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Climate change and intensive farming are destroying the soil
A new IPCC report on the impact of climate change on the land paints a stark picture of soil erosion and desertification, with soil being lost over 100 times faster than it's being formed in ploughed areas (The Guardian). This both reduces soil fertility and its ability to store carbon.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that dramatic changes to farming and fertilisation, as well as a massive reduction in global meat and dairy consumption, increased forest coverage and the amelioration of socioeconomic pressures that force destructive agricultural practices are all required to allow Earth's soil to regenerate.
China braces for Typhoon Lekima
The eastern coast of China is on red alert for Typhoon Lekima, which is sweeping through Taiwan with wind speeds of over 190kph (BBC News). It's set to make landfall in Zhejiang province on Saturday before moving up the coast to strike Shanghai. Flood warnings have been issued for the Yangtze River and the Yellow River.
Facebook loses US appeal over illegal biometric data collection
Facebook has lost its US appeal against a lawsuit that claims it illegally collected and stored biometric facial recognition data on millions of users without consent (Reuters). The company will now face a class action suit that could cost them billions of dollars in damages under Illinois law. Facebook says it will appeal and claims that it always disclosed and allowed users to disable its face recognition technology.
TfL kills the Oyster website as customers are hit by credential stuffing attacks
Transport for London (TfL), which oversees the Tube, Overground and bus services across the capital, has shut down the website for its Oyster Card payment system after finding user accounts being accessed by malicious actors (WIRED). “We believe that a small number of customers have had their Oyster online account accessed after their login credentials were compromised when using non-TfL websites,” a spokesperson for the travel body said in an emailed statement.
Giant Goliath frogs build their own spawning ponds
The world's biggest frog species builds its own ponds to lay eggs and raise tadpoles in, sometimes simply clearing away leaves and debris alongside rivers but in some cases moving rocks of up to 2kg to form dams and create shallow pools researchers (Gizmodo). Found only in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, endangered Goliath frogs weigh up to 3.3kg.
The physics of Elon Musk's new super-rocket
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
