Navigator
Facebook
Search
Ads & Recent Photos
Recent Images
Random images
Welcome To Roj Bash Kurdistan 

Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate change

This is where you can talk about every subject (previously it was called shout room)

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Feb 28, 2023 1:49 am

Tigris and Euphrates drying up

NASIRIYAH, Iraq - Iraq's Tigris and Euphrates rivers have witnessed a sharp decrease in their levels in the south of the country, officials said Sunday, pledging to take urgent measures to ease water shortages

"This has triggered a sharp drop in the country's water reserves," it said in a statement.

The Tigris and the Euphrates both have their source in Turkey, and authorities in Iraq have long accused the Ankara government of withholding water in dams that choke the rivers, dramatically reducing flows into Iraq.

Iraqi authorities also accuse farmers of abusing water supplies and flouting restrictions to irrigate their lands.

Water scarcity hitting farming and food security are already among the "main drivers of rural-to-urban migration" in Iraq, the UN and several non-government groups said in June 2022.

According to official Iraqi statistics from last year, the level of the Tigris entering Iraq has dropped to just 35 percent of its average over the past century.

Water ministry spokesman Khaled Chamal said Sunday that Iraq was getting only 30 percent of the water it expected from the Tigris and the Euphrates.

Iraq regularly asks Turkey to release more water, and has imposed measures to ration water for agriculture and domestic use.

Water is also often held back in dams in Iraq's north, triggering anger among residents in the south.

Chamal told AFP the latest drop in water levels in both the Tigris and Euphrates in the country's south was "temporary".

Authorities will increase levels by releasing water from Iraqi dams in the northern areas of Mosul, Dukan and Darbandikhan, he added.

"There should be positive results within the next two days," he said.

After decades of conflict, oil-rich Iraq has been plagued by poverty, drought and desertification.

It is one of the five countries most exposed to impacts of climate change, according to the United Nations.

In December, the World Bank urged Iraqi authorities to modernise irrigation processes and farming methods, and review dam infrastructure.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/27022023
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

Sponsor

Sponsor
 

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Mon Mar 06, 2023 12:09 am

Click Photo to Enlarge:
1534
Deal to protect high seas

The specific wording of the resolution was not immediately revealed, but environmentalists praised it as a watershed moment for biodiversity protection after more than 15 years of debate

After years of discussions, UN member states finally agreed Saturday on a text for the first international treaty to protect the high seas, a delicate and crucial treasure that covers nearly half of the earth.

"The ship has reached the shore," conference chair Rena Lee announced at the UN headquarters in New York shortly before 9:30 pm (0230 GMT Sunday), to loud and lengthy applause from delegates.

The specific wording of the resolution was not immediately revealed, but environmentalists praised it as a watershed moment for biodiversity protection after more than 15 years of debate.

The deal is regarded as critical to preserving 30% of the world's land and oceans by 2030, as promised by world governments in a historic agreement signed in Montreal in December.

"This is a historic day for conservation and a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and people can triumph over geopolitics," said Greenpeace's Laura Meller, as quoted by AFP.

Delegates finalized a text that cannot be drastically altered after two weeks of heated deliberations, including a marathon overnight session Friday into Saturday.

"There will be no reopening or discussions of substance," Lee told negotiators.

Furthermore, she revealed that the agreement would be legally ratified after it has been reviewed by attorneys and translated into the United Nations' six official languages.

According to a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the agreement marked a "success for multilateralism and worldwide efforts to reverse the detrimental trends confronting ocean health, now and for future generations."

It is worth noting that the high seas begin at the border of a country's exclusive economic zone, which can extend up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its shore. As a result, they are subject to the jurisdiction of no country.

Despite accounting for more than 60% of the world's oceans and over half of the planet's surface, the high seas have historically received significantly less attention than coastal waters and a few iconic species.

Ocean ecosystems produce half of the oxygen we breathe and help to minimize global warming by absorbing a large portion of the carbon dioxide released by human activity.

Yet, they are under threat from climate change, pollution, and overfishing.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... proved:-un
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Thu Mar 16, 2023 12:47 am

Click Image to Enlarge:
1542
Burning down 200 year oak tree

A group of unidentified picnickers burned down an old oak tree, estimated to be around 200 years old, according to locals in the village of Dergzhink, Mangeshke subdistrict in Duhok province, sparking public outrage in the area

Seethed at the act, villagers are urging the authorities of Duhok to take swift action against the perpetrators and anyone else involved in ruining the nature of their village.

"We have decided to no longer allow picnickers to come to this area after what was done to that oak tree," Ahmed Ali, chieftain of Dergzhink village told Rudaw's Ayub Nasri on Tuesday, adding this is the second time in three months that a 200-year-old oak tree has been set on fire by picnickers.

"This tree that was burned down was 200 years old. It was done by those picnickers that we allowed them to visit and picnic here," the chieftain said angrily.

This is not the first time that people have been involved or held accountable for cutting trees in the Duhok province. Last year, a man was arrested by forest rangers for cutting down more than 1,000 oak trees in the province.

Local authorities of Duhok province have vowed to apprehend the perpetrator and bring them to justice.

"The perpetrator must not get away with that," Duhok governor Ali Tatar told Rudaw. "We will, within the framework of law, hand down the toughest punishment against them."

The governor added that the burning down of the tree was not a crime done against the environment alone, "but the whole of humanity."

Locals and officials in many other parts of the Kurdistan Region, including Erbil province, have warned that the cutting down of trees, mainly old oak trees, is becoming a dangerous phenomenon, especially in the mountainous regions.

    Green spaces in the Kurdistan Region are also severely damaged due to sporadic armed clashes and aerial bombardments of Turkey with Duhok province bearing the brunt of the natural crisis
Kawa Sabri, head of Duhok’s forestry and agriculture directory, told Rudaw in April 2022 that around 50 square kilometers of woodland have been damaged in Duhok in 2021 due to the conflict between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/150320231

PKK should be the Army of Northern Kurdistan, and as such should be inside Turkish borders trying to gain INDEPENDENCE FOR KURDISTAN
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Thu Mar 16, 2023 2:39 am

Only 13 countries had healthy air

Only 13 countries and territories had "healthy" air quality last year, according to a new report, surging alarming levels of air pollution in 2022

The report by IQAir, a company that tracks air quality worldwide, found that 90% of the countries and territories which were analyzed exceeded the air quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization; the guideline was set to aid governments craft regulations and to protect public health.

Upon analyzing the average air quality from 131 countries and territories, IQAir found that only six countries and seven territories met the WHO air quality guidelines. The countries were found to be Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, and New Zealand. The territories in the Pacific and Caribbean included Guam and Puerto Rico.

Seven countries showed to have poor air quality that far exceeded WHO guidelines. The countries are Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Kuwait, and India.

The study focused on finding a particulate matter, PM2.5, the tiniest pollutant, yet the most dangerous. PM2.5 travels deep into lung tissues where it can enter the bloodstream when inhaled.

Tightening guidelines

Back in September 2021, WHO tightened its annual air pollution guidelines by cutting a big amount of fine particulate matter from 10 to 5 micrograms per cubic meter.

Almost 4.2 million premature deaths were associated with fine particulate matter in 2016, according to the UN agency. Had the latest tightening of annual air pollution guidelines taken place earlier, WHO found that almost 3.3 million would have survived the pollution-related deaths.

The report also highlights the lack of monitoring stations in developing countries in Africa, South America, and the Middle East; this results in a dearth of air quality data in these specific regions.

Despite improvements being witnessed in Africa compared to that of 2021, the continent still largely remains underrepresented as only 19 out of 54 African countries had sufficient data available from their monitoring stations.

CEO of IQAir North America, Glory Dolphin Hammes, stated that every time it adds a new country that once lacked air quality data, the country eventually winds up at the top of the most-polluted list.

“If you look at what’s called satellite or modeled data, Africa is supposed to be probably the most polluted continent on the planet, but we don’t have enough data,” Hammes told CNN. “What that means is there’s a whole lot more data that are needed in order for us to truly determine what are the most polluted countries and cities in the world.”

Hammes emphasized that governments are investing in instruments that fail to accurately measure fine particulate matter in the air.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... n-2022:-cn
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:41 pm

Click Photo to Enlarge:
1544
Dead dolphins on French coast

Last week alone, unprecedentedly, more than 400 dolphins were reportedly found washed up along the coast

Approximately 900 dolphins have reportedly washed up on France's western coast since the start of the winter, according to the Pelagis oceanographic observatory.

Early inspections showed that many of them had only recently died and others had been dead for weeks. Most of them exhibited injuries from fishing nets and other fishing equipment seeming to be the cause of death.

In the 3 year span from 2017 to 2020, the dead washed-up dolphins amounted to a total of 850; the numbers usually spiked in late winter in February and March when dolphins move closer to the coast in search of food and get incapacitated by fishing equipment in the process.

Many specialists and activists have recurrently called for the temporary suspension of fishing operations during these months, but to no avail. Marginal measures adopted by the government such as onboard cameras or repellents only mitigated the dolphin casualties but didn't adequately address the problem.

After the filing of a legal case against the government by a number of environmental protection organizations, the Council is anticipated to make a formal judgment soon.

An interim ban was already been approved in February by the commissioner of the State Council, France's highest court for judicial issues criminalizing some forms of fishing, that were assessed to pose a risk to dolphins.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... antic-coas
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sun Mar 19, 2023 9:21 pm

Sandstorms for Iraq

A United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representative expects Iraq will again be plagued by sandstorms this summer and said urgent action is needed to combat the environmental devastation

“Given where we are today, I think, reducing sandstorms is not a short-term issue. So in order to be able to control sandstorms we have to replant a great number of trees. This will not happen overnight. So we are worried that, at least for the coming summer season, more sandstorms will occur along the lines we have seen last year as well,” UNDP Iraq representative Auke Lootsma told Rudaw’s Hawraz Gulpi on Monday.

Growing desertification is caused by the climate crisis, unregulated land and water use, and reduced flows in the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers due to dams upstream. Dozens of sandstorms last summer sent thousands of people to hospital in Iraq and Kurdistan Region.

At a climate conference in Basra last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced a plan to plant five million trees to combat desertification. Private banks are footing the bill for half a million of the trees.

The UNDP representative called for “urgent action,” noting that sandstorms are not Iraq’s only environmental problem. “This is not only for curbing sandstorms and their impact but also when it comes to water, when it comes to also the energy transition that Iraq has to go through… moving more and more towards renewable energy,” he said.

Iraq’s water resources are dwindling with the World Bank warning this will have devastating consequences for the economy. “By 2050, a temperature increase of 1 degree Celsius, and a precipitation decrease of 10% would cause a 20% reduction of available freshwater. Under these circumstances, nearly one-third of the irrigated land in Iraq will have no water by the year 2050,” read a 2021 World Bank report.

Iraq is the fifth-most vulnerable nation in the world to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity.

To fulfill its climate obligations under the Paris agreement, Iraq pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by one to two percent through national efforts and by an additional 15 percent with international assistance by 2030.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/18032023
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:49 pm

Click Image to Enlarge:
1551
New Asiatic Lion Sanctuary

The state of Gujarat, India, agrees to transfer 40 lions to a new sanctuary in an effort to avoid a disease wipe-out of Asiatic lions

A new lion sanctuary is set to be opened in the Indian state of Gujarat after an increase in the number due to successful conservation efforts.

The world's only Asiatic lions population can be found in Gir's national park. The park is also the only place, outside Africa, where these lions can be seen in their natural habitat.

As the state became overcrowded with lions, to the extent that they would wander into villages and coastal regions, conservationists pleaded with the Gujarat government to transport a number of them into various other parts of India. The idea was to allow the population in Gir some room, which would prevent possible tragedies.

The overcrowding of a species in one place, according to conservationists, could risk endangering the entire species, as it makes animals vulnerable to infectious disease.

However, the state authorities refused, in 2013, a supreme court ruling that ordered them to transfer some lions to the neighboring state of Madhya Pradesh. The authorities' refusal showed that the state's possessiveness of the species superseded the lions' best interests.

Recently, Gujarat announced that 40 lions will be transferred to another sanctuary, but within the same state. The Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is currently being prepared to welcome its new residents.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... reventativ
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:14 pm

French ban fishing to protect dolphins

Sea Shepherd, alongside other environmental NGOs, file a legal complaint against the government for the dolphin and porpoise deaths that had been taking place

The French government is to ban fishing in specific parts of the Atlantic Ocean to protect dolphins since hundreds of them have washed up dead on shores, ordered France's top administrative court on Monday.

The decision was taken by the highest court in government, days after an oceanographic institute reported a minimum of 910 dolphins had washed up on France's Atlantic shore ever since winter started.

Over 400 marine mammals were found along the coast within a single week which is an "unprecedented" number, the Pelagis oceanographic observatory based in the western city of La Rochelle said in a report on Friday.

Sea Shepherd, alongside other environmental NGOs, filed a legal complaint against the government for the dolphin and porpoise deaths that had been taking place. They blamed the government for not doing enough to protect these endangered species from the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic coast.

Most of the dolphins that washed up on the shore had injuries from being caught on nets or other fishing equipment which may have harmed them.

Many of them died while looking for food on the coast and as such came to contact with fishing operations in February and March.

French government's thoughts

So far, the French government has held back from imposing fishing bans to solve the issue.

Instead, the government opted for solutions mitigating the impact of industrial fishing on dolphins. Some of which include using onboard cameras or installing loud sound equipment, which could drive the dolphins away.

However, instruments of "acoustic deterrence" installed on fishing boats "do not guarantee a favorable state of conservation for small cetacean species," as the State Council ruled on Monday.

The ruling also highlighted that both species [dolphins and porpoises] were threatened with extinction, at least on a regional level.

As such, the court gave the government six months to create non-fishing zones and to boost the monitoring for accidental capture of dolphins. The monitoring was, as mentioned by the government, still too approximate.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... t-dolphins
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:21 pm

UN Water Conference

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The President of the Republic of Iraq, Abdul-Latif Rashid, on Tuesday traveled to New York to participate in the United Nations Water Conference

The Iraqi president is scheduled to stay in New York for two days and meet with a number of political officials and international human rights organizations.

The Iraqi president will be accompanied by a delegation of environmental experts and other officials.

Iraq’s water resources has significantly decreased in recent years. Its reserves went from 60 billion cubic meters to 7.5 billion cubic meters, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources.

Taking place at UN Headquarters in New York from March 22-24, 2023, the UN 2023 Water Conference – officially known as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028) – is co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/30 ... n-New-York
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Mar 25, 2023 1:34 am

Click Image to Enlarge:
1558

Water flow in Euphrates

Iraq’s water ministry on Thursday called on Turkey to release more water in the Euphrates River after a visit by the Iraqi premier proved successful in doubling water flow in the Tigris

Minister of Water Resources Aoun Diab called on "the Turkish side to increase water releases from the Euphrates River and to continue discussions... to follow up on water releases towards Iraq and lay firm foundations that guarantee Iraq's share," Iraqi state media reported.

A visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani to Turkey on Tuesday provided measurable success after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to double the amount of water released from dams on the Tigris River for a period of one month, saying the decision was made "in order to relieve Iraq's distress."

Water levels in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers - shared by Iraq, Syria, and Turkey - have dropped dramatically in recent years. In a stark warning of the threats a hotter climate poses to the country, a report by Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources towards the end of last year predicted that unless urgent action is taken to combat declining water levels, Iraq's two main rivers will be dry by 2040.

The ministry urged Ankara and Baghdad to continue "technical talks through the exchange of technical delegations for the purpose of reaching suitable solutions that satisfy both parties."

On Wednesday, Sudani said that his government will implement measures to regulate the consumption and waste of water.

Water scarcity is a severe issue in drought-stricken Iraq. The country is the fifth-most vulnerable nation in the world to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity, according to the UN. The issue is exacerbated by Turkish and Iranian dams on rivers that flow into Iraq, cutting off the increasingly dry nation from much-needed water.

Climate change is devastating communities in southern Iraq, especially those that rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. Since 2018, at least 68,670 people have been displaced from their homes because of drought, land degradation, and increased salinity in the rivers, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/24032023
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Mar 25, 2023 10:42 am

Removing forever chemicals

Dr. Mohseni explains that PFAS still find their way into our environmental systems and bodies despite the fact that Canada is no longer producing them - through cosmetics and repellents

New water technology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), developed by the university's chemical and biological engineering professor Dr. Madjid Mohseni, has the ability to remove “forever chemicals” from drinking water safely and actually for good.

PFAS (per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), or forever chemicals, are substances used for making products non-stick or stain-resistant, such as cookware, stain repellents, and firefighting foam - which are the cause of health problems, including hormonal disruption, cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and cancer.

Dr. Mohseni, with the aid of his team, developed an adsorbing material with the quality to trap PFAS in a body of water, which then destroys them with electrochemical and photochemical techniques. The techniques are conducted at the Mohseni lab and published recently in the Chemosphere journal.

Dr. Mohseni clarifies that even though treatments like activated carbon and ion-exchange systems are available to apply in homes, they are not as effective as they don't trap all PFAS.

“Our adsorbing media captures up to 99% of PFAS particles and can also be regenerated and potentially reused. This means that when we scrub off the PFAS from these materials, we do not end up with more highly toxic solid waste that will be another major environmental challenge.”

From the bottle to the body

Dr. Mohseni further explains that PFAS still find their way into our environmental systems and bodies, despite the fact that Canada is no longer producing them.

When fires are put out using firefighting foam or when raingear is sprayed with stain-repellent martial, the chemicals end up in our water systems. Especially when PFAS-containing cosmetics and sunscreens are applied to our skin, the chemicals could end up being absorbed by the body.

Dr. Mohseni, who focuses on devising and developing water solutions for rural, remote and Indigenous communities, noted, “Our adsorbing media are particularly beneficial for people living in smaller communities who lack resources to implement the most advanced and expensive solutions that could capture PFAS. These can also be used in the form of decentralized and in-home water treatments.”

With that being said, the UBC lab is preparing to launch the new technology at various locations in British Columbia this month.

“The results we obtain from these real-world field studies will allow us to further optimize the technology and have it ready as products that municipalities, industry and individuals can use to eliminate PFAS in their water,” Dr. Mohseni stressed.

    It is worth noting that although the EPA originally issued a warning concerning the presence of PFAS in drinking water in 2001, no national standard has ever been approved
Around 14,000 chemicals, known as PFAS, are frequently employed to shield a range of consumer goods against humidity, heat, and contamination. Due to the fact that these compounds do not naturally decompose, they are referred to as "forever" chemicals.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/hea ... icals-from
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Wed Mar 29, 2023 11:42 pm

UK unprepared’ for climate crisis

Climate Change Committee (CCC) revealed that attempts to prepare for the effects of global warming have been "lost for a decade," and the UK is "strikingly unprepared" for them

The official climate advisor to the government, the CCC, predicted that the effects of climate change will undoubtedly worsen for decades to come. It has frequently warned about inadequate planning and urged rapid governmental action to safeguard people, their homes, and their means of subsistence.

The extreme heatwave in 2022, when temperatures for the first time exceeded 40°C, served as both a warning and an example, as per the CCC.

At the height of the heatwave, 20% of hospital operations were canceled, more than 3,000 people died prematurely, rail connections collapsed, wildfires raged, and farmers struggled with drought.

Chris Stark, chief executive of the CCC, stated that "it won't be long before those kinds of extremely hot summers are a routine summer."

Lack of action can be seen in the areas of heat-proofing dwellings, stopping water supply pipe leaks, preparing for flash floods, and importing less food and other goods from countries that have been impacted by climate change.

Julia King, chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee, said, “The last decade has been a lost decade in terms of preparing for the risks we already have and those that we know are coming.”

She further acknowledged that a recent IPCC report demonstrated that the effects of climate change are occurring more quickly and severely than anticipated and that the world's temperature will continue to rise until carbon emissions reach net zero, a goal that many nations have set for 2050.

The lack of reporting by large food corporations on climate threats to their supply chains was emphasized by the CCC evaluation. According to the CCC, the UK imports nearly half of its food, and recent shortages of imported vegetables have highlighted the country's susceptibility to weather-related effects.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... risis:-ccc
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sun Apr 02, 2023 11:49 pm

Click Image to Enlarge:
1565

Iraq sandstorm covers Baghdad

A spokesperson of the Iraqi Health Ministry, Saif Al-Badr, confirmed on Saturday that more than 500 patients are suffering from breathing difficulties as a result of the dust storm taking over the country

Al-Badr told Iraqi News Agency (INA), "More than 515 patients were admitted to hospitals in Baghdad and the provinces with breathing problems of varying severity due to the dust storm that occurred yesterday [Friday] in the regions of the country," adding that they did receive sufficient medical care and most had been discharged.

As of yet, no casualties have been reported and ambulances remain on standby to deliver aid to those who need it. Dust storms and sand storms are not strangers to Iraq, as they regularly occur in the region and have been known to cause serious health issues.

The most recent powerful sand storm took place in May 2022 in Iraq that left 5,000 people reporting respiratory symptoms such as choking, and one casualty was reported.

Although dust storms are not alien to Iraq when spring and summer roll around, meteorologists expect them to become more frequent "due to drought, desertification, and declining rainfall," the director of Iraq's meteorological office, Amer Al-Jabri, said back in April.

The country is ranked as one of the world's five most vulnerable nations to climate change and desertification.

It is noteworthy that the Iraqi Environment Ministry has warned that over the next two decades, Iraq could endure an average of 272 days of sandstorms per year, rising to above 300 by 2050.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/hea ... -respirato
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Thu Apr 06, 2023 11:31 pm

Click Image to Enlarge:
1571
Oil spill destroys agricultural land

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Black oil spills have destroyed more than 1,200 acres of agricultural lands, leaving farmers with no yields this year in Saladin province. The environmental hazard on the region has been ongoing for the past eight years

The large swathes of agricultural lands that have been affected are located in the province’s plains, north of Baghdad.

“[The spillover] has caused an environmental catastrophe,” Saddam Mousa, an Arab farmer, told Kurdistan 24 on Wednesday.

Nearly 25 acres of Mousa’s agricultural lands have been impacted by the spills from oil refineries.

The farmer has yielded no produce from his lands this year, he told Kurdistan 24.

“We have not benefited from the oil industry, instead our produce has been destroyed and our lands cannot feed the animals,” Taher Abdulla, another farmer affected by the crude spills, said.

The farmers have reached out to the local authorities to resolve the issues, according to Sheikh Ahmed Shalash, an advisor to the tribal council.

“It is the state’s responsibility to solve this issue, which can be resolved within hours,” he said.

Despite being the land of the Fertile Crescent, Iraq is plagued by corruption, old agricultural techniques, and decades of conflicts. A combination tha has destroyed the country’s agricultural sector.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... tural-land
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

Re: Updates: polution; hunting; animal slaughter; climate ch

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:27 am

Work-from-home order

Authorities urged people on Friday in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai to stay indoors and work from home as air pollution levels spike

In recent weeks, smoke from forest fires and farmers burning crop stubble blanketed the popular tourist destination.

The air monitoring website IQAir named Chiang Mai, on Friday morning, the most polluted large city in the world, surpassing usual hotspots such as Delhi and Lahore.

Levels of the most harmful PM2.5 particles, which are so small that they can enter the bloodstream, were more than 66 times higher than the World Health Organization's yearly guideline, according to IQAir.

Nirat Pongsittitavorn, governor of Chiang Mai province, released a statement asking people to stay indoors and work from home to "protect themselves and reduce the health impact" of PM2.5 particles.

Thailand has been suffering from an increase in air pollution since the beginning of the year, which has been caused in part by seasonal agricultural burning.

According to the public health ministry, nearly two million people have needed hospital treatment for respiratory conditions caused by air pollution this year.

Only six countries meet WHO air quality guidelines

Officials previously warned Bangkok residents to stay indoors and work from home in February as the capital was covered with harmful haze.

A recent study revealed that only 13 countries and territories had "healthy" air quality last year, according to a new report, with alarming levels of air pollution surging in 2022.

The report by IQAir, a company that tracks air quality worldwide, found that 90% of the countries and territories which were analyzed exceeded the air quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization; the guideline was set to aid governments craft regulations and to protect public health.

Upon analyzing the average air quality from 131 countries and territories, IQAir found that only six countries and seven territories met the WHO air quality guidelines. The countries were found to be Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, and New Zealand. The territories in the Pacific and Caribbean included Guam and Puerto Rico.

Seven countries showed to have poor air quality that far exceeded WHO guidelines. The countries are Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Kuwait, and India.

The study focused on finding a particulate matter, PM2.5, the tiniest pollutant, yet the most dangerous. PM2.5 travels deep into lung tissues where it can enter the bloodstream when inhaled.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... -pollution
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28357
Images: 1155
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:13 pm
Location: Sitting in front of computer
Highscores: 3
Arcade winning challenges: 6
Has thanked: 6019 times
Been thanked: 729 times
Nationality: Kurd by heart

PreviousNext

Return to Roj Bash Cafe

Who is online

Registered users: Bing [Bot], Majestic-12 [Bot]

x

#{title}

#{text}