Weekly newsletter - 20th April 2020

👋 Hi there, here’s what you need to know from this past week of 20th April in under 5 minutes. 

1. 

 COVID-19 lockdown boosts Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting

🔎 What’s going on?

COVID-19 lockdown boosts Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting in Thailand and Florida due to the absence of tourists on the beaches.

🐢 Cool, tell me more!

In Thailand, authorities have reported finding the largest number of nests for these rare leatherback sea turtles in two decades - they found 11 nests since November in Phuket. Across the world in Florida, USA researchers from Loggerhead Marinelife Center have reported finding 75 nests on just one stretch of beach!  This is a significant increase over last year’s figure. And the best news is, the breeding season for turtles has just begun - which means there is plenty of opportunity for more nests until summer (depending on when COVID19-restrictions get lifted). Leatherbacks are the world’s largest sea turtles. They mate at sea and females return to beaches during the winter to lay their eggs. After two months, the incubated eggs will hatch. According to researchers, only one in 1000 turtle hatchlings actually survive. Hopefully, with the COVID19 restrictions in place, this could increase the survival rate for these hatchlings.❓Why should I care?

Leatherback Sea Turtles are currently listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. This means that globally, the overall population of Leatherbacks is decreasing. This is quite startling, given that as a marine species, they have existed on Earth for the last 100 million years and us humans have only been around for just 200,000 years! Let’s explore the three main reasons why they are declining: 

1. Habitat Loss - Sea turtles depend on beaches for nesting. However, beaches nowadays have coastal buildings (such as hotels, restaurants and bars), lots of vehicle traffic, tourists, and discarded plastic waste. All of this has either destroyed or disturbed the turtle nests.

2. Fisheries by-catch - Sea turtles are often caught accidentally by fishing nets meant for shrimps and fishes. This is unfortunate as they tend to drown after getting caught.  

3. Overharvesting and illegal trade of turtle eggs - A controversial egg collection practise exists in countries across Southeast Asia and South America which means that turtle eggs are collected for food and commercial purposes. Sometimes legally and most times illegally. However, this sometimes also results in adult turtles being killed for food.

🚦 Where do we need to be?

Protecting biodiversity should become an international priority, similar to Climate Crisis and the Paris Agreement. In the meantime, ideally, we should create more Marine Protected Areas (MPA) so sea turtles can flourish without human disruption. The fishing industry should adopt sustainable fishing methods such as pole & line which reduces by-catch.

👤 What can I do about it? #theblueplanetposttips

Support conservation efforts of sea turtles, such as this one by WWF. 

As a local or tourist, be aware of disturbing local wildlife when visiting beaches. And always take all of your plastic litter with you - don’t leave these on beaches. Turtles tend to mistake them for food which is deadly for them. 

Always ensure you always buy sustainable fish where possible, that’s certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. 

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2. 

Milan to turn 35km of streets over to cyclists and pedestrians

🔎 What’s going on?

Milan on Tuesday announced an ambitious plan – turn over 35km of streets to cyclists and pedestrians. 

🚲 Cool, what does this mean?

The new scheme called “Strade Aperte” or “Open Streets” includes low-cost temporary cycle lanes, new and widened pavements, 20 mph speed limits and pedestrian🚶‍and cyclists 🚴‍♀️ priority streets. 

As the pandemic lockdown still continues in Europe and many countries around the world, some cities are taking this once in a lifetime opportunity to do things differently. During the Italian nationwide lockdown, traffic congestion has dropped by 30-75% and this has drastically reduced air pollution with it. 

Deputy Mayor of Milan, Marco Granelli said this “When it is over, the cities that still have this kind of economy will have an advantage, and Milan wants to be in that category” - with healthier residents! 😇

❓Why should I care?

Air pollution is one of the leading health risks in the world, causing deaths and illness. It’s often called the “silent killer” or the “new tobacco”. Each year 4.2 million deaths occur because of outdoor air pollution alone! The major sources of outdoor pollution include vehicles, power generation, heating systems, burning agriculture/waste and industry. In cities particularly, the transport sector is responsible for the majority of air pollution. Vehicles give out tiny particulate matter (PM) that are less than 10 or 2.5 microns in diameter (in terms of size, it’s similar to dust, ash or sea-spray) - usually called PM10 and PM2.5 as they burn fuels. Often these small particulates combine with other harmful substances (such as heavy metals) and get deep into our bodies causing lung disease, heart disease and cancer.

🚦Where do we need to be?

According to the United Nations (UN), 155 countries have legally put in place legislation that requires them to ensure clean air for their citizens. However, countries are not enforcing these environmental laws (including those relating to clean air). Furthermore, 91% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality exceeds the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guideline limits. So either we need new legislation or for countries to actually enforce and abide by these existing laws. Cities and countries should start bringing in new measures to reduce air pollution as Milan has done.

👤 What can I do about it?  #theblueplanetposttips

As with most things in life, if you don’t measure it, you won’t know how to improve where you are. So go ahead and check out this free air quality app (IQ Air) to measure your outdoor and indoor air quality. Oh, and it works in any country!

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👂💬 What else we’ve been hearing this week...

Around the 🇬🇧 UK...

1. Oxford University announces divestment of its investment funds 📚

2. 🌞Cleaner skies drive UK solar power record

3. UK Wild Storks chicks hatch after centuries 🐦

4. 🚙 Oxford City Council adds electric vehicles to its fleet 

5. Loop's zero waste delivery platform set to expand 🛍

Around the World 🌎 this week:

1. Sweden becomes the third EU country to shut down its coal plants 🇸🇪

2. 👗H&M tops transparency index

3. Earth School launched by the UN Environment 🌎

4. 🇬🇸 New Zealand sticks to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030

5. Dutch officials reveal measures to cut emissions after court ruling 🇳🇱

❤️

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