http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/ Sun, 08 Nov 2026 00:10:59 +0000 MyBB http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=577 Tue, 09 Jun 2020 18:29:31 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=577 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52973089

Britain is about to pass a significant landmark - at midnight on Wednesday it will have gone two full months without burning coal to generate power. A decade ago about 40% of the country's electricity came from coal; coronavirus is part of the story, but far from all. When Britain went into lockdown, electricity demand plummeted; the National Grid responded by taking power plants off the network. The four remaining coal-fired plants were among the first to be shut down. The last coal generator came off the system at midnight on April 9. No coal has been burnt for electricity since. The current coal-free period smashes the previous record of 18 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes which was set in June last year. The figures apply to Britain only, as Northern Ireland is not on the National Grid. But it reveals just how dramatic the transformation of our energy system has been in the last decade. That the country does not need to use the fuel that used to be the backbone of the grid is thanks to a massive investment in renewable energy over the last decade.
 
A decade ago just 3% of the country's electricity came from wind and solar, which many people saw as a costly distraction. Now the UK has the biggest offshore wind industry in the world, as well as the largest single wind farm, completed off the coast of Yorkshire last year. At the same time Drax, the country's biggest power plant, has been taking a different path to renewable energy. The plant, which is also in Yorkshire, generates 5% of the country's electricity. A decade ago, it was the biggest consumer of coal in the UK but has been switching to compressed wood pellets. The plant now uses seven million tonnes of pellets sourced from commercial forests in the US a year and says Drax will phase out coal entirely by March next year. So far this year, renewables have generated more power than all fossil fuels put together.
 
Breaking it down, renewables were responsible for 37% of electricity supplied to the network versus 35% for fossil fuels. Nuclear accounted for about 18% and imports for the remaining 10% or so, according to figures from the online environmental journal, Carbon Brief. Setting the figures for this year context shows just how quickly this turnaround has happened. The decline in the role of fossil fuels in general and coal in particular looks set to continue. The remaining three coal plants in the UK will be shut down within five years. Then the fuel that sparked the industrial revolution here in Britain almost two centuries ago will be a thing of the past.]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52973089

Britain is about to pass a significant landmark - at midnight on Wednesday it will have gone two full months without burning coal to generate power. A decade ago about 40% of the country's electricity came from coal; coronavirus is part of the story, but far from all. When Britain went into lockdown, electricity demand plummeted; the National Grid responded by taking power plants off the network. The four remaining coal-fired plants were among the first to be shut down. The last coal generator came off the system at midnight on April 9. No coal has been burnt for electricity since. The current coal-free period smashes the previous record of 18 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes which was set in June last year. The figures apply to Britain only, as Northern Ireland is not on the National Grid. But it reveals just how dramatic the transformation of our energy system has been in the last decade. That the country does not need to use the fuel that used to be the backbone of the grid is thanks to a massive investment in renewable energy over the last decade.
 
A decade ago just 3% of the country's electricity came from wind and solar, which many people saw as a costly distraction. Now the UK has the biggest offshore wind industry in the world, as well as the largest single wind farm, completed off the coast of Yorkshire last year. At the same time Drax, the country's biggest power plant, has been taking a different path to renewable energy. The plant, which is also in Yorkshire, generates 5% of the country's electricity. A decade ago, it was the biggest consumer of coal in the UK but has been switching to compressed wood pellets. The plant now uses seven million tonnes of pellets sourced from commercial forests in the US a year and says Drax will phase out coal entirely by March next year. So far this year, renewables have generated more power than all fossil fuels put together.
 
Breaking it down, renewables were responsible for 37% of electricity supplied to the network versus 35% for fossil fuels. Nuclear accounted for about 18% and imports for the remaining 10% or so, according to figures from the online environmental journal, Carbon Brief. Setting the figures for this year context shows just how quickly this turnaround has happened. The decline in the role of fossil fuels in general and coal in particular looks set to continue. The remaining three coal plants in the UK will be shut down within five years. Then the fuel that sparked the industrial revolution here in Britain almost two centuries ago will be a thing of the past.]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=576 Sat, 06 Jun 2020 22:16:46 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=576 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52775386

We have created "a perfect storm" for diseases from wildlife to spill over into humans and spread quickly around the world, scientists warn. Human encroachment on the natural world speeds up that process. This outlook comes from global health experts who study how and where new diseases emerge. As part of that effort, they have now developed a pattern-recognition system to predict which wildlife diseases pose most risk to humans. This approach is led by scientists at the University of Liverpool, UK, but it is part of a global effort to develop ways to prepare better for future outbreaks.
 
"In the last 20 years, we've had six significant threats - SARS, MERS, Ebola, avian influenza and swine flu," Prof Matthew Baylis from the University of Liverpool told BBC News. "We dodged five bullets but the sixth got us. And this is not the last pandemic we are going to face, so we need to be looking more closely at wildlife disease."
 
As part of this close examination, he and his colleagues have designed a predictive pattern-recognition system that can probe a vast database of every known wildlife disease. Across the thousands of bacteria, parasites and viruses known to science, this system identifies clues buried in the number and type of species they infect. It uses those clues to highlight which ones pose most of a threat to humans. If a pathogen is flagged as a priority, scientists say they could direct research efforts into finding preventions or treatments before any outbreak happens. "It will be another step altogether to find out which diseases could cause a pandemic, but we're making progress with this first step," Prof Baylis said.
 
Lessons from lockdown:
Many scientists agree that our behaviour - particularly deforestation and our encroachment on diverse wildlife habitats - is helping diseases to spread from animals into humans more frequently. According to Prof Kate Jones from University College London, evidence "broadly suggests that human-transformed ecosystems with lower biodiversity, such as agricultural or plantation landscapes, are often associated with increased human risk of many infections". "That's not necessarily the case for all diseases," she added. "But the kinds of wildlife species that are most tolerant of human disturbance, such as certain rodent species, often appear to be more effective at hosting and transmitting pathogens. So biodiversity loss can create landscapes that increase risky human-wildlife contact and increase the chances of certain viruses, bacteria and parasites spilling over into people." There are certain outbreaks that have demonstrated this risk at the "interfaces" between human activity and wildlife with devastating clarity.
 
Prof Fevre said, "This kind of event is likely to happen again and again. It's been happening all throughout our interaction with the natural world. What's important now is how we understand it and respond to it. The current crisis, provides a lesson for many of us about the consequence of our own impact on the natural world.”]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52775386

We have created "a perfect storm" for diseases from wildlife to spill over into humans and spread quickly around the world, scientists warn. Human encroachment on the natural world speeds up that process. This outlook comes from global health experts who study how and where new diseases emerge. As part of that effort, they have now developed a pattern-recognition system to predict which wildlife diseases pose most risk to humans. This approach is led by scientists at the University of Liverpool, UK, but it is part of a global effort to develop ways to prepare better for future outbreaks.
 
"In the last 20 years, we've had six significant threats - SARS, MERS, Ebola, avian influenza and swine flu," Prof Matthew Baylis from the University of Liverpool told BBC News. "We dodged five bullets but the sixth got us. And this is not the last pandemic we are going to face, so we need to be looking more closely at wildlife disease."
 
As part of this close examination, he and his colleagues have designed a predictive pattern-recognition system that can probe a vast database of every known wildlife disease. Across the thousands of bacteria, parasites and viruses known to science, this system identifies clues buried in the number and type of species they infect. It uses those clues to highlight which ones pose most of a threat to humans. If a pathogen is flagged as a priority, scientists say they could direct research efforts into finding preventions or treatments before any outbreak happens. "It will be another step altogether to find out which diseases could cause a pandemic, but we're making progress with this first step," Prof Baylis said.
 
Lessons from lockdown:
Many scientists agree that our behaviour - particularly deforestation and our encroachment on diverse wildlife habitats - is helping diseases to spread from animals into humans more frequently. According to Prof Kate Jones from University College London, evidence "broadly suggests that human-transformed ecosystems with lower biodiversity, such as agricultural or plantation landscapes, are often associated with increased human risk of many infections". "That's not necessarily the case for all diseases," she added. "But the kinds of wildlife species that are most tolerant of human disturbance, such as certain rodent species, often appear to be more effective at hosting and transmitting pathogens. So biodiversity loss can create landscapes that increase risky human-wildlife contact and increase the chances of certain viruses, bacteria and parasites spilling over into people." There are certain outbreaks that have demonstrated this risk at the "interfaces" between human activity and wildlife with devastating clarity.
 
Prof Fevre said, "This kind of event is likely to happen again and again. It's been happening all throughout our interaction with the natural world. What's important now is how we understand it and respond to it. The current crisis, provides a lesson for many of us about the consequence of our own impact on the natural world.”]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=575 Wed, 03 Jun 2020 17:22:06 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=575 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52893790

Water companies are urging people to use water more carefully during the coronavirus lockdown. They are asking people to avoid hoses and sprinklers, and not to fill paddling pools. However, so far a full hosepipe ban has not been imposed.
 
Companies are responding to a double water whammy from the record dry spring and a surge in demand as people spend more time at home during the lockdown. February this year was the wettest on record and you might have thought the UK had enough H2O - following a drenching winter, rivers and reservoirs were full. But then it barely rained for three subsequent months – another record. Then came coronavirus and lockdown meant people stayed home in the sunshine.
 
Christine McGourty, chief executive of Water UK, which represents water companies, told BBC News: “We’re seeing truly incredible surges of demand. People's patterns of using water have changed with the weather - and more people at home because of Covid. It's things like paddling pools and sprinklers that are the biggest challenge. So we’re just asking people to save a little bit of water and that’ll make a huge difference.”
 
In some places water demand is said to be 25% higher than normal. Reservoirs are still in a healthy state, but some firms can’t get enough water to the taps and pressure is dropping. Meanwhile the long-term weather forecast suggests more dry summer months to come. Farmers are fearing potential drought. In fact, experts say, consumers, industries, water firms and the farmers themselves need to find ways of living with less water as the climate changes.]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52893790

Water companies are urging people to use water more carefully during the coronavirus lockdown. They are asking people to avoid hoses and sprinklers, and not to fill paddling pools. However, so far a full hosepipe ban has not been imposed.
 
Companies are responding to a double water whammy from the record dry spring and a surge in demand as people spend more time at home during the lockdown. February this year was the wettest on record and you might have thought the UK had enough H2O - following a drenching winter, rivers and reservoirs were full. But then it barely rained for three subsequent months – another record. Then came coronavirus and lockdown meant people stayed home in the sunshine.
 
Christine McGourty, chief executive of Water UK, which represents water companies, told BBC News: “We’re seeing truly incredible surges of demand. People's patterns of using water have changed with the weather - and more people at home because of Covid. It's things like paddling pools and sprinklers that are the biggest challenge. So we’re just asking people to save a little bit of water and that’ll make a huge difference.”
 
In some places water demand is said to be 25% higher than normal. Reservoirs are still in a healthy state, but some firms can’t get enough water to the taps and pressure is dropping. Meanwhile the long-term weather forecast suggests more dry summer months to come. Farmers are fearing potential drought. In fact, experts say, consumers, industries, water firms and the farmers themselves need to find ways of living with less water as the climate changes.]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=574 Tue, 02 Jun 2020 20:08:16 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=574 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52881831

Human impacts on the places on Earth with the most richness of life have brought hundreds of wild animals to the brink of extinction, a study shows. The likes of logging and poaching have pushed 500 mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians to the point where they're hanging by a thread, research found. This is yet more evidence that the world's undergoing a sixth mass extinction, scientists argue. Species are disappearing at more than 100 times the natural rate, they say. And unlike other mass extinctions, caused by volcano eruptions or asteroid collisions, we only have ourselves to blame.
 
Prof Gerardo Ceballos of the National University of Mexico in Mexico City, said regional ecosystems are facing collapse. "We have entered the sixth mass extinction," he told BBC News. "Based on our research and what we're seeing, the extinction crisis is so bad that whatever we do in the next 10 to 50 years is what will define the future of humanity."
Prof Ceballos worked on the study with two other well-known conservation scientists, Stanford University's Prof Paul Erhlich, and Dr. Peter Raven of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis, US.
 
Using data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species and Birdlife (the bird authority for the IUCN), they identified at least 515 species that are on the brink of extinction, with fewer than a thousand individuals left.
The animals are found on every continent save Antarctica, in places highly impacted by humans, primarily in the tropics and subtropics.
They include the Golden Lion Tamarin, Ethiopian Wolf, Javan Rhinoceros, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Yellow-eared Parrot, Gharial and Green Poison Frog.
 
The scientists describe the extinction crisis as an existential threat to civilisation, along with climate change and pollution, to which it is tied. And they say they have a "moral imperative" to draw attention to the loss of biodiversity, which they say is still rather ignored by most people.
The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
 
Prof Chris Johnson of the University of Tasmania said the current rate of extinction of species is higher than at any time since 66 million years ago, when the collision of a space-rock with the Earth killed off dinosaurs and many other species. "Threats to species in today's world - things like habitat destruction and climate change - are growing rapidly," he said, adding that the 515 species down to 1,000 or fewer individuals are likely to be gone very soon. Prof Euan Ritchie of Deakin University in Australia said the study "is yet more dire confirmation that we are destroying life at a horrific pace and scale".]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52881831

Human impacts on the places on Earth with the most richness of life have brought hundreds of wild animals to the brink of extinction, a study shows. The likes of logging and poaching have pushed 500 mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians to the point where they're hanging by a thread, research found. This is yet more evidence that the world's undergoing a sixth mass extinction, scientists argue. Species are disappearing at more than 100 times the natural rate, they say. And unlike other mass extinctions, caused by volcano eruptions or asteroid collisions, we only have ourselves to blame.
 
Prof Gerardo Ceballos of the National University of Mexico in Mexico City, said regional ecosystems are facing collapse. "We have entered the sixth mass extinction," he told BBC News. "Based on our research and what we're seeing, the extinction crisis is so bad that whatever we do in the next 10 to 50 years is what will define the future of humanity."
Prof Ceballos worked on the study with two other well-known conservation scientists, Stanford University's Prof Paul Erhlich, and Dr. Peter Raven of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis, US.
 
Using data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species and Birdlife (the bird authority for the IUCN), they identified at least 515 species that are on the brink of extinction, with fewer than a thousand individuals left.
The animals are found on every continent save Antarctica, in places highly impacted by humans, primarily in the tropics and subtropics.
They include the Golden Lion Tamarin, Ethiopian Wolf, Javan Rhinoceros, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Yellow-eared Parrot, Gharial and Green Poison Frog.
 
The scientists describe the extinction crisis as an existential threat to civilisation, along with climate change and pollution, to which it is tied. And they say they have a "moral imperative" to draw attention to the loss of biodiversity, which they say is still rather ignored by most people.
The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
 
Prof Chris Johnson of the University of Tasmania said the current rate of extinction of species is higher than at any time since 66 million years ago, when the collision of a space-rock with the Earth killed off dinosaurs and many other species. "Threats to species in today's world - things like habitat destruction and climate change - are growing rapidly," he said, adding that the 515 species down to 1,000 or fewer individuals are likely to be gone very soon. Prof Euan Ritchie of Deakin University in Australia said the study "is yet more dire confirmation that we are destroying life at a horrific pace and scale".]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=573 Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:58:07 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=573 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52881721

Older, carbon-rich tropical forests continue to be lost at a frightening rate, according to satellite data. 
In 2019, an area of primary forest the size of a football pitch was lost every six seconds, the University of Maryland study of trees more than 5 metres says. Brazil accounted for a third of it, its worst loss in 13 years apart from huge spikes in 2016 and 2017 from fires. However, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo both managed to reduce tree loss. Meanwhile, Australia saw a sixfold rise in total tree loss, following dramatic wildfires late in 2019.
 
As well as storing massive amounts of carbon, primary, tropical rainforests, where trees can be hundreds or even thousands of years old, are home to species such as orangutans and tigers.
The tropics lost 11.9 million hectares (46,000 square miles) of tree cover, the study found, 3.8 million in older, primary forest areas - the third highest loss of primary trees since 2000 and a slight increase on 2018.
 
"The level of forest loss that we saw in 2019 is unacceptable," Frances Seymour, from the World Resources Institute, said.
"And one of the reasons that it's unacceptable is that we actually already know how to turn it around.
"If governments put into place good policies and enforce the law, forest loss goes down.
"But if governments relax restrictions on burning, or [are] signalling that they intend to open up indigenous territories for commercial exploration, forest loss goes up."
 
Speaking about the losses in Brazil, Mikaela Weisse, from Global Forest Watch, said: "We also noted several new hotspots of primary forest loss within indigenous territories, especially in the state of Pará that were linked to land grabbing and to mining. "These incursions are particularly worrisome given that indigenous peoples have been some of the best conservers of forests in Brazil and around the world." 

Indonesia, however, saw losses remain at historically low levels for the third year in a row, thanks, it seems, to strong government action. Liz Goldman, from Global Forest Watch, said: "A number of policies in Indonesia have contributed to this positive story, including increased enforcement to prevent forest fires and land clearing and a forest moratorium to prevent new clearing for oil palm plantations and logging activities, which was first established in 2011 and made permanent just this past year."
And Columbia, which had seen tree losses surge since a peace agreement came into force in 2016, saw a 35% drop in primary forest loss compared with 2018.
But Bolivia saw losses 80% greater than any other year, after fires set for agricultural clearing spread out of control. And nearly 12% of the Chiquitano dry forest, in eastern Bolivia, home to indigenous peoples, jaguars, giant armadillos and tapirs, was burned.
 
 ]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52881721

Older, carbon-rich tropical forests continue to be lost at a frightening rate, according to satellite data. 
In 2019, an area of primary forest the size of a football pitch was lost every six seconds, the University of Maryland study of trees more than 5 metres says. Brazil accounted for a third of it, its worst loss in 13 years apart from huge spikes in 2016 and 2017 from fires. However, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo both managed to reduce tree loss. Meanwhile, Australia saw a sixfold rise in total tree loss, following dramatic wildfires late in 2019.
 
As well as storing massive amounts of carbon, primary, tropical rainforests, where trees can be hundreds or even thousands of years old, are home to species such as orangutans and tigers.
The tropics lost 11.9 million hectares (46,000 square miles) of tree cover, the study found, 3.8 million in older, primary forest areas - the third highest loss of primary trees since 2000 and a slight increase on 2018.
 
"The level of forest loss that we saw in 2019 is unacceptable," Frances Seymour, from the World Resources Institute, said.
"And one of the reasons that it's unacceptable is that we actually already know how to turn it around.
"If governments put into place good policies and enforce the law, forest loss goes down.
"But if governments relax restrictions on burning, or [are] signalling that they intend to open up indigenous territories for commercial exploration, forest loss goes up."
 
Speaking about the losses in Brazil, Mikaela Weisse, from Global Forest Watch, said: "We also noted several new hotspots of primary forest loss within indigenous territories, especially in the state of Pará that were linked to land grabbing and to mining. "These incursions are particularly worrisome given that indigenous peoples have been some of the best conservers of forests in Brazil and around the world." 

Indonesia, however, saw losses remain at historically low levels for the third year in a row, thanks, it seems, to strong government action. Liz Goldman, from Global Forest Watch, said: "A number of policies in Indonesia have contributed to this positive story, including increased enforcement to prevent forest fires and land clearing and a forest moratorium to prevent new clearing for oil palm plantations and logging activities, which was first established in 2011 and made permanent just this past year."
And Columbia, which had seen tree losses surge since a peace agreement came into force in 2016, saw a 35% drop in primary forest loss compared with 2018.
But Bolivia saw losses 80% greater than any other year, after fires set for agricultural clearing spread out of control. And nearly 12% of the Chiquitano dry forest, in eastern Bolivia, home to indigenous peoples, jaguars, giant armadillos and tapirs, was burned.
 
 ]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=572 Tue, 19 May 2020 16:10:48 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=572 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52724821

Daily global emissions of CO2 fell by 17% at the peak of the shutdown because of measures taken by governments in response to Covid-19, say scientists. The most comprehensive account yet published says that almost half the record decrease was due to fewer car journeys. But the authors are worried that, as people return to work, car use will soar again. They fear CO2 emissions could soon be higher than before the crisis. They are urging politicians to grasp the moment and make real, durable changes on transport and personal mobility.
 
In the UK, transport secretary Grant Shapps has pledged £250m for improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure. Other countries are also looking at similar plans.
The lockdowns that most governments have implemented in response to Covid-19 have had a significant impact on the carbon-producing activities that are embedded in almost everything we do. Road transport has declined hugely, as has aviation.
 
Industry has temporarily closed down and demand for energy all over the world has crashed. Now in detailed analysis, researchers have shown how those changes have impacted our emissions of CO2. They've calculated the fall off in carbon based on the lockdown policies implemented in 69 countries that between them account for 97% of global emissions. 
During the peak of the crisis in early April, daily emissions dropped by 17% compared to the previous year, meaning around 17 millions tonnes less CO2 were emitted every day. The key to the fall has been cars. 
Surface transport emissions have declined by 43%, the same amount as the drop from industry and power generation combined. While the aviation slowdown has grabbed headlines for the economic impact, it only accounts for 10% of the decrease during the pandemic. 
China has been responsible for the biggest drop, followed by the US, Europe and India. If some restrictions on economic activity stay in place worldwide until the end of the year, then global emissions will likely drop by 7%. 
If pre-pandemic levels of transport and economic activity return by mid-June, the annual fall would be around 4%. But the research team that carried out this work is concerned that the rebound, especially on the roads, could see a carbon surge.]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52724821

Daily global emissions of CO2 fell by 17% at the peak of the shutdown because of measures taken by governments in response to Covid-19, say scientists. The most comprehensive account yet published says that almost half the record decrease was due to fewer car journeys. But the authors are worried that, as people return to work, car use will soar again. They fear CO2 emissions could soon be higher than before the crisis. They are urging politicians to grasp the moment and make real, durable changes on transport and personal mobility.
 
In the UK, transport secretary Grant Shapps has pledged £250m for improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure. Other countries are also looking at similar plans.
The lockdowns that most governments have implemented in response to Covid-19 have had a significant impact on the carbon-producing activities that are embedded in almost everything we do. Road transport has declined hugely, as has aviation.
 
Industry has temporarily closed down and demand for energy all over the world has crashed. Now in detailed analysis, researchers have shown how those changes have impacted our emissions of CO2. They've calculated the fall off in carbon based on the lockdown policies implemented in 69 countries that between them account for 97% of global emissions. 
During the peak of the crisis in early April, daily emissions dropped by 17% compared to the previous year, meaning around 17 millions tonnes less CO2 were emitted every day. The key to the fall has been cars. 
Surface transport emissions have declined by 43%, the same amount as the drop from industry and power generation combined. While the aviation slowdown has grabbed headlines for the economic impact, it only accounts for 10% of the decrease during the pandemic. 
China has been responsible for the biggest drop, followed by the US, Europe and India. If some restrictions on economic activity stay in place worldwide until the end of the year, then global emissions will likely drop by 7%. 
If pre-pandemic levels of transport and economic activity return by mid-June, the annual fall would be around 4%. But the research team that carried out this work is concerned that the rebound, especially on the roads, could see a carbon surge.]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=571 Mon, 11 May 2020 19:57:27 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=571 https://www.bbc.com/news/52533585

Even as the US remains under attack from the coronavirus outbreak, a new terror has arrived: "murder hornets". The 2-inch (5cm) long Asian giant hornets, Vespa mandarinia, have been found in Washington State. Multiple stings are deadly to humans and in their "slaughter phase" the hornets destroy honeybees, whose bodies they feed to their young.
 
Scientists are now on a hunt for the hornets, hoping to eradicate the species before they wipe out US bees. 
- Loss of bumblebees driven by 'climate chaos'
- Asian hornet queen s UK's first of 2019
- One nest could spread Asian hornets 

Although they typically avoid people, in Asia, "murder hornet" stings are thought to cause as many as 50 human fatalities a year, according to the New York Times. The hornets made their first North American appearance in August 2019, in British Columbia, Canada. Months later, in December 2019, the flying insects were reported south of the border in Washington State. Washington State University (WSU) are unsure how or when the hornet first arrived in North America, but beekeepers in the region have reported gruesome hive deaths in recent months.
 
Scientists are bracing for further emergence of the species, which begins its life cycle in spring.
The hornets are "shockingly large", said Todd Murray, a WSU scientist and invasive species specialist. "It's a health hazard, and more importantly, a significant predator of honeybees." The insects, roughly the size of a matchbox, have large yellow-orange heads, prominent black eyes, and a black and yellow striped abdomen.
 
The Asian giant hornet's life cycle begins in April, when queens come out of hibernation, and begin to feed and seek out subterranean dens to build their nests. Once their habitats are built in the summer and autumn months, worker hornets are sent to find food. With their sharp, spiked mandibles, the hornets decapitate honeybees, using the bodies to feed their young. The hornets can destroy a honeybee hive in a matter of hours. Though beehives are their primary target, when threatened the hornets can attack people. Multiple stings can kill humans, even those who are not allergic. 

The WSU scientists will begin trapping queen murder hornets this spring, aiming to detect and eradicate the species. Populations of honeybees and other pollinators in the US were already under pressure. Between 1947 and 2017, number of honeybee colonies in the US plummeted from 6 million to 2.5 million. And last year, researchers from the University of Maryland reported that 40% of the country's honeybee colonies died in a single winter, between October 2018 and April 2019 - the largest loss of its kind. Pollinators, most often honeybees, are responsible for one of every three bites of food taken in the US, and increase the country's nation crop values.
 
 ]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/52533585

Even as the US remains under attack from the coronavirus outbreak, a new terror has arrived: "murder hornets". The 2-inch (5cm) long Asian giant hornets, Vespa mandarinia, have been found in Washington State. Multiple stings are deadly to humans and in their "slaughter phase" the hornets destroy honeybees, whose bodies they feed to their young.
 
Scientists are now on a hunt for the hornets, hoping to eradicate the species before they wipe out US bees. 
- Loss of bumblebees driven by 'climate chaos'
- Asian hornet queen s UK's first of 2019
- One nest could spread Asian hornets 

Although they typically avoid people, in Asia, "murder hornet" stings are thought to cause as many as 50 human fatalities a year, according to the New York Times. The hornets made their first North American appearance in August 2019, in British Columbia, Canada. Months later, in December 2019, the flying insects were reported south of the border in Washington State. Washington State University (WSU) are unsure how or when the hornet first arrived in North America, but beekeepers in the region have reported gruesome hive deaths in recent months.
 
Scientists are bracing for further emergence of the species, which begins its life cycle in spring.
The hornets are "shockingly large", said Todd Murray, a WSU scientist and invasive species specialist. "It's a health hazard, and more importantly, a significant predator of honeybees." The insects, roughly the size of a matchbox, have large yellow-orange heads, prominent black eyes, and a black and yellow striped abdomen.
 
The Asian giant hornet's life cycle begins in April, when queens come out of hibernation, and begin to feed and seek out subterranean dens to build their nests. Once their habitats are built in the summer and autumn months, worker hornets are sent to find food. With their sharp, spiked mandibles, the hornets decapitate honeybees, using the bodies to feed their young. The hornets can destroy a honeybee hive in a matter of hours. Though beehives are their primary target, when threatened the hornets can attack people. Multiple stings can kill humans, even those who are not allergic. 

The WSU scientists will begin trapping queen murder hornets this spring, aiming to detect and eradicate the species. Populations of honeybees and other pollinators in the US were already under pressure. Between 1947 and 2017, number of honeybee colonies in the US plummeted from 6 million to 2.5 million. And last year, researchers from the University of Maryland reported that 40% of the country's honeybee colonies died in a single winter, between October 2018 and April 2019 - the largest loss of its kind. Pollinators, most often honeybees, are responsible for one of every three bites of food taken in the US, and increase the country's nation crop values.
 
 ]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=570 Mon, 11 May 2020 19:45:55 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=570 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52587488

Astronomers have produced a remarkable new image of Jupiter, tracing the glowing regions of warmth that lurk beneath the gas giant's cloud tops.
 
The picture was captured in infrared by the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, and is one of the sharpest observations of the planet ever made from the ground. To achieve the resolution, scientists used a technique called "lucky imaging" which scrubs out the blurring effect of looking through Earth's turbulent atmosphere. This method involves acquiring multiple exposures of the target and only keeping those segments of an image where that turbulence is at a minimum.
 
When all the "lucky shots" are put together in a mosaic, a clarity emerges that's beyond just the single exposure.
- Planet Jupiter's winds run deep
- Jupiter Great Red Spot has deep roots

Infrared is a longer wavelength than the more familiar visible light detected by the likes of the Hubble telescope. It is used to see past the haze and thin clouds at the top of Jupiter's atmosphere, to give scientists the opportunity to probe deeper into the planet's internal workings.
 
Researchers want to understand better what makes and sustains the gas giant's weather systems, and in particular the great storms that can rage for decades and even centuries.
The study that produced this infrared image was led from the University of California at Berkeley. It was part of a joint programme of observations that involved Hubble and the Juno spacecraft that's currently orbiting the fifth planet from the Sun.
 
Facts about Jupiter
- Jupiter is 11 times wider than Earth and 300 times more massive
- It takes 12 Earth years to orbit the Sun; a 'day' is 10 hours long
- In composition it resembles a star; it's mostly hydrogen and helium
- Under pressure, the hydrogen assumes a state similar to a metal
- This 'metallic hydrogen' could be the source of the magnetic field
- Most of the visible cloudtops contain ammonia and hydrogen sulphide
- Jupiter's low-latitude 'bands' play host to very strong east-west winds
- The Great Red Spot is a giant storm vortex wider than Planet Earth]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52587488

Astronomers have produced a remarkable new image of Jupiter, tracing the glowing regions of warmth that lurk beneath the gas giant's cloud tops.
 
The picture was captured in infrared by the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii, and is one of the sharpest observations of the planet ever made from the ground. To achieve the resolution, scientists used a technique called "lucky imaging" which scrubs out the blurring effect of looking through Earth's turbulent atmosphere. This method involves acquiring multiple exposures of the target and only keeping those segments of an image where that turbulence is at a minimum.
 
When all the "lucky shots" are put together in a mosaic, a clarity emerges that's beyond just the single exposure.
- Planet Jupiter's winds run deep
- Jupiter Great Red Spot has deep roots

Infrared is a longer wavelength than the more familiar visible light detected by the likes of the Hubble telescope. It is used to see past the haze and thin clouds at the top of Jupiter's atmosphere, to give scientists the opportunity to probe deeper into the planet's internal workings.
 
Researchers want to understand better what makes and sustains the gas giant's weather systems, and in particular the great storms that can rage for decades and even centuries.
The study that produced this infrared image was led from the University of California at Berkeley. It was part of a joint programme of observations that involved Hubble and the Juno spacecraft that's currently orbiting the fifth planet from the Sun.
 
Facts about Jupiter
- Jupiter is 11 times wider than Earth and 300 times more massive
- It takes 12 Earth years to orbit the Sun; a 'day' is 10 hours long
- In composition it resembles a star; it's mostly hydrogen and helium
- Under pressure, the hydrogen assumes a state similar to a metal
- This 'metallic hydrogen' could be the source of the magnetic field
- Most of the visible cloudtops contain ammonia and hydrogen sulphide
- Jupiter's low-latitude 'bands' play host to very strong east-west winds
- The Great Red Spot is a giant storm vortex wider than Planet Earth]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=569 Tue, 05 May 2020 19:38:20 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=569 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52522460

Ministers are reported to be considering whether to relax the two-metre rule for social distancing in workplaces. It could make it easier for people to get back to jobs where it is not always feasible to stay apart. But a key question is whether that would be safe, given how little is known about how far the virus can spread.
A new report by the government's scientific advisers is due to be released shortly assessing latest research into the risks.
 
What does science say about the rule?
There is a wide variety of recommendations in different countries, but a simple guide is that the closer you are to someone who is infected, the greater the risk. The World Health Organization says that a distance of one metre is safe, while others suggest 1.5m or 1.8m with the UK opting for two metres. Also the longer you spend in close proximity with an infected person, the more your chances of catching the virus go up.
One leading scientist says that timing can really make a difference. "Spending two seconds one metre apart is as dangerous as spending one minute two metres apart," he says.
 
Where does the two-metre rule come from?
Surprisingly, it can be traced back to research in the 1930s. Back then scientists established that droplets of liquid released by coughs or sneezes will either evaporate quickly in the air or be dragged by gravity down to the ground. And the majority of those droplets, they reckoned, would land within one to two metres. That is why it is said the greatest risks come from having the virus coughed at you from close range or from touching a surface - and then your face - that someone coughed onto.
Some researchers are now concerned that the coronavirus is not just carried in droplets. They worry that it can also be transported through the air in tiny particles called aerosols. If that is the case, then the flow of wind from someone's breath could carry the virus over longer distances.
 
Could wearing face masks help?
Amid the uncertainty, many governments are urging - or ordering - their citizens to cover their faces. In Spain, anyone using public transport from Monday will have to wear a mask, and the same applies in Germany. The logic is that where keeping apart is not realistic - up to whatever distance is recommended - then even a homemade covering can limit how much virus is released from an infected person's mouth or nose. The Scottish government is among those to recommend that in confined spaces, a non-medical mask should be worn. The UK government is still considering what to advise the British public as a whole.
 
Health professionals have long worried that medical and care staff might lose out if supplies are snapped up and that masks would give people a false sense of security leading them to give up other measures like social distancing.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested that masks might help slow the spread of the disease.]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52522460

Ministers are reported to be considering whether to relax the two-metre rule for social distancing in workplaces. It could make it easier for people to get back to jobs where it is not always feasible to stay apart. But a key question is whether that would be safe, given how little is known about how far the virus can spread.
A new report by the government's scientific advisers is due to be released shortly assessing latest research into the risks.
 
What does science say about the rule?
There is a wide variety of recommendations in different countries, but a simple guide is that the closer you are to someone who is infected, the greater the risk. The World Health Organization says that a distance of one metre is safe, while others suggest 1.5m or 1.8m with the UK opting for two metres. Also the longer you spend in close proximity with an infected person, the more your chances of catching the virus go up.
One leading scientist says that timing can really make a difference. "Spending two seconds one metre apart is as dangerous as spending one minute two metres apart," he says.
 
Where does the two-metre rule come from?
Surprisingly, it can be traced back to research in the 1930s. Back then scientists established that droplets of liquid released by coughs or sneezes will either evaporate quickly in the air or be dragged by gravity down to the ground. And the majority of those droplets, they reckoned, would land within one to two metres. That is why it is said the greatest risks come from having the virus coughed at you from close range or from touching a surface - and then your face - that someone coughed onto.
Some researchers are now concerned that the coronavirus is not just carried in droplets. They worry that it can also be transported through the air in tiny particles called aerosols. If that is the case, then the flow of wind from someone's breath could carry the virus over longer distances.
 
Could wearing face masks help?
Amid the uncertainty, many governments are urging - or ordering - their citizens to cover their faces. In Spain, anyone using public transport from Monday will have to wear a mask, and the same applies in Germany. The logic is that where keeping apart is not realistic - up to whatever distance is recommended - then even a homemade covering can limit how much virus is released from an infected person's mouth or nose. The Scottish government is among those to recommend that in confined spaces, a non-medical mask should be worn. The UK government is still considering what to advise the British public as a whole.
 
Health professionals have long worried that medical and care staff might lose out if supplies are snapped up and that masks would give people a false sense of security leading them to give up other measures like social distancing.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested that masks might help slow the spread of the disease.]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=568 Tue, 05 May 2020 19:26:24 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=568 https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52479763

At a time when so many of us are facing a heightened sense of threat as well as deep worries about our future, can nature lift our spirits?
"Our current crisis has switched us out of normal existence and into survival mode," says Dr. Anna Jorgensen, who researches the connection between environment and wellbeing at the University of Sheffield. 
With far more people unable to work, or working from home, many have been inspired to explore nature in their neighbourhood as they refocus on their immediate surroundings. As factory and car emissions have declined, there are fewer tiny particles in the air, so it's easier to see beyond built-up areas and to the stars in the night sky. Less city noise also highlights the sounds of birds. There is also greater interest in gardening.

Can experiences in nature help us manage stress and anxiety?
While the impact of experiencing nature on our physical health is less well documented, a wealth of studies have demonstrated the positive effects of the natural world on our mental health. Even a brief nature fix - 10 minutes of wind brushing across our cheek, or the sun on our skin - can lower stress, explains Dr. Mathew White, from the University of Exeter. If we immerse ourselves in beautiful landscapes, like a rich coastline or a wild forest teeming with an array of species, we feel more intense emotions, he adds. Connecting with nature can help us feel happier and more energised, with an increased sense of meaning and purpose, as well as making tasks seem more manageable. Nature-based activities, such as gardening and farming, have been used as part of mental health treatments around the world for centuries.
 
Sounds have a particular power to evoke memory, according to PhD researcher Alex Smalley. Your feelings can be enhanced by listening to recordings of natural sounds, such as crashing waves or squawks of forest birds, after you've experienced them in person or watched a powerful film or programme featuring that landscape.
 
Why does nature have such a positive effect?
Part of nature's power lies in its ability to wash away whatever is provoking a lot of our stress, explains Dr. Daily. Slow movements such as the ripples of water or clouds moving across the sky place effortless demands on our working memory but enough to distract us from spiralling rumination, self-blame and hopelessness. Tending to a plant helps us to appreciate the power we have to nurture, and gives us a sense of achievement when the plant flourishes, which Dr. Jorgensen says is particularly important for those struggling with their mental health. According to Dr. White, the benefits are maximised if we can spend a total of two hours a week connecting with nature. The more senses we use - not only sight and sound but also smell, feel and taste - the greater the benefits. ]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52479763

At a time when so many of us are facing a heightened sense of threat as well as deep worries about our future, can nature lift our spirits?
"Our current crisis has switched us out of normal existence and into survival mode," says Dr. Anna Jorgensen, who researches the connection between environment and wellbeing at the University of Sheffield. 
With far more people unable to work, or working from home, many have been inspired to explore nature in their neighbourhood as they refocus on their immediate surroundings. As factory and car emissions have declined, there are fewer tiny particles in the air, so it's easier to see beyond built-up areas and to the stars in the night sky. Less city noise also highlights the sounds of birds. There is also greater interest in gardening.

Can experiences in nature help us manage stress and anxiety?
While the impact of experiencing nature on our physical health is less well documented, a wealth of studies have demonstrated the positive effects of the natural world on our mental health. Even a brief nature fix - 10 minutes of wind brushing across our cheek, or the sun on our skin - can lower stress, explains Dr. Mathew White, from the University of Exeter. If we immerse ourselves in beautiful landscapes, like a rich coastline or a wild forest teeming with an array of species, we feel more intense emotions, he adds. Connecting with nature can help us feel happier and more energised, with an increased sense of meaning and purpose, as well as making tasks seem more manageable. Nature-based activities, such as gardening and farming, have been used as part of mental health treatments around the world for centuries.
 
Sounds have a particular power to evoke memory, according to PhD researcher Alex Smalley. Your feelings can be enhanced by listening to recordings of natural sounds, such as crashing waves or squawks of forest birds, after you've experienced them in person or watched a powerful film or programme featuring that landscape.
 
Why does nature have such a positive effect?
Part of nature's power lies in its ability to wash away whatever is provoking a lot of our stress, explains Dr. Daily. Slow movements such as the ripples of water or clouds moving across the sky place effortless demands on our working memory but enough to distract us from spiralling rumination, self-blame and hopelessness. Tending to a plant helps us to appreciate the power we have to nurture, and gives us a sense of achievement when the plant flourishes, which Dr. Jorgensen says is particularly important for those struggling with their mental health. According to Dr. White, the benefits are maximised if we can spend a total of two hours a week connecting with nature. The more senses we use - not only sight and sound but also smell, feel and taste - the greater the benefits. ]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=567 Wed, 22 Apr 2020 18:49:11 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=567 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52380157

Europe is heating faster than the global average as new data indicates that last year was the warmest on record. While globally the year was the second warmest, a series of heatwaves helped push the region to a new high mark. Over the past five years, global temperatures were, on average, just over 1C warmer than at the end of the 19th century.

In Europe, in the same period, temperatures were almost 2C warmer.
- July was 'marginally' world's warmest month ever
- Hundreds of temperature records broken over summer
- Last decade 'on course' to be warmest

The data has been published as Earth Day marks its 50th anniversary. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says the physical signs of climate change and impacts on our planet have gathered pace in the past five years, which were the hottest on record.
 
The European State of the Climate 2019 shows that warm conditions and summer heatwaves saw drought in many parts of central Europe. While the UK saw a new all-time high temperature recorded in Cambridge in July, in many places across the continent, the weather was 3-4C warmer than normal.  This is reflected in the amount of sunshine that hit Europe across the year. The number of sunshine hours was the largest on record. The hot summer weather across Europe was followed by one of the wettest Novembers on record, with rainfall almost four times the normal amount in western and southern Europe.

"Europe has indeed been warming significantly faster than the global average," said Prof Rowan Sutton, director of science (climate) at the UK's National Centre for Atmospheric Science. "This is for two reasons. First, land regions in general are warming faster than the oceans, largely because the greater availability of moisture over the oceans damps the rate of warming. Secondly, reductions in specific forms of air pollution have contributed to the recent warming in Europe, particularly in summer."

Researchers in the field are keen to underline that while the coronavirus pandemic might mean a temporary drop in emissions of greenhouse gases, much more will need to be done to arrest the worrying warming trend. "While pollution has dropped with economic activity in response to the global pandemic, CO2 is not just disappearing overnight," said Prof Daniela Schmidt, from the University of Bristol. "The impact of the warming like sea level rise will be with us for centuries. The pandemic has made us less able to tackle the impact of climate change impacts. Our communities which have just been flooded will find sheltering in their damaged homes much more challenging. While COVID-19 has caused a severe international health and economic crisis, failure to tackle climate change may threaten human well-being, ecosystems and economies for centuries," he said. 

We need to flatten both the pandemic and climate change curves. We need to show the same determination and unity against climate change as against COVID-19. We need to act together in the interests of the health and welfare of humanity not just for the coming weeks and months, but for many generations ahead.]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52380157

Europe is heating faster than the global average as new data indicates that last year was the warmest on record. While globally the year was the second warmest, a series of heatwaves helped push the region to a new high mark. Over the past five years, global temperatures were, on average, just over 1C warmer than at the end of the 19th century.

In Europe, in the same period, temperatures were almost 2C warmer.
- July was 'marginally' world's warmest month ever
- Hundreds of temperature records broken over summer
- Last decade 'on course' to be warmest

The data has been published as Earth Day marks its 50th anniversary. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says the physical signs of climate change and impacts on our planet have gathered pace in the past five years, which were the hottest on record.
 
The European State of the Climate 2019 shows that warm conditions and summer heatwaves saw drought in many parts of central Europe. While the UK saw a new all-time high temperature recorded in Cambridge in July, in many places across the continent, the weather was 3-4C warmer than normal.  This is reflected in the amount of sunshine that hit Europe across the year. The number of sunshine hours was the largest on record. The hot summer weather across Europe was followed by one of the wettest Novembers on record, with rainfall almost four times the normal amount in western and southern Europe.

"Europe has indeed been warming significantly faster than the global average," said Prof Rowan Sutton, director of science (climate) at the UK's National Centre for Atmospheric Science. "This is for two reasons. First, land regions in general are warming faster than the oceans, largely because the greater availability of moisture over the oceans damps the rate of warming. Secondly, reductions in specific forms of air pollution have contributed to the recent warming in Europe, particularly in summer."

Researchers in the field are keen to underline that while the coronavirus pandemic might mean a temporary drop in emissions of greenhouse gases, much more will need to be done to arrest the worrying warming trend. "While pollution has dropped with economic activity in response to the global pandemic, CO2 is not just disappearing overnight," said Prof Daniela Schmidt, from the University of Bristol. "The impact of the warming like sea level rise will be with us for centuries. The pandemic has made us less able to tackle the impact of climate change impacts. Our communities which have just been flooded will find sheltering in their damaged homes much more challenging. While COVID-19 has caused a severe international health and economic crisis, failure to tackle climate change may threaten human well-being, ecosystems and economies for centuries," he said. 

We need to flatten both the pandemic and climate change curves. We need to show the same determination and unity against climate change as against COVID-19. We need to act together in the interests of the health and welfare of humanity not just for the coming weeks and months, but for many generations ahead.]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=566 Mon, 20 Apr 2020 22:05:50 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=566 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52200045

Mass tree planting in the UK could harm the environment if not planned properly, a report warns. Badly-planned trees would increase greenhouse gas emissions, say the government’s advisers on the economic value of the natural environment. The report comes from the Natural Capital Committee (NCC), which says planting trees into peat bogs would prove a serious mistake. Peat locks up vast quantities of carbon, but trees dry out peat. This can release more greenhouse gases than the trees absorb.
One NCC member, Prof Ian Bateman from the University of Exeter, said: “The mantra has to be ‘the right tree in the right place. We would be crazy to undertake the massive scale of planting being considered if we did not also consider the wider effects upon the environment including impacts on wildlife, benefits in terms of reducing flood risks and effects on water quality, improvements to recreation and so on.”

The report adds that carpeting upland pastures with trees would reduce the UK’s ability to produce meat – which may lead to increasing imports from places that produce beef by felling rainforests. It also makes a similar point on industry. There’s no point closing dirty UK factories, the authors say, if we’re then going to import goods from places with worse emissions.
The authors note that huge publicity has been given to the UK’s plans for planting 11 million trees to lock up carbon emissions, but they warn that conserving carbon in soils is equally or more important.

The report points out that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that in 2007 UK soils contained approximately 4,019 million tonnes of carbon (MtC), that’s 94.2% of the total stock of biological carbon, excluding fossil fuel carbon.]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52200045

Mass tree planting in the UK could harm the environment if not planned properly, a report warns. Badly-planned trees would increase greenhouse gas emissions, say the government’s advisers on the economic value of the natural environment. The report comes from the Natural Capital Committee (NCC), which says planting trees into peat bogs would prove a serious mistake. Peat locks up vast quantities of carbon, but trees dry out peat. This can release more greenhouse gases than the trees absorb.
One NCC member, Prof Ian Bateman from the University of Exeter, said: “The mantra has to be ‘the right tree in the right place. We would be crazy to undertake the massive scale of planting being considered if we did not also consider the wider effects upon the environment including impacts on wildlife, benefits in terms of reducing flood risks and effects on water quality, improvements to recreation and so on.”

The report adds that carpeting upland pastures with trees would reduce the UK’s ability to produce meat – which may lead to increasing imports from places that produce beef by felling rainforests. It also makes a similar point on industry. There’s no point closing dirty UK factories, the authors say, if we’re then going to import goods from places with worse emissions.
The authors note that huge publicity has been given to the UK’s plans for planting 11 million trees to lock up carbon emissions, but they warn that conserving carbon in soils is equally or more important.

The report points out that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that in 2007 UK soils contained approximately 4,019 million tonnes of carbon (MtC), that’s 94.2% of the total stock of biological carbon, excluding fossil fuel carbon.]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=565 Mon, 20 Apr 2020 21:36:28 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=565 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52353942 

Barriers to imposing car-free streets are being lifted following a government decision to enable key workers to walk or cycle more safely. Normally, councils in England that want to close streets to cars must follow procedures that can take weeks to implement. But ministers say councils can now cut red tape governing temporary road closures. This could help people walk and cycle while social distancing. Health and environment groups say the measures will also promote healthy walking and cycling and tackle climate change and air pollution. 

But campaigners say that, even after the epidemic peaks, many workers will still fear infection from public transport. They will also be wary of car accidents. That applies particularly to novice cyclists, who have recently dusted off their bikes during the crisis. The campaign groups want ministers to encourage all councils to make simple changes such as using bollards to shut streets to motor vehicles. Brighton has already closed off a major road to allow people to carry out social distancing while walking, running or cycling.

Jonathan Kelly, deputy director of operations at Barts NHS Trust, told BBC News: “People require more public space to socially distance safely and the current set-up of the roads isn’t facilitating that adequately. As we move out of the virus, it’s important to maintain that distance to avoid infection. Personally, I would like to see many more road closures in future to allow people to use forms of travel that are good for them and good for the planet.” 
It’s part of a global trend. Road closures have happened in New Zealand, Canada, Germany and the US. In New York, the city council is preparing plans for 75 miles of “streets for people”.

We are being taught a lesson here about what a difference it makes to people’s activity and air quality and carbon emissions if we allow people to cycle safely.” Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “We remain generally supportive of measures to encourage more cycling and walking both during and after lockdown. It’s too early to say exactly what will happen to transport post-pandemic but if trends of more people working from home and lower car use persist, then it might give us the opportunity to re-assess road use in targeted areas.”
 ]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52353942 

Barriers to imposing car-free streets are being lifted following a government decision to enable key workers to walk or cycle more safely. Normally, councils in England that want to close streets to cars must follow procedures that can take weeks to implement. But ministers say councils can now cut red tape governing temporary road closures. This could help people walk and cycle while social distancing. Health and environment groups say the measures will also promote healthy walking and cycling and tackle climate change and air pollution. 

But campaigners say that, even after the epidemic peaks, many workers will still fear infection from public transport. They will also be wary of car accidents. That applies particularly to novice cyclists, who have recently dusted off their bikes during the crisis. The campaign groups want ministers to encourage all councils to make simple changes such as using bollards to shut streets to motor vehicles. Brighton has already closed off a major road to allow people to carry out social distancing while walking, running or cycling.

Jonathan Kelly, deputy director of operations at Barts NHS Trust, told BBC News: “People require more public space to socially distance safely and the current set-up of the roads isn’t facilitating that adequately. As we move out of the virus, it’s important to maintain that distance to avoid infection. Personally, I would like to see many more road closures in future to allow people to use forms of travel that are good for them and good for the planet.” 
It’s part of a global trend. Road closures have happened in New Zealand, Canada, Germany and the US. In New York, the city council is preparing plans for 75 miles of “streets for people”.

We are being taught a lesson here about what a difference it makes to people’s activity and air quality and carbon emissions if we allow people to cycle safely.” Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “We remain generally supportive of measures to encourage more cycling and walking both during and after lockdown. It’s too early to say exactly what will happen to transport post-pandemic but if trends of more people working from home and lower car use persist, then it might give us the opportunity to re-assess road use in targeted areas.”
 ]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=564 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 02:17:45 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=564 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52126735

The WHO recommends keeping a distance of at least 1m from anyone coughing or sneezing to avoid the risk of infection. It says people who are sick and show symptoms should wear masks. But it advises that healthy people only need to wear them if they are caring for others suspected of being infected or if they themselves are coughing or sneezing. It emphasises that masks are only effective if combined with frequent hand-washing and used and disposed of properly.
 
The UK, along with other countries including the US, advises that social distancing should mean staying at least 2m apart. This advice is based on evidence showing that viruses can only be transmitted while carried within drops of liquid. The understanding is that most of those drops will either evaporate or fall to the ground near to the person who released them.
 
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, US, used high-speed cameras and other sensors to assess precisely what happens after a cough or sneeze. They found that an exhalation generates a small fast-moving cloud of gas that can contain droplets of liquid of varying sizes and that the smallest of these can be carried in the cloud over long distances. The study conducted in laboratory conditions found that coughs can project liquid up to 6m away and that sneezes, which involve much higher speeds, can reach up to 8m away. The scientist who led the study, Prof Lydia Bourouiba of MIT, is concerned about the current concept of "safe distances". "What we exhale, cough or sneeze is a gas cloud that has high momentum that can go far, traps the drops of all sizes in it and carries them through the room," she said. "So having this false idea of safety at one to two metres, which somehow drops will just fall to the ground at that distance is not based on what we have quantified, measured and visualised directly."
 
Prof Bourouiba's view is that in certain situations, especially indoors in poorly ventilated rooms, wearing masks would reduce the risks. For example, when facing someone who's infected, masks could help divert the flow of their breath and its load of virus away from your mouth. Flimsy masks are not going to protect from inhaling the smallest particulates in the air because they do not provide filtration, but they would potentially divert the cloud that is being emitted with high momentum to the side instead of forward. He said that if the evidence is supported, then "it might be that wearing a mask is equally as effective or more effective than distancing." He adds a warning that masks need to be worn properly, with a seal over the nose. If they become moist, then particles can pass through. People must remove them carefully to avoid their hands becoming contaminated. He also adds that masks need to be worn consistently. "It's not on to wear a mask and then decide to take it off to smoke a cigarette or eat a meal - it must be worn full time," he said.
 
A spokesperson for Public Health England said there was little evidence of widespread benefit from wearing masks outside clinical settings. Facemasks must be worn correctly, changed frequently, removed properly, disposed of safely and used in combination with good universal hygiene behaviour in order for them to be effective.]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52126735

The WHO recommends keeping a distance of at least 1m from anyone coughing or sneezing to avoid the risk of infection. It says people who are sick and show symptoms should wear masks. But it advises that healthy people only need to wear them if they are caring for others suspected of being infected or if they themselves are coughing or sneezing. It emphasises that masks are only effective if combined with frequent hand-washing and used and disposed of properly.
 
The UK, along with other countries including the US, advises that social distancing should mean staying at least 2m apart. This advice is based on evidence showing that viruses can only be transmitted while carried within drops of liquid. The understanding is that most of those drops will either evaporate or fall to the ground near to the person who released them.
 
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, US, used high-speed cameras and other sensors to assess precisely what happens after a cough or sneeze. They found that an exhalation generates a small fast-moving cloud of gas that can contain droplets of liquid of varying sizes and that the smallest of these can be carried in the cloud over long distances. The study conducted in laboratory conditions found that coughs can project liquid up to 6m away and that sneezes, which involve much higher speeds, can reach up to 8m away. The scientist who led the study, Prof Lydia Bourouiba of MIT, is concerned about the current concept of "safe distances". "What we exhale, cough or sneeze is a gas cloud that has high momentum that can go far, traps the drops of all sizes in it and carries them through the room," she said. "So having this false idea of safety at one to two metres, which somehow drops will just fall to the ground at that distance is not based on what we have quantified, measured and visualised directly."
 
Prof Bourouiba's view is that in certain situations, especially indoors in poorly ventilated rooms, wearing masks would reduce the risks. For example, when facing someone who's infected, masks could help divert the flow of their breath and its load of virus away from your mouth. Flimsy masks are not going to protect from inhaling the smallest particulates in the air because they do not provide filtration, but they would potentially divert the cloud that is being emitted with high momentum to the side instead of forward. He said that if the evidence is supported, then "it might be that wearing a mask is equally as effective or more effective than distancing." He adds a warning that masks need to be worn properly, with a seal over the nose. If they become moist, then particles can pass through. People must remove them carefully to avoid their hands becoming contaminated. He also adds that masks need to be worn consistently. "It's not on to wear a mask and then decide to take it off to smoke a cigarette or eat a meal - it must be worn full time," he said.
 
A spokesperson for Public Health England said there was little evidence of widespread benefit from wearing masks outside clinical settings. Facemasks must be worn correctly, changed frequently, removed properly, disposed of safely and used in combination with good universal hygiene behaviour in order for them to be effective.]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=563 Thu, 02 Apr 2020 02:00:24 +0000 Vanessa Angotti]]> http://www.studyphysics.ca/mybb/showthread.php?tid=563 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52122450 

A key climate summit in Glasgow will be delayed until next year due to disruption caused by the coronavirus. The announcement was made in a joint statement from the UK and UN after a "virtual" meeting of officials. Dozens of world leaders were due to attend the COP26 gathering that was set to run in Glasgow from November 9 this year. It is expected that the conference will now take place by the middle of next year.
 
Around 30,000 delegates, journalists and environmental campaigners were due in Scotland for the meeting. However the changing priorities that coronavirus has forced on governments can be clearly seen in Glasgow's Scottish Events Campus which was due to host the talks. It is now set to become a temporary hospital to house patients affected by Covid-19. The decision to move COP26 was taken by UN officials, including UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa and UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma, who is president-designate of the meeting.
 
"The world is currently facing an unprecedented global challenge and countries are rightly focusing their efforts on saving lives and fighting Covid-19," Mr. Sharma said in a statement. "That is why we have decided to reschedule COP26." "We will continue working tirelessly with our partners to deliver the ambition needed to tackle the climate crisis and I look forward to agreeing a new date for the conference."
 
Five years on from the landmark Paris agreement, all nations were due to put new improved climate action plans on the table at the Glasgow meeting. Environmental groups said the decision was understandable.  
"Postponing COP26 is the right thing to do - public health and safety must come first now," said Laurence Tubiana, one of the architects of the Paris agreement and CEO of European Climate Foundation. "This crisis has shown that international cooperation and solidarity are essential to protect global well-being and peace. COP26 next year should become a centre piece of revitalized global cooperation."
 
While the delay was almost inevitable in the light of coronavirus, some officials believe there may be a silver lining. Governments are set to spend huge amounts to boost their economies once the pandemic is over. There's a view that when the summit is eventually held, it could be an important forum for ensuring that money is spent on sustainable and renewable projects.
"The pandemic will also reorder to an extent the priorities for COP26, as alongside the UN climate process countries will be devising stimulus packages for economies hard-hit by the crisis," said Adair Turner, Senior Fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking. "With low-carbon stimulus as a new priority for COP26, it should be seen as an opportunity to rebuild economies hit by coronavirus in ways that are healthier, more resilient to future shocks and fairer to a wider range of people."]]> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52122450 

A key climate summit in Glasgow will be delayed until next year due to disruption caused by the coronavirus. The announcement was made in a joint statement from the UK and UN after a "virtual" meeting of officials. Dozens of world leaders were due to attend the COP26 gathering that was set to run in Glasgow from November 9 this year. It is expected that the conference will now take place by the middle of next year.
 
Around 30,000 delegates, journalists and environmental campaigners were due in Scotland for the meeting. However the changing priorities that coronavirus has forced on governments can be clearly seen in Glasgow's Scottish Events Campus which was due to host the talks. It is now set to become a temporary hospital to house patients affected by Covid-19. The decision to move COP26 was taken by UN officials, including UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa and UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma, who is president-designate of the meeting.
 
"The world is currently facing an unprecedented global challenge and countries are rightly focusing their efforts on saving lives and fighting Covid-19," Mr. Sharma said in a statement. "That is why we have decided to reschedule COP26." "We will continue working tirelessly with our partners to deliver the ambition needed to tackle the climate crisis and I look forward to agreeing a new date for the conference."
 
Five years on from the landmark Paris agreement, all nations were due to put new improved climate action plans on the table at the Glasgow meeting. Environmental groups said the decision was understandable.  
"Postponing COP26 is the right thing to do - public health and safety must come first now," said Laurence Tubiana, one of the architects of the Paris agreement and CEO of European Climate Foundation. "This crisis has shown that international cooperation and solidarity are essential to protect global well-being and peace. COP26 next year should become a centre piece of revitalized global cooperation."
 
While the delay was almost inevitable in the light of coronavirus, some officials believe there may be a silver lining. Governments are set to spend huge amounts to boost their economies once the pandemic is over. There's a view that when the summit is eventually held, it could be an important forum for ensuring that money is spent on sustainable and renewable projects.
"The pandemic will also reorder to an extent the priorities for COP26, as alongside the UN climate process countries will be devising stimulus packages for economies hard-hit by the crisis," said Adair Turner, Senior Fellow at the Institute for New Economic Thinking. "With low-carbon stimulus as a new priority for COP26, it should be seen as an opportunity to rebuild economies hit by coronavirus in ways that are healthier, more resilient to future shocks and fairer to a wider range of people."]]>