Earth Report – Global Disaster Watch
Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global
5.9 earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.8 earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.4 earthquake hits east of the South Sandwich Islands.
5.3 earthquake hits southern Iran.
5.2 earthquake hits the Hindu Kush, Afghanistan.
5.1 earthquake hits Vanuatu.
5.1 earthquake hits south of the Mariana Islands.
5.1 earthquake hits near the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.
5.0 earthquake hits Oaxaca, Mexico.
Tropical Storms – Roundup of Tropical Storms:
In the Western Pacific Ocean: Super Typhoon 24w (Halong), located approximately 260 nm southwest of Minami Tori Shima, is tracking northward at 05 knots.
Tropical storm 25w (Nakri), located approximately 281 nm west-southwest of Manila, Philippines, is tracking east-southeastward at 03 knots.
In the Indian Ocean: Tropical cyclone (tc) 05a (Maha), located approximately 300 nm south of Karachi, Pakistan, is tracking eastward at 06 knots.
Scientists around the world declare a ‘climate emergency’
A global team of more than 11,000 scientists from over 150 countries officially declared that the world is in a “climate emergency,” according to a new paper released Tuesday.
“Scientists have a moral obligation to warn humanity of any great threat,” said Thomas Newsome of the University of Sydney, one of the paper’s authors, in a statement. “From the data we have, it is clear we are facing a climate emergency.”
The scientists warned that “untold human suffering” is unavoidable without deep and lasting shifts in human activities that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and other factors related to climate change. Climate change has arrived and is accelerating faster than many scientists expected.
This is the first time a group of scientists have come together to use the word “emergency” in regards to climate change.
USA Withdraws from the Paris Climate Treaty
The United States has formally notified the United Nations that it is withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, triggering expressions of concern and regret from other major powers on Tuesday. Donald Trump is moving to formally exit the Paris climate agreement, making the United States the only country in the world that will not participate in the pact, as global temperatures are set to rise 3C and worsening extreme weather will drive millions into poverty.
The paperwork sent by the US government to withdraw begins a one-year process for exiting the deal agreed to at the UN climate change conference in Paris in 2015. The Trump administration will not be able to finalize its exit until a day after the presidential election in November 2020.
October 2019 Warmest Month on Record
The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, which analyzes temperature data from around the planet, said October 2019 was the warmest in their data record, which goes back to 1979. Globally, October was 0.69 degrees Celsius (1.24 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the average of all the Octobers in the 30-year span from 1981-2010, Copernicus said in its report. Last month narrowly edged out the previous record for October, set in 2015.
Zimbabwe Drought Killing Wildlife
Elephants, zebras, hippos, impalas, buffaloes and many other wildlife are stressed by lack of food and water in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park, whose very name comes from the four pools of water normally filled by the flooding Zambezi River each rainy season, and where wildlife traditionally drink.
At least 105 elephants have died in Zimbabwe’s wildlife reserves, most of them in Mana and the larger Hwange National Park in the past two months, according to the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. Many desperate animals are straying from Zimbabwe’s parks into nearby communities in search of food and water.
Taurid Meteor Shower
The Taurids meteor shower is one of the most spectacular events – and most long-lasting – of the year. It will peak from 5 to 7 November 2019. The Taurids have two streams and can be split into the Northern Taurids and the Southern Taurids. The Southern Taurids is the more spectacular of the two.
The Taurids are leftover particles from the Encke Comet, named after their radiant point in the constellation Taurus. Encke and the Taurids are believed to be remnants of a much larger comet, which has disintegrated over the past 20 000 to 30 000 years.
Measles – Venezuela
Health officials in Venezuela report 520 measles cases through Oct. 31 this year. Since measles reappeared in the country, in 2017, the Ministry of Health has registered 10,759 suspected cases of the disease.
Hepatitis A – Minnesota, USA
The number of hepatitis A outbreak cases in Minnesota has risen to 49 as of Nov. 1, according to health officials. Seven out of 10 cases required hospitalization and no deaths were reported.
Dengue Fever – Philippines, Indonesia
It has been a record season for dengue fever in the Philippines in 2019. Between 1 January and 19 October 2019, 371,717 dengue cases including 1,407 deaths were reported. During the first 10 months of 2019, Indonesian health officials have reported 110,921 cases of dengue fever.