Latest news with #LauraPatterson
India.com
13-07-2025
- General
- India.com
Shocking UN report reveals 70 lakh people die prematurely every year due to...
(Representational image: New Delhi: According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in more than 150 countries, and these are having a serious impact on health, economy and environment. What does WMO say? WMO representative Laura Patterson told the United Nations General Assembly that about 2 billion tons of dust is released every year, which is equivalent to 300 Giza pyramids of Egypt. She said that more than 80% of the world's dust comes from the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East. It spreads hundreds and thousands of kilometers, crossing continents and oceans. What is United Nations General Assembly, in resolution 77/249? The United Nations General Assembly, in resolution 77/249, proclaimed 12 July as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms, and declared the period from 2025 to 2034 the United Nations Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms. General Assembly President Philemon Yang said that these storms are increasingly becoming a global challenge due to climate change, land degradation and non-sustainable practices. He said that the particles generated by these storms cause 7 million premature deaths every year. They increase respiratory and heart diseases. They reduce crop production by 25%, which increases the problems of hunger and migration. How much damage is caused by sand and dust? Rola A. A. H. Dashti, the head of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, said, 'The annual cost of dealing with these storms in the Middle East and North Africa is $ 150 billion, which is about 2.5% of GDP.' She said that storms in the Arab region this spring filled hospitals in Iraq with respiratory patients. Schools and offices in Kuwait and Iran were forced to close. Dashti stressed that it is important to include sand and dust storms on the global and national agenda. She stressed the need for collective will and funding to implement solutions such as land restoration, sustainable agriculture and integrated early warning systems.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Arizona figure skating coach mourns 'family' lost in DC plane crash
The collision of a passenger plane and U.S. Army helicopter that killed 67 people hit very close to home for one Gilbert figure skating coach. Laura Patterson, a coach at AZ Ice in Gilbert and a US Figure Skating official, helped judge the U.S. National Competition in Wichita, Kansas last week. The competition included some in the figure skating community who were on the plane that crashed into the Potomac after it collided with the helicopter. "We lost family and I'm sorry," Patterson said in an interview with ABC15. She continued: "When we talk about 'this is a family,' we spent so much time with our athletes. Hours, every day, 6-7 times a week. We travel with them. It's more than our normal families. It's heartbreaking when a piece of this is now missing." Related: Sky Harbor airport flights impacted after plane crash near Washington, D.C. Patterson told ABC15 that she took some of her Arizona students to the event in Wichita to see the skating competition last week. The plane crash has rocked the entire figure skating community. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts," U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. Patterson hopes to honor those who died by persevering through the grief. "Hopefully we can all continue with their love and passion for the sport, just as much,' Patterson told ABC15. Reach Jeremy Cluff at Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff. Support local journalism: Subscribe to today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DC plane crash: Arizona figure skating coach mourns 'family' lost
