New research shows that cases of valley fever, which in rare cases can be fatal, have risen dramatically in recent years
At least 19 people contracted valley fever, a fungal infection that in rare cases can be fatal, after attending an outdoor music festival in southern California in May, public health officials have reported.
The number of illnesses associated with the five-day Lightning in a Bottle event has almost quadrupled over the last month. Valley fever is caused by inhaling Coccidioides, a fungus endemic to the soil of the US south-west. New research shows that cases of the illness have risen dramatically in recent years.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
09/05/2024 - 13:18
09/05/2024 - 13:00
Because bats feed on crop pests, their disappearance led to a surge in pesticide use. Research found a rise in infant mortality in areas where the bats had been wiped out
In 2006, a deadly fungus started killing bat colonies across the United States. Now, an environmental economist has linked their loss to the deaths of more than 1,300 children.
The study, published in Science on Thursday, found that farmers dramatically increased pesticide use after the bat die-offs, which was in turn linked to an average infant mortality increase of nearly 8%. Unusually, the research suggests a causative link between human and bat wellbeing.
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09/05/2024 - 07:00
Study’s authors say integrity of higher education ‘at risk’ upon finding lack of attention to role of oil and gas firms
Fossil fuel companies’ funding of universities’ climate-focused efforts is delaying the green transition, according to the most extensive peer-reviewed study to date of the industry’s influence on academia.
For the study, published in the journal WIREs Climate Change on Thursday, six researchers pored over thousands of academic articles on industries’ funding of research from the past two decades. Just a handful of them focused on oil and gas companies, showing a “worrying lack of attention” to the issue, the analysis says.
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09/05/2024 - 06:50
Enthusiasts discovered Norfolk snout, thought to have died out in the UK in 1971, in their garden
The Norfolk snout was always a rare moth in Britain. By the late 1960s, populations of this small beige moth with its distinctive protuberant “nose” had dwindled to just one site – a working quarry in north-west Norfolk.
Bad weather or possibly overcollection by a few zealots meant that the moth, which has a 20mm wingspan, became extinct in Britain in 1971.
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09/04/2024 - 23:48
Experts urge Australia not to delay target too long as report by Climate Change Authority identifies six barriers to net zero
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The Australian government may delay the announcement of a 2035 climate target until after the February deadline and beyond the next election, in part due to uncertainty about the ramifications of the US presidential election.
Some big emitting countries are lagging in developing their 2035 emissions reduction targets, which under the Paris climate agreement are due before the UN climate summit in Belém, Brazil, in November next year.
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09/04/2024 - 19:51
The Climate Change Authority’s sector pathways review says a huge national effort is needed and the net zero goal should become front of mind for business, investors and governments
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A zero-carbon mindset must “become the new normal” in Australia, according to a much-anticipated report from the federal government’s independent climate advisory body.
The report, released today by the Climate Change Authority, describes how Australia can meet the crucial target of net zero emissions by 2050.
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09/04/2024 - 18:01
More than 1,200 hectares of Cumbrian forest will be transformed into England’s highest nature reserve
Skiddaw has long stood proud in the northern Lake District, a distinctive, treeless peak that is England’s sixth highest mountain. But now the fell’s barren heights will spring back to life after its purchase for rewilding by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
More than 1,200 hectares of Skiddaw Forest, once a royal hunting ground, will become England’s highest nature reserve and the UK’s biggest project to restore Atlantic rainforest, after the site came up for sale for £6.25m.
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09/04/2024 - 17:30
Environmental pollutants may have different effects on male and female reproduction, research in BMJ suggests
Air pollution is associated with a higher infertility risk in men, while noise pollution is associated with a higher risk of infertility in women, a study has found.
The study, which has been peer-reviewed and published in the BMJ, looked at whether long-term exposure to road traffic noise and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a particular form of air pollution, was associated with a higher risk of infertility in men and women.
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09/04/2024 - 16:30
CEOs in England and Wales could face two years in prison under proposals to force firms to supply data quickly
Water bosses in England and Wales could be jailed for up to two years if they cover up sewage dumping, under legislation proposed by the Labour government.
At the moment, CEOs of water companies face fines for failing to comply with investigations by the Environment Agency (EA) and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), but there have been just three such fines since privatisation three decades ago.
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09/04/2024 - 12:26
Hottest large city in US broke previous heat record from 1993 as temperatures are expected to reach 110 tomorrow
Phoenix, Arizona, saw its 100th straight day of 100F (37.7C) heat this week.
The hottest large city in the United States broke its previous record of 76 consecutive 100F days set in 1993. The relentless streak, which started on 27 May and hit its 100th day on Tuesday, is forecast to persist into next week. An excessive heat warning is in effect through Friday, with temperatures expected to reach 110F (43C) tomorrow.
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