The United Nations on Water for All People for a late World Water Day

I closed Drink to the Marche du Nain Rouge by telling my readers "I might observe World Water Day late, or skip it until next year. Stay tuned to find out." I decided celebrating World Water Day was the path of least resistance, so I'm sharing three videos from the United Nations beginning with The UN World Water Development Report 2026 - Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities from the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme.

We are experiencing a global water crisis: 2.1 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water. Despite decades of progress, girls and women are still the hardest hit.

Gender-based inequalities related to the access, use, management and governance of water resources have hindered progress towards fulfilling the human right to water and most Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Titled Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities, the 2026 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report offers a comprehensive, evidence-based examination of the linkages between, and progress towards, water and gender equality.

That's the long version. Here's the teaser.

Although tangible progress in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services has been made, significant disparities persist. The poorest and most vulnerable of the world’s population remain the most affected, where women and girls still bear most of the responsibility for securing water to households. This leads to physical and mental stress, limiting their time and opportunities for education, productive work, and social activities.

The UN World Water Development Report 2026, Water for all people: Equal rights and opportunities, emphasizes available data and actionable solutions to promote gender equality throughout the water sector.

I close with Director General Message on World Water Day 2026 [EN] from IOM - UN Migration.


I think it's a good idea to combine World Water Day with Women's History Month, even if that wasn't the United Nations' intention. It's a good example of one of Commoner's Laws, "Everything is connected to everything else." The opportunity cost to women and girls who have to spend time fetching water and other water-related tasks also serves as an example of another of Commoner's Laws, "There is no free lunch." This may be the last year I teach environmental science, but it's never too late to learn new facts and ideas I can pass along to students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for a brief educational entry tomorrow I can share next month.

Colbert, Meyers, Kosta, and Kimmel take closer looks at Mike Waltz being fired on Flashback Friday

Happy Flashback Friday! I'm revisiting 'SNL' mocks the Signal group chat in its cold open and Weekend Update and LegalEagle contrasts 'Signal War Plans vs. Hillary's Emails' for Throwback Thursday today, beginning with Stephen Colbert's monologue, Trump Ousts Mike Waltz | Stockpiling Toilet Paper | Bondi's Fentanyl Formula | Gorilla vs. 100 Men.

President Trump ousted National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and gave the job to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, officials are hoarding supplies ahead of an expected spike in prices, someone needs to check Attorney General Pam Bondi's math, and Stephen weighs in on a question that is burning up the internet.

First, as I wrote in John Oliver examines RFK Jr. & HHS, "Hoover Cleveland will only do the right thing for the wrong reasons." Instead of firing Waltz for using Signal instead of government email, I'm sure he replaced him with Marco Rubio because he included Editor of the Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg and let the public know about the chat. Second, nominating Waltz to be Ambassador to the United Nations is a promotion, not a firing. I don't know if he'll be an improvement over Elise Stefanik. Probably not.

I'll get to Pam Bondi later. In the meantime, officials hoarding toilet paper is a bad sign of trouble ahead, even if China has very little to do with toilet paper. Also, I'm a biologist, so I'm supporting what the experts are saying about gorillas, as much fun as 100 men vs. a gorilla sounds.

I turn next to Seth Meyers in Trump Ousts Waltz After Signal Scandal, Says Kids Don’t Need Toys Affected by Tariffs: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at turmoil and confusion in Trump's White House after he announced he was moving his scandal-plagued national security adviser to a different job.

"Once a leaker, always a leaker, often a leaker." Yeah, Kegseth, you'd know.

Hoover Cleveland's callous remarks about Christmas presents is another bad economic sign. It's also enough to earn him the nickname "Donnie Two Dolls." Now I'm thinking of Sugar and Spice, Two-Face's girlfriends from Batman Forever.


That may not be as effective as comparing Hoover Cleveland to The Grinch or Marie Antoinette. I'm looking forward to the memes already.

I'm continuing with The Daily Show's Mike Waltz Leaves the Group Chat for a U.N. One & Trump’s Town Hall Gets Racist.

Michael Kosta continues TDS coverage of Trump’s 100th day in office with reports from NewsNation’s town hall, where the president racially slighted Stephen A. Smith, as well as details on Mike Waltz’s exit and subsequent United Nations promotion, and Pam Bondi’s ridiculous claims about fentanyl deaths.

Stupid racism from Hoover Cleveland at a town hall? I'll let Iago respond for me.


Speaking of stupid, Bondi's math on fentanyl rests on very shaky assumptions, and it just gets worse. That doesn't stop him from believing it. As I've said before, "the voices in his head are not reliable sources. Neither are the real people he listens to." That includes Bondi.

I close with Jimmy Kimmel's Trump Fires His First Cabinet Member, Gets Protested Across Country & Called a "Man of DEEP FAITH!"

Thousands of concerned citizens joined shoulders across America to protest our dear leader and his minions, employees at the FEC will soon be required to report their location every day, Trump headed to Mar-A-Lago today for another three day weekend, Elon is dialing back his DOGE duties to focus on his own disaster of a company, Don Jr is co-founding an exclusive members only club in Washington D.C., all of America’s most prominent religious figures were at the White House today for a “National Day of Prayer,” Dr. Phil claimed that Trump is a man of deep faith, NewsNation had a town hall where Trump talked about how much people who are “Black” love him, a deal was signed with Ukraine for rights to their rare earth minerals, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz is OUT, longtime anchor Steve Doocy made a major announcement this morning on Fox & Friends, and it’s time for our now-beloved tradition, the “Can You Believe What Month it Is” montage for May.

I'm glad to see Jimmy K. report on the May Day protests. All the other late-night hosts missed them in their monologues, but they're on the East Coast. Jimmy is southern California, so he has three more hours to catch up on the news.

The United Nations on glacier preservation, the theme of this year's World Water Day

Happy World Water Day! The United Nations has declared glacier preservation as this year's theme and uploaded The Secret Life of Glaciers | World Water Day 2025 last month to support it.

Glaciers are more than just giant ice formations—they are dynamic forces of nature that shape our planet and hold the key to our freshwater future. But how do they form? What kinds of glaciers exist around the world? And how is climate change impacting them?

In this video, we take you on a journey through the life cycle of a glacier, from snowflakes to massive ice sheets. You'll discover the different types of glaciers, how they move, and why they are so crucial to Earth's water supply.

Did you know? Glaciers store about 70% of the world’s fresh water! As they melt, they feed rivers and supply drinking water to millions. But with rising global temperatures, many glaciers are shrinking at alarming rates.

Join us as we explore these frozen giants and learn how they connect to our climate, water, and future.

I just finished lecturing on glaciers in my geology classes this week and I could have used this video, as it covers the weakest part of my lecture. Darn. I can still add it to the slideshow and show it for the next four semesters. If so, welcome to blogging as professional development.

Speaking of professional development, glaciers storing "about 70% of the world’s fresh water" differs from the statistic I've been telling my students for years, which is 79%. I included a pie chart showing that last year. Pacific Water displays a pie chart more consistent with glaciers and ice caps having 70% of the planet's fresh water.


Looks like I'll have to research the reason for the discrepancy. If it's because that much of the planet's glaciers have melted, then the situation has indeed become worse since Chasing Ice.

Follow over the jump for two more videos from the United Nations, specifically UNESCO.

Jason Momoa's message for World Oceans Day

Happy World Oceans Day! I had a big day yesterday and I'm in a "I can't be all DOOM all the time" mood, so I'm taking an entertainment angle on the environmental holiday, which I probably will do again next year when it falls on Sunday, by sharing videos about ocean conservation featuring Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa. I begin with a video I just missed last year, Jason Momoa message on World Oceans Day 2023 | United Nations.

In a recorded message from New Zealand, actor and ocean activist Jason Momoa said, “the human induced triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss continues to weigh heavily on the ocean ecosystems and the communities that directly depend on it. If we don't change course. The oceans dire state will continue to apply. Doesn't have to be that way. Through reimagining our relationship with the ocean and working together to better understand prioritize and protect it, we can rebuild a preserve that help the ocean both now for future generations. I'm honored to be joining the United Nations family World Oceans Day. Celebrate how wonderful it is to live our blue planet and underscore the importance of prioritizing the oceans help, our own health.”

World Ocean Day is celebrated worldwide on 8 June Every Year.

I'm going to be a good environmentalist by recycling, twice, starting with People want pandas, so 'SNL' opens with a panda at Biden's press conference.

Momoa is not kidding about being an environmentalist. The United Nations describes his environmental work.

Award-winning actor, entrepreneur, and filmmaker Jason Momoa has long advocated for environmental issues and social justice. Of Polynesian and Hawaiian descent, he has lent his voice and platform to protecting the oceans and the rights of indigenous peoples and island nations. Momoa's entrepreneurial pursuits focus on advancing sustainable practices, products and packaging, including development of Mananalu, a water packaged in infinitely recyclable aluminum. His passion for environmental conservation is evident through his collaborations with organizations like Ocean Unite, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, Lonely Whale, and Kumano I Ke Ala. He advocates for marine protection, coral reef preservation, and global initiatives against plastic pollution and waste. Moreover, in addition to his direct involvement with SDG 14, "Life Below Water," and his profound dedication to ocean health and the protection of marine life, Momoa is actively involved in raising awareness of the issue of intersectional environmentalism and social justice through his production companies, Pride of Gypsies and On The Roam, which produces scripted and unscripted original content, branded content, and product collaborations.

Aquaman really did deserve its nomination for Feature Film at the 2019 Environmental Media Association Awards.

Speaking of Aquaman, I predicted that "I'm looking for Aquaman 2 to earn a nomination at the next EMA Awards" in The 2023-2024 Environmental Media Association Awards nominees. I'm also looking forward to seeing the movie on the next Saturn Awards ballot. Too bad it's almost certain to get crushed by Deadpool & Wolverine. The Marvel streak will continue.

Momoa also narrated Deep Rising, one of the documentary nominees at this year's EMA Awards, and featured in Common Ground, the EMA Award winner. He definitely supports his cause in his art!

The United Nations features Momoa in more videos, but I'm also being a good environmentalist by conserving my resources for next year, when World Oceans Day will also be the subject of the Sunday entertainment feature. Speaking of which, stay tuned for that tomorrow. Daytime Emmy Awards winners, anyone?

International water crises for World Water Day from CNA, VOA, and PBS

Happy World Water Day! I begin today's observance of the day with Singapore's CNA reporting World Water Day: Water can be a tool for peace when communities, countries cooperate, says UN.

World Water Day falls on Mar 22. It is marked every year by the United Nations (UN) and the world to inspire positive ripple effects to tackle the global water crisis. The theme this year, amid growing concerns over wars, is “Water for Peace”. The UN says water can create peace or spark conflict, playing a critical role in stability and prosperity. CNA's Julie Yoo has the details.

The statistics Julie Yoo cites for the distribution and availability of fresh water are the same ones I tell my students using a graphic similar to this one from PBS.


It certainly puts things in perspective and I hope it makes an impression on my students.

Yoo's report for CNA emphasized international conflict and cooperation in Asia. Voice of America took a more global view and included private actors indirectly moving water in World Water Day: Corporations Accused of ‘Grabbing’ Water From Global South | VOANews.

There is a growing risk of conflict over water as climate change takes hold, according to the United Nations, which marks World Water Day on Friday. Meanwhile, aid agency Oxfam accuses global corporations of grabbing water from poorer countries to boost profits. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.

Seeing South Africa's water shortage reminds me that the second post I wrote for this day was Cape Town's Day Zero for World Water Day 2018. Same country, different city.

Also, the transfer of water from the global south to the global north reminds me of another story I tell my students, I=P*A*T, "where I is impact, P is population, A is affluence, and T is technology." Affluence increases environmental impact both through the ability to demand resources and the waste that resource use creates. While technology is the only way to reduce the impact from population and affluence through efficiency, it can also make the impact worse. The technologies allowing the international transfer of water through food and other products might just fall into that latter category.

Some water shortages have mostly local causes other than climate change, as PBS News Weekend reported two weeks ago in Mexico City is running out of water. Here’s why and how millions of residents are affected.

Mexico City, one of the world's most populous cities, could be just months away from running out of water. It’s a crisis brought on by geography, growth and leaky infrastructure, all compounded by the effects of climate change. Journalist Emily Green joins John Yang to discuss the situation.

The irony of this is that Mexico City was built on a lake and much of that water is still under the city. That's another story I tell my students, but I'm saving it for another time.

Tomorrow features a traffic jam of topics, with Purim, blog stats, and Louisiana primary all on the agenda. I've skipped Purim before so I might do it again. Stay tuned.

People want pandas, so 'SNL' opens with a panda at Biden's press conference

Last night's episode of Saturday Night Live began by laughing at the priorities of the media and its consumers in Biden Panda Cold Open.

President Joe Biden (Mikey Day) holds a press conference after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Watching the reporters being more interested in Bowen Yang's panda then Mikey Day's Biden using that interest to deflect from inconvenient questions reminds me of what my friend Nebris says is one of my great insights.

"America is quite clear about its screwed up priorities­. My experience has convinced me that the surest way to get Americans to act is to mess with their entertainm­ent" and "Americans want their entertainment, and will do just about anything to keep it going."

China taking its pandas back messed with a lot of Americans' entertainment and they want new pandas. The media are happy to cater to this desire, which draws clicks and views. Should the Chinese lend pandas back to U.S. zoos, it will make both China, if not Xi, and Biden more popular in the U.S. That's a win-win. Now to see if it actually happens.

Weekend Update: Biden Calls Chinese President a Dictator, Trump Jr. Testifies in Fraud Trial mentioned one of the reasons that deal might not happen.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin challenging the Teamsters union president to a fistfight.

I agree with Biden; Xi's a dictator. Just the same, that's not helpful in getting what we want out of the U.S.-China relationship.

I haven't been at all diligent about coming up with drinks and memes for Republican candidates, let alone writing farewell posts when they drop out, so I'm relieved that Tim Scott dropped out. It saved me the trouble. Bye!

Colin Jost rephrased my recycled comment.

My wife used to work for the Teamsters and we live three miles away from the last place Jimmy Hoffa was seen alive, so we know anyone asking to fight that union's president is asking for trouble. I wonder if Senator Mullin has a clue about that.

Based on the way we bragged about it on right-wing televison outlets, I'd say Mullin either doesn't know or doesn't care.

I don't know if Senator Markwayne Mullin has a death wish or not, but I agree with Jost — never mess with the Teamsters!

The next clip returns to the topic of George Santos not running for re-election after ethics report, closer looks from Colbert, Meyers, and Kimmel, Weekend Update: Colin Jost Interviews Rep. George Santos Again - SNL.

Rep. George Santos (Bowen Yang) stops by Weekend Update to discuss the House Ethics Committee's report claiming he used campaign funds for personal spending.

One of my best and easiest predictions was that George Santos will be a great inspiration for comedy as long as he stays in the news. That's continuing to come true.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the highlight's from last night's episode.

Today is World Diabetes Day and November is National Diabetes Month

Happy World Diabetes Day! I begin with Enchanted Insights explaining World Diabetes Day (14 November) - Why do We Celebrate and How to Celebrate - History and Purpose.

World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. It is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.

That's a good description of the history of the holiday and why it's observed today. For a brief summary of the disease and its effects, I turn to CNA's World Diabetes Day: The lowdown on the chronic disease.

On average, a person who has diabetes thinks about their disease every 20 minutes every day of their life. On World Diabetes Day which falls on Nov 14, CNA's Teresa Tang explains what the different types of diabetes are and what they mean.

I'm a diabetic and I can attest that I think about my condition an average of every 20 minutes throughout the day.* I consider it to be a central organizing fact of my life. Oddly enough, I think it has focused me and improved my mental health. I now have a real threat to concentrate my attention on and consider every day a small victory over death.

Not only is today World Diabetes Day, it's NATIONAL DIABETES MONTH | November - National Day Calendar.


Here's the description of National Diabetes Month from the National Day Calendar website.

In November, National Diabetes Month focuses attention on the growing cost of diabetes on American's health. From the physical, emotional, and social effects to the financial and damaging health consequences, diabetes impacts more than 30 million people in the United States. Also known as American Diabetes Month, the month focus on making healthy changes and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
...
Help prevent type 2 diabetes. Learn about the causes of type 1 diabetes and how to control it. Find out how new medications are making it easier to control blood sugar and insulin levels. Learn about a healthy diet, exercise, and how to control diabetes. Known your number and get involved. If you have questions about your diabetes, be sure to speak with your doctor. They are your best resource for staying in control. Use #NationalDiabetesMonth to post on social media.

All good advice. Trust me, I'm a diabetic, so I know.

That's it for a day devoted to a cause important to me. Stay tuned for America Recycles Day, another day about a cause important to me.

*Night is another matter. I don't recall ever dreaming about diabetes. Instead, I dream about driving. That's not an improvement; all those dreams involve loss of control and they scare me. Then I wake up and realize it was just a dream. None of it happened outside my head. Whew!

U.S. birthrate resumes its decline for World Population Day 2023

I told my readers to "stay tuned for World Population Day" at the end of Happy National Mojito Day 2023! I'm revisiting the theme of last year's post by sharing CNBC Television's U.S. birth rates dropped in 2022 from June 1, 2023.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the nation saw fewer babies born in 2022 compared to 2021.

I quoted Vox last year, who wrote "2021 represents the first time since 2014 that the number of babies born in the US actually increased...But make no mistake: This is not a baby boom that is meant to last." I concurred, writing "I agree with Vox; this is likely just a temporary reversal of a long-term trend." So far, Vox and I are right.

CNBC Television explained the trend last year in Why the birth rate in the U.S. is falling.

Children are really expensive to raise in the United States. Economists say people may be taking that into consideration when deciding whether to have kids. Fertility rates dropped ahead of the Great Recession in 2007, suggesting having children may be an indicator of people's confidence about the future. Despite this, public opinion polling suggests that financial anxiety is not actually deterring Americans from having children. Watch the video above to learn why the birth rate is falling and what the Covid pandemic may mean for future fertility rates.

The U.S. is part of a global trend among wealthier countries for fewer births, longer lives, more older people, and slowing population growth or even outright decline, as the United Nations described in 8 Billion People And Counting: What Now? | World Population Day 2023.

The global population has reached 8 billion, what does this mean for the future of our world?

Dr. Rachel Snow of the United Nations Population Fund is here to answer your questions.

That is probably the most optimistic take on growing global population I've seen in a long time. It's certainly not gloom and doom. It's also very timely, as I'm teaching a unit on population right now. I might even show this video to my students tomorrow. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

Tides are changing for World Oceans Day 2023

Happy World Oceans Day! I've been celebrating this environmental holiday on this blog for ten years, so today marks one full decade of my observing it.

I begin today's tenth anniversary celebration with France 24 English's Climate change: World Oceans Day to mark the significance of the oceans in our daily lives.*

On 8 June World Oceans Day will be celebrated worldwide, serving as a poignant reminder of the immense significance of the ocean in our daily lives. The importance of a healthy ocean cannot be overstated. They are home to 80 percent of the animal biomass, serving as a vital source of sustenance, nutrition and livelihoods for millions of people worldwide.

I was right when I wrote "I might have more on the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty as soon as Thursday," as France 24 English covered it right after talking about climate change and biodiversity. There should be a draft treaty when the delegates meet again in Nairobi later this year.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres mentioned the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty in World Oceans Day 2023 (8 June) - United Nations Secretary-General along with other international agreements.

Video Message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on World Oceans Day 2023.

Here are the initiatives Secretary-General Guterres listed after declaring that "the tides are changing."

Last year, we adopted an ambitious global target to conserve and manage 30 per cent of land and marine and coastal areas by 2030, as well as a landmark agreement on fisheries subsidies.

At the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, the world agreed to push for more positive ocean action.

A global, legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution is under negotiation.

And in March, countries agreed to the historic High Seas Treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Realizing the great promise of these initiatives requires collective commitment.

Sustainable Development Goal 14 — to conserve and sustainably use the ocean’s resources — hangs in the balance.

This World Oceans Day, let’s keep pushing for action.

Today and every day, let’s put the ocean first.

As a Crazy Eddie, I approve.

Follow over the jump for two videos I missed from last year's celebration that I found worth watching.

Beat plastic pollution on World Environment Day

Happy World Environment Day! This year's theme is "beat plastic pollution," which PBS NewsHour described in last month's The UN wants to drastically reduce plastic pollution by 2040. Here’s how.

As plastic waste piles up in the world’s landfills, sewer systems and oceans, the United Nations has set a goal to reduce plastic pollution by 80 percent by the year 2040. Inger Andersen, head of the United Nations Environment Programme, joins William Brangham to discuss the upcoming negotiations over how to realize this goal.

Listening to Inger Andersen talk about how plastic containers are a response to consumers wanting convenience reminds me that my first lecture in environmental science begins with a discussion of values and one of those values is convenience. It set it, along with profit and comfort, as counterpoints to sustainability, which I call the main value of environmental science. We can have all these values; I just think they need to prioritized properly.

Andersen brought up other topics from my environmental science class, such as a circular economy. That ties into one of the science-based sustainability principles from the textbook, chemical cycling. It fits one of Commoner's Laws, nature knows best. That plastic is everywhere, including in our own bodies, demonstrates the rest of Commoner's Laws, everything is connected to everything else, everything must go somewhere, so there is no "away," and there is no free lunch. Too bad my students are taking a test today, otherwise I'd show this video to them.

PBS NewsHour was revisiting this story, as the show examined the issue last December in How countries are trying to tackle the plastic pollution problem together.

This week, representatives from 150 nations are meeting in Uruguay with the goal of dramatically reducing or eliminating all plastic pollution by 2040. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers introduced a new bill to help curtail the harmful impacts of plastic waste. Washington Post reporter Michael Birnbaum joins Amna Nawaz to discuss.

This story describes government-based solutions to plastic pollution. CNBC's How Cleaning Up Plastic Pollution Is Making Millions shows market-based solutions to the problem.

For-profit companies Plastic Bank and RePurpose Global are incentivizing plastic collection and recycling in developing nations, and selling plastic credits to companies looking to offset their new plastic production. But while funding the development of recycling ecosystems in areas with poor waste management infrastructure is undeniably positive, some experts are concerned that the emerging plastic credits market will distract from the systemic changes that are truly needed to end plastic pollution.

This video ties into posts about fixing plastic recycling. This includes some bad news, like the U.S. recycling about 5% of its plastic while the world recycles 9%. We're going backwards!

I might have more on the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty as soon as Thursday, which is World Oceans Day, one of the first environmental holidays I celebrated on this blog. Stay tuned.

Earth Hour 2023 asks 'Could an Hour change the world?'

Happy Earth Hour, which will happen at 8:30 P.M. local time in Europe, Africa, and the Western Hemisphere and has already happened in Asia, Australia, and the part of Oceania in the Eastern Hemisphere as I type this. I begin my observance with a video from Earth Hour, which asks Could an Hour change the world?

Imagine an Hour inspiring millions to act for our planet. An Hour that unites cities, countries, and continents. An Hour reminding us to make all other hours count.

That’s no longer just an hour…that’s the spark we need for change. That’s the #BiggestHourForEarth.

We can make it happen - together. Join us for #EarthHour on 25th March at 8:30 pm local time by switching off and spending 60 minutes doing something - anything - positive for our planet.

Learn more: https://www.earthhour.org/

By itself, no. As I wrote for the first Earth Hour I blogged about in 2011: "I personally think this is a fun publicity stunt, and I'm going along with it, but by itself, it's just a publicity stunt." But it becomes yes if it changes attitudes and leads people to "go beyond the hour. Take action to make our world a better place and share your act with the world." I'm all in favor of that.

My readers might have noticed that the logo for the event has changed. Earth Hour explains that and more in Earth Hour 2023: Breathing new life into our movement and mission.

Since our beginnings in 2007, Earth Hour has been known for the “lights off” moment – a symbolic event to show our collective support for the planet. But this year, we're stepping things up, breathing new life into Earth Hour, our work, and our mission, creating the #BiggestHourForEarth.

How? By inspiring our supporters across the globe - from Asia and Africa to North and South America, Oceania and Europe - to give an hour for Earth, spending 60 minutes doing something - anything - positive for our planet.

Together, we can turn a single Earth Hour into thousands and millions of hours of action and impact for our one shared home, a unifying moment to remind the world just how important our planet is, and why we all can (and must) play a part to protect it.

Watching the explanation of the logo change reminded me of the Doomsday Clock. That's probably not an accident.

I close with a message from the United Nations: UN Chief on Earth Hour: The Biggest Hour for Earth 2023 | Sat, Mar 25, 2023 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM.

Video Message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on Earth Hour 2023.

The United Nations is joining in the global effort to mark Earth Hour again this year. On Saturday, March 25th at 8:30 p.m. local time, join WWF, the United Nations and other partners in switching off your lights and giving an hour for Earth. For ideas on positive actions you can take for our planet, see www.un.org/actnow.

Nothing like being supported from the very top.

See you tomorrow for the final Sunday entertainment feature of March. Until then, lights out for the planet tonight!

U.N. estimates that the human population passed 8 billion

I told my readers "Stay tuned as I return to this blog's regular programming, whatever that is." The regular, but not frequent, subjects of this blog include population, which passed a milestone yesterday as BBC News reported World’s population hits 8 billion, UN says.

The world's population has hit eight billion, just 11 years after passing the seven-billion milestone, the United Nations has said.

After a big surge in the middle of the 20th Century, population growth is already slowing down.

It could take 15 years to reach nine billion and the UN doesn't expect to reach 10 billion until 2080.

It's hard to calculate the number of people in the world accurately, and the UN admits its sums could be out by a year or two.

This is very much the message I tell my students about the history and likely future of population growth and its effects on people and the planet. I might just replace the National Geographic video I embedded in both A video gift from a student and Student sustainability video festival 5: previous years' winners I currently have in my lectures with this one, although it lacks the infographics introducing the topics of health, water, and energy (even though the energy stat it cites for energy use was already out of date when the video was produced) that set up the rest of the course. Still, welcome to blogging as professional development.

The BBC video mentioned India's population passing China's, lower fertility rates, an aging population, and strains on infrastructure. All of those are the subjects of Cities under strain as world population hits 8 billion from Reuters.

As the world population touches the 8 billion mark this week, countries like India, the second-most populous country in the world, are faced with the challenges - from creating suitable infrastructure to creating a skilled workforce from the country's youth.

I tell my students that the world is becoming increasingly urbanized at the same time that population is increasing, so population problems will show up as urban problems. India's situation is a perfect example of this. I might add this video to my lectures on population as well. Again, welcome to blogging as professional development.

By the way, the population milestone has already inspired a song, Kiran + Nivi - 8 billion people (Official Lyric Video).



Lyric video by Kiran + Nivi performing 8 billion people.
More people doesn't mean one can't be lonely in a crowd, it just means one can be lonelier in a bigger crowd.

I have another milestone to observe as Snow Bear passed 10,000 miles yesterday, so stay tuned for a driving update.

International Day of Democracy

Happy International Day of Democracy!

The United Nations has marked September 15th as the International Day of Democracy. On this day the UN urges all governments to promote and uphold the principles of democracy.

Democracy is a form of government in which citizens exercise power by voting. Democracy is built on a foundation of inclusion. Equal treatment and participation are also important components. Democracy is also a building block for peace and human rights. Countries with democracies have a constitution, which helps to create an environment of protection for its citizens. Democratic states also are less likely to breed terrorists. They are also more active in the global economy.

True democracy gives power to the people. It involves dialogue between civil societies and political classes. This dialogue should influence policymaking decisions. In many countries throughout the world human rights defenders and government officials are under attack. Women remain underrepresented.

Because of these threats, it’s more important than ever to embrace democracy and the global freedoms it provides. It’s also of utmost importance to assist in the formation of new democracies.

HOW TO OBSERVE #DayOfDemocracy
On the International Day of Democracy, organizations around the world hold various events to promote democracy. These events include discussions and conferences with keynote speakers. These speakers are usually leaders or educators that support democratic governments. Information is disseminated that discusses the link between democracy and freedom of expression. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) organizes public opinion surveys about democracy.

Some ways for you to observe include visiting your state’s capitol building and learning more about the legislative process. Use the Internet to find countries that don’t have a democracy. Learn about how this affects the citizens. Some non-democratic countries include Qatar, Cuba, United Kingdom [I tell my students that the U.K. is a democracy in a constitutional monarchy, so I disagree with its listing here], North Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Talk to your kids about democracy. Make a commitment to vote in the next election.

Take time to reflect on what democracy means to you. Write your thoughts down in the form of an essay, poem, or blog post. You can also post your thoughts on social media. When doing so, share it with #InternationalDayOfDemocracy.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY HISTORY
On November 8, 2007, the UN general assembly made September 15th the International Day of Democracy. The assembly invited individuals and organizations to commemorate the day. It also called on governments to share experiences of promoting democracy. The first International Day of Democracy was celebrated in 2008 by 46 national parliaments. This date marked the 20th anniversary of the first International Conference of New or Restored Democracies.

Every year the UN creates a new theme for the International Day of Democracy. Past themes have included: “Strengthening Voices for Democracy,” “Engaging Youth on Democracy,” and “Inclusion and Participation as Foundations of Democracy.”

The United Nations Democracy Fund on YouTube features this year's theme in the video description of UN Secretary-General message on 2022 International Day of Democracy.

On the International Day of Democracy, UN Secretary-General stresses the importance of media freedom to democracy, peace, and delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals.

The upload on the United Nations main YouTube channel has subtitles and a transcript of the speech.

"Today marks the 15th anniversary of the International Day of Democracy.

Yet across the world, democracy is backsliding.

Civic space is shrinking.

Distrust and disinformation are growing.

And polarization is undermining democratic institutions.

Now is the time to raise the alarm.

Now is the time to reaffirm that democracy, development, and human rights are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.

Now is the time to stand up for the democratic principles of equality, inclusion, and solidarity.

And stand with those who strive to secure the rule of law and promote the full participation in decision-making. This year, we focus on a cornerstone of democratic societies – free, independent, and pluralistic media.

Attempts to silence journalists are growing more brazen by the day – from verbal assault to online surveillance and legal harassment – especially against women journalists.

Media workers face censorship, detention, physical violence, and even killings – often with impunity.

Such dark paths inevitably lead to instability, injustice and worse.

Without a free press, democracy cannot survive. Without freedom of expression, there is no freedom.

On Democracy Day and every day, let us join forces to secure freedom and protect the rights of all people, everywhere.

Thank you".

I agree with António Guterres, Secretary-General to the United Nations: "Without a free press, democracy cannot survive. Without freedom of expression, there is no freedom." Also, it's up to all of us to protect democracy. As I wrote in Representative Adam Schiff tells Stephen Colbert 'Our Democracy Is Even More Vulnerable Today Than It Was On Jan 6': "It's up to the people to protect democracy. If they don't care, they will lose a functioning democracy." Let that be a challenge to all of us.

Carbon dioxide passes 420 ppm, another greenhouse gas record

I concluded yesterday's NOAA predicts another above average hurricane season for 2022 by telling my readers "I should write about the greenhouse gas levels recorded this spring. Stay tuned." That turned out to be timely, as WFLA News Channel 8 uploaded Carbon Dioxide Levels hit new record high causing climate change the day I wrote that.


I'm recycling the comment I left on this video as a reaction.

I was looking for Jeff Berardelli to deliver this news and here he is at WFLA instead of CBS News. Just seeing him on this channel was enough to get me to subscribe to its YouTube channel. Hi, Jeff, from one of your fans!

I featured Berardelli in last year's version of this post, Carbon dioxide at levels not seen for 3.6 million years despite economic slowdown from pandemic, so I really was hoping I'd see him report on the topic again. I'm glad I found him just when I needed him.

Since WFLA didn't include a video description beyond repeating the title, I'm going to quote The Daily Mail, which is read by the wives of the people who run the U.K. and reported Carbon Dioxide Levels hit new record high causing climate change earlier this month.*

Earth's carbon dioxide levels have hit the highest recorded level in human history, new data shows.

For the first time on record, monthly average carbon dioxide (CO2) levels exceeded 420 parts per million (ppm) in April, their highest peak since accurate measurements began 64 years ago.

They even reached 421.33 ppm on one day last week, as greenhouse gas emissions continue to soar around the world.

The day before yesterday, the CO2 concentration measured by weather balloon over Hawaii reached 421.50 ppm, another record.

421.50 parts per million (ppm) CO2 in air 24-May-2022 https://t.co/kUgI1WsFam

— Keeling_Curve (@Keeling_curve) May 25, 2022

That's not all. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of the United Nations uploaded The WMO State of the Global Climate in 2021 - English last week.

Four key climate change indicators – greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification – set new records in 2021. This is yet another clear sign that human activities are causing planetary scale changes on land, in the ocean, [and in the atmosphere.]

Yikes!

That was about the very recent past. The WMO looked to the future in the Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update - English - May 2022.

There is a 50:50 chance of the annual average global temperature temporarily reaching 1.5 °C above the pre-industrial level for at least one of the next five years – and the likelihood is increasing with time, according to a new climate[...]

This scares me, but doesn't surprise me, as I wrote in SciShow summarizes the IPCC roadmap to fix climate change.

While it's theoretically possible that we can follow this plan and Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. federal government are at least shooting to be carbon neutral by 2050, I think it's more likely that the world as a whole will follow China's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That involves greenhouse gas emissions peaking by 2030 and net zero by 2060. That won't keep us below 1.5^oC above the pre-industrial average, but it might just be enough to keep us below 2^oC of warming above that same benchmark. I hope that's good enough. At least it won't be Eocene levels of warming — I hope.

It's bad enough that we're on track for Pliocene temperatures at current rates of warming. Welcome to the 400 ppm world.

*Liberals sometimes call The Daily Mail "The Daily Fail" because of its perceived conservative social, economic, and political stances, but I have found it has decent science reporting, even if it serves the paper's tendencies to scare its readers. At least it's frightening them with something real and factual. Just the same, I may explore the nickname and perception later. Stay tuned.

PBS NewsHour explains 'How misinformation and the partisan divide drove a surge in U.S. COVID deaths,' a pandemic update on Throwback Thursday

I included a program note in the footnote to Dr. Fauci and Stevie Wonder address political division at commencement ceremonies in Michigan.

I'll probably get to "more pandemic news, including global death estimates" that I promised in NBC News and MSNBC report the U.S. passed 1 million deaths from COVID-19, a pandemic update Friday or Saturday. In the meantime, stay tuned for the final retrospective of the 2021-2022 blogging year on Throwback Thursday.

It turned out that the most active link to a blog entry posted between March 21, 2021 and March 20, 2022 was 'Contagion' vs. COVID-19 updates last year's most commented entries on Throwback Thursday, so instead of making today's final strictly about Twitter, the final retrospective of the 2021-2022 blogging year will again be about the pandemic.

I begin with PBS NewsHour revisiting Vox explains 'How American conservatives turned against the vaccine,' a pandemic update as it explains How misinformation and the partisan divide drove a surge in U.S. COVID deaths.

As the death toll from the coronavirus nears 1 million Americans, we’ve been exploring why the U.S. Suffered such a terrible loss, especially when compared to other nations similar to us. While there are many reasons for this, one of them is that many Americans have not wanted to be vaccinated. William Brangham reports.

I'm going to be a good environmentalist by recycling my reaction from February.

I found this depressing but not surprising, as I've been seeing this develop since I wrote Samantha Bee on 'Mask Hysteria' two years ago, even before vaccines. Since then, I've been paying attention to Charles Gaba at ACASignups.net who has been tracking vaccination rates vs. partisanship since May 2021....He found the same relationship between party identification and vaccination rates that [PBS NewsHour] showed in the video above.

I'm also going to recycle my reaction from U.S. life expectancy continued falling in 2021, a pandemic update, "widespread availability of vaccines has not translated into universal acceptance of vaccines..." On that note, here is Charles's graph that best matches the vaccinated vs. unvaccinated death rate in the video above from Monthly Update: COVID Death Rates by Partisan Lean & Vaccination Rate, except that it charts death rate by county against partisanship instead of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated.


It's amazing how closely they match.

PBS NewsHour also covered global death estimates last week when it reported WHO report finds nearly 15 million deaths associated with COVID-19 worldwide.

Nearly 15 million people around the world have died from COVID's impact, directly or indirectly, during the first two years of the pandemic, according to a new World Health Organization report. It’s also about three times higher than governments have reported so far. University of Washington's Jonathan Wakefield, whose modeling work helped produce the report, joins William Brangham for more.

I explored excess deaths during the pandemic from other causes in Americans speeding during the pandemic is increasing traffic deaths, a driving update, Traffic accidents down but fatal accidents up in Michigan while drivers overpaid $1 billion for insurance during 2020, a driving update, and COVID-19 and diabetes for World Diabetes Day 2021, a pandemic update, so I'm not surprised by the high rate of excess deaths not directly caused by COVID-19. I am a little surprised that Australia and New Zealand didn't experience higher traffic deaths. I guess the land of Mad Max didn't have people speeding on open roads. Before I move on, I was always a little skeptical that India had fewer deaths than the U.S. from the pandemic. An estimate of 4.7 million may be higher than I expected, but I really do think India had more deaths than the U.S.'s 1 million.

Speaking of which, both PBS and ABC News, which broadcast and uploaded Breakthrough COVID-19 deaths increasing as omicron subvariants spread last night, still think the country is close but hasn't passed that grim milestone yet, but expect it will pass it soon (I think we passed it already).

Breakthrough deaths comprise a larger share of COVID-19 deaths amid a surge of cases nationwide. ABC News medical contributor Dr. Alok Patel explains what you need to know.

That's not good news. Despite what Dr. Fauci said to PBS NewsHour last month, we are still in an active pandemic and cases are going up, even though deaths so far haven't followed suit.

That's it for today's pandemic update. Follow over the jump for the most active links on Twitter during the eleventh year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

SciShow summarizes the IPCC roadmap to fix climate change

I wrote about adaptation to climate change in yesterday's CNBC asks 'Which U.S. Cities Are Safest From Climate Change?' Today, I'm sharing SciShow's Our Roadmap to Fix Climate Change as a plan for mitigation.

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the final part of its sixth assessment report. In it, they steer away from the gloom and doom and remind us of a future that's still remarkably possible.

While it's theoretically possible that we can follow this plan and Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. federal government are at least shooting to be carbon neutral by 2050, I think it's more likely that the world as a whole will follow China's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That involves greenhouse gas emissions peaking by 2030 and net zero by 2060. That won't keep us below 1.5^oC above the pre-industrial average, but it might just be enough to keep us below 2^oC of warming above that same benchmark. I hope that's good enough. At least it won't be Eocene levels of warming — I hope.

UN report predicts wildfires could increase 50% by 2100

"Should" and "unless" ended up doing a lot of work in the final paragraph of UCLA study shows high-risk fire days in southern California could double by 2100.

That should conclude my climate change blogging for the month unless another study comes out that makes the news. Stay tuned.

It didn't take long. That evening, PBS NewsHour reported Alarming new climate report predicts 'catastrophic' global wildfires in the coming years.

There's grim new reports about potential causes and effects of climate change. The United Nations Environment Program has projected intense wildfires linked in part to climate change could increase 50 percent by the end of the century, and the International Energy Agency said energy sector emissions of methane are 70 percent higher than governments claim. William Brangham reports.

So it's not just California but also the rest of the world that faces increased wildfire risk because of climate change. I'm not surprised.

CNN also uploaded a segment about the report, Fire season is now year-round': Here's how climate crisis fuels wildfires.

A new UN report says wildfires are increasing and becoming more intense around the globe. CNN's Bill Weir discusses how the climate crisis contributes to the damaging burns.

So it's not just California experiencing a year-round fire season. That's not how I want the world to imitate my former home state.

Since this report came from the United Nations Environment Program, it's only fair that I embed their video on the report, The Rising Threat of Wildfires.


That's a scary series of facts and findings.

Unlike two days ago, I can say that I'm not done with climate news for the month. I plan on following up on the methane emissions mentioned in the PBS NewsHour report. Stay tuned.

'Ted Lasso' and 'Hacks' accepting their Emmy Awards for World Television Day

Happy World Televison Day!* To celebrate, I'm resuming my coverage of this year's Emmy winners in comedy series, "Ted Lasso," "Hacks," and "The Flight Attendant."

Outstanding Comedy Series

Black-ish (ABC)
Cobra Kai (Netflix)
Emily in Paris (Netflix)
The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
Hacks (HBO Max)
The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
PEN15 (Hulu)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

..."Ted Lasso" is the prohibitive favorite in this category. Like "The Queen's Gambit," it won all the major end-of-year awards last year as well as the Gold Derby TV Awards. Unlike the limited series about chess, its competitor from HBO hasn't been enough to seriously challenge it for the lead.

As I expected, "Ted Lasso" won. Watch Comedy Series: 73rd Emmys for its acceptance speech.



Ted Lasso wins the Emmy for Comedy Series at the 73rd Emmys.
Bill Lawrence got a second crack at the camera in Bill Lawrence: 73rd Emmys Winnerview.


Hearing his description of the show, it's almost enough to get my wife and I to buy an Apple product just so we can watch it — almost.

After producer Bill Lawrence had his turn, Brendan Hunt: 73rd Emmys Winnerview showcased another of the show's winning producers.

Brendan Hunt talks to Marc Istook backstage at the 73rd Emmy Awards after winning the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series for Ted Lasso.

Yes, this interview went off the rails, but that's what made it funny.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the comedy series winners at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards.

IPCC report warns 'code red for humanity'

When I wrote "Tuesday I'm planning on covering fire and drought" on Sunday, I hadn't counted on the latest IPCC report being issued the next day. ABC News summarized its findings in UN climate report warns of ‘code red for humanity’.

ABC News’ Maggie Rulli reports on the new U.N. climate report on the dire threat warming temperatures pose to the planet, as fires and extreme weather events spread globally.

ABC News did a very good job of incorporating location coverage of fires in California and Greece, floods in Germany, and heatwaves in the Pacific Northwest to make climate change concrete for its viewers, but this segment skipped over drought and had very little in the way of expert analysis. CBS News covered both in U.N. climate change report warns of disaster if nations don't cut greenhouse gas emissions, although it just mentioned drought a few times.

The world's leading climate scientists have issued a stark new warning about the growing impact of climate change and what needs to be done to stop it. CBS News foreign correspondent Roxana Saberi reports on the key findings, and Bloomberg Sustainability Editor Eric Roston joins CBSN to discuss.

What struck me about Eric Roston's analysis was that, if anything, climate change is not only happening now, but coming faster and have more severe effects than the experts expected, as this past June's heatwave in the Pacific Northwest caught them by surprise.

Those are the facts and consequences. For the urgency of finding solutions, watch the Global News interview, Greta Thunberg says dire UN climate change report can serve as "a wake up call".

Calling for “massive” pressure to fight climate change after a dire report by the UN science panel on Monday, activist Greta Thunberg said she plans to go to this year’s global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

The deadly heat waves, gargantuan hurricanes and other weather extremes that are already happening will only become more severe, the United Nations panel on climate change told the world on Monday, reporting that global warming was dangerously close to being out of control – and that humans were “unequivocally” to blame.

Referring to a recent spate of extreme weather events, Thunberg said: "These are all just symptoms of the climate crisis. We're not talking about the root cause itself, the things that are actually fuelling these events. And we are not holding people in power accountable."

“I hope that this can be a wake up call,” Thunberg said of the report, in an interview.

I hope this report will serve as a wake up call as well. It's not like the IPCC hasn't warned us before.

I will close out today's entry by being a good environmentalist and recycling what I wrote three years ago this month with an updated link.

First, welcome to the 400 ppm world. Second, are you scared enough by climate change? My readers should be.

World Oceans Day 2021 celebrates 'The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods'

Happy World Oceans Day! I begin today's celebration by quoting the description for this day from National Day Calendar, something I have done for other holidays, but not this one.

World Oceans Day takes place every 8 June. It is an annual observation to honor, help protect, and conserve the world’s oceans. The ocean provides us with many resources and services including oxygen, climate regulation, food sources, medicine, and more

The sea is important because it:

• Provides food for people
• Makes oxygen
• Impacts weather everywhere
• Purifies water that runs to the ocean, evaporates and falls as rain
• Provides the basis for a large number of medicines
  

...

The concept was initially proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada.

At the first World Oceans Day in 1992, the objectives were to move the oceans from the sidelines to the center of the international discussions and to strengthen the voice of marine and coastal constituencies worldwide.

World Oceans Day events are celebrated on 8 June, the closest weekend, the week, and the month of June. The day is marked in a variety of ways, including launching new campaigns and initiatives, special events at aquariums and zoos, outdoor explorations, aquatic and beach cleanups, educational and conservation action programs, art contests, film festivals, and sustainable seafood events.

The United Nations declared this year's theme to be "The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods." Follow over the jump for three videos from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UNESCO about World Ocean Day in general and this theme in particular.