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Why insect populations are plummeting—and why it matters
A new study suggests that 40 percent of insect species are in decline, a sobering finding that has jarred researchers worldwide. ROCKY MOUNTAIN LOCUSTS once gathered in such large numbers that they blotted out the sun over the Great Plains, rivaling the famous bison herds in size and appetite. In the summer of 1875, for example,…
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Yemen cholera outbreak 2019: More cases than all of last year
Cholera cases have picked up dramatically in Yemen in 2019, in fact, during the first six months of this year, the total cholera cases are more than all of 2018. According to official data, Yemen saw 371,326 cholera cases, including 505 deaths in all of 2018. During the first six months (Jan. 1- Jun 30)…
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3,000 earthquakes since July 4, and more big ones likely coming
Shalyn Pineda, the regional supervisor of Kern County’s libraries, picks up books at Ridgecrest Library after Thursday’s 6.4 earthquake dislodged bookshelves. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Southern California could experience another sizable earthquake over the next week, seismologists said Saturday. The U.S. Geological Survey has calculated a 27% probability the region will be hit by a…
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Strongest Earthquake in 20 Years Rattles Southern California
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The strongest earthquake in 20 years shook a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday, rattling nerves on the July 4th holiday and causing injuries and damage in a town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of ongoing aftershocks. The 6.4 magnitude quake struck at 10:33…
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Kenya: Over 2 Million at Risk of Starvation
More than two million Kenyans are staring at the food crisis in July as the effects of a drought that hit food production and led to increased prices continue to bite. This comes even as the country’s grain reserves dwindle, with its less than a million tonnes stocks expected to run out in two weeks….
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Honduras dengue epidemic tops 8,000
The number of dengue fever cases in Honduras has exploded in 2019 with the numbers as of May 11 topping the total for all of 2018. Image/CIA Year-to-date, Honduras has reported 8017 total dengue cases, including 24 deaths during the first 4 1/2 months. In all of 2018, 7942 cases and 3 deaths were reported….
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Brazil: Nearly 600K dengue cases through early June
Dengue fever Aedes aegypti/CDC Brazil health officials are reporting a dramatic increase in dengue fever cases during the first 23 weeks of 2019, according to recent data from the country’s Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. From Jan. 1 through June 8, 1,127,244 probable dengue cases were registered in the country (excluding discarded cases- some 300,000)….
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Wildfires rage across France, Spain as heatwave grips Europe
Wildfires engulf parts of Europe as record-breaking temperatures stifle life across the continent. Hundreds of firefighters battled to contain flames in southern France. In the Gard region, scores of fires burned some 600 hectares of land and destroyed several houses and vehicles. In Catalonia, northeast Spain, wildfires were raging across 60 sq km (23 sq…
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European countries set new June heat records amid heatwave
France is bracing for temperatures over 40C in the coming days – AFP Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic hit their highest ever recorded June temperatures on Wednesday – with more records anticipated to fall as the heat continues to rise in the coming days. Some nations, including France and Switzerland, are expected to see…
