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HIGH CONCENTRATIONS: Arctic littered with plastic like inhabited regions

November 14, 2022November 14, 2022 admin

According to a recent study, the Arctic is now similarly littered with plastic as densely populated regions. High concentrations of microplastics are found in the water, in rivers, on the seafloor, on uninhabited beaches, and even in ice and snow, report researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Bremerhaven. This has consequences for the living creatures there, but possibly also for the climate. The Arctic is perceived as a largely untouched wilderness – but that no longer corresponds to reality, says AWI biologist Melanie Bergmann, co-author of the analysis…

3,073 new Corona infections reported Sunday

November 14, 2022November 14, 2022 admin

On Sunday, 3,073 new Corona infections were reported in Austria. The number of active cases decreased by about 27 percent in one week. According to figures released by the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), 3,073 new Corona infections have been registered, while the seven-day average was 4,228 new cases on Sunday. The seven-day incidence was 327.8 cases per 100,000 population. More than 21,000 Corona deaths since the pandemic beganAnother death related to the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus has been recorded in the past 24 hours, with 34 deaths recorded in…

Snow is coming – it will be white here next week

November 14, 2022November 14, 2022 admin

An altitude low will cause unsettled weather this week, especially in the west – in some places, even snow is to be expected—the forecast in detail. Monday will be cloudy away from the Alps and in the southeast due to high fog-like clouds, which will only clear up here and there during the day. From Vorarlberg to Upper Carinthia, clouds dominate and bring rain from time to time. The sun will appear mainly along the Northern Alps from Innsbruck to the Mostviertel; here, the southern foehn will strengthen temporarily in…

Arrival of St. Nicholas celebrated in the Netherlands

November 13, 2022November 13, 2022 admin

For the first time in three years, the Netherlands has celebrated the traditional arrival of St. Nicholas, which was previously canceled due to the Corona epidemic. According to broadcaster NOS, thousands of people turned out Saturday in Hellevoetsluis, near Rotterdam, for the welcoming ceremony for Sinterklaas, as the saint with the rakish white beard and red bishop’s coat is known in the Netherlands.From there, the arrival of St. Nicholas was televised this year and staged in numerous other cities. According to legend, Sinterklaas travels by steamship every November from Spain…

BA.4/5 vaccine recommended for children five years and older

November 13, 2022November 13, 2022 admin

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends Biontech/Pfizer’s BA.4/5 vaccine for children five years and older. The EMA made the announcement Friday in Amsterdam. The Corona vaccine, adapted for the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, had already been approved as a booster for people twelve and older. The EU Commission still has to approve the recommendation, which is considered a formality. Recommendation of BA.4/5 vaccine for children over fiveExperts expect broader protection against different Corona variants. Manufacturers pointed to studies showing strong immune responses against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants in people…

No increased blackout risk in Austria in winter 2022

November 13, 2022November 13, 2022 admin

It will be challenging to secure the power supply this winter, but it is doubtful that a blackout could occur, according to power grid operator Austrian Power Grind (APG). This is how the blackout risk is classified in ViennaAccording to the Austrian Power Grid (APG), a blackout is unlikely this winter. In the most realistic scenario, there would be “not a single hour of load shortage, i.e., a situation where there would be too little electricity supply to meet electricity demand,” said Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) on Monday. According…

Why do mosquitoes prefer to bite some people?

November 13, 2022November 13, 2022 admin

It is true that mosquitoes like certain people better than others. Researchers have repeatedly proven this in controlled experiments, says Swedish mosquito researcher Marcus Stensmyr from Lund University in an interview with #Faktenfuchs. But which people does it hit particularly often? Not all mosquitoes bite peopleFirst of all, it’s essential to know that only a handful of mosquito species bite humans. And even among the human-biting varieties, only the females bite. This is because they need human blood – or, more precisely, specific proteins in it – to produce eggs.…

3,207 new Corona infections reported Friday

November 12, 2022November 12, 2022 admin

On Friday, 3,207 new Corona infections were reported by AGES in Austria. Thirteen people infected with the coronavirus have died in the last 24 hours. According to figures released by the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), three thousand two hundred seven infections with the coronavirus have been registered. Number of new corona infections in Austria below seven-day averageThe number of new Corona infections reported is below the seven-day average of 3,741 cases. The effective reproduction rate, which indicates how many more people an infected person will infect, is…

Global warming: weather extremes increasingly frequent

November 12, 2022November 12, 2022 admin

Global warming is causing weather extremes to become more frequent. Moreover, the 1.5-degree target needed to avoid reaching dangerous tipping points is barely within reach. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has given a preliminary overview of the state of the global climate in a report at the start of the UN World Climate Conference COP27 in Egypt. Global warming causes temperatures to rise to record levels.According to the assessment, the past eight years are shaping up to be the warmest on record. The global average temperature was recently estimated to…