All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

California COVID Delta variant cases vs. Florida and Texas – Los Angeles Times

Experts say California’s better-than-average vaccination rates and newly implemented mandatory mask policies in parts of the state have helped prevent a more grim situation.

While governors in Florida, Texas and other states have opposed allowing local governments to mandate the wearing of masks, California has allowed counties to enact such orders in indoor public spaces for everyone age 2 and older, regardless of vaccination status.

Source: California COVID Delta variant cases vs. Florida and Texas – Los Angeles Times

Italy may have registered Europe’s hottest temperature on record – BBC News

The Italian island of Sicily may have registered the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe – 48.8C (119.8F).

Regional authorities reported the reading, which needs to be verified by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), near Syracuse on Wednesday.

According to the WMO, the current official record in Europe is 48C, registered in Athens, Greece, in 1977.

The latest heatwave in Italy is being caused by an anticyclone – nicknamed Lucifer – moving up from Africa.

Anticyclones are areas of high atmospheric pressure where the air is sinking.

Lucifer is forecast to head north across mainland Italy, further raising temperatures in cities including the capital, Rome.

Italy’s health ministry has issued “red” alerts for extreme heat in several regions and the number of cities that face the highest health risk is expected to rise from eight to 15 by Friday.

Source: Italy may have registered Europe’s hottest temperature on record – BBC News

Japan reports record number of COVID-19 cases in one day – UPI.com

Japan reported its highest-ever daily rise in COVID-19 cases as experts warned the country’s healthcare system could soon be overwhelmed by patients in major hubs like Tokyo.

Japan’s daily caseload on Wednesday was 15,813, including 4,200 new patients in the capital. Other COVID-19 hotspots include Osaka, Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures. More than 1 million people in Japan have been infected since the start of the pandemic and the country has confirmed 15,346 deaths, NHK reported.

Source: Japan reports record number of COVID-19 cases in one day – UPI.com

Mexico devises revolutionary method to reverse semiarid land degradation

  • The process utilizes two plants commonly found on semiarid lands that grow well under drought conditions: agave and mesquite. The two are intercropped and then the agave is fermented and mixed with the mesquite to produce an excellent, inexpensive, and very marketable fodder for grazing animals.
  • The new technique is achieving success in Mexico and could be applied to global degraded lands. It is, says one expert “among the most soil regenerative schemes on Earth … deployed on degraded land, basically overgrazed and unsuitable for growing crops, with no irrigation or chemical inputs required whatsoever.” 

Source: Mexico devises revolutionary method to reverse semiarid land degradation