Hello,
October is over and November is here - let's hope it's a cosy month full of stunning Autumn colours and beautiful rainy days!
October is over and November is here - let's hope it's a cosy month full of stunning Autumn colours and beautiful rainy days!
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News
Good news
Judge postpones wolf hunt in Wisconsin
Every year in Wisconsin there is a wolf hunt in autumn. But this year,
something amazing happened: A judge halted the season. For years there has
been a dispute, on one side environmentalists, and on the other hunters and
farmers. The farmers claim that wolves destroy their crops and that killing
them is the only solution. Environmentalists argue that wolf populations are
too weak and that the animals shouldn't be killed. Let's hope that this is the
first step toward stopping the wolf hunt altogether.
Bad news
Pacific islands are disappearing
For many of us, the threat of
climate change
feels distant. But for the people of the Pacific islands, the terror is all
too real. These are their homes, and they are rapidly becoming submerged by
water. This is, as you may have guessed, a result of the rising sea levels,
which is down to the melting of ice caps and the thermal expansion that
happens when the sea water heats up. So directly linked to climate change.
The loss of this land is forcing people to move out of their homes and worse: seeing them disappear under the waves. For those who manage to remain on the ever-shrinking islands, life is far from ideal. The seawater seeps into the groundwater, making it unfit to drink and meaning no crops can be grown. This leaves communities relying on the mainland for food supplements and rainfall for water. The soil is sandy and unstable.
The islands may not disappear completely: there may still be trees and some plants. But they will be so small and infertile that those who have always lived there have to move on.
There are a few initiatives in place to help these people rebuild their lives, but nothing can replace the homes and communities they've either lost or will lose. Although the standard of living is better on the mainland and they can grow crops, it's not the same as living on a small tight-knit community-based island.
People are facing the consequences of climate change right now. So anyone who says that they're saving the climate for their children is wrong. They're saving it for people of the same generation as themselves. And the people of the Pacific Islands are the proof.
The loss of this land is forcing people to move out of their homes and worse: seeing them disappear under the waves. For those who manage to remain on the ever-shrinking islands, life is far from ideal. The seawater seeps into the groundwater, making it unfit to drink and meaning no crops can be grown. This leaves communities relying on the mainland for food supplements and rainfall for water. The soil is sandy and unstable.
The islands may not disappear completely: there may still be trees and some plants. But they will be so small and infertile that those who have always lived there have to move on.
There are a few initiatives in place to help these people rebuild their lives, but nothing can replace the homes and communities they've either lost or will lose. Although the standard of living is better on the mainland and they can grow crops, it's not the same as living on a small tight-knit community-based island.
People are facing the consequences of climate change right now. So anyone who says that they're saving the climate for their children is wrong. They're saving it for people of the same generation as themselves. And the people of the Pacific Islands are the proof.
Rotting Red Sea oil tanker could leave millions without water
In 2017, an oil tanker was abandoned off the coast of Yemen. Ever since it has
been slowly breaking apart. Now there is a high risk of the oil on board
leaking into the ocean. This would destroy the habitats of millions of marine
animals and plants, ruin Yemen's fish industry and possibly leave 8 million
people, without proper water. The vessel may also explode which will cause
even more damage.
Big businesses lobbying against the climate bill
With the climate crisis becoming more real by the day, new bills and laws are
being passed to help stop climate change (although in most cases, not nearly
enough is being done). However, it seems that some of the biggest companies in
the world are against these new laws. Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Disney are
among these companies. Despite publicly saying that they will cut emissions
and so on, it seems that they are also trying to stop the climate bill from
being passed because it will slightly lower their profits.
Animals
Land: Glowworm
Glowworms aren't actually worms - they're beetles. The males look like any
other beetle. It's the females, that give this species its name. They give off
a low light at night to attract a mate.
Glowworms live in grasslands, moorlands, farmlands and woodlands (so pretty much everywhere). The larvae are predators, feeding on slugs and snails. They often ride on the snails' backs, while waiting for the poison from their bites to kill their prey.
Glowworms live in grasslands, moorlands, farmlands and woodlands (so pretty much everywhere). The larvae are predators, feeding on slugs and snails. They often ride on the snails' backs, while waiting for the poison from their bites to kill their prey.
Air: Fruit bat
The fruit bat is one of the numerous bat species, widely found in Australia,
Southeast Asia and Africa. As the name suggests, they feed on fruits and
flowers, although some of the smaller species feed on nectar and pollen as
well. The biggest and most known type is Flying Foxes, which are widely spread
from Madagascar to Australia and Indonesia. Flying foxes can reach a size of
40 cm (Head and body length) and a wingspan of up to 1.5 meters.
Water: Sea otter
Sea otters are fast swimmers. They are probably best known for lying on their
backs on the surface. They don't only sleep in this position. They also smash
open clams and mussels with a rock. Due to the ocean constantly moving and
swirling, they often anchor themselves to the ocean floor with kelp or
seaweed.
Of course, sea otters eat more than just clams and mussels, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fish and squid.
Of course, sea otters eat more than just clams and mussels, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fish and squid.
They live for up to 23 years and are classified as
Vulnerable.
Plant: Banyan tree
The banyan tree was originally native to India but is now spread throughout
South Asia. Its sap is used for healing and soothing. The wood and bark are
good for making paper and the roots are often turned into rope. They are
massive, with the oldest trees reaching a diameter of more than 200 meters and
a height of 30 meters. The fruit attracts monkeys and birds and the flower
attracts bees and wasps for pollination. The banyan tree is considered sacred
and it represents eternal life. In many villages, the villagers meet under
this type of tree for meetings and socialising.
Book Recommendation- The Lost Spells and The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris
These are two books I absolutely love! They are both acrostic poetry
collections by nature writer Robert Macfarlane and absolutely BEAUTIFULLY
illustrated by Jackie Morris. It truly transports you to the world of the wild
and I love it so much! I wish I could frame the entire book on my wall! Out of
the two, The Lost Words is a very large format which is fine but it's harder
to read and less practical. I prefer The Lost Spells personally but if you're
looking for more of a coffee table book, then I would go for The Lost Words
(as long as you have a big coffee table!).
Thank you so much for reading our October Factifile! We're sorry it's late but
we hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Thank you so much for all your support and
we'll be back soon.
Online vote
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/environment-and-nature-wisconsin-lawsuits-madison-scott-walker-c08117dbcc2389817ff7a2ce93d2166b
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1105482
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/01/apple-amazon-microsoft-disney-lobby-groups-climate-bill-analysis
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/11/rotting-red-sea-oil-tanker-could-leave-8m-people-without-water
https://www.britannica.com/animal/glowworm
https://allanimalfacts.com/fruit-bat/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/sea-otter
https://www.britannica.com/plant/banyan
Images:
Title image: This image is owned by a blog editor.
Wolf: This image is owned by Pixabay (on pexels.com).
Island: This image is owned by Flo Dahm (on pexels.com).
Cargo ship: This image is owned by Ian Lavrinovich (on pexels.com).
Apple laptop: This image is owned by Pixabay (on pexels.com).
Sea otters: This image is owned by Timothy Wills-DeTone (on pexels.com).
Book: This image is owned by a blog editor.
Online vote
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/environment-and-nature-wisconsin-lawsuits-madison-scott-walker-c08117dbcc2389817ff7a2ce93d2166b
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1105482
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/01/apple-amazon-microsoft-disney-lobby-groups-climate-bill-analysis
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/11/rotting-red-sea-oil-tanker-could-leave-8m-people-without-water
https://www.britannica.com/animal/glowworm
https://allanimalfacts.com/fruit-bat/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/sea-otter
https://www.britannica.com/plant/banyan
Images:
Title image: This image is owned by a blog editor.
Wolf: This image is owned by Pixabay (on pexels.com).
Island: This image is owned by Flo Dahm (on pexels.com).
Cargo ship: This image is owned by Ian Lavrinovich (on pexels.com).
Apple laptop: This image is owned by Pixabay (on pexels.com).
Sea otters: This image is owned by Timothy Wills-DeTone (on pexels.com).
Book: This image is owned by a blog editor.
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