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 Apr 26, 2022 9:46 pm

Disasters to become more common

37.6 million more people will be living in conditions of extreme poverty by 2030 as a result of the effects of climate change and natural disasters, a new report estimates

The UN warned, on Tuesday, that humanity is suffering from a "broken perception of risk", spurring us into activities and behaviors that cause climate change and a surging number of disasters around the globe.

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, or UNDRR, discovered in a new report that 350 to 500 medium- to large-scale disasters occurred globally every year over the last two decades.

That is five times the average over the previous three decades, according to the report.

And, as the climate changes, disasters caused by drought, extreme temperatures, and devastating flooding are expected to become more common in the future.

The report projected that by 2030, we will be experiencing 560 disasters around the world every year -- or 1.5 disasters every day on average.

In a statement, UNDRR said that the sharp rise in disasters globally could be attributed to a "broken perception of risk based on optimism, underestimation, and invincibility".

This, it claimed, had resulted in policy, finance, and development decisions that exacerbate vulnerabilities and endanger people.

Furthermore, disasters around the world have cost roughly $170 billion (160 billion euros) per year over the last decade, the report added.

However, the majority of that is borne by lower-income countries, which lose one percent of their national GDP to disasters on average each year, compared to 0.1 to 0.2 percent in wealthier nations.

The Asia and Pacific regions suffer the greatest economic losses, the report stressed.

And as the number of disasters rises, so will the costs.

The report estimated that 37.6 million more people will be living in conditions of extreme poverty by 2030 as a result of the effects of climate change and natural disasters.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... common:-un
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 » Tue Apr 26, 2022 10:50 pm

Trees died in cold weather

The wave of cold weather that swept through the Kurdistan Region over the past months, with temperatures falling below zero degrees Celsius, has caused a large number of trees to dry out in Sulaimani province

The majority of trees damaged by the cold weather are fruit producing ones, taking a financial toll on orchard farmers who are concerned it may take years for them to recover and start making fruit again.

Dedicating most of his life to gardening and farming, Taha Haji Rahim, 55, who now acts as the head of the Sulaimani Branch of the Kurdistan Farmers Syndicate says he had never, in his lifetime, seen trees dry up due to extreme cold.

Rahim has an orchard outside Sulaimani city where 200 of his walnut trees and 500 liana vines have been damaged by the inclement weather.

"Many of the fruit trees in the Kurdistan Region dried up including walnut, fig, pomegranate, and olive. Millions of fruit trees probably dried out in the Kurdistan Region, unfortunately,” Rahim told Rudaw’s Nizar Jaza on Saturday.

Most of the dried-out trees in Sulaimani city are of the eucalyptus type. Relevant local authorities have started to take a close look at them to prevent them from being cut down.

‘We monitor them until the month of June, so we can take closer care of them, so we prevent them from being cut down. Because we are aware that people who see the trees are dried out want to cut them," Hawzhin Othman, spokesperson of the Sulaimani Gardens Directorate, said.

A total of 113,000 dunams of land in Sulaimani and 12,00 dunams in Halabja have been designated to be gardens, according to the Sulaimani Gardening Directorate.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/250420221
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 29, 2022 1:42 am

Drought destroys Duhok farmland

SEMEL, Kurdistan Region - Severe drought is expected to heap a dreadful misery on agriculture in Duhok province's Semel district as the Region experiences a lower rate of rainfall this year, leading to farmers losing 80 percent of their crops

Impacted by the crisis, Abdullah Hamad, a 55-year-old farmer in Duhok, claims that since last year, he has lost 100 million dinars (68,000 dollars) in damages due to a dramatic plummet in rainfall levels which destroyed 2,000 dunams (almost 1,300 acres, or around 5 square kilometers) of his farmland planted with wheat. An Iraqi dunam is roughly 2,500 square meters.

"It has been two years since our situation started to be bad because of the drought. We will lose 100 percent of our products [this year]," Hamad told Rudaw on Wednesday, adding that he believes he may not even harvest one grain of wheat.

"The condition of the crops is bad. Every single farmer will see damage in one way or another. Last year and this year, I planted 2,000 dunams and I did not harvest a single spikelet," he added, complaining that despite seeing damages, the Iraqi government has not yet paid them for the wheat they sold to them in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

"I hope the Iraqi and the Kurdistan governments can help us, so we can buy seeds and plant them ourselves," he added.

At 176mm, Duhok has seen record low rainfall over the past half a century, according to data from the Duhok Meteorological Directorate. Geologists have warned that farmers have borne the brunt of the natural crisis over the past two years.

The General Directorate of Agriculture in Duhok says it has proposed suggestions for overcoming the crisis that has haunted the farmers in the area, but the crisis is worsening.

Duhok province has nearly 2,000 farm wells. Many of them have already seen a decline in their groundwater levels.

Officials have warned that the Kurdistan Region is in the midst of a water crisis due to a lack of rain, government funds, and issues of water-mismanagement both internally and across the region, such as dams in neighboring Turkey and Iran.

Iraq is the fifth-most vulnerable nation in the world to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity. Last week, a senior adviser at the Iraqi water resources ministry warned that the country’s water reserves have decreased by half since last year, due to a combination of drought, lack of rainfall and declining river levels.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/28042022
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 May 01, 2022 10:44 am

Largest US wildfire

Since merging into one blaze a week ago, the Calf Canyon and Hermit's Peak fires have destroyed 277 structures, including at least 166 homes, according to updates from state fire officials

More than 1,000 firefighters, aided by bulldozers and aircraft, fought the largest active wildfire in the US after strong winds pushed it across some containment lines and closer to a town in northern New Mexico.

According to preliminary overnight mapping imagery, the wildfire grew in size from 103 square miles (266.8 square kilometers) on Friday to 152 square miles (393.7 square kilometers) by early Saturday.

A spokesperson for the fire management team, Mike Johnson, said that ash carried seven miles through the air fell on Las Vegas, a city of about 13,000 people, and firefighters were attempting to keep the blaze from spreading.

Calmer winds aided the firefighting effort on Saturday, after gusts accelerated the fire's advance to the point where "we were watching the fire march about a mile every hour" on Friday, according to Jayson Coil, a fire operations official.

On Friday, winds gusted up to 65 mph (105 kph) before fading as nightfall approached. By Saturday, planes that dump fire retardant and water could be back in the air, assisting ground crews and bulldozers.

The rapid growth of the fire, on Friday, forced crews to repeatedly change positions due to threatening conditions, but they were able to immediately re-engage without being forced to retreat, according to Coil. There were no reported injuries.

On April 22, the winds blew the flames furiously across the landscape of northern New Mexico. Officials said that since then, crews have worked to limit structural damage by installing sprinklers, pumps, and hoses, as well as clearing vegetation around buildings.

Jesus Romero, the assistant manager for San Miguel County, said that the number of people forced to evacuate largely rural areas plus a subdivision near Las Vegas has more than doubled with the fire's recent expansion, from 1,500 to 2,000 to between 3,000 and 4,000.

According to officials, the fire destroyed 277 structures, including at least 166 homes.

Other wildfires in New Mexico and Arizona were still raging on Saturday. The fires are burning unusually hot and fast for this time of year, especially in the southwest, where experts say some of the timber is drier than kiln-dried wood.

According to scientists, wildfires have become a year-round threat in the West due to changing conditions such as earlier snowmelt and rain arriving later in the autumn.

The problems have been exacerbated by decades of fire suppression and poor management, as well as a more than 20-year megadrought linked to human-caused climate change, according to studies.

Last year, the California Dixie Fire becomes the largest-ever single fire in the state's history. This fire, according to The New York Times, has a detrimental radius of over 1,000 miles (1609 km), creating a pall of smoke over Denver, Colorado, 1100 miles (1770 km) to the east.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... s-wildfire
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 May 01, 2022 11:26 am

Heat Wave in India and Pakistan

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned Friday that the heat wave sweeping India and Pakistan, with temperatures up to 47 degrees Celsius, could affect the health of millions of people, in addition to water and electricity supplies

In this regard, WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis pointed out that the current values are between four and five degrees above the usual indicators for the month of April, which could have an impact on mountainous areas and result in torrential floods due to glacier melting.

The senior official explained that this scenario of unusual heat, which is a phenomenon typical of the months of May and June, could also have disastrous consequences for agriculture, "at a time when the world is under enormous pressure in terms of food security".

In this sense, the wheat harvest in India has already been impacted by the effects of climate change, while in the midst of the global food crisis, as a result of the armed conflict in Ukraine, since that country is one of the world's main producers of this cereal.

In addition, in India, several cities, including its capital, New Delhi, recorded temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius, which directly affected the quality of life of citizens, as there were power outages in several states and water supply shortages.

The outages were the result of the overconsumption of energy due to the increased use of air conditioners and fans in factories and other production centers, according to information gathered in local media.

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, in the city of Dadu, the temperature recently reached 46.6 degrees Celsius, a measurement that was a record for the Northern Hemisphere in the month of April; although still far from the top of 50.3 recorded by the Pakistani city of Turbat in May 2017, the fourth-highest temperature in history.

Scientists have warned that temperatures are likely to keep on registering marked rises in the coming days.

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Ext ... -0001.html
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 May 05, 2022 4:06 am

Iran, Turkey discuss tackling water issue

The Iranian foreign minister on Tuesday stressed the importance of accelerating cooperation in form of a “Joint Water Committee” to address climate change and ongoing water issues in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart

Iran and Turkey have control over a large portion of water flowing into Iraq. Both governments have over the years built several dams, minimizing Iraq’s main sources of water.

Water levels in the Euphrates and Tigris rivers - shared by Iraq, Syria, and Turkey - have dropped considerably in recent years. In the latest stark warning of the threats a heating 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 entirely dry by 2040.

Last year, Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Mahdi Rashid al-Hamdani accused Iran of digging tunnels and trying to alter the natural water flows. His ministry in December announced the completion of procedures to file a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice against Iran.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has long warned that the water available in Iraq is set to decrease by around 20 percent by 2025, threatening the long-term stability of Iraq’s agriculture and industry. According to another concerning report by the United Nations, dams built in neighboring Turkey and Iran have also dramatically reduced the combined volume of the Tigris and Euphrates by up to 60 percent.

The statement from the Iranian foreign minister comes as his country recently denied being the reason behind Iraq’s water problem, saying that the water crisis is regional and not specific to one country.

Outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi earlier this week said that Iran has never reduced Iraqi water source, calling on all parties involved in the problem “to initiate consultations instead of being trapped in negative media hypes in order to find ways out of not only water shortage but also dust storms.”

In November, the World Bank warned that Iraq is running out of water, with devastating consequences for the country’s employment and economy, stressing the failure to manage water resources as a key damaging factor. The World Bank’s April update cautioned that further intensified climate change effects and water shortages will decrease agricultural production.

Iraq is the fifth-most vulnerable nation in the world to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity. Low rainfall levels and high temperatures caused by climate change are depleting water supplies across the country. Much of Iraq’s agricultural lands depend on irrigation, but dams and reservoirs were at record-low levels this summer.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/04052022
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 May 06, 2022 3:32 am

Image

Iraq due to dust storm

Hundreds of people were hospitalized across Iraq on Wednesday after facing difficulty breathing as the country continues to experience a series of massive dust storms, Iraqi state media reported

At least seven Iraqi provinces were subjected to heavy dust storms on Wednesday, reducing visibility in the areas hit by the storm and leading to difficulties in breathing. The provinces included Baghdad, Anbar, Kirkuk, Najaf, Karbala, Salahaddin, and al-Qadisiyah.

Salahaddin province recorded the highest number of breathing difficulties in the country with 322 people being hospitalized, Raid Ibrahim Hamad al-Juboori, the director of the province’s health directorate, told state media.

A total of 191 cases were reported across a number of different hospitals in Anbar, according to Director of Anbar’s health directorate Qais al-Ani, adding that the number was subject to increase.

Hospitals in al-Qadisiyah province’s city of Diwaniyah registered a total of 100 cases of people with breathing difficulties due to the dust storm, and Najaf province recorded over a hundred cases.

Dust storms are not uncommon in Iraq but are becoming more frequent due to drought and climate change with the country recording low rainfall and rising temperatures. Iraq is among the most affected countries by climate change.

Iraq's environment ministry in April said that the number of dusty days in Iraq has increased from 243 to 272 days per year over the past two decades, and it is expected to reach 300 dusty days per year in 2050.

Experts believe the dust increases as a result of the worsening drought which reduces the flow of water in the Tigris and Euphrates, creating drier and dustier land more susceptible to sand storms.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/05052022
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 May 06, 2022 12:15 pm

Image

Thousands sick as sandstorm sweeps across Iraq

In Baghdad, one person died and more than 5,000 were treated in hospitals Thursday for respiratory ailments due to a sandstorm, the seventh in a month, the health ministry said

Duststorms have increased dramatically in frequency in Iraq in recent years, driven by soil degradation and intense droughts made worse by climate change, with rising average temperatures and sharply lower rainfall.

Residents of six of Iraq's 18 provinces, including Baghdad and the vast western region of Al-Anbar, awoke once again to a thick cloud of dust blanketing the sky.

As the storm swept across Iraq, it shrouded the capital Baghdad and the holy city of Najaf in ghostly orange clouds of choking dust.

"One death has been recorded in Baghdad" and hospitals "have received no less than 5,000 cases so far," health ministry spokesman Seif al-Badr said in a statement.

Those hit hardest are people suffering from "chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma", and the elderly who suffer in particular from heart ailments, he said.

Badr added that the majority had since been discharged and most cases were of "medium or low intensity".

Dust and sandstorms have always occurred in the Middle East but grown more frequent and intense in recent years, a trend that has been associated with overuse of river water, more dams, overgrazing and deforestation.

The fine dust particles can cause health problems such as asthma and cardiovascular ailments, and also spread bacteria and viruses as well as pesticides and other toxins.

Authorities in Al-Anbar and Kirkuk provinces, north of the capital, urged people "not to leave their homes", said the official INA news agency.

The storms are expected to grow more intense with worsening climate change because higher temperatures and more irregular rainfalls dry out land faster and accelerate desertification.

Sandstorms also cause economic damage by reducing visibility, sometimes to near zero, shuttering airports and highways and causing damage to buildings, vegetation and solar panels.

- '272 days of dust' -

Hospitals in Al-Anbar province had received more than 700 patients with breathing difficulties, said Anas Qais, a health official cited by INA.

The central province of Salaheddin reported more than 300 cases, while Diwaniya and the province of Najaf, south of Baghdad, each recorded about 100 cases, the news agency added.

Oil-rich Iraq, despite its mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is classified as one of the world's five countries most vulnerable to climate change and desertification.

Scientists say climate change amplifies droughts and that their intensity and frequency in turn threaten food security. Experts have said these factors threaten to bring social and economic disaster in the war-scarred country.

In November, the World Bank warned Iraq -- a country of 41 million people -- could suffer a 20-percent drop in water resources by 2050 due to climate change.

The United Nations says about one-third of Iraq's population now lives in poverty.

The effects of low rainfall have been exacerbated as the levels of the Tigris and Euphrates drop because of upstream dams in neighbouring Iran and Turkey.

In early April, a government official warned Iraq could face "272 days of dust" a year in coming decades.

The environment ministry said the weather phenomenon could be addressed by "increasing vegetation cover and creating forests that act as windbreaks".

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/06052022
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 May 08, 2022 3:45 pm

US have polluted 20 million acres of crops

A report estimates that 20 million acres of US cropland may be contaminated by chemical-tainted sewage used as fertilizer. Over 19 billion pounds of sludge have been used as fertilizer since 2016

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of about 9,000 compounds used to make products heat-, water- or stain-resistant. They are known as "forever chemicals" that are linked to cancer, thyroid disruption, liver problems, birth defects, and more.

Since they don't naturally break down, these chemicals contaminate cropland when they're mixed with sewage sludge. Sludge is a byproduct of treating wastewater and is a mix of human excrement and industrial waste discharged from industrial pipes.

Records from the Environmental Protection Agency show that over 19 billion pounds of sludge have been used as fertilizer since 2016 in the US, and it's estimated that 60% of US sludge is spread on cropland.

    These chemicals end up in crops, cattle, water and humans, and the public health toll is unknown. Some PFAS-tainted fields in Maine have had their farms completely shut down
Advocates say that the health cost of using sludge outweighs the benefits, with sludge being linked to public health problems, contaminated beef, and contaminated drinking water.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... -forever-c
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 » Mon May 09, 2022 2:47 am

Image

Brazil deforestation hits new record

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon shattered the April record, destroying more than 1,000 square kilometers of the world's largest rainforest, nearly doubling the previous high, according to official figures released Friday

The record, the third in four months, is the latest damning statistic on the Amazon's accelerating decline under President Jair Bolsonaro.

According to the INPE's Deter monitoring system, satellite images show a total area of destroyed forest cover of 1,012.5 square kilometers (391 square miles) from April 1 to 29, with the last day of the month yet to be analyzed.

The area, which is roughly equivalent to 1,400 football fields, is by far the largest since records began in 2015.

Deforestation is typically slower in April, the Amazon's rainy season. The previous monthly record was 580 square kilometers, set last year – also during Bolsonaro's tenure.

"This figure is extremely high for this period of the year," Mariana Napolitano, science director at the World Wildlife Fund's Brazil office, said in a statement.

"It's an alert of the immense pressure the forest is under," she added.

Experts warn that Brazil may experience its fourth consecutive year of decade-high deforestation this year, following monthly records in January and February.

Since Bolsonaro's election in 2019, average annual deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has increased by more than 75% compared to the previous decade, to an area roughly the size of Qatar.

It is worth mentioning that the far-right President has faced international condemnation over the damage to the Amazon.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... new-record
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 May 11, 2022 10:02 pm

Over half of US in drought

According to government climate officials' reports, over half the contiguous US was in drought at the beginning of this month, while tornadoes rose above the normal rates and wildfire season started earlier

53.8% of the lower 48 states were in drought, as per US Drought Monitor, an improvement from a dramatic low in March, when the number was above 60%.

More land in the continental US received less rainfall than expected so far this year than in any other year since 2012.

The outcomes of the megadrought are noticeably increasing in Nevada, where the water level in the US' largest human-made reservoir dropped last month significantly low.

The drier conditions in the West are resulting in an earlier start to wildfire season, such as several blazes that broke out in New Mexico last month and have since been burning and growing.

The largest New Mexico wildfire was just 43% contained after having burned over 200,000 acres.

A record number of tornadoes in March was followed in April, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wrote, by “above-average” twister activity.

On April 5, more than a hundred reports of tornadoes sprang as a result of severe weather across the Southeast.

On April 12, violent storms in Central Texas created a 5.6-inch hailstone and an EF3 tornado in Salado.

On April 29, a video-taped tornado in Andover, Kansas, was part of a system that produced other tornadoes in Nebraska and other twisters in Kansas.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... -tornadoes
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 May 11, 2022 10:06 pm

World to breach 1.5°C threshold

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported Monday that there is a 50% possibility that the global average surface temperature would reach 1.5°C over the preindustrial average for the first time in an individual year over the next five years

Countries are attempting to restrict global warming to 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels under the Paris Agreement to reduce the potential for catastrophic climate change impacts.

According to studies, if global warming exceeds 1.5°C over preindustrial levels and continues, the chances of widespread damage increase dramatically.
Read next: Countries with the highest annual CO2 emissions per capita

The new research, which includes climate estimates for the five years 2022-2026, does not indicate that the 1.5-degree objective will be met in the long run, as defined by the Paris Agreement.

The analysis, led by the UK Met Office for the WMO, a United Nations body, and included contributions from climate centers in the United States, Australia, Denmark, and other countries, reveals that the chances of crossing the 1.5-degree barrier in the short run are quickly growing.

For the 2017-2021 forecast period, the WMO concluded that the chances of a single year with temperature anomalies at or above 1.5°C compared to preindustrial levels were just 10%.

The report's lead author, Leon Hermanson, said in a statement that the increased likelihood of exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius in a single year shows "that we are moving progressively closer to a situation where 1.5°C could be exceeded for an extended period."

What's the deal?

Climate studies have shown that if warming exceeds 1.5°C on a long-term average, significantly more catastrophic repercussions, such as the loss of warm-water coral reefs, flooding of small island states, and an increase in lethal heatwaves around the planet, will occur.

"The 1.5°C figure is not some random statistic," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in a statement. "It is rather an indicator of the point at which climate impacts will become increasingly harmful for people and indeed the entire planet."

In terms of numbers, the climate prognosis indicates that there is a 93% chance that at least one year between 2022 and 2026 will be the warmest on record, dethroning 2016 from the top spot.

In addition, it finds that the chance of the five-year average for 2022-2026 being higher than the previous five years is also 93%. There is just a 10% chance that the five-year average will exceed 1.5°C, the report found.

Furthermore, it discovers that the likelihood of the five-year average for 2022-2026 being higher than the preceding five years is 93%. According to the analysis, there is only a 10% probability that the five-year average will exceed 1.5°C.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/env ... xt-5-years:
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 May 11, 2022 10:14 pm

Great Barrier Reef Being Killed

On Tuesday, the Marine Park Authority of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) published a report showing that over 90 percent of the Australian coral reefs that were surveyed suffered some form of bleaching

The "Reef Snapshot: Summer 2021-22" pointed out the high accumulated heat stress this summer had caused 654 of the 719 reefs surveyed suffering from bleaching. An aerial survey showed the northern and central regions of the GBR are in a more serious situation.

The pattern of shallow-water coral community bleaching varied from minor (1-10 percent coral cover bleached) to severe (61-90 percent bleached) in the northern region, with severity generally increasing from the northern tip of Cape York down towards Princess Charlotte Bay.

In the central region, the most severe bleaching occurred on both inshore and offshore reefs throughout this region. Coral community bleaching ranged from major (31 percent to 60 percent bleached) to extreme (over 90 percent bleached) on the shallow parts of reefs from Cooktown to the Whitsundays.

"While the scale of coral mortality is not yet known, recurrent bleaching events profoundly change the composition of coral communities on the reef," said Sarah Hamylton, president of the Australian Coral Reef Society.

"Reports of low coral mortality may reflect shifts in the composition of coral communities, with assemblages being more dominated by resilient and stress-tolerant corals, but an overall loss of biodiversity in the ecosystem."

Despite the La Niña conditions, the GBR's water warmed early in Dec. 2021, exceeding historical summer maximums that typically occur in the hottest summer months. Ocean temperatures continued to accumulate heat throughout the summer until early April 2022, with three distinct heatwaves increasing thermal stress throughout the central and northern GBR.

"To this end, urgent work is still needed to devise a credible national plan to reduce the domestic greenhouse gas emissions that are causing water temperatures to rise, at a speed consistent with the survival of the GBR," Hamylton said.

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/The ... -0001.html
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 » Mon May 16, 2022 9:54 pm

Iraq’s Agriculture and US Meddling

The poisonous effects of American interference and failed policies are still affecting Iraq's agricultural sector today. Here's how.

“You lied!”

Those were the screams of former US Army veteran Mike Prysner echoing in the lecture hall during a speech by George W. Bush, and the lasting trauma still resonates in the ears of millions of Iraqis and Americans today, almost two decades later.

From a full-scale invasion under the pretext of overthrowing Saddam Hussein to the insurgence of ISIS, Iraq has been plagued with endless wars and destruction. This invasion and endless interventions aggravated the marginalization of sectors in Iraqi society and allowed the internal state of Iraq to crumble under sectarianism and violence.

The lasting effects of the US policies are especially present within the aftermath of the agricultural sector among others. Farmers across the country continue to be displaced and doubt remains overcast on Iraq’s environmental capabilities and the future of agricultural development.

American invasion

One of the many false pretenses for the heavily documented war was the alleged harboring of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell infamously claimed that the US was aware of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and their role in terrorism. Powell’s bold statements and deceptive assertions regarding the evidence that was available have ultimately haunted the US for what has become known as the very public “campaign of lies” the US tricked global citizens into believing.

For over 7 years, Iraq was invaded and bombed by the US and the coalition of the willing, not to mention their use of white phosphorous munitions. Although they claimed that white phosphorus was used whilst fully considering the incidental effects on civilians, the secondary effects on Iraq’s agriculture were most definitely not taken into account.

Deliberate destruction

The invasion and destruction that accompanied the war did not only permanently damage arable lands with mines and cluster ammunition, but the suspension of government agricultural institutions and irrigation projects also caused disastrous results to the population.

From 2002 to 2008, agriculture's contribution to the country’s GDP has decreased from almost 9% to 3.6% due to challenges created by war, social instability, and institutional and economic concerns.


In a final blow after causing significant damage to the agricultural sector, the US secured its monopoly over the Iraqi farming industry and the future of agriculture by issuing Order 81. The Order was described as an attempt to “rebuild” Iraq’s agriculture industry by the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, Paul Bremer.

What was Order 81?

After Coalition Provisional Authority Order 81 was implemented, farmers were forbidden from conserving, distributing, or propagating harvested seeds, resulting in a dependency on big businesses such as Monsanto, Cargill Inc., and Dow Chemical.

As a consequence, Iraq has only been able to meet 4% of its seed demands since 2005. These distributors are known to patent their seeds and collect fees without considering if crops were proven to contain their proprietary genetic information.

Monsanto, an agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901, is notorious for its contribution to the neutron initiators inside the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, as well as for producing Agent Orange.

The US military used Agent Orange in Vietnam during the infamous operation Ranch Hand, destroying crops and ultimately causing half a million Vietnamese children to be born with birth defects and millions of others left with cancer and other serious health conditions.

Dying of thirst

Reconstruction efforts in Iraq also targeted the distribution of safe drinking water.

Millions of dollars were lost in the attempt and efforts failed, with only one-third of the objectives reached in the context of providing safe drinking water.

Iraq's infrastructure was heavily bombed in the 1990s after the US-led coalition conducted massive airstrikes on the region during the gulf war. Water and sewerage treatment facilities were heavily damaged. As people suffered from a lack of access to clean water, diseases multiplied.

The US war has critically aggravated the water crisis. Water is scarcely passing through the Tigris and Euphrates as is, causing contaminated water to reach crops, and in turn poisoning much of the population. The UN Security Council described the effects of the war as returning Iraq to the “pre-industrial age”, and warned of the imminent catastrophe that would hit the Iraqi population.

The Tigris River is bordered by Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. Along with the Euphrates, they create a river system that encircles Mesopotamia known as the Fertile Crescent. The Tigris is an important source of transportation and irrigation, with a history dating back to the earliest known civilizations.

Scorched earth

The catastrophic insurgence of ISIS ripped Iraq’s already suffering sectors into developmental and economic shreds.

The US policies created a weak state that resulted in the marginalization of considerable sectors of Iraqi society. ISIS militants, armed partially with CIA-funded weapons, developed into one of the goriest terrorist organizations of our time.

The world watched in horror as ISIS became globally renowned for unspeakable atrocities like beheadings, kidnapping of women and children, and numerous suicide bombings and terrorist attacks that not only affected the Middle East but many western countries, especially Europe.

ISIS used the burning tactic to terrorize inhabitants, laid landmines, and destroyed agricultural equipment. IEDs were frequently utilized to fortify their defense. They attempted to meticulously carry out a form of ecocide, as their “scorched earth” tactics took hold. Oil wells were set on fire and thousands of civilians came close to suffocation and others suffered respiratory complications.

In a final effort to devastate their targets, they booby-trapped escape routes, barns, and pump stations.

The presence of the terrorist group forced agricultural workers and farmers to evacuate their farmlands during the bloody conflicts. Numerous families retell their experiences of being forced to abandon their farming communities when ISIS militants surrounded the area in mid-2014.

The same families who evacuated their homes reported returning to their homes post-ISIS and finding them heavily booby-trapped. Numerous families have lost children and relatives after bombs inexplicably detonated on their properties.

A glimpse of hope

Away from the nightmares that haunt Iraq, as one of many initiatives, Iraq’s holy shrines have begun to establish massive farms for relying on agricultural production and providing national agricultural products that are distinguished by quality, as well as meat at subsidized prices.

Agricultural cities are being established to provide the cultivation of wheat, barley, yellow corn, fodder, jet, and cattle, as well as raising sheep and cows.

Despite the seemingly irreversible effects of America's assaults and intrusion on Iraq's wellbeing have undoubtedly damaged the country, things can still be turned around. With Iraq's Parliamentary elections looming, the crucial vote of the youth may have the power to carry Iraq out of decade-long darkness and into the light.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... s-meddling
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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 » Mon May 16, 2022 10:15 pm

Image

Dust storm hospitalizes thousands

Scores of people were hospitalized for breathing difficulties across Iraq and Kurdistan on Monday, as heavy dust storms engulfed several of the country’s provinces

Massive dust storms clouded provinces in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on Monday, reducing visibility in the areas hit by the storm and leading to difficulties in breathing.

    Around four thousand cases of breathing difficulties were recorded across several provinces, with Kirkuk, Salahaddin, Wasit, and Basra accounting for almost 1,300 of the hospitalized cases, according to state media
News circulated earlier on Monday, claiming that a Kurdish child by the name of Murad Abbas had died due to breathing difficulties caused by the dust storm in Kirkuk.

The spokesperson for Kirkuk’s health directorate Saman Yaba Ali denied the rumors, telling Rudaw that Abbas had heart problems and that “his death had nothing to do with the dust storm.”

Iraq’s health ministry reported that no individuals had died from the breathing difficulties and that all patients had received sufficient medical treatment.

In Kurdistan, the province of Sulaimani hospitalized nearly 70 people due to breathing difficulties, Saman Latif, Sulaimani’s health directorate spokesperson told Rudaw, adding that most patients have been sent home after receiving treatment.

Hunar Hamid, Rudaw’s reporter in Garmiyan administration, stated that a total of 52 cases of breathing difficulties were recorded in Garmiyan, expecting the number to increase as the storm continues.

Media director of Iraq’s meteorology and seismology directorate, Amer al-Jabri, told Rudaw on Monday that visibility in Baghdad was reduced to around 300 to 400 meters, causing a number of car accidents in the Iraqi capital.

“We predict that the escalation of dust will begin to disappear starting from the evening in the central and northern regions, and its effects will remain until tomorrow on the southern region, but it will gradually disappear,” added Jabri.

Iraq's environment ministry in April said that the number of dusty days in the country has increased from 243 to 272 days per year over the past two decades, and is expected to reach 300 dusty days per year in 2050.

Jabri denied these speculations, stating that “the news is incorrect” and that it was not possible “to expect storms during 300 days throughout the year.”

The provinces of Baghdad, Wasit, Diwaniyah, and Babil declared Monday a public holiday amid the ongoing dust storm. Late Monday night, Basra and Dhi Qar announced Tuesday to be a public holiday in anticipation of similarly poor air conditions.

Iraq’s Ministry of Education announced on Monday evening that they will be postponing Tuesday’s exams to a later date, according to state media.

Experts believe the dust increases as a result of the worsening drought which reduces the flow of water in the Tigris and Euphrates, creating drier land more susceptible to sand storms.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/160520224
Good Thoughts Good Words Good Deeds
User avatar
Anthea
Shaswar
Shaswar
Donator
Donator
 
Posts: 28352
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], Google [Bot], Majestic-12 [Bot]

x

#{title}

#{text}