Problem

Microplastic found in ice core samples taken from the Northwest Passage is shown on a screen as part of an 18-day icebreaker expedition taking place in July and August 2019 in the Northwest Passage, in a still image taken from a handout video obtained by REUTERS on August 14, 2019. Northwest Passage Project/Camera: Duncan Clark via REUTERS

reuters.com - by Matthew Green - August 14, 2019

Tiny pieces of plastic have been found in ice cores drilled in the Arctic by a U.S.-led team of scientists, underscoring the threat the growing form of pollution poses to marine life in even the remotest waters on the planet . . . 

 . . . The team plans to subject the samples to further analysis to support a broader research effort to understand the damage plastic is doing to fish, seabirds and large ocean mammals such as whales . . .

 . . . much of the large amounts of microplastic found in the Arctic in previous studies had probably been carried there through the atmosphere.

“Once we’ve determined that large quantities of microplastic can also be transported by the air, it naturally raises the question as to whether and how much plastic we’re inhaling,” Bergmann said in a statement.

CLICK HERE - World Resources Institute (WRI) - Aqueduct Tools

theguardian.com - by Emily Holden and Vidhi Doshi - August 6, 2019

A quarter of the world’s population across 17 countries are living in regions of extremely high water stress, a measure of the level of competition over water resources, a new report reveals.

Experts at the World Resources Institute (WRI) warned that increasing water stress could lead to more “day zeroes” – a term that gained popularity in 2018 as Cape Town in South Africa came dangerously close to running out of water . . .

 . . . Although the US did not have high levels of water stress overall, a handful of states – including New Mexico and California – were found to be facing significant strains on their water supplies that will only intensify with global heating.

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CLICK HERE - REPORT - IPCC - Climate Change and Land

CLICK HERE - IPCC - Climate Change and Land

nytimes.com - by Christopher Flavelle - August 8, 2019

The world’s land and water resources are being exploited at “unprecedented rates,” a new United Nations report warns, which combined with climate change is putting dire pressure on the ability of humanity to feed itself.

The report, prepared by more than 100 experts from 52 countries and released in summary form in Geneva on Thursday, found that the window to address the threat is closing rapidly. A half-billion people already live in places turning into desert, and soil is being lost between 10 and 100 times faster than it is forming, according to the report.

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sciencedaily.com - June 13, 2019

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH - PLOS - Estimating undetected Ebola spillovers

An estimated half of Ebola virus disease outbreaks have gone undetected since it was discovered in 1976, according to new research. Although these tend to affect fewer than five patients, the study highlights the need for improved detection and rapid response, in order that outbreaks of Ebola and other public health threats are detected early and consistently.

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ALSO SEE RELATED ARTICLE HERE - Half of Ebola outbreaks go undetected, study finds