1 May 2020 (WMO)* — Depletion of the ozone layer, the shield that protects life on Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation, reached an unprecedented level over large parts of the Arctic this spring. This phenomenon was caused by the continuing presence of ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere and a very cold winter in the stratosphere (the layer of the atmosphere between around 10 km and round 50 km altitude).
02/05/2020
Three Devastating Plagues Fall on Humanity
Human Wrongs Watch
By Riccardo Petrella – Wall Street International*
From predation to saving the life of all the inhabitants of the Earth
Three scourges are devastating the life of the earth’s inhabitants. | Image from Wall Street International.
- The COVID-19 pandemic (more than 230,000 deaths). The explosion and spread of the coronavirus are, according to almost all scientists, closely linked, among other things, to the environmental devastation of recent decades and the deterioration of hygiene and health conditions in most countries of the world.
read more »
02/05/2020
Journalism Is Not a Crime…and Fake News on Social Media Is Not Journalism
Human Wrongs Watch
– This year’s World Press Freedom Day on 3 May falls during COVID-19 lockdowns in many of our countries. Restriction on movement means journalists all over the world are facing obstacles in getting interviews and data, and verifying stories before publishing.
In addition, the global pandemic has been used by many governments to control not just the people’s movement but also their right to information. Journalists have been intimidated or attacked, and photojournalists and videographers on the frontlines often risk getting infected while documenting stories.
read more »
02/05/2020
Journalists Provide ‘Antidote’ to COVID-19 Misinformation, UN Chief
Human Wrongs Watch
1 May 2020 (UN News)* — The UN Secretary-General is calling for greater protection of journalists who are providing the “antidote” to what he has characterized as a pandemic of misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 crisis.
António Guterres made the appeal in a video message for World Press Freedom Day, observed this coming Sunday [3 April 2020], in which he underscored the crucial role media has in helping people make informed decisions.
