climate change Archives |

Data from satellites Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon has decreased since last year.

Ndira von Keller — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:18:15 +0000

Data from satellites Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon has decreased since last year.

According to preliminary satellite data collected by the government’s space research agency Inpe, 167 square kilometers (64 square miles) were cleared in the region last month, down 61% from January 2022, the worst month in the eight-year series.

Deforestation in January was also lower than the 196 square km historical average for the month since 2016, though January data can be especially noisy due to heavy clouds over the rainforest early in the year. The new figures came after Reuters exclusively reported on that the US was considering making its first contribution to a multilateral fund aimed at combating Amazon deforestation, with an announcement possible during President Joe Biden’s meeting with Lula at the White House.

An aerial view shows a boundary demarcation area at the Arara indigenous reserve during an operation to combat deforestation near Uruara, Para State, Brazil January 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

Healthy vegetation sits alongside a field scorched by fire in the Amazon rainforest in 2019. Leonardo Carrato/Bloomberg

Source: Reuter

Von Keller Blog is an informational website with public news, company insights and reports of our companies events, news, press and blogging. Let’s Chat.

The post Data from satellites Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon has decreased since last year. appeared first on .

World Water Day: The power of water

Ndira von Keller — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 12:07:23 +0000

World Water Day: The power of water

Water is central to sustainable development because it is necessary for socioeconomic development, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems, and human survival. Water is also central to climate change adaptation, acting as a vital link between society and the environment.

As the world’s population grows, there is a greater need to balance competing commercial demands on water resources so that communities have enough for their needs. Women and girls, in particular, must have access to clean, private sanitation facilities in order to manage menstruation and maternity in dignity and safety.

Water unites all aspects of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly transform problems into opportunities, giving people more time for school and work and contributing to better health for women, children, and families all over the world. Today, 771 million people (one in ten) do not have access to safe drinking water, and 1.7 billion people (one in four) do not have access to a toilet.

Is a global health crisis caused by a lack of water?

Water cannot be considered in isolation from sanitation at the community scale. They are critical for reducing the global burden of the disease and improving population health, education, and economic productivity.

2.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water services
(WHO/UNICEF 2019)
Almost 2 billion people rely on health-care facilities that do not provide basic water services. (World Health Organization/UNICEF 2020)
Over half of the world’s population, or 4.2 billion people, do not have access to safe sanitation services. 2019 (WHO/UNICEF)
Every year, 297,000 children under the age of five die from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor sanitation, poor hygiene, or unsafe drinking water. 2019 (WHO/UNICEF)
2 billion people live in countries with severe water scarcity. (UN 2019)
Weather-related disasters from climate change, such as floods and droughts, account for 90% of all natural disasters. (UNISDR)
Almost all water, (80% )of wastewater is discharged into the environment without being treated or reused. UNESCO (2017a)
A cooperative management framework does not exist for roughly two-thirds of the world’s transboundary rivers. (SIWI)
Out dated agriculture practices is responsible for 70% of global water withdrawal.

How do a lack of water affect kids in developing regions?

Globally, more than 1.42 billion people, including 450 million children, live in areas of high, or extremely high, water vulnerability, according to a new analysis released by UNICEF. This means that 1 in 5 children worldwide does not have enough water to meet their everyday needs.

The study, which is part of the “Water Security for All” initiative, identifies areas where physical water scarcity risks intersect with inadequate water service levels. These communities rely on surface water, unimproved sources, or water that can take more than 30 minutes to collect. This is a basic essential to life. We can build oil pipelines all over the world, but our children still have to walk to get water to eat, shower, and drink.

Water stress has been exacerbated by decades of mismanagement, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, and contamination of freshwater supplies. Simultaneously, water demand is increasing due to rapid population growth, urbanization, and increased water needs from a variety of sectors. Water stress is being exacerbated by climate change and extreme weather events. The resulting impact on children’s health, development, and safety jeopardizes decades of significant progress in child survival and sustainable development. It endangers children’s lives today and threatens future generations.

What effect does water have on the climate?

Water stress has been magnified by decades of poor management, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, and contamination of freshwater supplies. Simultaneously, water demand is increasing due to rapid population growth, urbanization, and increased water needs from a variety of sectors. Water stress is being amplified by warming temperatures and severe weather events. The resulting impact on children’s health, development, and safety jeopardizes decades of significant progress in child survival and sustainable development. It endangers children’s lives today and threatens future generations.

Extreme weather events and changes in water cycle patterns are making access to safe drinking water more difficult, particularly for the most vulnerable children.

Between 2001 and 2018, 74% of natural disasters, including droughts and floods, were water-related. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of such events.
Around 450 million children live in areas with a high or incredibly high risk of flooding. This means they don’t have enough water to meet their daily requirements.
When natural disasters strike, they can destroy or contaminate entire water supplies, increasing the risk of diseases such as cholera and typhoid, to which children are especially vulnerable.
Rising temperatures can cause deadly pathogens to grow in freshwater sources, making the water unsafe to drink.
Major water pollution endangers the lives of children. Water and sanitation-related diseases are among the leading causes of death among children under the age of five.
Rising sea levels are causing fresh water to become salty, threatening the water resources on which millions rely.
Adapting to climate change’s water effects will protect children’s health and save their lives. Water efficiency and the transition to solar-powered water systems will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and further safeguard children’s futures.

The world needs to become more water-savvy. Everyone has a part to play, and we can’t afford to waste time.

Source: UNICEF

Von Keller Blog is an informational website with public news, company insights and reports of our companies events, news, press and blogging. Let’s Chat.

The post World Water Day: The power of water appeared first on .

A New EPA “Good Neighbor” Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions.

Ndira von Keller — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 01:56:54 +0000

A New EPA "Good Neighbor" Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a new “good neighbor” rule that limits smokestack emissions from factories and other industrial sources that burden nearby neighborhoods with uncontrollable smog-causing pollutants. To enhance the quality of the air for millions of people living in areas downwind, nearly two dozen states will need to reduce dangerous industrial emissions of nitrogen oxide and other pollutants.

According to the EPA, the final rule, which went into effect on Wednesday, will avert millions of asthma attacks, thousands of deaths, and tens of thousands of hospital admissions. It will also cut down on sick days.

“Every neighborhood deserves to breathe clean air. The EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, stated that “we are aware that air pollution does not stop at state lines.

Power plants must comply with the rule by May, “locking in major emission reductions to ensure cleaner air and providing public health safeguards for individuals who have suffered far too long from air-quality related damage and illness,” according to Regan. In 2026, the restrictions on industrial locations go into force.

In addition to rules on wastewater pollution, mercury and air toxics, and rules anticipated on greenhouse gas emissions, the cross-state pollution rule “makes it impossible for utilities to make decisions based on the merits of what keeps the lights on, forcing those utilities to make decisions solely based on the EPA’s agenda,” Bernstein said.

Watch: Environmental: Proposed Changes to Protect American Families& Drinking Water.

According to the EPA, the rule offers power facilities choice in how to comply, including using scrubbers and established carbon trading systems.

Due to competition from cheap and readily available natural gas, falling prices for renewable energy, and environmental laws, the amount of electricity generated from coal in the United States has significantly decreased over the previous 15 years. According to the Energy Information Administration, many facilities have been shut down, and another 23% of the nation’s operating coal-powered fleet is planned to retire by 2029.

More than 123 million people lived in counties that frequently encountered dangerous ozone levels, according to a 2021 report by the lung association. By bringing on more hot, bright days that are ideal for raising ozone levels, climate change will probably make the issue worse.

Source: EPA.GOV

Von Keller Blog is an informational website with public news, company insights and reports of our companies events, news, press and blogging. Let’s Chat.

The post A New EPA “Good Neighbor” Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions. appeared first on .