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The United Nations bestowed its Champion of the Earth for Science and Innovation award for 2021 on Ugandan veterinarian, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, for her work in championing the “One Health” concept of simultaneously addressing the health needs of humans, animals, and the environment. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), much of Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka’s life has been spent in “impoverished East African communities that border protected areas, where she has helped improve healthcare and create economic opportunities, turning many locals into partners in conservation.” “Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is a pioneer in community-led wildlife conservation,” according to Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. “In many places, economic pressures can cause friction between humans and animals. But her work has shown how conflict can be overcome when local communities take the lead in protecting the nature and wildlife around them, creating benefits for all species.” In her youth, Dr. Kalema-Zikusoka was surrounded by wildlife. Inspired to pursue her education internationally, she returned to Uganda to eventually become its first female veterinarian for the Uganda Wildlife Authority and to found her own organization, Conservation Through Public Health. Her organization has been promoting hygiene and healthy sanitation practices in local Ugandan communities, eventually expanding its “model of village health” to protected areas near Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “When you show people that you care about them and about their health and well-being, you help them better co-exist with wildlife,” she says. The UN conveyed its annual Champions of the Earth award to three other 2021 recipients, as well, including the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, for Policy Leadership, The Sea Women of Melanesia (Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands) in the Inspiration and Action category, and Maria Kolesnikova of the Kyrgyz Republic, in the Entrepreneurial Vision category.

It is estimated that Vietnam, a nation of 96 million people, discharges 2,500 tons of plastic waste into the ocean every day. The Southeast Asian nation ranks fourth in the world for total volume of plastic waste. For those whose livelihoods depend on the health of Vietnam’s treasured Ha Long Bay, the situation of plastic pollution is becoming a serious threat. Unfortunately, the local fishing and tourism industries that count on the bay’s rich ecosystem and biodiversity are, themselves, major polluters. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has stepped in through its Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme (SGP) to work with the Farmers’ Association of Quang Ninh province to mobilize coastal communities around the bay to increase solid waste collection and treatment, including the plastic waste generated by local households. Funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee, the project hopes to develop a community-based model for domestic waste management. Already the project has properly separated 1,000 metric tons of plastic waste from the bay and 150 metric tons of plastic collected by freelance waste workers from their individual households, fishing boats, and tourist boats. Perhaps more importantly, the project raises awareness and builds the capacity for local communities to address the plastic crisis and offer financial and technical support to the waste collectors, most of whom are women. Because informal workers are Vietnam’s largest labor force contributing to the recycling and reuse of waste, the project has been highly successful in recognizing and supporting this sector of society as role models and key agents of change. Read more on this story from the UNDP. Source: United Nations Development Programme

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced the forthcoming release of a new report on the global impact of water-related disasters. Ahead of the publication of the WMO Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019), a selection of the key findings were shared in a press release. The report covers a 50-year period in which the global human and economic toll from water-related hazards and disasters dominated the top-ten list of global calamities. Of the top ten, the disasters that took the most human lives were droughts (650,000 deaths), storms (577,232 deaths), floods (58,700 deaths), and extreme temperatures (55,736 deaths). The total economic toll from water-related disasters was staggering, with global flooding costing $115 billion and global storms costing $521 billion during the period studied. In Europe alone, floods and storms resulted in $377.5 billion in damages. A record-breaking 2002 flood in Germany, with $16.48 billion in losses, ranked as the costliest event in Europe between 1970 and 2019. Data from the WMO report shows that weather, climate, and water hazards accounted for 50% of all disasters, 45% of all reported deaths, and 74% percent of all reported economic losses on a global level. “No country—developed or developing—is immune,” declared WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas. “Climate change is here and now. It is imperative to invest more in climate change adaptation, and one way of doing this is to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems.” Read more on this story from the WMO. Source: World Meteorological Organization

July 2021 was the hottest July ever recorded worldwide, the US government has reported. This information was compiled and released in August by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the US Department of Commerce. “July is typically the world’s warmest month of the year, but July 2021 outdid itself as the hottest July and month ever recorded,” said NOAA Administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad. “This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe.” According to NOAA data, temperatures were already warming ahead of this year’s July record. July’s temperatures were 0.02°F (0.01°C) higher than the previous record set in July 2016, which was later tied in 2019 and again in 2020. The recorded monthly temperatures go back 142 years. Breaking the data down further, the Northern Hemisphere’s land-surface-only temperatures broke July’s record by an “unprecedented” 2.77°F, while Asia had its hottest July and Europe recorded its second-hottest July on record. While no one knows what the rest of this year will bring, estimates suggest that 2021, at the very least, should come in as one of the ten warmest years ever. According to Spinrad, “a sobering IPCC report finds that human influence is, unequivocally, causing climate change, and it confirms the impacts are widespread and rapidly intensifying.” Read more on this story from NOAA. Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Rare earth elements (REE), often referred to as “rare earth metals,” are crucial for their use, along with their oxides, in various modern devices. These include the use of REEs for batteries in computers, cell phones, and electric vehicles, and the use of rare-earth oxides for digital displays, monitors, and televisions. REEs are also used as catalysts, phosphors, and polishing compounds. In response to increasing demands for REEs, the US is seeking alternative production of REEs. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed on November 15, 2021, gave the US Department of Energy (DOE) $140 million for fiscal year 2022 to establish a rare earth elements demonstration facility. The purpose of the facility is as follows, with extraction from coal waste: “(A) provide environmental benefits through use of feedstock derived from acid mine drainage, mine waste, or other deleterious material; (B) separate mixed rare earth oxides into pure oxides of each rare earth element; (C) refine rare earth oxides into rare earth metals; and (D) provide for separation of rare earth oxides and refining into rare earth metals at a single site.” On February 9, 2022, a study conducted by James Tour and his team from Rice University in Houston, Texas, which included DOE funding, was published in Science Advances. Tour’s team reported the use of superfast flash Joule heating (FJH) on coal waste to improve REE extractability. The DOE then released a Request for Information (RFI) on February 14, 2022 to solicit feedback from relevant stakeholders regarding the proposed rare earth elements demonstration facility, including demonstration facility features, supply chain considerations, research and development needs, and more. Improvements are still needed in the extraction of REEs from coal waste. However, there is promise in new technologies, such as in the study above, to make the extraction of REEs more practical, especially given the amount of coal waste that already exists.

Study Cites Beneficial Coffee Components Coffee drinkers, rejoice. Moderate consumption—two or three cups of coffee a day—is associated with increased longevity and lower risk of cardiovascular disease when compared with abstinence from coffee drinking. These are some of the findings of a recently published study by Kistler et al. in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The study’s findings apply to the most common types of coffee consumed today. “In this large, observational study, ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any cause," said study author Professor Peter Kistler of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia, according to a Science Daily news brief. "The results suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle," Kistler added. Using data from UK Biobank, the researchers examined links between types of coffee and arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease, and death for people between 40 and 69 years of age. The median age of participants was 58 years and 55.3% were women. Cardiovascular disease consisted of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and ischemic stroke. Coffee drinkers were compared to non-drinkers after adjusting for “age, sex, ethnicity, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, smoking status, and tea and alcohol consumption,” according to the Science Daily report. Reduction in death from any cause was associated with all types of coffee consumed. Drinking between two and three cups per day showed the greatest reduction. Compared to non-drinking of coffee, it was linked to a “14%, 27% and 11% lower likelihood of death for decaffeinated, ground, and instant preparations, respectively,” said Science Daily. When it comes to promoting health, coffee has a lot going for it, according to Prof. Kistler, as quoted in the Science Daily report. “Caffeine is the most well-known constituent in coffee, but the beverage contains more than 100 biologically active components. It is likely that the non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the positive relationships observed between coffee drinking, cardiovascular disease and survival. Our findings indicate that drinking modest amounts of coffee of all types should not be discouraged but can be enjoyed as a heart healthy behavior.” Sources: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220926200838.htm https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwac189/6704995

Global electricity use surged 6% in 2021, the largest increase in more than a decade, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says in a recent report. Renewable power has been growing substantially, but 2021 electricity generation from coal and gas hit record levels, the IEA said in its Electricity Market Report—January 2022. “As a result, the global electricity sector’s annual carbon dioxide emissions leaped to a new all-time high after having decreased for the previous two years,” the IEA said. The agency predicts that renewables will “meet the vast majority of the increase in global electricity demand,” resulting in a “plateauing of emissions from electricity generation.” However, this will not assist with immediate goals, said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. "Emissions from electricity need to decline by 55% by 2030 to meet our Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario,” he said. Absent major policy action from governments, “emissions are set to remain around the same level for the next three years,” he added. Sources: https://www.iea.org/news/the-clean-energy-economy-is-gaining-ground-but-greater-efforts-are-needed-now-to-get-on-track-for-net-zero-by-2050 https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-market-report-january-2022 https://www.iea.org/news/surging-electricity-demand-is-putting-power-systems-under-strain-around-the-world

“I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy … and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation — and we scientists don’t know how to do that.” – Gus Speth, former United Nations Development Programme (UNEP) Administrator, 2014. Already globally recognized each year as Earth Day, April 22 was officially declared by the UN as International Mother Earth Day in 2009. This day is one of many days and initiatives, such as World Wetlands Day (February 2), that the UN has established to address environmental issues. One such environmental project, not widely covered by the mainstream media, is the UN’s Faith for Earth Initiative, a global coalition of interfaith actors that work together to focus faith resources on the environment. Referring to the UN’s resolve in 2008 to focus more attention on “interreligious and intercultural dialogue,” the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) declares on its Faith for Earth Initiative website that “spiritual values for more than 80% of the people living on earth have been driving individual behaviors.” It follows that spiritual values drive behaviors toward the environment, as well, and thus the Faith for Earth Initiative was born in November 2017. The initiative’s mission is “to encourage, empower and engage with faith-based organizations as partners, at all levels, toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and fulfilling the 2030 Agenda.” Its vision, “a world where everything is in balance,” is based on eight “shared values” that spell CREATION: C: Communication — Effective communication at all levels between all stakeholders. R: Respect — All spiritual and religious beliefs are respected. E: Empower — Empower and engage all stakeholders. A: Act — Act in coherence with individual reflection and communal beliefs. T: Transform — Transform people’s behavior for a more responsible lifestyle inspired by their own faiths. I: Inspire — Inspire innovative approaches to achieve the 2030 Agenda. O: Organize — Organize knowledge and other resources related to faiths and sustainable development. N: Network — Build a strong network between the UN and faith-based organizations. According to the UNEP, the initiative’s success will require trust-building between what the UNEP calls “the perceived secular values of the UN” and the values of the faith actors. Part of its strategy will be to engage local communities of faith, as well as establish a top-level “Coalition for Creation” to influence environmental policy. Sources: UNEP - Environment, Religion and Culture in the Context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN - Earth Day, UNEP - Faith for Earth Initiative

The COVID-19 pandemic hit global economies hard. Still, the global market for green jobs looks promising, especially for young people. Over 200 million students are currently enrolled in higher education worldwide. About 71 million unemployed youth are looking for a job today. The transition to a green economy will add about 60 million new jobs worldwide to the market by 2030. Green jobs have been defined as jobs that contribute to, preserve, or restore the environment, regardless of sector. The renewable energy sector employed 11.5 million people in 2019. With increased investment, jobs in renewables could reach 42 million by 2050. That does not include another 21.3 million jobs in energy efficiency and 14.5 million jobs related to power grids. Women currently represent only 32% of the renewable energy workforce, with 45% in administrative roles, 35% in non-STEM technical roles, and only 28% in STEM positions. Source: UN Environment Programme Information in this article was derived from the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global Guidance for Education on Green Jobs 2021: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pOr3C1a4hcBMzvfLIeJV-JEyA7xULgeY/view

*AUTHOR BIO Longer-lasting batteries to permit longer driving times with electric vehicles (EVs) are desperately needed to revolutionize transportation, Dr. Yang-Kook Sun, world-renowned expert in advanced battery technology, told the Twenty-Seventh International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences, held virtually April 23–24, 2021. Noting that cutting greenhouse gas emissions is essential to halt rising global temperatures, which have already increased by 1.29°C since 1880, Dr. Sun outlined the current dilemma and then highlighted the immediate need for improved electric vehicle technology. EVs today, such as the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Kona, typically have a driving range between 300 and 400 km (180 to 250 mi) per charge. However, the next major benchmark—driving ranges in excess of 500 km per charge—will require more advanced battery components. In his presentation, Dr. Sun said that high capacity nickel-rich cathodes—such as LiMO2 (M = Ni, Co, Mn, called NCM or A1 called NCA)—have been prime candidate materials for next generation EV batteries. Over time, researchers have been able to steadily increase the fraction of nickel (Ni) in these cathodes to increase the capacity of current. Unfortunately, as Dr. Sun explained, this approach is limited by the deterioration of capacity retention and thermal stability caused by excessive Ni enrichment. During H2-H3 phase transition (when lithium ions are extracted, or the battery is in use), the notable volume change of the cathode causes microcracks in the structure. The resulting buildup of impurities ultimately accelerates the degradation of the internal structure of the battery. Cycle ability, thermal stability, and rate capacity are all adversely affected. To overcome the tradeoff relationship between reversible capacity and cycling stability, Dr. Sun presented two approaches. One approach is to use a concentration gradient of rod-shaped particles that extends radially from the center of the cathode. This can be done in boron-doped Ni-rich cathodes (where boron is added to change the properties of the cathode). Boron plays a vital role in producing highly oriented and elongated primary particles, which can effectively dissipate the internal strain resulting from H2-H3 phase transitions, realizing a significant improvement in cycling stability. Another strategy involves optimizing the crystal structure and shape of particles by introducing ions with high valency (>5+), such as tantalum (Ta). The substituted Ta not only induces the ordered occupation of Li sites by Ni ions but also produces radially oriented primary particles, as demonstrated by Li[Ni0.9Co0.09Ta0.01]O2 with a capacity retention of 90% after 2000 cycles. Commenting on Dr. Sun’s presentation, Dr. Walter van Schalkwijk, affiliate professor of the Clean Energy Institute of the University of Washington, “Dr. Sun has shown that microstructure engineering of cathode particles using gradient composition modification and doping combined with protective coatings may provide a long-sound method of harnessing the high capacity of Ni-rich layered cathodes without sacrificing the cycling stability.” For more information on Dr. Sun’s latest research: https://hanyang.elsevierpure.com/en/persons/yang-kook-sun https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2021/ee/d0ee03774e *Dr. Yang-kook Sun is a Professor in the Department of Energy Engineering at Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea.

Namibia and India have agreed to a historic pact to relocate African cheetahs to a part of India where Asiatic cheetahs once roamed. Eight of the animals, four males and four females, are due to arrive from Namibia in August 2022 to coincide with commemorations of India’s 75th year of independence. Cheetahs have been extinct in India for over 70 years. India Minister Bhupender Yadav, who heads the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, tweeted that “restoring the fastest terrestrial flagship species, the cheetah, in India, will rekindle the ecological dynamics of the landscape." "Cheetah reintroduction would also greatly enhance local community livelihoods through eco-tourism prospects in the long term," he added. The “Action Plan for the Introduction of Cheetah in India,” unveiled in a January 2022 press release, was co-signed with Namibia’s Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. As part of the announcement, Minister Yadav conveyed India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intention to conserve seven “major big cats” in India. Minister Yadav said that “fifty cheetahs will be introduced in various national parks over five years.” The new home for the first group of cheetahs is set to be the Kuno Palpur National Park in India’s Madhya Pradesh state. All villages have already been relocated outside this park, and the location has ample prey and grasslands. The site can also sustain populations of tigers, leopards, and lions, as they naturally coexist with cheetahs. Other sites considered for relocation are: Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh Shahgarh bulge, Rajasthan Mukundara Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan Cheetahs fight extinction because of human-wildlife conflict, loss of habitat and prey, and poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking. In Iran, the Asiatic cheetah has almost disappeared, with about a dozen known survivors. In May, Iranian officials happily announced that three cheetah cubs were born in Touran Wildlife Refuge—the first cheetah births in captivity. However, two of the cubs died within the month. Sources: The Guardian, phys.org/news/2022-07, phys.org/news/2022-05, pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage, cheetah.org

Seaweed washing up on Caribbean shores is nothing new, but it has been showing up in the record numbers this summer. Words like “smothering” and “choking” have been used to describe the heaping mounds of brownish seaweed covering beaches from Florida to Puerto Rico to Barbados. More than a nuisance, the invading plants have stymied tourists and local hospitality businesses as reports come in of dying fish and the smell of noxious gases. Enjoying a swim is out too, due to the long, crescent-shaped blankets of seaweed that choke fishing grounds before washing ashore. According to the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab, a staggering 24 million tons of the brown seaweed, called sargassum, covered the Atlantic in June, breaking the 2018 record by 20%. USF offers a sargassum monitoring report called the Sargassum Watch System (SaWS) via its website, using information provided by NASA and other sources. Causes for the influx are not yet fully known, but according to the UN Environment Caribbean Programme (UNCEP), associated factors may include rising ocean temperatures, nitrogen fertilizer runoff, and sewage that feed algal growth. Sources: Yahoo News, optics.marine.usf.edu