reef, and risking their lives. Plus most of the kill went to the seafloor, while clouds of dust filled the waters. According to Ciccolella, fishers thought they were plowing the sea for good.</p><p>The area was so worn out that in 2001 the Consorzio, formed by World Wildlife Fund and the nearby cities of Brindisi and Carovigno, decided to close the waters of the reserve for five years to let it recover from the past exploitation.</p><p>"They took away a piece of the sea from us. We used to keep our boats there, and the tower was the place where we cooked and hung out," De Biasi says. "From one day to the other, we couldn't fish anymore."</p><p>Friction arose between the fishers and the management of the reserve escalating to slashed tires and broken car windows. The local fishers kept fishing illegally at night, to make a point, even if they still had the rest of the sea to fish. The coast guard occasionally caught them, confiscated their boats, and gave hefty fines.</p><p>"We needed to know what was underwater and let it recover," Ciccolella says, explaining the fishing ban. "We were able to do it because the area was not too big, and it was easier to reason with fewer people. But the benefits of a small reserve are way larger than you can think of."</p>Restoring Abundance
<p>Paolo Guidetti, a professor of Ecology at Nice University in France, played a crucial role in developing the reserve's sustainable fishing model. He says it wasn't easy to start a dialogue with the fishers, but it turned out to be crucial to the reserve's success. In 2005, after five years of the fishing ban, the fishers were allowed in for a fishing trial.</p><p>"We met God's abundance," Di Biasi says. Catches were fivefold compared to the outside area, and fish were bigger and of higher value.</p><p>The Consorzio teamed up with Guidetti and Marcello Longo, president of <a href="https://www.slowfood.com/" target="_blank">Slow Food</a><a href="https://www.slowfood.com/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.slowfood.com/" target="_blank">Puglia</a>, a local chapter of an international movement that fights the disappearance of local food cultures around the world. They organized meetings with the bewildered fishers to create a protocol to start fishing again while preserving the biodiversity of the area.</p><p>"The fishers themselves proposed to fish just once a week," Guidetti says with excitement. Fishers would also use shorter nets—0.75 miles long instead of 2.5 miles—and larger mesh size to free smaller and juvenile fish.</p><p>While a day of fishing in the outer sea might give fishers a couple of hundred dollars in revenues, within Torre Guaceto, the fishers had miraculous days, and Di Biasi says, could catch up to $10,000 worth of fish a day.</p><p>The biodiversity had recovered, and in the following years, because of the renewed—but limited—fishing pressure, catches stabilized at almost twice the weight of catches from outside waters. According to Guidetti, the biologist, Torre Guaceto gives the highest catches per unit in the Mediterranean.</p><p>The biologist is sure that including the fishers in the decision-making process made Torre Guaceto a success story. Understanding the value of protecting the area, illegal fishing essentially stopped. Fishers turned into sentinels, helping the coast guard spot poachers. Researchers and managers developed friendships with fishers. "A top-down ministerial approach has never worked," Guidetti says.</p><p>And the positive outcome of the reserve goes way beyond the limits of the Torre Guaceto waters.</p><p>An increase of the fish population within a reserve pushes juveniles out of the area to find their own territory. This spillover is called "reserve effect"and benefits the areas immediately around the reserve. But there is an even more significant contribution from the sanctuary. With less fishing pressure, female white seabream inside the reserve can grow to twice the size of females outside and produce 100 times more eggs. A <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0052108" target="_blank">unique study</a> by Guidetti followed those fish eggs and found that marine currents carried them south for hundreds of miles, repopulating far away areas. He called this a "shower effect."</p><p>Guidetti says that Torre Guaceto is the only reserve in the world with continuous and precise monitoring of the fish population, which shows the positive impact of a well co-managed marine reserve.</p><p><span></span>"It would be optimal to have a Torre Guaceto every 30 kilometers, to repopulate the rest of the sea," Guidetti says.</p>
Expanding Protections
<p>The biggest problem for a Marine Protected Area seems to be control and management. Many projects similar to Torre Guaceto fail because of the absence of precise control of the territory. Now, after years of struggling, Torre Guaceto can count on the rigorous vigilance of the Italian Coast Guard and of the fishers. But even with such control, some illegal fishing still happens at night.</p><p>Today an unlikely event is happening: Fishers are the ones asking for the protection for the sea. "We requested the director to enlarge the marine reserve," Di Biasi says. The request is now under examination by the Ministry of Environment. In the meantime, 10 other fishers from nearby towns have already started fishing with shorter nets and wider mesh sizes, hoping the reserve will be extended to include their coastlines soon.</p><p>Now Di Biasi goes to elementary schools to explain the importance of sustainable fishing. He also goes to fishing communities in other Mediterranean countries to tell incredulous fishers that it is possible to make more money while preserving the sea.</p><p>"We hope they will follow our example and create a marine reserve," Di Biasi says. "It took us time to learn this, but now we hope that others will do [it] too."</p>
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A man walks on pink snow at the Presena glacier near Pellizzano, Italy on July 4, 2020. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP via Getty Images
In a troubling sign for the future of the Italian Alps, the snow and ice in a glacier is turning pink due to the growth of snow-melting algae, according to scientists studying the pink ice phenomenon, as CNN reported.
<p>The algae will make the snow melt faster. The salmon-hue that has tinged the snow is from algae that carry carotenoid pigment, which reflects the distinctive color. While most algae thrive in warm freshwaters, these are known as cryophilic, meaning they thrive in colder temperatures, where they create the "watermelon snow" effect, according to <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/07/06/bizarre-pink-snow-in-the-alps-is-actually-a-bad-omen-for-earth/" target="_blank">Salon</a>.</p><p>The concern is that the algal bloom on the snow will accelerate the effects of the climate crisis. As <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/06/algae-turns-italian-alps-pink-prompting-concerns-over-melting" target="_blank">Agence France-Presse</a> (AFP) reported the plant, known as <em>Ancylonema nordenskioeldii</em>, is often found in Greenland's so-called Dark Zone, where the ice is also melting.</p><p>Normally ice reflects more than 80 percent of the sun's radiation back into the atmosphere, but as algae appear, they darken the ice so that it absorbs the heat and melts more quickly, according to AFP.</p>
<p>"Everything that darkens the snow causes it to melt because it accelerates the absorption of radiation," said Biagio Di Mauro of Italy's National Research Council to AFP. "We are trying to quantify the effect of other phenomena besides the human one on the overheating of the Earth." He noted that the presence of tourists could also have an effect in weakening the snow.</p><p>Di Mauro told CNN that the spring and summer had very little snowfall high in the Alps, which has seen higher than average temperatures. "This creates the perfect environment for the algae to grow," he added.</p><p>Di Mauro emphasized that the algal bloom is particularly bad news for the glaciers, which may see a rapid melting. That would be in line with glaciers around the world that are starting to fade away as global heating continues to push up atmospheric temperatures.</p>
<p>"A classic reminder of how uncertainty is not our friend," said Dr. Michael E. Mann, a distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Penn State University, to Salon by email. "In this case, we're seeing an amplifying feedback wherein biological darkening (due to Algae growing on the surface of melting ice), leads to more solar absorption by the ice and even faster melting. We call this a 'positive feedback' but it is anything but positive. It reflects a process which is leading to faster melting of the glaciers than our simple models predict."</p><p>As CNN noted, Di Mauro has come across cold temperature algae before. He has previously studied the Morteratsch glacier in Switzerland, where an algae called <em>Ancylonema nordenskioeldii</em> has turned the ice purple.</p>
<p>Ken Caldeira, an atmospheric scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science's Department of Global Ecology, told Salon that "photosynthetic organisms are designed to absorb sunlight. Some small fraction of the energy in sunlight goes into making carbohydrates but most of it goes into heating the organism and its local environment. If that organism is living in snow, the snow is likely to melt."</p><p>This algae has also been found in southwestern Greenland as well in as the Andes and Himalayas. Globally, glaciers are melting. A <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/antarctic-glacier-sea-level-rise-2645574336.html" target="_self">March study</a> found an Antarctic glacier had retreated three miles and can cause five feet of sea level rise if it melts completely. A <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/himalayan-glacier-melt-doubled-2638927563.html" target="_self">2019 study</a> found that Himalayan glacier melt has doubled since 2000. Additionally, conservationists and scientists have held funerals for glaciers in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/iceland-glacier-funeral-2639890762.html" target="_self">Iceland</a> and the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/swiss-alps-pizol-glacier-funeral-2640547054.html" target="_self">Swiss Alps</a>.</p>
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Rifugio Guide del Cervino – in Italy or Switzerland? Wikimedia
By Douglas Broom
Rifugio Guide del Cervino is a bar and restaurant atop the Plateau Rosa, a glacial ridge in the Italian Alps. Or at least, it was. Climate change is moving it inexorably toward Switzerland as the glacier on which it sits steadily melts.
<p>We're used to news reports about people and wildlife forced to move by the effects of climate change. But in this corner of the Alps, climate change is literally moving the border between Italy and Switzerland.</p><p>When <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c911489e-93b9-11ea-97b5-8f15973668de?shareToken=f55bfe668dfecede699f0de2bc8149d1" target="_blank">the Rifugio was built in 1984</a>, it was on the Italian side of the border. Since then, climate change, accelerated by the 2003 European heatwave which <a href="https://www.unisdr.org/files/1145_ewheatwave.en.pdf" target="_blank">caused Alpine glaciers to lose 10% of their mass</a>, has led to the glacier retreating towards Switzerland.</p><p>It could prove to be a headache for <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/italys-alpine-border-melts-and-leaves-a-pasta-restaurant-in-switzerlandmaybe-11582134089" target="_blank">restaurateur Lucio Trucco</a>. If the eatery were declared to be in Switzerland, he would have to make <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/melting-glaciers-leave-a-pasta-restaurant-on-the-italy-switzerland-border-between-both-countries-4964061.html" target="_blank">some major changes to his kitchens</a>, including installing <a href="https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guidance/advice-for-you/when-travelling/travel-adaptor-for-switzerland/" target="_blank">Swiss power sockets</a>, which his Italian plugs won't fit.</p><p>Faced with such issues, Trucco, an experienced mountain guide, says he knows which side of the border his restaurant is located. He has been quoted in media reports as insisting: "The building hasn't moved, so this is still Italy."</p>
Mobile Border
<p>The Rifugio has 40 guest beds and is a <a href="http://www.cerviniaicons.com/food/2018/06/rifugio-guide-del-cervino/" target="_blank">popular destination for climbers attempting the Breithorn</a> (4,164 meters, or 13,661 feet), neighbor to the Matterhorn on the Swiss border. But that's as close to Switzerland as Trucco wants his restaurant to get.</p><p>For now, COVID-19 restrictions mean the Rifugio is closed. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52701621" target="_blank">Italy is starting to lift its coronavirus lockdown</a>, but with bars among the businesses allowed to open, some people say <a href="https://www.skiresorts.net/skiing-social-distancing/" target="_blank">social distancing in ski resorts</a> may prove hard to implement.</p><p>In 2009, <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16854-climate-changes-europes-borders-and-the-worlds/" target="_blank">Italy and Switzerland agreed their border should be mobile</a>, shifting to accommodate changes caused by glacial melting. Movements are monitored using GPS sensors allowing the <a href="https://glacierhub.org/2020/04/30/as-the-climate-shifts-a-border-moves/" target="_blank">border to be redrawn</a> as the ice moves.</p>Sea Levels
<p>Climate change is affecting other borders around the world. In the southern U.S., <a href="http://mississippiriverdelta.org/our-coastal-crisis/land-loss/" target="_blank">rising sea levels</a> and the canalization of the Mississippi river are the culprits. Since the 1930s, Louisiana has seen more than half a million hectares of its coastal territory disappear under the waves.</p><p>As Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert put it in<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/01/louisianas-disappearing-coast" target="_blank"> a recent article for the New Yorker</a>: "If Delaware or Rhode Island had lost that much territory, the U.S. would have only forty-nine states. Every hour and a half, Louisiana sheds another football field's worth of land."</p><p>Shrinking glaciers are one of the most visible demonstrations of the effects of global warming. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the amount of ice lost since 1980 is equivalent to <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-glacier-mass-balance" target="_blank">removing a 24-meter (79-foot) slice off the top of each glacier</a>.</p><p><a href="http://climateandlife.columbia.edu/2017/05/08/the-glaciers-are-going-why-this-matters/" target="_blank">More than one-sixth of the world's population</a>, particularly in China, India and other Asian countries, depend on glaciers for drinking and irrigation water, according to scientists at Columbia University.</p><p>Global temperatures are estimated to have risen by at least 1°C (33.8 degrees F) <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm/" target="_blank">above pre-industrial levels</a>, and experts warn urgent action is needed to curb emissions. A rise above 1.5°C (34.7 degrees F) will cause <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature23878" target="_blank">glaciers in Asia</a>, for example, to shrink by two-thirds by the end of the century.</p>From Your Site Articles
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General view of Milan during the lockdown due to Coronavirus emergency on April 12 ,2020. Mairo Cinquetti / NurPhoto / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
Climate activists from across the globe on Tuesday welcomed an ambitious new plan for Milan that will, according to the Guardian, transform 22 miles of street space currently reserved for cars "with a rapid, experimental citywide expansion of cycling and walking space to protect residents as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted."
<p>Greece-based author Julian Hoffman <a href="https://twitter.com/JulianHoffman/status/1252512236049960960" target="_blank">declared</a>, "Turning 35km of Milan's streets over to cyclists and pedestrians shows how there are openings amidst the crisis to boldly and beneficially reimagine our lives, landscapes, and future on the other side."</p><p>The coronavirus pandemic has <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/23/green-stimulus-demanded-battle-convergent-crises-coronavirus-economic-injustice-and" target="_blank">sparked</a> calls for a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/03/18/global-green-new-deal-supporters-urge-world-leaders-learn-coronavirus-tackle-climate" target="_blank">global Green New Deal</a> and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/10/pairing-green-deal-just-recovery-eu-groups-embrace-tackling-covid-19-and-climate" target="_blank">just recovery</a> that incorporates climate action—particularly a swift transition to 100% renewable energy and other initiatives to cut planet-heating emissions—into rebuilding the world's economy. The crisis has also <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/07/decades-heavy-air-pollution-could-make-some-areas-more-likely-see-high-coronavirus" target="_blank">elevated</a> concerns about air quality, as studies have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/air-pollution-may-be-key-contributor-to-covid-19-deaths-study" target="_blank">shown</a> that high levels of pollution may be "one of the most important contributors" to deaths from COVID-19.</p>
<p>As the <em>Guardian</em> reported:</p><blockquote>The northern Italian city and surrounding Lombardy region are among Europe's most polluted, and have also been especially hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak.<br><br>Under the nationwide lockdown, motor traffic congestion has dropped by 30-75%, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/air-pollution-may-be-key-contributor-to-covid-19-deaths-study" target="_blank">air pollution with it</a>. City officials hope to fend off a resurgence in car use as residents return to work looking to avoid busy public transport.</blockquote>
<p>The <em>Strade Aperte</em> or "Open Streets" plan, which the <em>Guardian </em>called "one of Europe's most ambitious schemes reallocating street space from cars to cycling and walking," will be implemented this summer. Milan Deputy Mayor Marco Granelli said that "we worked for years to reduce car use. If everybody drives a car, there is no space for people, there is no space to move, there is no space for commercial activities outside the shops.</p><p>"Of course, we want to reopen the economy, but we think we should do it on a different basis from before," he said. "We think we have to reimagine Milan in the new situation. We have to get ready; that's why it's so important to defend even a part of the economy, to support bars, artisans, and restaurants. When it is over, the cities that still have this kind of economy will have an advantage, and Milan wants to be in that category."</p><p>Granelli's comments were applauded by Greenpeace U.K., which tweeted that he was "hitting the nail squarely on the head."</p>
<div id="7b7bf" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ee980ec78f22b701a3a79d9e37175b6a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1252573441082961920" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">“Of course, we want to reopen the economy, but we think we should do it on a different basis from before."
The Dep… https://t.co/iMYOmlHz3x</div> — Greenpeace UK (@Greenpeace UK)<a href="https://twitter.com/GreenpeaceUK/statuses/1252573441082961920">1587471754.0</a></blockquote></div><p>News of the plan was also welcomed on Twitter Tuesday by <a href="https://twitter.com/c40cities/status/1252530541661958144" target="_blank">C40 Cities</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/XRCamden/status/1252508066278445058" target="_blank">Extinction Rebellion Camden</a>, and Swedish teen climate leader <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1252562461804433409" target="_blank">Greta Thunberg</a>, who founded the global Fridays for Future movement. Others <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardHullster/status/1252522697252311041" target="_blank">celebrated</a> the plan as an "excellent example of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BuildBackBetter?src=hashtag_click" target="_blank">#BuildBackBetter</a>" and called for crafting similar schemes for other major cities like New York, London, and beyond:</p>
<div id="a2fc4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f056e329e27552645d17e5202261868a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1252549601690820608" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a fresh look at streets & make sure that they are set to achieve wha… https://t.co/TUqMMhrUE3</div> — Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin (@Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin)<a href="https://twitter.com/aoibhinn_ni_s/statuses/1252549601690820608">1587466070.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="3d8a6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4eb57824bcb3077a67d10a0ace2328ff"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1252496864387235840" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#Milan launches Strade Aperte to "reopen the economy, but on a different basis".
- 35km of streets to become #bike… https://t.co/ggZJarzT0k</div> — ECF (@ECF)<a href="https://twitter.com/EuCyclistsFed/statuses/1252496864387235840">1587453497.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="65cff" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="44a371e2a653e5c983ec1e0b05332b40"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1252557760098701312" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Be great if we could emulate this in Brighton. And London. And everywhere else...
Milan announces ambitious scheme… https://t.co/88JnQDwNcB</div> — Roger Ward 🌹🔄 (@Roger Ward 🌹🔄)<a href="https://twitter.com/RogWard/statuses/1252557760098701312">1587468016.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"As cities across Europe move out of lockdown, it's a superb opportunity to say goodbye to traffic-clogged streets," <a href="https://twitter.com/sthompsonIT/status/1252536458595926019" target="_blank">wrote</a> Sylvia Thompson, a contributor to <em>The Irish Times</em> who covers health, nature, science, and environmental issues.</p><p>Janette Sadik-Khan—a former transportation commissioner for New York City who is working with cities including Milan and Bogota on their <a href="https://nacto.org/program/covid19/" target="_blank">transport recovery programs—</a>told the <em>Guardian</em> that Milan's scheme could serve as a model for the rest of the world.</p><p>"A lot of cities and even countries have been defined by how they've responded to historical forces, whether it's political, social, or physical reconstruction," said Sadik-Khan. "The Milan plan is so important is because it lays out a good playbook for how you can reset your cities now."</p><p>"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a fresh look at your streets and make sure that they are set to achieve the outcomes that we want to achieve: not just moving cars as fast as possible from point A to point B, but making it possible for everyone to get around safely," she added. "I know we'll be looking to Milan for guidance from New York City."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/21/milans-plan-limit-cars-after-covid-19-lockdown-lauded-excellent-example" target="_blank"> Common Dreams.</a></em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Pigeons gather on Piazza del Duomo by Milan's cathedral on March 10, 2020. Italy imposed unprecedented national restrictions on its 60 million people to control the deadly coronavirus. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP via Getty Images
The entire country of Italy has gone into lockdown to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19.
<p>The measures, announced by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte Monday night, will ban public gatherings for Italy's more than 60 million people and prevent them from traveling between towns and cities except for emergencies.</p><p>"There is no more time," Conte said, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/09/coronavirus-italy-prime-minister-country-lockdown" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. "I will take responsibility for these measures. Our future is in our hands."</p>
<div id="c2b80" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="59MDE61583845510"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1237145779350929410" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Il futuro dell’Italia è nelle nostre mani. Facciamo tutti la nostra parte, rinunciando a qualcosa per il bene della… https://t.co/LFlzmoDjjF</div> — Giuseppe Conte (@Giuseppe Conte)<a href="https://twitter.com/GiuseppeConteIT/statuses/1237145779350929410">1583793513.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Italy is facing the worst coronavirus outbreak in Europe and has seen the most deaths from the new virus outside <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/china" target="_self">China</a>, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/world/europe/italy-lockdown-coronavirus.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. As of Monday, 9,172 Italians had fallen sick and 463 people had died, 97 more than on Sunday.</p><p>"The figures show we are experiencing a serious increase in infections, an increase in people hospitalised in intensive care – and an increase, unfortunately, in deaths. We need to change our lifestyle. We need to change it now. That's why I have decided to adopt these hard measures," Conte said, according to The Guardian.</p><p>His decree also makes Italy the first European country to enact dramatic restrictions comparable to those that seem to be working in the more authoritarian China, The New York Times pointed out.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Wuhan for the first time since the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/china-lung-disease-caronavirus-2644658010.html" target="_self">new disease emerged there</a> in December 2019. The city, and the surrounding province of Hubei, have both been on lockdown in quarantine measures that appear to be working. His visit came as China reported its lowest number of new cases to date, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-51813876" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>.</p><p>"He is there now to reap the harvest. His being there means the Communist Party of China (CCP) may declare victory against the virus soon," Renmin University professor Zhang Ming told Reuters, as BBC News reported.</p><p>But this is not the case outside China, where, as <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/10/asia/china-xi-jinping-wuhan-coronavirus-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">CNN put it</a>, "the situation is growing increasingly dire." According to the <a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/685d0ace521648f8a5beeeee1b9125cd" target="_blank">most recent World Health Organization figures</a>, there have now been 113,672 confirmed cases in 110 countries and more than 4,000 deaths.</p>
<p>Italy hopes to control its outbreak with its newly restrictive measures, which include, according to The Guardian:</p><ul><li>A ban on all public events</li><li>The closing of bars, movie theaters, gyms, clubs and other gathering spots</li><li>The cancellation of all funerals, weddings and sporting events</li><li>The closing of all schools and universities until April 3</li><li>Fines or as many as three months of jail time for those who travel between cities without legitimate reasons</li></ul><p>The decree also included a ban on prison visits, which set off riots in prisons across the country, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51810673" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>. Seven inmates died.</p><p>Giovanni Rezza, director of the infectious disease department at the National Health Institute, told The New York Times that Italy's restrictions were "necessary" and that other European countries like France and Germany should follow its example.</p>
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Consuming Chilies Reduces Death From Heart Attack, Stroke and All Causes, Study Shows
19 December 2019
Health + Wellness
Red chilies and onions for sale in Tropea, Italy. Researchers found that those in Italy who eat chilies regularly have a lower risk of death. maudanros / Moment / Getty Images
Could chili peppers have life-saving properties? A recent study suggests they might.
<p>Researchers looked at the diets of nearly 23,000 adults living in the Molise region of Southern Italy over an eight year period. They found that those who ate chili peppers regularly, defined as four or more times a week, were 40 percent less likely to die from a heart attack and more than 50 percent less likely to die from a stroke, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/16/health/eating-chili-pepper-study-scli-intl-scn-wellness/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p>
<p>The protective effect of the chili peppers extended beyond cardiovascular disease. The study found that the regular chili eaters were 23 percent less likely to die for any reason, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/eating-chili-peppers-lower-risk-dying-heart-disease-1477114" target="_blank">Newsweek reported</a>.</p><p>"The strength of the association between chili pepper and cardiovascular mortality risk is quite strong, but also the risk reduction toward total death risk is actually surprising," study authors Marialaura Bonaccio of Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Dr. Giovanni de Gaetano of Italy's I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed and Dr. Licia Iacoviello of the University of Insubria, Italy, told Newsweek in a statement.</p><p>The research, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109719382063?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">published this month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology</a>, focused on Italy because chili peppers are a common part of the traditional Mediterranean diet, a diet dominated by fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds that relies on olive oil as its primary fat source, Newsweek explained.</p><p>Observing practitioners of this diet could therefore help scientists study the reported link between capsaicin, the ingredient that gives chilies their spice, and good health. It was also a way to verify Italian food traditions that touted the benefits of peppers, Iacoviello told CNN.</p>
<p>"And now, as already observed in China and in the United States, we know that the various plants of the capsicum species, although consumed in different ways throughout the world, can exert a protective action towards our health," Iacoviello said.</p><p>Interestingly, the researchers found that participants who ate chilies were less likely to die even if they did not follow the rest of the Mediterranean diet, which is generally considered healthy.</p><p>"[S]omeone can follow the healthy Mediterranean diet, someone else can eat less healthily, but for all of them chili pepper has a protective effect," Bonaccio told CNN.</p><p>That might make you want to go out and buy some chilies, but the study authors cautioned against that line of thinking.</p><p>"Diets should not be treated as drugs," the authors told Newsweek. "We should not talk in terms of amounts per day, as if we were dealing with drugs, rather our effort should be addressed to promote a global healthy lifestyle, starting from diet."</p><p>They said that those who already eat chili peppers regularly should of course continue to do so, but anyone who does not like peppers should simply follow a healthy diet overall.</p>
<p>Because it was an observational study, the research also cannot prove that chilies were in fact responsible for the lower mortality risk.</p><p>"This type of relationship suggests that chillies may be just a marker for some other dietary or lifestyle factor that hasn't been accounted for but, to be fair, this kind of uncertainty is usually present in epidemiological studies, and the authors do acknowledge this," Ian Johnson, a nutrition researcher at Quadram Institute Bioscience in England who was not involved in the study, told CNN.</p><p>Duane Mellor, a dietitian at the UK's Aston Medical School who was also not involved in the study, said it was possible people who ate chilies were more likely to add herbs and spices to their cooking, and therefore more likely to eat healthy foods like vegetables generally.</p><p>The researchers now plan to investigate whether there are any biological reasons why chilies might be good for your health.</p>
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Record flood water levels in Venice hit again on Sunday making this the worst week of flooding in the city in over 50 years.
<p>Venice's tide office recorded the peak tide of 1.5 meters above sea level just after 1 p.m. local time UTC.</p><p>The new peak left 70 percent of the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/after-the-floods-could-venice-lose-its-world-heritage-status/a-51271328" target="_blank">UNESCO World Heritage city</a> submerged on Sunday.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/venice-third-exceptional-flood-makes-week-worst-on-record/a-51286635?maca=en-VAM_volltext_ecowatch-28485-html-copypaste" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em><br/></p>
<p>Since records began in 1872, that level has never been reached even twice in one year. There is no other week on record where waters have reached the 1.5-meter mark three times in one week.</p><p>Usually, tides of 80-90 centimeters are considered high.</p><p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/venice-fresh-floods-force-closure-of-st-marks-square/a-51264902" target="_blank">St. Mark's Square</a> — the lowest point in the city and home of the iconic St. Mark's Basilica — <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/venice-floods-st-marks-square-reopens-but-city-on-red-alert/a-51278731" target="_blank">was submerged again</a> and closed to tourists.</p><p>Museums and stores in hardest-hit areas also remained closed.</p><p>Hundreds of volunteers mobilized to help Venice's inhabitants and to protect iconic buildings in the city, which is world-famous for its canals, historic architecture and art.</p>
<p>Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who has also been appointed special commissioner to deal with the emergency, pleaded with citizens not to give up hope, saying, "Venetians only get on their knees to pray."<br></p><p>Earlier in the week the city declared a state of emergency and ministers pledged €20 million ($22 million) to address the immediate damage.</p><p>Other parts of Italy also experienced severe weather during the weekend, with the river Arno in Pisa threatening to burst it banks.</p>
Why has Venice flooded?
<p>Experts say that Venice is both sinking into the mud it was built on and is at threat from rising sea levels due to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate change</a>.</p><p>The flooding has renewed calls for the Mose flood barrier project for the city.</p>From Your Site Articles
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A general view of the flooded St. Mark's Square after an exceptional overnight "Alta Acqua" high tide water level, on Nov. 13 in Venice. MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP / Getty Images
Two people have died as Venice has been inundated by the worst flooding it has seen in more than 50 years, The Guardian reported Wednesday.
<p>One elderly man was found electrocuted on the island of Pellestrina when he was struck by lightning while operating an electric water pump. The body of a second man was found in his home.</p><p>Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro <a href="https://twitter.com/luigibrugnaro/status/1194371080170983424?s=21" target="_blank">announced on Twitter</a> Tuesday night that he would declare a state of emergency Wednesday.</p><p>"These are the effects of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate change</a>," he wrote.</p>
<div id="faca1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="I3AQFJ1576661152"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1194465127388581888" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The Mayor of Venice blames climate change for tonight’s state of emergency flooding event with water just shy of th… https://t.co/exiOpVAs41</div> — Bill Weir (@Bill Weir)<a href="https://twitter.com/BillWeirCNN/statuses/1194465127388581888">1573617653.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The "acqua alta," or high tide, came up to 187 centimeters (approximately 73.6 inches) Tuesday night, according to a government statement <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/13/europe/venice-flooding-state-of-emergency-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">reported by CNN</a>. That's just below the highest tide ever recorded at 194 centimeters (approximately 76.4 inches) in 1966. Another surge is expected Wednesday, according to The Guardian.<br></p><p>This year's flood <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/venice-flooding-sea-level-rise-2616467169.html" target="_self">comes just one year</a> after the city also saw major flooding in the fall. Last year's flooding caused €2.2 million (approximately $2.42) worth of damage to St. Mark's Basilica, according to The Guardian. And the famous church was inundated again this year, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50401308" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>.</p><p>"Venice is on its knees," Brugnaro said in a tweet reported by the <a href="https://apnews.com/2e212a874a064ce4af63dc3ffda0258e" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>. "St. Mark's Basilica has sustained serious damage like the entire city and its islands."</p>
<div id="51384" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="KFBR1K1576661152"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1194565849895620608" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">LOOK: A man could swim in the famous Saint Mark's square thanks to the flood
Venice is bracing itself for another… https://t.co/0Etk5XFvnu</div> — QuickTake by Bloomberg (@QuickTake by Bloomberg)<a href="https://twitter.com/QuickTake/statuses/1194565849895620608">1573641667.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The church has flooded six times in 1,200 years, and four of those floods were in the last 20, St. Mark's council member Pierpaolo Campostrini told BBC News.</p><p>In total, Tuesday's floods inundated more than 85 percent of the city, the Associated Press reported. At least 60 boats were damaged, and the Venice hotel association said that it faced massive damage at its properties: Power went out and guests had to be evacuated to higher floors.</p>
<div id="c37be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="GD2PBY1576661152"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1194517785709338624" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Amazing images are coming in from Venice, Italy, where strong storm surge and tide peak (Acqua alta), caused severe… https://t.co/eh6EqtepDf</div> — severe-weather.EU (@severe-weather.EU)<a href="https://twitter.com/severeweatherEU/statuses/1194517785709338624">1573630207.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Venice is the Mediterranean World Heritage Site currently most at risk from flooding due to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-level-rise" target="_self">sea level rise</a>, a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/iconic-mediterranean-landmarks-sea-level-rise-2613007637.html" target="_self">2018 study found</a>.</p><p>Brugnaro promised completion of the "Moses" project to protect Venice from flooding by building offshore barriers, The Guardian reported. Construction began in 2003 but has been delayed, partly due to a corruption scandal.</p><p>But Luca Zaia, governor of the Veneto region, told SkyTG24 that he did not know if the barriers would be effective against flooding like Tuesday's, the Associated Press reported.</p><p>"Despite 5 billion euros under water, St. Mark's Square certainly wouldn't be secure," Zaia said. The iconic square is one of the city's lowest points.</p>
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Italy Becomes First Country to Add Climate Crisis to Its Core School Curriculum
06 November 2019
Climate
"Fridays For Future" climate activists in Rome, Italy in front of the Pantheon on Sept. 6. Matteo Nardone / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images
Italy has stepped into the forefront of environmental education by adding the climate crisis and sustainable development as a mandatory part of the curriculum, the country's education minister announced Tuesday, as The New York Times reported.
<p>Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti is the government's most vociferous advocate for green policies and encouraged students to skip school in September to participate in the global climate strike, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-italy-exclusive/exclusive-italy-to-make-climate-change-study-compulsory-in-schools-idUSKBN1XF1E1" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.</p><p>His new initiative means all state-run schools will tie-in the <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld" target="_blank">UN's 2030 agenda for sustainable development</a> into as many subjects as possible, with one hour each week dedicated to how humans have altered the planet and the causes and effects of global warming. <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sustainability" target="_self">Sustainability</a> will also be incorporated in geography, mathematics and physics, Fioramonti announced, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/nov/06/italy-to-school-students-in-sustainability-and-climate-crisis" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>"The entire ministry is being changed to make sustainability and climate the center of the education model," said Fioramonti, to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-italy-exclusive/exclusive-italy-to-make-climate-change-study-compulsory-in-schools-idUSKBN1XF1E1" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. "I want to make the Italian education system the first education system that puts the environment and society at the core of everything we learn in school."</p><p>The changes will go into effect at the beginning of the next school year, which will start in September 2020. A panel of experts will act as "peer reviewers" as ministry staff prepares the curriculum, which will be ready by January to train teachers, according to Fioramonti. The expert panel will include Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Harvard Institute for International Development, and Kate Raworth of Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/world/europe/italy-schools-climate-change.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>Fioramonti foresees teaching primary school students, aged 6-11, about the environment through stories and fairy tales from various cultures around the world that recognize a connection with the natural world. Middle schoolers will start to learn more technical details, while high school students will learn about the <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld" target="_blank">UN's 2030 agenda for sustainable development</a>, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/world/europe/italy-schools-climate-change.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>While environmental advocates praised the initiative, it also drew some caveats, especially about passing the burden of the climate crisis to the next generation.</p><p>"<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">Science</a> tells us the next 10 years are crucial," said Edoardo Zanchini, vice president of Legambiente, Italy's leading environmental group to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/world/europe/italy-schools-climate-change.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. "We cannot wait for the next generation."</p><p>Fioramonti has made the climate crisis a top priority since entering the government. He has argued in books that gross domestic product is the wrong measure of a country's economic health. He proposed new taxes on items with large carbon footprints such as airline tickets, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics">plastics</a> and sugary foods. While he aimed to raise money for education, he faced a backlash since many Italians believe they are already overtaxed, as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-italy-exclusive/exclusive-italy-to-make-climate-change-study-compulsory-in-schools-idUSKBN1XF1E1" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported.</p><p>However, the plastic tax and a tax on sugary drinks were both included in the 2020 budget that the government presented to parliament this week.</p><p>"I was ridiculed by everyone and treated like a village idiot, and now a few months later the government is using two of those proposals and it seems to me more and more people are convinced it is the way to go," Fioramonti said to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-italy-exclusive/exclusive-italy-to-make-climate-change-study-compulsory-in-schools-idUSKBN1XF1E1" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. </p>
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Weather destroyed boats in an Italian harbor near Genoa. MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP / Getty Images
A river overran banks in Sicily Saturday night, flooding a villa and drowning nine members of two families who were staying inside, The New York Times reported.
<p>The tragedy brought the death toll from Italy's week of punishing wind and rain to more than 30, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/03/fierce-winds-raze-forests-bringing-storm-hit-italy-to-its-knees" target="_blank">The Guardian said</a>, as the country endures what the civil protection agency called "one of the most complex meteorological situations of the past 50 to 60 years."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="63d14" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="M4RSSL1576663319"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1059378271811461120" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Floods and storms in #Italy claimed over 30 lives last week, with #Sicily being the worst-hit region. Hundreds of… https://t.co/HwRx0Rn4Kq</div> — IFRC Europe (@IFRC Europe)<a href="https://twitter.com/IFRC_Europe/statuses/1059378271811461120">1541410436.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Giuseppe Giordano was one of the only family members to survive, since he had left the villa with a child to run an errand. Another child who had clung to a tree also survived. Giordano, who lost his wife, two sons, parents, brother and sister in the deluge, had been renting the riverside house for two years.</p><p>"Why did they rent to us this house in such a place," Giordano lamented to The Guardian. "I've lost everything now. Why didn't they tell us that this was a flooding area?"</p><p>Giovanni Di Giacinto, the mayor of the town where the flooding occurred, confirmed that the home had been illegally built too close to the river and that the owners had appealed a demolition order. But blame for the week's storms and their consequences goes beyond local construction decisions, as <a href="https://www.usclimatenetwork.org/" target="_blank">U.S. Climate Action Network</a> Executive Director Keya Chaterjee told <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/10/31/italy-flooding-climate-change-venice/1831116002/" target="_blank">USA Today</a>. </p><blockquote>Chatterjee noted that the storms in Italy followed other devastating weather events this year, including hurricanes Florence and Michael in the United States and Super Typhoon Yutu that hit Guam and the Philippines.<br><br>"What we're seeing is part of a trend," Chaterjee said. "It is happening as part of a climate that we have altered through the burning of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, it it totally consistent with what has been predicted for decades and decades at this point." </blockquote><p>Here are some of the other ways that extreme weather has devastated Italy this past week.</p><p><strong>1. Tens of Thousands of Trees Flattened</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Winds as strong as 118 miles per hour toppled trees in the famous Violin Forest where Antonio Stradivarius sourced wood for his iconic instruments, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/04/europe/italy-flooding-deaths/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. In the region of Veneto, around 300,000 trees were "felled like toothpicks," regional council president Roberto Ciambetti said.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="fe510" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="CBLSBB1576663319"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1058123766172209152" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#maltempoinVeneto, immagini girate dall’elicottero #Drago118dei #vigilidelfuoco del bosco di #CostadArnola in… https://t.co/z9yFrHsaYc</div> — VigilFuoco Veneto (@VigilFuoco Veneto)<a href="https://twitter.com/vvfveneto/statuses/1058123766172209152">1541111339.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p><strong>2. Historic Damage</strong></p><p><strong></strong><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/venice-flooding-sea-level-rise-2616467169.html" target="_self">EcoWatch already reported</a> that Venice survived its highest tide in at least a decade last week, but that flooding also damaged the floors of St. Mark's Basilica.<br></p><p>"In a single day, the basilica aged 20 years, but perhaps this is an optimistic consideration," head of the Basilica board Carlo Alberto Tesserin said in a statement reported by CNN.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="2d3e3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="OODLDT1576663319"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1057995160720719873" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Getting more than my feet wet in #Venice St Marks Square #veniceflooding https://t.co/3764UhP6hH</div> — Sophie Beyer (@Sophie Beyer)<a href="https://twitter.com/sophbeyer/statuses/1057995160720719873">1541080677.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p><strong>3. Villages Cut Off</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Landslides triggered by the storms have cut off entire villages, authorities said, including the popular fishing village of Portofino, near Genoa, where the main road collapsed and an emergency path was deemed unsafe to use.<br></p><p>"It won't be easy or quick but we count on returning Portofino next summer to the millions of tourists who come to visit it," regional governor Giovanni Toti said, according to The Guardian.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="1378d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9IADWK1576663320"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1057189018985787393" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">PORTOFINO IS NOT REACHABLE
9.00 am: The panoramic that reaches Portofino has suffered serious damage to the height… https://t.co/JA1ucZIvjM</div> — Portofino (@Portofino)<a href="https://twitter.com/portofino/statuses/1057189018985787393">1540888478.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p><em>Correction: An earlier version of this article reported the wind speed as 188 miles per hour and the number of trees felled as 30,000. This has been corrected to list the wind speed as 118 miles per hour and the number of downed trees as 300,000. </em></p>
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Tourists wade through a flooded Piazza San Marco in Venice Monday. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP / Getty Images
The worst flooding in at least a decade swamped Venice Monday as an exceptionally high tide covered around 70 percent of the iconic island city, the Huffington Post reported.
Venice is the Mediterranean World Heritage Site currently most at risk from flooding due to sea level rise, according to a recent study, and the city even has elevated sidewalks ready in case of high tides, but Monday's waters rose higher than the emergency sidewalks.
<p>The tide surpassed 5 feet, 3 inches, making it the highest recorded since 2008 and potentially the highest recorded since 1979, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/30/europe/venice-flooding-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="4c30b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="LK0I411576663322"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="402839790863015936" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Wading through Piazza San Marco #veniceflooding @RichardKerbaj http://t.co/84nF5YhoxO</div> — Katie Gibbons (@Katie Gibbons)<a href="https://twitter.com/katie_gibbons1/statuses/402839790863015936">1384879465.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>The high water didn't stop tourists from wading around famous landmarks like Piazza San Marco as business owners worked to keep water from entering their shops. Videos posted to social media showed waiters serving pizza in rubber boots, waves crashing against historic buildings and a jellyfish swimming up a cobblestone street.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="0cbcc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="IJZNJ81576663322"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1057004142735097857" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">En ce moment ..
#Venise #Venice
#Météo #Weather https://t.co/UK0wzCbY4q</div> — Un Macaroni Ⓜ️ (@Un Macaroni Ⓜ️)<a href="https://twitter.com/UnMacaroni/statuses/1057004142735097857">1540844400.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="45d99" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="Q9H48M1576663322"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1057018356186918914" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">En ce moment ..
#Venise #Venice
#Météo #Weather
#MeToo iWantPizza 🐙🍕 https://t.co/d4DwkE71Uk</div> — Un Macaroni Ⓜ️ (@Un Macaroni Ⓜ️)<a href="https://twitter.com/UnMacaroni/statuses/1057018356186918914">1540847789.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Runners in the <a href="https://www.huaweivenicemarathon.it/en/venicemarathon/news-vm-eng/read/989-cs-winners-vm" target="_blank">Venice Marathon</a> competed Sunday despite 'the worst conditions ever for the event."<br></p><p>The flooding in Venice is immediately caused by a low-pressure system that has also brought flooding, wind and rain to other parts of northern Italy. At least six people have died, and popular Roman tourist sites like the Colosseum and Roman Forum were closed, the Huffington Post reported.</p><p>Venice, however, is increasingly used to flooding because of a combination of incoming silt, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/methane" target="_blank">methane</a> gas drilling in the sea nearby that undermines its islands, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/venice-experiencing-worst-flooding-2012/story?id=58828272&cid=social_twitter_abcn" target="_blank">ABC News reported</a>. When tide levels lower to 110 centimeters (approximately 3.6 feet) on Tuesday, they will be at levels Venice sees about four times a year, CNN said.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="60360" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="21GLI01576663322"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1057007463000612866" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Relaxed dressing amidst Biblical flooding levels in Venice #veniceflooding https://t.co/UlnbOsVAyO</div> — Running Past (@Running Past)<a href="https://twitter.com/running_past/statuses/1057007463000612866">1540845192.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Venice has been working on an ambitious series of flood barriers since 2003 dubbed "Project Moses." The project features retractable gates that would block the entrance to the city's lagoon when tides are high, but corruption scandals and high costs have beset the operation, which should be completed in 2022 and has already cost around $6.5 billion, the Huffington Post reported.<br></p><p>But an article published in <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/rising-waters-can-a-massive-sea-barrier-save-venice-from-drowning" target="_blank">YaleEnvironment360</a> last year pointed out that the barrier, which was first conceived after a record-breaking 1966 flood, was only designed to withstand 1 foot of sea level rise, and some scientists think we could see 2 feet by 2050. </p><p>"After that, the sea will come in from other places to the north and the south. There is nothing we can do to stop it," project spokesperson Monica Ambrosini said.</p>
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</p><div id="134e8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="LM2U2N1576663322"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1009181566713712641" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sea Level Rise Could Put 2.4 MIllion U.S. Coastal Homes at Risk https://t.co/WjKrpxfnoA @OneWorld_News @ClimateDesk</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1009181566713712641">1529442609.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Rescuers continue their search for possible survivors of deadly flash flooding in the Raganello river, a popular hiking spot in Civita, in the Calabria region's Pollino national park, on Aug. 21. KONTROLAB / AFP / Getty Images
Ten people were killed and 11 injured in a flash flood that filled a gorge in Italy's Pollino National Park following heavy rains on Monday, The Associated Press reported.
The victims were from two groups of hikers in the Raganello Gorge, which filled with up to 2.5 meters (approximately 8.2 feet) of water, mud and rocks that pushed some bodies as far as 8 kilometers (approximately 5 miles) downstream, BBC News reported.
<p style="">"A real avalanche of water came unexpectedly. We did not have time to do anything. I was lucky, it was an incredible thing," a Dutch hiker told local media, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/20/flash-floods-in-italian-gorge-leave-at-least-eight-hikers-dead" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. </p><p style="">In total, 23 people were rescued, including four children who had lost one or both of their parents, The Associated Press reported. Some Dutch hikers were among the survivors, but Italian media reports said all the dead were Italian.</p><p style="">"Italy is tired of crying for the dead. Enough," environment minister Sergio Costa said, according to The Associated Press. "If what happened is the result of negligence, sloppiness or a lack of awareness of the risks, we are facing a serious situation that we need to get to the bottom of."</p><p style="">Italian prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into the deaths. The government has also asked for a separate administrative proceeding to see if any negligence caused the deaths.</p><p style="">Investigations will focus on whether weather warnings were issued correctly and whether access to the gorge should have been limited or cut off.</p><p style="">While meteorologists said heavy rains were common in the region during this time of year, rescue workers and park officials said <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooding</a> like this hadn't been seen in decades. </p><p style="">"Without a doubt, the event was of a weight we have not seen for many years. We are talking about at least ninety years ago," Pollino National Park President Domenico Pappaterra told Sky TG24, according to The Associated Press. </p><p style="">Pasquale Gagliardi, medical director of the regional helicopter service that airlifted survivors to local hospitals, agreed that it was "unprecedented." </p><p style="">"I've been flying for over 20 years and I can say I'm a veteran. I've helped hundreds of people in difficult situations, but I had never had a misfortune of this size," he told a local newspaper, as BBC News reported.</p><p style="">Costa said rescue workers were "99.9 percent sure" that everyone was accounted for, but that the search was continuing because there is no record of who entered the gorge. </p><p style="">Pappaterra said the national park's guide does not direct hikers through the upper part of the gorge and that only experienced hikers should attempt it, according to The Associated Press.</p><p style="">Some victims were found without proper gear and clothing, according to local media stories reported by BBC News.</p>
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</p><div id="55bfa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="JL029S1576664025"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="958315139224219648" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Flooding in Paris Becomes 'More and More Recurrent' https://t.co/3WEWJBQoW2 @Climate_Rescue @EUClimateAction</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/958315139224219648">1517315108.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Six European Countries Could Face Multi-Million Euro Fines Over Air Pollution
17 May 2018
Health + Wellness
Air pollution in Paris in December, 2016 as seen from Montmartre. Tangopaso / Wikimedia Commons
The European Commission confirmed in a statement Thursday that it would pursue legal action against six European countries for exceeding air pollution limits set for 2005 and 2010, Air Quality News reported.
The commission is referring France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Hungary and Romania to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which could fine them millions of euros if they do not act quickly enough to solve the problem, The Guardian reported.
<p style="">According to Air Quality News, France, Germany and the UK are being brought to court for high levels of nitrogen oxide and Italy, Hungary and Romania for high levels of particulate matter.</p><p style="">All six nations were given a final warning in January and failed to propose pollution plans that would solve the problem quickly enough, The Guardian reported. </p><p style="">Air pollution kills more than 400,000 people in the EU each year. </p><p style="">"We have waited a long time and we cannot possibly wait any longer," European Commissioner for the Environment Karmenu Vella, who issued the statement confirming legal action, told The Guardian. "We have said that this commission is one that protects. Our decision follows through on that claim. It is my conviction that today's decision will lead to improvements for citizens on a much quicker timescale."</p><p style="">Three other countries issued warnings in January—Spain, Slovakia and the Czech Republic—have since adopted pollution control measures that satisfied the commission. </p><p style="">High levels of nitrogen oxide like those recorded in Germany, the UK and France are largely due to the use of diesel cars, for which effective exhaust scrubbing systems have not been developed as they have for diesel trucks, <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/eu-takes-germany-to-court-over-air-pollution/a-42351552" target="_blank">DW reported</a>. </p><p style="">"The diesel problem hasn't been solved yet," Julia Poliscanova of the Brussels non-governmental organization Transport & Environment, told DW.</p><p style="">"It's really important to force car makers to improve the new Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel models," she said. </p><p style="">For Poliscanova, this means Germany has a lot of power to solve the problem if its government is willing to stand up to the auto industry. </p><p style="">"[Germany has] the largest automaker industry, and they also certify most of the cars for the EU market. They have the power to actually change something," she told DW</p><p style="">The UK has also faced internal criticism for its air quality. In March, a historic joint inquiry by four parliamentary committees declared it a "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/timely-emissions-reductions-2550391279.html" target="_self">national health emergency.</a>" </p><p style="">UK lawyers ClientEarth have sued the government three times in UK court over inadequate air quality plans. The court forced the government to strengthen its 2017 plan and enforce stricter standards by the end of 2018. </p><p style="">"On top of our three successful cases, today's legal action from the European commission is more damning evidence of the mountain the UK government still has to climb to bring air pollution to within legal limits, " ClientEarth CEO James Thornton told The Guardian. </p><p style="">In 2017, a Parisian yoga teacher sued the French government over air pollution, saying her health had deteriorated when air pollution levels in the French capital broke records in December 2016, the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40185217" target="_blank">BBC reported</a>.</p>
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</p><div id="3695c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="MTB2JS1576662000"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="991734245877059585" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Air Pollution Kills 7 Million a Year, Mostly in Poorer Countries https://t.co/3YN54vaDRE #AirPollution… https://t.co/7dEm5I4Wnx</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/991734245877059585">1525282844.0</a></blockquote></div>
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