#highlight
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Watch This: UFC Tonight looks back at the fights of 2013.
TROPICAL DEFORESTATION: The world lost 3.75 million hectares of tropical primary rainforests in 2021, a rate equivalent to 10 football pitches a minute, according to new analysis from WRI and University of Maryland. This forest loss resulted in 2.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to India’s annual fossil fuel emissions.
Indonesia reduced primary forest loss for the fifth straight year, showing that corporate commitments and government actions to reduce deforestation are working in some countries. Meanwhile, Brazil yet again topped the list for most primary forest loss. Graphic by WRI
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ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION: Cleaning up Rio’s Guanabara Bay
Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara Bay measures 160 square miles (412 sq km) and is the largest natural bay in the world by volume. With 12.5 million people living around the bay in metropolitan Rio, the surrounding watershed has long been a dumping ground for garbage, industrial pollution, and sewage.
This map indicates the percentage of waste water treated in Guanabara Bay by municipality –– overall, 54.3% is not treated, despite major cleanup programs going back to the 1990s. Previous clean-up projects after the 1992 Earth Summit and before the 2016 Olympics failed to fulfill promises.
Although less than half of the waste water is now treated, a new effort has been launched to clean up Rio’s great, if still polluted bay. The operating rights for water and sanitation services for Rio city and 26 other municipalities have been sold in a privatization scheme to the Brazilian company Aguas de Rio, which has pledged to revitalize the bay and bring sewage treatment rates to 90% over a 35-year contract. Let us hope that this new program succeeds!
References:France 24,Reuters,US News & World Report,OECOGraphic, Agence France-Presse, and the American Geographical Society.
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Warships Blocked from the Bosphorus Straits
The Turkish government has closed the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Straits to warships, calling on world governments to honor the Montreux Convention, a 1936 international pact which states Turkey has the right to limit transit of warships during times of war.The strategically-valuable straits connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and lie in Turkish territory. Russia’s only warm-water naval ports lay on the Black Sea, meaning the Russian navy relies on the straits for year-round international access. By activating the Montreux Convention on Sunday, Turkey has officially recognized the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a war.
During peacetime, this convention guarantees free passage for civilian and trade vessels. So far no countries have requested naval access through the straits since Turkey’s declaration.
References: Reuters,Washington Post,Naval News,Indian ExpressGraphic Source: Al Jazeera,American Geographical Society
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INDIA: Severe Smog shuts down much of New Delhi
Due to severe air pollution, India’s capital chief minister has announced that schools and construction sites in New Delhi will be closed for a week. This measure comes after the area has experienced sustained smog with much of the air pollution originating from a combination of crop stubble burning, vehicle emissions, and coal-fired plants outside of the urban center.Air Quality Index (AQI) readings exceed 400 in some areas, which can severely impact those with pre-existing health conditions and is considered hazardous for even healthy individuals. Officials state the situation as very serious; for many, this is a call-to-action for the government to take preventative measures against air pollution and reduce carbon-emissions for India as a whole.
This map depicts Air Index Quality (AQI) readings from various cities throughout India, with a concentration of severely unhealthy readings near New Delhi.
Further Reading:Reuters,The Times of India,US News (Associated Press),Forbes, American Geographical Society
Graphic Source: India Today
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ITALY: A “Medicane” (Mediterranean hurricane) Causes Flooding
A rare, cyclonic, non-tropical storm system moving over the Mediterranean Sea, also known as a ‘medicane’, has been causing fatal flooding and damage across southern Italy and Sicily for the past few days. The flash flooding is responsible for at least two deaths and has submerged multiple town squares underwater. On Sunday, more than 11.8 inches (300mm) of rain, approximately half the island’s expected average yearly rainfall, fell on Sicily. The storm system is expected to peak between Thursday and Friday. Italian forecasters blame sea temperatures in the Mediterranean that are 14.4°F (8°C) warmer than average. This map depicts the rainfall levels of the Medicane storm in southern Italy and Sicily. Click on the map to learn more.
Further Reading: Sky News,Reuters,BBC,Washington PostGraphic
Source:Yahoo! News
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CLIMATE CHANGE: July Was the Hottest Month Ever!
July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Their data shows that world-wide combined land and ocean-surface temperature was
62.08°F (16.73°C)
which is
1.68°F (0.93°C)
degrees higher than the 20th Century average of
60.4°F (15.8°C).
It is the highest average monthly temperature since recordkeeping began 142 years ago, beating the previous record held by July of 2016. NOAA and other experts report the temperature rise is due to climate change. The map above depicts the average land and ocean temperature percentiles across the world for July 2021. Some notable highlights:
- Asiasaw its hottest July ever
- Europehad its second-warmest July on record, with several parts of southern Europe reaching temperatures of above 40C (104F). Since then, Italy may have registered the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe, with 48.8C (119.8F) reported in Sicily - although the reading needs to be verified
- North America had its sixth-hottest July on record. In late June, Canada recorded its highest-ever temperature, with Lytton in British Columbia reaching 49.6C (121.2F)
- July was also Australia’s fourth warmest on record and New Zealand’s sixth warmest
- Africaexperienced its seventh-hottest July
- South America recorded its 10th-warmest July
The Guardian,AP News,NOAA,Sky News Graphic
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United States: 2020 Census Results Released
The 2020 Census data, released on Thursday, reveals the most recent U.S. demographic data. This map depicts the percent change in U.S. population by county compared to the 2010 Census. The Census Bureau’s goal is to count every American once a decade, and undercounts and overcounts from this year’s census survey won’t be released until next year.These data will be used to draw new congressional districts as well as dictate how $1.5 trillion dollars of annual public spending is distributed. Regional trends showed that Americans continued to migrate to the South and West at the expense of the Midwest and Northeast. In addition, the U.S. has become more urban and more diverse, as the non-Hispanic white population decreased for the first time on record. Lower birth rates for white women compared to Asian and Hispanic women drove this ethnic change.
Further Reading:New York Times,The Hill,AP via Yahoo! News,Bloomberg Quicktake, American Geographical Society. Graphic Source: AP News.
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New Rainforest Vulnerability Index
A group of international scientists and researchers have created a new index to measure tropical rainforest vulnerability using satellite data. The index is called the tropical first vulnerability index (TFVI) and combines various measurements of forest ecological functions and services as well as spatial information to identify potential risks.Humid tropical rainforests are especially sensitive to climate change effects like higher temperatures, frequent droughts, extensive deforestation, and changes in land use and climate but are also a key component to them. By using TFVI, scientists hope to monitor and mitigate threats to rainforests before the change is irreversible.
References:JPL,ScienceDaily,Florida News Times,Yahoo NewsGraphicSource:National Geographic, American Geographical Society
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There’s a new video up on my YouTube channel! Check it out to see if any of these hacks actually worked!
Today’s Look! I’ve been feeling green lately.
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Dragon Endeavour DM-2 Launch Highlight.
Look at that #beat down face! My #beautiful sister Margie. Looks so natural to. Playing with #makeup looks… That #highlight is sickening!!! Yassss
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Need about 72 hours of sleep and a dye job.. Roots peeking through but I’m #unbothered…. At least my #makeup is popping Yaeow know your worth babies#slayer #blondebombshell #nofilterabilityheaux #makeupwhore #highlight #contour #goddess #queen #readytokill #cameraready #beautiful
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