Lesson Thirteen: 2019 in Review
The good, the bad, and the ugly of 2019
Photo Credit: CNN
WHALE OF A TIME
Humpback whales recovered from near-extinction in the South Atlantic
Photo Credit: VOA News
IGUANA-RAMA
2019 was kind of a big deal for iguanas as they were reintroduced to Galápagos island after 184 years.
Photo Credit: CNN
THE PLANET IS GETTING GREENER
Based on extensive satellite imagery, NASA said that China and India are responsible for the largest increase in green foliage.
Photo Credit: NewScientist
MARVEL INSPIRED SPECIES
Scientists discovered 71 new species this year, this fish being one of their faves - scientifically named Cirrhilabrus Wakanda.
Photo Credit: Conservation.Org
TREES. LOTS AND LOTS OF TREES.
A recent study quantified 1.7 billion hectares of treeless land - planting trees there would be one of the biggest and cheapest ways of taking CO2 out of the atmosphere.
Photo Credit: 350.org
BIGGEST 👏 CLIMATE 👏 MARCH 👏 EVER!
7.6 million people demanded action during Global Climate Strike Week (Sept 20–27) - Canada had almost 100 events.
GRETA.
16 year old climate youth activist brought major global attention to the issue by demanding climate justice.
WE BOUGHT A PIPELINE
Justin Trudeau and his cabinet have (again) approved the Trans-Mountain expansion project. The pipeline is designed to carry nearly 1 Million barrels of oil from Alberta's oil patch to the B.C. coast each day.
FEAR SELLS BETTER THAN SEX
Due to climate catastrophes - it’s become A boom time for the bunker business and doomsday capitalists (a former nuclear missile vault in Kansas has 12 apartments - starting at $1.3 million each).
WATER WELLS RUNNING DRY
Megafarms and deeper wells are draining the water beneath rural Arizona.
Photo Credit: The Guardian
HISTORIC HEAT
In 2019, France records all-time highest temperature of 45.9C while Australia hit’s their record high of 41.9C.
DEADLY CYCLONES
Due to uncommonly warm seas, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan were hit by massive Cyclone Fani - causing 89 deaths.
Photo Credit: NewYorkTimes
WORLD LEADERS CAN’T COMMIT
Against the backdrop of accelerating climate threats, The 2019 COP25 UN Climate Talks ended with few commitments and a ‘lost’ opportunity.
Photo Credit: The Guardian
DEVASTATING STORMS
Cyclone Idai swept through Southern Africa and destroyed almost everything in its path. It caused floods, killed and injured thousands of people. More than 2.6 million people were affected.
CARBON DIOXIDE ALL TIME HIGH
In Hawaii, the Mauna Loa observatory recorded its highest-ever reading of carbon dioxide at 414.8 parts per million.
Photo Credit: National Geographic
AMAZON’S ON FIRE
Due to spiked deforestation and drought, more of the amazon burned in 2019. 76,000 fires were burning across the Brazilian Amazon - an area just smaller than the size of New Jersey.
Photo Credit:Time.com
AUSTRALIA’S ALSO ON FIRE
12.35 million acres of land have burned since last October. Recently, 250,000 people have been asked to evacuate and an estimated 1 billion animals could perish in as a result of the bushfires.
The ugly truth: despite all the scientific evidence, all the destruction, all the suffering, all the apocalyptic predictions, and all the strikes and marches, global CO2 emissions continue to rise and the world leaders procrastinate.
Frustrated? Ya same. Is that reason to lose hope though? Hell no.
It’s not too late (yet)! We are equipping our minds with the right info in hopes that we make decisions that benefit us and the planet. Happy mediums exist - we just need to put the effort in to find them.
If we don’t try, we are guaranteed to fail.
Did any of that surprise you? Shock you? Intrigue you? Let me know your thoughts!
