I think the world has collectively decided 2016 was a tough year, but I’d like this post to focus on some of the things we have going for us. I think it’s important to be reminded that we are making progress is some aspects of society. Population
The planets energy food and water resources are stressed by our over populated earth. However! Global fertility rates are decreasing every year. 2016 fertility rate stands at 2.5, compare that to 51 years ago in 1965 where the fertility was almost double that at 4.96. And the yearly growth rate of the population is in decline and is projected to continue to decline. This doesn’t mean population is in decline, but the amount of people being added to the Earth is slowing. Currently we are growing at a rate of 1.13% per year, but current estimates show that the global growth rate will be less than 0.5% by 2050. Medicine Early this year there was a widespread outbreak of the Zika virus in South America, spreading to Central America, North America and the Caribbean. The virus is spread through the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Mosquitos breed where there is standing water; these conditions are often found in areas where there is a lack of adequate sanitation. As of several weeks ago the first human trial phase of a vaccine for the virus has proved successful. The vaccine has been found to be well-tolerated with no significant health concerns to the patients. Environment The ozone layer is on the mend! The ozone layer projects us from the sun’s ultraviolet light and helps to keep our Earth at a comfortable 16-degree Celsius average. Observations this year show that the hole in the ozone layer is, on average, getting smaller. This news is proof that strong environmental policies will create change. In 1987 scientists pushed for the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to phase out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs were found to release chlorine through chemical reactions in the atmosphere, which in turn destroyed ozone. As we head into the new year, I hope this news will brighten your day. We hope you have a happy and safe new year, and we truly appreciate all the support we have gotten from all of you over the last few months. http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/#growthrate https://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ http://www.contagionlive.com/news/inovios-zika-virus-vaccine-proves-to-be-effective-in-first-human-trial
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AuthorsJust two water lovers exploring todays water issues. Archives
July 2017
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