COVID-19 and the United States - updated prevalence and mortality map from Johns Hopkins

As COVID-19 continues to move through the United States, Johns Hopkins University has updated their highly regarded COVID-19 prevalence global heat map with a separate US one tracking the progression of the disease across the States. This graphic presentation enables easier visualisation of the prevalence, recovery and mortality in the currently, worst affected country.

The new feature on the Johns Hopkins University and Medicine map can be accessed at the link:
Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 US Map

Easter 2020

                                                                                  Shutterstock

Social distancing, systematic hand cleaning, use of face masks, stay-at-home directions. Welcome to Easter 2020 and the impact of COVID 19. Easter can still be celebrated in many of the traditional ways with one of most well known being the hot cross bun. So prolific have hot cross buns become that these spiced breads can be found sitting in bakeries months before Easter arrives and in some cases all year round.

Where did this custom and practice come from ?

There is no definitive answer and its likely that the current practice most likely evolved from a number of different customs over varying periods of time. Traditionally hot cross buns are part of the Christian calendar and are eaten during Lent from Shrove Tuesday to midday on Good Friday. Various anecdotal stories have recorded buns being baked as far back as 1361 (St Alban's Abbey) or occuring in the time of the last Tudor monarch of England, Elizabeth 1 in the 16th Century.  Hot Cross buns are definitely recorded as being produced in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Prior to this later period there appears to be little actual records in existence.

COVID-19 as at 11 April 2020

Australia was ranked at number 19 for COVID 19 incidence a week ago but has now dropped to 26 as other countries record increasing rates of disease and mortality.

The Johns Hopkins University & Medicine map can be accessed at this link (below)
Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Map

Monitoring and mapping COVID-19 across the world

Johns Hopkins University and Medicine has developed a real time global case tracker tool for monitoring the movement of COVID-19 across the world.

The map can be access at this link -
World-wide coronavirus map

Earth Hour - 28 March 2020

 

The link to Earth Hour is:  Earth Hour 2020

Climate change - Greenhouse Gas emission data is absolute and unambiguous

Figure A

Note to Figure A: Climatic response time series from 1979 to the present [IPCC data] The rates shown in the panels are the decadal change rates for the entire ranges of the time series. These rates are in percentage terms, except for the interval variables (d, f, g, h, i, k), where additive changes are reported instead. For ocean acidity (pH), the percentage rate is based on the change in hydrogen ion activity, aH+ (where lower pH values represent greater acidity). The annual data are shown using gray points. The black lines are local regression smooth trend lines [authors William J Ripple, Christopher Wolf, Thomas M Newsome, Phoebe Barnard, William R Moomaw et al].

In November 2019, a call to action was issued by 11,258 scientists following the publication of new data (in the professional journal, Bioscience) demonstrating rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, global temperature increases with a range of corresponding impacts on the planet. This is not the first time such an unequivocal message has been delivered with a similar one being issued in 2017 but alas, insufficient action and business-as-usual has continued. Of particular concern -

• despite solar and wind energy consumption increasing by 373% per decade, it is still 28 times smaller than fossil fuel usage
• fossil fuel subsidies continue to energy companies and amount to a staggering US $400 billion in 2018
• the three abundant atmospheric greenhouse gases (CO2, Methane and Nitrous Oxide) continue to increase:  CO2 by 4.98%, Methane by 3.65% and Nitrous Oxide by 2.46% over the previous 10 year period
• global surface temperature has been increasing by 0.183C over the ten year period and faster than had been previously predicted
• ice has been disappearing: Arctic sea ice decreased by -11.7%, Greenland ice mass by -2610 gigatonnes, Antarctic ice mass -1230 gigatonnes
• ocean heat and acidity has increased with acidity by +4.12%

Depite the 1992 Rio Summit, the 1997 Kyoto Agreement, the 2015 Paris Agreement and numerous UN COP meetings, there has been insufficient action and progress with decarbonising or moving to low carbon renewable energy sources.

The articles can be accessed at these links -

Bioscience article 2019 World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency

Bioscience Vol 67 No 12 2017 World Scientists Warning to humanity