For the first time ever, the United Nations and Lego have partnered together and have scheduled the first International Day of Play on June 11, 2024. The main purpose of this event is to encourage children to play more and have fun. According to recent research involving more than 25,000 children across 36 countries, 3 in 5 children would like to play more than they do now.
The research further states that four in five children would also like to play more with the parents or career. Further, children’s charity UNICEF estimates that as many as 160 million children across the world are currently working instead of playing or learning. The UN has a treaty that sets out universally accepted rights for children, including the right to play. The International Day of Play is the result of a campaign by charities and companies that came together to form a “global play movement”. More than 140 countries have agreed to participate.
Mining for critical minerals in Africa is threatening the survival of great apes in Africa. The rising demand for minerals and other rare earth elements required for the transition to clean energy has led to a significant increase in mining in Africa. This is threatening the native animals with pollution, habitat destruction, and risk of meeting with an accident.
Researchers looked at mining sites in 17 African nations and discovered that there was a significant overlap of mining with areas that have large populations of great apes, especially in the West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Guinea. Guinea had the most significant overlap with more than 23,000-up to 83% of the ape population-directly or indirectly affected by mining activities. Researchers also found that the threat of mining to great apes in Africa has been greatly underestimated. In fact, more than one-third of the entire population (nearly 180,000 gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees) is at risk.
He completed the distance of 16,000 km over 352 days running across 16 countries. He started his run from South Africa all the way to Tunisia in the north. Russ Cook has raised more than £700,000 for charity. Russ Cook faced many challenges including being robbed at gunpoint and suffering food poisoning, during his run.
UN Report Says: More than 1 Billion Meals Wasted per Day in 2022
According to a recent study by the United Nations (“UN”), households all over the world threw away one billion meals every day in 2022. In its latest Food Waste Index Report 2024 (“Report”), the UN stated that over $1 trillion worth of food was thrown away by businesses and households, when about 780 million people were going hungry.
“Food waste is a global tragedy. Millions will go hungry today as food is wasted across the world, Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, said in a statement. Such wastage was not just a moral but “environmental failure”, the report said.
It was also reported that food loss and waste generate 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If food waste was a country, it would be the third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet behind the US and China.
The Report has also showed that almost one-fifth of all the food wasted in 2022:
60% In our Homes
28% By food services like restaurants and hotels
12% By supermarkets and other shops
news.trust.org
The good news is that all the people that are currently hungry in the world (about 800 million people) can be fed over a meal a day just from the food that is wasted every single year.
The UN is asking countries to cut food waste by half by 2030!
Do you waste food? What can you do at home to minimise food wastage?
Many parts of India are currently experiencing heat waves. Heatwaves usually occur in North-Western parts of India, typically between March and June, and in some rare cases even extend till July, The temperature in some places in India has already crossed 40° C. Indians are being warned to be careful. Heat waves are also becoming very common across the world. Some experts believe that climate change is responsible for this.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, an agency of the United Nations, a heat wave is a period of unusually not weather over a region persisting for at least two consecutive days during the hot period of the year”
The Indian Meteorological Department has laid down the following criteria for heat waves: 40° C in the plains, 37 ° C in the coastal regions, and 30° C in the mountains.
What Causes Heat Waves?
According to the Asian Development Bank, “A heat wave occurs when there is high pressure in the atmosphere that forces hot air downward and traps it near the ground. This high-pressure system acts like a lock that prevents the hot air from rising. Consequently, rain cannot form and the hot air gets hotter”.
Consequences Of Heat Waves
Heat waves not only affect humans and wildlife, but can adversely impact the environment, as well. The following are some of the consequences of the heat waves:
Droughts
Scarcity of water
Heat stroke
Power outages & blackouts
Exhaustion & dehydration
Increase in air pollution and dust
8 heat wave safety tips to keep children safe:
There are various ways to stay safe in a heat wave. The following can be done in order to stay safe:
Stay Indoors Between 12-4 Pm.
Stay Hydrated
Eat High Water Content Food
Look After You Pets
Avoid Sugary & Fizzy Drinks
Use An Umbrella While Going Out
Wear Light & Cool Clothing
Avoid Extreme Physical Activity In The Sun
Did You Know?
According to the World Health Organisation and Red Cross, a person on average should drink approximately 3-3.5 litres of liquids per day to stay hydrated.
