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A world satellite mission is scheduled to blast off from California on Thursday, with the goal of mapping the world’s water resources like never before.
The science initiative, led by NASA, will conduct a comprehensive survey of the planet’s oceans, lakes and rivers for the primary time, in line with Reuters.
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography advanced radar satellite — dubbed SWOT — goals to offer researchers an in depth window into the resource that covers 70 percent of the planet, Reuters reported.
This information intends to make clear the mechanics and impacts of climate change, in line with the outlet.
One specific application of the satellite involves higher understanding the role of carbon dioxide in climate change, NASA chief scientist Katherine Calvin said at a press briefing, covered by Space.com.
SWOT will launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, owned by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX.
The satellite has been in development for 20 years — designed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in collaboration with French and Canadian partners, Reuters reported.
Welcome to Equilibrium, I’m Sharon Udasin. Today we’ll start within the South, where a series of tornadoes have left at the very least two dead. Then we’ll head to Ukraine, where rampant infrastructure attacks are endangering thousands and thousands of kids. Plus: A “keystone” species of the U.S. West gets latest protections.
Tornadoes batter South; at the very least 2 dead
At the very least two people, including a mother and a son, were killed as multiple tornadoes swept through the South late Tuesday night, our colleague Jared Gans reports.
Destruction and devastation: The mother and her child were killed within the northern Louisiana town of Keithville, where their home was destroyed throughout the storm.
- The boy was found dead in a wooded area greater than a half mile from their home, positioned on the western side of the state.
- His mother was discovered dead one street away from their home, in line with Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator.
Houses shake, roofs collapse: About 100 miles away in Farmerville, resident Tiyia Stringfellow said she and her family were of their apartment throughout the tornado, in line with CNN.
- “We were within the kitchen closet,” she told CNN. “The entire house was shaking.”
- While her relations weren’t injured, Stringfellow said she saw her “roof cave in.”
As much as a dozen twisters: About 20 individuals from Farmerville were taken to the hospital after the tornado inflicted considerable damage on the region, Gans reported.
- Video footage and eyewitness accounts confirmed at the very least five tornadoes in northern Texas on Tuesday.
- The National Weather Service believes that as many as a dozen could have occurred.
Coast-to-coast impacts: The winter storm system liable for the tornadoes first moved onshore this weekend within the Pacific states, bringing rain to coastal California and snow to the Intermountain West, as we reported.
The system then moved eastward, bringing blizzard-like conditions to the Northern Plains and tornadoes to the South.
Snow, too: Heavy snowfall and ice shut down highways and caused whiteout conditions within the Northern Plains on Tuesday and Wednesday, in line with Fox Weather.
- The storm was barreling through the region, as blizzard warnings remained in effect across eastern Wyoming, western South Dakota, western Nebraska and a part of southeastern Montana.
- Fox Weather described scenes like a jackknifed truck as “common sights” along highways.
It’s not over yet: More severe storms are expected within the central Gulf Coast, which incorporates Latest Orleans and southern Louisiana, in addition to Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
- More tornadoes could occur on this region.
- Meanwhile, as much as 2 feet of snow is feasible in some parts of western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska, which could also face greater than 50-mile-per-hour winds.
Children in danger amid attacks on Ukraine energy: UN
Russia’s persistent attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure have left nearly 7 million children in danger this winter, UNICEF warned on Wednesday.
Bleak winter ahead: Almost every Ukrainian child lacks sustained access to electricity, heating and water — conditions that threaten health and safety as temperatures proceed to plunge, in line with UNICEF.
“Thousands and thousands of kids are facing a bleak winter huddled within the cold and the dark, with little idea of how or when respite may arrive,” Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, said in a press release.
Greater than just cold: Winter temperatures in Ukraine can drop to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit or below, exposing residents to extreme cold, the United Nations agency stated.
- Without electricity, children will even be unable to access online learning opportunities.
- Distant learning became a primary source of education after so many faculties were damaged or destroyed.
Health hazards: Medical facilities may fail to offer critical services, the agency warned.
- Malfunctioning water systems could increase the already high risks of contracting pneumonia, seasonal flu, waterborne diseases and COVID-19.
- “Children are also deprived of the flexibility to learn or stay connected with family and friends, putting each their physical and their mental health at desperate risk,” Russell said.
A system in shambles: Intensified Russian attacks in October ravaged 40 percent of Ukraine’s power production.
By the top of November, the Ukrainian energy system was still only capable of cover 70 percent of peak demand, in line with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Psychological toll: While most of Ukraine’s children are in danger, the situation stays especially acute for 1.2 million children and for six.5 million individuals of all ages, UNICEF stated.
About 1.5 million children are susceptible to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders and other mental health issues, the agency added.
The principles of war: Russell called for the safekeeping of each children and civilian infrastructure, stressing that humanitarian agencies should have “rapid and unimpeded access to children and families in need.”
“The principles of war are clear — children and the essential civilian infrastructure they depend on to survive should be protected,” Russell added.
To read the total story, please click here.
Western mountain pine gets endangered protections
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced Wednesday it might be listing the whitebark pine as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
Critical to the environment: Whitebark pines are what the Fish and Wildlife Service described as “a keystone species,” which live in windy, cold, high-elevation environments across the western U.S. and Southern Canada.
“Extending ESA protections to whitebark pine is critical to not only the tree itself, but in addition the various plants, animals, and watersheds that it supports,” Matt Hogan, FWS service regional director, said in a press release.
Food source to grizzlies: This five-needled pine species impacts the health and lifecycles of other mountain inhabitants and plays a critical role in curbing runoff from snowmelt, in line with FWS.
- The trees also provide a high-energy food source to animals.
- Whitebark pine nuts are wealthy in fats, carbohydrates and protein — making them an vital snack for grizzly bears before denning, in line with the National Parks Service.
Fungus, beetles, fire, climate: Despite its importance, the tree species “is more likely to develop into endangered within the foreseeable future throughout its range,” in line with FWS.
- The first threat to the tree is “white pine bluster,” a non-native fungal disease.
- Other threats include mountain pine beetles, altered wildfire patterns and climate change.
- Scientists estimate that as of 2016, as many as 51 percent of all standing whitebark pine trees were dead.
Keeping trees in place: Providing endangered species protections to the whitebark pine will help support research efforts on conservation, in line with FWS.
- It should also develop into illegal to remove, process or damage the trees on federal lands.
- The protections will even prohibit interstate or foreign commerce — including the import or export — of the tree.
All the assistance they’ll get: “These exceedingly beautiful trees are an icon of our western mountains,” Noah Greenwald, endangered species director on the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a press release.
“They need all the assistance they’ll get, including protection from development,” Greenwald added.
The ultimate rule to list the whitebark pine as a threatened species will likely be published on Thursday within the Federal Register but is available here for public inspection.
Please click here for the total story.
Amazon swapping out generators for batteries
Amazon Studios is starting to swap out diesel generators with portable batteries on its film and tv production sets, the corporate announced on Wednesday.
Powering a rom-com: The batteries, developed by Moxion Power, are already getting used to power cameras, base camps, lighting, hair and makeup trailers on the sets of rom-com “Sitting in Bars with Cake” and the series “Bosch: Legacy,” in line with Amazon.
Expansion on the horizon: The e-commerce giant said in a press release that it intends to expand the usage of these batteries to more U.S.-based Amazon Studio production sets in 2023.
Among the many movies slated to learn from the switch will likely be “Candy Cane Lane,” a vacation movie featuring Eddie Murphy, the announcement added.
Widespread appeal: “Moxion Power’s batteries are allowing us to deliver entertainment with lower emissions than before,” Glenn Gainor, head of physical production for Amazon Original movies, said in a press release.
Such a transition is vital to customers, Hollywood talent and production teams, while benefiting the communities where filming occurs, in line with Gainor.
Small changes, big impact: Amazon invested in Moxion Power’s technology earlier this yr through its Climate Pledge Fund.
- This $2 billion corporate enterprise capital fund funds clean-tech firms able to helping Amazon reduce its carbon footprint.
- The switch from diesel to batteries helps “reveal to others within the entertainment industry that small changes” can bring “a right away and significant environmental impact,” Gainor said.
Is the electricity supply reliable? The batteries are supported by a swap service, which helps ensure consistent electricity supplies during film operations, the Amazon announcement said.
- Performance of the batteries could be monitored remotely.
- Artificial intelligence helps predict usage patterns and run times, which might last for days or perhaps weeks.
The facility of Hollywood: “There is no such thing as a greater voice on the planet than Hollywood,” Alex Meek, co-founder and president at Moxion Power, said in a press release.
The mixing of Moxion’s technology shows “that the entertainment industry is prepared and willing to start the transition to cleaner energy,” Meek added.
To read the total story, please click here.
Wildlife Wednesday
Sustainable shell-fishing to guard marine life, manatees to get help finding food and a Colorado elk gets help from wildlife officers.
Conserving marine life through sustainable shell-fishing
- North Carolina fisherwoman Ana Shellem, of Shell’em Seafood, has transformed her solo shop right into a sustainable — and successful — boutique shellfish company, featured in a Latest York Times profile. A conservation advocate and overfishing opponent, Shellem won’t harvest one critter beyond the orders she receives, the Times reported.
Florida wildlife officials to resume manatee feeding program soon
- A manatee feeding program launched in Florida last yr may begin this weekend, as a cold front drives the animals into warmer waters where their primary food source, sea-grass, will not be available, local NPR affiliate WQCS reported. Officials told WQCS they’ve romaine and butterleaf lettuce readily available and are able to resume this system.
Colorado wildlife officers rescue elk stuck in a mud hole
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers recently rescued a young bull elk that was stuck as much as its neck in mud, local NBC affiliate 9News reported. After U.S. Forest Service staff found the animal in distress and unable to get out, wildlife officers had to make use of a four-wheeler and two racket straps to retrieve the animal, in line with 9News.
Please visit The Hill’s Sustainability section for more and try other newsletters here. We’ll see you tomorrow.