Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 3 April 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Experts say the ​​record low winter sea ice in the Arctic is signalling a major climate change crisis. The Arctic sea ice has reached a maximum extent of 14.33-million square kilometres, the lowest since records began 47-years ago. The National Snow and Ice Data Centre’s Julianne Stuva told Reuters the Arctic sea ice extent is expected to continue its decline, due to a combination of higher temperatures, warm seas and wind breaking up ice, all exacerbated by the climate crisis:

# The Amazon rainforest is becoming a major oil frontier, holding nearly 20-percent of global oil and gas reserves identified since 2022. This expansion threatens the ecosystem and indigenous communities. Climate Home News reports that over 80 oil blocks are overlapping ancestral lands and 38 are within protected areas. Despite efforts to reduce oil activities, countries like Brazil, Guyana, and Ecuador continue to exploit fossil fuels, risking more environmental damage. Experts warn that the Amazon’s future is marked by a conflict between development and conservation.

# And finally: The Slovak government has approved the shooting of 350 bears citing danger posed to people, a move conservationists slammed as unlawful. The decision follows several bear attacks on people, including the discovery of the remains of a man in central Slovakia probably killed by a bear on Sunday. Prime minister Robert Fico says they cannot live in a country where people are afraid to go to the woods. Fico’s government has also declared a state of emergency in most Slovak districts over undesirable bear presence.

Stay tuned for more news………….