Earthweek: Diary of a Changing World
Week ending Friday, February 2, 2024
The Body Plastic
A new study by the Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto found microplastics now contaminate more than a dozen kinds of protein consumed by humans, including beef, breaded shrimp and even tofu.
The breaded shrimp examined contained nearly 400 tiny pieces of microplastic per servings, followed by plant-based nuggets with around 80 bits and chicken nuggets with around 65. Pollock fish sticks were found to contain around 55.
Researchers estimate that Americans could be consuming at least 11,000 pieces of microplastic each year.
“There’s no way to hide from plastics if you’re eating,” said George Leonard, one of the study’s authors.
Earthquakes
A sharp quake in a remote part of far western Brazil was also felt across neighboring Peru.
• Earth movements were also felt in Guatemala and El Salvador, Tokyo, Taiwan, the southern Philippines, Azerbaijan, western Turkey, Spain’s Grand Canary Island and far western Scotland.
Forecasters are predicting that the strong El Niño affecting weather patterns worldwide may soon be replaced by a La Niña cooling that could affect this summer’s Atlantic hurricane season.
It is rare for El Niños to last for more than a year, even strong ones that are typically soon followed by La Niñas.
Climate experts say water temperatures across the eastern tropical Pacific will return to near normal by the latter half of the Northern Hemisphere’s spring, with a further drop in sea-surface temperatures possible by the peak of the hurricane season.
The current El Niño is linked to drought in southern Africa, flooding in East Africa, wildfires in Colombia and a string of flood disasters in eastern Australia.
Bird Flu Deaths The first suspected bird flu death of a penguin in the
Antarctic region has scientists concerned the deadly H5N1 strain could rapidly spread through colonies that are now gathered closely together for breeding season.
The dead king penguin was found on South Georgia Island, where a gentoo penguin was also suspected to have died from the avian influenza virus.
Around 900 miles to the west, one gentoo penguin was confirmed dead from H5N1 on the Falkland Islands, with more than 200 dead chicks found nearby.
‘Deviant’ Wolves
A Dutch court has ruled that authorities can shoot with paintball guns wolves that could pose a threat to people.
It acknowledged that at least one “deviant” wolf in De Hoge Veluwe National Park has been approaching cyclists and hikers, showing no signs of a fear of humans.
Using pepper spray as a deterrent was deemed too dangerous, so the court ruled, “There is no other satisfactory solution than shooting the wolf with a paintball gun.”
Once near extinction, strictly protected European wolf populations have soared in recent years, with tens of thousands of domesticated animals said to be killed by the predators across the continent each year.
Groundwater Loss
A new study of 1,700 aquifers has found an “alarming” decline of water resources around the world.
Researchers from University of California, Santa Barbara say groundwater is dropping in 71% of the aquifers — accelerating in many places, mainly due to pumping. But they say there are places where the levels have stabilized or recovered.
“This study shows that humans can turn things around with deliberate, concentrated efforts,” said colead author Scott Jasechko.
He points to the water allotted from the Colorado River that has been used to replenish an aquifer near Tucson, Arizona.
Tropical Cyclones
Australia’s central Queensland coast escaped significant damage when Cyclone Kirrily moved ashore. However, interior areas of the state were doused by up to 16 inches of rainfall.
• Tropical Storm Candice formed briefly south of Mauritius while Cyclone Anggrek churned the Indian Ocean for a third week.