This Week on Earth

Week in Review August 12th

August 8th – Young voters, the cohort most likely to support a candidate like Bernie Sanders, tend not to see much of a difference between the proposed policies of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Around 45% of this group say there is no difference between the 2 major party candidates when it comes to environmental issues. Burt the differences between the two candidates is actually pretty large. Evidence shows that the Clinton and other democrats focus more on environmental issues it could attract some of these disillusioned voters. http://bit.ly/2auw7Gd

August 9th – After the open pit mines in the Midland area of England were closed the future looked bleak as the wildlife was leveled and many were left jobless. 25 years later this area is home to a national forest. Trees have filled in the barren landscapes and has attracted outdoor recreationists in droves. http://bit.ly/2aJduM3

August 10th – Climate change and rising sea levels do not care about whether you vote democrat or republican. This November it is your responsibility to demand that your candidate address these issues. The health of every single person on the planet is at stake as well as all of the people yet to be born. With good policy making we can slow and reverse climate change. http://bit.ly/2aG1idd

August 11th – A very common problem with taking conservation and other environmental projects seriously is that they commonly revolve around things that don’t have a clear monetary value. For instance, how much is clean air worth? It is very difficult to come up with a clear answer. For some resources that maybe considered priceless putting value on them is the best way to protect them. India started a project in 2013 to ascertain the value of their forests. The number they came up with? $1.7 trillion. This number is larger than most nations entire GDPs. Having a number value for the value can be used to help protect the forest by takin into consideration the value of areas that could be forested or removed for development. http://bit.ly/2bjKzSx

August 12th – Heat in areas of the middle east this summer have broken new records. Heat indexes in excess of 140 degrees Fahrenheit have been recorded. The continued warming of the planet could result in an entirely new type of refugee crisis. People may be forced to flee when they cannot survive in areas that they used to call home. Already people are forced to stay indoors during daylight hours. Even the economy has suffered due to the heat in Iraq economists predict the yearly GDP will be between 10 and 20 percent smaller due to the need to escape the heat. http://wapo.st/2baDjrI