Illustration by Paige Vickers
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA — Florida has the largest concentration of freshwater springs in the world, but they are being devastated by increasing pollution anddrastic declines in water flow. Some springs have dried up from overextraction; others have shown signs of saltwater intrusion and harmful algae blooms.
At least 60 springs discharge from the Floridan aquifer into the Santa Fe River, which runs 75 miles through north-central Florida. This aquifer is the primary source of drinking water in the state. The state and local governments have continued to issue water bottling extraction permits that prevent the aquifer from recharging.
The answer to this problem is simple: No more extraction permits should be granted, and existing permits should be reduced with the goal of eliminating bottled water production entirely in Florida. At the very least, corporations should be taxed for […]
Afghans
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- In 2018, Afghans’ life ratings hit record lows, for any country
- No Afghans are “thriving” and 85% are “suffering”
- 36% of Afghans say they smiled or laughed the previous day, tying a record low
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The collapse in peace negotiations between the U.S. and Taliban has removed a potential barrier to holding Afghanistan’s presidential election as scheduled on Sept. 28. But the recent surge in Taliban attacks dispels any expectation that the election will lead to peace and stability for a people who rate their lives more poorly than any other worldwide.
Quick Summary: Gallup’s surveys in Afghanistan reveal just how devastating the country’s chronic conflict has been to Afghans’ daily lives. Wellbeing indicators paint a bleak picture of hopelessness and suffering among the population; in 2018, Afghans’ average ratings of their current lives and predicted ratings of their lives in five years matched or fell below previous record-lows for any country worldwide.
Afghans Give Record-Low Life Evaluations — For Any Country: On a ladder scale where “0” represents their worst possible […]
Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photo Getty
This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 220 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story.
As climate change spurs increasingly destructive wildfires in California, insurance companies have begun to deem certain parts of the state too risky to cover. But this particular offshoot of the climate crisis isn’t just a problem for residents of the Golden State.
Climate experts warn that areas across the country are becoming more prone to natural disasters, putting homes at risk in more ways than one.
According to new data, over 340,000 California homeowners lost property insurance coverage between 2015 and 2018 due to wildfires that are increasing in frequency and intensity. But that’s just a sample of what’s to come.
“We’re looking at entire zones now that are just totally uninsurable,” Jesse Keenan, a Harvard lecturer who focuses on urban development and climate adaptation, told The Daily Beast.
“I see no end to the challenges for insurance when […]
Credit: Nation of Change
Plastic pollution is everywhere: in our oceans, in our waterways, even in the fish that we eat. But according to a new study, a startling 97% of children were found to have plastic byproducts inside their bodies. (emphasis added)
Published in the German magazine Der Spiegel over the weekend, researchers revealed that of the over 2,500 children whose blood and urine samples were tested between 2014 and 2017, 97% tested positive for plastic byproducts.
The study was conducted by scientists at the German Environment Ministry and the Robert Koch Institute and was part of a larger federal study on “human biomonitoring” of children ages 3 to 17 years old.
“Our study clearly shows that plastic ingredients, which are rising in production, are also showing up more and more in the body. It is really worrying that the youngest children are most affected as the most sensitive group,” said Marike Kolossa-Gehring, one of the study’s authors.
Of the 15 plastics that scientists were looking for, 11 were found present in the children’s test samples. One of the most dangerous, […]
A trial to control mosquito populations using genetic engineering has gone wrong
Credit: https://depositphotos.com/16847701/stock-photo-aedes-mosquito-sucking.html
Mosquitoes are more than just a pest – they can be downright dangerous carriers of disease. One of the most innovative ideas to control populations of the bugs has been to release genetically modified male mosquitoes that produce unviable offspring. But unfortunately a test of this in Brazil appears to have failed, with genes from the mutant mosquitoes now mixing with the native population.
The idea sounded solid. Male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were genetically engineered to have a dominant lethal gene. When they mated with wild female mozzies, this gene would drastically cut down the number of offspring they produced, and the few that were born should be too weak to survive long.
Ultimately, this program should cut down the population of mosquitoes in an area – up to 85 percent, in some early tests. This of course means fewer bug-borne diseases, such as dengue, yellow fever, zika, and malaria, in humans. And since the offspring don’t live long enough […]
Remote Viewing the Year 2060
