Environment News – 2 Small Islands, 2 Different Approaches / The Change in Seniors / Fossil Subsidies Grow (Again)
Some bite-sized pieces of news from the environment this week.
26 June, 2019
News snippets
We know that youngsters spend too much “screen time” and that it decreases concentration and memory. But now, the same is happening with elderly people too. Seniors now spend more time watching TV as well as connecting to the internet and using smartphones than ever before. This is problematic, because they’re spending less time socializing (and loneliness is a predictor of early death) and less time exercising and moving around, leading to disabilities.
Vanuatu is a tiny island in the Pacific. It has already banned single-use plastic, and now it’s going to ban disposable nappies or diapers, as they are huge percentage of plastic waste and beach litter. Women’s groups object, saying it will disadvantage them. Vanuatu is already suffering the effects of climate change and plastic pollution, and action needs to be taken. What do you think?
more below……
more snippets
Coal is the worst fossil fuel. Yet the G20 (countries with big economies) have almost tripled the subsidies they give to coal-fired power plants – even though we know we have to stop burning fossil fuels to slow the climate crisis. And even though the G20 pledged a decade ago to phase out all fossil fuel subsidies. As usual, good talk, bad actions. Japan, which will host the next G20 summit, often talks about the perils of climate change, but it is the 3rd largest contributor to coal subsidies. (The US is the 7th largest).
Kauai is one of the Hawaiian islands. It attracts more than 1 million tourists a year. Last year heavy rains damaged access to the northern coast, and tourism basically stopped. One park used to get 3,000 visitors a day, so the closure had a huge impact. Wildlife started to return, and residents got to know their neighbors again. Now it has reopened – but with limits on tourism in order to protect the island and its culture. Will the new regs be enough? On the first day of opening, residents were already complaining that tourists were littering, driving dangerously, and walking all over the fragile reef. Tourism brings money – but is the cost too high?
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Warm regards,
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