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The Rapid Decline Of The Natural World Is A Crisis Even Bigger Than Climate Change

           

A three-year UN-backed study from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform On Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has grim implications for the future of humanity.

CLICK HERE - IPBES - IPBES Global Assessment Preview

huffpost.com - by John Vidal - March 15, 2019

Nature is in freefall and the planet’s support systems are so stretched that we face widespread species extinctions and mass human migration unless urgent action is taken. That’s the warning hundreds of scientists are preparing to give, and it’s stark . . .

. . . The study from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform On Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), expected to run to over 8,000 pages, is being compiled by more than 500 experts in 50 countries. It is the greatest attempt yet to assess the state of life on Earth and will show how tens of thousands of species are at high risk of extinction, how countries are using nature at a rate that far exceeds its ability to renew itself, and how nature’s ability to contribute food and fresh water to a growing human population is being compromised in every region on earth.

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Man Claiming Responsibility for New Zealand Massacre Posts Racist Manifesto

           

New Zealand shooting: Manifesto by white Australian man who claimed responsibility for attacks lays out alleged motive - CBS News

cbsnews.com - March 15, 2019

At least 49 people are dead in two separate attacks on mosques in New Zealand – the deadliest mass shooting in the country's history. The mosques were packed with people beginning their Friday prayers when a man stormed in and began firing . . .

. . . A 74-page racist manifesto was posted online the same day by a man who said he was behind the attacks . . . it lays out the alleged motive, citing anti-immigrant sentiment and revenge for past terror attacks in Europe, reports CBS News correspondent Nikki Battiste.

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CLICK HERE - Christchurch shooting: 49 dead in terrorist attack at two mosques – live updates

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Heatwaves Sweeping Oceans ‘Like Wildfires’, Scientists Reveal

           

Ocean heatwaves destroy kelp forests, which provide food and shelter for many other species. Photograph: Thomas Schmitt/Getty Images

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH - Marine heatwaves threaten global biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services

Extreme temperatures destroy kelp, seagrass and corals – with alarming impacts for humanity

theguardian.com - by Damian Carrington - March 4, 2019

The number of heatwaves affecting the planet’s oceans has increased sharply, scientists have revealed, killing swathes of sea-life like “wildfires that take out huge areas of forest”.

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Wildfires Rage Across Britain After Hottest Winter Day on Record

           

A fire is seen burning on Saddleworth Moor near the town of Diggle, Britain, February 27, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Super

uk.reuters.com - by Jon Super - February 27, 2019

Firefighters battled a series of wildfires in Britain on Wednesday, including a large moorland blaze outside the northern English city of Manchester, as the country experienced its warmest winter weather on record . . .

. . . The fire comes after Britain recorded its warmest winter day with a temperature of 21.2 Celsius in Kew Gardens in London.

Fire officials have not yet commented on what may have caused the blaze.

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Russian Trolls Promoted Anti-Vaccination Propaganda that May Have Caused Measles Outbreak, Researcher Claims

           

Trolls used the vaccination debate to try to sow discord during the US election, researchers say. Photograph: Buenaventuramariano/Getty Images/iStockphoto

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH REPORT - American Public Health Association - Weaponized Health Communication: Twitter Bots and Russian Trolls Amplify the Vaccine Debate

newsweek.com - by Christina Maza - February 14, 2019

Russian propaganda may be responsible for the persistence of measles as conspiracy theories about vaccinations spread across the Internet, according to researchers.

The same Russian trolls who attempted to provoke racial tensions and influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election were also responsible for spreading propaganda against vaccinations. Their efforts may have helped cause the measles outbreak that infected tens of thousands and killed dozens in Europe last year, researchers told Radio Free Europe.

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How to Cut U.S. Emissions Faster? Do What These Countries Are Doing.

           

nytimes.com - by Brad Plumer and Blacki Migliozzi - February 13, 2019

The United States is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions far too slowly to help avert the worst effects of global warming. But what would happen if the country adopted seven of the most ambitious climate policies already in place around the world?

1)  adopt an economy-wide carbon tax similar to British Columbia’s

2)  require utilities to produce all their electricity from zero-carbon sources

3)  encourage aggressive electric-vehicle incentives similar to Norway’s

4)  set efficiency targets for industries

5)  set energy efficiency standards for new homes and commercial buildings

6)  curb methane emissions from oil and gas operations

7)  adopt legislation to end the use of hydrofluorocarbons similar to the European Union’s

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Plummeting Insect Numbers 'Threaten Collapse of Nature'

           

The rate of insect extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. Photograph: Verein Krefeld

Insects could vanish within a century at current rate of decline, says global review

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH - Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers

theguardian.com - by Damian Carrington - February 10, 2019

The world’s insects are hurtling down the path to extinction, threatening a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems”, according to the first global scientific review.

More than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered, the analysis found. The rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. The total mass of insects is falling by a precipitous 2.5% a year, according to the best data available, suggesting they could vanish within a century.

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The Flood Was Extraordinary. So Was Australians’ Response.

           

A man helping strangers remove flood-damaged items from their home in a suburb of Townsville, in the Australian state of Queensland, on Thursday.  Credit Dan Peled/EPA, via Shutterstock

nytimes.com - by Livia Albeck-Ripka - February 7, 2019

. . . Community support is the biggest predictor of how well people recover from disasters, “over and above the horrors of the trauma” . . .

As climate change makes it likely that disasters will become more intense and frequent, researchers are studying how communities respond, and what they need to be resilient. Being part of a community response can be “protective” . . .

. . . the real danger zone is six to 12 months after a disaster strikes. It is then, experts agree, when the news coverage fades and others seem to move on, that residents who are still struggling with practical issues, like insurance claims, and emotional trauma, can feel abandoned.

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2018 Was 4th Hottest Year on Record for the Globe

           

The U.S. experienced 14 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters

CLICK HERE - NOAA - 2018 Global Climate Analysis - Global Climate Report - Annual 2018

CLICK HERE - NOAA - Assessing the U.S. Climate in 2018 - U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters

noaa.gov - February 6, 2019

Earth’s long-term warming trend continued in 2018 as persistent warmth across large swaths of land and ocean resulted in the globe’s fourth hottest year in NOAA’s 139-year climate record. The year ranks just behind 2016 (warmest), 2015 (second warmest) and 2017 (third warmest).

In separate analyses of global temperatures, scientists from NASA, the United Kingdom Met Office and the World Meteorological Organization also reached the same heat ranking . . .

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Scientists Reveal 'Ideal Diet' for Peoples' and Planet's Health

           

A vendor selects fruit for sale at a market in Lima, Peru November 2, 2018. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo/File Photo

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH - The Lancet - Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems

reuters.com - by Kate Kelland - January 16, 2019

Scientists have unveiled what they say is an ideal diet for the health of the planet and its people - including a doubling of consumption of nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes, and a halving of meat and sugar intake.

If the world followed the “Planetary Health” diet, the researchers said, more than 11 million premature deaths could be prevented each year, while greenhouse gas emissions would be cut and more land, water and biodiversity would be preserved.

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