Earthweek: Diary of a Changing World
Week ending Friday, April 5, 2024
U.S. Bird Flu
The nearly worldwide epidemic of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has now reached dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas. One Texas man tested positive for the virus after coming in contact with an infected cow but suffered only mild symptoms.
USDA experts believe the livestock were infected by migrating waterfowl and should soon recover without threatening the nation’s supply of beef.
The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. was forced to halt production and cull 2 million birds in a Texas plant after avian influenza was found in its chickens.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk of bird flu for humans is low.
Earthquakes
Taiwan’s strongest temblor in 25 years left at least 10 people dead, more than 1,000 others injured and buildings toppled.
• Earth movements were also felt in northeastern Japan, eastern Turkey, the republic of Georgia, southwestern Greece, Costa Rica and northeastern Ohio.
Death Spiral
Scientists in the Florida Keys are so far stumped as to why dozens of fish species, including sharks and rays, have been observed spinning and swirling in the water since last October before sometimes dying.
“Whatever this is, it does not discriminate based on species size, migratory pathways or behavior,” said Bonefish & Tarpon Trust biologist Ross Boucek.
Particularly affected are the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish, which are being moved to marine labs for protection.
In some cases, spinning fish have recovered after being moved to cleaner water, and a likely suspect is a toxin produced by an algae called Gambierdiscus.
It can be lethal to humans and is currently at levels five to 30 times higher than observed in the past 10 years.
Dog Domination
Hybrid wolfdogs are breeding with Europe’s decimated wolf pollution, which experts say is “polluting” the native canines’ genetic stock.
“In some regions they are all hybrids, and there is nothing you can do. You cannot send the army and kill everything,” Italy’s leading wolf expert Luigi Boitani told The Guardian.
Other experts say the crossbreeding may actually create canines better adapted to survive in a world where they are increasingly forced to live in Europe’s urban environments.
Longer Heat Waves
A study of all heat waves around the world over the past 40 years finds not only are they more frequent now, but they last for an average of 12 days compared with 8 days at the beginning of the study.
Researcher Wei Zhang at Utah State University says that the heat waves are also traveling farther in the global atmospheric circulation, meaning larger areas are being affected.
The study concludes that the more frequent and longer-lasting heat waves could lead to more devastating impacts on society, health and nature if greenhouse gases keep rising due to human activities.
Demand Surge
A new report reveals that the world’s fossil fuel producers, led by the U.S., are set to significantly increase oil and gas extraction, nearly quadrupling approved projects by the end of the decade.
Despite warnings from the International Energy Agency that new oil and gas infrastructure is not compatible with keeping global heating below the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius under the Paris climate agreement, countries and companies have surged ahead with new projects.
New oil fields equivalent to at least 20 billion barrels of oil have been discovered since 2021.
U.S. utility companies have nearly doubled their forecasts for additional power needed by 2028, largely due to the growing demand from data center expansions, including crypto mining.
Cyclone Deaths
Cyclone Gamane killed at least 18 people in Madagascar and triggered severe flooding that partially submerged villages on March 27.