The European Commission's Joint Research Centre developed this new water dataset in the framework of the Copernicus Programme. This maps the location and temporal distribution of water surfaces at the global scale over the past 32 years and provides statistics on the extent and change of those water surfaces. The dataset, produced from Landsat imagery (courtesy USGS and NASA), will support applications including water resource management, climate modelling, biodiversity conservation and food security.
Plastic: the unwelcome house guest at nearly every corner of our lives — from shopping bags to footwear, coffee cups to car parts. And yet, discarded, plastic doesn't just evaporate into thin air. No, it lingers. For decades. Even centuries. According to statistics presented by Visual Capitalist , plastic daily consumer goods can break down between 20 and 600 years, depending on the composition used, how they were created, and natural elements like water and sunlight they are exposed to. Let's go deeper into why plastic takes so long to break down — and what horrid messes it leaves behind in the process. Why Plastic Isn't "Natural" — and Why That's a Problem Plastic does not naturally exist. It's a product made from petroleum and natural gas. Its long, tough carbon bonds differ from anything naturally found in ecosystems, making it extremely resistant to microbial breakdown. When we toss a plastic bottle or bag away, it's not a matter of if it will s...

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