Peter Kotecki

<p>The Ocean Cleanup, <a id="28b6b219-e30e-371e-a77a-55b8b86a2d16" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boyan-slats-ocean-cleanup-to-clear-the-pacific-garbage-patch-2015-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  founded by a 24-year-old Dutch innovator </a> named Boyan Slat, has run into some problems during its first month deploying a massive plastic cleaning array.</p>

<p>Slat's <a id="a1077da2-d7d8-3958-ae99-6a0378d0c0c3" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ocean-cleanup-great-pacific-garbage-patch-launch-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  2,000-foot-long device </a> , System 001, recently spent four weeks in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where the organization hopes to collect 50 tons of plastic within one year. For the most part, the system has worked as expected and the team has not seen any harm to marine animals, <a id="fe48aa7e-e3cf-3435-ab9b-32cdcc74bcbb" href="https://www.theoceancleanup.com/updates/wilson-update-tweaking-the-system/">  Slat wrote in a November 20 post </a> on the organization's website.</p>

<p>There is, however, apparently a problem with plastic leaving the device after being collected. The team expected surprises, he said, adding that The Ocean Cleanup was working on fixing the issue.</p>

<p>"Although we are not harvesting plastic yet, based on the current results, we are positive we are close to making it work," Slat wrote.</p>

<p>Plastic could be leaving the device for various reasons.</p>

<p>Slat said the system could be moving too slowly to catch plastic. In addition, vibrations at either end of the U-shaped device could be pushing plastic away when it comes close to the mouth of the contraption.</p>

<p>To address the difference in speed between the plastic and the device, Slat said his team would make the U-shape opening wider. This should also reduce the vibrations, he said.</p>

<p>Plastic is entering oceans in increasing amounts, and <a id="b8d44bd9-893a-34a1-afb0-fb44c4e66936" href="http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf">  scientists expect it to outweigh all fish in oceans </a> by 2050. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which Slat's group is targeting, is a <a id="fe4a1757-c86f-32f6-a033-c98393b310c4" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch-view-study-plastic-2018-3?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  swirling vortex more than three times the size of Spain </a> .</p>

<p><strong> Read more: </strong> <a id="27e52c0d-6936-301b-a08b-30ea0e8ecfa0" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch-pacific-ocean-growing-2016-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  A massive collection of garbage in the Pacific Ocean keeps growing </a></p>

<p>Garbage in oceans is killing marine life and destroying ecosystems that people rely on to live. Our food supply is affected too, as people eat <a id="2f2f5483-d579-3698-aadc-ae521c9c06e0" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep03263">  fish that have absorbed chemicals </a> from plastic.</p>

<p><a id="13528a9b-bfd3-35d8-a0c1-bd7bffe77f42" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boyan-slat-ocean-cleanup-launch-into-pacific-on-september-8-2018-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Several experts have expressed concerns </a> about Slat's device, saying it's unlikely to be effective and could cause more harm than benefit.</p>

<p>Slat defended his device <a id="a25c478d-94bd-37ba-a34b-8e1474eb98c9" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ocean-cleanup-remove-plastic-great-pacific-garbage-patch-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  in a previous interview with Business Insider </a> , saying every new technology had been met with pessimistic reactions. His team launched its device for the first time in September, towing the device through the San Francisco Bay for a test in the ocean.</p>

<p>"There will always be people saying things can't be done," Slat said. "And history shows that time and time again things 'couldn't be done' and they were done."</p>

<p>He added: "I think asking questions is very valid, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it."</p>

<ul><li> <strong> Read more about The Ocean Cleanup: </strong> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ocean-cleanup-plastic-great-pacific-garbage-patch-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">The massive plastic-cleaning device invented by a 24-year-old to clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is finally being put to the test. Here's what it's up against.</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boyan-slat-ocean-cleanup-launch-2018-2017-5?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">A 22-year-old is moving ahead with a controversial plan to trap plastic floating in the great Pacific garbage patch</a> </li></ul>

<p>NOW WATCH: <a id="c8a4f1b6-1bf2-33a1-a969-98a798d5a36c" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happens-when-you-drink-too-much-water-intoxication-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Drinking too much water could be surprisingly hazardous to your health </a></p>

<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-island-disappearing-rising-sea-levels-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">An island in India is disappearing, but some of the last residents say they can't afford to move away</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wildfires-forest-animals-survive-what-happens-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">For some animals, there are more benefits after a wildfire than you may expect</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-climate-change-could-affect-your-health-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">The climate apocalypse is becoming a ‘medical emergency.’ Here are 8 ways it could affect your health.</a> </li></ul>

180518_TowTest_Departure 1 The Ocean Cleanup

The massive ocean cleanup device invented by a 24-year-old is running into problems in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

<p>Natural disasters devastated communities around the world in 2018, killing thousands of people and inflicting billions of dollars in damage.</p>

<p>In September, <a id="a79f1961-6953-3217-ac46-56a15af40133" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/08/indonesia-earthquake-death-toll-could-reach-5000-as-officials-count-missing">  at least 1,900 people died in Indonesia </a> after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and a subsequent tsunami with waves as high as 20 feet. The following month, Hurricane Michael, the strongest storm to hit the United States in 50 years, <a id="527b834b-ed0c-3950-aebd-37c66ee95688" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-michael-strongest-storm-in-50-years-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  devastated North and South Carolina </a> and killed dozens of people. Some of the worst fires in US history hit California shortly afterward, <a id="241a5985-9a56-32dd-ab0e-cf54fef428a7" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-camp-fire-death-toll-most-destructive-in-history-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  melting cars, reducing bodies to bone </a> , and <a id="b8bba009-2fa2-3332-a932-027cedfe8b07" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/california-fire-burned-town-of-paradise-california-to-the-ground-2018-11">  wiping out an entire town </a> .</p>

<p>Much of the record-breaking devastation was caused by elevated temperatures on land and at sea. In a warming world, <a id="ad17667f-94b3-32c8-a4e6-a3e079f4db5f" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-administration-acknowledge-climate-change-human-cause-2017-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  climate scientists say </a> these disasters will only continue to become more severe.</p>

<p>Here are some of the year's worst natural disasters.</p>

<h1> In October, Hurricane Michael became the strongest storm to ever hit the Florida Panhandle. It has since been linked to 60 deaths. </h1>

<p><a id="cbca45de-16a0-3f36-aca4-2d35fa8c6cd5" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/hurricane-michael?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Hurricane Michael </a> , which had sustained winds of 155 mph, is also the strongest hurricane to hit the continental US during the month of October. No other Category 4 storm has ever hit the Panhandle area.</p>

<p>Nationwide, Hurricane Michael was the third-strongest ever, behind only Hurricane Camille and the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. The latest hurricane <a id="30f44858-2bf9-3a78-ae61-e1ff8e507b33" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-michael-aerial-photos-florida-destruction-damage-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  left a wake of destruction in Florida </a> , destroying entire rows of homes in the seaside town of <a id="cd9e07fd-5a5b-3192-a656-3ff5aa184489" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-michael-photos-mexico-beach-florida-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Mexico Beach. </a></p>

<h1> Mexico Beach, a small seaside town, was one of the hardest-hit areas. About 285 of the towns roughly 1,000 residents stayed behind during the hurricane. </h1>

<p>The Rev. Eddie LaFountain, a pastor in Mexico Beach, <a id="a8e1d496-078f-329d-a4cc-98fc585246e7" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-michael-aerial-photos-florida-destruction-damage-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest#i-think-the-people-here-have-a-great-heart-and-a-lot-of-resilience-lafountain-said-we-call-them-stubborn-and-hard-headed-i-think-they-will-be-back-6">  said he thought </a> most residents would rebuild their homes.</p>

<p>"I think the people here have a great heart and a lot of resilience," LaFountain <a id="f80e7298-ab45-3433-a235-51ccbc0e2d16" href="https://apnews.com/19fe7fb661d640cc95210d781f925ccb">  told the Associated Press </a> . "We call them stubborn and hard-headed. I think they will be back."</p>

<h1> The Camp Fire, which began on November 8, was the deadliest and most destructive fire in Californias history. At least 88 people were killed in the blaze. </h1>

<p>The <a id="0d57301d-96a4-3e05-a313-0f5f06ce8733" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/california-wildfires?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Camp Fire </a> <a id="880fc7f7-de42-3c55-a539-e294e2e1a900" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-wildfires-map-evacuations-roads-closed-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  burned through 153,000 acres </a> in and around Paradise, a town in northern California. It burned an area five times the size of San Francisco.</p>

<p>More than <a id="e61a9ee4-c033-3895-a351-0d15c8647ada" href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2277">  13,900 homes and 500 businesses </a> were destroyed in the Camp Fire, along with more than 4,200 other buildings. It was the <a id="74857fde-034d-3070-a78d-83fbe0b01fea" href="https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/At-least-five-dead-as-Camp-Fire-lays-waste-to-13378522.php">  most destructive wildfire in state history </a> based on structures lost.</p>

<p><strong> Read more: </strong> <a id="152384e5-2565-334f-a19b-1a47f53f8466" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-parking-lot-camp-fire-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  A Walmart parking lot in California has become a camp for wildfire evacuees </a></p>

<h1> Many residents did not receive an evacuation notice by phone. Jackie Rabbit, one of those residents, told Business Insider she got stuck in traffic on her way out of Paradise and had to escape on foot. </h1>

<p>Rabbit said she could see flames engulfing the road and start coming toward her car.</p>

<p>"I was sitting in my car just screaming, waiting to die, but trying to tell myself, 'OK, it may not look like it to me, but I bet they have this under control,'" <a id="443558b7-79f5-3030-aba2-3459ce627d75" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-camp-fire-survivor-describes-escape-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Rabbit told Business Insider </a> . "'I just can't see that because I'm not a firefighter. I'm not an emergency personnel.'"</p>

<p>She found her burned car in a tow lot 11 days after leaving it and escaping Paradise on foot.</p>

<h1> While the Woolsey Fire in California wasn’t record-breaking, it was one of the most shocking wildfires this year. The fire, which killed two people, pushed into wealthy areas of Malibu and destroyed many mansions by the water. </h1>

<p>The fires in California are part of a trend. <a id="f2d8368b-cd5d-3604-a3d7-a916eadf70af" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-wildfire-season-why-is-it-longer-stronger-more-destructive-warm-weather-climate-change-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Fire season in the western US is getting longer </a> each year, and some experts say the concept of seasonal wildfires no longer applies because dangerous fires can now happen anytime.</p>

<h1> Wildfires also set records in Canadas British Columbia. About 5,020 square miles went up in flames during August, surpassing last years record. </h1>

<p>More than 3,200 people evacuated because of the wildfires.</p>

<p>Scientists said the past two fire seasons have been so severe in part due to a lack of controlled burning, <a id="ea5f7f25-9c95-3fc5-af0f-701b019a2300" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/state-emergency-bc-wildfires-1.4803546">  CBC reported </a> . Firefighters have allowed potential fuels to build up in British Columbia, and climate change brought warmer weather and more lightning to the area.</p>

<h1> A series of heat waves also produced all-time highs for temperatures in several countries. </h1>

<p><a id="9abc45cd-30d6-37e5-a1df-e1eb26e5882b" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/07/03/hot-planet-all-time-heat-records-have-been-set-all-over-the-world-in-last-week/">  Armenia noted its warmest July </a> on record, and <a id="b7980824-0dd2-3cd4-a461-c7ce0d875479" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/07/23/japan-soars-to-its-highest-temperature-ever-recorded-106-degrees/?utm_term=.f26b73074c8a">  Japan set a national record </a> with 106 degrees Fahrenheit in July.</p>

<p>At the University of California Los Angeles, <a id="edf44b65-336d-3ee8-a748-df908b1623de" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/07/06/monster-heat-dome-threatens-all-time-high-temperature-records-in-southern-california-friday/?utm_term=.24b42e18b505">  officials recorded an all-time high </a> of 111 degrees on July 6.</p>

<p><a id="46950086-3b51-31cb-a881-3ea080d32cb7" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/07/03/hot-planet-all-time-heat-records-have-been-set-all-over-the-world-in-last-week/?utm_term=.89a686bd381d">  The Washington Post also reported </a> on record-high temperatures in Belfast, Northern Ireland; Montreal, Canada; and parts of southern Russia.</p>

<h1> The worlds hottest-ever low temperature, 109 degrees Fahrenheit, was recorded on June 28 in Quriyat, Oman. </h1>

<p>Before this incident, there had never been a single location — anywhere in the world — that remained above 109 degrees for an entire day. The world's previous hottest low temperature was 107.4 degrees. It was reported in Oman as well, in June 2011.</p>

<h1> Many areas have experienced severe droughts after record-low amounts of rainfall this year. </h1>

<p>Germany, for example, had the driest summer and fall on record this year, <a id="3d208f02-dd99-3c13-ad89-665a5a33d70f" href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-registers-record-low-rainfall/a-46510847">  according to Deutsche Welle </a> .</p>

<p>The drought, which led to low water levels in lakes and rivers, hit farmers hard.</p>

<p>In Hungary, the water levels of the Danube River hit record lows too. The drought disrupted shipping routes, <a id="bdec5add-a861-3fe7-a5b7-e54250017287" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary-danube/water-level-in-danube-in-budapest-falls-to-record-low-affects-shipping-idUSKCN1MQ16F">  Reuters reported </a> .</p>

<h1> Meanwhile, cities like Baltimore experienced their wettest year on record. </h1>

<p>Rainfall in mid-November <a id="9b475307-9f1b-302c-a07d-426420c86bb6" href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/bs-md-rain-record-numbers-20181115-story.html">  brought the annual total to 64.86 inches </a> in Baltimore, surpassing a 2003 record of 62.66 inches.</p>

<p>Three people died in two separate incidents due to this year's floods in Baltimore. Some of the rain came in the aftermath of Hurricanes Florence and Michael.</p>

<h1> Another natural disaster, the earthquake in Indonesia, killed at least 1,900 people and displaced thousands more. Though the earthquake and subsequent tsunami were not the worst to hit Indonesia, they made headlines for the destruction and the fact that early detection warning systems were not working before the tsunami hit. </h1>

<p>Antara Foto/Muhammad Adimaja/ via REUTERS</p>

<p>The country's warning system — a network of more than 20 floating detection units connected to underwater sensors that transmit notices — was not either damaged or stolen, <a id="69344937-6296-332f-a7e5-e68e2f1bb8d7" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indonesia-earthquake-death-toll-rises-early-detection-system-failed-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  Business Insider reported earlier this year </a> .</p>

<p>Indonesia's warning system was underfunded and hadn't worked since 2012. While a tsunami warning was issued, it seemed to significantly underestimate the disaster's scale.</p>

<p>Many people were unaware of the warning due to damaged power lines and a lack of storm sirens along the coast.</p>

<h1> Over the summer, flooding in the Indian state of Kerala killed at least 350 people. </h1>

<p>Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times via Getty Images</p>

<p>More than 800,000 people <a id="e5ed1c86-7ad4-365f-a663-66a685fa60cf" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-kerala-flooding-india-death-toll-2018-8?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  were displaced </a> in June after torrential rains produced mass flooding in Kerala.</p>

<p>Entire villages were destroyed by landslides and flooding during record monsoon rains in the coastal southern state.</p>

<ul><li> <strong> Read more about natural disasters: </strong> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worst-natural-disasters-2018-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">9 natural disasters that took the lives of hundreds of thousands</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-to-live-to-avoid-natural-disaster-according-to-insurance-workers-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">We asked insurance workers where they'd live in the US to avoid future natural disasters — here's what they said</a> </li></ul>

<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennium-tower-san-francisco-tilting-sinking-timeline-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">A 58-story luxury condo skyscraper in San Francisco is tilting and sinking — here's everything that's gone wrong in the past decade</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-favorite-books-of-year-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Bill Gates reveals his 5 favorite books he read in the past year</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/island-of-tiny-homes-norway-photos-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">An island of tiny homes in Norway is available to rent for $3,500 a week. People call it a 'slice of heaven.'</a> </li></ul>

Natural disasters set records around the world in 2018. These were some of the worst.

<p>Canadian researchers have discovered a massive, previously unexplored cave of "national significance" in British Columbia.</p>

<p>The cave was first spotted during a caribou count in April, and researcherstraveled to Wells Gray Provincial Park in September for an initial exploration. The cave is in the northern part of the park, but the team would not specify an exact location, <a id="0fde2d66-54cf-3be6-a7e8-32e37528f059" href="https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/canadian-team-confirms-presence-huge-unexplored-cave-british-columbia">  according to Canadian Geographic </a> .</p>

<p>Archaeological surveyor John Pollack, who is part of the team, told Canadian Geographic that the opening is roughly 330 feet long by 200 feet wide. A person looking from the cave's edge down could see nearly 600 feet below.</p>

<p>Pollack, who has visited some of the largest caves on the planet, said the most recent discovery is "truly immense," even compared to caves in other countries.</p>

<p>"You don’t get lines of sight of 600 feet in Canadian caves — it just doesn’t happen," he told Canadian Geographic. "And this is a shaft. It goes down quite precipitously, it had a large amount of water flowing into it and is wide open for as far down it that we’ve gone. The scale of this thing is just huge, and about as big as they come in Canada."</p>

<p><strong> Read more: </strong> <a id="e29dbb78-1569-3a02-a711-4e3272ee553c" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-incredible-caves-in-the-world-2016-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  9 awe-inspiring caves around the world </a></p>

<p>During the September trip, Pollack used a laser instrument to survey the pit, while geologist Catherine Hickson examined the area's geology. Caver Lee Hollis tied ropes to the side of a 200-foot waterfall that goes into the pit before descending into it.</p>

<p>"This is by far the largest and most impressive entrance pit I’ve ever encountered, and during my brief descent it showed no signs of closing down," Hollis, has been caving for more than 30 years, told Canadian Geographic.</p>

<p>Pollack said the cave's depth makes it very unlikely that people have explored it before. A descent would require long ropes, he said, and any efforts in the past 50 years would likely have been documented.</p>

<p>Local First Nations may have also been unaware of the cave, <a id="c2b91a3f-3d85-3652-a09c-613892e8e2df" href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4720734/massive-unexplored-cave-of-national-significance-b-c-park/?utm_medium=Twitter&amp;utm_source=%2540globalbc">  Hickson told Global News </a> , because the cave was likely covered by snow all year until sometime in the past two to five decades.</p>

<p>The cave's exact size and depth have not been determined yet, but Pollack said researchers are in talks with British Columbia Parks about a field study in 2020.</p>

<p>Tristan Crosby, director of the University of Victoria Caving Club, told Global News that the discovery has "fired up" other caving enthusiasts.</p>

<p>"To be able to find caves like that still in this day and age that haven’t been explored and haven’t been discovered, it really gives me – and I know a lot of others in the community — some excitement to keep on exploring," Crosby said.</p>

<ul><li> <strong> Read more about caves: </strong> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-caves-to-explore-in-america-2016-9?r=UK&amp;IR=T?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">15 incredible caves to explore in America</a> </li></ul>

<p>NOW WATCH: <a id="d69e90ab-a12d-3e2e-a514-4eec2c76dcd2" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/right-way-blow-nose-blowing-wrong-2017-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  You've been blowing your nose all wrong — here's how you should do it </a></p>

<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-climate-change-could-affect-your-health-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">The climate apocalypse is becoming a ‘medical emergency.’ Here are 8 ways it could affect your health.</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-elephant-orphanage-in-kenya-photo-tour-2017-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">I visited a baby elephant orphanage in Kenya — here's what it was like</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/west-nile-virus-infectious-diseases-spread-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">A major climate report predicts West Nile virus and other insect-borne diseases will become far more common in the US</a> </li></ul>

<p><strong> SEE ALSO: <span id="ef3be2c7-bd41-3e5e-abf4-0a0c959b416e" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Incredible video inside Hang Son Doong — the largest cave in the world </span> </strong></p>

Scientists have discovered a cave that may be the largest in Canada, and it's never been seen by humans before

<p>The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, stretches across the border between India and Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal. It is home to endangered tigers, dolphins, and <a href="https://www.iucn.org/content/environmental-management-and-biodiversity-conservation-plan-sundarbans%E2%80%99-biodiversity" id="ad3a41d6-66e2-34a1-aa6c-b01a924d76cf">  300 species of birds </a> .</p>

<p>But this biodiversity, along with thousands of people living on islands in nearby river deltas, are in danger due to rising sea levels caused by climate change.</p>

<p>India's Ghoramara Island is currently disappearing. Once home to 40,000 people, Ghoramara's population has decreased to roughly 4,000 today. It's now only 1.8 square miles in size — half the area it had 20 years ago.</p>

<p>Though some of the island's remaining residents would prefer to live elsewhere, they say they can't afford to leave.</p>

<p>"If a tsunami or a big cyclone hits this island we will be finished," Sanjib Sagar, a village leader, <a href="https://widerimage.reuters.com/story/villagers-fear-for-survival-on-indias-disappearing-island" id="0d14f21c-70fe-36d6-a934-f150185a8f7b">  told Reuters </a> .</p>

<p>Here's what life on Ghoramara looks like.</p>

<h1> The Sundarbans Reserve Forest is the world's largest contiguous group of mangroves. </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/798" id="d83641f9-540b-3e75-a894-d3cbdf5fd022">  UNESCO </a></p>

<h1> The British began cutting timber in the Sundarbans about 150 years ago, and the area's mangrove population has been shrinking ever since. </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/world/asia/10iht-india.5.5220466.html?_r=1&amp;" id="ec11585e-52c8-3cee-a10c-e6701973c693">  The New York Times </a></p>

<h1> "Nature didn't create this place for humans to cut the forests and chase out the tigers and wildlife," Tushar Kanjilal, founder of a nonprofit called the Tagore Society for Rural Development, told The New York Times in 2007. "We are killing the Sundarbans. Our government, the people themselves, we are all together killing it. After 50 years, will they exist?" </h1>

<h1> Even if the world limits global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is very unlikely, seas will rise between 10 inches and 2.5 feet (0.26-0.77 meters) by the end of the century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/summary-for-policy-makers/" id="05be136d-8089-37d8-ad84-a725c2d214b8">  IPCC </a></p>

<h1> Though natural forces contribute to the islands' changing shapes and sizes, scientists say human-caused climate change is worsening these effects. On Ghoramara Island, high tides are swallowing land from all sides, forcing residents to move inland and rebuild their homes. </h1>

<h1> "Those who have money can cross the sea. Those who don’t, wait like us to get drowned," Ghoramara resident Rabiul Saha told Firstpost in 2016. "Even if we get to the mainland, we remain refugees with no homes, no identity and no community. We are simply losing the battle." </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/india/sundarbans-meet-indias-own-climate-refugees-from-ghoramara-islands-2823328.html" id="e8aa51f8-d7e2-3d97-a087-c9f28ad367aa">  Firstpost </a></p>

<h1> Saha told Firstpost that his teen daughter, Rabiya, dropped out of school once there were no more teachers left nearby. </h1>

<h1> Frequent floods on Ghoramara Island damage betel leaf crops, which many residents rely on for food. "Every year, high-tide salt water enters my farm and destroys my cultivation, so I have to face a big loss," Mihir Kumar Mondal, a farmer, told Reuters in August. </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-india-islands/villagers-fear-for-survival-on-indias-disappearing-island-idUSKCN1NY0BQ" id="154af575-b6da-3fae-aa26-e64a19a350e4">  Reuters </a></p>

<h1> The high tides can also make it impossible for government ferries to reach the island with supplies. In June 2016, Ghoramara remained water-locked for an entire week, according to Firstpost. </h1>

<h1> Village leader Arun Pramanik told NPR in 2016 that he was not optimistic about living another 20 or 30 years on the island. At the time, Pramanik lived in the only concrete home among a group of mud huts. "I know I have a beautiful home, but ultimately it will go into the womb of the river," he said. "All we can do is try to delay the process." </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/05/23/478393443/the-vanishing-islands-of-indias-sundarbans" id="d1844d4f-6fdd-3897-a165-d4a92360db85">  NPR </a></p>

<h1> Rice is the main crop in the Sundarbans, but rice paddies are getting flooded by saltwater more frequently. After a flood destroys a paddy, it may take three to five years before rice can be replanted in the same spot. </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/05/18/478251064/salt-resistant-rice-offers-hope-for-farmers-clinging-to-disappearing-islands" id="537e1fc2-b166-3d5a-a9d8-dc5c9812dd13">  NPR </a></p>

<h1> Farmers used to grow about 6,000 kinds of rice in the Indian state of West Bengal, where Ghoramara is located, according to NPR. But as of 2016, 90% of the varieties were no longer present in the area. ENDEV, an environment and development organization, has determined which of the remaining ones are salt-resistant and is providing those rice seeds to farmers. </h1>

<h1> Those salt-resistant rice seeds have helped vulnerable farmers. "Everybody is using this rice now," Debendra Tarek, an 80-year-old resident of Ghoramara Island, told NPR in 2016. "We even think it tastes better." </h1>

<h1> To help people find shelter off the island, West Bengal's state government has set up new communities in places such as Sagar Island. Tens of thousands of people had relocated to Sagar as of 2016. </h1>

<h1> Ratan Maity told NPR that he moved to Sagar Island with his two children around 2001. "The river was angry," he said. "It took away so many things. It took people's lives. Children were swallowed. My home was gone. That's why I had to leave. We were scared." </h1>

<h1> Maity, who told NPR that he hadn't heard of climate change, lives far inland so can't fish anymore. But he said he feels safer and has taken up odd jobs like pulling carts. </h1>

<h1> Unlike Maity, some people who leave Ghoramara Island end up homeless in West Bengal, looking for shelter on the mainland. </h1>

<h1> Climate change could displace between 150 and 300 million people by 2050, according to a 2011 study cited by The Conversation. </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/300-million-climate-refugees-by-2050-2017-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="779c3311-9a31-363f-a4b9-a5c18e9b18c9">  The Conversation </a></p>

<h1> Some scholars are pushing for environmental refugees to be granted more rights. Gulrez Shah Azhar, a physician and public health researcher in India, believes governments and the United Nations should change international law to protect climate refugees. </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/300-million-climate-refugees-by-2050-2017-12?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="122a5065-3f4c-3328-aac6-5fafbb82deff">  Business Insider </a></p>

<h1> But as of now, people leaving their homes for environmental reasons generally can't seek asylum. </h1>

<h1> According to The Economist, any new agreement to alter existing refugee treaties would likely take years. </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2018/03/06/why-climate-migrants-do-not-have-refugee-status" id="33e95a1f-b821-3a4b-aff9-c05d39bf65f6">  The Economist </a></p>

<h1> New Zealand may become the first country to allow asylum claims based on environmental conditions. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said she would consider creating a special visa for Pacific Islanders who were forced to leave their homes due to rising sea levels. The visa would be given to 100 people per year. </h1>

<h1> Sagar, the village elder on Ghoramara Island, said half the residents would move elsewhere if the government provided free land. "If government gives rehabilitation I will leave," 66-year-old Sheikh Aftab Uddin told Reuters. </h1>

<h1> Reuters reported that Javed Ahmed Khan, the minister overseeing disaster management in West Bengal's state government, declined to comment on potential plans to relocate Ghoramara residents. </h1>

An island in India is disappearing, but some of the last residents say they can't afford to move away

<p>Oregon is a step closer to becoming the first state to legalize psychedelic mushrooms.</p>

<p>In November, Oregon's secretary of state <a id="017279ca-4154-3cfd-a440-3615a414acde" href="http://oregonvotes.org/irr/2020/012cbt.pdf">  approved language </a> for a ballot initiative that would make "magic" mushrooms legal. To make it on the ballot for the 2020 general election, the initiative will need 117,578 signatures, <a id="576f7175-d724-3282-af71-38e7bf47f251" href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/30/us/oregon-magic-mushrooms-psilocybins-trnd/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3q691ce68nY6pmWb1M67ZDsouFqZN_tEnWJtXUq72EZmK47J5JXilf7xw">  CNN reported </a> .</p>

<p>A successful ballot initiative in Oregon would decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms and let them be manufactured under a license. The possession of psychedelic mushrooms, which contain the active compound psilocybin, is a felony nationwide.</p>

<p>"The intent of the 2020 Psilocybin Service Initiative of Oregon is to advance a breakthrough therapeutic model currently being perfected in research settings at top universities around the world," Tom and Sheri Eckert, who are leading the petition, <a id="6c0e44c3-6ee2-33d2-a5c1-3630371e5832" href="https://psi-2020.org/">  wrote on the campaign's website </a> .</p>

<p>Many Americans have shifted their opinions on marijuana and other illegal drugs in recent years, and scientists are also reassessing the effects of psychedelics.</p>

<p><a id="3bd5b5bc-5c85-3af2-a95e-0a98bc18965d" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/psychedelic-drugs-making-comeback-medical-science-research-2018-8?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  A growing number of recent studies </a> have shown that magic mushrooms could be beneficial to certain people. Scientists say psilocybin could <a id="ae78931b-c11b-3c8f-aa12-e1b84d36e4a0" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0269881116675513">  help reduce anxiety in people with cancer </a> and could be used as a <a id="bb0bc0ce-2888-3817-aebe-d489da4800b1" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-backed-startup-making-magic-mushrooms-2018-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  treatment for anxiety, depression, and alcoholism. </a></p>

<p>Earlier this year, researchers at Johns Hopkins University said psilocybin should not be classified as a Schedule I drug, a category for substances with no known medical benefit. In an article from the <a id="61fd08cf-c991-3643-affc-afef2e51d440" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390818302296?via%3Dihub">  October issue of the medical journal Neuropharmacology </a> , the researchers wrote that psilocybin should instead be labeled a Schedule IV drug, a category that includes prescription sleeping pills.</p>

<p>It could take at least five years for the Food and Drug Administration to reclassify psilocybin, the researchers wrote, because the drug would need to undergo a series of tests.</p>

<p><a id="34c32c93-bf2b-33f8-ac2b-c421f43d01c7" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/03/science/magic-mushrooms-psilocybin-scheduleiv.html">  According to The New York Times </a> , the Johns Hopkins researchers said the use of psilocybin should still be strictly controlled, since people with psychotic disorders and those who take high doses of magic mushrooms are at risk.</p>

<p>In addition to Oregon, residents of <a id="52ea940e-2afd-3005-a476-b4a7c4fd90ab" href="http://www.cpr.org/news/story/no-magic-mushrooms-on-the-denver-ballot-this-year-supporters-are-looking-to-2019">  Denver </a> could soon vote on the decriminalization of magic mushrooms.</p>

<ul><li> <strong> Read more about magic mushrooms: </strong> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/magic-mushrooms-safety-new-survey-2017-5?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">There's new evidence that 'magic' mushrooms could be among the safest recreational drugs</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mental-physical-effects-of-magic-mushrooms?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Here's what 'magic' mushrooms do to your body and brain</a> </li></ul>

<p>NOW WATCH: <a id="92438214-95c1-31d2-ae9a-fe498dc2828f" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/so-much-co2-planting-trees-cant-save-us-2017-5?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">  There's so much CO2 in the atmosphere that planting trees can no longer save us </a></p>

<ul><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ketamine-for-depression-medical-centers-where-get-infusions-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">A 'party drug' with potential to be the next blockbuster antidepressant is edging closer to the mainstream, but it could set you back $9,000</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/west-nile-virus-infectious-diseases-spread-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">A major climate report predicts West Nile virus and other insect-borne diseases will become far more common in the US</a> </li><li> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-theories-what-caused-california-wildfires-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest">YouTube is teeming with conspiracy theories about the California wildfires. Here's what really may have caused the flames.</a> </li></ul>

Oregon is closer than ever to becoming the first state to legalize 'magic' mushrooms

<p>As cities become more crowded, and urban real estate becomes less and less affordable, many residents are turning to tiny units as a way to avoid being priced out.</p>

<p>The concept of microliving has its <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/realestate/what-no-one-ever-tells-you-about-tiny-homes.html" id="2c82a177-bbf6-3215-a9c4-8da89d06819b">  critics </a> and <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-living-in-a-tiny-apartment-made-me-happier-and-saner-217742" id="87cd48a7-cc3d-334a-a5b3-1fa564e74c80">  advocates </a> . For some, it’s a creative exercise in adopting a more minimalist lifestyle. For others, it’s a last-stop solution to rising rents in their host city.</p>

<p>This is especially the case in New York City and San Francisco, the two <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-cities-around-the-world-to-rent-a-2-bedroom-apartment-2017-5?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest#4-paris-france-2483-21" id="54f80d57-13cb-32f5-a16e-dd9436ee76ff">  most expensive rental markets </a> in the US.</p>

<p>In these cities, apartments are often sold with tiny kitchens that cram storage and appliances into a single unit. While some units are equipped with high-tech features like motorized cabinets and retractable minibars, others are plagued by cluttered countertops and makeshift stoves. </p>

<p>A glimpse into these microkitchens reveals the stunning divides of the cities themselves.</p>

<p>Like many neighborhoods in New York and San Francisco, tiny kitchens can be either dazzling or dreary. Take a look.</p>

<h1> For many years, New York's 400-square-foot regulation prevented the construction of tiny apartments like this one. </h1>

<h1> In 2013, though, Mayor Bloomberg announced a city-sponsored contest for developers to create microapartment designs. </h1>

<h1> That same year, the Museum of the City of New York debuted a 325-square-foot model apartment featuring creative ways to maximize space. </h1>

<h1> The kitchen included under-the-counter appliances and a foldaway table that could double as an island. </h1>

<h1> New York City's first microapartment building, Carmel Place, began welcoming residents in 2016. </h1>

<h1> While the kitchens are small, residents have access to amenities like a rooftop terrace, a gym, grocery delivery, and communal events. </h1>

<h1> Resident Matthew Alexander prefers the minimalist lifestyle of his studio apartment to sharing space with roommates. </h1>

<h1> The building's developer enlisted Ollie, a co-living and microhousing startup, to help with the design. </h1>

<h1> Ollie furnished the apartments with amenities like housekeeping, free WiFi, and a dry-cleaning pickup service. </h1>

<h1> After Carmel Place opened in Manhattan, the construction of microunits with tiny kitchens expanded into Brooklyn and other boroughs. </h1>

<h1> Empire Bath and Kitchen has led many of the microapartment designs in Brooklyn, including the kitchen below. </h1>

<h1> The company also designs small kitchens for residents in Queens. </h1>

<h1> Ollie is now providing amenities for a 43-story high-rise in Long Island City, which is considered the largest ground-up collection of shared apartments in the US. </h1>

<h1> Residents of the building's two- and three-bedroom microsuites often share a kitchen. </h1>

<h1> Over in Brooklyn, Ollie has partnered with the rental building Caesura, which has tiny kitchens featuring stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops. </h1>

<h1> This $1.29 million, 790-square-foot micro-apartment features a hidden pantry and motor-powered cabinets. </h1>

<p><strong> Read more: </strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-a-luxury-micro-apartment-in-new-york-city-2016-4?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="4b6a4b5b-30ad-3bbc-a4c0-8701a938b7ab">  This tiny New York apartment has a hidden 60-inch flat-screen TV and motor-powered cabinets </a></p>

<h1> The counter includes grooves for drying plates and cups, along with a pullout cutting board that allows residents to toss scraps directly into the trash can below. </h1>

<h1> To conserve space, the loft of ReadyMade magazine Editor-in-Chief Andrew Wagner includes open cabinets instead of full shelves. </h1>

<h1> This rare tiny kitchen comes equipped with a full oven and stove. </h1>

<h1> In many cases, having a microkitchen requires residents to get creative with organizing their fridge and freezer. </h1>

<h1> Others sacrifice storage space to make room for appliances. </h1>

<h1> For this unit in Brooklyn's Carroll Gardens neighborhood, the developer added as many cabinets as possible to make up for the limited amount of space. </h1>

<h1> The design team at New York City's eXd-lab created a custom cabinet system called the U-WALL, which folds out to reveal a miniature bar. </h1>

<h1> The kitchen in this 350-square-foot SoHo penthouse was designed to function like a space twice its size. </h1>

<p><strong> Read more </strong> : <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiny-nyc-apartment-studio-photos-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="45d7fb8b-5245-3a8c-a1ef-acbd841814d8">  This tiny NYC penthouse costs $2,143 per square foot, but every detail was designed so it 'functions like one twice its size' —take a look inside </a></p>

<h1> It includes a built-in speed oven, a dishwasher, and a Franke water filter. </h1>

<h1> The entire apartment was designed by Graham Hill, the founder of the lifestyle and design company LifeEdited. </h1>

<h1> Hill also designed a slightly more spacious unit in SoHo, which sold for $790,000. </h1>

<h1> The 420-square-foot apartment cost $365,000 to renovate. </h1>

<h1> Like the apartment, the kitchen includes a number of space-saving features such as hidden storage and a microwave tucked into the wall. </h1>

<h1> The original listing said the apartment was "designed by geniuses for geniuses," with sliding walls, a built-in sound system, and an air filtration system. </h1>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.6sqft.com/famed-tiny-transforming-apartment-in-soho-sells-for-790k/" id="a32fd8be-0b6e-3a6f-a9f7-6e317e6cab06">  6sqft </a></p>

<h1> Microkitchens can also be found in tiny homes like this one, which was displayed in Manhattan's Herald Square for one night in September. </h1>

<p>Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Booking.com</p>

<p>It has since been moved to Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, for a temporary stay at the world's largest tiny home community.</p>

<h1> Earlier this year, comedian Kevin Hart curated a tiny home in New York for Booking.com. Hart told USA Today that he partnered with the travel booking site because the design fits his lifestyle. </h1>

<p>"I love to do things that coincide with what I do, and the way that I move," Hart said. "Being that I am a guy who is constantly on the road, constantly traveling, where I’m staying becomes a priority."</p>

<p>Source: <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2018/09/24/comedian-kevin-hart-decorates-tiny-house-booking/1405141002/" id="ddf60e3d-4ee9-3eb3-a34f-c7248add8a58">  USA Today </a></p>

<h1> Dunkin Donuts has also debuted a tiny home design in New York City. This one runs entirely on coffee. </h1>