Kaavan in Islamabad, Pakistan on Sept. 4, 2020. Arne Immanuel Bänsch / picture alliance via Getty Images
With help from music icon Cher, the "world's loneliest elephant" has found a new home and, hopefully, a new family.
<p>The elephant, a 36-year-old male named Kaavan, has lived alone in a controversial zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan since his partner Saheli died in 2012, according to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/animal-welfare" target="_self">animal welfare</a> group <a href="https://www.four-paws.org/our-stories/press-releases/from-the-loneliest-to-the-luckiest-elephant-kaavan-takes-off-for-cambodia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Four Paws International</a>. But now, thanks to the efforts of Four Paws, Cher and her NGO <a href="https://www.freethewild.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Free the Wild</a>, the Pakistani government and American businessman Eric S. Margolis, Kaavan has landed in Cambodia after a 10-hour flight, where he will enjoy a new life in a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> sanctuary.</p><p>"Kaavan was eating, was not stressed and he even slept a little bit whilst leaning on the wall of the crate!" Four Paws <a href="https://twitter.com/fourpawsint/status/1333328774507728896" target="_blank">tweeted Monday</a> of the successful flight. "He behaves like a 'Frequent Flyer.'"</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEucmJsLm1zL2ltYWdlP3U9JTJGbWVkaWElMkZFb0R2QmtYVzRBQThsbHouanBnJTNBbWVkaXVtJmhvPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGcGJzLnR3aW1nLmNvbSZzPTE2MyZoPTE1NzMzNWNiNmNlMTdjZDJjODAxYTJlMWVlMzFlMWI3YTQ4MWQ3YWFlOTA1YzE0NWQwZWVlOTgxNDRjOWUyNzcmc2l6ZT05ODB4JmM9MTM5MjE2MDk0MSIsImV4cGlyZXNfYXQiOjE2MTUyNzQ3MzF9.w7gpcbinIUQ1CD4qc6dxKjSVdVMRRSuM3Ewtpn_OtvU/img.jpg" id="da326" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8f24f0149444c92249de4a8988f61309" />Twitter
<p>But Kaavan's journey to Cambodia was much longer than the 10 hour flight. Kaavan, an Asian elephant, was first gifted to Pakistan from Sri Lanka in 1985 and found his first home at the Marghazar Zoo, according to Four Paws. From 1990 until 2012, he shared his enclosure with Saheli. But then she died after an infection turned gangrenous, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-animals-elephants-islamabad-animal-welfare-4c002d8b04544388b065f0500ac9e306" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>. Her body was left in the enclosure for several days after she passed away, Four Paws veterinarian Dr. Amir Khalil said Kaavan was heartbroken by the experience.</p><p>Even before Saheli's death, the Marghazar Zoo was not a pleasant place to live. Kaavan spent most of his 35 years there in chains. But his condition deteriorated after his partner passed away, and wildlife advocates dubbed him the "world's loneliest elephant."</p>
<p>Cher learned about his case on Twitter and decided to get involved, according to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/cher-pakistan-elephant-kaavan-intl-hnk-scli/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p><p>"I thought, 'how can I fix this? How can I save an elephant who's been shackled to a shed for 17 years and who is a thousand miles away?'" Cher told CNN.</p><p>Kaavan's relocation to Cambodia marks the first big rescue for Free the Wild, which Cher co-founded. It is also the first time Four Paws has moved an elephant by plane, the organization said.</p><p>Khalil spent three months preparing Kaavan for the journey, The Associated Press reported. At the start of the process, Kaavan was both malnourished and overweight, and suffered from behavioral problems because of his time spent alone. He started shaking his head for hours, and his nails are cracked and overgrown because the flooring in his enclosure harmed his feet.</p>
<p>Khalil put Kaavan on a diet of fruit and vegetables and helped him to lose a ton before the flight. He also helped him to get more relaxed before the journey, which Kaavan undertook with only mild sedation, according to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIMBkLoAbjX/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Free the Wild</a>.</p><p>"Kaavan quickly gained confidence in us and made great progress in a short time. In his case it not only took a village but a whole country to transfer Kaavan to Cambodia," Khalil told Four Paws.</p><p>Cher was both in Pakistan to see Kaavan off and in Cambodia to greet him on his arrival. She sang "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," to him before he left, according to CNN. In Pakistan, she also met with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday, according to The Associated Press.</p><p>"Just Came From Meeting To Thank Prime Minister Imran Kahn For Making It Possible For Me To Take Kaavan To Cambodia," she <a href="https://twitter.com/cher/status/1332296298989580288" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tweeted Friday</a>.</p><p>She also said that Kaavan's story would be told in a Smithsonian documentary.</p>
<div id="66bbe" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b2be63265ec60d2bb78c8e758bee8144"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1332440451517845504" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🐘Kaavan's journey to freedom from captivity in Islamabad to Cambodia will be a 2021 @SmithsonianChan documentary ❤️… https://t.co/zgESUUzD9x</div> — Cher (@Cher)<a href="https://twitter.com/cher/statuses/1332440451517845504">1606513533.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In Cambodia, Kaavan will live in the <a href="https://www.cambodiawildlifesanctuary.com/#:~:text=The%20Cambodia%20Wildlife%20Sanctuary%20was,and%20remarkable%20habitat%20of%20Cambodia.&text=The%20sanctuary%20is%20located%20in,covers%20approximately%20One%20million%20acres." target="_blank">Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary</a>, where there are three other female elephants to keep him company, Four Paws spokesperson Martin Bauer told <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/27/939509981/worlds-loneliest-elephant-moving-to-sanctuary-with-help-from-cher" target="_blank">NPR</a>.</p><p>"The goal is to socialize him," Bauer said. "It will take a while because he has lived on his own for such a long time. But yes, ultimately the goal is to bring him together with other animals because that's what elephants want. They're herd animals, they always form families, and that's also what we plan for him."</p>Kaavan is not the only animal who suffered at the Marghazar Zoo. The Islamabad High Court ordered its closure in May because of cruel conditions. Four Paws is also helping to relocate other zoo animals. It has found new homes for three wolves, some monkeys and all of the zoo's rabbits, the organization said. It will rehome two Himalayan brown bears in December. Margolis, the U.S. businessman, is helping to fund the rescue of the animals, including the bears, and paid for half of Kaavan's flight.
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale Baby Found Dead in North Carolina
25 November
Animals
A rare North Atlantic right whale is seen off Cape Cod Bay on April 14, 2019 near Provincetown, Massachusetts. Don Emmert / AFP / Getty Images
An extremely rare North Atlantic right whale calf was found dead off the North Carolina coast on Friday.
<p>The male calf was also the first documented birth this calving season, a development the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called devastating.</p><p>"Each new right whale calf brings so much hope for this critically <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a>, and losses like this have a substantial impact on their recovery," NOAA wrote in a <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/first-known-north-atlantic-right-whale-calf-season-washes-dead-north-carolina" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>National Park Service workers discovered the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/whales" target="_self">whale</a> on <a href="https://npplan.com/parks-by-state/north-carolina-national-parks/cape-lookout-national-seashore-park-at-a-glance/cape-lookout-national-seashore-the-islands/cape-lookout-national-seashore-north-core-banks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">North Core Banks</a>, the northernmost of three barrier islands that comprise the Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina. On Saturday, a team of biologists came to conduct a necroscopy on the animal and take a DNA sample in order to determine its mother, Cape Lookout National Seashore explained on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CapeLookoutNPS/posts/3608024915884969" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.</p><p>"Right Whales are critically endangered and are one of the rarest marine mammals," the seashore wrote.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="24c36ab7f041f96875677ba1e9dc1944"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/CapeLookoutNPS/posts/3608024915884969"></div></div>
<p>The cause of death is not yet known, but NOAA said that there was no evidence human activity was a factor, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/23/us/rare-right-whale-washed-ashore-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. Initial reports suggest the baby died either during birth or soon after.</p><p>The sad discovery comes little less than a month after a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/endangered-right-whale-population-2648532928.html" target="_self">grim NOAA report</a> found there are no more than 366 North Atlantic right whales left. The whales have been suffering from an "unusual mortality event" since 2017, NOAA said Monday. The agency has documented at least 32 deaths and 13 injuries during this event, more than 10 percent of the whales' remaining population. The leading causes of these deaths are vessel strikes and entanglements in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fishing" target="_self">fishing</a> gear.</p><p>The endangered whales also struggle to reproduce. Female whales give birth to only five or six calves per year, according to the Cape Lookout National Seashore. There are about 100 female whales left, CNN reported.</p>
<p>Female right whales usually reach maturity after 10 years and then give birth every three to five years. However, in recent years, the time between births has increased to six to 10 years. Scientists think that females are giving birth less often partly because of the stress of getting entangled in fishing gear. There have been just 22 births total during the past three calving seasons, about one-third of the previous annual average.</p><p>The right whale calving season extends from mid-November to mid-April. In winter, the whales migrate more than 1,000 miles from the waters of Canada and New England to warmer waters around South Carolina, Georgia and Florida's east coast, NOAA <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/news/watching-migrating-right-whales-more-important-ever" target="_blank">said</a>. This is also where they give birth and nurse their young. NOAA urged boaters and fishers to watch out for the whales as their migration begins.</p>"NOAA is cautioning all boaters to be vigilant, slow down, and give these endangered whales plenty of room," NOAA wrote. "This will avoid accidental collisions and disturbing the whales as they migrate south. The agency is also asking fishermen to remove their unused gear from the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ocean" target="_self">ocean</a> to help avoid entanglements. Vertical lines with required markings, weak links, and breaking strengths are also required by law."
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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A fish farm off the coast of Tasmania. CW03070 / E+ / Getty Images
Around 50,000 farmed salmon swam free on Monday after a fire melted part of their enclosure off the coast of Tasmania.
<p>The salmon's escape has prompted concerns from local environmentalists, who are worried about the impact of the farmed fish on native <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> and ecosystems. While the farm's owners insist that impact will be minimal and the fish will be quickly eaten by seals or caught by recreational fishers, others disagree.</p><p>"It's like claiming a sewage spill is all good because it releases nutrients into the food chain," <a href="https://neighboursoffishfarming.org.au/" target="_blank">Neighbours of Fish Farming</a> president Peter George told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/24/fears-for-environment-after-50000-fish-escape-salmon-farm-in-tasmania" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p>The fire that allowed the fish to escape broke out early Monday morning at an offshore enclosure owned by Huon Aquaculture, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-23/salmon-breakout-after-fire-huon-aquaculture-tasmania/12912222" target="_blank">Australia's ABC News reported</a>. The fire damaged about a third of a pen by burning and melting the pen both above and below the waterline, allowing the fish to escape. The company estimates that between 50,000 and 52,000 fish weighing four kilograms (approximately 8.8 pounds) each got away.<br></p><p>Huon Aquaculture does not yet know what caused the blaze.</p><p>"We have electrical equipment on our pens but in 35 years of farming we have never had an electrical fire on a fish pen so the cause has baffled us," CEO Peter Bender told the <a href="https://www.portnews.com.au/story/7025098/fish-farm-fire-sets-52k-salmon-free-in-tas/" target="_blank">Australian Associated Press</a>.<br></p>
<p>The escaped fish account for less than one percent of Huon's stocks, and the company has no plans to recapture them, according to The Guardian. But company representatives were confident the fish would not harm Tasmanian ecosystems.</p><p>Pene Snashall, the corporate communications and community relations manager at Huon Aquaculture, pointed to a 2018 <a href="https://www.imas.utas.edu.au/" target="_blank">Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies</a> (IMAS) report that found that escaped farmed fish tend not to eat native fauna.</p><p>"Farmed salmon generally don't appear to feed on native species. While some fish did survive for some months, this did not necessary mean that these fish were thriving," Snashall told The Guardian.</p>
<p>But environmentalists disagreed.</p><p>"One IMAS [Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies] study found 15% of escaped salmon lived off wild fish – that's 7,800 from just this escape, and they happen regularly," Laura Kelly of <a href="https://www.et.org.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Environment Tasmania</a> told The Guardian. "Then there's the animal welfare issues – with thousands of animals just starving to death. Huon needs to follow global investment patterns and get their feedlots out of the ocean and onto land."</p><p>And competition for food is not the only concern.</p><p>"There is also the worry these introduced species will [be] establishing populations in the wild," Dr. Christine Materia, also of Neighbours of Fish Farming, told <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-24/salmon-escaped-from-fish-farm-caught-by-tasmanian-anglers/12914804" target="_blank">ABC News</a>.</p>
<p>IMAS associate professor Jeremy Lyle said that evidence did show that the impact of fish farm escapes like this one was "not that significant," but he also said any release of non-native species could pose problems.</p><p>"Any event like this is of some concern," he told ABC News. "Keeping introduced animals contained is more desirable."</p><p>The escape has brought out lots of recreational fishing aficionados to try and catch some of the salmon. Materia thought the company should compensate them for their efforts at containing the escape. Lyle, meanwhile, asked anyone who caught a fish to report the contents of its stomach to IMAS for research.</p>
<p><em>Correction: This article has been revised to reflect that each fish that got away weighed an estimated four kilograms.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Florida Wildlife Federation / NBC2News / YouTube
In a dramatic rescue captured on camera, a Florida man ran into a pond and pried open an alligator's mouth in order to rescue his beloved puppy, all without dropping his cigar.
<p>The protagonist of the video is 74-year-old Richard Wilbanks of Estero, Florida, who risked his hands in order to save his three-month old Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Gunner from the jaws of an almost four-foot alligator.</p><p>"It was like a missile," Willbanks told the <a href="https://eu.news-press.com/story/news/local/2020/11/23/florida-man-saves-puppy-from-alligator-jaws-shares-update-dog-estero-backyard-camera/6391734002/" target="_blank">Fort Myers News-Press</a> of the alligator. "We were only about 3 feet away from it, but it struck like a snake. It had Gunner in a vise grip and I just rushed in."</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9874812d72046531a6d9d993089b8f1d"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9boZ_k6-oqM?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<p>Wilbanks told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/21/us/puppy-alligator-rescue-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> that grabbing a hold of the gator was the easy part. The hard part was prying its jaws open. After Wilbanks managed to free Gunner, the alligator then bit down on his hands, the Fort Myers News-Press reported.</p><p>"He had one little puncture wound, and... my hands were just chewed up," Wilbanks told <a href="https://www.winknews.com/2020/11/20/man-saves-pet-dog-from-alligators-jaws-in-estero-encounter-caught-on-video/?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=cc13405351fae3a243c02dd9e37f3e432f802fbf-1606234364-0-ARvmRjR89RfVKXdnFuzyZ5Yn8WdIOvD01mBmS8-2MyijX8YgP_VFWT4liE-ixtvoyt6lrPY7EIjd4y8bt1aPBRkGJ5GsCuNDQWCvV_Z411Oe1gyYmXd6HNL7Rfmdt6QwMkeehHAxCepa91ByjkPSfCbSbCtHjpiFlXwTs25qcTQk-VaxSBkUTtMnv7A_v8JXuYPTbJvsbL6mN_gGUr-PC2rY0TtiaqwR4gnc_U9jQNUAqAblzAZyjaSMh3xlcH1SIYnGUgVVOv1h-y7i9gTZlLWCxg65Vae05DMykRzD8KRoebzurkDewW6Kr0M-ysmyBiDmpknvlhfmGr344pJ88e3lNTyVa8AlG1d8-TzNGKV8I5RQEzEUfh2nkrX4iEMy6XUmNKJf6LpAfk5KvdtCa-MUHS8PhgO03NksXd5ueGltbfNIIpvoremdtUl2FLvcHftGL-gDjSgOUeN9aK8j4d2O-lQp5wFMVjnAiKWTclWVz4WLdmEyT6oL7E_vr4LEQalMGcElY-kSXbHqkn8Dr-E5MwkZoQ13rHihUCkCD67c8_KuMFbFXjDQVuPUrBKdQB16wOLUgXGW8TBvXuWoQn3c50FVYKRj3VryxD_71CtzJheTXKN-bmzDXX4VFuX-Xg" target="_blank">WINK</a>.</p><p>After tending to his hands, Wilbanks rushed Gunner to the animal hospital, where he was treated for a puncture wound, the Fort-Myers News Press reported. However, he has now fully recovered.</p><p>Wilbanks has learned from the incident. He has bought Gunner a new leash, and plans to keep him at least 10 feet from the pond at all times.</p><p>He has "a new leash on life," Wilbanks told the Fort Myers News-Press.</p>
<p>Education is also the reason that footage of the rescue was made public. Wilbanks' property borders a nature reserve, and a partnership between the <a href="https://floridawildlifefederation.org/" target="_blank">Florida Wildlife Federation</a> (FWF) and the <a href="https://fstopfoundation.org/" target="_blank">fSTOP Foundation</a> put cameras in the area to monitor <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a>. All told, there are 17 cameras in 15 backyards in Estero.</p><p>The purpose of the project, called Sharing the Landscape, is to teach residents how to live safely and respectfully with wild <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a>.</p><p>"We live on a shared landscape," FWF regional policy director Meredith Budd told WINK. "We don't just want to tolerate wildlife, but, rather, we want to thrive with wildlife on a shared landscape."</p><p>The project decided to share the video of the rescue, which was captured late in October, in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.</p><p>"If we understand how to deal with them [wildlife], how to interact with them. The outcome is always positive," William Freund of the fSTOP Foundation told <a href="https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2020/11/21/lee-county-man-puppy-from-alligators-jaws-in-estero/" target="_blank">NBC2</a>.</p>
<p>Wilbanks and his wife Louise have loved living so close to nature, and their close call hasn't changed their point of view. Willbanks told WINK he did not call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) because he understood that the alligator was just doing what he needed to do to survive.</p><p>"It gives us a new appreciation," Louise told WINK. "We do need to be aware they are wild animals. They're not here for our benefit. We're very lucky to share this space with them."</p><p>Wilbanks told the Fort Myers News-Press that the alligator was still swimming in the pond.</p><p>FWC told WINK that alligators rarely cause serious injuries in Florida, but that pet owners should take proper precautions.</p><p>"We encourage everyone to take precautionary measures, particularly those who live or recreate near the water. Dogs and cats are similar in size to the natural prey of alligators," the FWC said in a statement.</p>
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Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is seen on October 19, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. Denis Doyle / Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday that former Secretary of State John Kerry will sit on his National Security Council (NSC) as Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
<p>Kerry's appointment was announced alongside other key foreign policy and national security roles and signals that the Biden administration plans to make fighting the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> an integral part of its foreign policy.</p><p>"This marks the first time that the NSC will include an official dedicated to climate change, reflecting the president-elect's commitment to addressing climate change as an urgent national security issue," the transition team said in a statement.</p>
<div id="7aab6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4bff71c40172c15736f73fe73ed18078"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330967606585593857" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Today, I’m announcing the first members of my national security and foreign policy team. They will rally the world… https://t.co/bAisIQk5P6</div> — Joe Biden (@Joe Biden)<a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/statuses/1330967606585593857">1606162380.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Kerry has a long history of engaging in climate diplomacy, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/23/kerry-climate-change/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>. He has represented the U.S. at every major climate conference for the past 30 years and, as Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, played a key role in negotiating the 2015 <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris agreement</a>. More recently, he started the organization <a href="https://worldwarzero.com/" target="_blank">World War Zero</a> to unite people from all political persuasions and walks of life around the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Kerry also co-chaired the Biden campaign's climate task force with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), which was designed to make policy suggestions and bridge the gap between party moderates and supporters of Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.</p><p>"The work we began with the Paris Agreement is far from done," Kerry <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnKerry/status/1330945088080457731" target="_blank">tweeted</a> in response to his appointment. "I'm returning to government to get America back on track to address the biggest challenge of this generation and those that will follow. The climate crisis demands nothing less than all hands on deck."</p><p>Biden's choice of Kerry won wide approval from environmental groups.</p><p>"The big question has been, 'How serious is the new administration about climate change?'" senior <a href="https://www.edf.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Environmental Defense Fund</a> (EDF) vice president Nathaniel Keohane told <a href="https://grist.org/politics/with-john-kerry-envoy-biden-plans-to-tackle-climate-change-abroad/?utm_campaign=sprout&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1606165955" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grist</a>. "This is a tremendously important signal. It says that the Biden administration is committed to making climate change front and center in terms of how we engage with the world."</p>
<p>While Kerry is seen as a moderate, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/23/john-kerry-biden-climate-envoy-appointment?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1606170161" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, his role on the campaign's climate task force has earned him the respect of the more progressive wing of the climate movement.</p><p>"He was quite the diplomat in terms of trying to make sure that all sides were represented and that we could reach compromises that we could all live with," Alabama environmental activist and panel member Catherine Coleman Flowers told The Washington Post. "He had a good understanding of the climate crisis."</p><p><a href="https://www.sunrisemovement.org/?ms=SunriseMovement" target="_blank">Sunrise Movement</a> co-founder Varshini Prakash also spoke favorably of Kerry's role on the panel.</p><p>"I served with Sec. Kerry this summer on the Biden-Sanders taskforce and one thing is clear: he really does care about stopping climate change. That's something we can work with," she <a href="https://twitter.com/VarshPrakash/status/1330948342776557568?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tweeted</a>. "An encouraging move from the Biden team — now I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a domestic equivalent!"</p>
<p>Biden is expected to name a White House climate policy coordinator in December who will focus on domestic climate policy, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/climate/john-kerry-climate-change.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>.</p><p>However, the effectiveness of both roles may depend on whether Republicans retain control of the Senate after the Georgia runoff elections in January. Kerry's position does not require Senate confirmation, but he may have a harder time convincing other countries to take more aggressive action if the U.S. does not seem to be pulling its weight. Diplomatically, he faces a challenge no matter what, given President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a>'s decision to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-agreement-us-withdrawal-2648618695.html" target="_self">withdraw the U.S.</a> from the Paris agreement Kerry helped negotiate. While Biden intends to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/paris-climate-agreement-biden-2648649350.html" target="_self">rejoin the agreement</a> immediately upon taking office, the U.S. departure still burned the international community.</p><p>"Kerry's challenge is 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me,'" Rachel Kyte, dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, told The New York Times.</p>
<p class=""><em>Correction: A previous version of the headline stated that John Kerry is the first-ever climate envoy. That is incorrect, as the Obama administration also had a climate envoy. Kerry is the first full-time climate official to sit on the National Security Council. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Argentine black-and-white tegu is an invasive species that can reach four-feet long. Mark Newman / Getty Images
These black-and-white lizards could be the punchline of a joke, except the situation is no laughing matter.
<p>That's because the Argentine black-and-white tegu is an <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/invasive-species" target="_self">invasive species</a> of dog-sized lizards that scientists worry could pose a threat to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a> across the Southeast.</p><p>The tegus first came to the region as escaped or released pets and began to spread in South Florida more than a decade ago, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/11/tegu-lizards-invasive-spreading-southeast-united-states/" target="_blank">National Geographic reported</a>. But they are now reaching other states in the region and have been spotted in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama.</p><p>"[T]he entire southeast portion of the United States is at risk," U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) biologist Amy Yackel Adams told National Geographic. "Much of this area has a climate that is suitable for tegus."</p>
<p>For scientists, the tegus' eating habits are the most concerning aspect as they spread. The lizards, which are native to South America and up to four-feet long, consume everything from eggs and small birds to low-growing fruit. In Venezuela, they are nicknamed <em>lobo pollero,</em> or "the chicken wolf," for their habit of stealing eggs from chicken coops. In the U.S., they could pose an additional hazard to the eggs of threatened or endangered species like the Eastern indigo snake.</p><p>Protecting native <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a> is a major concern in Georgia, where the tegus have been spotted mostly in Tattnall and Toombs counties, <a href="https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/giant-tegu-lizards-are-moving-into-georgia-and-theyre-not-welcome" target="_blank">Discover reported</a>.</p><p>"They are very efficient predators of our native fauna that don't recognize them as predators," Georgia Southern University biology professor Lance McBrayer told Discover.</p>
<p>Of special concern are ground-nesting birds such as quails and the gopher tortoise, which is the Georgia state reptile, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-four-foot-lizards-will-eat-anything-and-theyre-invading-southeastern-us-180976350/" target="_blank">Smithsonian Magazine reported</a>.</p><p>However, the tegus' egg-stealing ways also make them easier to trap, according to Discover. Seven were captured in Georgia in 2019 and six were captured this year. Those numbers are large enough that McBrayer thinks the lizards are likely breeding in the wild.</p><p>"We suspect that they are breeding, but we have not captured a juvenile," he told Discover. "So, we can't say with absolute certainty that there are baby tegus running around."</p>
<p>McBrayer and Yackel Adams told Discover that the goal is to remove the lizards from Georgia before they can establish a population.</p><p>"We're at that early invasion," Yackel Adams told Discover. "It's the best time to deal with it."</p><p>Meanwhile, state officials are also working to stop the tegus from spreading in South Carolina, where they have been spotted at least nine times since August, <a href="https://abcnews4.com/news/local/eight-more-non-native-black-and-white-tegus-spotted-in-south-carolina" target="_blank">WCIV reported in September</a>.</p>
<p>"The number and distribution of black and white tegu reports in just a few weeks is concerning. Documented sightings come from as far north as Greenville County and as far south as Berkeley County," State Herpetologist Andrew Grosse told WCIV. </p><p>"The individuals removed measured between two and three feet long and consisted of both females and males. Necropsies show the tegus have all been scavenging native plants and animals, including toads, various insects and muscadines. This indicates these individuals are wild, free roaming and foraging opportunistically. It is important that this species does not establish in our state."</p>The climate is a key reason why tegus stand a good chance of spreading throughout the Southeast, since their native region is roughly the same latitude, McBrayer told Discover. Their range could grow even further as the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis<br></a>expands tropical and subtropical conditions to the north, National Geographic reported.
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Cyclone Gati on Sunday had sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. NASA - EOSDIS Worldview
Cyclone Gati made landfall in Somalia Sunday as the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane, the first time that a hurricane-strength storm has made landfall in the East African country, NPR reported.
<p>Furthermore, at one point before making landfall, Gati strengthened to sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, the equivalent of a Category 3 storm. It is the strongest storm on record for the entire geographical area.</p><p>"Gati is the strongest tropical cyclone that has been recorded in this region of the globe; further south than any category 3-equivalent cyclone in the North Indian Ocean," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) researcher Sam Lillo <a href="https://twitter.com/splillo/status/1330554977870200838" target="_blank">tweeted</a>.</p>
<div id="eb022" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4a22e81d6d14760e4c92ea8fa70eaf9d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330554977870200838" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Gati is the strongest tropical cyclone that has been recorded in this region of the globe; further south than any c… https://t.co/p77EMJ3mUw</div> — Sam Lillo (@Sam Lillo)<a href="https://twitter.com/splillo/statuses/1330554977870200838">1606064001.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> is making storms both <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tropical-storm-intensity-climate-crisis-2646033123.html" target="_self">stronger and wetter</a>, and Gati is an example of both. First, it intensified rapidly. The storm began as an area of low pressure observed on Thursday by India's Meteorological Department (IMD), <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/severe-cyclonic-storm-gati-bearing-down-on-somalia/852100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AccuWeather reported</a>. By Sunday, it had strengthened to a tropical depression; 12 hours later, it was a severe cyclonic storm. Lillo noted that its 12-hour intensification was the largest on record in the basin.</p><p>Gati intensified partly because of warm <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/ocean" target="_self">ocean</a> temperatures, according to AccuWeather. Other factors included low wind shear and the fact that it was relatively small, Lillo told NPR.</p><p>"With climate change we're seeing warmer ocean temperatures and a more moist atmosphere that's leading to a greater chance of rapid intensification for tropical cyclones like Gati," meteorologist and climate journalist Eric Holthaus told NPR. "Gati's strength is part of that broader global pattern of stronger storms."</p>
<div id="8d78f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="78b74a8fa911068186256663c6020cdd"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330520441929293824" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Cyclone #Gati striking #Somalia with Category 2 force. https://t.co/qGdHTcDE3G https://t.co/QJ5RMCy0e7</div> — UW-Madison CIMSS (@UW-Madison CIMSS)<a href="https://twitter.com/UWCIMSS/statuses/1330520441929293824">1606055767.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The storm is also predicted to be very wet. Somalia usually experiences four inches of rain every year. Gati could dump eight inches, doubling that amount in just two days.</p><p>"The system may impact Socotra, Somalia, Yemen and western Oman from [Sunday] night into Monday and potentially Tuesday, with the main threat being heavy rain and flash <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooding</a>," AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.</p><p>Holthaus <a href="https://twitter.com/EricHolthaus/status/1330558089779683329" target="_blank">noted</a> on Twitter that Somalia only accounts for about 0.002 percent of the total greenhouse gases emitted since the start of the industrial revolution.</p><p>"Today, they're experiencing a rapidly strengthening tropical cyclone that will bring two years worth of rainfall in just two days," he wrote. "This is the heart of climate injustice."</p>
<div id="5b55b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="48485c27d58cba8f2b923a207db706d4"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1330621846497103873" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Tropical Cyclone Gati landfalling in Somalia. https://t.co/3KQcpXgoTQ</div> — CIRA (@CIRA)<a href="https://twitter.com/CIRA_CSU/statuses/1330621846497103873">1606079944.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>There is usually an average of one cyclone in the Arabian Sea every year, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/years-second-in-arabian-sea-severe-cyclone-gati-headed-to-somalia-7061376/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Indian Express reported</a>. However, Gati is the second to form this year after <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/cyclone-nisarga-mumbai-coronavirus-2646150409.html" target="_self">Cyclone Nisarga</a> made landfall south of Mumbai in June. The number of cyclones forming over the Arabian Sea has increased since 2015, according to IMD data reported by The Indian Express. There were four in 2019 and three in 2018. The uptick in activity has been linked to the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that the Arabian Sea's surface temperatures are rising.</p>
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A team of scientists found microplastics in every snow sample taken from Mount Everest. Mariusz Potocki / National Geographic
Apparently, there ain't no mountain high enough to keep away the twin pressures of plastic pollution and the climate crisis.
<p>A series of newly-published studies based on a National Geographic expedition to Mount Everest in 2019 provide a shocking picture of how human activity is impacting the highest point from sea level on Earth. One of the studies even found <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics" target="_self">microplastics</a> just below the summit, at 8,440 meters (approximately 27,690 feet).</p><p>"Mt. Everest is somewhere I have always considered remote and pristine," University of Plymouth scientist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Imogen Napper, who was the lead author on the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastics</a> study, told EcoWatch in an email. "To know we are polluting near the top of the tallest mountain on earth is a real eye opener – we need to protect and care for our planet."</p>
<h3>Microplastics at the Top of the World</h3><p>Napper's study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)30550-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>One Earth</em></a> Friday, found microplastics in every snow sample taken from Mount Everest. The findings join a growing body of research showing the extent of microplastic pollution in even the most remote corners of the planet.</p><p>"These are the highest microplastics currently ever discovered," Napper told EcoWatch. "Although it sounds exciting, this means that microplastics have been discovered from the depths of the ocean all the way to the highest mountain on earth."</p><p>There has been growing awareness in recent years of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/china-mount-everest-trash-2629508814.html?share_id=4408439" target="_self">buildup of trash</a> on Mount Everest left behind by tourists and climbers. In 2019, the Tibet Autonomous Region Sports Bureau said it removed 9.3 tons of waste, and China closed its Everest base camp to tourists to prevent more pollution. Some media outlets have even begun to refer to the mountain as the "world's highest garbage dump."</p><p>However, Napper's study is the first to focus on the accumulation of microplastics on the mountain specifically. Microplastics are plastics less than five millimeters in length that typically slough off of larger plastics as they degrade. Their small size means they are easily ingested by animals by mistake and are also extremely difficult to clean up.</p>
<p>Napper's team found more microplastics collected near the base camp, where climbers tend to congregate. But they still found five microfibers at the mountain's "balcony," the highest point they studied. Those fibers numbered one clear acrylic fiber, one red polyester fiber and three blue polyester fibers.</p><p>In general, many of the microplastics found on Everest were fibers that could have been brought by climbers.</p><p>"Samples collected on the mountain and in the valley below it revealed significant quantities of polyester, acrylic, nylon, and polypropylene fibres," Napper told EcoWatch. "The materials are increasingly being used to make the high performance outdoor clothing commonly used by climbers, as well as the tents and climbing ropes used in attempts to climb the mountain."</p>
<p>However, other studies have shown that microplastics can be carried to remote environments by the atmosphere. A <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-pollution-arctic-snow-ice-2639834233.html" target="_self">2019 study</a> found that plastics were being lifted in the air and deposited as snow in the Arctic and the Alps. Napper said similar mechanisms could be bringing the plastics to Everest.</p><p>"[T]he microplastics may have been transported from lower altitudes by the extreme winds which regularly impact the mountain's higher slopes," Napper said.</p><p>So how can we keep Everest, and other remote environments, plastic free? Napper argued that, while reducing plastic use and improving recycling were both important, it is also crucial to develop new materials. This is particularly the case for the kind of specialized gear used to explore remote areas.</p><p>"There are a lot of promising developments in industry at the moment. We need to keep up the momentum, and ensure that athletic gear is tested and evaluated before use," Napper told EcoWatch. "Solutions need to deliver a positive account, not create future issues."</p>
<h3>Glaciers Melting Into Air</h3><p>Napper's article was just one of at least 16 that came out of the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition. That expedition brought 10 research teams including 34 international and Nepali scientists to Everest from April and June of last year in order to study the impacts of human activity on the mountain.</p><p>In addition to the accumulation of microplastics, studies focused on the impacts of the climate crisis on the mountain. One, <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(20)30915-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">published in iScience</a>, detailed how global warming is actually increasing the oxygen available to human climbers as warmer temperatures have increased air pressure. Another, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)30549-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OneEarth</a>, documented how Everest's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glaciers%5D" target="_self">glaciers</a> have thinned by more than 100 meters (approximately 328 feet) since the 1960s. Not only that, but the ice loss is accelerating, and glaciers are losing mass even at high altitudes.</p><p>Study leader and University of St. Andrews glaciologist Dr. Owen King said the melting of the higher glaciers was the "biggest surprise" from the results. His team measured thinning at the 5,700 meter (approximately 18,702 foot) Khumbu icefall and the 6,000 meter (approximately 19,685 foot) Rongbuk and Rongbuk East glaciers.</p><p>"The conditions found at this altitude are usually considered ideal for snow and ice accumulation, but our data suggest that they have now become more susceptible to ice melt," King said in an email to EcoWatch.</p>
<p>The melting of mountain glaciers is a big deal, because they are an important source of water to surrounding communities.</p><p>"Continued and, as we have shown, accelerating ice loss raises concerns about the sustainability of the supply of glacial meltwater, particularly at times of the year when monsoon rainfall cannot provide a backup, or in times of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought" target="_self">drought</a>," King said.</p><p>Understanding how climate change will impact mountain glaciers is the ultimate goal of the Perpetual Planet expeditions, of which the Everest trip was the first.</p><p>"The 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition was selected as a fantastic opportunity to support ground breaking research that fills a critical data gap in our understanding of how mountain systems are changing," Nicole Alexiev, vice president of science and innovation at the National Geographic Society, told EcoWatch in an email. "High mountain glaciers serve as the world's water towers, storing and providing water resources for 1/5 of the global populations. Despite the importance of high mountain systems, there is very little research conducted above 5,000m [approximately 16,404 feet] – especially interdisciplinary research – so we were excited to support this expedition which aimed to examine the world's highest mountain and its glaciers using expertise from the disciplines of biology, geology, glaciology, meteorology, and mapping."</p><p>Future expeditions will explore the Andes and western Canada, where mountain glaciers supply water to Santiago, Chile and the Columbia and Fraser river watersheds.</p>
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A monarch butterfly caterpillar munches on a milkweed plant. AttaBoyLuther / Getty Images
Humans aren't the only animals that get "hangry" when deprived of a meal.
<p>A new study published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(20)30988-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">iScience Thursday</a> found that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monarch-butterflies" target="_self">monarch butterfly</a> caterpillars (<em>Danaus plexippus</em>) will aggressively push each other out of the way when food gets scarce.</p><p>"The less food that is present, the higher their level of aggression," study coauthor Elizabeth Brown of Florida Atlantic University told <a href="https://institutions.newscientist.com/article/2260172-very-hangry-caterpillars-could-help-reveal-genetic-basis-of-aggression/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New Scientist</a>.</p><p>The idea for the study was born when the wife of fellow Florida Atlantic University researcher Alex Keene saw two monarch caterpillars fighting over a milkweed plant in the couple's garden, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/science/hungry-caterpillars-angry.html?campaign_id=51&emc=edit_NN_p_20201120&instance_id=24292&nl=morning-briefing&regi_id=88631294&section=whatElse&segment_id=45014&te=1&user_id=d8eb7cee9d3c5ab39515239b6ec54d19" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>.</p>
<p>"I decided to investigate monarch caterpillars because I was intrigued by their combative behavior, which I observed first-hand in my own garden," Keene explained in a <a href="http://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/aggressive-monarch-caterpillars.php" target="_blank">Florida Atlantic University press release</a>. "They are large and easily recognizable compared to many other <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/insects" target="_self">insects</a>. These are charismatic animals that everyone loves, and there's a growing appreciation for their potential to tell us about how the brain controls behavior."</p><p>The researchers gave the caterpillars three different amounts of food, New Scientist reported. The less milkweed the caterpillars received, the more aggressive they became. The caterpillars who were larger and closer to metamorphosis were the most aggressive, probably because they required more energy, Brown said.</p><p>Caterpillar aggression looked like a "combination of boxing and 'bumper' cars," the press release detailed, with caterpillars head butting or knocking other caterpillars away from the food.</p>
<p>"I went to grad school with a guy who played rugby in college," Keene told The New York Times. "A flying head butt is a fair assessment."</p><p>The attacked caterpillar would then shuffle away from the food, defeated. This is a big problem for the losing caterpillar, since monarch caterpillars essentially eat non-stop from hatching to forming a cocoon.</p><p>The researchers hope to build on this study to learn more about the genetic drivers of aggressive behavior.</p><p>"There's a lot we could learn about more complex animals from this ecologically relevant insect model," Keene told New Scientist.</p>
<p>The research could also have <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> implications. Monarch caterpillars mainly dine on milkweed: They can strip an entire plant in two weeks and, when they are at their largest, consume a leaf in less than five minutes, the press release noted. But this dependence on milkweed has made the species vulnerable. The number of monarch butterflies has decreased in the U.S. over the last 20 years, according to the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/savethemonarch/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a>, and one factor is the use of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides" target="_self">pesticides</a> that harm milkweed. <br></p><p>"It's interesting to think about how this would potentially impact the survival of these caterpillars, when they're crowded onto plants," University of Michigan monarch biologist D. André Green, who was not part of the study, told The New York Times. "The amount of milkweed is decreasing. This may become a bigger issue."</p>
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Young climate leaders. Biel Calderon / Greenpeace
The official 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to discuss the international response to the climate crisis has been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. But young people aren't letting that stop them from taking action.
<p>A <a href="https://www.mockcop.org/about-us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">group</a> of 18 student staff members and 216 volunteers from 118 countries is launching an event today called <a href="https://www.mockcop.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mock COP26</a>, a two-week, virtual conference that will conclude with a statement addressed to world leaders with suggestions for the official COP26.</p><p>"We decided we had to do something because we are in a climate emergency," co-organizer 21-year-old Dom Jaramillo of Ecuador told <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54990281" target="_blank">BBC News</a>. "We want to raise ambitions and show world leaders how a COP should be run. We are not the leaders of the future. We are the leaders of today."</p>
<p>COP26, which was supposed to take place this November, was billed as the most important international climate crisis since the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement" target="_self">Paris agreement</a> was reached in 2015. Each participating country was supposed to come to the table with more ambitious plans for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. However, it was <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/cop26-delayed-2646106662.html" target="_self">pushed back</a> a full year to November of 2021.</p><p>This frustrated Jaramillo and other young activists, who argued that there was no time for delay.</p><p>"I was very disappointed because it showed that political leaders think we can give ourselves a year more, when we just can't do that; the climate crisis is happening right now," 14-year-old Mock COP26 delegate Lavinia Iovino told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/10/we-want-real-action-young-activists-aim-to-fill-void-on-climate-with-mock-cop26" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p>So the young activists decided to organize their own conference, and to improve on the COP26 model in two key ways.</p><p>1. Lower Emissions</p><p>The Mock COP26 event will take place entirely online, featuring a combination of keynote speeches, panels, workshops and regional caucuses, the website explained. As an online event, it will lower emissions by 1,500 times compared with a traditional COP, organizers told BBC News.</p><p>"At a normal COP summit, delegates fly in from around the world. They can emit more than 50,000 tonnes of CO2 – whereas ours will emit around 39 tonnes of CO2," 18-year-old Josh Tregale of the UK said. "If each year those carbon savings were made by government meetings that could have a huge impact."</p><p>2. Centering Frontline Communities</p><p>Mock COP26 also seeks to be more inclusive and to center the voices of young people in the Global South, who will bear the brunt of the climate crisis. It was pushed back from the start time of the original COP26 to take place after Diwali, The Guardian reported. It is also allowing up to five delegates from Global South countries vs. three from countries in the Global North and giving the Global South delegates more time to speak.</p><p>"They're making sure that the voices of the most affected areas are amplified, and making sure that we have a space and we're not just tokenised," 22-year-old volunteer Mitzi Jonelle Tan from Manilla in the Philippines told The Guardian.</p>
<p>The two-week event will feature more than 350 delegates from more than 145 countries and last until Dec.1, according to a <a href="https://www.mockcop.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Mock_COP26_press_release_October.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release</a>. Its events are available to watch on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/mockcop26" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.</p><p>However, the event aims to influence the climate debate long after it concludes. Delegates will receive mentorship in how to put pressure on their countries in the leadup to COP26. In addition, participants will vote on a final statement to world leaders, The Guardian explained. Charity <a href="https://www.clientearth.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ClientEarth</a> will then help them to write that statement into a treaty that can be adapted by national governments.</p><p>"We can show world leaders that young people can do more than just protest, we can come up with ideas and put things in place as well," Tregale told BBC News.</p>
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The new rule would allow the U.S. Forest Service to log or manage 2,800 acres of national forest in the Western U.S. PxHere / CC0
The Trump administration has finalized yet another environmental rollback that would allow more logging in national forests without environmental review.
<p><br/></p>
<p>The new rule, finalized Wednesday, would allow the U.S. Forest Service to log or manage 2,800 acres of national forest in the Western U.S. without first conducting an environmental review, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/18/forest-service-wilderness-trump/" target="_blank">The Washington Post explained</a>. However, the rule is written in such a way that nearly 200 million acres of forest could be impacted.</p><p>"This is yet another blatant attempt to undermine bedrock environmental law and public input, while giving companies free rein over our treasured natural resources," <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/" target="_blank">Natural Resources Defense Council</a> (NRDC) Director of Federal Affairs Kabir Green said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch. "Add this rule to the long list of ill-conceived actions the Biden administration is going to have to toss and redo the right way."</p><p>The new rule works by expanding the Forest Service's ability to use "categorical exclusions," The Washington Post reported. These exclusions allow the Forest Service to bypass requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that require it to study the environmental impact of any planned development and share the scientific analysis with the public.</p>
<p>The Trump administration argued that the change would make it easier to perform necessary maintenance.</p><p>"The new categorical exclusions will ultimately improve our ability to maintain and repair the infrastructure people depend on to use and enjoy their national forests — such as roads, trails, campgrounds and other facilities," U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/11/18/usda-forest-service-announces-key-changes-nepa-procedures" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>Federal Forest Resource Coalition Executive Director Bill Imbergamo, who supports the change, told The Washington Post that the exclusions could be used to perform the forest maintenance needed to prevent <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires" target="_self">wildfires</a>.</p>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a> groups worried that the new categorical exclusions would be used to approve activities beyond trailmaking and brush clearing.</p><p><a href="https://www.wilderness.org/" target="_blank">Wilderness Society</a> senior attorney Alison Flint told The Washington Post that the exclusions would act as "permission slips" for loggers and road-builders. Green from the NRDC agreed.</p><p>"Rather than addressing the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity" target="_self">biodiversity</a> crises we face, the Trump administration continues to make our problems worse," Green said. "Today it's ramming through sweeping changes that will open national forests to large-scale logging, roadbuilding — and even <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oil" target="_self">oil</a> drilling and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/mining" target="_self">mining</a>. Each of these will exacerbate our climate crisis."</p>
<p>The Trump administration has now initiated or completed 104 environmental rollbacks, according to a running tally from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. It is unclear whether Democrats in Congress will be able to reverse the new Forest Service rule, along with other rules passed in the last days of the Trump administration, The Washington Post reported. The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to accept or reject late-term rules, but control of the Senate hinges on two run-off elections in Georgia in January.</p><p>Either way, environmental groups have promised to fight it.</p><p>"The final Forest Service NEPA rule epitomizes the Trump administration's disastrous approach to the environment — it shuts out the public, ignores the science, and delivers favors to special interests, regardless of the harm to forests, water, wildlife and the climate," <a href="https://defenders.org/" target="_blank">Defenders of Wildlife</a> President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark said in statement emailed to EcoWatch. "Our national forests are a national treasure and act as strongholds for endangered species conservation. Defenders of Wildlife will not sit idly by and witness the willful degradation of forest lands."</p>
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A new study finds that glass bottles, particularly ones for carbonated drinks, are worse than plastic for the environment.
bhofack2 / Getty Images
bhofack2 / Getty Images
Glass bottles could have an even bigger impact on the environment than plastic ones, a new study has found.
<p>Researchers at the University of Southampton in England set out to determine which common beverage containers cause the most and least harm to the environment. They found that glass is actually more detrimental than plastic because it is mined from rare materials and requires more <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels" target="_self">fossil fuels</a> to produce and ship.</p><p>"It might come as a surprise, but glass bottles actually ranked last in our analysis," study coauthors Alice Brock and Ian Williams wrote in <a href="https://theconversation.com/ranked-the-environmental-impact-of-five-different-soft-drink-containers-149642" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. "You might instinctively reach for a glass bottle to avoid buying a plastic alternative, but glass takes more resources and energy to produce."</p><p>In a study published in <a href="https://digital.detritusjournal.com/articles/in-press/life-cycle-assessment-of-beverage-packaging/368" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Detritus</a>, Brock and Williams investigated the most and least impactful container options for three beverage types: milk, fruit juice and pressurized fizzy drinks. In order to determine each container's impact, Brock and Williams conducted life cycle assessments and compared the containers based on several indicators of environmental harm, including their contribution to global warming, depletion of resources and impact on human health and terrestrial and marine environments.</p>
<p>For each type of beverage, Brock and Williams were then able to rank the containers from most to least harmful.</p><ol><li>Fizzy Drinks: Glass bottles were the most harmful and 100 percent recycled aluminum cans were the least. In between, from most to least impactful, came recycled glass bottles, plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and non-recycled aluminum cans.</li><li>Fruit Juice: Glass bottles were again the most harmful and <a href="https://www.tetrapak.com/solutions/packaging" target="_blank">Tetra Paks</a> were the least. In between came recycled glass bottles and PET bottles.</li><li>Milk: Glass was the most impactful and cartons were the least. In between were recycled glass bottles and high-density polythene (HDPE) plastic bottles.</li></ol><p>While each beverage category had a least impactful option, the researchers noted that even the minimally impactful choices still caused harm. Non-recycled aluminum cans, for example, ranked high for having toxic impacts on marine environments despite being the second-least impactful fizzy drink container type overall.</p>
<p><br>"All beverage packaging that we assessed showed some form of environmental impacts and both the milk carton and Tetra Pak, despite being less impactful than the plastic bottles, still contain plastic elements," Brock said in a University of Southampton press release emailed to EcoWatch. "Based on the evidence, society needs to move away from single-use beverage packaging in order to reduce environmental harm and embrace the regular everyday use of reusable containers as standard practice."</p><p>That said, there is a difference between the most and least impactful options. Glass bottles contributed about 95 percent more to the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> than aluminum cans, the study authors noted in The Conversation. Still, Brock and Williams said the message of their research went beyond individual consumer choice.</p><p>"We hope our study will help inform public and commercial debate over the suitability of some types of packaging that we all use in our daily lives and lead to swift and decisive changes in the drinks industry to find more environmentally friendly alternatives as a matter of some urgency," Williams said in the press release.</p>
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