SEARCH

Water, water, everywhere. But what shape is it in? Here are some sobering figures provided by the United Nations: One-fifth of the world’s river basins are experiencing rapid changes in surface area. This indicates an increase in flooding, new reservoirs, and the drying up of water bodies. (UN-Water 2021) 21 million people, including 5 million children, live within 5 km of lakes with cloudy water that may indicate water pollution. (UN-Water 2021) More than 80% of wetlands are estimated to have been lost from before the Industrial Revolution. Only 10 to 12 million square km are estimated to remain. The area covered by coastal mangroves has declined by 4.2% since 1996. (UN-Water 2021) Water pollution increased since the 1990s in most Latin American, African and Asian rivers, with severe pathogen pollution affecting about one-third of their stretches. Ecosystems, particularly wetlands, are in decline in terms of the services they provide. Between $4.3 and $20.2 trillion worth of ecosystem services were lost annually between 1997 and 2011 due to land use change. Globally, the number of lakes with harmful algal blooms will increase by at least 20% until 2050. (UN DESA, 2012) Soil erosion carries off 25 to 40 billion tons of agricultural topsoil every year, reducing crop yields and the soil’s ability to hold and regulate water, carbon and nutrients. (FAO/ITPS, 2015a) Naturally occurring arsenic pollution in groundwater affects nearly 140 million people in 70 countries across the globe. (WHO, 2018) – Source: United Nations, Water and Ecosystems

Mudslides, or debris slides, claim several lives each year and destroy property and infrastructure. They often occur during intense rainfall on sloped soil that is already saturated. The clearing of land for agriculture or housing, or as a result of forest fires, is often blamed for these tragic occurrences. Some mudslides are triggered by volcanic eruptions. Mudslides can accelerate to speeds up to 35 mi (56 km) per hour. A series of mudslides in western Japan in 2018 killed over 170 people. Debris slides—known as pyroclastic flows—from certain volcanic eruptions can reach temperatures as hot as 1,500 ˚F and reach speeds of 100 mi (160 km) per hour to 150 mi (240 km) per hour. A huge pyroclastic surge from the US’s Mt. St. Helens destroyed an area of 230 square mi (368 square km) in 1980. A lahar, a volcanic mudslide composed of rock, mud, and water, can rush down slopes at 20 to 40 mi (32 to 64 km) per hour. Lahars can travel more than 50 mi (80 km). Looking like a flowing river of wet cement, a lahar may have a rock content up to 90% of its weight. Lahars are a serious threat to communities downstream from glacier-clad volcanoes. Lahars have killed more than 44,000 people worldwide since 1600, about 20% of volcano-related deaths. – Source: US Geological Survey, Department of the Interior

Water stress relates not only to lack of access to fresh, clean water but to how much we use and how we use it. Here is some global data from the UN on the big picture of water stress: A “water-stressed” territory or country withdraws 25% or more of its renewable freshwater. Today, about 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries. About 733 million live in “high and critically water-stressed” nations. Five out of the globe’s 11 regions have estimated water stress values above 25%. 3.2 billion people live in agricultural territories with “high to very high water shortages or scarcity.” About 1.2 billion people live in “severely water-constrained agricultural areas.” Of all water withdrawals, 72% are used for agriculture, 16% by municipalities (for households and services), and 12% for industries. 450 million children live today in areas of “high or extremely high water vulnerability.” About 4 billion people suffer from “severe water scarcity” for at least one month of the year. It is estimated that 700 million people could be displaced by “intense water scarcity” by 2030. – Source: United Nations

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a division of the UN, issued a report ahead of COP26 on a role for nuclear power in achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Here is a peek at some of the data presented in the report: “Over the past five decades, nuclear power has cumulatively avoided the emission of about 70 gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide (CO2),” stated IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. Nuclear power “continues to avoid the emission of more than 1 Gt CO2 annually,” he added. Replacing 20% of coal generation with 250 GW of nuclear generation would reduce emissions by 2 Gt CO2 per year. That would reduce about 15% of electricity sector emissions per year. Nuclear power accounts for 10% of global electricity generation. Production of nuclear power provides over 800,000 jobs. Nuclear power generates 70% of Poland’s electricity and creates 200,000 jobs. Poland plans to build more plants. Production losses from weather-related outages at nuclear power plants have declined over the past 10 years. – Source: International Atomic Energy Agency

According to UNICEF, drones are coming into wider use in emergencies because of their ability to transport “temperature-sensitive cargo, restock essential medicines and supplies, and deliver life-saving emergency items in humanitarian contexts.” Their unique mobility suits them to vaccine delivery in remote communities and for aerial imaging for disaster response and preparation. Here are some numbers on how their use is being explored: Malawi has developed the world’s largest “test corridor” for testing drone use in emergencies; it covers roughly 2000 sq mi (or over 5000 sq km), allowing tests up to 400 m above ground. Following the 2016 announcement of the corridor project, 12 NGOs, universities, and companies applied to use it. The Republic of Vanuatu, comprised of 83 islands, is working with UNICEF to test drones for delivering vaccines kept at temperatures between 35 to 46°F (2 to 8°C). A one-month-old baby in Vanuatu was the world’s first to receive a vaccine delivered commercially by a drone. One in 5 children misses their childhood vaccines in Vanuatu. A drone traveled 25 mi (40 km) over rugged mountains to deliver vaccines for 13 children and 5 pregnant women. The UNICEF Innovation Fund seeks to make up to $100K equity-free investments to finance for-profit start-ups that can use drones to benefit humanity. – Source: UNICEF

Krill are chill when it comes to feeding the world. These small crustaceans come in numbers big enough to do the job. “Krill” is a name used to describe about 86 species of crustaceans belonging to a group called euphausiids. Antarctic krill is one of five krill species that lives in the Southern Ocean. Krill can range in size from less than 1 cm in length to 6 cm for the largest krill species in the Southern Ocean. One deep-sea krill species can reach 14 cm. There are about 400 million tons of Antarctic krill in the Southern Ocean. Krill can lay as many as 8000 eggs per brood. Population densities can reach 30,000 individuals per cubic meter. Krill adults may live from 5 to 10 years. Krill can go as long as 200 days without food. – Source: Australian Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment

State signers of the Paris Agreement agreed to “respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights” when taking climate action. Directly or indirectly, environmental degradation and inaction threaten basic human rights, such as the right to health or the right to life. Without action, here are some of the rights that are threatened: The right to life. For instance, increased fires in the Amazon rainforest have resulted in greater risks to local communities and indigenous peoples. The right to self-determination. Residents of small island States, for instance, as well as indigenous peoples, face challenges to living on their traditional territory. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that about 600 million children will be living in areas of “extremely high water stress.” The right to development. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, extreme weather was a major cause of the internal displacement of 28 million people in 2018. The right to health and the right to food. The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food states that climate change threatens food security—600 million more people may be at risk for malnutrition by 2080. The right to clean water. The World Bank reports that a global temperature increase of 2°C could result in 1 to 2 billion people without sufficient water supplies. The right to adequate housing. Urban housing will be at a high risk with a rise in temperature of 2°C by 2080–2100, due to poor quality and vulnerability to extreme weather events and sea-level rise. – Source: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations

Latin American, African, and Asian rivers are threatened by an onslaught of pathogen pollution from poor household wastewater management and by organic pollution attributed to agricultural and industrial runoff. River pollution is a growing problem for these three regions. The numbers are concerning: Severe pathogen pollution plagues about 1/3 of all rivers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Pathogen pollution is estimated to affect about 1/4 of Latin American rivers, from 10 to 25% of African rivers and about 1/3 to 1/2 of Asian rivers. Approximately 8 to 25 million people are in danger of the effects of river pathogen pollution in Latin America, 32 to 164 million in Africa and 31 to 134 million in Asia. Fecal coliform bacteria concentrations were on the rise between 1990 and 2010 in nearly 2/3 of all rivers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Severe organic pollution affects around 1/7 of all river stretches in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. In some developing nations, inland fishing accounts for more than 50% of the animal protein production in that country. Altogether, inland fishing in developing countries employs 21 million fishers and about 38 million associated jobs. Moderate to severe salinity pollution affects around 10% of all river stretches in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. – Source: UN Environment Programme

What are some other statistics on coal’s place in the world? Five countries contain about 75% of the world's proven coal reserves: the US at 22%, Russia at 15%, Australia and China at 14%, and India at 10%. About 64% of coal mined in the US in 2020 came from surface mines. Methane, which can be present in coal deposits, must be vented or captured during mining. In 2019, methane emissions from current and abandoned coal mines added up to 8% of total US methane emissions and about 1% of total US greenhouse gas emissions. Burning coal releases over 200 pounds of CO2 per million British thermal units of energy produced. Comparatively, the next highest CO2 pollutant is diesel fuel and heating oil at around 160 pounds CO2 per million BTU. Coal-burning emissions include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, CO2, mercury and other heavy metals, and ash. —Source: US Energy Information Agency

There is no time for “blah, blah, blah” says Mark Carney, the UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, when referring to commitments made to meet COP26’s financial goals. Here is where the funding numbers stood on ‘Finance Day,’ November 3, 2021, at COP26 in Glasgow: Almost 500 global financial services companies agreed at COP26 to align $130 trillion—about “40% of the world’s financial assets”—with Paris Agreement climate goals of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. The commitment from the companies, including most major Western banks, requires using “science-based guidelines” to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, a 50% reduction by 2030, and a “25% reduction in the next five years.” The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) says their Emissions Gap Report shows that a gap of 500 gigatons (of CO2 emissions) are left under pre-COP26 funding. Pre-COP26 reduction plans had 4 gigatons of emissions being removed annually while emissions stood at 55 gigatons a year. At COP15 in 2009, climate finance funding of $100 billion a year by 2020 was agreed upon, but officially delayed to 2023. COP26’s president reported that “90% of the world’s economy is now covered in a net-zero target. Only 30% was committed at the beginning of 2020.” He expressed confidence during the conference that “we will meet it ($100 billion per year) in 2023.” The UNFCCC reported that the US and EU pledged at COP26 to fund a South African transition from coal to the tune of “8.5 billion overall.” According to the UNFCCC, COP26 commitments were made to finance $12 billion for forest-related climate efforts between 2021–2025. – Source: United Nations

Goldfish, or Carassius auratus, are popular aquarium fish that come in other colors besides gold. In the wild, they are considered to be an invasive species since they can compete for resources and tolerate water pollution better than native fishes. Get to know more about these stocky, popular pets: Carassius auratus are known for being gold-colored, but they come in other colors, such as olive green and white. They have a long dorsal fin with 15 to 21 rays and a lateral line with 25 to 31 scales in a lateral series. Goldfish usually live about six or seven years but have lived up to thirty years. Goldfish do not reach the size of carp, but they can reach 23 in (59 cm) in total length and weigh up to 6.6 lbs (3.0 kg). Their usual size is 5.9 to 7.8 in (15 to 20 cm) with weights between 3.5 and 10.5 oz (100 to 300 g). Most adult goldfish thrive well in salinities between 0 to 6 ppt and can survive in water temperatures between 32 to 106°F (0 to 41°C). Researchers speculate that goldfish, introduced in the 1600s, were the first foreign species brought to the United States. The fish have often hybridized with carp. Goldfish have been found in the wild in all fifty states of the United States, but only twice in Alaska—once in Anchorage in 1980 and again in the Nenana River in 2019. – Source: United States Geological Survey, US Department of the Interior

Lithium is the lightest of all metals and more abundant than tin, lead or silver. It is best known as a component in batteries, but it has many additional uses. Global consumption held steady in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the numbers: Owing to continuing exploration, identified lithium resources worldwide total about 80 million tons (data in metric tons). Lithium resources in the United States—from continental brines, geothermal brines, hectorite, oilfield brines, and pegmatites—are 7.9 million tons. Lithium resources in other countries have been revised to 78 million tons. Lithium is nearly half as dense as water, and is the lightest of all metals. At its current level of abundance, lithium ranks 30th among the elements, behind copper and ahead of lead, tin, and silver. Five mineral operations in Australia, two brine operations each in Argentina and Chile, and two brine and one mineral operation in China account for most of the world’s lithium production. Respectively, in 2020, Australia produced the most lithium (40,000 tons), followed by Chile (18,000 tons), China (14,000 tons), and Argentina (6,200 tons). The only lithium production in the United States is a brine operation in Nevada; domestic production numbers are privately held by two mining companies. Global consumption of lithium content in 2020 was 56,000 tons, about the same as in 2019. While the COVID-19 pandemic initially reduced customer demand, there was strong growth in the lithium-ion battery market later in the year. Although lithium markets vary by location, global end-use markets are estimated as follows: batteries, 71%; ceramics and glass, 14%; lubricating greases, 4%; continuous casting mold flux powders, 2%; polymer production, 2%; air treatment, 1%; and other uses, 6%. Millions of people worldwide are treated with a daily dosage of lithium carbonate for bipolar disorder. It is estimated that worldwide resources of lithium will meet projected demand at least to the year 2100. – Source: United States Geological Survey