Thousands evacuated as Australia bushfire burns out of control & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Friday, February 23, 2024 "If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us." — David Suzuki Thousands Evacuated as Australia Bushfire Burns Out of Control More than 2,000 residents of [Australia]( Victoria state were under evacuation orders on Thursday due to an out of control [bushfire](. Residents of Beaufort, Raglan and surrounding areas were encouraged by the state emergency service to leave and head east toward [Melbourne]( while it was safe to do so, reported Reuters. “Leaving immediately is the safest option for those communities,” said State Premier Jacinta Allan in a news conference, as Reuters reported. “If you are located in these areas, please heed this advice, please act now to save your own life.” [Read More]( Related: [Extreme Wildfires Kill at Least 122 in Chile, Hundreds Missing]( Potassium Depletion in Soil Threatens Global Food Security, Scientists Warn Nutrient depletion in agricultural soil is nothing new. There have been numerous studies and concerns about the depletion of nutrient-rich topsoil and the loss of nutrients like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, but scientists are now warning about the depletion of potassium in soil. In a [study]( published in the journal Nature Food, scientists highlight how poor potassium management in agricultural soil could threaten global food security in the future without corrective actions. [Read More]( Related: [Global Food System Must Be Transformed for Health of People and Planet, Study Finds]( 20 Global Dishes With the Greatest Biodiversity Risks Include Meat-Based and Vegan Fare, Study Finds Our [food choices]( can have substantial [environmental impacts](. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, worldwide [food production]( — especially [animal agriculture]( — is the main cause of [biodiversity loss](. One of the major reasons is that [livestock]( and their feed require a great deal of [land](. Certain foods — such as Indian kidney bean curry, Brazilian steak and lechazo, a Spanish dish made with lamb — have an outsized biodiversity footprint, a new [study]( has found. [Read More]( Related: [Just 18% of Land Needed to Meet Biodiversity Goals Is Adequately Protected, Study Finds]( Heavy Metals and Other Toxins Found in Stranded Whales and Dolphins A new study has detected heavy metals and other toxins in whales and dolphins that became stranded in Florida and Georgia over a 15-year timeframe. Researchers analyzed tissue and fecal samples of 90 odontocetes (toothed whales), spanning nine different species, that had stranded in Florida and Georgia from 2007 to 2021. In total, the team led by the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University analyzed over 319 samples of blubber, kidney, liver, skeletal muscle, skin and feces for 12 trace elements: cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and thallium. [Read More]( Related: [World Whale Day Celebrates Humpbacks and Raises Awareness of Threats]( Hedgehog Sightings Increasing in the UK After Years of Decline According to a survey by BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, hedgehog sightings in the UK are finally on the rise after declining observations of these mammals since 2000. A separate report from 2022, State of Britain’s Hedgehogs, noted a marked decline in hedgehogs, particularly in eastern Britain. According to that report, rural hedgehogs had decreased [30% to 75%]( since 2000, but there were more promising signs of population stabilization in urban areas. [Read More]( Related: [Newborn Southern Resident Orca Whale Spotted in Puget Sound]( 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](