Dramatic Satellite Images Show Air Pollution Remains Low as Europeans Stay at Home

Further analyses are showing the continued low levels of nitrogen dioxide concentrations across Europe – coinciding with lockdown measures implemented to stop the spread of the coronavirus. New data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, from the European Union Copernicus program, show some cities seeing levels fall by 45—50% compared to the same period last year.


These images, using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, show the average nitrogen dioxide concentrations from  March 13 to April 13, 2020, compared to the March-April averaged concentrations from 2019. The percentage decrease is derived over selected cities in Europe and has an uncertainty of around 15% owing to weather differences between 2019 and 2020. Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2019-20), processed by KNMI/ESA

Continue reading at: Dramatic Satellite Images Show Air Pollution Remains Low as Europeans Stay at Home

To all who compare Covid-19 to the seasonal flu and think the shutdown is not necessary

To all who compare Covid-19 to the seasonal flu and think the shutdown is not necessary.

• Seasonal flues affect about 1,000,000,000 (that is 1 billion) people per year, causing 290,000 to 650,000 deaths - a death rate of 0.07%. Source: WHO March 1, 2020
• As of 4/15/2020, COVID-19 affected 1914916 people worldwide (confirmed cases) with 123010 confirmed deaths - that is a death rate of 6.42% - or about 100 times the death rate of a regular seasonal flu. Source: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/
• The only seasonal flu that was as devastating was the Spanish flue of 1918 that infected about 500 million people or one-third of the world's population and killed an estimated 50 million people (10%). Source: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/reconstruction-1918-virus.html
• All other significant epidemic and pandemic outbreaks in recent history infected far less people and/or had a much lower fatality (see Figure below)

Why we must close high-risk wildlife markets | Stories | WWF

The disease COVID-19 has caused a health crisis worldwide. We don't know the full and devastating reach of this pandemic yet, but we do understand how it underscores the destructive impacts of wildlife trade and consumption on human health and societies.

COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus, is a zoonotic disease, meaning it originated from an animal. The source of the outbreak is believed to have been a "wet market" in Wuhan, China, that sold live and dead wildlife and domestic animals, along with other foods for human consumption. Such markets can be a living petri dish, with viruses shed by stressed animals warehoused together mixing with other bodily fluids in unhygienic conditions. When these often new or unknown viruses jump to people, the results can be catastrophic.

Continue reading at: Why we must close high-risk wildlife markets | Stories | WWF

We just spent two weeks surveying the Great Barrier Reef. What we saw was an utter tragedy

Unfortunately, while the world is paralyzed by COVID-19, the climate catastrophe gets worse...


The 2020 coral bleaching event was the second-worst in more than two decades. ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Continue reading at: We just spent two weeks surveying the Great Barrier Reef. What we saw was an utter tragedy

New research suggests industrial livestock, not wet markets, might be origin of Covid-19

New research suggests industrial livestock, not wet markets, might be origin of Covid-19

Standing Rock Tribe Wins in Court After Years of Perseverance | Earthjustice

A federal judge struck down permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline, even after COVID-19 precautions led to an unconventional day in court.

Tribes and allies gathered to defend Standing Rock Sioux territory from the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016. After years of litigation, a court struck down the pipeline's water permits on March 25, 2020.

Continue reading at: Standing Rock Tribe Wins in Court After Years of Perseverance | Earthjustice

Corona Virus Rap: Flatten the Curve: Mach die Kurve flach | MaximNoise - YouTube

Now with embedded subtitles...

Flatten the Curve

Today, stay home under your own roof

Flatten the curve

Between your four walls, whether day or night

Flatten the curve

Don't just think about yourself - pay attention to others. Flatten the curve

Together we're strong; alone we're weak. Flatten the curve.

The sun's shining outside, but I'm staying in today

'Cause I think about others, too, and I'm not egotistic

Because even though I'm healthy, it sadly makes no sense

For me to make things hard for Grandma and Grandpa

So much is unknown about the virus

But it spreads aimlessly across the land, and at the same time, causes fear

So I don't cough on you or reach for your hand

We want to break these chains and slow the whole thing down

Sure, we all had other plans

But we still won't make a scene today

We're getting into quarantine

'Cause we can all meet up when it's over

So why not consider others and save a few lives on the way?

Isolation's no easy situation

But we've got to get through it, so long as viruses threaten us

We want to protect doctors and hospitals;

That's why, today, we're staying right where we live

Come and sing with me:

Today, stay home under your own roof

Flatten the curve

Between your four walls, whether day or night

Flatten the curve

Don't just think about yourself - pay attention to others

Flatten the curve

Together we're strong; alone we're weak

Flatten the curve

I flatten the curve like the paper in my toilet

And if I have no more, I wash my poop off with a rag

It'll be washed well, then hung up to dry

There'll be no trouble started here over a pack of toilet paper

Ay, I flatten the curve like my belly at my morning workout

Full energy; it makes me fit and calms my worries

I drink water, and pay attention to nutrition while I'm at it

And when this whole horrible mess is over, I'll be fit as a fiddle

I flatten the curve, flat at jokes no one laughs at

And finally we come to the things you don't1 have time for

We can learn foreign languages or read a book for once

We can play Playstation and have a good time

I flatten the curve for everyone who wouldn't make it otherwise

For everyone who's too weak, and who the curve would steal forever

'Cause this curve can be the world to someone

Just stay home and you can be a hero

Come and sing with me:

Today, stay home under your own roof

Flatten the curve

Between your four walls, whether day or night

Flatten the curve

Don't just think about yourself - pay attention to others

Flatten the curve

Together we're strong; alone we're weak

Flatten the curve

It's all just so crazy.

But one day we'll be back, stronger than ever

Avoid contact and keep your distance

Today we keep the curve flat, man, yeah

It's all just so crazy.

But one day we'll be back, stronger than ever

Avoid contact and keep your distance

Today we keep the curve flat, man, yeah

Come and sing with me:

Today, stay home under your own roof

Flatten the curve

Between your four walls, whether day or night

Flatten the curve

Don't just think about yourself - pay attention to others

Flatten the curve

Together we're strong; alone we're weak

Flatten the curve

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