APES Current Events

Global greenhouses gases emissions are set to plunge eight percent the largest drop to ever be recorded due to the worldwide lockdown trying to fight the coronavirus. The coronavirus has caused a decline in use of fossil fuels but the drop shouldn't be seen as a positive effect on climate change. When the pandemic declines and the nations start to take steps to restart their economies there will be a soar in emissions if governments do not take efforts to shift to a cleaner energy source. Scientists cautioned that the world is facing an enormous task to get global warming under control which means the global emissisons will have to fall about eight percent every single year until 2030 if they want to keep global warming under two degrees Celsius. During this lockdown cities have seen a dramatic reduction in air pollution and smog since fewer people are driving on the road. I think that if we take steps to shifting to cleaner energy sources it can have a huge impact on climate chang...

Since people have been quarantined because of the coronavirus, lots of wildlife is coming out. Along the Emirati coastline recently, there have been rays flocking to Dubai Marina, dolphins playing around the man-made Palm Jumeirah islands and large gatherings of sharks off Ras al Khaimah. The sightings of these animals in these spots shows that without humans in the way the animals are able to travel around more in different areas and live better. Scientists are sighting some of the largest groups of animals ever seen in areas. Now Conservationists are able to push to increase the coverage of marine protected areas. It is likely that once human activity picks up again that it will reverse some of these benefits. I think it is really good for these animals that humans have not been getting in their way lately, but it is sad to think they only get to enjoy this until human activity picks up again. All of these areas where wildlife activity is picking up are areas that were originally th...

Summary: In this article, the idea of borders being closed and animal traffickers' businesses being put on hold, is brought up. Seen specifically in a flight from South Korea, that was meant to go to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam but ended up being diverted to Can Tho, officials discovered illegally trafficked parts of wildlife animals (in this case 11 rhino horns) that traffickers had planned on sending somewhere, but ultimately ended up somewhere else. It is this circumstance that is causing animal traffickers to worry that they won't be able to trade their shipments as easily as they normally would be able to, and are thus reducing their prices and decreasing their amounts of shipments. However, it is with accounts that are recorded in this article by those involved with the businesses, that say they believe that once this pandemic ceases to cause such closings of borders and transportation, that their business will rise again. Coronavirus Disrupts Illegal Wildlife Trafficki...

Due to the risk of Covid-19 being exposed to grocery workers, California is providing plastic bags in stores for 60 days.  Plastic bags have been banned in the state since 2016, causing people to have their groceries bagged in reusable bags.  This is great however, not in a time like this.  Many people have the store workers bag their groceries which is unsafe for them to do right now.  Those bags have been in contact with the costumer who could contain the virus.  Having workers touch those bags, puts them in a risk of getting the virus.  Although, the 60 days of providing plastic bags in stores was only suppose to be used if needed.  The belief was that costumers would bag their own groceries in their own reusable bags, but people are taking this suspended band for granted.  It is concerning since people should not be more at risk of receiving the virus, but plastic waste should not increase.  The only solution I can really think of is tell...

For the first time in almost 30 years people in Northern India could clearly see the Himalayas due to India's corona virus lock down, clearing air pollution. Many people haven't been able to see the Himalayas in decades, and now they can see it 100 miles away. India held 21 of the 30 worst polluted areas in the world, and now hold 6 of the top ten, after India's lock down.  According to the report 85 cities across India saw less air pollution in the first week of the nationwide lock down. Just on the first day,  Delhi saw up to a 44% reduction in air pollution levels.  Link :)

The BP oil spill of 2012 is the largest oil spill ever in which 130 million gallons of crude oil was spilled into the ocean. During the spill 11 workers and millions of sea animals lost their lives. Now, over a decade later we are still seeing the effects of the spill. Many species of aquatic creatures like sea trout, coral, and dolphins population never fully recovered. Scientists are still unsure of what effects the spill would have had on longer livng speices like dolphins and turtles but it seems that populations may be on a slight decrease. Its likely that for years to come unless new generations of those affected by the spills begin to return numbers to nromal that certain animals may be in danger of nearing extinction. THe BP oil spill was a horrendous event and while terrible I think its most important that ie be taken as a learning experience. 10 years after the spill the world is now aware of wildlife conservation and protection maybe more than ever before and protection of...

This past winter was one of the warmest in history with two of the surprisingly mild winter months being January and February and then March which was second-warmest March ever recorded. The NOAA says it is apparent that we are at the beginning of a long-term warming period. The models they have created suggest 2020 may be the hottest year recorded since 1880. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/earth-had-its-second-warmest-march-ever-recorded-n1185566 This is very alarming to me because this is very climate-altering evidence that climate change is very real and that it is much more of a threat than many believe. If this trend continues we are in for many environmental changes and that could lead to many problems.

NY Times Article Holy crapola, people.  Wildfires (standard issue in many types of forests, remember) have ignited near Chernobyl.  Consider the implications... only 30-ish years ago, radiation soaked in to all of the living organisms in the area.  Now, if those organisms burn, what will be released into the atmosphere? Subsequently, what wind patterns exist over Ukraine?  Because the now-radioactive particulate matter in the air will move somewhere.  Luckily, everyone is wearing a mask nowadays, anyway.  *** Side Note: I don't think these wildfires will spread radiation all over the world or anything, just an interesting article read by a sarcastic old lady (me).

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/coronavirus-lockdowns-have-sent-pollution-plummeting-environmentalists-worry-about-what-n1178326 With pollution levels changing so rapidly it could actually have a negative effect on the environment with wildfires. This is an eye opener to why we need to look at revising our way of life. The outbreak of COVID-19 has taken planes out of the sky, cars off the road, and shut down factories all together.

New Research Links Air Pollution to Higher Corona Virus Death Rates According to a new nationwide study Corona Virus patients in areas that have high levels of air pollution are more likely to die from the virus than other patients in less polluted areas of the country. The nation wide study revealed a large overlap between Covid-19 deaths and other diseases associated with the long-term effects of air pollution. Researchers have suggested that long-term exposure to air pollution makes patients more vulnerable to Covid-19, and the symptoms of the virus more severe. The research found that if Manhattan had lowered its air pollution levels by one unit over the past 20 years they would have seen almost 250 fewer Covid-19 deaths. Researchers believe that this could have significant implications for public health and hospitals. Such as allocating resources like ventilators and respirators to the more severe patients. This is extremely important because relates to our current society and i...

Written April 1, 2020 This year all countries are due to update their climate their climate targets under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The big question is will these countries strengthen their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions? On Monday, Japan became the first of the world's richest countries to submit their new revised plan. Unfortunately there was nothing new written in the plan and it was the exact same one as five years ago. Their plan was and still is to reduce its emissions by 26 percent from their levels in 2013. According to the World Resources Institute Japan's unchanged target puts a more dangerous trajectory on the world. Targets from larger countries that also produce a lot of gas emissions have not yet sent in a new target. In theory, the new targets do not have to be submitted until the end of the year. The hope with that deadline is that these large countries will learn from the corona virus pandemic and try to improve the environment. Interested in...

link Though the title of this post seems positive, it may not be as sunshine and rainbows for the future. Farmers in the Central Valley in California see a boost in their high-valued crops and see a large boost in profit. Crops such as grapes, almonds, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, and walnuts make up for about 38% of the state's total output. In a test to examine the yields of these crops, scientists found reductions in ground ozone over 35 years and a $600 million increase in production. By 2050, scientists project a 5% boost in wine grapes, an 8% boost in nectarines, and a 20% boost in normal table grapes. In contrast to this, scientists hypothesize other high-valued crops, such as almonds, may decline due to higher temperatures. Climate change and global warming has affects that reach farther than just warmer winters or pollution, but it can also decrease our crop productions and if it were to get to this point, there would be no denying the effects of global warming anym...

In March of 2020 the French government, specifically Olivier Veran, announced that any patients that are COVID-19 positive or have any COVID symptoms should avoid taking any ibuprofen. He stated that "taking nay anti-inflammatory drug could be an aggravating factor to the infection." The government is also saying if you need to take any pain medication, instead take acetaminophen, such as Tylenol. Anti-inflammatories have been said to suppress the immune system, making the virus harder to fight off. This statement did cause some controversy among the medical community. Some professionals are saying that this is a very "bold" statement being that there have been no tests run to test this theory, along with no scientific evidence to back up this, which is nothing but an untested theory.   link