Doomsday Clock moves to 90 seconds before midnight & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Wednesday, January 25, 2023 "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." – Margaret Mead Doomsday Clock Moves to 90 Seconds Before Midnight Following ‘Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and the Increased Risk of Nuclear Escalation’ The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists set its Doomsday Clock to 90 seconds to midnight on Tuesday — the closest the metaphoric clock has ever been to the apocalyptic hour. Originally conceived as a symbolic measure of humanity’s proximity to global nuclear destruction in 1947, the Bulletin officially began including climate change in its calculations in 2007. Set at 100 seconds to midnight from 2020-2022, the Bulletin said it moved the clock 10 seconds ahead “largely but not exclusively” because of “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation,” in addition to the worsening impacts of climate change, “unabated” [online disinformation]( and the [continued]( [threat]( of [disease]( [outbreaks](. [Read More]( Related: [Young Climate Activists at Davos Want Fossil Fuel Execs to ‘Cease and Desist’ New Oil, Gas or Coal Extraction]( Iceberg Nearly the Size of London Breaks Away From Antarctica A gigantic [iceberg]( nearly the size of Greater London has broken free from the 492-foot-thick Brunt Ice Shelf in [Antarctica](. Cracks that had been developing naturally in the [ice shelf]( over the past few years had expanded across the entire shelf, causing the iceberg to finally calve on Sunday, according to a [British Antarctic Survey]( (BAS) press release. A crack known as Chasm-1 had extended all the way through the ice shelf when the iceberg split off. The event happened ten years after the expansion of vast cracks were first discovered by BAS scientists. It was the second major calving event from the same area in the past two years. [Read More]( Related: [World’s Glaciers at Serious Risk From Climate Crisis]( Traffic Air Pollution Can Impair Human Brain Function Within Just Two Hours, Study Finds Researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria have found just how quickly air pollution can negatively impact the human brain. While previous studies have found links between traffic pollution and negative health outcomes, this study has found that diesel exhaust exposure can impair the brain in as little as two hours. [Read More]( Related: [Canada Expands Its Pollution Pricing Rules]( Designing a U.S. Transit System With Smaller, Fewer Cars Could Cut Lithium Demand and Mining Harms of EV Transition One of the less sustainable aspects of the drive to transition from gas to [electric vehicles]( (EVs) is that building them requires metals and minerals that must be [mined]( from the Earth, an activity that raises both ecological and [environmental justice]( concerns. In fact, a new report from the Climate and Community Project and the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), found that, if current trends for EV demand hold through 2050, the U.S. alone will require three times the amount of [lithium]( that is now available on the market globally. However, replacing every gas-powered car with an EV isn’t the only way to decarbonize transit. Alternative steps including designing a less car-intensive transportation system, reducing the size of EV batteries and encouraging lithium [recycling]( could reduce lithium demand by up to 92 percent from the worst-case scenario, according to The Guardian. [Read More]( Related: [EVs Promise Savings to Most U.S. Vehicle Owners, But Not the Poorest]( Installing Solar-Powered Fridges in Developing Countries Is an Effective Way to Reduce Hunger and Fight Climate Change Food loss and waste are major problems around the world. When food is tossed aside or allowed to spoil, it makes economies less productive and leaves people hungry. It also harms Earth’s climate by generating methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Food loss and waste accounts for [4% of global greenhouse gas emissions](. If food waste were a country, it would be the [third-largest emitter in the world]( ahead of India and behind only China and the U.S. [Read More]( Related: [Distributed Renewables Are Cheaper, More Reliable for Puerto Rico, Study Finds]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 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](