Summer 2020, vol. XXXlll, No. 2

TABLE of CONTENTS SPECIAL FOCUS:

1 SPECIAL FOCUS Biodiversity and Human Health BIODIVERSITY AND HUMAN Author: Sehee Oh HEALTH 5 FOOD FOR THOUGHT Sustainable last-mile logistics Author: Farri Gaba

9 GOOD NEWS The EU to Plant 3 Billion Trees by 2030 Dutch Government Announced Emission Cuts

Algae Transplant could Protect Coral Reefs from Warming Seas

Earth School Launches in time for Covid19 11 DID YOU KNOW Unbearable Bouts of Heat and Humidity on the Rise

Deforestation of Amazon Rain Forest Source: https://news.un.org/en/story/2012/11/424842-cost-deforestation-kenya-far-exceeds-gains-forestry-and- logging-un-joint-study Cold War Nukes Tests Changed Rainfall 13 VOICES WIT Virtual Voices Online The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all parts of human society. According to the World Health Organization, bats are the most High-Level Meeting on Sustainable Ocean Business UN World Environment Day probable carrier of the COVID-19. Ebola, SARS, bird flu and now COVID-19 are all believed to have started as pathogens crossing 845th International Online Conference on Environment and Natural Science from animals to humans.[1] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 11th Conference on Environmental Engineering and Application about three-quarters of new human diseases originate in animals. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between 8th World Congress and Expo on Green Energy animals and people. Previous investigations found that the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome was transmitted from civet cats to 16 POINT OF VIEW Author: Richard Whiteford humans, while the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome passed from dromedary camels to humans.[2] “Education The frequency of disease outbreaks has been increasing steadily. brings Choices. Between 1980 and 2013 there were 12,012 recorded outbreaks, Choices bring comprising 44 million individual cases and affecting every country Power.” in the world.[3] The global number of emerging infectious disease outbreaks of causal The World Ecology Report is printed on recycled paper. diseases from 1980–2010 is shown in Fig.1(chart). Outbreak records are plotted with respect to (a) total global outbreaks (left axis, bars) and total number of diseases causing outbreaks in each year (right axis, dots), (b) host type, (c) pathogen taxonomy and (d) transmission mode.

Fig: 1: Smith, K. F., (2014) Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4223919/figure/RSIF20140950F1/

A number of trends have contributed to this rise, significant increase in human population, including high levels of global travel, trade and connectivity, and high-density living - but the links to climate change and biodiversity are the most striking. It is important to address the multiple and often interacting threats to ecosystems and wildlife to prevent zoonoses from emerging, including habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal trade, pollution, invasive species and, increasingly, climate change. Our world is changing, and the conservation community must be ready to respond.

What is Biodiversity The word Biodiversity is a contraction of 'biological diversity'. Biodiversity is the name we give to the variety of all life on Earth. Fig 2: Biodiversity in forests/ Pixels Biodiversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic If only a small number of species die out, there can be a huge effect ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part.[4] on the whole ecosystem since there are often chain effects which

World Information Transfer 2 World Ecology Report Summer 2020 affect many other species. With the preservation of Biodiversity, it can be assured that the percent from August 2018 to the present. ecosystem stays in its natural balance. Also, the world population has experienced However, many biologists agree that we are in the midst of a mass extinction. Biodiversity exponential growth in the last 60 years, from loss can have significant direct human health impacts if the ecosystem is destroyed and can 3 billion in 1960 to 7.8 billion currently. We no longer meet humanities need. have added 800 million people every ten years to this planet. It took 200 years to reach 7 billion from 1 billion.[7] We are forcing the interaction with wild animals through transformation of the land from forests to farming.

According to Kate Jones, Chair of Ecology and Biodiversity at University College London, “When a bat is stressed from being hunted or having its habitat damaged by deforestation, its immune system is challenged and it finds it difficult to manage pathogens. It is like having a cold sore virus when stressed, thus leading to a cold sore. Furthermore, bats are the only mammals that can fly. This ability allows them to scatter over a large area, carrying with them Fig 3: Burning rainforests on Borneo and Sumatra/ UNEP pathogens or diseases. Also, the pathogens How Biodiversity Loss Affects Disease that have evolved in bats can adapt to peaks Biodiversity loss is hurting our ability to combat pandemics. Bats are being pointed out as of body temperature. Humans raise body the source of coronavirus; however, Bats are not to blame. Scientists claim that humans are temperature to kill a virus, however, viruses to blame for the spread of the disease. Diseases passed from animals to humans are on the from a bat can withstand an increase in body rise by proximity to human activity caused by deforestation and destruction of habitats. We temperature.[8] need to face the fundamental cause of why we have to go through the emergence of a new Prof. Eric Lambin, the School of Earth, Energy virus like COVID-19. & Environmental Sciences, says "Responding The immune system of animals is challenged, being hunted, or having its habitat damaged by to the underlying issues that force people and deforestation. Deforestation has increased steadily over the past three decades and is linked livestock into increasingly close contact with to 31% of outbreaks such as Ebola, Zika and Nipah viruses. Rainforests that once covered wild animals is crucial in preventing the next over 14% of the land of the earth have now dwindled to just 6%, according to National pandemic." Animals are being transported Geographic.[5] The loss of forest habitat, also, increases contact between humans and for medicine, pets, and food. nonhuman primates. A new study published in the Journal of Landscape Ecology points out A global wildlife trade worth billions of that the continued destruction of forest habitats, for agricultural use or human habitation, dollars and deforestation are bringing people causes this contact to become more frequent, as humans and nonhuman primates are forced closer to animals, exposing people to their into closer proximity.[6] For example, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has surged to pathogens.[9] Wild animals have always had its highest rate in more than a decade, according to new data from Brazil’s National Institute viruses coursing through their bodies but for Space Research (INPE). The latest results show that deforestation increased nearly 30

World Information Transfer World Ecology Report 3 Summer 2020 the transport is suppressing their immune systems. 6. Geist, H. J., & Lambin, E. F. (2002). Proximate Causes and Underlying Driv- ing Forces of Tropical DeforestationTrop- ical forests are disappearing as the result of many pressures, both local and region- al, acting in various combinations in dif- ferent geographical locations. BioScience, 52(2), 143-150. 7. https://www.worldometers.info/world- population/ 8. https://www.natureworldnews.com/arti- cles/43572/20200329/coronavirus-bats- zoonotic-spillover.htm 9. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sci- ence/2020/04/03/coronavirus-wildlife- environment/ 10. https://www.theguardian.com/ world/2020/mar/25/coronavirus-na- ture-is-sending-us-a-message-says-un- environment-chief 11. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/biodi- versity-pandemics-and-circle-life

Impacts of the coronavirus pandemic Fig 3: Animal transported in a cage/ Pixels on biodiversity conservation Prof Andrew Cunningham, of the Zoological Society of London, states that “The animals There have even been anecdotal reports have been transported over large distances and are crammed together into cages. They are of reduced human pressures on wild stressed and immunosuppressed and excreting whatever pathogens they have in them. With species. In protected areas, declines people in large numbers in the market and in intimate contact with the body fluids of these in visitor numbers caused by travel restrictions and park closures have animals, you have an ideal mixing bowl for disease emergence.[10] reduced stresses on sensitive animals Conclusion and trampling pressure on popular trails. Conservation derives much of The past 20 years of disease outbreaks could be viewed as a series of near-miss catastrophes, its public support from the accessibility which have led to complacency rather than the increased vigilance necessary to control of wild nature in protected areas but outbreaks. Currently, the seriousness of the COVID-19 situation will prompt key reduced human pressures in the most organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic popular parks will be good for sensitive species. We have also seen reports Preparedness (CEPI) - set up by the World Economic Forum in 2017 - to put preparations of wild species venturing into rural in place in order to prevent the current epidemic from becoming a pandemic. The links and urban areas, including parks and between pandemics and biodiversity are becoming better understood and appreciated and beaches, where they have not been hopefully, solutions will be addressed before the next pandemic.[11] seen for many years, as traffic and other In the movie 'Lion King', there is a statement "Everything you see exists together in a delicate human activity declines. In areas where travel is still possible and protected areas balance.” We are all connected in the great Circle of Life. remain open, visitation has often greatly Author: SEHEE OH increased, reflecting a widespread Sources: feeling that activity in a natural setting 1. https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the- media-briefing-on-covid-19---3-march-2020 is both a physical and a mental antidote 2. unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/coronavirus-outbreak-highlights-need-ad- dress-threats-ecosystems-and-wildlife to the stress of the pandemic. We predict 3. Smith, K. F., Goldberg, M., Rosenthal, S., Carlson, L., Chen, J., Chen, C., & Ramachan- it will increase in other areas too when dran, S. (2014). Global rise in human infectious disease outbreaks. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 11(101), 20140950. restrictions are loosened. 4. Walker, B. H. (1992). Biodiversity and ecological redundancy. Conservation biology, 6(1), 18-23. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ 5. 5.https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/blog/2020/applying-the-hard-lessons-of- pmc/articles/PMC7139249/ coronavirus-to-the-biodiversity-cri.html

World Information Transfer 4 World Ecology Report Summer 2020 FOOD FOR THOUGHT: SUSTAINABLE LAST-MILE In today’s megacities, the face of urban “last-mile” logistics has changed. What LOGISTICS used to be an accepted part of daily life has become highly disruptive; delivery vehicles In the past decade, the logistics industry has experienced substantial growth and its fair double parked in city streets, their drivers up share of technological disruption. Particularly in urban settings, consumer demand for against the clock to meet demanding two- same-day has ballooned and companies have struggled to meet demand without incurring hour or same-day delivery commitments substantial “last-mile” delivery costs. The “last-mile” can be loosely defined as the last stages and bicycles racing between congested of a parcel's delivery chain process which usually happens in the congested neighborhoods traffic to deliver a dinner before it gets cold. of today's megacities. Whilst shifting consumer expectations for two-hour or same-day This transformation is for the worse, but the delivery play a pivotal role, a symbiosis of trends has driven immense growth in “last-mile” outcome is not inevitable. Whilst logistics delivery operations, including intensifying urbanization, increased purchasing power of the is an immense industry that incapsulates global middle class, the rise of new digital business models, and advancements in delivery a variety of stakeholders, business models vehicle and routing technologies [1]. For example, from 2014-2019, e-commerce sales nearly and mediums, this article assesses the tripled globally, translating to an expected growth in “last-mile’ delivery demand of 78% by current state of sustainability in the “last- 2030 [2]. But whilst this is a global phenomenon, the problem will be especially acute in mile” in the context of market, regulatory, China and the United States in the coming decade technological and operational factors that drive advancements. It analyzes the key elements at play within the field of urban logistics and how will they impact our lives. But before asserting that solutions exist, we need to contextualize the problem.

Realizing the implications for sustainability The “last-mile” in a delivery chain is vitally important to firms because it constitutes a disproportionately large share of the parcel delivery cost to a customer, approximately a third [4]. From the public perspective, it is also a significant contributor to the negative sustainability externalities of urban logistics more broadly, be it economic, social or environmental degeneration. But the cause and effect relationship between urban logistics and environmental degradation is not a one-way street; the recent worldwide surge in urbanization undoubtedly Figure 1: Current and projected e-commerce revenue by country. Data aggregated via Statista [3].

World Information Transfer World Ecology Report 5 Summer 2020 engenders poor urban logistics as well. Today, over half the world’s population resides in unsustainable practices in urban logistics urban environments. By 2025, China alone will harbor 221 cities with populations exceeding [1]. There were three key findings. First, 10 million. In comparison, Europe has 35 such cities today. With the number of urban settlers the number of delivery vehicles on the road expected to exceed 70% by 2050, cities are set to face unprecedented sustainability challenges would increase by 36% by 2030 in today’s in the future, urban logistics being just one of them. As Figure 2 shows, urbanization a global largest 100 cities. Second, an additional trend, and the rates at which citizens are flocking towards cities is unprecedented. Whilst 6 million tons of CO2 would be emitted. this does not mean every country will experience “last-mile” logistics challenges to the Third, average commute times could same degree, we can expect urban logistics policy to play a more central role in municipal increase by approximately 21% by 2030. The congestion planning. results of this model reflect the effects of a burgeoning e-commerce industry coupled with mass urbanization. Whilst this study does not make a precise distinction between personal and delivery vehicle usage, it is clear that urban logistics left unchecked will put immense pressures on cities around the world. Cities would have to plow much more capital into supply-side infrastructure projects or achieve immense efficiency gains in other mobility sectors to make room for these future delivery vehicles. Not only would increased CO2 emissions put pressure on national emissions targets, it simply may not be publicly palatable in 2030. But improving Figure 2: Urban population percentage of total last 500 years [5]. urban logistics cannot be done overnight to suit public opinion – it requires a long- According to John Wilmoth, Director of the United Nations Department of Economic term strategy of private sector investment, a and Social Affairs (UNDESA) Population Division, “Our success or failure in building sus- robust public sector regulatory framework tainable cities will be a major factor in the success of the post-2015 UN development agen- and a great deal of collaboration. da.” [6] Decisions around “last-mile” logistics will play a crucial role in any municipality’s efforts to comprehensively address the challenges of urbanization. The biggest challenges The private sector that the “last-mile” poses for cities is pressure on infrastructure and livability. This can be perspective summed up in two words: congestion and pollution. Whilst these issues are not uniquely Logistics firms have a keen interest in caused by urban logistics, they are undoubtedly intertwined. The logistics industry is not improving the state of “last-mile” logistics, typically at the forefront of public concern, political interest or technological disruption and mainly to improve their bottom line. “Last- in addressing these problems, cities have mainly focused on traditional supply-side solutions mile” costs are typically driven by labor costs and personal mobility concepts: think promoting bike-based commuting habits, investing in which are, in turn, driven by the precise real-time public transit and mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) operations. Whilst the movement consequence of inefficient urban logistics, of goods and services serves as the lifeblood of a city, it is often overlooked as part of the namely congestion. It is a self-perpetuating solution. loop unwelcome by both cities and logistics A white paper published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) modelled the future firms alike. Whilst investing in advanced outlook of congestion and pollution in today’s megacities if no action was taken to temper vehicle technologies and novel operational

World Information Transfer 6 World Ecology Report Summer 2020 models could prove more sustainable, one way or another, the end logistics vehicles that perform repeated single-day trips and 2) these goal is to minimize “last-mile” costs by removing the human element delivery vehicles remain idle for a large portion of the night when and avoiding traffic delays. This section discusses ways firms are loading parcels, nicely aligning with their charging times. Whilst a approaching this problem. variety of vehicle technologies lie on the horizon, it remains unclear how firms will adopt them over the next decade. Furthermore, there Emerging technologies exists little academic literature that quantifies the sustainability gains Whilst technology is important throughout the delivery supply chain, that each technology offers. this article will specifically focus on how new vehicle technologies A final technology that is unlike the others but equally interesting are being deployed. For instance, bicycles or cargo tricycles (both is additive manufacturing, often referred to as 3D printing. The electrified and conventional) are being rapidly deployed by logistics logistics effort of transporting goods into cities could be significantly players since they offer a valuable alternative to delivery vehicles in reduced if they were simply printed closer to the customer’s location. today’s most congested cities. Stringent traffic regulations in urban Raw materials would still need to be supplied, but the homogeneity centers, from congestion pricing to emissions requirements, mean of these deliveries would enable bulk dropoffs and more efficient that bicycles are often the only cargo-capable vehicle that logistics distribution networks. Quality control issues and high engineering firms can use to serve their customer base whilst meeting their costs mean that not many goods can be produced economically commit times and cost targets. with additive manufacturing, but the list is growing. It remains Another exciting emerging technology is the delivery drone. unclear whether logistics firms will buy into the idea of offering Whilst they come in many configurations to serve a variety of additive manufacturing services since the expertise required are needs, drones are immensely valuable to logistics firms for three fundamentally different. Nonetheless, the technology could prove reasons. First, they avoid ground-based traffic congestion. Second, a competition for these firms and, thus, will remain on their radar. if operated autonomously, they are a versatile asset with low fixed and operating costs. Finally, they can reach hard-to-serve customers that could otherwise not be visited through the road network. This is particularly valuable in emergency situations and in developing countries where the road network is sparse. But drones are highly limited in their cargo capacity and flight range. Furthermore, they face the herculean task of overcoming many regulatory barriers. Not only are commercial drone operations illegal is most countries, but they also face a host of variety of legal, privacy, insurance, security and operational hurdles. Autonomous sidewalk delivery bots have also made headlines. These are loosely defined as small autonomous cargo-loaded vehicles that traverse sidewalks to their destinations. Software limitations Figure 3: Emerging technologies, disruptive systems and novel operational models cen- in computer vision paired with safety and privacy regulations will tral to R&D efforts. limit these bots to low speeds and potential human supervision, at least in the short term. Autonomy is not without its limitations, Operational models however. The question around the “last-ten-feet” still remains… i.e. Beyond new technologies, firms are also looking to rethink how how does an autonomous bot deliver the package to the customer’s they utilize their distribution network. Traditionally, packages are front porch or up ten flights of stairs to an apartment? Broad-based dispatched from large suburban distribution centers and taken vehicle electrification is more likely, from drones to bicycles, for two directly to the customer. As cities become more crowded, this kind reasons: 1) electric vehicle range constraints will not be an issue for of delivery is becoming less economically and environmentally

World Information Transfer World Ecology Report 7 Summer 2020 sustainable since these larger vehicles are less suited to dense urban streets. Instead, firms are Cities should understand how poor urban trying to adopt multi-tiered distribution networks where the largest vehicles are only used to logistics manifests itself across districts. transport parcels to specific urban drop points. From there, a fleet of nimbler vehicles such As the Figure 4 shows, traffic is a highly as bicycles or drones complete the “last-mile” of the delivery. This promises to be a more local phenomenon, with certain districts sustainable approach since it integrates smaller, eco-friendly vehicles solution whilst avoiding exhibiting much higher traffic throughput. their natural cargo capacity limitation. Fewer large delivery vans will need to enter urban It is tied, although not exclusively to, areas and, collectively, spend less time in the city centers. Another operational innovation the population, economic activity, is the concept of delivery and pickup lockers which we have already seen being offered by infrastructure capacity and public transit Amazon and UPS. By aggregating demand, vehicles spend less time on the road and have availability of that locality. Urban logistics make fewer stops. And by removing the need to leave packages unattended on doorsteps, is the same. Municipalities should closely less cardboard packaging and plastic bubble wrap will be needed in each parcel. From the monitor district-specific needs and their perspective of the logistics firm, the combination of new technologies and operational urban logistics woes since a solution in models will underpin the next decade in sustainable logistics. one neighborhood may not applicable to the next. Cities will need to bare this in The public sector perspective mind when drafting policies that seek to Not only does poor urban logistics have serious environmental repercussions, it also directly incentivize sustainable logistics as it could affects a city’s economic output and efficiency. Constrained by inching traffic and poor inform both the regulatory structure and livability standards, businesses will find it harder to attract labor and access other goods and concomitant public investments. Moreover, services. Cities are already experiencing the strain. Of the companies surveyed by UPS in with varying regulation, infrastructure, and 2016, 58% identified air quality and 53% noted traffic congestion as their top two concerns landscapes, each city is unique and will have regarding the future of the business environments they are situated in [7]. But without need to design its own “last-mile” strategy. deliberate municipal logistics regulation in place, a patchwork of regulatory strategies will In this way, building municipal competency slow down the advancements towards sustainable “last-mile” operations. City organizations for urban logistics that survive a single like C40, a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change, can election cycle is vital to achieve long-term achieve a certain level of harmonization which will empower private logistics firms to roll logistics success. This inherently means that out sustainable solutions at scale. Consistent municipal policy spanning multiple election the “last-mile” issue is highly decentralized cycles is equally vital. and local in regulatory scope, posing its own legislative challenges. Nonetheless, cities, being independent, can quickly adapt and become beacons of innovation and success.

Future outlook To achieve sustainable urban logistics, “last- mile” stakeholders will need to evaluate the economic and environmental value of each innovation, invest in sustainable technologies and operational models, and lay down the correct regulatory frameworks for public and private sector. Each party has an interest in improving the state of the “last- mile”. Until now, societies have fully enabled Figure 4: Greater New York City Annual Averaged Vehicle Traffic Data, 2016. Localized traffic phenomena [8]. the e-commerce industry to flourish but World Information Transfer 8 World Ecology Report Summer 2020 we have yet to face its repercussions on our agriculture. But forests play an important cities and societies in full force. Not only will role—in Ireland, for example, around 90% we see our current woes of congestion and of forested areas have been lost. A 2018 poor livability standards further deteriorate, study suggests that at least half of Europe’s but the economic and social knock-on forests have disappeared over the last 6,000 effects will become more serious. Logistics years. “There’s a huge opportunity to do firms have offered a variety of innovative reforestation and to bring back some of the solutions. Cities should capitalize on them. original function of the ecosystems there. By first taking the threat of unrestrained Tree planting and reforestation will also be “last-mile” logistics more seriously, cities essential in Europe as areas heat up—this will be in a strong position to lay down the will be a strategy not just for biodiversity but right mix of policy guidelines and incentive THE EUROPEAN in helping cities stay cooler.” Some cities, like schemes that enable firms to deploy their UNION IS GOING TO Madrid, are already beginning to add more solutions but also encourage citizens to PLANT 3 BILLION greenery to prepare. Tree planting can also adopt sustainable consumption practices. TREES BY 2030. help fight climate change, another major Poor leadership could sap investment The European Union is planning to plant reason that species are threatened. budgets and set cities behind innovation 3 billion trees, over the next decade in one curves, maybe perpetually. If done right, piece of a larger commitment to protect logistics firms, cities and the public can reap nature on the continent. This comes at a the benefits sooner rather than never. time when a million species, globally, are Author: FARRI GABA now at risk of extinction, and biodiversity WIT Youth Representative loss also threatens future pandemics. In Bringing back more trees, along with Sources: 1. "The Future of the Last-Mile Ecosystem," a new strategy document, the European protecting the forests that still exist, could World Economic Forum, 2020. 2. J. Clement, "Retail e-commerce sales Commission says it now aims to protect also help wildlife rebound. “If you look worldwide from 2014 to 2023," Statis- ta, 19 March 2020. [Online]. Avail- 30% of the region’s land and oceans, based at the areas around Chernobyl that were able: https://www.statista.com/ statistics/379046/worldwide-retail-e- on science that suggests that amount is abandoned and forest were able to regrow, commerce-sales/. [Accessed April 2020]. 3. "Statista," Statista, 16 05 2020. [Online]. necessary to preserve biodiversity. it’s incredible the diversity of wildlife that has Available: https://www.statista.com/. 4. [4] "Average last-mile delivery cost According to Brian O’Donnell, director of quickly returned to that area,” he says. “So worldwide in 2018, by type of costs," Statista, 26 August 2019. [Online]. the nonprofit Campaign for Nature, “this is there is hope that some areas of Europe that Available: https://www.statista.com/sta- tistics/973182/last-mile-delivery-aver- the first truly serious, continent-wide, all- have been devoid of significant biodiversity, age-cost/. [Accessed April 2020]. 5. M. R. Hannah Ritchie, "Urbanization," of-government biodiversity strategy that with some major restoration work, can see Our World In Data, 16 05 2020. [On- line]. Available: https://ourworldindata. we’ve seen. It addresses both conserving and a new abundance of wildlife—of birds, of org/urbanization. 6. "World’s population increasingly urban protecting the best of nature that remains insects, of mammals—that will help make with more than half living in urban ar- eas," United Nations, 10 July 2014. [On- and restoring new areas. Brian further it a much healthier system in terms of its line]. Available: https://www.un.org/ en/development/desa/news/population/ stated that the tree-planting component is natural biodiversity.” The next step, he says, world-urbanization-prospects-2014. html. [Accessed April 2020]. something that will get a number of people’s is for Europe to create a formal strategy 7. "The Road to Sustainable Urban Logis- tics," United Parcel Service of America, attention. But it’s only one part of what he and each country to make plans for where 2017. 8. "Traffic Data Viewer," Department of thinks is a comprehensive biodiversity restoration and protection of natural areas Transportation, 2016. [Online]. Avail- able: https://www.dot.ny.gov/tdv. [Ac- strategy for Europe.” will happen. cessed April 2020]. Other parts of the plan include limiting SOURCES: https://www.fastcompany. com/90506965/the-eu-is-going-to-plant-3-billion- pesticide pollution and new approaches to trees-by-2030

World Information Transfer World Ecology Report 9 Summer 2020 DUTCH GOVERNMENT over the past decade. The Dutch government announced on 24 April ANNOUNCED EMISSIONS CUTS the adoption of 30 measures out of Urgenda's '54 climate solutions' The Dutch government announced a bold set of climate policies - which were developed in collaboration with 800 organizations and designed to reduce annual carbon emissions by nearly 10 megatons. civil society groups. The crucial change is the 75 percent reduction In 2013, the non-profit Dutch environmental foundation Urgenda, in the capacity of the country's three coal-fired power station, which on behalf of around 900 citizens, sued the state for the government's are all due to close by 2030. Additionally, the government proposes failure to take responsibility for the Netherlands' contribution to the to lower the maximum speed on highways during daytime hours climate crisis. and set up several subsidy schemes for renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.

In total, the government is expected to invest more than €3bn, including €2bn for mostly roof-top solar projects, €300m for household energy-saving measures such as double glazing, €360m to compensate farmers for livestock reductions, and €30m for LED lighting. Paul van der Zanden, a spokesperson for the economics and climate ministry, says “Finding social support was important for these 2020 climate goals. Urgenda gave a great help in the search for climate Markus Distelrath, pixels measures that citizens can take themselves.” Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/04/ After a seven-year legal battle, the Supreme Court in the Netherlands climate-action-under-duress-how-dutch-were-forced-into-emissions- cuts ruled in December that current climate Dutch policies were inadequate - forcing the government to act to reduce emissions to 25% below 1990 levels by the end of 2020 at the latest. WALES TO PLANT A HUGE The Netherlands is now a proving ground for environmental lawsuits. NATIONAL FOREST A similar case to cap nitrogen pollution was won in 2018, and one of the lawyers from the Urgenda case has partnered with Friends of the Wales announced the government-led, Earth to sue Shell, which is headquartered in The Hague. $5.9 million project to create a National There are more than 1,500 climate lawsuits either complete or Forest in order to preserve nature, ongoing in the world, including similar cases in Ireland and Norway, improve biodiversity, and sequester but this is by far the most successful to date. Michael Gerrard, the carbon from the atmosphere. Other director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia goals include their "commitment to University, says the Dutch case is the “strongest climate change tackling climate change." The plan is set decision ever issued by a court” and the only one that has forced to plant on 5,000 acres of land each year government policy. to eventually increasing to 10,000 acres According to UN Environment’s latest emissions gap report, this per year in order to hopefully meet their will require unprecedented global greenhouse gas cuts of 7.6% a mark of reducing carbon emissions by year over the next decade. World emissions have risen in most of 80% by 2050. the recent years. Source: https://www.greenmatters.com/p/wales-build- ing-national-forest At 12 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per person in 2017, Dutch emissions per capita are one of the highest in the EU and have barely fallen

World Information Transfer 10 World Ecology Report Summer 2020 ALGAE TRANSPLANT COULD Built for children and youth ages 5-18, it spans 30 school days that PROTECT CORAL REEFS FROM run between Earth Day and World Environment Day on June 5, WARMING SEAS which this year will take place under the banner of Time for Nature. “Billions of children are currently out of school because of CO- VID-19. But learning cannot stop. COVID-19 has revealed how deeply interconnected all life on this planet is,” said UNEP’s Exec- utive Director, Inger Andersen. “I am delighted that UNEP, along with TED-Ed and other collaborators, are launching Earth School. Learning about the natural world will be critical to building a better and sustainable future for all.”

It may be possible to protect coral reefs from the warming oceans by colonizing them with heat-resistant algae. Patrick Buerger at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and his colleagues have developed ‘heat-tolerant’ corals, in a breakthrough that could prove a lifeline for the world’s coral reefs. They heated Symbiodiniaceae algae to 31°C in a laboratory for four years to train it to tolerate more Despite being confined to their homes, this project shows that heat than it is used to. The algae eventually evolved genetic changes students, parents and teachers throughout the world can still engage that hinted at greater heat resistance. The adapted coral can survive in science-based learning and adventures together. Earth School is temperatures similar to those seen in ocean heatwaves which have a collaboration between so many talented educators and incredible caused mass bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in recent years. The partners from around the world, which is why we’re proud and world is on track to blow past the climate thresholds that would keep thrilled to see the initiative feeding the global curiosity of home- corals alive, making the Australian discovery potentially crucial for bound students, all of whom are the future environmental stewards the future of the world’s corals. of our planet. This platform is a gateway to some of the most inspiring Source: https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/heat-resistant-coral- lessons on nature and the environment, and each lesson comes with reefs-climate-change-australia-2852519 practical and fun activities that students can engage with and share,” said Logan Smalley, founding director of TED’s youth and education EARTH SCHOOL’ LAUNCHES initiative, TED-Ed. IN TIME OF COVID-19 The lessons were curated by a team of environmental education In response to the COVID-19 crisis, an unprecedented coalition has experts including Kathleen Usher Ph.D, Jessie Oliver and Juliane come together to launch “Earth School,” which provides free, high- Voss, who worked with over 100 contributors in creating Earth quality educational content to help students, parents and teachers School. The initiative is in support of SDG 4.7 and the Decade of around the world who are currently at home. Initiated by the United Delivery and will contribute towards the Global Education Coalition Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and TED-Ed, Earth launched by UNESCO in the past months to convene governments, School takes students on a 30-day “Adventure” through the natural technology partners and leaders in the education field to keep pupils world. learning. As part of this coalition, UNEP will be exploring how this The curated Earth School content features videos, reading materials content can be adapted and shared with children who aren’t able to and activities — which will be translated into 10 languages — to access the Internet. help students gain an understanding of the environment while Source: https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press- release/earth-school-launches-keep-students-connected-nature-time- considering their role within it. This is the biggest online learning covid-19 initiative in UNEP’s history and is available for free on TED-Ed’s website. World Information Transfer World Ecology Report 11 Summer 2020 said lead author Colin Raymond from monitoring system. Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Interna- tional/deforestation-amazon-rainforest- Earth Observatory. accelerates-amid-covid-19-pandemic/ story?id=70526188 Source: https://www.theguardian.com/ environment/2020/may/08/climate-change- global-heating-extreme-heat-humidity COLD WAR NUKE TESTS CHANGED DEFORESTATION OF RAINFALL AMAZON RAINFOREST ACCELERATES In the midst of the pandemic, the Brazilian government is again advancing controversial UNBEARABLE BOUTS legislation regarding indigenous OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY lands, potentially compounding tribes’ ON THE RISE vulnerability to invasion and infection. In Intolerable bouts of extreme humidity and April, Bolsonaro’s indigenous affairs agency, heat that could threaten human survival are FUNAI, passed the controversial law IN 09. Nuclear bomb tests during the Cold War may on the rise across the world. The number of have changed rainfall patterns thousands potentially fatal humidity and heat events of miles from the detonation sites, new doubled between 1979 and 2017, and are research has revealed. The study, which increasing in both frequency and intensity, was published in Physical Review Letters, according to the study published in Science used records from 1962 to 1964 compiled Advances. In dry conditions, the body by a research station in Scotland. Scientists sweats out excess heat through the skin, studied days with high and low radioactively where it then evaporates away. Humidity generated charge and found that clouds were impedes evaporation and can even halt it The new rule prevents long-held indigenous visibly thicker. completely in extreme conditions. In theory, lands waiting for official demarcation from They also discovered that there was, on humans cannot survive above 35C on the being labelled as “indigenous” in the land average, 24 percent more rain on the days wet bulb scale. registry as they wait. Environmental groups with more radioactivity. “By studying allege the new law provides a route for those the radioactivity released from Cold War who illegally occupy indigenous lands to weapons tests, scientists at the time learnt claim the land is not indigenous. According about atmospheric circulation patterns,” to Greenpeace, the seemingly obscure rule said Prof. Giles Harrison of the U.K.’s change will have drastic consequences for University of Reading and the study’s lead the nearly one third of indigenous lands author, in a statement. The race to develop still awaiting official designation by the nuclear weapons was a key feature of the government. Deforestation in the Brazilian Cold War, as the world’s superpowers sought If the body’s core overheats, organs can Amazon rose more than 50% in the first to demonstrate their military capabilities quickly begin to fail and lead to death within three months of 2020 compared to the same during heightened tensions following the hours. “Previous studies projected that this three-month period last year, according Second World War would happen several decades from now, to preliminary satellite data released by Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/re- but this shows it’s happening right now,” the Brazilian Space Agency’s deforestation leases/2020/05/200513111415.htm

World Information Transfer 12 World Ecology Report Summer 2020 together with UN partners, will convene. a High-Level Meeting on Sustainable Ocean Business and the 2030 Agenda. Senior executives from business, academia, civil society, the United Nations and Governments will be invited to participate in a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the role of businesses and governments to ensure a more healthy and productive ocean by 2030

Source: https://www.unglobalcompact.org/take-action/events/1746-online-high-level-meet- ing-on-sustainable-ocean-business

WIT VIRTUAL VOICES UN WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY’ 5 JUNE WIT Virtual Voices is our digital programme sharing knowledge and information about World Environment Day 2020 would be celebrated on Friday, 5th June, 2020 in Colombia. pertinent topics - especially the link between World Environment Day 2020: theme will be on “Biodiversity.” UN Environment degrading environments and diminished Programme (UNEP) announced that Colombia will be hosting World Environment Day human health. We have organized a series of 2020 in partnership with Germany. The main focus of World Environment Day 2020 would webinars to host thematic discussions with be on Biodiversity. World Environment Day external and internal speakers from WIT’s network. 2020 is widely celebrated in more than 143 countries. It is Scheduled Programs: 10 am EST popularly being called “People’s Day” to show their care and Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev - May 22 Dr. Bernard Goldstein - June 3 support for the Earth and their Ms. Irena Zubcevic - June 5 environment. Knowing the ways to protect the environment is important, look in detail Dr. William Rom - June 9 about the objectives, themes, and history of World Environment Day. Mr. Richard Whiteford - June 12 Source: https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/ Dr. Brian R. Landsberg - June 26 Dr. Igor Spiniov - TBA Apurv Gupta - TBA 845th INTERNATIONAL ONLINE CONFERENCE ON Farri Gaba - TBA ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL SCIENCE (ICENS) Please register. Date: 3rd - 4th June, 2020 Organizer email address: [email protected] Organizer: International Conference on Environment and Natural Science ONLINE HIGH-LEVEL 845th International Conference on Environment and Natural Science (ICENS) will be held MEETING ON SUSTAINABLE on 3rd - 4th June, 2020. ICENS is to bring together innovative academics and industrial OCEAN BUSINESS experts in the field of Environment and Natural Science to a common forum. Date: 2nd June, 2020 from 09:00-10:45 amET The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities Organizer email address: ocean@unglobal- in Environment and Natural Science. Another goal is to promote scientific information compact.org interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working Organizer: the UN Global Compact in and around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform As a stepping stone towards the UN Ocean for people to share views and experiences in Environment and Natural Science related areas. Conference, the UN Global Compact, Source: http://iastem.org/Conference2020/Norway/1/ICENS/

World Information Transfer World Ecology Report 13 Summer 2020 Point of View (from Page 16) These events are staring our leaders right in the face, but our monot- 11th INTERNATIONAL onous drone of warnings present them with such an inconvenient CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL truth that they prefer to ignore it. It doesn’t have to be this way. ENGINEERING AND APPLICATION A giant first step would be to divert government fossil industry (ICEEA 2020) investments into clean energy technologies. An IEA analysis Date: 28th - 30th June 2020 report shows that governments drive around 70% of global energy Organizer email address: [email protected] investments. Organizer: International Conference on Environmental The climate crisis dictates that governments divert those investments Engineering and Applications. 2020 11th International Conference into sustainable energy. Yet, according to information compiled on Environmental Engineering and Applications (ICEEA 2020) by Bloomberg, since the Paris Climate Change Agreement banks is the premier forum for the presentation of new advances and financed over $700 billion in fossil industry projects. It’s no wonder research results in the fields of theoretical, experimental, and applied renewable energy businesses can’t thrive when the finances are Environmental Engineering and Applications. The conference will biased toward the fossil industry creating such an enormous unfair bring together leading researchers, engineers, and scientists in the playing field! domain of interest from around the world. Considering that governments hold the power to drive investments, Source: http://www.iceea.org/ they are also the only ones with the power to fund and support large research projects and infrastructure changes like retooling power 8th WORLD CONGRESS AND EXPO ON grids and converting energy resources from fossil to renewables on GREEN ENERGY large regional or national scales. They need to be driving investments Date:15th-16th June, 2020 toward solar, wind, nuclear, hydrogen, new battery technologies, and Organizer: Conference Series LLC LTD carbon capture technologies and energy efficient buildings. The Coronavirus isolation proves to us how efficient working at home can be for certain sectors of the economy. Jobs that can be done via telecommuting reduces the time and money needed to commute to and from the workplace. Corporations would save millions of dollars and valuable work time by not traveling to offsite meetings and conferences by holding webinars instead. If this were to become permanent, it would reduce city traffic, the need for so many parking lots, the strain on public transportation and reduce the CO2 and pollution emissions associated with it. Universities worldwide should use their talents and resources to provide research and technical innovations that will move us into the new energy paradigm. Creating a new clean energy economy can create a better Resister: https://greenenergy.environmentalconferences.org/ job market for thousands of people. The 8th World Congress and Expo on Green Energy Webinar during The billionaire leaders of the free market system and our June 15-16, 2020 is held. The relative novel nature of the conference is governments are making it quite clear that nothing is going to to bring advancement in the field of utilization of natural resources. change as long as the money keeps rolling in. Greta ‘s parting words Green Energy Webinar 2020 is the integration of new technologies in a rally in Stockholm, Sweden said it well, “It shouldn’t be up to us in the field of environmental science to help Environmental children and teenagers to make people wake up around the world. Professionals harness the full potential of their practice. The ones in charge should be ashamed.” Author: RICHARD WHITEFORD WIT Board of Directors

World Information Transfer 14 World Ecology Report Summer 2020 World Information Transfer World Information Transfer is a Non-Profit, 501(c)3, World Ecology Report Non-Governmental Organization World Information Transfer, Inc. in General Consultative Status (ISSN #1080-3092) with the United Nations, Promoting World Information Transfer, Inc., (WIT) is a not-for-profit, non-govern- Health and Environmental Literacy. mental organization in General Consultative Status with the United Na- 475 Park Avenue South, 22nd Floor tions, promoting environmental health and literacy. In 1987, inspired by New York, NY 10016 Board of Directors the Chornobyl (Ukrainian spelling) nuclear tragedy, in Ukraine, WIT was TELEPHONE: (212) 686-1996 formed in recognition of the pressing need to provide accurate actionable FAX (212) 686-2172 Dr. Christine K. Durbak, information about our deteriorating global environment and its effect on E-MAIL: [email protected] CHAIR & CEO human health. WIT exercises its mandate through: ELECTRONIC EDITION AVAILABLE Roland DeSilva http://www.worldinfo. org EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIR • World Ecology Report (WER). Published since 1989, the Dr. Claudia Strauss World Ecology Report is a quarterly digest of critical issues in health FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF : VICE CHAIR and environment, produced in four languages and distributed to Dr. Christine K. Durbak Apurv Gupta thousands of citizens throughout the developing and developed world. MANAGING EDITOR: SECRETARY Fred Yonghabi Arnaud LaFleche • Health and Environment Conferences: Since 1992, TREASURER ASSISTANT EDITOR: WIT has convened annual conferences, held at United Nations Farri Gaba headquarters on the growing clinical evidence supporting the link Sehee Oh YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE between environmental degradation and its effect on human health. CONTRIBUTORS: Mariam Azarm The Conferences have been co-sponsored by UN member states and Farri Gaba, Sehee Oh, Richard Whiteford Hon. Carolyn T. Comitta its agencies. Cary Granat TRANSLATIONS: Dr. Bernard D.Goldstein • Internship: World Information Transfer (WIT) offers intern- Chinese: Josh Lau Dr. Brian Landzberg ships at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Our Korean: Sehee Oh Dr. Patricia Myskowski goal is to assist future leaders understand what the world needs to be Ukrainian: Yaroslav Tabinsky Dr. Scott Ratzan sustainable, and to learn about issues in health and environment. Dr. Mark Robson Our interns spend the majority of their time at the United Nations REGIONAL DIRECTORS: Dr. William N. Rom Headquarters. There are 3 sessions, spring, winter and summer - all Amb. Yuriy Sergeyev require applications. CANADA: Richard Whiteford Taras Boychuk • Humanitarian Aid. In conjunction with the K.Kovshevych 625 The West Mall, ap 203 Adminictrator Foundation, WIT provides humanitarian aid to schools, and or- Etobicoke ON, M9C 4W9. Canada phanages in areas devastated by environmental degradation. Cell: (647) 781-3179 Fred Yonghabi [email protected] • Scholarship Program. WIT assists the K.Kovshevych Foun- CHINA: “We have not inherited dation, in finding intellectually gifted university students in need of financial assistance to continue their studies in areas related to health Tracy Lau, Samantha Kong the world from our 3 Hop Yat Road 4th Floor, and environment. Kowloon, Hong Kong, China forefathers... we have borrowed it from our • www.worldinfo.org WIT provides, through its website, scien- [email protected] tific presentations from our annual conferences held at the United SOUTH KOREA children” Nations, the archived World Ecology Reports, and the Speaker’s Se- Sehee Oh KASHMIRI PROVERB ries. 31-507, 12, Seogot-ro, Seo-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea [email protected] “Never doubt that a “Every student needs EASTERN EUROPE: small group of thought- Prof. Stefan Heryliv someone who says, ‘You ful committed citizens e-mail: [email protected] mean something. Prof. Anna Kapustian can change the world. e-mail: [email protected] Indeed it’s the only thing You count.’” Prof. Yaroslav Tabinskyi that ever has” -Tony Kushner, e-mail: [email protected] playwright EUROPEAN UNION: MARGARET MEAD Dr. Michel Loots (b. 16 Jul 1956) Oosterveldlaan 196 B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium Tel: 32-3-448-05-54; Fax: 32-3-449-75-74 E-Mail: [email protected] LATIN AMERICA: Prof. Patricia Munoz Tavira Willemsstraat 14/0306 1210 Brussels, Belgium E-mail: [email protected] USA: Jessica Williamson, Wayne Doyle 475 Park Avenue South, 22nd Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: 212-686-1996

World Information Transfer World Ecology Report 15 Summer 2020 POINT OF VIEW In spite of all the Earth Day celebrations, all the environmental According to the OECD-IEA’s estimates, there is around 53 years of protest rallies, all the political lobbying over decades, all the oil, 54 years of natural gas and 110 years of coal left to burn before we newspaper articles and all the United Nations Conferences of the run out. Easily more than enough to cook the planet. The U.S. Energy Parties (COP) trying to bring the attention of the urgency of climate Information Administration (EIA) projects a 28% increase in world change to the world, it took a young lady from Sweden, Greta energy use by 2040. Fossil fuels are projected to comprise 75% of that Thunberg, to get the world’s attention. based on a business-as-usual trend, global carbon dioxide emissions Realizing that if we keep burning fossil fuels, she won’t have a future are forecast to increase to some 43.08 billion metric tons in 2050, in by the time she’s in her mid-forties, she felt it was imperative to speak comparison to 35.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2018. up. She asked herself, what good is school if I won’t survive anyway, Since COVID-19 brought world industries to their knees, dropping so she started by skipping school on Fridays. She began by sitting in CO2 emissions abruptly by as much as 25% particularly in China. front of the Swedish parliament building in protest. This evolved into For one thing, this, proves that burning carbon is causing climate a movement called “#FridaysForFuture that grew to over 1.6 million change, not a natural cycle. Don’t think that we’re off the hook with youth in 133 countries. They call out governments, corporations and climate change because of the temporary decrease, we’ve pumped so their parents to stop burning fossil fuels immediately to protect their much carbon into the atmosphere that NOAA recorded carbon levels futures. at 414.50 parts per million (PPM) in March 2020. That carbon will Greta participated in the United Nations Climate Action Summit remain up there for a century or two heating up the planet. Surely, as in 2019 and emphatically appealed to attending world leaders, “Can soon as the pandemic is gone industry will slam back into gear and you hear me?” She admonished them, “Shame on you,” for doing run at breakneck capacity to regain its losses and CO2 emissions will nothing to cut carbon emissions to save humanity’s future. The GAP increase exponentially. analysis Report of 2019 states, “Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions The insanity of free market capitalism is exposed by their continuing have risen at a rate of 1.5 percent per year in the last decade. Total pursuit of a fossil-based economy while seemingly blind to the blatant GHG emissions, including from land-use change, reached a record evidence that’s staring them right in the face. Evidence like NOAA’s, high of 55.3 GtCO2e in 2018. Fossil CO2 emissions from energy shows that January 2020 was the 44th consecutive January and the use and industry, which dominate total GHG emissions, grew 2.0 421st consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th century percent in 2018, reaching a record 37.5 GtCo2 per year. As IPCC average and between Greenland and Antarctica 6.4 trillion tons of scientist Katherine Hayhoe points out, CO2 in the atmosphere is ice melted since the 1990s. In Australia over a billion animals were now higher than anytime in the last 15 million years. Nationally burned and wildfires ravished California and many other parts of Determined Contributions (NDCs) must be increased fivefold the world. Droughts and sea level rise is forcing populations to flee in 2020 to achieve the 1.5° C goal of emission cuts by 2050. Not into unwanted territories and a recent study shows that if we fail one member of the G20 countries have committed to a timeline to to cut CO2 enough to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 C climate achieve net zero emissions by 2050. damage disruption will cost the world $36 trillion.

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World Information Transfer HOW YOU CAN HELP: World Ecology Report WIT is a non-profit, international, non-governmental organization, in consultative 475 Park Ave. South, 22nd Floor status with the United Nations, dedicated to forging New York, NY 10016 understanding of the relationship between health and environment among opinion leaders and “Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens around the world. NON-PROFIT thoughtful committed citizens can ORGANIZATION change the world. Indeed it’s the U. S. POSTAGE PAID You can help us with your letters, CEDAR RAPIDS, IA 52401 your time, and/or your donations. only thing that ever has” PERMIT NO. 860 MARGARET MEAD World Information Transfer 16 World Ecology Report Summer 2020