Geneva (AFP) Sept 22, 2021 The World Health Organization strengthened its air quality guidelines on Wednesday, saying air pollution was now one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, causing seven million premature deaths a year. Urgent action is needed to reduce exposure to air pollution, said the UN body, ranking its burden of disease on a par with smoking and unhealthy eating. “WHO … Continue reading WHO says air pollution kills 7 mn a year, toughens guidelines

Copenhagen (AFP) Sept 21, 2021 Air pollution remains too high in most European countries and represents a major health risk, the continent’s environmental watchdog warned in a report released Tuesday. During 2019 and into 2020, levels of particulate matter, ground-level ozone and nitrogen dioxide were still above both WHO and EU guidelines, the European Environmental Agency reported. Its report examined concentrationshttp://dlvr.it/S8FW5v Continue reading Agency sounds alert on European air pollution

The Hague (AFP) Sept 21, 2021 The Netherlands faces a more serious threat from climate change and rising sea levels than previously thought, King Willem-Alexander said Tuesday, adding the low-lying country must do more to protect itself. “Climate change is without a doubt the most pressing problem,” the king said in his annual speech opening parliament that is written by the prime minister and his … Continue reading Dutch face more serious climate threat than first thought: king

United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 23, 2021 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday cast UN climate talks in Glasgow in November as a last chance for humanity as he made a passionate appeal for the world to slash carbon emissions. In a characteristically colorful speech before the United Nations as he seeks success in Glasgow, Johnson urged humanity not to treat the planet … Continue reading Johnson says Glasgow climate talks ‘turning point for humanity’

Geneva (AFP) Sept 22, 2021 The pristine turquoise waters of Lake Geneva may appear serene, but lurking below are piles of bombs, cartridges and possibly even chemical weapons discarded decades ago. Long believed to be safely slumbering beneath thick layers of protective sediment, the munitions at the bottom of the biggest lake in the Alps have raised fresh safety and environmental concerns. “We believe there … Continue reading What lies beneath: Swiss search for bombs at bottom of Lake Geneva

Muse , Myanmar (AFP) Sept 22, 2021 Delivering vaccines to Myanmar’s junta, but also to rebel groups that are the generals’ sworn enemies, China is playing both sides to fight the coronavirus and strengthen its hand in the messy politics of its southern neighbour. Beijing has already handed over nearly 13 million doses to the generals, who ousted Aung San Suu Kyi in February and … Continue reading Shots in the dark: China sends Covid aid to Myanmar rebels

Al-Jabalain, Sudan (AFP) Sept 22, 2021 South Sudanese refugee Dawood Kour fled to Sudan to turn the page on a life of displacement, only to be forced onto the streets once more after floodwaters submerged his rickety shelter. Kour crossed the border in November, fleeing years of conflict in his home city of Malakal – itself prone to flooding. South Sudan became the world’s newest … Continue reading South Sudanese refugees homeless again after Sudan floods

Paris (ESA) Sep 21, 2021 Maharloo Lake, a seasonal salt lake in Iran, is featured in this image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. Maharloo sits at an altitude of around 1400 m above sea level and is located around 27 km southeast of Shiraz, in southwest Iran. Yearly evaporation in the desert region is much greater than the yearly rainfall, meaning the lake is … Continue reading Earth from Space: Maharloo Lake

Pasadena CA (JPL) Sep 21, 2021 Charged with studying the Mississippi River Delta, NASA’s Delta-X project was gearing up to collect data on Louisiana’s coastal wetlands when Hurricane Ida barreled ashore in late August. The storm – a high-end Category 4 when it made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on Aug. 29 – damaged buildings and infrastructure alike, resulting in power outages, flooding, and oil … Continue reading Delta-X helps with disaster response in wake of Hurricane Ida

Paris (AFP) Sept 17, 2021 Rich countries are making little progress towards meeting their pledge to provide $100 billion a year to poorer nations to combat climate change, the OECD said Friday. Developing countries, which bear the greatest impact from climate change, received $79.6 billion in 2019, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said in its latest report on the issue. That is … Continue reading Rich nations make ‘disappointing’ progress in climate finance: OECD