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Canada
COVID Vaccine Protests Continue
Ottawa, Ontario is currently under a state of emergency after truckers on the self-named ‘Freedom Convoy’ blockaded the city centre with trucks and cars. These demonstrations began when truckers protested a rule that requires vaccination for COVID-19 to cross the international border. Officials in Ottawa have urged the protesters to leave the city and have begun to crack down on demonstrators. Several arrests were made over the weekend and more than 450 tickets were issued. Authorities have also seized fuel from many trucks, and a judge issued a rule that truckers could not sound their horns for ten days. There are no signs that the protests are slowing down. In western Canada, authorities in Alberta and Saskatchewan have announced or are preparing to lift a wide range of COVID restrictions, but they deny that the changes are in response to the protests.
This map depicts the vehicle obstructions caused by demonstrators in Ottawa. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Colombia
Deadly Mudslides
Heavy rains caused a landslide late Tuesday night in the central-western Colombian towns of Dosquebradas and Pereira. The National Unit for Management of Risks and Disasters confirmed 16 people died and 36 others were injured, though both numbers are expected to rise during rescue efforts. Dozens of homes in the area have been evacuated due to the risk of further flooding. Rescue teams expressed concerns that additional mudslides could lead to damming of the Otún River that runs between the two municipalities. Landslides are common during the rainy season in Colombia, with structures built on steep hillsides being particularly vulnerable.
This map depicts the site of a mudslide triggered by flooding of the Otún River and a flood hazard map for the city of Pereira. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Watchers
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World
Shrinking Glacial Ice
A new study in the journal Nature Geoscience has found that the world’s glaciers have 20 percent less ice volume than what was previously assumed. Satellite imagery and data from 2017 and 2018 were used to map the velocity of approximately 250,000 mountain glaciers, indicating that 98% of them are moving. This allows for measurement of volume, since the direction of glacial flow signifies where ice is thick or thin. Changing glacial flow and melt rates will have varying affects for different populations who are dependent on the glaciers for fresh drinking water, with communities around the Andes facing reduced water supplies and Himalayan populations receiving more.
This map depicts the decreased glacial ice in the Vatnajökull Ice Cap from 2019 to today. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Who is considered to be the “Father of Environmental Justice” after his findings explained the relationship between the racial make-up of one’s zip code and proximity to landfills and other environmental hazards?
A: Dr. Robert Bullard
Environmental Justice (EJ) refers to the equal protection and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations. Today, zip code is still the strongest actor in predicting environmental health threats. In 1983, Dr. Robert Bullard published a study documenting the locations of municipal waste disposal facilities in Houston – the first comprehensive account of environmental racism in the United States. Bullard found Black neighborhoods in Houston were often chosen for toxic waste sites, including all five city-owned garbage dumps, 80% of city-owned garbage incinerators, and 75% of privately-owned landfills. In 1990, he released the book ‘Dumping in Dixie: Race Class and Environmental Quality,’ which documented environmental injustices in communities of color fighting for a healthier environment. In 1994, President Clinton signed EO 12898 to have federal agencies address environmental justice in minority and low income populations. The field of EJ has emerged and grown out of these findings to include more than just waste facilities and pollution hazards; EJ now encompasses food access, disaster mitigation, access to bus stops, and a host of other issues where race and the environment intersect. Today, Dr. Bullard is a Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at TSU and has published 18 books.
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Q: In which European country, with more than 400 islands in its territory, will you always be no more than 32 miles away from sea?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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