June 2022: 3 Significant environmental news I want to share-

From the 3rd week of May- Bangladesh, India, and China have seen devastating floods, while intense heatwaves struck- swathes of Europe and the US. News coverage links climate change with unprecedented events expected in a warming world. These temperatures are occurring with only 1.1 degrees Celsius of global warming, and we are on track for 2.2 degrees Celsius more warming over this century. We literally cannot imagine how bad that will be.

There is a surge in saltiness across all inhabited continents today. Climate change is far from the only cause. Deltas are open to dams upstream, pumps that remove fresh water from underground for faucets and irrigation, and sand mining that lower river beds. And in dry regions, irrigation systems delivering water to crops bring salt onto fields, which is left behind in soils as the crops absorb the water.

A voracious appetite for frogs' legs among the French and Belgians is driving species in Indonesia, Turkey, and Albania to extinction. Where frogs disappear, the use of toxic pesticides is increasing. Hence, the frogs' legs trade has direct consequences not only for the frogs themselves but for biodiversity and ecosystem health. 

Here is the news in detail-

AP News published on Jun 24, 2022- On Friday, China's northern Henan province, Xuchang, hit 107.8 degrees (42.1 degrees Celsius), and Dengfeng hit 106.9 degrees (41.6 degrees Celsius) for their hottest days on record. And in Japan, Friday, Tokamachi and Tsunan set all-time heat records while several cities broke monthly marks.

The Russian city of Norilsk, above the Arctic circle, hit 89.6 degrees (32 degrees Celsius) Thursday for its hottest June day on record and tied for its hottest day in any month. In Turkmenistan rose to 114.6 degrees (45.9 degrees Celsius).

In the United States, a heat dome of triple-digit temperatures in many places combined with high humidity oscillated from west to east. On Thursday, at least 15 states hit 100 degrees (37.8 degrees Celsius), and at least 21 high-temperature marks were set or broken, according to the National Weather Service, which held 30 million Americans under a heat advisory.

Scientists say this early baking has all the hallmarks of climate change. These temperatures are occurring with only 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) of global warming, and we are on track for 4 degrees Fahrenheit (2.2 degrees Celsius) more warming over this century. They literally cannot imagine how bad that will be.

On May 10, 2022, Yale School of the Environment Published, Saltwater intruded into paddies and forced farmer Abdul Majed to switch from growing rice to raising shrimp in Khulna, Bangladesh. Salty drinking water in coastal Bangladesh causes up to 10,000 deaths a year, according to a 2015 study. In the giant delta of the rivers the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna, which occupy much of Bangladesh, salinization is already a more important cause of migration than the much more heavily publicized exoduses from floods and other natural disasters.

As rising seas increase saltwater intrusion and soaring temperatures cause greater evaporation, scientists say that the mounting salt in waters and soils poses a principal danger- related to climate and could become a leading cause of climate migration globally.

As sea levels rise, salty ocean water is further into the delta, one of Southeast Asia's most densely populated and productive rice-growing regions. During this year's spring-dry season, the salinity boundary- where salt levels exceed 4 grams per liter - reached up to 40 miles upstream, more than 10 miles further than it has historically.

There is a surge in saltiness across all inhabited continents today. Climate change is far from the only cause. Deltas are open to dams upstream, pumps that remove fresh water from underground for faucets and irrigation, and sand mining that lower river beds. And in dry regions, irrigation systems delivering water to crops bring salt onto fields, which is left behind in soils as the crops absorb the water.

Around a third of the world's food is grown in irrigated fields, and scientists reckoned a fifth of those fields to be salt-contaminated. Climate change will dramatically worsen this- because- in a hotter, drier world- more crops will need more irrigation water.

The Guardian reported on Jun 23, 2022- A voracious appetite for frogs' legs among the French and Belgians is driving species in Indonesia, Turkey, and Albania to extinction. Europe imports as many as 200 million wild frogs a year, contributing to a principal depletion of native species abroad. If the plundering of the European market continues, we will likely see more declines in wild frog populations and, potentially, extinctions in the next decade.

Frogs play a central role in the ecosystem as insect killers – and where frogs disappear, the use of toxic pesticides is increasing. Hence, the frogs' legs trade has direct consequences not only for the frogs themselves but for biodiversity and ecosystem health. 

May 2022: 3 Significant environmental news I want to share-

On Nov 28, 2021, I wrote- The way China and the USA polarize the world, I am pessimistic about the COP26 outcome. And I am a skeptic that shortly, we will forget the climate change, global warming, ecocide, etc., issues and find a remote location to hide from the war genocides. Being a student of history- I know- History cyclically repeats itself. China and USA are polarizing the world, but Russia has invaded Ukraine- what a surprise!

For now, I share the three pieces of news my readers liked on my social and professional platforms these months.

Graphene will help decarbonize industry, produce greener concrete, and make hydrogen. The 5-bn tonnes of cement produced each year thus account for some 8% of the world's anthropogenic CO2. Yet if we add less than 0.1% by weight of graphene to the mixture, concrete ends up 30% stronger. And stronger concrete means less of it is needed, with a consequent reduction in CO2.

ESI Energy admitted to killing at least 150 bald or golden eagles in the US, being struck by a turbine blade since 2012. And the Department of Justice (DOJ) fined $8 million. One question raised is- what is my value compared to a US eagle? If I die in a road accident or under a construction site in my country?

We believe- harmful algal blooms in oceans and lakes are the phenomenon of the industrial age. Interestingly, chemical signatures of the algal blossoms in Mayan times show concentrations and toxicity similar to present-day sprouts in the same lake. Maybe there is another reason than we think of algal blooming.

On May 18, 2021, The Economist published-Graphene will help decarbonize industry, produce greener concrete, and make hydrogen. For a start, it is 200 times stronger than steel. Yet it is magnificently lightweight and flexible. It is also an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and exhibits impressive light-absorbing abilities.

The 5-bn tonnes of cement produced each year thus account for some 8% of the world's anthropogenic CO2. Yet if we add less than 0.1% by weight of graphene to the mixture, concrete ends up 30% stronger. And stronger concrete means less of it is needed, with a consequent reduction in CO2.

Graphene is made from an increasing range of materials, including waste and discarded mixed plastics, which otherwise might end up in a landfill. It avoids exfoliating mined graphite, which at present is the dominant manufacturing process.

One mixture in which scientists are particularly interested in concrete, some 30bn tonnes of which we pour every year. The addition of a small amount of graphene to concrete provides an anchor for the cement to grab onto, resulting in a powerful interaction as the concrete cures. It means- not only- that less concrete is needed to achieve the same level of strength but also that structures made of it are likely to last longer. Graphene enhancement would also protect rebar- the steel rods used to reinforce concrete- from moisture.

Other potential markets include adding small amounts of graphene to the bitumen used to make asphalt roads. It would highly prolong their durability- by preventing creeping and rutting in hot weather and cracking during cold spells, which leads to potholes. Graphene can also increase the abrasion resistance of car tires, making them last longer.

On Apr 7, 2022, Business Insider printed that ESI Energy- a renewable energy company, has admitted to killing at least 150 bald or golden eagles in the US being struck by a turbine blade since 2012. And the Department of Justice (DOJ) fined $8 million. Per the DOJ, ESI failed to apply for the necessary permits after the death of the birds. In its plea agreement, ESI agreed to spend up to $27 million during its probationary period on an "eagle management plan" to minimize future eagle deaths and injuries. It also committed to paying $29,623 per future injury or death of a bald or golden eagle.

I started reading the news from the perspective of an environmentalist, but in the end, the environment evaporated from my mind and the questions raised are-

What is the value of me compared to a US eagle? If I die in a road accident or under a construction site in my country?

On Dec 23, 2021, science.org published, We believe harmful algal blooms in oceans and lakes are a frequent consequence of anthropogenic pollution. Sewage discharge or nutrient runoff from farms can lead to anoxic conditions toxic to eukaryotic life. Waters et al. show that this is not just a phenomenon of the industrial age. Sediment cores from Lake Amatitlán, Guatemala, indicate the presence of cyanobacteria characteristic of harmful blooms during the pre-Columbian Mayan occupation of the watershed, with algal spikes coinciding with periods of the maximum human population. At their peak, chemical signatures of the algal blooms in Mayan times show concentrations and toxicity similar to present-day sprouts in the same lake.