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Dangerous Smoke From Australia’s Wildfires | Earth Wise

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Wildfires raging across Australia have devastated large swathes of land and prompted one of the largest evacuations in the country’s history.  The fires, which have scorched approximately 20 million acres, have also killed 27 people and affected an estimated one billion animals at the time of this recording. The fire season, though still young, already ranks as among the worst in Australia’s recorded history. 

Away from the flames, millions more in Australia are breathing unhealthy air as a result of the smoke from these wildfires. Wildfires release all sorts of dangerous air pollutants, like carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide.  But wildfires also release fine particulate matter (more commonly referred to as PM2.5), which can be transported long distances.  Breathing in these microscopic particles can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular problems.  High levels of PM2.5 are particularly harmful to older people, young children, and those with weakened immune systems.  

The Australian capital city of Canberra has been covered in a thick haze of smoke from nearby wildfires.  Canberra recorded its worst air quality day on January 2nd, when levels of PM2.5 spiked to more than 200 micrograms per cubic meter during the worst hour.

Smoke has also been fouling Sydney’s air off and on for months, with PM2.5 readings hitting nearly 400 micrograms per cubic meter last month during the highest hour of pollution. 

The U.S. EPA has in place an annual PM2.5 standard of 12 micrograms per cubic meter and a daily (or 24 hour) standard of 35. 

According to the IPCC, southern Australia is expected to see increased risk of fire as the planet continues to warm.  Regrettably, this could be the new normal. 

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Millions of Australians Are Choking on Smoke From Wildfires

Photo, posted December 5, 2019, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A Record European Heatwave

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Sahara Desert winds blasted Europe in June, especially during a five-day heatwave that set many records.  Between that and weather elsewhere, June was not only one of the hottest ever for that continent, but also for the world as a whole.

In Europe, the average temperature was about 5 degrees Fahrenheit above the June average of a century ago.  The global temperature was nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher.

The European heatwave broke temperature records in France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Spain.  A temperature above 114 degrees was recorded near the French city of Nîmes.

The intense heat lead to wildfires in Spain and Germany, and widespread disruption across Europe.  Undoubtedly, the heatwave has caused many premature deaths, but it will take some time to compile those statistics.  The European heatwave of 2003 caused more than 70,000 premature deaths.


According to calculations by climate scientists, the record-breaking heatwave in June was made at least 5 and as much as 100 times more likely by climate change.  Global heating caused by the carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels and other human activities means that heatwaves are becoming more probable and severe.  So-called attribution studies estimate how much more likely and severe such events are.

The researchers used temperature records stretching back to 1901 to assess the probability of a heatwave last month and in the past.  They also examined climate change models to assess the impact of global heating.  More than 230 attribution studies to date around the world have found that 95% of heatwaves were made more likely or worse by climate change.

It was the hottest June on record in Europe by a country mile and there are likely to be more months like it in the future.

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Climate Change Made Last Month’s European Heatwave At Least Five Times More Likely

Photo, posted February 13, 2018, courtesy of Guilhem Vellut via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Edible Six-Pack Rings

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There has much talk about plastic straws and their harmful effects on the environment.  But much like the straws, plastic six-pack rings are also enemies of the ocean.  While straws and six-pack rings account for only a tiny fraction of all the plastic trash in the ocean, images of marine animals tangled up in the rings have sparked public backlash against these common items.  The soft but tough plastic rings are transparent which means that in the water animals don’t even see them.  They end up tangled in the loops, which can cut into their skin and constrict parts of their bodies, leading to serious injury or death.  Birds, turtles, and otters are among the frequent victims of six-pack rings.

Plastic straws have readily available alternatives such as paper straws and reusable straws.  But the plastic rings that have been available for more than 40 years are not as easy to replace.  By law, six-pack rings are photo-degradable, so they do gradually disintegrate when exposed to direct sunlight.  But even then, they remain quite dangerous at least for a while.

The Saltwater Brewery in Delray Beach, Florida, recently has released edible six-pack rings, representing a brand-new approach to sustainable beer packaging.  The rings are 100% biodegradable and edible.  They are actually made from barley and wheat ribbons from the brewing process.  This packaging can be safely eaten by animals that may come into contact with them in the wild.

Producing the edible rings represents a big investment for a small brewery but the company hopes to influence larger brewers and inspire them to get on board with the safer packaging.

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Saltwater Brewery Creates Edible Six-Pack Rings

Photo courtesy of Saltwater Brewery.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Cleaning Up Mount Everest

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Mount Everest is the highest mountain above sea level with an elevation over 29,000 feet.  As such, it is a prime attraction for mountain climbers seeking that ultimate achievement.  The summit was first reached in 1953 and for a long time, only major expeditions by the best mountaineers sought to repeat the feat.

In recent years, climbing Everest has become much more common.  In fact, since 1953, more than 4,000 people have reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain.  A record 807 accomplished the feat last year alone.  Thousands more visit lower elevations.

But climbing Everest is neither safe nor easy.  Ice and snow, powerful winds, and generally harsh conditions make Everest a treacherous place.  Over the decades, hundreds of climbers have died on its slopes and many of their bodies are still up there.  Apart from human remains, there are decades worth of garbage left behind by hikers and tourists.

The government of Nepal has mounted an ambitious project to clean up the refuse on Mount Everest.  In just the first two weeks, volunteers removed more than three tons of trash from the mountain. Among the rubbish removed from Everest are tents, climbing equipment, bottles, cans, empty oxygen containers, and human waste.  They also discovered the bodies of four climbers that had emerged from melting snow and ice.

Helicopters carried a third of the garbage to Kathmandu for recycling.  The rest was taken to a local district for disposal in landfills.  The initial work started at Everest’s base camp.  They are next moving to sites higher on the mountain.  They hope to remove at least 10 tons of trash this year.

Nepal would like to make the world’s tallest mountain clean.

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Volunteers Remove 3 Tons of Trash From Mount Everest in Two Weeks

Photo, posted May 23, 2012, courtesy of Gunther Hagleitner via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Dangerous Cities For Migrating Birds

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Billions of birds migrate north in the spring and south in the fall.  The majority of them fly at night. But as they pass over large cities, the birds can become disoriented by bright artificial light – so-called light pollution, causing them to crash into buildings or windows.

Researchers estimate that 600 million birds die from building collisions in the United States every year.  Now, a new paper from researchers at Cornell University reveals which metropolitan areas are most dangerous for birds and why.

The researchers ranked cities where, as a result of geography and exposure to light pollution, birds are at the greatest risk of becoming attracted to and disoriented by lights and crashing into buildings. They combined light pollution levels with bird density data in order to make their calculations.  Their paper was recently published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.    

Chicago, Houston, and Dallas finished as the three most dangerous cities for migrating birds.  While migration routes vary depending on the season, these three cities still topped all others during both the spring and fall migrations due to their size and geographic positioning in the heart of North America’s most trafficked aerial corridors.  

Audubon’s Lights Out program is one of several national efforts encouraging cities to reduce light pollution, particularly on heavy migration nights, in order to reduce bird mortality. 

But homeowners need to do their part as well since an estimated quarter-million birds die from collisions with residential houses every year.  The suggestion to cities and homeowners alike is the same:  If you don’t need the lights, turn them off. 

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Chicago tops list of most dangerous cities for migrating birds

Photo, posted May 18, 2017, courtesy of Pedro Szekely via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Humans And Vertebrate Mortality

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According to a new study, more than one-quarter of the planet’s land vertebrates die because of humans.  This is a “disproportionately huge effect” on the other land vertebrates that share planet’s surface with us. 

Researchers from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and the U.S. Department of Agriculture reviewed 1,114 published studies in which nearly 43,000 animals had perished.  Their study, which was recently published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography, found that 28% of the animals’ deaths were directly attributable to humans.  The other 72% died from natural sources.  

Mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians that died between 1970 and 2018 in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania were the foundation of the study.  All of these vertebrates had been either collared or tagged as part of other research projects. 

The researchers point out that humans are only one among more than 35,000 species of terrestrial vertebrates globally.  The fact that humans are responsible for more than one-quarter of their deaths illustrates the profound magnitude of the problem.  And that statistic is just the direct causes.  According to the researchers, when urban growth and other land use changes that erode habitat are considered, the human impact is likely even greater. 

The study found that the impact of humans across all the different species was not equal. In fact, larger animals were more likely to be killed by humans than smaller animals. Adult animals were more likely to be killed by humans than juveniles. 

The researchers conclude that humans are such a major contributor to terrestrial vertebrate mortality that they could potentially impact both evolutionary processes and ecosystem functioning. 

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On the land, one-quarter of vertebrates die because of humans

Photo, posted March 6, 2019, courtesy of USFWS Midwest Region via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Balloons And Seabirds

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It’s no secret that there is a ton of plastic in the ocean – millions of tons, in fact.  Scientists estimate that there is more 165 million tons of plastics swirling about in our oceans today, with an additional 8.8 million tons flowing in every year.  As the oceans swell with plastic debris, many marine species wind up ingesting the stuff – often with dire consequences.

All this plastic trash winds up affecting more than just aquatic species, too.  According to researchers from the University of Tasmania, a seabird that ingested a single piece of plastic has a 20% chance of mortality.  This statistic jumps to 50% if the seabird consumes nine pieces of plastic. 

The study, which was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, also found that while hard plastics account for the majority of plastic debris ingested, it’s far less likely to prove fatal than soft plastics, such as balloons. 

In fact, the researchers found that balloons or balloon fragments were the number one marine debris risk of mortality for seabirds, killing almost one in five of the seabirds that ingested them. 

The leading cause of death among the seabirds studied was blockage of the gastrointestinal tract.  While soft plastics only accounted for 5% of the ingested plastics, they were responsible for more than 40% of seabird mortality.  But the researchers make clear that hard plastics were still responsible for more than half of the study’s seabird deaths.  

If we want to reduce the number of marine species dying from plastic ingestion, we need to reduce the volume of plastic going into the ocean and do what we can to remove what’s already there. 

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Balloons the number 1 marine debris risk of mortality for seabirds

Photo, posted July 24, 2014, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Cleaner Air For China

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For more than 15 years, the Chinese government has been grappling with some of the deadliest air pollution in the world.  Extreme pollution events are a regular wintertime occurrence and health experts estimate that more than a million people die each year in China from particulate air pollution.

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Traffic Air Pollution And Health

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There are frequent stories in the news about the terrible air pollution problems in major Chinese and Indian cities.  With pollutant levels far in excess of any recommended safety thresholds, the air in these places represents a health crisis.

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Air Pollution Reducing Global Warming

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Pollution particles emitted by diesel cars and trucks, coal-fired power plants, factories, primitive cook stoves, and the burning of forests are major contributors to the pervasive air pollution that plagues many cities and regions of the world.  In India and China, such pollution leads to hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.   And countries around the world are working hard to reduce pollution.

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Ditching Gas And Diesel Cars

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Electric cars represent only a tiny fraction of the overall auto market.  The numbers are growing, most certainly, but they are still quite small in most places.   The recent start of production of the Tesla Model 3 has attracted quite a bit of attention to electric cars, but in many countries, there is much more to the story than just media buzz about a new car.

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India’s Air Pollution

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Poor air quality is a major problem worldwide.  Exposure to air pollution is linked to the premature deaths of an estimated 6.5 million people every year.  This makes air pollution the fourth largest threat to human health, trailing only high blood pressure, dietary risks, and smoking. 

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Pesticides And Food Insecurity

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A newly released report by the United Nations takes a strong stance against the use of industrial agrochemicals, saying that they are not necessary for feeding the world.  The continued use of pesticides at the rate the world currently does in fact can have very detrimental consequences.

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Our Air Is Killing Us

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Poor air quality is a serious problem.  Exposure to air pollution is linked to the premature deaths of an estimated 6.5 million people every year.  This makes air pollution the fourth largest threat to human health.  Only high blood pressure, dietary risks, and smoking are a bigger danger. 

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