Global Scans · Environment · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT:? Our natural environment is under ever-increasing threat. Landscape and ocean adaptation plus stabilizing biodiversity strategies will play an important role in maintaining global food productivity as climate changes. Evidence is mounting that any economic strategy that ignores carbon pollution will impose tremendous costs on the global economy and will result in fewer jobs and less economic growth over the long term. The global market for commercial "Earth observation" data is expected to hit $3.5 billion by 2024. Battles over environmental regulation could become particularly pointed in the coming years.

• Experts anticipate the effects of today's water crisis to be far-reaching, affecting public health, the environment, and politics in Gaza for generations. The Telegraph
• While MassWildlife and other conservation organizations have made substantial investments in land conservation within Massachusetts, many essential habitats are degraded, and vulnerable species face increasing threats from climate change. Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• Nitrogen pollution might turn a number of sub-basins in South China, Central Europe, North America, and Africa into hotspots for water scarcity. Prensa Latina
• Biodiversity loss, one of the impacts of climate change and ecosystem disruption, poses a significant threat to Earth's future. IBM Blog
• Nitrogen pollution is predicted to cause severe water scarcity in one-third of the world's river sub-basins by 2050, a new research has found. Prensa Latina
• The rise in sea temperature and salinity in the Mediterranean and the immigration of invasive species could endanger the structure and biodiversity of its seagrass meadows, which play an essential role in the marine environment. phys.org
• The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative supports efforts that confront direct threats facing the lakes like harmful algal blooms, water pollution, invasive species, and coastal erosion. Alliance for the Great Lakes
• Nitrogen pollution in rivers is an important cause of water scarcity in 2010 and will likely continue causing water scarcity in 2050. Nature
• In some communities across Indonesia, air pollution poses a threat to the health of residents, particularly children. SEADS
• HOCHTIEF's North American civil engineering subsidiary Flatiron has won two major contracts worth a total of USD 350 million for projects to combat storm surges, rising sea levels and other environmental threats resulting from climate change. MarketScreener
• While cheetahs can be found in various parts of Africa and parts of Iran, their need for vast expanses has contributed to their vulnerability, as habitat loss affects their ability to hunt effectively and inhibits their biodiversity. HowStuffWorks
• Temperate rainforests once covered vast swathes of western Britain, but the rare habitat declined due to historic deforestation and continues to face threats from air pollution, invasive species and diseases. NHBS
• The UK alone (which accounts for about 1% of global emissions) will have little impact on climate change so long as the likes of the US and China (which together account for some 45% of emissions) keep polluting. The Week UK
• The recent pause in new US LNG project permits, influenced by environmental concerns, could impact future LNG projects, potentially disrupting the global LNG supply and affecting natural gas prices in import-dependent regions. Chemical Market Analytics
• Alberta Grain's largest investment will go towards supporting research projects that improve crop management, reduce input costs and environmental impact, and increase yield and grain quality. farmnewsNOW
• Statements from military officials clarify Pakistan's nuclear policy, placing India at the center of its threat environment. Nuclear Network
• The United States now confronts a security environment featuring two nuclear-armed adversaries-Russia and China-whose forces will potentially pose significant threats to the United States and its allies. Atlantic Council
• Embracing reuse systems presents an opportunity to reduce plastic pollution by 30% by 2040 and potentially decrease greenhouse gas emissions from packaging production by a staggering 80%. Pressenza
• The EV industry's single biggest concern is securing supplies of key minerals and rare earths to feed the swelling population of battery cell gigafactories needed to supply a possible four-fold growth in demand for lithium batteries by 2030. Mining Technology
• GRPS respondents disagree about the urgency of environmental risks, in particular biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and critical change to Earth systems. Foresight - the CMCC observatory on climate policies an
• The vast natural resources of Afghanistan, such as copper, lithium, or rare earths, have significant economic potential for China. DAWN.COM
• Air pollution is now considered the world's largest environmental threat to health and accounts for 7 million premature deaths around the world each year according to the WHO. MarketScreener
• In terms of the environment, too often the U.S. government has sided with global oil and mining interests when local communities in Latin America and the Caribbean have challenged resource-extracting projects that threaten their environment and endanger public health. CounterPunch.org

Last updated: 10 February 2024