Your Monday Briefing
Published by The New York Times Science & Environment Germany prepares for a lockdown. Read the full article at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/briefing/germany-lockdown-john-le-carre-brexit.html
The Facts About PFAS and COVID-19
Despite what has been claimed, there is no scientific consensus that exposure to certain PFAS interfere with immune response. While one research team has reported an association between levels of one PFAS (PFBA) and the severity of COVID-19 response, the results of that research have not even been peer reviewed. While the study has not […]
E.U. Agrees to Cut Emissions by 2030 in New Climate Deal
Published by The New York Times Science & Environment The agreement calls for European Union countries to cut their collective greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent from 1990 levels, a more substantial reduction than previously proposed. Read the full article at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/world/europe/eu-climate-emissions.html
The Killing of Killer Whales
Published by the Environmental News Service VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada, December 9, 2020 (ENS) – When marine predators themselves face mortal threats, researchers at the University of British Columbia studying orca deaths in Pacific Ocean waters believe that human tampering with the ocean is to blame. Read the full article at: http://ens-newswire.com/2020/12/09/the-killing-of-killer-whales/
Another Month on a Warming Planet: Record-Hot November
Published by The New York Times Science & Environment European scientists reported that November’s global temperatures were the highest ever, surpassing the previous record, set in 2016 and 2019. Read the full article at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/climate/climate-change-hottest-november.html
Formaldehyde and the Need for Best Available Science
As we move forward in our series on the importance of the 2016 TSCA amendments, the next chemical we are going to focus on is one that you may be somewhat familiar with, formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a critical building block chemical, but you may have heard mixed messages about this chemical compound. This blog dives […]
A Manatee Moment
Published by Ocean Conservancy I will never forget the first time I saw a manatee. I was staying with my grandmother and with a wide smile over breakfast she told me she had a surprise for me. She took me to a park where the water was warm and the manatees floated serenely below. We were […]
Guardian Misleads on PFAS and COVID-19
PFAS (or Fluorotechnology) are a large and diverse universe of chemistries. Each has its own unique structure, uses and environmental and health profiles. It is very concerning that The Guardian has published a piece seemingly intended to frighten the public while taking the very unscientific and inappropriate approach of lumping all PFAS together as though […]
Calling All Film-Makers
Published by the Environmental News Service GENEVA, Switzerland, November 9, 2020 (ENS) – The opportunity has arrived for young film-makers to submit an original short film to the second Health for All Film Festival sponsored by the World Health Organization, WHO. The first Health for All Film Festival in 2019 was a great success, raking in […]
Virus Quarantines World Health Organization Chief
Published by the Environmental News Service GENEVA, Switzerland, November 2, 2020 (ENS) – The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is in quarantine tonight as he has been exposed to the coronavirus he has been battling every day since early January, COVID-19. Read the full article at: http://ens-newswire.com/2020/11/02/virus-quarantines-world-health-organization-chief/
French Companies Integrate Biodiversity Impact Assessment
Published by the Environmental News Service PARIS, France, October 27, 2020 (ENS) – A tool that will allow investors to measure how their investments impact biodiversity – the diversity of plants and animals – is one step closer to completion now that a consortium of some of France’s largest investors have selected the Iceberg Data […]
UN Virtual Climate Dialogues to Fill COP26 Gap
Published by the Environmental News Service BONN, Germany, October 27, 2020 (ENS) – The Climate Dialogues, a series of virtual climate change events, will be offered by the United Nations from November 23 to December 4, 2020. This year, virtual events are taking the place of the annual in-person UN climate change conference, so that […]
Fix, or Toss? The ‘Right to Repair’ Movement Gains Ground
Published by The New York Times Science & Environment Both Republicans and Democrats are pursuing laws to make it easier for people to fix cellphones, cars, even hospital ventilators. In Europe, the movement is further along. Read the full article at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/climate/right-to-repair.html
How Many Plants Have We Wiped Out? Here Are 5 Extinction Stories
Published by The New York Times Science & Environment Botanists have laid out evidence that dozens of North American trees, herbs, plants and shrubs have gone extinct since European settlers arrived. Read the full article at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/science/plants-extinction-north-america.html
After a Year in the Ice, the Biggest-Ever Arctic Science Mission Ends
Published by The New York Times Science & Environment The research ship Polarstern docked in Germany after nearly 13 months studying the rapidly changing region. Read the full article at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/climate/mosaic-arctic-expedition-climate-change.html
Taking Action on Single-Use Plastics from New Jersey to California
Published by Ocean Conservancy A lot of people think my home state of New Jersey is … well, kind of trashy. From the hard partying featured on MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” to our collective affinity for diner food, to the assumption that everyone is a character from “The Sopranos,” New Jersey doesn’t have the best reputation—I’ve heard […]
1, 4-Dioxane and the Need for EPA to Lead on Consistent National Guidance
In 2016, Congress passed amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), with one key piece requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use the best available science and the weight of scientific evidence when evaluating new and existing chemicals. These amendments, called the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, clearly established the framework for a modern […]
2020 Had the Warmest September on Record, Data Shows
Published by The New York Times Science & Environment The analysis, by European scientists, kept this year on track to be one of the five hottest in recorded history. Read the full article at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/07/climate/hottest-september.html
Why Do Seahorses Look Like Horses?
Published by Ocean Conservancy What ocean animal has a tail like a monkey, looks like a horse and can use camouflage like an octopus? A seahorse! Today, we’re diving into yet another ocean mystery: why do we have horses in the sea? When I tell my kids that seahorses are actually fish, they don’t believe me. […]
Plastic Pellets Spell Big Problems for Our Ocean
Published by Ocean Conservancy This guest blog was written by Chelsea Rochman, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, co-founder of the University of Toronto Trash Team and Scientific Advisor to Ocean Conservancy. Nurdle. Pre-production pellet. Resin pellet. These are all names that refer to the same thing–the feedstock derived from crude oil that is melted […]