Orion Magazine is a wonderful source to learn about the natural world and how people perceive and connect to it. This article describes an ecologist, Carl Safina, and his work encouraging us to look at the world around us and realize that for most life on earth, life has not slowed down as ours has. In the article, he responds to a series of questions, … Continue reading Earth Day Read: Becoming Wild During a Pandemic
We are in a time of uncertainty and anxiety, but there is still much we should and can do for the environment. This includes volunteering with environmental efforts (safely) -remotely can be a good option. Many sustainability groups are providing virtual events and opportunities. There are lessons to be learned about climate change from understanding this pandemic. First, early action leads to less impact and … Continue reading Earth Day Read: Sustainability in the Time of COVID-19
For more than a generation, the Himalayas, the highest mountains in the world, have been shrouded in pollution, hiding the peaks from all but a few. Residents in the city of Punjab, which sits only about 124 miles from the mountains, are taking to social media to share their pictures of the magnificent mountains. With most of India under a Coronavirus lockdown, many younger Indians … Continue reading Earth Day Read: People in India can see the Himalayas for the first time in ‘decades,’ as the lockdown eases air pollution
As the country came under state stay-at-home orders in the last two weeks of March 2020, American Petroleum Institute executives wrote to Donald Trump and the Environmental Protection Agency, lobbying the administration to waive “non-essential compliance obligations,” such as reporting and monitoring for existing environmental regulations on companies. They claimed that relaxed regulations would allow them to distribute fuel more efficiently during the outbreak. The … Continue reading Earth Day Read: EPA announces Enforcement Discretion Policy for COVID-19 Pandemic
Animals have taken advantage of the lack of people in the streets due to the world wide quarantines. Generic animals that we are accustomed to seeing, such as wild turkeys, raccoons, and squirrels are especially prominent, but more interesting animals have also been spotted. A brazen fox has been seen in San Francisco near the Golden Gate Bridge and a wild boar in Collserola, Spain. … Continue reading Earth Day Read: Animals take back the cities
The global coronavirus lockdown has had major environmental benefits throughout the world. Firstly, due to the lack of transportation use, the amount of air pollution in big cities has dramatically decreased. The world is thriving. For example, you can now see blue skies in China that have not been seen in years due to factory shutdowns. Not only has the amount of air pollution around … Continue reading Earth Day Read: How coronavirus is unexpectedly benefiting the environment
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, canals in Venice greatly increased in visibility due to a lack of traffic by water taxis and tourists. The lockdown in Italy allowed for the sediment to settle on the bottom of the canals and allowed for people to see all the way to the bottom in some locations. Although this water clarity does not show a decrease in water pollution, … Continue reading Earth Day Read: Water in Venice canals clears due to low water traffic during shutdown
Due to the beaches globally being empty due to the coronavirus, the Olive Ridley sea turtles have been able to lay their eggs in peace. More than 70,000 Olive Ridley sea turtles were seen nesting along the coast of the eastern Indian state of Odisha. Amlan Nayak, a district forest officer in the area, said this was the first time since 2013 that they had … Continue reading Earth Day Read: 70,000 Sea Turtles Nested on Beaches Emptied by COVID-19
Geoscientists have observed a drop in seismic noise, the noise created from vibrations of the Earth’s crust. This drop has been observed in areas of Belgium as well as Los Angeles. Scientists tie this noticeable decrease to transportation networks, as well as other human activities, being shut down as governments attempt to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. Belgian seismologists compare this drop in seismic … Continue reading Earth Day Read: Coronavirus lockdowns have changed the way Earth moves
Epidemiologists have examined the sheer volumes of possible coronaviruses in vectors, a term used to specify disease-carrying creatures like bats, mosquitos, and other insects (because of climate change, these vectors are increasing at a rapid rate and range, bringing them closer to humans and other species). They’re estimating a number around 30,000 different types of diseases that could be transmitted through and to other animals, … Continue reading Earth Day Read: Deforestation And Climate Change Could Unleash A Mind-Boggling Number Of Coronaviruses
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