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Showing posts from May, 2022

An example of a tropical storm - Cyclone Megi - Reported 22/4/2022

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 Taken from an article in The Guardian Weekly  " Storm Megi kills 148 with many missing feared dead .  The death toll from landslides and floods in the Philippines rose to the 148 last week with scores missing and feared dead, official said, as rescuers dug up more bodies with bare hands and backhoes in crushed villages.  Most of the deaths from tropical storm Megi - the strongest to hit the archipelago this year - were in the central province of Leyte, where a series of landslides devastated communities.  Megi, which made landfall on 11th April with sustained winds of up to 65 kph and gusts of upto 80 kph, has since dissipated.  The disaster-prone region is regularly ravaged by storms with scientists warning they are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of human-driven climate change." Video of Tropical Storm Megi - cyclone Megi Questions to be asked: Would the landslides have been less worse if there had been less deforestation (removal of trees)? Will tr

Pollution News

 Taken from The Guardian Weekly 22/4/2022 " Residues of sunscreen show up in Mediterranean seagrass Chemicals used in sunscreen lotions are accumulating in Mediterranean seagrass, a study has found.  Scientists discovered ultraviolet filters in the stems of Posidonia oceania , a seagrass species found on the coast of Mallorca and endemic to the Mediterranean Sea.  The researchers believe the contamination is the result of recreational activities and waste discharges in the tourist destination.  Varying concentrations of sunscreen components, including oxybenzone, benzylidene camphor,  and methyl parabens, were found in samples; while the full effects of the chemicals are unknown, the researchers are concerned about potential harmful effects." Questions to ask: What is meant by the term "endemic"? Why should we worry about contaminated seagrass, it's only at the bottom of the food chain? Have you heard about the Osprey and a pesticide called DDT?