Our infatuation with online shopping since the pandemic could be killing whales in the Atlantic, according to data from NOAA.
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Our infatuation with online shopping since the pandemic could be killing whales in the
00:09Atlantic.
00:10That's according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the
00:13New York Times reports.
00:15As NOAA Public Affairs Director Lauren Goshi told reporters in January, climate change
00:20is partly the reason for beached whales, as warmer ocean temps cause them to follow their
00:25prey closer to shore and into the path of cargo ships, adding,
00:30We're seeing populations of many marine species adapting by moving into new areas
00:35where conditions are more favorable.
00:37These cargo ships are bigger and more numerous than in years past, thanks to a steady rise
00:42in online shopping.
00:44The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey saw a 27 percent increase in 2022 compared
00:50to levels just before the pandemic, Business Insider reports.
00:53These limits, as proposed by NOAA, could reduce the chances of collisions with whales.
00:59In 2022, as reported by The Guardian, scientists urged cargo ships to begin rerouting in an
01:04attempt to protect endangered blue whales off the coast of Sri Lanka.
01:08After the Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world's largest container line, complied,
01:13research by marine conservationists found that if other companies followed suit, it
01:17could reduce collisions by 95 percent.
01:23For more UN videos visit www.un.org