This document provides a summary of various news articles and reports related to environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and resource consumption. It begins with a short introduction by Eeva Pursula and then presents summaries of over 20 news articles from sources like The Guardian, New York Times, Reuters, and National Geographic on topics such as the impacts of climate change, soil erosion, pollution of oceans and waterways, threats to biodiversity, and the environmental impacts of global consumption and the food system. Each summary includes a headline and link to the full article. The document aims to highlight the breadth of environmental challenges we currently face according to recent news and reports.

1. The Mysterious Art of
Taking Your Direction in the Dark
Eeva Pursula
Software QA Specialist at Finbiosoft Oy
eeva.pursula@finbiosoft.com
https://tinyurl.com/eeva-in-youtube
http://savutesti.blogspot.com/
@tester.eeva
@EevaPursula
1

2. The New York Times 19.7.2019
The Guardian 8.8.2018 The New York Times 13.4.2019National Geographic 3.4.2019
Science Alert
5.6.2019
Reuters 20.2.2019
WHO 1.2.2018
Scientific American 22.7.2019
News & reports e.g.
WHO, February 1, 2018: Climate change and health https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-
sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
The Guardian, October 8, 2018: We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-
15c-warns-landmark-un-report
Reuters, February 20, 2019: Climate change an 'imminent' security threat, risk experts say
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-security-idUSKCN1Q900A
National Geographic, April 3, 2019: The Great Barrier Reef’s corals are struggling to recover fast
enough https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/04/great-barrier-reef-coral-
not-recovering-climate-change/
The New York Times, April 13, 2019: Central American Farmers Head to the U.S., Fleeing Climate
Change
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/13/world/americas/coffee-climate-change-migration.html
Science Alert, June 5, 2019: Climate Change Could End Human Civilisation as We Know It by
2050, Analysis Finds https://www.sciencealert.com/by-2050-climate-change-could-alter-human-
civilisation-as-we-know-it
The New York Times, July 18, 2019: Heat Waves in the Age of Climate Change: Longer, More
Frequent and More Dangerous https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/climate/heatwave-
climate-change.html?login=email&auth=login-email
Scientific American, July 22, 2019: The risk of conflict rises as the world heats up
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-risk-of-conflict-rises-as-the-world-heats-up/
2

3. The Guardian 14.12.2010
Reuters 15.5.2019 The Independent 30.6.2015
image © Fabian Schmidt (flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Erosion
news e.g.
The Guardian, December 14, 2010: Soil erosion threatens to leave Earth hungry
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/dec/14/soil-erosion-environment-
review-vidal
SciDevNet, May 12, 2015: Soil erosion may threaten global food security
https://www.scidev.net/global/farming/news/soil-erosion-threatens-global-food-
security.html
The Independent, June 30, 2015: Soil erosion a major threat to Britain’s food supply, says
Government advisory group https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/soil-
erosion-a-major-threat-to-britains-food-supply-says-government-advisory-group-
10353870.html
Reuters, May 15, 2019: Stop soil erosion now or face starvation soon, scientists warn
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-food-soils-idUSKCN1SL2Q5
image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/79511852@N03/14294797437
3

4. Science Daily 19.6.2019
The Guardian10.7.2017
The New York Times 26.2.2016 The Wired 19.6.2019 listing facts that prove we're in a climate emergency
The Guardian 12.3.2018
What is biodiversity and
why does it matter to us?
image © Famartin (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
News & reports e.g.
The New York Times, Feb 26, 2016: Decline of Pollinators Poses Threat to World Food
Supply, Report Says https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/science/decline-of-species-
that-pollinate-poses-a-threat-to-global-food-supply-report-warns.html
The Guardian, Jul 20, 2017: Earth's sixth mass extinction event under way, scientists
warn https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/10/earths-sixth-mass-
extinction-event-already-underway-scientists-warn
The Guardian, March 12, 2018: What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us?
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/12/what-is-biodiversity-and-why-does-
it-matter-to-us
Science Daily, June 19, 2019: U.S. beekeepers lost over 40 percent of colonies last year,
highest winter losses ever recorded
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190619142532.htm
The Wired, June 19, 2019: The 10 facts that prove we're in a climate emergency
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/climate-change-facts-2019
image https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2014-09-
09_09_02_49_Asphalt_milled_in_preparation_for_new_asphalt_overlay_with_new_ove
rlay_partially_applied_on_Idaho_Street_%28Interstate_80_Business_and_Nevada_State
_Route_535%29_in_Elko,_Nevada.JPG
4

5. The Guardian 5.6.2019
Spiegel Online 8.8.2008
The Guardian 15.2.2016The Guardian 22.2.2009
The Guardian 9.5.2009
National Geographic .6.2018
image modified from © prilfish (flickr, CC BY 2.0)
News e.g.
Spiegel Online August 8, 2008: Globalization Is Destroying the World's Oceans
https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/our-ravaged-seas-globalization-is-destroying-the-
world-s-oceans-a-570877.html
The Guardian February 22, 2009: Trawlers are 'destroying history on the seabed’
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/feb/22/marine-archaeology-sunken-ships
The Guardian February 15, 2016: Overfishing is as big a threat to humanity as it is to our oceans
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/feb/16/overfishing-is-as-big-a-threat-
to-humanity-as-it-is-to-our-oceans
National Geographic June 2018: For Animals, Plastic Is Turning the Ocean Into a Minefield
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-animals-wildlife-
impact-waste-pollution/
The Guardian May 9, 2019: Stop eating fish. It’s the only way to save the life in our seas
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/09/seas-stop-eating-fish-fishing-
industry-government
The Guardian June 5, 2019: People eat at least 50,000 plastic particles a year, study finds
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/05/people-eat-at-least-50000-plastic-
particles-a-year-study-finds
CNN opinion July 29, 2019: By exporting trash, rich countries put their waste out of sight and out
of mind https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/29/opinions/by-exporting-trash-rich-countries-put-
their-waste-out-of-sight-and-out-of-mind-varkkey/index.html
background image https://www.flickr.com/photos/silkebaron/5121495307/
5

6. Pew Research Center
9.7.2015
The Guardian 2.7.2019
National Geographic 17.7.2019
The Guardian 23.6.2019
The Guardian 19.7.2018
Wired 19.6.2019 listing facts that prove we're in a climate emergency
News & reports e.g.
Global Policy Forum August 31, 2007: How Much of the World's Resource Consumption Occurs
in Rich Countries? https://www.globalpolicy.org/social-and-economic-policy/the-
environment/general-analysis-on-the-environment/45393-how-much-of-the-worlds-resource-
consumption-occurs-in-rich-countries.html
Pew Research Center July 9, 2015 How Americans compare with the global middle class
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/09/how-americans-compare-with-the-global-
middle-class/
The Guardian, July 19, 2018: Rising global meat consumption 'will devastate environment’
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/19/rising-global-meat-consumption-will-
devastate-environment
The Guardian June 23, 2019 The five: ways that fashion threatens the planet
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/jun/23/five-ways-fashion-damages-the-planet
The Guardian July 2, 2019 Revealed: rampant deforestation of Amazon driven by global greed
for meat https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/02/revealed-amazon-
deforestation-driven-global-greed-meat-brazil
CNN July 12, 2019 How rich people could help save the planet from climate change
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/12/health/rich-people-climate-change-intl/index.html
National Geographic July 17, 2019 How to feed the world without destroying the planet
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/07/how-to-feed-the-world-without-
destroying-the-planet/
Earth overshoot day https://www.overshootday.org/
6

7. The greatest or most important challenge you can see depends on what kind of goals
you have
7

8. Christopher Columbus
8

9. Observations are usually interpreted without
questioning underlying assumptions
@EevaPursula
9

10. Goals help you focus on a thing but reduce your
eyesight
image modified from © Jeatz-Axl (Deviant Art, CC BY 3.0)
©Horse & Man
@EevaPursula
images
https://www.deviantart.com/jeatz-axl/art/Mane-Six-On-A-Boat-675692297
https://www.horseandman.com/handy-tips/update-on-what-readers-said-about-fires-
and-other-information/05/25/2012/
10

11. Decisions we make build our identity and
through repeating form into habits
• not choosing = choosing
⎻least effort
⎻status quo
⎻obedience
• rationalizing our actions
-> actions become goals
• repeating ->
⎻habits
⎻traditions
@EevaPursula
image https://www.freefoto.com/preview/01-48-21/Herd-of-Sheep
11

12. Do you use your free will?
• no goals
⎻no need to learn
⎻no need to do anything new
⎻getting stuck on comfort zone
• goals set by someone else
⎻progress may be fast, but do
you care where it takes you?
@EevaPursula
© Liz Danzico (flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobulate/2393935054/in/set-
72057594067096428
12

13. What do I want to be?
What kind of an impact do I want to make?
What is my vision about myself?
Where do I want to see myself in a few years?
How do I want to be remembered?
What do I want to change?
What is important to me?
images © pngimg.com (CC BY-NC 4.0) @EevaPursula
images http://pngimg.com/download/11626 https://pngimg.com/download/11606
13

14. A good goal
 is actionable
 enables some level of planning
 enables some level of measuring success
 does not conflict with your values
@EevaPursula
14

15. long term: what I want to do
short
term:
what I
must do
A good goal
 is actionable
 enables some level of planning
 enables some level of measuring success
 does not conflict with your values
@EevaPursula
15

16. 1. Find the smallest actionable item
2. Do it
3. Evaluate whether it took you to the direction
you wanted
4. Does the goal still look the same?
@EevaPursula
16

17. Small improvements may create a revolution
@EevaPursula
© Clemens Schmillen (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Goals can be small
image https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_boat#/media/File:SabuJeddi5.jpg
17

18. Change does not need to be difficult
• small, concrete tasks e.g. for a day
/ week
• experimental
• apply easy changes to routines
• don’t expect for miracles but give
them room to happen
@EevaPursula
image: https://bankruptvegan.blogspot.com/2016/03/beefless-mushroom-
stroganoff.html
18

19. map © Walrasiad (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)
Shortest path is not always the best one
@EevaPursula
Vasco da Gama
map:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Portuguese_Carreira_da_India.gif
19

20. @EevaPursulaimage modified from © Joe Parks (flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/parksjd/9253056182/
20

21. @EevaPursula
Navigating is not just about maps
image modified from © Joe Parks (flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/parksjd/9253056182/
21

22. Find a star to follow – but keep your eyes open
for new stars
• events & meetups (e.g. onlinetestconf.com )
• slack ( slackchannels.com/software-testing-qa-slack-channels )
• twitter ( @maaretp, @lisacrispin, @janetgregoryca, @katrinaclokie, @lisihocke,
@marianneduijst, @AshColeman30, @charrett,..)
• blogs (e.g. testingindevops.org, katrinatester.blogspot.com,..)
• courses (e.g. ministryoftesting.com, testautomationu.applitools.com, fourhourtester.net,..)
• mentoring (e.g. transpa.ro )
• other resources (e.g. Resources for a Beginner Tester:
docs.google.com/document/d/1-fV3l-XPfjaeuHN0-d67dUi1yKYoyHJI4iMz2FfrwFQ )
@EevaPursulaimage modified from © Joe Parks (flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/parksjd/9253056182/
Some more resources:
huddle.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com
www.youtube.com/user/TestingEducation/videos
www.youtube.com/user/DiazHilterscheid1/videos
www.youtube.com/user/TheAstVideos/videos
22

23. Plan your journey
• When will you do it?
• Where will you do it?
• When will you stop to evaluate
new clues?
• Where will you apply it to your
real life?
© Nickster 2000 (flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
@EevaPursula
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/nickster2000/8171516035/
23

24. Get ahead consciously
• Make notes on your way
• Book time for learning & going
through your notes
© allfr3d (flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
@EevaPursula
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/25512069@N00/529417262
24

25. Make sure you really learn
• Avoid multitasking
• Make more notes!
• Find links between new and existing
knowledge
• Discuss and/or teach
@EevaPursula
#sketchnotes
MEATLESS proTEin SourcES
Lentils
• soak & rinse
before use
• nice in cream
soup & Indian
type food
Nuts & seeds
• kids love
• nice in pesto
& Asian type
food
Nyhtis (“pulled oats”)
• fry quickly on pan
• bake in oven with
potato slices & oat
cream
Kidney beans
• canned easy
to use
• nice in salad
with corn &
Mexican type
food
Chickpeas
• canned easy
to use
• nice in Indian
type food &
pasta
Seitan
• takes some
time to make
good stuff
Härkis (“pulled
broad bean”)
• works nicely in
Mexican type
food
• loves tomato
Soy strips/mince
• soak in vegetable
broth or
pasteurized
tomato before
frying
• nice in Asian type
food, pasta etc.
Quorn
• add to warm
sauce
• nice with mango
chutney & potato
• not totally vegan
products similar to meat
Peas
• kids love
fresh ones
• nice in salad
& soup
Beyond Burger
• fry on pan
Nutritional yeast
• use like parmesan!
products not like meat
25

26. Have a retro with yourself
• Where are you?
• Where do you want to go?
• PROOF
⎻Past – how did you use the time?
⎻Results of your personal sprint
⎻Obstacles & how to get help with them
⎻Outlook on what there’s yet to do
⎻Feelings about what you did
© Johanna Brewer (flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
@EevaPursula
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/deadroxy/2780474323
26

27. Does this create something good?
• goals can only
be built on what
you already
know
• rules around us
change
• new knowledge
should change
our goals
@EevaPursula
27

28. Do you notice the change?
@EevaPursula
• expectations for software change
• role of software in our lives
changes
• things that need testing change
28

29. How does it matter what I do?
The Guardian 12.8.2010
Vox 21.11.2018
New York Post 13.6.2019
The Guardian 8.9.2011
The Guardian 17.9.2014
Washington Post 30.9.2016
Time 25.5.2017
The Wired 8.2014
The New York Times 8.7.2018
News e.g.
August 12, 2010 What's the carbon footprint of … the internet?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/aug/12/carbon-footprint-internet
September 8, 2011 Google discloses carbon footprint for the first time
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/sep/08/google-carbon-footprint
The Wired 2014 The New Eyes of Surveillance: Artificial Intelligence and Humanizing
TAugustechnology https://www.wired.com/insights/2014/08/the-new-eyes-of-surveillance-
artificial-intelligence-and-humanizing-technology/
September 17, 2014 Modern-day slavery rife in Malaysia’s electronics industry
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/sep/17/modern-day-slavery-
malaysia-electronics-industry
September 30, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/batteries/congo-
cobalt-mining-for-lithium-ion-battery/
May 25, 2017 Why Instagram Is the Worst Social Media for Mental Health
https://time.com/4793331/instagram-social-media-mental-health/
February 28, 2018 The hidden costs of cobalt mining
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2018/02/28/the-cost-of-cobalt/
The New York Times July 8, 2018 Inside China’s Dystopian Dreams: A.I., Shame and Lots of
Cameras https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/business/china-surveillance-technology.html
November 21, 2018 Online shopping is terrible for the environment. It doesn’t have to be.
https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/12/21/16805324/black-friday-2018-amazon-online-
shopping-cyber-monday-environmental-impact
June 13, 2019 Researchers: bitcoin’s carbon footprint equal to Las Vegas
https://nypost.com/2019/06/13/researchers-bitcoins-carbon-footprint-equal-to-las-vegas/
29

30. Are we solving the right problems?
Are we solving them right?
@EevaPursulaimage © pngimg.com (CC BY-NC 4.0)
image http://pngimg.com/download/3886
30

31. Ask questions to reveal the invisible
• What are the
assumptions?
• What is taken for
granted?
• What is the impact
of our actions?
• How has world
changed?
© The U.S. Army (flickr, CC BY 2.0)
@EevaPursula
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/4685688778
31

32. What about me?
• Am I feeling healthy?
• What do I really need?
• Where is my passion?
• Am I awake enough to notice
things that matter?
• Do I care enough to advocate for
things that need attention?
• Do I use my freedom?
© BusterBrownBB (Deviant Art, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
@EevaPursula
image https://www.deviantart.com/busterbrownbb/art/All-alone-am-I-269845903
32

33. Don’t stand between yourself and your future
• We internalize boxes we are put into
• We survive by adapting ourselves
• We get used to things and assume
them to be normal
• We learn helplessness
@EevaPursula
33

34. No-one can spread your wings for you
No-one takes
care of you if
you don’t do it
yourself
@EevaPursula
© Asmaa Dee (flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/deannabeth/5551823499/
34

35. What is the need you are trying to fill?
• Are you doing things to achieve them
or to escape something else?
• Are you doing things because that’s
what you assume you should be
doing?
• Is there something you could give up
to be happier?
@EevaPursula
cropped from © Zsolt Andrasi (flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0)
image https://www.flickr.com/photos/azso/6625869505
35

36. Summary
• Find your goals
⎻reflect your needs & values
⎻find stars to follow
• Advance your goals
⎻smallest actionable item
⎻plan where & when
⎻make notes
⎻link new to existing knowledge
⎻discuss
@EevaPursula
• Check your direction
periodically
⎻are you going where you
thought you would
⎻do you still want to go there
• Ask questions
36