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World
Carbon Emissions Plummet
Research from the University of East Anglia in the U.K. has revealed that the recent shutdown of economies and societies due to the ongoing pandemic led to a decrease in global carbon emissions by seventeen percent in the month of April 2020. The study published in the journal Nature Climate Change examined the CO2 levels that were being produced during the peak of global lockdowns and found the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere dropped by over 17 million tons per day throughout April. The majority of the decline in emissions were from decreased car journeys as well as the reduction in industrial activity and power. China has seen the largest percentage of CO2 decrease in recent weeks, followed by the United States, Europe, and India. The extreme decrease in emissions looks only to be temporary as countries slowly begin to reopen their economies over the coming months.
This map depicts the changes in CO2 emissions across the world during forced confinement of the current pandemic. All COVID-19 updates will be displayed in a red box.
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China
Hong Kong Protests
Thousands joined demonstrations across Hong Kong districts to oppose a new bill that would criminalize insults to China’s national anthem. The proposal comes days after Beijing vowed to impose national-security laws, which protestors fear will erode basic freedoms. Police surrounded the Legislative Council building to deter mass protests as lawmakers debated the bill’s approval. Rallies across Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, and Central districts were broken up by police firing pepper ball rounds at protesters. About 300 people were arrested on suspicions of unlawful gathering, since public gatherings of more than eight are banned under emergency measures against COVID-19.
This map depicts the rallies in several Hong Kong districts against the proposal of a new national anthem law. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: AFP
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World
A Bird’s Intercontinental Journey
Onon, a common cuckoo bird, traveled over seventy-five hundred miles, from Zambia to Mongolia, to return to his nesting ground. Onon was one of five birds tagged and monitored by satellite to allow scientists from the Mongolian Cuckoo Project and the British Trust for Ornithology an in-depth look at their migration patterns. Onon was the only bird in the group to make the full journey, flying over sixteen countries, twenty-seven border crossings, and sixteen hundred miles of the Indian Ocean. Bayan, the cuckoo who made it the second farthest, lost signal over the Chinese Yunnan province, and most likely gave into exhaustion or was hunted. Scientists are calling the Onon’s travels a “mammoth journey” and one of the longest migrations ever recorded.
This map depicts the migration routes of Onon and Bayan, two birds participating in the migration study. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Drawn in 1297 and spanning 1,214 kilometers (754 miles), what is the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union?
A: The Portugal-Spain border
Known as “la Raya” in Spain and “A Raia” in Portugal (which translate in both languages to “the stripe”), the border between Portugal and Spain is one of the oldest and longest in Europe. Stretching 754 miles, it has been virtually unchanged for over 700 years.
Source
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Q: Often described as “Africa in miniature,” which central African country exhibits all major climates and vegetation on the continent (coast, desert, mountains, rainforest, and savanna)?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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