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United States
Loosened Methane Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to announce later today looser regulations on methane, a potent climate pollutant that warms the atmosphere. Under the new regulations, oil and gas sites will have less restrictions in reporting and monitoring methane leaks from pipelines and storage facilities. Large fossil fuel companies such as Exxon, Shell, and BP have opposed the upcoming rollback on regulations, citing an importance to defend the climate and setting their own goals to reduce methane emissions. Methane is more short lived than carbon dioxide, yet has 80 times the heating-trapping capability.
This map depicts oil and gas wells that would be subject to looser methane regulations by the EPA. Click on the map to learn more.
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Europe
“Measles-Free” Status Lost
On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that due to a resurgence of measles in Europe, four countries (Albania, the Czech Republic, Greece, and the UK) lost their “measles-free” status. A country is considered to be free from the disease when there is no endemic transmission for 12 months in a specific geographic area. WHO reports indicate there were nearly 90,000 cases of the highly contagious disease in 48 European countries in the first six months of 2019, approximately double the number of cases reported for all of 2018. In comparison, worldwide figures soared to almost 365,000 cases, close to three times as many as in the first half of 2018 with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Ukraine suffering the largest outbreaks. Health officials are urging countries to launch vaccination campaigns and dispel misinformation about vaccines, a major contributing factor in the spread of the disease.
This map depicts the measles disease status across Europe for 2019. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Guardian
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Atlantic Ocean
Greta Thunberg Arrives in New York
16-year-old Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg, arrived in New York City yesterday to attend a UN summit on zero emissions next month. Thunberg arrived by a zero-carbon yacht after sailing 15 days across the Atlantic Ocean from England, refusing to fly because of the carbon emissions caused by planes. The solar-powered racing yacht was operated by Pierre Casiraghi, the son of Princess Caroline of Monaco, and German round-the-world sailor, Boris Herrmann. Thunberg drew international attention last year for skipping school on Fridays and protesting outside of the Swedish parliament, demanding action on climate change. She also intends to attend the COP 25 climate change conference in Santiago, Chile, and plans to get there without a plane.
This map depicts the path of Thunberg’s journey across the Atlantic. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What river crosses the Equator twice?
A: The Congo River
The Congo River is the largest river in western Central Africa and the most powerful on the continent. Its overall length of 2,900 miles (4,667 km) makes it the second-longest in Africa (after the Nile). The Congo River begins peacefully in the savannas just south of Lake Tanganyika. It gradually widens and picks up speed until it enters a 75-mile long canyon of rapids often referred to as the “Gates of Hell.” Emerging from there, it enters the tropical rainforest area known as the Lualaba (or Upper Congo). Its course through the rainforest causes it to cross the equator twice.
Source
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Q: What U.S. state is home to the most caves in the nation?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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