Acoustic recordings reveal possible comeback for critically endangered Antarctic Blue Whales & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Thursday, May 9, 2024 "The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved." — Richard Rogers [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [X]( Sailing Community Introduces New Platform to Fight Plastic Pollution and Climate Change It’s no secret that humans produce and use far too much [plastic](. The [more than 400 million tons]( generated each year is polluting our planet and choking our [oceans](. The [plastic crisis]( is so great that 80 percent of [marine debris]( — from [microplastics]( to [fishing gear]( — is made from plastics, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A new initiative, [SailGP vs Plastic]( aims to combat the [climate crisis]( by raising awareness through a group of individuals who have a special relationship with the ocean — the sailing community. [Read More]( Related: [Solving the Plastic Crisis Through Community Empowerment]( Renewable Energy Surpasses 30% of Global Electricity Supply for First Time Ever According to the new [Global Electricity Review 2024]( from thinktank Ember, [renewable energy]( now exceeds more than 30 percent of the world’s electricity supply, following a fast rise in [solar]( and [wind]( power. [Read More]( Related: [New Wind Installations Reached Record High in 2023]( Venezuela Thought to Be First Country To Lose All of Its Glaciers Scientists have reclassified what was the last remaining glacier in Venezuela to an ice field, following significant shrinkage. The reclassification means that Venezuela is believed to be the first Andean country, and the first country globally, to lose all of its glaciers. [Read More]( Related: [Switzerland Loses 10% of Glacier Volume in Just Two Years]( Flooding and Landslides Kill at Least 85 People in Brazil as Climate Change Forms ‘Disastrous Cocktail’ With Severe Storms Following days of [heavy rains]( in [Brazil]( the country’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul is experiencing severe [landslides and flooding](. At least 85 people have been killed. [Read More]( Related: [Rivers in Russia and Kazakhstan See Worst Flooding in Nearly a Century]( Acoustic Recordings Reveal Possible Comeback for Critically Endangered Antarctic Blue Whales Researchers have found promising signs for a possible increase of Antarctic blue whales, based on surveys spanning from 2006 to 2021. A team of scientists analyzed data they collected from seven acoustic surveys conducted in the Antarctic region over the 15-year timespan. They used “sonobuoys” to detect marine sounds and ultimately gathered about 3,900 hours’ worth of sounds to review. [Read More]( Related: [Endangered Species 101: Everything You Need to Know]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2024 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](