Three people dead in waterbombing plane crash - Australia WildFire

A water tanker plane tackling Australia's bushfires crashed on Thursday as soaring temperatures and strong winds stoked out-of-control blazes in the country's southeast. 

The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council told CNN the casualties were American.

The crew members belonged to Coulson Aviation, an aerial firefighting company that owned the aircraft contracted to the NSW RFS.

Conditions on Thursday were dry and hot, reaching into the 40s across NSW, while wind gusts strengthened in the south-east, exceeding forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology.

Rising inequality affecting more than two-thirds of the globe, but it’s not inevitable: new UN report

The World Social Report 2020, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), shows that income inequality has increased in most developed countries, and some middle-income countries - including China, which has the world’s fastest growing economy.

The challenges are underscored by UN chief António Guterres in the foreword, in which he states that the world is confronting “the harsh realities of a deeply unequal global landscape”, in which economic woes, inequalities and job insecurity have led to mass protests in both developed and developing countries.

“Income disparities and a lack of opportunities”, he writes, “are creating a vicious cycle of inequality, frustration and discontent across generations.”

Air Pollution Statistics

Facts

Fact 1: An average American breathe 2 gallons of air per minute which means around 3400 gallons of air each day.

Fact 2: Inhaling air pollution takes away at least 1-2 years of a typical human life.

Fact 3: It has effects as small as burning eyes and itchy throat to as large as breathing problems and death.

Fact 4: Pollutants that are released into the air, as opposed to land and water pollutants, are the most harmful.

Fact 5: Rising levels of air pollution in Beijing has brought a new disease – Beijing cough.

Fact 6: Air pollution is not a recent occurrence. In 1952, the Great Smog of London killed 8000 people.

Fact 7: Deaths caused by air pollution cost the European Union €161 billion.

FURTHER READING

Brunekreef, B., & Holgate, S. T. (2002). Air pollution and health. Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11274-8

Kampa, M., & Castanas, E. (2008). Human health effects of air pollution. Environmental Pollution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2007.06.012

Riojas-Rodríguez, H., Romieu, I., & Hernández-Ávila, M. (2017). Air pollution. In Occupational and Environmental Health. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190662677.003.0018

Nearly half a billion people can’t find decent work; unemployment set to rise: new UN labour report

After nine years of relatively stable global unemployment, the World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2020 puts the rising jobless numbers down to a stagnating global economy.

The number of people unemployed around the world stands at some 188 million. In addition, 165 million people don’t have enough paid work, and 120 million have either given up actively searching for work or otherwise lack access to the labour market.

Earlier in January, a UN report on the economy showed that developed countries are experiencing slow growth, and some African countries are stagnating. The consequence is that not enough new jobs are being created to absorb the growing labour force as it enters the market. In addition, many African countries are experiencing a drop in real incomes and a rise in poverty. 

Climate crisis ‘affecting quality of life and fueling discontent’

The climate crisis, as well as persistently high inequalities, and rising levels of food insecurity and undernourishment, is affecting the quality of life in many societies and fuelling discontent, the UN warned on Thursday, on the publication of the 2020 World Economic Situation Report (WESP). - UN News

If the world continues to rely on fossil fuels over the next few years, and emissions in developing countries rise to the level of those in richer nations, global carbon emissions would increase by more than 250 per cent, with potentially catastrophic results.

The report’s authors insist that the world’s energy needs must be met by renewable or low-carbon energy sources, which will lead to environmental and health benefits, such as lower air pollution, and new economic opportunities for many countries.

Philippines volcano: UN stands ready with support, as thousands told to flee

In explosive eruptions last Sunday, the Taal Volcano, located on the island of Luzon, some 70 kilometres south of the capital city of Manila, began to violently spew magma, which has led to the evacuation of more than 38,000 people to 198 evacuation centers so far.

A time-lapse video of Taal Volcano, located in Batangas province, taken on 12 January when volcanic activity intensified and generated a tall steam-laden column of up to 15 km with volcanic lightning and wet ashfall that reached Metro Manila. (Video credit: I. Brinas-Pamintuan) pic.twitter.com/W5zTt6YOwG

— OCHA Philippines (@OCHAPhilippines) January 13, 2020

Within hours, the volcano shot a mile-high plume of ash and triggered multiple earthquakes. Taal has had at least 35 reported eruptions since records began, most recently in 1977.

The country of 105 million sits on the Pacific Ocean’s “ring of fire”, where seismic activity is frequent.  

Although eruptions had eased by Wednesday, Taal remains on level four of a five-step alert level, signaling the possibility of a flare-up within hours or days that still threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. 

2019, the second warmest year as confirmed by the UN

“The average global temperature has risen by about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era and ocean heat content is at a record level,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.  

At the current trend of CO2 emission rate, we are headed towards between a 3 to 5 degree increase in temperature by the end of the century.

2019, as reported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was 1.1°C warmer than the pre industrial era.

Only 2016 was hotter, due to a very strong El Niño which causes warming, combined with long-term climate change. 

World Statistics

Temperature Anomaly Trends

• The average rate of increase since 1981 (0.17°C / 0.31°F) is more than twice as great.

• The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998, and 9 of the 10 have occurred since 2005.

• According to IPCC 2007 report, sea levels will rise by 7-23 inches by the end of this century due to global warming

• Since 1880, the average temperature has risen by 1.4-Fahrenheit degrees.

• The last two decades of the 20th century have been hottest in the last 400 years, according to climate studies.

• The Arctic is one of the worst places to be affected by global warming.

FURTHER READING

Ruedy, R., Sato, M., & Lo, K. (2010). Global surface temperature change. Reviews of Geophysics. https://doi.org/10.1029/2010RG000345

Hansen, James, Sato, M., Ruedy, R., Lo, K., Lea, D. W., & Medina-Elizade, M. (2006). Global temperature change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0606291103

Vermeer, M., & Rahmstorf, S. (2009). Global sea level linked to global temperature. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0907765106

UN moves to tackle ‘hidden abuse’ and violence against Europe’s children

Each year, at least 55 million children in Europe suffer some form of physical, sexual, emotional or psychological violence - the UN health agency (WHO).

And despite the magnitude of this figure, “it is well established that incidents of interpersonal violence are widely underreported”, according to the World Health Organization’s European Region office.

Accounting for underreporting, WHO estimates that of the 204 million children under the age of 18 across the region, 9.6 per cent experience sexual exploitation, 22.9 per cent physical abuse and 29.1 per cent emotional harm. Moreover, 700 are murdered every year

“The cost of violence against children adds up”, WHO maintained, highlighting that an estimated $581 billion is spent annually on treating victims.

“Violence against children is chilling and distressing”

— WHO Spokesperson

Volcanic Eruption in the Philippines

There are reports of a volcano spewing Lava in the Philippines. In the early hours of Monday, a weak flow of lava began seeping out of Taal volcano - located some 70km (45 miles) south of the capital Manila.

The Taal Philippines volcano is considered the second most active volcano in the country, It is positioned on an Island in the middle of a lake, it is one of the world's smallest volcanoes and has recorded at least 34 eruptions in the past 450 years.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has raised the alert level to four, meaning an "explosive eruption" could happen in the coming hours or days. Its highest alert level is five, indicating an eruption is taking place. - CNN

Inaction over climate emergency ‘not an option’ says UN Assembly chief

Tijani Muhammad-Bande was addressing the International Organization for Renewable Energy High-Level meeting on the particular threat faced by Small Island Developing States, or SIDS, and their partners in development. 

“Inaction will put at risk all life on earth as we know it”

Warned the veteran Nigerian diplomat. “Inaction will only lead to more severe and extreme weather events, land degradation and deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution and acidification of oceans, global food insecurity as well as drought and floods.” 

“Inaction will lead to continued sea level rise, risking the displacement of 280 million people from coastal areas and islands by 2050”

— Muhammed Bande

Spread of polio still an international public health concern

The opinion comes in a statement released on Tuesday following the latest meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) that provides technical advice on international public health emergencies.   

“The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for a further three months”, it said.

The Emergency Committee, which met in December, expressed concern over “the significant increase” in cases of wild poliovirus 1 (WPVI), the last of three strains to be eliminated.   

There were 28 cases in 2018, compared to 113 as at mid-December last year, “with no significant success yet in reversing this trend.”

Transmission remains widespread in Pakistan, where challenges include continued refusal to accept vaccination by individuals and communities.  There was also evidence of further spread to neighbouring Afghanistan, where ongoing instability makes scores of children inaccessible, particularly in the south. 

Population Statistics

One of the most astounding facts about population is the sheer speed at which the world population is growing.

• The world population reached 7.6 billion as of mid-2017.

• The world has added approximately one billion inhabitants over the last twelve years.

• Even with the high death rates of those living in poverty, the world population is still expanding at an incredible rate.

• The world’s population is growing by 1.10 percent per year, or approximately an additional 83 million people annually.

• The global population is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100.

• 50.4 percent of the world’s population is male and 49.6 percent is female.

• The median age of the global population, that is, the age at which half the population is older and half is younger, is 30 years.

FURTHER READING

ONU. (2015). World population, ageing. Suggested Citation: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2015). World Population Ageing. https://doi.org/ST/ESA/SER.A/390

Population Reference Bureau. (2016). 2016 World Population Data Sheet. 2015 World Population Data Sheet. https://doi.org/10.2307/1972177

UN-DESA Population Division. (2017). World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision. In World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision.

United Nations / Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2009). World Population Prospects : The 2008 Revision. In Population Newsletter. https://doi.org/21 February 2014

66 People Have Died in Indonesia's Devastating Floods

From the Jakarta flood, Indonesia, dozens of people have been reported dead while  Landslides and flash floods have displaced more than 36,000 in Jakarta and the nearby provinces of West Java and Banten, according to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA).

Mudslides and power blackouts have hampered the search for people missing in massive floods in Indonesia’s capital, where more than 60 people have died and some of the tens of thousands of evacuees are living in damp, cramped emergency shelters.

Reports say it is the worst flooding since 2007 which killed over 80 people, spanning over 10 days. More rain is forecast, with the potential for more extreme rainfall in the next month.

Economic impact of Australia's bushfires set to exceed $4.4bn cost of Black Saturday

Damages record of $4.4b from the 2009 Australian bush fire called Black Saturday is set to be broken by the intense wildfire currently battled in the Country, according to Moody Analytics.

The Moody’s economist Katrina Ell said the fires would further cripple Australia’s already anaemic consumer confidence, increasing the chances of a rate cut next month, as well as causing damage to the economy through increased air pollution and direct harm to industries such as farming and tourism.

Fires have charred about 8.4 million hectares of land compared to the 450000 from the 2009 Black Saturday blazes where about 173 people were killed. Currently, reports show that about 25 people have been killed by the ongoing fire.

Tourism in the country has already taken a significant hit during what is supposed to be a Peak season and Tourism bodies say it will cost billions to rebuild.

Record-breaking 4.9m hectares of land burned in New South Wales (Australia) this bushfire season

A record-breaking area of land has been burned in New South Wales this bushfire season, according to the latest figures released by the Rural Fire Service.

A total of 4.9m hectares – an area larger than Denmark – has been destroyed in the state during the nationwide fire crisis.

The total area burned across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania has now reached 8.4m hectares – an area larger than Scotland. At least 25 people have been killed, including three volunteer firefighters, and thousands of homes destroyed.

Statistics show that it has burned an estimated 8.4 million hectares (21 million acres; 84,000 square kilometres; 32,000 square miles), destroyed over 2,500 buildings (including over 1,300 houses) and killed 25 people as of 5 January 2020.

Investing in health workers yields ‘triple dividend - WHO chief says

“They are doing life-saving work every day, including during holidays when the rest of us are with our loved ones at home”, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), in his video message for the new year.

“But the world needs to do a better job in supporting our health workers, paying them, training them and protecting them”.

WHO estimates that the world will need another 18 million health workers, mostly in low- and middle-income countries.

He recalled that 2020 is the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, which celebrates the professionals who provide a wide range of health services “from the first moments of life to the last”.

There are 22 million nurses and two million midwives worldwide, who prevent, diagnose and treat diseases, provide expert care during childbirth and also serve people caught in humanitarian emergencies and conflicts, according to WHO. 

Pollution Statistics

Pollution Statistics

Pollution is one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100 million people. That’s comparable to global diseases like malaria and HIV.

Cleanups can save animals’ lives and discourage people from littering in the future. Take initiative and host a cleanup -- wearing anything but clothes! -- at a park near you. Sign up for 

In 1975, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that ocean-based sources, such as cargo ships and cruise liners had dumped 14 billion pounds of garbage into the ocean.

Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every year.

People who live in places with high levels of air pollutants have a 20% higher risk of death from lung cancer than people who live in less-polluted areas.

Further Reading

1. World Health Organization. "Climate change and health." 2014. Web Accessed April 25, 2015. ↩︎

2. Keep America Beautiful. “LITTER IN AMERICA.” 2010. Web Accessed April 25, 2015. ↩︎

3. California Coastal Commission. "Marine Debris." State of California. Web Accessed April 25, 2015. ↩︎

4. United Nations Environment Programme. "Marine Liter: Trash that Kills." Web Accessed April 25, 2015. ↩︎

5. Grens, Kerry. "Air pollution tied to lung cancer in non-smokers." Thomas Reuters, 2011. Web Accessed April 25, 2015. ↩︎

Secretary-General calls for global participation in UN75 dialogues for better future for all

The UN75 initiative is  described as a "global reality check" to spark conversations  around building a better future for all.

As the UN prepares to turn 75, we want to hear your views on how to tackle the biggest challenges of our time.

Four innovative data streams will capture discussions across the world, and in diverse settings, to build the first-ever repository of crowd-sourced solutions to major global challenges.  

The UN75 dialogues – together with a ‘One-minute Survey’, opinion polling in 50 countries, and an artificial intelligence sentiment analysis of traditional and social media in 70 countries – will generate compelling data to inform national and international policies and debate

UN Secretary-General António Guterres will present the views and ideas that are generated to world leaders and senior UN officials at a high-level event on 21 September to mark the Organization's 75th anniversary.

Sub-Saharan Africa faces grave hunger challenges in 2020: UN food relief agency

According to the World Food Programme (WFP) 2020 Global Hotspots Report, millions of people in Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central Sahel region will require life-saving food assistance in the coming months – the sheer scale and complexity of which will stretch the UN food relief agency’s capacity to the limit and require generous donor support for a ramped-up humanitarian response.

WFP Executive Director David Beasley spelled out: “WFP is fighting big and complex humanitarian battles on several fronts at the start of 2020”.

“WFP is fighting big and complex humanitarian battles on several fronts at the start of 2020 ”

— WFP chief

“In some countries, we are seeing conflict and instability combine with climate extremes to force people from their homes, farms and places of work”, he elaborated. “In others, climate shocks are occurring alongside economic collapse and leaving millions on the brink of destitution and hunger.”