US Mayors and Governors united in keeping with the Paris Accord

Cnn.com – June 2017 – USA |

In a recent press meeting, Trump has confirmed that he will be taking the USA out of the Paris accord, a global agreement on reducing emissions and limiting climate change.

 

This news has quite rightly been met by large amounts of opposition and outcry from fellow Politicians, who can clearly see the benefits on both national and international scales of adhering to the treaty.

 

In spite of Trump’s stupidity, a number of Mayors and Governors have confirmed they will be keeping to the treaty, and honor the goals to reduce global warming.

 

It will be interesting to see how this rift will affect American politics. It is clear that Trump has made a number of controversial decisions in relation the environment in his short tenure. Will this come back to bite him in the not see distant future?

 

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Futuristic solution to the Pacific Garbage patch ready for action

Engadget.com | May 2017 | Global |

Ocean pollution in the form of plastics is one of the greatest threats to environmental health that our planet faces at present. Year on year, increasing amounts of plastic are being dumped into our oceans, negatively affecting delicate ecosystems and environmental phenomena. As part of this, the ‘great pacific garbage patch’ has developed, a collection of various types of pollutants and plastics, being brought together by major ocean currents.

To deal with this issue, The Ocean Cleanup, a dutch foundation, have developed a novel system for collecting and basically harvesting the tonnes upon tonnes of plastic debris in our seas. They system works by using floating 50, 0.6 mile length screens anchored to the ocean floor, to capture and trap debris and moved by the currents.

A statement from the organizations leader, Boyan Slat, said that they expected the system to be able to clean up half of the massive garbage patch in 5 years, at a relatively low cost (in comparison to other and earlier designs).

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“Boston public schools map switch aims to amend 500 years of distortion”

Theguardian.com – Mar 2017 – USA |

Don’t pretend that this cartographical conundrum hasn’t been keeping you up at night.

The Mercator projection has long been a topic of debate within mapping enthusiast circles. It is almost ubiquitously used in contemporary maps and atlases, and many would recognize its projection of our planet. Western-Europe at the center of our globe, with a sprawling northern hemisphere in comparison to it’s southern half.

The Mercator projection distorts out planet. South America and Africa appear drastically smaller than they are in reality, with areas such as Europe, America and Greenland being inversely enlarged. Schools in Boston however are looking to shake things up for its students and restore some geographical truth to their classrooms.

The maps they use will now feature the lesser known Peter’s projection, which cuts US, Britain, and the rest of Europe down to size.

Many are hailing the move as an important step in removing colonial thinking from contemporary society. These new maps will remove the focus and exaggerated sizing of imperialist powers. It is hoped this slight shift will help promote a more universal and truthful understanding of Earth for future generations, moving away from western-centric discourses of our planet.

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“We have some good news on the California Drought. Take a look”

Nytimes.com – Mar 2017 – US |

California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range is not only aesthetically stunning, but it also crucial for fresh water supplies in the area.

Snow melt during the spring and summer recharges California’s lakes and rivers, allowing for water intensive activities. Crops can be irrigated and drinking water supplies can be recharged for the growing population.

In recent years, the area has seen increasing drought periods owing to reduced levels of precipitation and snow formation in the mountain range. This year, however, has been surprisingly positive, as found research funded through a NASA programme.

2017’s winter snow blanket is surprisingly thick and expansive. Areas that have in recent years remained uncovered during snow-fall months, are once more submerged in ice and snow.

It may be too early to start rejoicing and considering drought as a thing of the past for California. There will always be water pressure in the region owing to the large population, harsh climate, and relatively low levels of naturally occurring water. However, with increasing action and regulations being undertaken globally to reduce green house gas emissions and climate change, may this be an indicator of years to come?

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