Scientific news in small doses

A few milligrams of all the scientific news of the week.

Deaths due to declining pollinators

It is well known that the decline of pollinators affects the production of fruits and vegetables in different regions of the world. However, the phenomenon would also be the cause of approximately 500,000 deaths per year in the human population. This is the finding of a recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. According to the authors, the collapse of pollinator populations is already leading to an average drop of 3 to 5% in the production of fruits, vegetables and nuts, essential for human health. However, these foods reduce the risk of dying from certain cancers or other diseases. The study concludes that 1% of all deaths each year are attributable to pollinator decline. China, Indonesia and Russia would be the countries most affected by this phenomenon, which clearly illustrates the importance of biodiversity for human health.

Quiz

How much of a role did climate change play in the heat wave that hit Argentina and Paraguay last December?

At the beginning of last December, Argentina and Paraguay recorded temperature records of 40 and 46℃ during a heat wave that lasted for an entire week. In a study prepared by the World Weather Attribution, an international initiative, researchers found that it was made about 60 times more likely by human-caused climate change.

The Decline of Parasites

They are found everywhere and, above all, they are essential to many ecosystems. However, parasites, which represent nearly half of all living species on our planet, would also be affected by climate change. According to a study just published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, each additional degree of warming compared to the pre-industrial era would lead to a decline in parasite populations of the order of 38%. If the parasites do not generally have the sympathy of the public, the scientists fear that this decline affects in a significant way ecological functions vital to life on Earth.

The number

$10 trillion

By 2050, green industries that contribute to decarbonization could be worth more than US$10 trillion globally. This is the conclusion of a report by two consulting firms, Arup and Oxford Economics. According to their calculations, these industries will represent 5% of the world’s gross domestic product within 30 years.

Record heat for the oceans

Another record was shattered in 2022 on the climate change front. The oceans are warming at an alarming rate and these absorbed a record amount of heat last year, beating the mark set in 2021. According to a study in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciencesthe amount of heat that has been added to the oceans in 2022 is 100 times greater than that resulting from the production of electricity in the world in 2021. Such warming has multiple consequences on a planetary scale, both under water, on land and in the atmosphere.