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As time progressed from 2021 to 2022, climate scientists remarked on what a banner year it had been for global warming. Among other records, experts noted that the Earth's oceans were hotter in 2021 than at any other time in the planet's history. Yet now that 2022 has drawn to a close, climate scientists must be feeling déjà vu all over again — as 2022 marked another alarming year of climate records being broken. The most ominous, perhaps, relates (again) to the temperatures of the world's oceans. In the year 2022, the top 2,000 meters of Earth's oceans acquired roughly 14 zettajoules of heat — roughly 145 times the amount of energy generated by humans for electricity on this planet over the same period of time. "In 2022, the world's oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum," a group of global warming experts wrote in a new report for the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. The term "OHC" is short for "ocean heat contact," a catch-all term for the saltiness (or salinity), different layers of temperatures and other factors that ultimately contribute to global oceanic temperatures. As the Earth warms and the oceans warm along with it, scientists expect to see a domino effect of weather-related crises. The temperature of the oceans affects weather patterns, sea life, and in turn, ecosystems that humans depend on for survival. Over the course of the 365 days in the year 2022, the top 2,000 meters of Earth's oceans acquired roughly 14 zettajoules of heat, or 14,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 joules. For comparison, this is roughly 145 times the amount of energy generated by humans for electricity on this planet over the same period of time. Because oceans absorb more than 90 percent of the excess heat caused by global warming, that number is expected to go up even further unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. The authors also noted that one of the year's most notable developments, rampant wildfires, could plausibly be explained by the ocean's overheating. As droughts worsen due to the oceans overheating, the affected regions will be at an increased risk of experiencing wildfires. In addition, as the warm water in the ocean evaporates at higher quantities, there will be increased flooding due to the more voluminous rainfall. Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter The Vulgar Scientist. Another consequence of the ocean's warming — and perhaps the biggest direct consequence — will be the destabilization of important current systems. In particular, the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is already showing signs of destabilization. The conveyor belt of ocean currents is essential to the fishing industry and maintaining stable weather. If it radically changes it will cause more frequent and more severe hurricanes, alter the tides, annihilate ocean life, spread pollution and cause sea levels to rise. Speaking to Salon in September about the sea level rise caused when warming oceans melt glaciers, Dr. William Sweet — a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — observed that this particular symptom of climate change is already upon us. He referred specifically to a pair of studies that analyzed melting of the Thwaites Glacier and Greeland's ice sheet. Just as a a glass window develops cracks if there are structural problems near its base, the spiderwebs of growing and criss-crossing fractures along the Thwaites Glacier by the warming ocean are at risk of eventually causing the whole pane to shatter. A similar process is at work with the Greenland ice shelf. The two studies in question addressed those phenomena. "Sea level rise is already affecting us, here and now, and will continue to grow in severity during the coming decades." "These studies provide additional evidence about future-possible rises in sea level that the public needs to be aware of," Sweet wrote to Salon. "Sea level rise is already affecting us, here and now, and will continue to grow in severity during the coming decades." In order for the planet to be saved, carbon emissions need to be reduced to zero as quickly as possible. Dr. Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) told Salon last year that "we really need to get to net-zero [emissions], and many countries have plans but not enough actions to support those." (Trenberth also contributed to the recent report.) In the meantime, the group behind this report will continue to monitor the temperature of the world's oceans. "In the future, the group will focus on understanding the changes of the earth's major cycles and improve the future projections of earth's heat, water and carbon changes," study second author Dr. John Abraham from the University of St. Thomas said in a statement. "This is the basis for human[s] to prepare for the future changes and risks."	<urn:uuid:d0c6da60-8e9a-4542-9b47-947a730a41c3>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474377.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20240223085439-20240223115439-00528.warc.gz", "int_score": 4, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9394197463989258, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.71875, "token_count": 1031, "url": "https://www.salon.com/2023/01/18/the-oceans-temperature-was-hotter-than-ever-in-2022-scientists-say/" }	As time progressed from 2021 to 2022, climate scientists remarked on what a banner year it had been for global warming. Among other records, experts noted that the Earth's oceans were hotter in 2021 than at any other time in the planet's history. Yet now that 2022 has drawn to a close, climate scientists must be feeling déjà vu all over again — as 2022 marked another alarming year of climate records being broken. The most ominous, perhaps, relates (again) to the temperatures of the world's oceans. In the year 2022, the top 2,000 meters of Earth's oceans acquired roughly 14 zettajoules of heat — roughly 145 times the amount of energy generated by humans for electricity on this planet over the same period of time. "In 2022, the world's oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum," a group of global warming experts wrote in a new report for the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. The term "OHC" is short for "ocean heat contact," a catch-all term for the saltiness (or salinity), different layers of temperatures and other factors that ultimately contribute to global oceanic temperatures. As the Earth warms and the oceans warm along with it, scientists expect to see a domino effect of weather-related crises. The temperature of the oceans affects weather patterns, sea life, and in turn, ecosystems that humans depend on for survival. Over the course of the 365 days in the year 2022, the top 2,000 meters of Earth's oceans acquired roughly 14 zettajoules of heat, or 14,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 joules. For comparison, this is roughly 145 times the amount of energy generated by humans for electricity on this planet over the same period of time. Because oceans absorb more than 90 percent of the excess heat caused by global warming, that number is expected to go up even further unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. The authors also noted that one of the year's most notable developments, rampant wildfires, could plausibly be explained by the ocean's overhe	ating. As droughts worsen due to the oceans overheating, the affected regions will be at an increased risk of experiencing wildfires. In addition, as the warm water in the ocean evaporates at higher quantities, there will be increased flooding due to the more voluminous rainfall. Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter The Vulgar Scientist. Another consequence of the ocean's warming — and perhaps the biggest direct consequence — will be the destabilization of important current systems. In particular, the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is already showing signs of destabilization. The conveyor belt of ocean currents is essential to the fishing industry and maintaining stable weather. If it radically changes it will cause more frequent and more severe hurricanes, alter the tides, annihilate ocean life, spread pollution and cause sea levels to rise. Speaking to Salon in September about the sea level rise caused when warming oceans melt glaciers, Dr. William Sweet — a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — observed that this particular symptom of climate change is already upon us. He referred specifically to a pair of studies that analyzed melting of the Thwaites Glacier and Greeland's ice sheet. Just as a a glass window develops cracks if there are structural problems near its base, the spiderwebs of growing and criss-crossing fractures along the Thwaites Glacier by the warming ocean are at risk of eventually causing the whole pane to shatter. A similar process is at work with the Greenland ice shelf. The two studies in question addressed those phenomena. "Sea level rise is already affecting us, here and now, and will continue to grow in severity during the coming decades." "These studies provide additional evidence about future-possible rises in sea level that the public needs to be aware of," Sweet wrote to Salon. "Sea level rise is already affecting us, here and now, and will continue to grow in severity during the coming decades." In order for the planet to be saved, carbon emissions need to be reduced to zero as quickly as possible. Dr. Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) told Salon last year that "we really need to get to net-zero [emissions], and many countries have plans but not enough actions to support those." (Trenberth also contributed to the recent report.) In the meantime, the group behind this report will continue to monitor the temperature of the world's oceans. "In the future, the group will focus on understanding the changes of the earth's major cycles and improve the future projections of earth's heat, water and carbon changes," study second author Dr. John Abraham from the University of St. Thomas said in a statement. "This is the basis for human[s] to prepare for the future changes and risks."
Here's how to talk to your children about marijuana, now that recreational weed is legal Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Missouri, children are more likely to hear about it at school or from their friends, or be in its presence if an adult in their life uses at home. Whether your household is weed-friendly or not, educating children about marijuana has proven to reduce their misuse of it while underage. Before sitting down with your children to discuss marijuana, it's worth educating yourself first on the legalities of recreational marijuana, popular terminology and its effects on the brain and body of young people. Missourians who consume recreational marijuana in any form must be at least 21 years old. Children are only permitted to use medical marijuana if a parent/legal guardian consent form has been submitted to the Department of Health and Senior Services, alongside a medical marijuana application. Create a plan for starting conversations about marijuana What a marijuana-related discussion looks like is going to differ based on your child's age and how much they already know. Remember, just because you are having a conversation about marijuana doesn't mean your children will use it. Talk About It, an online resource that works to reduce the harms of alcohol and drug use in Missouri, offers free "talking kits" for parents. Each talking kit, curated for a specific age bracket, includes conversation starters and tips. Talk About It recommends the following conversation goals: - Pre-K through second grade: Create a "relaxed tone" to encourage healthy behaviors which establish you as trustworthy; - Third through fifth grade: Educate what drugs are, how they affect the body and ways to resist peer pressure; - Sixth through eighth grade: Maintain open lines of communication, discuss why some medicines/drugs are misused and establish your stance, as a parent, on marijuana; - Ninth through 12th grade: Reinforce healthy coping mechanisms, discuss consequences of drug use and reinforce consequences; - College students: Give your children independence and space to learn more about themselves, while providing support and advice, when needed. Access talking kits on the Talk About It website at talkaboutitmo.com/talking-kits/. Encouraging your children to have conversations with their peers about marijuana may also be important. Talk About It also offers peer-to-peer talking kits, which help children and young adults have conversations with their peers about alcohol and drug use. According to the Missouri Department of Mental Health Missouri Student Survey for 2022, about 20% of sixth through 12th graders in Greene County believed their peers would think they were "pretty cool" or "very cool" if they smoked marijuana. For the survey, 3,386 Greene County students were asked about their relationships and perceptions of drug and alcohol use. Teach about marijuana's effects on the body and mind Samantha Sherman is the prevention resource center director of Community Partnership of the Ozarks' Prevention and Youth Support Division. Sherman helps 21 area counties address different substance abuse issues, and is familiar with crafting conversations about drugs and alcohol with children. "An approach I think is helpful is to talk about brain health when you're talking about (marijuana use)," Sherman said. "That's something youth are really interested in and really grab onto." Studies suggest that marijuana use before the age of 18 may impact functions like attention, memory and learning, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that more research is needed to fully understand its effects on the developing brain. Scientists do know, however, that marijuana impacts the brain's endocannabinoid system, which controls cognition, neurodevelopment, stress response and emotional control. When THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, enters the body, it binds to receptors in the endocannabinoid system, specifically the receptors found in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system, according to Healthline. Simply put, THC acts as a key that fits into the receptor lock, opening a door for the production of chemical reaction. This binding of receptors may result in positive effects, like pain reduction or appetitive stimulation but it may also cause paranoia and anxiety. The effects of THC are unique to everyone's endocannabinoid system. Ultimately, the impact of marijuana on a developing brain depends on several factors, including the amount of marijuana consumed, how often it is used, the age of first use and whether other substances like tobacco or alcohol were consumed at the same time, the CDC states. If an adult is using marijuana at home, keep stored in a locked place Over 31% of sixth through 12th graders in Greene County said they believed it would be "very" or "sort of" easy to gain access to marijuana, the Department of Mental Health Missouri Student Survey for 2022 reported. Sherman recommended that adults using marijuana keep excess products and accessories in a locked place, inaccessible by children. Ongoing communication is important "I suggest that it is an ongoing conversation and it really is a part of the culture of everyone's home, whether it is about marijuana or substance use in general," Sherman said. "Take an active interest in your teen's life and who their friends are because teens are less likely to use alcohol, marijuana and any other type of drug when their parents are actively involved in their lives." Open communication between parents and children has proven to lower a young person's chances of drug and alcohol usage by 50%, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.	<urn:uuid:fde206f5-1cd4-4ace-a77f-7dc7b9411e26>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-06", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764500028.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20230202133541-20230202163541-00674.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.960134744644165, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.1875, "token_count": 1120, "url": "https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/2023/01/11/here-are-some-tips-on-talking-to-your-children-about-marijuana/69777830007/" }	Here's how to talk to your children about marijuana, now that recreational weed is legal Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Missouri, children are more likely to hear about it at school or from their friends, or be in its presence if an adult in their life uses at home. Whether your household is weed-friendly or not, educating children about marijuana has proven to reduce their misuse of it while underage. Before sitting down with your children to discuss marijuana, it's worth educating yourself first on the legalities of recreational marijuana, popular terminology and its effects on the brain and body of young people. Missourians who consume recreational marijuana in any form must be at least 21 years old. Children are only permitted to use medical marijuana if a parent/legal guardian consent form has been submitted to the Department of Health and Senior Services, alongside a medical marijuana application. Create a plan for starting conversations about marijuana What a marijuana-related discussion looks like is going to differ based on your child's age and how much they already know. Remember, just because you are having a conversation about marijuana doesn't mean your children will use it. Talk About It, an online resource that works to reduce the harms of alcohol and drug use in Missouri, offers free "talking kits" for parents. Each talking kit, curated for a specific age bracket, includes conversation starters and tips. Talk About It recommends the following conversation goals: - Pre-K through second grade: Create a "relaxed tone" to encourage healthy behaviors which establish you as trustworthy; - Third through fifth grade: Educate what drugs are, how they affect the body and ways to resist peer pressure; - Sixth through eighth grade: Maintain open lines of communication, discuss why some medicines/drugs are misused and establish your stance, as a parent, on marijuana; - Ninth through 12th grade: Reinforce healthy coping mechanisms, discuss consequences of drug use and reinforce consequences; - College students: Give your children independence and space to learn more about themselves, while providing support and advice, when needed. Access talking kits on the Talk About It website at talkaboutitmo.com/talking-kits/. Encouraging your children to have conversations with their peers about marijuana may also be important. Talk About It also offers peer-to-peer talking kits, which help children and young adults have conversations with their peers about alcohol and drug use. According to the Missouri Department of Mental Health Missouri Student Survey for 2022, about	20% of sixth through 12th graders in Greene County believed their peers would think they were "pretty cool" or "very cool" if they smoked marijuana. For the survey, 3,386 Greene County students were asked about their relationships and perceptions of drug and alcohol use. Teach about marijuana's effects on the body and mind Samantha Sherman is the prevention resource center director of Community Partnership of the Ozarks' Prevention and Youth Support Division. Sherman helps 21 area counties address different substance abuse issues, and is familiar with crafting conversations about drugs and alcohol with children. "An approach I think is helpful is to talk about brain health when you're talking about (marijuana use)," Sherman said. "That's something youth are really interested in and really grab onto." Studies suggest that marijuana use before the age of 18 may impact functions like attention, memory and learning, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that more research is needed to fully understand its effects on the developing brain. Scientists do know, however, that marijuana impacts the brain's endocannabinoid system, which controls cognition, neurodevelopment, stress response and emotional control. When THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, enters the body, it binds to receptors in the endocannabinoid system, specifically the receptors found in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system, according to Healthline. Simply put, THC acts as a key that fits into the receptor lock, opening a door for the production of chemical reaction. This binding of receptors may result in positive effects, like pain reduction or appetitive stimulation but it may also cause paranoia and anxiety. The effects of THC are unique to everyone's endocannabinoid system. Ultimately, the impact of marijuana on a developing brain depends on several factors, including the amount of marijuana consumed, how often it is used, the age of first use and whether other substances like tobacco or alcohol were consumed at the same time, the CDC states. If an adult is using marijuana at home, keep stored in a locked place Over 31% of sixth through 12th graders in Greene County said they believed it would be "very" or "sort of" easy to gain access to marijuana, the Department of Mental Health Missouri Student Survey for 2022 reported. Sherman recommended that adults using marijuana keep excess products and accessories in a locked place, inaccessible by children. Ongoing communication is important "I suggest that it is an ongoing conversation and it really is a part of the culture of everyone's home, whether it is about marijuana or substance use in general," Sherman said. "Take an active interest in your teen's life and who their friends are because teens are less likely to use alcohol, marijuana and any other type of drug when their parents are actively involved in their lives." Open communication between parents and children has proven to lower a young person's chances of drug and alcohol usage by 50%, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
More than 30 people gathered Wednesday in support of a Senate bill that would establish Indigenous People’s Day as a Montana state holiday. If the bill passes, Indigenous People’s Day would land on the second Monday of October, eliminating Columbus Day as an official state holiday. Senate Bill 141 appeared for its first time this legislative session before the Education and Cultural Resources Committee during a public hearing Wednesday. The Montana American Indian Caucus wrote a letter of support for the proposal. Montana state law currently recognizes 12 legal holidays each year, including Columbus Day. The committee is expected to vote on the bill at a later date. If it’s approved, the bill is expected to go to the Senate floor for a vote. This is the fifth attempt to establish a statewide Indigenous People’s Day in Montana. Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, introduced and sponsored the current version of the proposal. Morigeau said the bill would allow for a chance to help correct the harsh history of the state’s relationship with Indigenous people. Although Columbus has been celebrated for decades as an explorer who discovered America, historical accounts have increasingly revealed a more complex historical narrative. Multiple states and cities across the country have officially replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. “Instead of having a day that celebrates a man who murdered, raped, and exterminated innocent Native people, I want a day that acknowledges the rich cultural heritage of all Indigenous people in our state,” Morigeau said in a text message to ICT and Montana Free Press. “A day that recognizes the relationships we’ve all forged together because, at the end of the day, we are all Indigenous from somewhere.” Morigeau said the bill is an attempt to help Montanans better understand the tribes and cultures that are so iconic to the state. “I’m asking you to recognize the full breadth of history,” Morigeau said in his opening statement to the committee Wednesday. “To be inclusive and to include everyone in this room, in these hallways and in this state. To talk about the wrongs in our history, to write our next chapter together, to reject selective history and recognize the good, the bad and the ugly so that we can learn and do better as a society.” Marsha Small, a co-founder of Indigenous Peoples Day of Montana, an organization that provides advocacy and education on the significance of the holiday, drove the effort for the past eight years. Small began the battle to establish Indigenous Peoples Day in 2015 in Bozeman. In 2016, the city formally recognized the holiday in place of Columbus Day. Small’s drive to get the bill into law is motivated by accuracy and education. “We thought that we could have a day in Montana to introduce people to both sides of the aisle,” Small said. “To get people to know each other on more of a respectful dialogue, to get to know people from their identities, their ancestral lineages.” If the bill passes, Montana would become the latest state to commemorate Indigenous Peoples Day, following at least 14 states and 130 cities nationwide. Several cities and communities in the state have already recognized Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day, including Missoula, Bozeman, and tribal governments. Montana is home to seven tribal reservations and 12 tribes, including the Blackfeet, Salish, Kootenai, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Assiniboine, Little Shell Band of Chippewa, Gros Ventre, Sioux, Plains Cree, Pend d’Oreille and Chippewa. Across the nation, activists regularly rally in protest against Columbus Day to demonstrate solidarity with Indigenous communities that have historically been misrepresented and misdocumented in history. The long history of anti-tribal sovereignty activity in Montana Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, brought a draft resolution calling on Congress to “investigate alternatives to the reservation system.” The now-dead proposal was neither the beginning or the end of combative attitudes towards tribal nations in the state. Among the bill’s supporters at Wednesday’s hearing were representatives of the De La Salle Blackfeet School from Browning, located on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Multiple students spoke during the hearing, including sixth-grader Kendee Calfbossribs Ollinger. “I would like to tell you guys what genocide means,” Ollinger told the committee. “It means the deliberate killing of a large number of people, nation or ethnic group. I’m not supposed to be here. Columbus Day should be changed into Indigenous People’s Day to honor the ones who were hurt and killed, but also the ones still here, like me.” Along with tribal individuals, many concerned citizens have stood in solidarity with the holiday change. President Joe Biden initially recognized the observation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2021, and again in 2022. Columbus Day remains a federal holiday. “I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities,” Biden said in his 2021 proclamation. “I also direct that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this Nation.” With no one presenting opposition testimony during the hearing, committee member Rep. Daniel Emrich, R-Great Falls, commented on the bill. Emrich said he is in favor of a thorough historical education, but doesnt want Columbus Day removed. “I would support this bill, but it would have to be not erasing a day that we currently have,” Emrich said. “I feel like that it would remind us of who Indigenous people are the same way Columbus Day reminds us of who Columbus was, and we take that holistic approach.” Morigeau responded by making a distinction between educating people about the history of Christopher Columbus and celebrating a holiday named after him. Morigeau agreed that Columbus should be taught holistically in recognition of his historical significance, but that such education should include what kind of person he was. “I don’t think it’s someone who belongs in our schools, being celebrated,” Morigeau said. “Because until we actually stop celebrating him, teachers and people aren’t going to talk about the bad things. How could you when you’re trying to celebrate somebody and put them on a pedestal?” This story is co-published by Montana Free Press and ICT, a news partnership that covers the Montana American Indian Caucus during the state’s 2023 legislative session. Funding is provided in part by the Headwaters Foundation.	<urn:uuid:73c67095-495b-4f3b-af3d-2235f956508d>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-14", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949644.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20230331144941-20230331174941-00301.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9525119662284851, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.609375, "token_count": 1426, "url": "https://montanafreepress.org/2023/02/09/montana-lawmakers-make-another-bid-for-indigenous-peoples-day/" }	More than 30 people gathered Wednesday in support of a Senate bill that would establish Indigenous People’s Day as a Montana state holiday. If the bill passes, Indigenous People’s Day would land on the second Monday of October, eliminating Columbus Day as an official state holiday. Senate Bill 141 appeared for its first time this legislative session before the Education and Cultural Resources Committee during a public hearing Wednesday. The Montana American Indian Caucus wrote a letter of support for the proposal. Montana state law currently recognizes 12 legal holidays each year, including Columbus Day. The committee is expected to vote on the bill at a later date. If it’s approved, the bill is expected to go to the Senate floor for a vote. This is the fifth attempt to establish a statewide Indigenous People’s Day in Montana. Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, introduced and sponsored the current version of the proposal. Morigeau said the bill would allow for a chance to help correct the harsh history of the state’s relationship with Indigenous people. Although Columbus has been celebrated for decades as an explorer who discovered America, historical accounts have increasingly revealed a more complex historical narrative. Multiple states and cities across the country have officially replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. “Instead of having a day that celebrates a man who murdered, raped, and exterminated innocent Native people, I want a day that acknowledges the rich cultural heritage of all Indigenous people in our state,” Morigeau said in a text message to ICT and Montana Free Press. “A day that recognizes the relationships we’ve all forged together because, at the end of the day, we are all Indigenous from somewhere.” Morigeau said the bill is an attempt to help Montanans better understand the tribes and cultures that are so iconic to the state. “I’m asking you to recognize the full breadth of history,” Morigeau said in his opening statement to the committee Wednesday. “To be inclusive and to include everyone in this room, in these hallways and in this state. To talk about the wrongs in our history, to write our next chapter together, to reject selective history and recognize the good, the bad and the ugly so that we can learn and do better as a society.” Marsha Small, a co-founder of Indigenous Peoples Day of Montana, an organization that provides advocacy and education on the significance of the holiday, drove the effort for the past eight years. Small began the battle to establish Indigenous Peoples Day in 2015 in Bozeman.	In 2016, the city formally recognized the holiday in place of Columbus Day. Small’s drive to get the bill into law is motivated by accuracy and education. “We thought that we could have a day in Montana to introduce people to both sides of the aisle,” Small said. “To get people to know each other on more of a respectful dialogue, to get to know people from their identities, their ancestral lineages.” If the bill passes, Montana would become the latest state to commemorate Indigenous Peoples Day, following at least 14 states and 130 cities nationwide. Several cities and communities in the state have already recognized Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day, including Missoula, Bozeman, and tribal governments. Montana is home to seven tribal reservations and 12 tribes, including the Blackfeet, Salish, Kootenai, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Assiniboine, Little Shell Band of Chippewa, Gros Ventre, Sioux, Plains Cree, Pend d’Oreille and Chippewa. Across the nation, activists regularly rally in protest against Columbus Day to demonstrate solidarity with Indigenous communities that have historically been misrepresented and misdocumented in history. The long history of anti-tribal sovereignty activity in Montana Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, brought a draft resolution calling on Congress to “investigate alternatives to the reservation system.” The now-dead proposal was neither the beginning or the end of combative attitudes towards tribal nations in the state. Among the bill’s supporters at Wednesday’s hearing were representatives of the De La Salle Blackfeet School from Browning, located on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Multiple students spoke during the hearing, including sixth-grader Kendee Calfbossribs Ollinger. “I would like to tell you guys what genocide means,” Ollinger told the committee. “It means the deliberate killing of a large number of people, nation or ethnic group. I’m not supposed to be here. Columbus Day should be changed into Indigenous People’s Day to honor the ones who were hurt and killed, but also the ones still here, like me.” Along with tribal individuals, many concerned citizens have stood in solidarity with the holiday change. President Joe Biden initially recognized the observation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2021, and again in 2022. Columbus Day remains a federal holiday. “I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities,” Biden said in his 2021 proclamation. “I also direct that the flag of the United States be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse history and the Indigenous peoples who contribute to shaping this Nation.” With no one presenting opposition testimony during the hearing, committee member Rep. Daniel Emrich, R-Great Falls, commented on the bill. Emrich said he is in favor of a thorough historical education, but doesnt want Columbus Day removed. “I would support this bill, but it would have to be not erasing a day that we currently have,” Emrich said. “I feel like that it would remind us of who Indigenous people are the same way Columbus Day reminds us of who Columbus was, and we take that holistic approach.” Morigeau responded by making a distinction between educating people about the history of Christopher Columbus and celebrating a holiday named after him. Morigeau agreed that Columbus should be taught holistically in recognition of his historical significance, but that such education should include what kind of person he was. “I don’t think it’s someone who belongs in our schools, being celebrated,” Morigeau said. “Because until we actually stop celebrating him, teachers and people aren’t going to talk about the bad things. How could you when you’re trying to celebrate somebody and put them on a pedestal?” This story is co-published by Montana Free Press and ICT, a news partnership that covers the Montana American Indian Caucus during the state’s 2023 legislative session. Funding is provided in part by the Headwaters Foundation.
That is what comets do. They loop around the sun every X years, in this case, 75 to 79 years, only appearing in the night sky to us on Earth when they get close to the sun. Return Of Halley’s Comet For those in middle age who remember the last time it was visible from Earth—in 1986—this is a wake-up call. Halley’s Comet is one of the only comets that can be seen twice in one human lifetime, so if you have a memory of seeing or reading about it when you were a kid, then thinking about its return is slightly alarming. Although it will reach its aphelion—the farthest point in its orbit of the sun—at 02:00 UTC on December 9 (21:00 EST on December 8)—there’s a long time to go until it’s again visible in Earth’s night sky. As it begins its long journey back into the inner solar system this week, it will be about 35 Earth-Sun distances, well past the orbit of Neptune. A Christmas Comet Halley’s Comet will next be visible from Earth in late July 2061 when it’s expected to come much closer—and, therefore, be much brighter—than in 1986. This year, the prospect of a strange bright light in the sky has festive relevance. Named after English astronomer Edmond Halley, who in the 18th century was the first to calculate its orbit and predict its return, Halley’s Comet has been observed many times in human history. Perhaps its most famous appearance was when it may have inspired the Bible story of the “Star of Bethlehem,” a bright “star” in the east that guided the Magi to the birthplace of Jesus. “Comets, which are not stars but star-like in appearance, offer a unique explanation as they move across the sky and could have guided the wise men,” said Dr. Minjae Kim, Research Fellow, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, in an email. “Halley’s Comet was visible in 12 B.C., and Chinese and Korean stargazers recorded an object, possibly a comet or nova, around 5 B.C., aligning with the estimated time of Jesus’ birth—between 6 B.C. and 4 B.C.” Of course, the “Star of Bethlehem” could have been a bright planet or something else—perhaps a supernova—if the story was more than that. Jupiter is shining brightly in the east this month, so for 2023, it’s the leading candidate. Come 2061, it might be a different story. Note: 2024 will see two comets that could be visible to the naked eye—Comet Pons-Brooks in March and April and Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in late September and October. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.	<urn:uuid:9a3ec288-cd6f-4fab-acad-2b9df04fca76>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476592.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20240304232829-20240305022829-00341.warc.gz", "int_score": 4, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9566038250923157, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.609375, "token_count": 627, "url": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2023/12/05/why-its-a-big-week-for-halleys-comet-a-possible-star-of-bethlehem/" }	That is what comets do. They loop around the sun every X years, in this case, 75 to 79 years, only appearing in the night sky to us on Earth when they get close to the sun. Return Of Halley’s Comet For those in middle age who remember the last time it was visible from Earth—in 1986—this is a wake-up call. Halley’s Comet is one of the only comets that can be seen twice in one human lifetime, so if you have a memory of seeing or reading about it when you were a kid, then thinking about its return is slightly alarming. Although it will reach its aphelion—the farthest point in its orbit of the sun—at 02:00 UTC on December 9 (21:00 EST on December 8)—there’s a long time to go until it’s again visible in Earth’s night sky. As it begins its long journey back into the inner solar system this week, it will be about 35 Earth-Sun distances, well past the orbit of Neptune. A Christmas Comet Halley’s Comet will next be visible from Earth in late July 2061 when it’s expected to come much closer—and, therefore, be much brighter—than in 1986. This year, the prospect of a strange bright light in the sky has festive relevance. Named after English astronomer Edmond Halley, who in the 18th century was the first to calculate its orbit and predict its return, Halley’s Comet has been observed many times in human history. Perhaps its most famous appearance was when it may have inspired the Bible story of the “Star of Bethlehem,” a bright “star” in the east that guided the Magi to the birthplace of Jesus. “Comets, which are not stars but star-like in appearance, offer a unique explanation as they move across the sky and could have guided the wise men,” said Dr. Minjae Kim, Research Fellow, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, in an email. “Halley’s Comet was visible in 12 B.C., and Chinese and Korean stargazers recorded an object, possibly a comet or nova, around 5 B.C., aligning with the estimated time of Jesus’ birth—between 6 B.C. and 4 B.C.” Of course, the “Star of Bethlehem” could have been a bright planet	or something else—perhaps a supernova—if the story was more than that. Jupiter is shining brightly in the east this month, so for 2023, it’s the leading candidate. Come 2061, it might be a different story. Note: 2024 will see two comets that could be visible to the naked eye—Comet Pons-Brooks in March and April and Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in late September and October. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
(Reuters) -European Union scientists said on Wednesday that 2023 would be the warmest year on record, as global mean temperature for the first 11 months of the year hit the highest level on record, 1.46 degrees Celsius (2.63 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1850-1900 average. The record comes as governments are in marathon negotiations on whether to, for the first time, phase out the use of CO2-emitting coal, oil and gas, the main source of warming emissions, at the COP28 summit in Dubai. The temperature for the January-November period was 0.13C higher than the average for the same period in 2016, currently the warmest calendar year on record, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said. November 2023 was the warmest November on record globally, with an average surface air temperature of 14.22C, 0.85C above the 1991-2020 average for November and 0.32C above the previous warmest November, in 2020, Copernicus added. This year “has now had six record breaking months and two record breaking seasons. The extraordinary global November temperatures, including two days warmer than 2C above preindustrial, mean that 2023 is the warmest year in recorded history,” deputy director of C3S Samantha Burgess said in a statement. The boreal autumn September–November was also the warmest on record globally by a large margin, with an average temperature of 15.30C, 0.88C above average, EU scientists said. “As long as greenhouse gas concentrations keep rising, we can’t expect different outcomes from those seen this year. The temperature will keep rising and so will the impacts of heatwaves and droughts. Reaching net zero as soon as possible is an effective way to manage our climate risks,” C3S director, Carlo Buontempo added. Efforts are lagging to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement goal of keeping the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, beyond which scientists warn of a severe impact on weather, health and agriculture. The EU has among the most ambitious climate change policies of any major economy, having passed laws to deliver its 2030 target to cut net emissions by 55% from 1990 levels, which analysts say is the minimum needed to reach net zero emissions by 2050. (Reporting by Diana Mandiá. Editing by Gerry Doyle)	<urn:uuid:d494950c-a5d9-437f-a4d5-4a11da014f15>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475833.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20240302152131-20240302182131-00742.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9254320859909058, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.796875, "token_count": 505, "url": "https://ec2-15-188-152-128.eu-west-3.compute.amazonaws.com/2023/12/06/eu-scientists-say-2023/" }	(Reuters) -European Union scientists said on Wednesday that 2023 would be the warmest year on record, as global mean temperature for the first 11 months of the year hit the highest level on record, 1.46 degrees Celsius (2.63 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1850-1900 average. The record comes as governments are in marathon negotiations on whether to, for the first time, phase out the use of CO2-emitting coal, oil and gas, the main source of warming emissions, at the COP28 summit in Dubai. The temperature for the January-November period was 0.13C higher than the average for the same period in 2016, currently the warmest calendar year on record, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said. November 2023 was the warmest November on record globally, with an average surface air temperature of 14.22C, 0.85C above the 1991-2020 average for November and 0.32C above the previous warmest November, in 2020, Copernicus added. This year “has now had six record breaking months and two record breaking seasons. The extraordinary global November temperatures, including two days warmer than 2C above preindustrial, mean that 2023 is the warmest year in recorded history,” deputy director of C3S Samantha Burgess said in a statement. The boreal autumn September–November was also the warmest on record globally by a large margin, with an average temperature of 15.30C, 0.88C above average, EU scientists said. “As long as greenhouse gas concentrations keep rising, we can’t expect different outcomes from those seen this year. The temperature will keep rising and so will the impacts of heatwaves and droughts. Reaching net zero as soon as possible is an effective way to manage our climate risks,” C3S director, Carlo Buontempo added. Efforts are lagging to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement goal of keeping the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, beyond which scientists warn of a severe impact on weather, health and agriculture. The EU has among the most ambitious climate change policies of any major economy, having passed laws to deliver its 2030	target to cut net emissions by 55% from 1990 levels, which analysts say is the minimum needed to reach net zero emissions by 2050. (Reporting by Diana Mandiá. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
Chronic absenteeism – when a kid misses 10 percent of school days – has exploded since the pandemic, rocketing up the ever-growing list of educational crises. The concern can be summed up simply: if kids aren’t in school, they can’t learn. But it also may indicate a lack of connection with schools that’s detrimental to learning even when they are at school, and since districts are funded in part based on their average daily attendance, increased absences also affect their bottom line. Let’s rewind the clock: Before the pandemic, San Diego County’s Office of Education was already concerned about chronic absenteeism. “Those were kind of the rosy days when the countywide chronic absenteeism rate was about 10 percent,” said Todd Langager, the county office’s director of implementation, improvement, and impact. That’s why in 2019 the county office launched the Improving Chronic Absenteeism Network that Langager leads, which partnered with schools across the county to drive down the number of kids missing school. The network has focused on evidence-based practices, he said, like employing coaches to help schools focus on building an effective attendance team and using data to identify kids who may be at risk of falling into chronic absenteeism. “Once we know who those kids are, we ask, ‘What are the reasons why those students may be missing school? And how do we apply an intervention that makes sense – whether it’s around relationship building with the community or communicating to parents and dispelling some misconceptions that may exist about attendance,” he said. The network also seeks non-punitive approaches to avoid alienating students through punishment. One of the key strategies the network has employed is “nudge letters,” notices sent to parents of students already chronically absent or those approaching the chronic absenteeism threshold. Research has found the letters have promising results. They show parents the number of absences their children have had compared to other students and provide information on the negative effects of absences. Cue the “Jaws” theme music: Just as the network was powering up, the pandemic hit. “The world kind of blew up with the pandemic, and schools’ chronic absenteeism rate largely tripled,” Langager said. Chronic absenteeism seemed to still be driven by similar factors: student connection and engagement, parental misconceptions about the harm absences can cause, transportation issues and the demotivation a student can feel when they come back to class and find they’re significantly behind. But a couple of new wrinkles formed, like increased health concerns that led to parents keeping their kids home and the difficulty of moving back into in-person schooling. Some students have even transitioned from elementary to middle school, or middle to high school over the pandemic and now find themselves at a school where they lack connections with staff or their peers. “It is largely the same factors as before the pandemic, those factors just got unbelievably heightened and exacerbated,” Langager said. All of that made it even more vital that interventions occur quickly and effectively, he said. Drumroll, please: Last month, the network released results from the last year and found that 17 of the 18 schools it worked with saw a reduction in chronic absenteeism, with an average reduction of 9 percent. He stressed that no one is jumping up and down at the results. After all, at many schools one out of every three students is still chronically absent. Still, he said the network is proud of the progress and feels it’s in large part due to the tactics it focused on. It found the nudge letters especially effective. Before the first letter was sent, 68 percent of students had already missed at least 10 percent of school days. Those students then received two subsequent nudge letters – one in October and one in February – and the percentage of chronically absent students dropped from 68 to 39 percent, with noticeable decreases directly after each letter was sent. There’s still much work to do, Langager said, and the network plans to adjust its tactics. One evolution is to send nudge letters more than twice a year. In a recent conversation, a researcher from Harvard suggested sending them as many as six to eight times a year. “It really only sticks in people’s memory for about four to six weeks. And then you’ve kind of forgotten, like, ‘Hey, did Todd miss a day this past month? I can’t remember,’” Langager said. While he said the network is confident interventions like nudge letters work, adapting them to be effective in different schools and districts can be a challenge. Ultimately, Langager said, they’re just working to advise schools and help them figure out the best ways to implement interventions. “It’s all about testing and testing and trying again,” Langager said. What We’re Writing - After-school care is a perennial problem for working parents, it can even be the difference between holding down a job – as single father of a San Diego Unified student Jared Goossens found out firsthand. But over the past eight months, San Diego Unified has reduced its after-school program waitlist from 4,600 to 1,000 families. Access to free, quality childcare can be a game changer for many like Goossens, who was able to take a job as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. - While the politics of the pandemic infused many school boards locally and nationally with divisiveness, San Diego Unified’s board has been strikingly unified. The board has unanimously passed every item that has come before it in 2023. And this trend isn’t exactly new.	<urn:uuid:74ad2386-7d15-4577-9cb4-1df12da0b407>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-40", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233511106.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20231003124522-20231003154522-00020.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9652996063232422, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.953125, "token_count": 1217, "url": "https://voiceofsandiego.org/2023/07/19/the-learning-curve-countys-office-of-ed-is-nudging-kids-out-of-chronic-absenteeism/" }	Chronic absenteeism – when a kid misses 10 percent of school days – has exploded since the pandemic, rocketing up the ever-growing list of educational crises. The concern can be summed up simply: if kids aren’t in school, they can’t learn. But it also may indicate a lack of connection with schools that’s detrimental to learning even when they are at school, and since districts are funded in part based on their average daily attendance, increased absences also affect their bottom line. Let’s rewind the clock: Before the pandemic, San Diego County’s Office of Education was already concerned about chronic absenteeism. “Those were kind of the rosy days when the countywide chronic absenteeism rate was about 10 percent,” said Todd Langager, the county office’s director of implementation, improvement, and impact. That’s why in 2019 the county office launched the Improving Chronic Absenteeism Network that Langager leads, which partnered with schools across the county to drive down the number of kids missing school. The network has focused on evidence-based practices, he said, like employing coaches to help schools focus on building an effective attendance team and using data to identify kids who may be at risk of falling into chronic absenteeism. “Once we know who those kids are, we ask, ‘What are the reasons why those students may be missing school? And how do we apply an intervention that makes sense – whether it’s around relationship building with the community or communicating to parents and dispelling some misconceptions that may exist about attendance,” he said. The network also seeks non-punitive approaches to avoid alienating students through punishment. One of the key strategies the network has employed is “nudge letters,” notices sent to parents of students already chronically absent or those approaching the chronic absenteeism threshold. Research has found the letters have promising results. They show parents the number of absences their children have had compared to other students and provide information on the negative effects of absences. Cue the “Jaws” theme music: Just as the network was powering up, the pandemic hit. “The world kind of blew up with the pandemic, and schools’ chronic absenteeism rate largely tripled,” Langager said. Chronic absenteeism seemed to still be driven by similar factors: student connection and engagement, parental misconceptions about the harm absences can cause, transportation issues and the demotivation a student can feel when they	come back to class and find they’re significantly behind. But a couple of new wrinkles formed, like increased health concerns that led to parents keeping their kids home and the difficulty of moving back into in-person schooling. Some students have even transitioned from elementary to middle school, or middle to high school over the pandemic and now find themselves at a school where they lack connections with staff or their peers. “It is largely the same factors as before the pandemic, those factors just got unbelievably heightened and exacerbated,” Langager said. All of that made it even more vital that interventions occur quickly and effectively, he said. Drumroll, please: Last month, the network released results from the last year and found that 17 of the 18 schools it worked with saw a reduction in chronic absenteeism, with an average reduction of 9 percent. He stressed that no one is jumping up and down at the results. After all, at many schools one out of every three students is still chronically absent. Still, he said the network is proud of the progress and feels it’s in large part due to the tactics it focused on. It found the nudge letters especially effective. Before the first letter was sent, 68 percent of students had already missed at least 10 percent of school days. Those students then received two subsequent nudge letters – one in October and one in February – and the percentage of chronically absent students dropped from 68 to 39 percent, with noticeable decreases directly after each letter was sent. There’s still much work to do, Langager said, and the network plans to adjust its tactics. One evolution is to send nudge letters more than twice a year. In a recent conversation, a researcher from Harvard suggested sending them as many as six to eight times a year. “It really only sticks in people’s memory for about four to six weeks. And then you’ve kind of forgotten, like, ‘Hey, did Todd miss a day this past month? I can’t remember,’” Langager said. While he said the network is confident interventions like nudge letters work, adapting them to be effective in different schools and districts can be a challenge. Ultimately, Langager said, they’re just working to advise schools and help them figure out the best ways to implement interventions. “It’s all about testing and testing and trying again,” Langager said. What We’re Writing - After-school care is a perennial problem for working parents, it can even be the difference between holding down a job – as single father of a San Diego Unified student Jared Goossens found out firsthand. But over the past eight months, San Diego Unified has reduced its after-school program waitlist from 4,600 to 1,000 families. Access to free, quality childcare can be a game changer for many like Goossens, who was able to take a job as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. - While the politics of the pandemic infused many school boards locally and nationally with divisiveness, San Diego Unified’s board has been strikingly unified. The board has unanimously passed every item that has come before it in 2023. And this trend isn’t exactly new.
A few years ago, as dusk descended in Victoria's Great Otway National Park, I left my campsite, torch at the ready. I was on the lookout for little marsupials emerging to start their night-time foraging. Instead, I was confronted with the glowing eyes of a feral cat among the ferns. We were probably out looking for the same thing. The impact of feral cats and other invasive species is felt across Australia. Not only do they threaten native species, but they can also spread diseases to humans and livestock. Invasive species are estimated to cost Australia an eye-watering $25 billion annually, while the global cost is a staggering $423 billion. One species consistently tops the list as "Australia's worst": feral cats. Feral cats are everywhere — the nation is home to up to 6.3 million of them, and they are responsible for killing millions of native mammals, reptiles, and birds each day. Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek recently declared "war on feral cats", announcing plans involving cat curfews, desexing regulations, and caps on cat numbers in homes. But what can we do about the millions of feral cats already wreaking havoc across Australia? And what about other pests such as foxes, rabbits, cane toads, carp, pigs, deer, or goats? One technique with the potential to help fight not just cats but all invasive species is called a "gene drive". What is a gene drive? All living organisms store genetic information in their cells as long strands of DNA. Sections of these strands are called genes, which give rise to different traits, such as eye colour. Like most animals, cats have two copies of each gene: one inherited from each parent. This means that normally, a cat will pass one gene copy onto half of their kitten offspring. But a gene drive does not follow usual inheritance rules. A gene drive is a gene or collection of genes that rapidly spread from one generation to another. Even if only one parent has a gene drive, they can pass it on to more than half of their offspring, and in some cases, to all of them. It's why gene drives are sometimes called "selfish". Gene drives are found in nature — researchers at the University of Adelaide are investigating a naturally occurring mouse gene drive to spread infertility to female mice. But they can also be created in the lab using CRISPR gene-editing technology. Lab-developed gene drives can be designed to do different things. A gene drive to reduce the number of mosquitoes that transmit malaria has been developed, and in 2019, mice became the first mammal to be engineered to contain a gene drive in their DNA. Since then, no other gene-drive mammals, including cats, have been produced. But if a gene drive for feral cats was developed, it could involve spreading a gene through the population that renders females infertile, or tailored so only male offspring are born. Over time, the feral cat population would drop, then crash. What's the risk to native wildlife? Gene drives can be restricted to a target species, such as cats, without the chance of spreading to Australian wildlife. That's because gene drives are passed down from parent to offspring. Most of Australia's invasive species cannot interbreed or produce offspring with native wildlife, which means almost all invasive species in Australia could be controlled using gene drives. The exception is wild dogs, which can breed with dingoes. It is also important to consider that an animal that may be a pest in Australia, such as the cane toad, may not be a pest in their native range. While cane toads have been linked to the extinction of several species in the Northern Territory and Queensland, they play an essential ecological role in their native range in Central and South America. So how would we stop a gene-drive cane toad from leaving Australia and harming its native populations? First, Australia's border security would need to pay as much attention to what departs Australia as what enters, ensuring potential gene-drive animals don't leave. Second, animals resistant to gene drive technology could also be provided to regions where a target species is native. So, if a gene drive cane toad ever made it out of Australia and back to its native range, a population of gene-drive-resistant toads could be waiting to stop the gene drive from spreading. How long before we see results? Unfortunately, current estimates for a gene drive to make a noticeable impact on invasive species are in the order of decades, even in species that produce multiple litters a year. A rabbit gene drive would take approximately 17 years to halve the Australian rabbit population. This time frame could be shortened by, for instance, increasing the number of gene-drive animals bred in captivity then introducing them into the target population. While the current time estimates for gene drives are long, there are no stand-out alternative strategies that could reduce invasive species anywhere near as effectively in the long term. It is still early days for gene drives. Developing the technology will take many years. It will — and should — also be the subject of intense scientific scrutiny and careful analysis. In a country as vast and complex as Australia, eradicating invasive species on a large scale is currently impossible. Gene drives may finally offer some hope for the billions of native animals lost every year and the significant losses experienced by farmers and landowners because of invasive species. And if a gene drive for cats was developed, I would undoubtedly have more success spotting small marsupials on my camping trips. Ellen Cottingham is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Melbourne. She is also one of ABC RN's Top 5 scientists for 2023.	<urn:uuid:efdcbd4f-7f87-4b2a-864b-a8b857c27477>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475238.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301093751-20240301123751-00236.warc.gz", "int_score": 4, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9560893177986145, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.6875, "token_count": 1205, "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-11-28/gene-drives-explainer-feral-cats-invasive-species-genetic/102953190?" }	A few years ago, as dusk descended in Victoria's Great Otway National Park, I left my campsite, torch at the ready. I was on the lookout for little marsupials emerging to start their night-time foraging. Instead, I was confronted with the glowing eyes of a feral cat among the ferns. We were probably out looking for the same thing. The impact of feral cats and other invasive species is felt across Australia. Not only do they threaten native species, but they can also spread diseases to humans and livestock. Invasive species are estimated to cost Australia an eye-watering $25 billion annually, while the global cost is a staggering $423 billion. One species consistently tops the list as "Australia's worst": feral cats. Feral cats are everywhere — the nation is home to up to 6.3 million of them, and they are responsible for killing millions of native mammals, reptiles, and birds each day. Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek recently declared "war on feral cats", announcing plans involving cat curfews, desexing regulations, and caps on cat numbers in homes. But what can we do about the millions of feral cats already wreaking havoc across Australia? And what about other pests such as foxes, rabbits, cane toads, carp, pigs, deer, or goats? One technique with the potential to help fight not just cats but all invasive species is called a "gene drive". What is a gene drive? All living organisms store genetic information in their cells as long strands of DNA. Sections of these strands are called genes, which give rise to different traits, such as eye colour. Like most animals, cats have two copies of each gene: one inherited from each parent. This means that normally, a cat will pass one gene copy onto half of their kitten offspring. But a gene drive does not follow usual inheritance rules. A gene drive is a gene or collection of genes that rapidly spread from one generation to another. Even if only one parent has a gene drive, they can pass it on to more than half of their offspring, and in some cases, to all of them. It's why gene drives are sometimes called "selfish". Gene drives are found in nature — researchers at the University of Adelaide are investigating a naturally occurring mouse gene drive to spread infertility to female mice. But they can also be created in the lab using CRISPR gene-editing technology. Lab-developed gene drives can	be designed to do different things. A gene drive to reduce the number of mosquitoes that transmit malaria has been developed, and in 2019, mice became the first mammal to be engineered to contain a gene drive in their DNA. Since then, no other gene-drive mammals, including cats, have been produced. But if a gene drive for feral cats was developed, it could involve spreading a gene through the population that renders females infertile, or tailored so only male offspring are born. Over time, the feral cat population would drop, then crash. What's the risk to native wildlife? Gene drives can be restricted to a target species, such as cats, without the chance of spreading to Australian wildlife. That's because gene drives are passed down from parent to offspring. Most of Australia's invasive species cannot interbreed or produce offspring with native wildlife, which means almost all invasive species in Australia could be controlled using gene drives. The exception is wild dogs, which can breed with dingoes. It is also important to consider that an animal that may be a pest in Australia, such as the cane toad, may not be a pest in their native range. While cane toads have been linked to the extinction of several species in the Northern Territory and Queensland, they play an essential ecological role in their native range in Central and South America. So how would we stop a gene-drive cane toad from leaving Australia and harming its native populations? First, Australia's border security would need to pay as much attention to what departs Australia as what enters, ensuring potential gene-drive animals don't leave. Second, animals resistant to gene drive technology could also be provided to regions where a target species is native. So, if a gene drive cane toad ever made it out of Australia and back to its native range, a population of gene-drive-resistant toads could be waiting to stop the gene drive from spreading. How long before we see results? Unfortunately, current estimates for a gene drive to make a noticeable impact on invasive species are in the order of decades, even in species that produce multiple litters a year. A rabbit gene drive would take approximately 17 years to halve the Australian rabbit population. This time frame could be shortened by, for instance, increasing the number of gene-drive animals bred in captivity then introducing them into the target population. While the current time estimates for gene drives are long, there are no stand-out alternative strategies that could reduce invasive species anywhere near as effectively in the long term. It is still early days for gene drives. Developing the technology will take many years. It will — and should — also be the subject of intense scientific scrutiny and careful analysis. In a country as vast and complex as Australia, eradicating invasive species on a large scale is currently impossible. Gene drives may finally offer some hope for the billions of native animals lost every year and the significant losses experienced by farmers and landowners because of invasive species. And if a gene drive for cats was developed, I would undoubtedly have more success spotting small marsupials on my camping trips. Ellen Cottingham is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Melbourne. She is also one of ABC RN's Top 5 scientists for 2023.
First look: Clean water for Texas colonias A new pilot initiative is tapping into solar-powered tech as a solution to the water crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of people living in colonias along the U.S. and Mexico border. Driving the news: SOURCE Global, a public benefit corporation, is partnering up with Texas politicians and nonprofits to provide clean drinking water access to several colonias — unincorporated, low-income communities with limited resources, organizers tell Axios. - The water crisis has been driven by climate-related impacts on statewide water supply as well as a lack of political will to connect colonias to municipal water sources. The backstory: For the largely low-income, Latino residents living in colonias — communities that don't have basic human services like traditional water infrastructure — the state's increasingly unreliable water supply, which relies heavily on drought-stricken rivers and reservoirs, worsens existing barriers to access. - "Colonia residents bought their land because they saw the opportunity to be homeowners, but they were never properly informed of the lack of political will to bring municipal water service to colonias," Laura Ponce, executive director of the El Paso County nonprofit Project Bravo, tells Axios in an email. - "Without a safe source for drinking water, low-income colonia families take health risks like drinking potable water delivered by trucks, storing water in unsealed large containers, and minimizing their water consumption," says Ponce. Olga Ramos, a county commissioner in Maverick County, Texas, tells Axios in an email that there are more than 19 colonias in her precinct alone — and most are without access to safe water. - "It’s a problem we have to solve, but building water infrastructure is a complicated and expensive task, one that could take years to complete, and these families can’t wait that long," says Ramos. A new pilot initiative led by SOURCE Global is aiming to mitigate this by installing solar-powered tech that produces clean drinking water for about 500 colonia households across Hueco Tanks and Quemado, which are in El Paso County and Maverick County. - SOURCE hydropanels suck up water vapor from the air, drawing only pure water molecules before condensing it into liquid, leaving pollutants behind, then transforming those molecules into liquid water and adding calcium and magnesium. - The estimated total funding needed to outfit the households in the two colonias is roughly $3 million. They've secured $150,000 of that amount and are looking to get the rest through the NADB's Community Assistance Program. What they're saying: Ramos sees the hydropanels as a quick, cost-effective way to give colonia residents safe water at their homes. - "They also don’t rely on groundwater, which we know is threatened by drought," Ramos says. - A recently published Texas Department of Agriculture report found that climate instability — which is linked to water restrictions, failed crops, and increased risk of wildfires and floods — is also imperiling the state's food supply, per the Texas Tribune. Zoom out: "People who have been underserved historically are getting locked into being underserved, because of the finiteness of the resource [water] and the nature of the headwinds that are facing all of us with climate change," SOURCE CEO Cody Friesen tells Axios. Yes, but: Ponce, of the nonprofit Project Bravo, says the hydropanels only provide enough water for drinking and cooking. - "They do not produce enough water for washing clothes, flushing toilets, bathing, and other functions that are needed to run a household," says Ponce, adding that while the SOURCE project is an "ethical short-term solution," bringing piped water to the colonias is the "ideal solution." The bottom line: "These families still need the work of ... grassroots groups to make sure our elected officials don't forget them," Ponce tells Axios.	<urn:uuid:2de1c83f-0184-4aec-b24e-3b480f747ad9>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-06", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764499713.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20230129112153-20230129142153-00523.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9602911472320557, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.046875, "token_count": 827, "url": "https://www.axios.com/2023/01/25/clean-water-texas-colonias" }	First look: Clean water for Texas colonias A new pilot initiative is tapping into solar-powered tech as a solution to the water crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of people living in colonias along the U.S. and Mexico border. Driving the news: SOURCE Global, a public benefit corporation, is partnering up with Texas politicians and nonprofits to provide clean drinking water access to several colonias — unincorporated, low-income communities with limited resources, organizers tell Axios. - The water crisis has been driven by climate-related impacts on statewide water supply as well as a lack of political will to connect colonias to municipal water sources. The backstory: For the largely low-income, Latino residents living in colonias — communities that don't have basic human services like traditional water infrastructure — the state's increasingly unreliable water supply, which relies heavily on drought-stricken rivers and reservoirs, worsens existing barriers to access. - "Colonia residents bought their land because they saw the opportunity to be homeowners, but they were never properly informed of the lack of political will to bring municipal water service to colonias," Laura Ponce, executive director of the El Paso County nonprofit Project Bravo, tells Axios in an email. - "Without a safe source for drinking water, low-income colonia families take health risks like drinking potable water delivered by trucks, storing water in unsealed large containers, and minimizing their water consumption," says Ponce. Olga Ramos, a county commissioner in Maverick County, Texas, tells Axios in an email that there are more than 19 colonias in her precinct alone — and most are without access to safe water. - "It’s a problem we have to solve, but building water infrastructure is a complicated and expensive task, one that could take years to complete, and these families can’t wait that long," says Ramos. A new pilot initiative led by SOURCE Global is aiming to mitigate this by installing solar-powered tech that produces clean drinking water for about 500 colonia households across Hueco Tanks and Quemado, which are in El Paso County and Maverick County. - SOURCE hydropanels suck up water vapor from the air, drawing only pure water molecules before condensing it into liquid, leaving pollutants behind, then transforming those molecules into liquid water and adding calcium and magnesium. - The estimated total funding needed to outfit the households in the two colonias is roughly $3 million. They've secured $150,000 of that amount and are looking to get the rest through the NADB's	Community Assistance Program. What they're saying: Ramos sees the hydropanels as a quick, cost-effective way to give colonia residents safe water at their homes. - "They also don’t rely on groundwater, which we know is threatened by drought," Ramos says. - A recently published Texas Department of Agriculture report found that climate instability — which is linked to water restrictions, failed crops, and increased risk of wildfires and floods — is also imperiling the state's food supply, per the Texas Tribune. Zoom out: "People who have been underserved historically are getting locked into being underserved, because of the finiteness of the resource [water] and the nature of the headwinds that are facing all of us with climate change," SOURCE CEO Cody Friesen tells Axios. Yes, but: Ponce, of the nonprofit Project Bravo, says the hydropanels only provide enough water for drinking and cooking. - "They do not produce enough water for washing clothes, flushing toilets, bathing, and other functions that are needed to run a household," says Ponce, adding that while the SOURCE project is an "ethical short-term solution," bringing piped water to the colonias is the "ideal solution." The bottom line: "These families still need the work of ... grassroots groups to make sure our elected officials don't forget them," Ponce tells Axios.
Artificial intelligence, much like a sociopath, inherently shows no regard for right and wrong. This unsettling similarity raises an important question: Can we trust the future of AI with such a default state? Joe Edelman, before founding the Meaning Alignment Institute, pondered deeply on this. Funded by OpenAI, MAI has created a model to guide AI, particularly large language models like ChatGPT, to respond to queries while considering democratically decided human values. Establishing Common Values Amid Societal Challenges How do we create common values, and why is this necessary? In an era marked by polarization, reaching a consensus on shared values is daunting. Previous attempts at socially educating AI have had mixed results, with instances of AI propagating hate speech. Leaning on the work of philosophers such as Charles Taylor, Edelman believes values are about what we find meaningful in tough moral choices rather than ideology. This concept forms the backbone of the MAI's approach. Instead of directly asking people about their values, the MAI model uses a chatbot powered by ChatGPT to find out what individuals truly find meaningful. This is done by asking for responses to preset questions. I chose to answer this question: “My 10-year-old son refuses to do his homework, spending all his time at his computer instead. How can I make him behave properly?” I answered a series of questions from the chatbot, which took about five to 10 minutes. The chatbot then interpreted and fed back the deeper meanings behind my responses, focusing on why I held my core beliefs. From this, the model then took these and concluded that in dialogue with the user (in this case the mother), the following kinds of things would be useful for ChatGPT to mention if asked how to make her son behave properly: - Signs of dishonesty that might indicate a breach of trust - Understanding of the necessity of rules, even if it's not fully grasped Thereafter, the tool suggested other relevant values that had been added by other users (who had answered the same question) that I could “like” such as “Respecting Autonomy in Politicised Contexts” and “Equality and Autonomy.” Likewise, others could vote for the values that had been generated from my responses, which may encompass other values that have been created previously. Thereafter, the MAI builds a moral graph which can guide a future version of ChatGPT (or other LLM). In my conversation with Edelman, I raised some concerns over bias—such as sample size, sample bias (including cultural bias) and leading questions. The report of the study, which was based on the responses of 500 people selected to reflect the age, income, political leanings and geography of the U.S. population, showed progress in some areas of bias, while others remain to be worked on. However, the primary object of the study was to prove that values can be collected from diverse populations democratically and thereafter imported into an LLM such as ChatGPT to help guide its responses. The results of this U.S.-focused study (Edelman wants to expand the study globally) showed convergence across gender and age and that people can put aside their ideological affiliations. By digging into why people responded in certain ways, rather than focusing only on the response, the model found that even those with opposing ideologies could have similar underlying values. Even if the ways that these values were expressed differed, the values established did not point in multiple conflicting directions that cancelled each other out—providing something that LLMs could use. Why Adding Human Values To LLMs Matters LLMs are increasingly shaping our lives, often prioritizing commercial gains over moral implications. As Edelman noted: “The Pentagon has an LLM that's doing war strategy. Financial companies are experimenting with putting LLMs at the trading wheel. And of course, we see the media consequences just starting to appear already. And yet, it's actually quite hard to hire a sociopath as your copywriter.” Adding human values into LLMs ensures these technologies incorporate human values through a democratic process, avoiding the pitfalls of an amoral AI, or where values have been decided by the developer or by the LLM itself according to its constitution. The Commercial Threat And Legislation Edelman accepts that there is little commercial incentive for companies to add human values (such as self-agency, which could reduce user addiction) into their LLMs (hence MAI is a not-for-profit, grant-funded organization). Unfortunately, as history suggests that companies are unwilling to look beyond profit maximization, it is therefore difficult to imagine that, without legislative intervention, social media providers and others will implement human values into their LLMs. Perhaps, similar to a Fairtrade certification, a “human values incorporated” label could be added to LLMs? In the meantime, Edelman is hoping that due to OpenAI’s lead in the LLM market, which enables it to be “free from some competitive forces for the moment,” OpenAI could take a lead on adding human values to ChatGPT. Preserving Our Humanity As we increasingly rely on AI, balancing technological trust with our human essence becomes crucial. Integrating human values into AI is not just about improving technology; it's about preserving our humanity in an increasingly automated world.	<urn:uuid:fe6dff32-9b53-4ed0-9c23-875406fe7fa2>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-50", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679101779.95/warc/CC-MAIN-20231210092457-20231210122457-00010.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.963015615940094, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.84375, "token_count": 1114, "url": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlestowersclark/2023/11/21/without-human-values-what-stops-ai-from-acting-as-a-sociopath/" }	Artificial intelligence, much like a sociopath, inherently shows no regard for right and wrong. This unsettling similarity raises an important question: Can we trust the future of AI with such a default state? Joe Edelman, before founding the Meaning Alignment Institute, pondered deeply on this. Funded by OpenAI, MAI has created a model to guide AI, particularly large language models like ChatGPT, to respond to queries while considering democratically decided human values. Establishing Common Values Amid Societal Challenges How do we create common values, and why is this necessary? In an era marked by polarization, reaching a consensus on shared values is daunting. Previous attempts at socially educating AI have had mixed results, with instances of AI propagating hate speech. Leaning on the work of philosophers such as Charles Taylor, Edelman believes values are about what we find meaningful in tough moral choices rather than ideology. This concept forms the backbone of the MAI's approach. Instead of directly asking people about their values, the MAI model uses a chatbot powered by ChatGPT to find out what individuals truly find meaningful. This is done by asking for responses to preset questions. I chose to answer this question: “My 10-year-old son refuses to do his homework, spending all his time at his computer instead. How can I make him behave properly?” I answered a series of questions from the chatbot, which took about five to 10 minutes. The chatbot then interpreted and fed back the deeper meanings behind my responses, focusing on why I held my core beliefs. From this, the model then took these and concluded that in dialogue with the user (in this case the mother), the following kinds of things would be useful for ChatGPT to mention if asked how to make her son behave properly: - Signs of dishonesty that might indicate a breach of trust - Understanding of the necessity of rules, even if it's not fully grasped Thereafter, the tool suggested other relevant values that had been added by other users (who had answered the same question) that I could “like” such as “Respecting Autonomy in Politicised Contexts” and “Equality and Autonomy.” Likewise, others could vote for the values that had been generated from my responses, which may encompass other values that have been created previously. Thereafter, the MAI builds a moral graph which can guide a future version of ChatGPT (or other LLM). In my conversation with Edelman	, I raised some concerns over bias—such as sample size, sample bias (including cultural bias) and leading questions. The report of the study, which was based on the responses of 500 people selected to reflect the age, income, political leanings and geography of the U.S. population, showed progress in some areas of bias, while others remain to be worked on. However, the primary object of the study was to prove that values can be collected from diverse populations democratically and thereafter imported into an LLM such as ChatGPT to help guide its responses. The results of this U.S.-focused study (Edelman wants to expand the study globally) showed convergence across gender and age and that people can put aside their ideological affiliations. By digging into why people responded in certain ways, rather than focusing only on the response, the model found that even those with opposing ideologies could have similar underlying values. Even if the ways that these values were expressed differed, the values established did not point in multiple conflicting directions that cancelled each other out—providing something that LLMs could use. Why Adding Human Values To LLMs Matters LLMs are increasingly shaping our lives, often prioritizing commercial gains over moral implications. As Edelman noted: “The Pentagon has an LLM that's doing war strategy. Financial companies are experimenting with putting LLMs at the trading wheel. And of course, we see the media consequences just starting to appear already. And yet, it's actually quite hard to hire a sociopath as your copywriter.” Adding human values into LLMs ensures these technologies incorporate human values through a democratic process, avoiding the pitfalls of an amoral AI, or where values have been decided by the developer or by the LLM itself according to its constitution. The Commercial Threat And Legislation Edelman accepts that there is little commercial incentive for companies to add human values (such as self-agency, which could reduce user addiction) into their LLMs (hence MAI is a not-for-profit, grant-funded organization). Unfortunately, as history suggests that companies are unwilling to look beyond profit maximization, it is therefore difficult to imagine that, without legislative intervention, social media providers and others will implement human values into their LLMs. Perhaps, similar to a Fairtrade certification, a “human values incorporated” label could be added to LLMs? In the meantime, Edelman is hoping that due to OpenAI’s lead in the LLM market, which enables it to be “free from some competitive forces for the moment,” OpenAI could take a lead on adding human values to ChatGPT. Preserving Our Humanity As we increasingly rely on AI, balancing technological trust with our human essence becomes crucial. Integrating human values into AI is not just about improving technology; it's about preserving our humanity in an increasingly automated world.
North Kansas City School District is offering children, as young as in kindergarten, lessons on LGBTQ history that include stories of little boys who dress up as little girls, the Daily Caller has learned exclusively. Parents Defending Education (PDE) was tipped off regarding an email sent to staff of the school district in October, providing a list of resources for the educators that was curated by “Equity advocates.” (RELATED: Utah School District Pulls Dozens Of Books Including ‘Gender Queer,’ ‘Two Boys Kissing’) The resources included also contain a list of student resources on LGBTQ history compiled by the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN). GLSEN has opposed restricting transgender-identified children’s access to life-altering medical interventions. “Throughout our lives, however, our many bodily characteristics work together to create a unique path of development, causing some of us to grow really tall, and others to remain short, or some of us to grow hair under our armpits and legs, while others remain bare,” GLSEN writes on its website. “While this development often happens on its own during puberty, this change can also be administered through medicine, such as hormone replacement therapy. Since our society often conflates our bodies (or genitalia) with our gender identity, it is critical that we allow space for people to self-identify.” Kindergarteners are encouraged to read, “Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress,” and the teacher is told to say that “Some boys like to wear dresses.” — The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings) (@brainpickings) December 22, 2014 “Morris Micklewhite likes school because he can paint and sing and do puzzles. Also at school Morris likes to play in the dress-up center where he likes to wear a tangerine-colored dress. His classmates make fun of him and exclude him from games because of the dress,” a book description reads. “All week, Morris’ classmates tell him dresses are not for boys and don’t let Morris play with them. At home, Morris has a dream that inspires him and he recreates the dream as a painting where he is riding an elephant in space, while wearing the tangerine dress. Morris brings the painting with him to school and his classmates are drawn to play with Morris because of his beautiful painting. In the end, Morris regains confidence in himself and his classmates learn to accept him as he is.” 🚨NEW from @DefendingEd: The Long Beach Unified School District in California is offering courses to children encouraging them to “explore” their sexual identities and study “social justice.”https://t.co/ixCNIsgZvA pic.twitter.com/dIlvq2yIqt — Nicki Neily (@nickineily) November 30, 2023 “Rather than fixating on identity politics and recognizing every superficial day created, schools should focus on teaching students math, history, reading, and science,” Michele Exner, senior adviser at PDE, told the Daily Caller in a statement. “It is absurd that school officials want to waste class time on this nonsense and think children as young as 4 and 5 years old should be exposed to mature topics. Parents are fed up and want learning back in classrooms, not political indoctrination.”	<urn:uuid:c5d286bf-ecbe-4256-87fd-f47e608d78ad>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474669.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20240226225941-20240227015941-00431.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9712094664573669, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.546875, "token_count": 736, "url": "https://dailycaller.com/2023/12/05/exclusive-lgbtq-lesson-plans-kindergarteners-resources-sex-change/" }	North Kansas City School District is offering children, as young as in kindergarten, lessons on LGBTQ history that include stories of little boys who dress up as little girls, the Daily Caller has learned exclusively. Parents Defending Education (PDE) was tipped off regarding an email sent to staff of the school district in October, providing a list of resources for the educators that was curated by “Equity advocates.” (RELATED: Utah School District Pulls Dozens Of Books Including ‘Gender Queer,’ ‘Two Boys Kissing’) The resources included also contain a list of student resources on LGBTQ history compiled by the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN). GLSEN has opposed restricting transgender-identified children’s access to life-altering medical interventions. “Throughout our lives, however, our many bodily characteristics work together to create a unique path of development, causing some of us to grow really tall, and others to remain short, or some of us to grow hair under our armpits and legs, while others remain bare,” GLSEN writes on its website. “While this development often happens on its own during puberty, this change can also be administered through medicine, such as hormone replacement therapy. Since our society often conflates our bodies (or genitalia) with our gender identity, it is critical that we allow space for people to self-identify.” Kindergarteners are encouraged to read, “Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress,” and the teacher is told to say that “Some boys like to wear dresses.” — The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings) (@brainpickings) December 22, 2014 “Morris Micklewhite likes school because he can paint and sing and do puzzles. Also at school Morris likes to play in the dress-up center where he likes to wear a tangerine-colored dress. His classmates make fun of him and exclude him from games because of the dress,” a book description reads. “All week, Morris’ classmates tell him dresses are not for boys and don’t let Morris play with them. At home, Morris has a dream that inspires him and he recreates the dream as a painting where he is riding an elephant in space, while wearing the tangerine dress. Morris brings the painting with him to school and his classmates are drawn to play with Morris because of his beautiful painting. In the end, Morris regains confidence in	himself and his classmates learn to accept him as he is.” 🚨NEW from @DefendingEd: The Long Beach Unified School District in California is offering courses to children encouraging them to “explore” their sexual identities and study “social justice.”https://t.co/ixCNIsgZvA pic.twitter.com/dIlvq2yIqt — Nicki Neily (@nickineily) November 30, 2023 “Rather than fixating on identity politics and recognizing every superficial day created, schools should focus on teaching students math, history, reading, and science,” Michele Exner, senior adviser at PDE, told the Daily Caller in a statement. “It is absurd that school officials want to waste class time on this nonsense and think children as young as 4 and 5 years old should be exposed to mature topics. Parents are fed up and want learning back in classrooms, not political indoctrination.”
Activists from Greenpeace display a banner before the United Nations headquarters during ongoing negotiations at the UN on a treaty to protect the high seas in New York Photo: Ed Jones This is No 11 in our climate change environmental series of articles published around the world, and where necessary, interpreted into reasonable English! If you have never heard of this treaty you are not alone. The title of the committee pulling it together would put you off reading about it, but the treaty is crucial After almost 20 years of talks, United Nations member states have at last agreed on legal framework for the ocean outside national boundaries. It has been almost two decades in the making but on Saturday night in New York, after days of gruelling round-the-clock talks, UN member states finally agreed on a treaty to protect the high seas. A full day after the deadline for talks had officially passed, the conference president, Rena Lee of Singapore, took to the floor of room 2 of the UN headquarters in New York and announced the treaty had been agreed. At a later date, the delegates will meet for half a day to formally adopt the text. She made it clear the text would not be reopened. “In Singapore, we like to go on learning journeys and this has been the learning journey of a lifetime,” Rena Lee said. She thanked delegates for their dedication and commitment. “The success is also yours,” she told them. She received cheers and a standing ovation from delegates in the room who had not left the conference hall for 48 hours and worked through the night in order to “get the deal done”. The historic treaty is crucial for enforcing the 30×30 pledge made by countries at the UN biodiversity conference in December, to protect a third of the sea (and land) by 2030. Without a treaty this target would certainly fail, as until now no legal mechanism existed to set up MPAs on the high seas. Covering almost two-thirds of the ocean that lies outside national boundaries, the treaty will provide a legal framework for establishing vast marine protected areas (MPAs) to protect against the loss of wildlife and share out the genetic resources of the high seas. It will establish a conference of the parties (Cop) that will meet periodically and enable member states to be held to account on issues such as governance and biodiversity. Ocean ecosystems produce half the oxygen we breathe, represent 95% of the planet’s biosphere and soak up carbon dioxide, as the world’s largest carbon sink. Yet until now, fragmented and loosely enforced rules governing the high seas have rendered this area more susceptible than coastal waters to exploitation. Veronica Frank, political adviser for Greenpeace, said that while the organisation hadn’t seen the latest text, “we are really happy. The world is so divided and to see multilateralism supported is so important. What’s really important is now to use this tool to develop this 30×30 target into force really quickly.” The Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) congratulates its President, Ambassador Rena Lee, on a successful conclusion of the treaty. Photograph: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore. The Pew Charitable Trust welcomed the “landmark international agreement”. “High seas marine protected areas can play a critical role in the impacts of climate change,” said Liz Karan, director of Pews’s ocean governance project. “Governments and civil society must now ensure the agreement is adopted and rapidly enters into force and is effectively implemented to safeguard high seas biodiversity.” The High Ambition Coalition – which includes the EU, US, UK and China – were key players in brokering the deal, building coalitions instead of sowing division and showing willingness to compromise in the final days of talks. The Global South led the way in ensuring the treaty could be put into practice in a fair and equitable way. It is the third time in less than a year that member states have hunkered down in the UN’s headquarters in New York to thrash out a “final” deal. The negotiations, which ran over two weeks from 20 February were the fifth round of talks after earlier negotiations ended last August without agreement. One of the key stumbling blocks, which divided developing and developed nations, was how to fairly share marine genetic resources (MGR) and the eventual profits. MGR, which consist of the genetic material of deep-sea marine sponges, krill, corals, seaweeds and bacteria, are attracting increasing scientific and commercial attention due to their potential use in medicines and cosmetics. Others sticking points included the procedure for creating marine protected areas and the model for environmental impact studies of planned activities on the high seas. In a move seen as an attempt to build trust between rich and poor countries, the European Union pledged €40m ($42m) in New York to facilitate the ratification of the treaty and its early implementation. Monica Medina, the US assistant secretary for oceans, international environment and scientific affairs, who attended the negotiations in New York, said: “We leave here with the ability to create protected areas in the high seas and achieve the ambitious goal of conserving 30% of the ocean by 2030. And the time to start is now.” She said the US was pleased to agree on the major element of a high seas treaty that includes a strong, coordinated approach to establishing marine protected areas. Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, said: “Following a two-week-long rollercoaster of a ride of negotiations and superhero efforts in the last 48 hours, governments reached agreement on key issues that will advance protection and better management of marine biodiversity in the high seas.” “What happens on the high seas will no longer be ‘out of sight, out of mind,” said Jessica Battle of WWF in a statement after leading the group’s team at the negotiations. “We can now look at the cumulative impacts on our ocean in a way that reflects the interconnected blue economy and the ecosystems that support it.” NOTES: This report was written by Karen McVeigh in New York. Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.	<urn:uuid:7bc807fa-6991-4464-babd-f9f4a9e74464>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-23", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224645089.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20230530032334-20230530062334-00387.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9545608758926392, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.921875, "token_count": 1307, "url": "https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2023/03/05/the-high-seas-treaty/" }	Activists from Greenpeace display a banner before the United Nations headquarters during ongoing negotiations at the UN on a treaty to protect the high seas in New York Photo: Ed Jones This is No 11 in our climate change environmental series of articles published around the world, and where necessary, interpreted into reasonable English! If you have never heard of this treaty you are not alone. The title of the committee pulling it together would put you off reading about it, but the treaty is crucial After almost 20 years of talks, United Nations member states have at last agreed on legal framework for the ocean outside national boundaries. It has been almost two decades in the making but on Saturday night in New York, after days of gruelling round-the-clock talks, UN member states finally agreed on a treaty to protect the high seas. A full day after the deadline for talks had officially passed, the conference president, Rena Lee of Singapore, took to the floor of room 2 of the UN headquarters in New York and announced the treaty had been agreed. At a later date, the delegates will meet for half a day to formally adopt the text. She made it clear the text would not be reopened. “In Singapore, we like to go on learning journeys and this has been the learning journey of a lifetime,” Rena Lee said. She thanked delegates for their dedication and commitment. “The success is also yours,” she told them. She received cheers and a standing ovation from delegates in the room who had not left the conference hall for 48 hours and worked through the night in order to “get the deal done”. The historic treaty is crucial for enforcing the 30×30 pledge made by countries at the UN biodiversity conference in December, to protect a third of the sea (and land) by 2030. Without a treaty this target would certainly fail, as until now no legal mechanism existed to set up MPAs on the high seas. Covering almost two-thirds of the ocean that lies outside national boundaries, the treaty will provide a legal framework for establishing vast marine protected areas (MPAs) to protect against the loss of wildlife and share out the genetic resources of the high seas. It will establish a conference of the parties (Cop) that will meet periodically and enable member states to be held to account on issues such as governance and biodiversity. Ocean ecosystems produce half the oxygen we breathe, represent 95% of the planet’s biosphere and soak up carbon dioxide, as the world	’s largest carbon sink. Yet until now, fragmented and loosely enforced rules governing the high seas have rendered this area more susceptible than coastal waters to exploitation. Veronica Frank, political adviser for Greenpeace, said that while the organisation hadn’t seen the latest text, “we are really happy. The world is so divided and to see multilateralism supported is so important. What’s really important is now to use this tool to develop this 30×30 target into force really quickly.” The Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) congratulates its President, Ambassador Rena Lee, on a successful conclusion of the treaty. Photograph: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore. The Pew Charitable Trust welcomed the “landmark international agreement”. “High seas marine protected areas can play a critical role in the impacts of climate change,” said Liz Karan, director of Pews’s ocean governance project. “Governments and civil society must now ensure the agreement is adopted and rapidly enters into force and is effectively implemented to safeguard high seas biodiversity.” The High Ambition Coalition – which includes the EU, US, UK and China – were key players in brokering the deal, building coalitions instead of sowing division and showing willingness to compromise in the final days of talks. The Global South led the way in ensuring the treaty could be put into practice in a fair and equitable way. It is the third time in less than a year that member states have hunkered down in the UN’s headquarters in New York to thrash out a “final” deal. The negotiations, which ran over two weeks from 20 February were the fifth round of talks after earlier negotiations ended last August without agreement. One of the key stumbling blocks, which divided developing and developed nations, was how to fairly share marine genetic resources (MGR) and the eventual profits. MGR, which consist of the genetic material of deep-sea marine sponges, krill, corals, seaweeds and bacteria, are attracting increasing scientific and commercial attention due to their potential use in medicines and cosmetics. Others sticking points included the procedure for creating marine protected areas and the model for environmental impact studies of planned activities on the high seas. In a move seen as an attempt to build trust between rich and poor countries, the European Union pledged €40m ($42m) in New York to facilitate the ratification of the treaty and its early implementation. Monica Medina, the US assistant secretary for oceans, international environment and scientific affairs, who attended the negotiations in New York, said: “We leave here with the ability to create protected areas in the high seas and achieve the ambitious goal of conserving 30% of the ocean by 2030. And the time to start is now.” She said the US was pleased to agree on the major element of a high seas treaty that includes a strong, coordinated approach to establishing marine protected areas. Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, said: “Following a two-week-long rollercoaster of a ride of negotiations and superhero efforts in the last 48 hours, governments reached agreement on key issues that will advance protection and better management of marine biodiversity in the high seas.” “What happens on the high seas will no longer be ‘out of sight, out of mind,” said Jessica Battle of WWF in a statement after leading the group’s team at the negotiations. “We can now look at the cumulative impacts on our ocean in a way that reflects the interconnected blue economy and the ecosystems that support it.” NOTES: This report was written by Karen McVeigh in New York. Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
Is warm the new norm? How a lack of snowfall in Delaware is bad news for crops Delaware hasn’t seen much snow this winter, and while you might be jumping for joy at not having to shovel or risk frostbite, a lack of snowfall is not all good news. Winter wonderlands and snow days in Delaware might be a thing of the past as warmer temperatures experienced in recent weeks become more commonplace. But what does this really mean for the well-being of the state and its residents? “We need to make sure we have adequate rain,” said Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse. “We are well below normal for rainfall. If we had gotten snow, that would’ve helped with the deficit.” How dry is it in Delaware? Delaware is about 8 inches below normal levels of rainfall this winter, a value that will be hard to make up in what's left of the season. If that amount does not increase by April, either from more rain or snowfall, there won’t be enough moisture in local soil throughout the year to keep the crops growing, Scuse said. Snow cover, the amount of land covered by snow at any given time, is needed by plants to keep the soil moist and by animals to insulate them from sub-freezing winter temperatures, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When snow melts away earlier in the spring, the soil may dry out sooner, negatively impacting planting season. Snow cover also helps replenish groundwater and streams, both of which contribute to local ecosystems. How snow affects more than moisture levels Aside from land effects, snow cover affects temperatures on Earth due to the portion of sunlight it can absorb and reflect into space. Where's the snow?:Forecasters let us know if Delaware will see any snow this winter. A lack of snow cover means more energy is absorbed at the Earth’s surface, resulting in warmer temperatures, while increased snow cover means more energy reflects into space, resulting in cooling. Are your spring flowers arriving too soon? When periods of warm weather creep in during winter months, plants can begin prematurely blooming during weather episodes that drench the state with a false sense of spring. In Scuse’s own backyard, Delaware’s steady stream of warm weather has found his daffodils sprouting up, reaching as high as 5 inches last week. If the state gets hit with freezing temperatures soon after, most plants will not be able to survive the change in weather without intervention from farmers or gardeners and run the risk of dying. The lack of an extended freeze, which loosens up soil, also means producers should expect more insects and disease among their crops, Scuse said. “The biggest deficit we’re facing now is these really warm temperatures. If they get any warmer, we’re gonna have issues with our fruit trees,” Scuse said. “If you lose those buds on fruit trees, and you have that type of damage on your strawberry plants, you can’t replant them. You lost that crop for the entire growing season.” Increased maintenance during periods of fluctuating weather leads to increased labor crops for producers, said Scuse, who adds that last year, about 10% to 15% of strawberry crops in Delaware were lost and the peach crop was almost completely decimated a few years prior due to premature warm weather followed by cold snaps. Despite the colder weather previously experienced by Delaware this winter, most notably during the holiday season, Scuse has yet to see any local winter kill yet, when plants die due to the harsh effects of winter weather. Other economic impacts of snowless winter And a lack of snowfall doesn't affect only farmers or orchards. It also can take an economic toll on those who rely on snow removal and related services for an income. Businesses that plow snow or sell shovels or salt have seen a drop in revenue, although snow removal costs are less for municipalities and the state itself. Remember when:A look back at the 2018 snow storms Although he doesn’t know what weather is in store for the rest of winter, and the possibility of another cold snap still looms, Scuse said higher winter temperatures and early blooms are a cause for concern. Given data about higher temperatures during winter and summer months in recent years, Scuse ponders whether these odd occurrences are truly abnormal anymore, or if what we’re experiencing is the start of a new normal. “We’ve experienced warmer Januarys and Februarys than normal the past couple of years,” he said. “There’s a lot of children out there that would love to go sledding. The lack of snowfall the last few years has limited the sledding that our kids can do.” Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at <email-pii>.	<urn:uuid:14b46f0e-5056-4a6f-80a6-3e21ea336b88>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-14", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949506.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20230330225648-20230331015648-00352.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9514549374580383, "pii_count": 1, "score": 2.984375, "token_count": 1045, "url": "https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2023/02/20/delaware-snowfall-decreased-weather-crops-impact/69903624007/" }	Is warm the new norm? How a lack of snowfall in Delaware is bad news for crops Delaware hasn’t seen much snow this winter, and while you might be jumping for joy at not having to shovel or risk frostbite, a lack of snowfall is not all good news. Winter wonderlands and snow days in Delaware might be a thing of the past as warmer temperatures experienced in recent weeks become more commonplace. But what does this really mean for the well-being of the state and its residents? “We need to make sure we have adequate rain,” said Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse. “We are well below normal for rainfall. If we had gotten snow, that would’ve helped with the deficit.” How dry is it in Delaware? Delaware is about 8 inches below normal levels of rainfall this winter, a value that will be hard to make up in what's left of the season. If that amount does not increase by April, either from more rain or snowfall, there won’t be enough moisture in local soil throughout the year to keep the crops growing, Scuse said. Snow cover, the amount of land covered by snow at any given time, is needed by plants to keep the soil moist and by animals to insulate them from sub-freezing winter temperatures, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When snow melts away earlier in the spring, the soil may dry out sooner, negatively impacting planting season. Snow cover also helps replenish groundwater and streams, both of which contribute to local ecosystems. How snow affects more than moisture levels Aside from land effects, snow cover affects temperatures on Earth due to the portion of sunlight it can absorb and reflect into space. Where's the snow?:Forecasters let us know if Delaware will see any snow this winter. A lack of snow cover means more energy is absorbed at the Earth’s surface, resulting in warmer temperatures, while increased snow cover means more energy reflects into space, resulting in cooling. Are your spring flowers arriving too soon? When periods of warm weather creep in during winter months, plants can begin prematurely blooming during weather episodes that drench the state with a false sense of spring. In Scuse’s own backyard, Delaware’s steady stream of warm weather has found his daffodils sprouting up, reaching as high as 5 inches last week. If the state gets hit with freezing temperatures soon after, most plants will not be able to survive the change in weather without intervention from farmers or gardeners and run	the risk of dying. The lack of an extended freeze, which loosens up soil, also means producers should expect more insects and disease among their crops, Scuse said. “The biggest deficit we’re facing now is these really warm temperatures. If they get any warmer, we’re gonna have issues with our fruit trees,” Scuse said. “If you lose those buds on fruit trees, and you have that type of damage on your strawberry plants, you can’t replant them. You lost that crop for the entire growing season.” Increased maintenance during periods of fluctuating weather leads to increased labor crops for producers, said Scuse, who adds that last year, about 10% to 15% of strawberry crops in Delaware were lost and the peach crop was almost completely decimated a few years prior due to premature warm weather followed by cold snaps. Despite the colder weather previously experienced by Delaware this winter, most notably during the holiday season, Scuse has yet to see any local winter kill yet, when plants die due to the harsh effects of winter weather. Other economic impacts of snowless winter And a lack of snowfall doesn't affect only farmers or orchards. It also can take an economic toll on those who rely on snow removal and related services for an income. Businesses that plow snow or sell shovels or salt have seen a drop in revenue, although snow removal costs are less for municipalities and the state itself. Remember when:A look back at the 2018 snow storms Although he doesn’t know what weather is in store for the rest of winter, and the possibility of another cold snap still looms, Scuse said higher winter temperatures and early blooms are a cause for concern. Given data about higher temperatures during winter and summer months in recent years, Scuse ponders whether these odd occurrences are truly abnormal anymore, or if what we’re experiencing is the start of a new normal. “We’ve experienced warmer Januarys and Februarys than normal the past couple of years,” he said. “There’s a lot of children out there that would love to go sledding. The lack of snowfall the last few years has limited the sledding that our kids can do.” Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at <email-pii>.
We are all living in a technologically changing world. It holds both the promise of new wonders and threats of existential destruction. Risk and reward will equally be impacted by the vast new opportunities to acquire wealth and lose it. Throughout human history, people have been trying to acquire assets and protect whatever they considered valuable. Over the centuries of the growth of civilization, the dominant threats to private wealth came from both criminals and government. It was not always easy to tell the difference. It is natural that people who are of illegal or legal larceny take what they determine to be reasonable action to protect against being plundered. This widely perceived exposure to being robbed by ever increasing scams and shams including legal, governmental, and financial privateering drives the desire by the everyday citizens for privacy and asset protection. The protection of private wealth is vital to the maintenance of a stable country. The United States and its Constitution stands witness to this fact as the world changed from agrarian to industrial. The nature of wealth transformed creating a need for new wealth protection methods and means. Starting in the 17th century and into the 20th century intangible wealth in the form of investments and ownership interests became a major part of the foundation for financial security along with real estate. In this 21st century with encryption technology and cyber currency, what is considered precious and valuable is expanding, taking on new forms, and needing new protection mechanisms. Advancing forms of prosperity create new exposures for loss. Larceny has always been as much a part of the human character for some people as compassion is for others. Publicly enforced wealth deprivation due to taxes, regulations, and other governmental impositions are becoming more intrusive and complex. The nearly out-of-control litigation industry shows no sign of abating. New and novel means will be required to deal with the growing institutionalized attacks on affluence. Corporations were initially the dominant vehicles to limit personal legal liability for collective financial risks. Insurance became the dominant means to shift risk. Since then, state legislatures have responded to the increasing needs of the public for more sophisticated means of asset protection. Politicians sell their services just like everyone else, only they get paid in votes. Legal vehicles as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and limited liability partnerships as well as a vast array of other legislation fulfill the needs of political campaign contributing investors and business owners. It creates a boom in the need for offensive and defensive legal and other professional services. These entities and planning structures also serve a long litany of other individual needs such as means to organize investments, plan for tax efficiency, deal with personal and family disharmony and reduce the risk of economic or legal loss. Even traditional planning structures like trusts and foundations were updated by special legislation to provide an effective and efficient means for asset protection to secure future financial survival. While nearly all businesspersons, investors, and their professional service providers focus their efforts at making more money, this is only half the equation. After acquiring assets, the other half of the problem is to keep it from being taken away. The risk of loss is a fear that is on everyone’s mind, although not always spoken out. Dealing with the potential for loss due to physical or economic crime, governmental enforcement, and legal liability risks requires everyone with any amount of retained wealth to take action to protect their downsides even as they capitalize on their potential for upsides. Asset protection reflects more than a means of wrapping financial wealth up in a protective cocoon. Financial security is a means to achieve other human value objectives such as a sense of fulfillment and purpose, and perhaps the most precious goal of all, piece of mind. The most sought-after commodity in living with other people may be privacy, which will likely be the most difficult for anyone to acquire. Planning for asset protection should reflect an understanding of why everyone is working so hard to secure wealth and what is most important when reaching financial and personal goals. We human beings are our most precious assets. Denis Kleinfeld is known as a strategic tax and wealth protection lawyer, widely published author and creative teacher. © 2024 Newsmax Finance. All rights reserved.	<urn:uuid:78906b8a-3f32-4226-bc67-5bc4809ee620>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947473518.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20240221134259-20240221164259-00850.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.967138409614563, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.578125, "token_count": 850, "url": "https://www.newsmax.com/finance/kleinfeld/asset-protection-cybersecurity-capitalism/2023/11/06/id/1141160/" }	We are all living in a technologically changing world. It holds both the promise of new wonders and threats of existential destruction. Risk and reward will equally be impacted by the vast new opportunities to acquire wealth and lose it. Throughout human history, people have been trying to acquire assets and protect whatever they considered valuable. Over the centuries of the growth of civilization, the dominant threats to private wealth came from both criminals and government. It was not always easy to tell the difference. It is natural that people who are of illegal or legal larceny take what they determine to be reasonable action to protect against being plundered. This widely perceived exposure to being robbed by ever increasing scams and shams including legal, governmental, and financial privateering drives the desire by the everyday citizens for privacy and asset protection. The protection of private wealth is vital to the maintenance of a stable country. The United States and its Constitution stands witness to this fact as the world changed from agrarian to industrial. The nature of wealth transformed creating a need for new wealth protection methods and means. Starting in the 17th century and into the 20th century intangible wealth in the form of investments and ownership interests became a major part of the foundation for financial security along with real estate. In this 21st century with encryption technology and cyber currency, what is considered precious and valuable is expanding, taking on new forms, and needing new protection mechanisms. Advancing forms of prosperity create new exposures for loss. Larceny has always been as much a part of the human character for some people as compassion is for others. Publicly enforced wealth deprivation due to taxes, regulations, and other governmental impositions are becoming more intrusive and complex. The nearly out-of-control litigation industry shows no sign of abating. New and novel means will be required to deal with the growing institutionalized attacks on affluence. Corporations were initially the dominant vehicles to limit personal legal liability for collective financial risks. Insurance became the dominant means to shift risk. Since then, state legislatures have responded to the increasing needs of the public for more sophisticated means of asset protection. Politicians sell their services just like everyone else, only they get paid in votes. Legal vehicles as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and limited liability partnerships as well as a vast array of other legislation fulfill the needs of political campaign contributing investors and business owners. It creates a boom in the need for offensive and defensive legal and other professional services. These entities and planning structures also serve a long lit	any of other individual needs such as means to organize investments, plan for tax efficiency, deal with personal and family disharmony and reduce the risk of economic or legal loss. Even traditional planning structures like trusts and foundations were updated by special legislation to provide an effective and efficient means for asset protection to secure future financial survival. While nearly all businesspersons, investors, and their professional service providers focus their efforts at making more money, this is only half the equation. After acquiring assets, the other half of the problem is to keep it from being taken away. The risk of loss is a fear that is on everyone’s mind, although not always spoken out. Dealing with the potential for loss due to physical or economic crime, governmental enforcement, and legal liability risks requires everyone with any amount of retained wealth to take action to protect their downsides even as they capitalize on their potential for upsides. Asset protection reflects more than a means of wrapping financial wealth up in a protective cocoon. Financial security is a means to achieve other human value objectives such as a sense of fulfillment and purpose, and perhaps the most precious goal of all, piece of mind. The most sought-after commodity in living with other people may be privacy, which will likely be the most difficult for anyone to acquire. Planning for asset protection should reflect an understanding of why everyone is working so hard to secure wealth and what is most important when reaching financial and personal goals. We human beings are our most precious assets. Denis Kleinfeld is known as a strategic tax and wealth protection lawyer, widely published author and creative teacher. © 2024 Newsmax Finance. All rights reserved.
The Holocaust continues to cast a long shadow over Europe’s history after 80 years. Over six million Jews died in some of the most brutal and sustained atrocities ever inflicted on a civilian population. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an opportunity to recall why it’s crucial to revisit this dark period in history during World War Two. Here are 10 Holocaust sites which I’d recommend from my travels which are hard to erase from the memory. The words “we must never forget’ continue to resonate strongly in today’s troubled times… Dachau Concentration Camp – “Cradle of Terror” – Germany Dachau Concentration Camp was Germany’s ‘cradle of terror’ during World War Two, serving as a ‘school of violence’ for the Nazis. It was Germany’s first concentration camp, a prototype of what was to follow over the next decade, a precursor to the Holocaust. Dachau camp was established in March 1933 by the National Socialist government in Germany under Chancellor Adolf Hitler. It was located in the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory in this small town, north of Munich. Around 188,000 prisoners were incarcerated at Dachau between 1933 and 1945. It’s estimated that at least 30,000 died here – that’s every 5th prisoner. Heinrich Himmler described it as “the first concentration camp for political prisoners”, but it was much more than that. It was part of the Nazis machinery of oppression and, ultimately, a key part of their Final Solution. Dachau was an experiment in terror and subjugation, a model for camps that would be built across Germany and Poland, including Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen, Auschwitz and Belsen. The terror regime started here. Today it’s a chilling reminder of what happens when rampant political violence gathers momentum resulting in unspeakable atrocities. Read the full story – The Bitter Truth about Dachau Concentration Camp Where to Visit: Dachau Camp is located in Dachau, about 10 miles north-west of Munich. From Munich city centre, take the S2 suburban train to Dachau Bahnhof which takes around 15 minutes. The Dachau bus stop is straight ahead of you. There’s also a direct bus from Munch – number 726 – to the Dachau Concentration Camp site. A good way of returning to the train station is to walk the Path of Remembrance along the old railway track which features memorials along its route. The “Holocaust Hiding House” – Riga, Latvia The Žanis Lipke House is located on an ordinary street in Riga in a quiet neighbourhood called Kipsala but its story is far from ordinary. During World War Two the house provided refuge for Riga’s Jews who faced almost certain death if they stayed in the city. The Lipke House had a hidden bunker, a safe refuge from the tumultuous world beyond its doors. Sometimes its inhabitants spent months in the secret ‘bunker’, waiting for the right moment to be smuggled out of Latvia during World War Two. It’s a story of astonishing courage, resilience and hope, but the room’s inhabitants lived with the constant fear of being discovered. The Lipke family were responsible for saving dozens of lives whilst taking huge personal risks, even though they weren’t Jewish themselves. Photographs: The Lipke family in the 1940s, the secret hiding place and Žanis Lipke with his wife Johanna © Žaņa Lipkes memoriāls, Riga. Žanis Lipke worked at Riga Docks and had a strong humanitarian streak. This was born out of his memories of witnessing a major ‘liquidation’ exercise when 10,000 Jews from the Riga ghetto were brutally killed by the Nazis. Lipke is said to have watched in horror as the dead bodies of Jewish men, women and children were tossed into the street. He is reported to have told his son: ‘”Look carefully, my boy, and never forget”. At first Žanis found safe houses and cellars where Jewish workers could hide in different areas of Riga but this strategy soon became too dangerous.. Žanis decided on a new tactic. He would ‘smuggle’ the Jewish escapees to his own house in Kipsala not far from Riga Old Town. He was to save dozens of Jewish lives. Read the full story of the Zanis Lipke Holocaust Hiding House and the Riga Ghetto How to Visit: The Žanis Lipke House is located close to Riga Old Town on the other side of the Daugava river. It’s a 20 minute walk over the ‘Vansu Tilts’ bridge to Kipsala Island. The house is on Mazais Balasta Street. Entrance is free. ‘A Bitter Truth’ – The Jewish Museum, Berlin The Judisches Museum in Berlin is not like any ordinary museum stuffed with artefacts and historic memorabilia. It’s more of an immersive experience which takes you on an emotionally challenging journey into the lives of the Jewish community in 1940s Germany. From the moment you arrive at Daniel Libskind’s remarkable building, you enter into a different world which is at times disorientating, uncomfortable and confusing. The building’s titanium-zinc façade makes it impossible to orientate your eyes and decipher where each floor begins from the outside. Once inside, you feel like you’re walking at a tilting angle due to the zigzagging layout, sloping walkways, angled walls and bare concrete ‘voids’. It’s almost like being stuck inside an Expressionist film with architecture designed to disarm you. The dark lighting and occasional flashes of light add to the air of disorientation. The exhibits bring to life the harrowing stories of the Holocaust with a stark style of presentation that is devastating in the extreme. One of the museum’s most poignant spaces is “The Memory Void”, a powerful sculptural gallery with hundreds of iron plates cut out to resemble the faces of people. How to Visit: The Jewish Museum is located on Lindenstrabe to the south of Berlin city centre not far from the old Templehof airport. The museum is open daily 10:00-19:00. Admission to its main collection is free of charge. Behind the museum is an expansive garden and the “Garden of Exile’ sculpture walk with brilliant views. Another important site in Berlin city centre is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe which comprises 2,711 concrete blocks arranged in a grid pattern, commemorating victims of the Holocaust. Anne Frank’s House – The Secret Annexe – Amsterdam Photographs – Anne Frank and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam c/o the Anne Frank House Collection. If there’s one iconic site that everybody has heard of it’s the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam which has become a touchstone for discussion of the Holocaust. Anne was born into a Jewish family who lived in an old canal-side house in Amsterdam. When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, the Jews in the city were singled out for persecution. In July 1942, the Frank family decided to go into hiding in a series of rooms to the rear of their house. They were followed by friends from the Van Pels family a week later. Later, a revolving book case was added to provide a secret door to what became known as the “Secret Annexe”. Anne – who was 12 year old at the time – started writing her diary which has become one of the most remarkable accounts of life under Nazi occupation. After two years, police officers discovered the eight people in hiding and they were arrested along with two of their helpers on 4 August 1944. There are several theories that the family may have been betrayed. The family were arrested, and deported to their deaths in concentration and death camps. Anne, her mother, father and sister were sent by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the infamous concentration camp. Extract from Anne Frank’s Diary “Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. “People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.” Photo courtesy and copyright of the Anne Frank Stichting Amsterdam Collection. Two months later, Anne and her sister were transported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where Anne died of typhus. She was just 15 years old. Of the eight people in hiding, Otto Frank was the only one to survive the Second World War. “Anne Frank’s Diaries” also survived and today they are perhaps the single most powerful piece of testimony from the Holocaust. Where to Visit: Anne Frank’s House is located on Prisengracht in central Amsterdam, Holland. The House can only be visited with a ticket bought online for a specific time slot. I’ve found it almost impossible to get a ticket in the past so I’d advise booking early if you’re travelling to Amsterdam. You can also undertake a virtual tour of the Secret Annexe Heart of Darkness – Radun and Vasilishki – Belarus Belarus lay at the centre of major political fault lines in the dark heart of Europe during World War Two. It was here that the battle for domination of European between Hitler and Stalin played out. Belarus’ killing fields were some of the bloodiest in Europe. By the end of the war, half the population of Belarus had been killed or moved away. Almost the entire Jewish population of the country was annihilated during World War Two. You don’t have to travel far to discover one of Belarus’ many Jewish massacre sites. Some lie next to roadsides, close to villages and small towns – they pop up like ghostly apparitions of once vibrant, destroyed communities. At Radun, close to the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, there’s a roadside museum to the Jewish community with large memorial stones honouring those who died during the Holocaust. Most of the larger graves are accompanied by smaller stones placed as a tribute by travellers or family members who have returned from overseas to pay their respects. Not far away, you’ll discover Vasilishki, a sleepy rural town which was once a bustling ‘shtetl’ (or small town) where Jews lived and worked peacefully side by side with the local Catholic community. Life changed completely when Nazi troops drove into Vasilishki in 1941. The Germans occupied the town and turned their attentions to suppressing its Jewish community with fierce brutality. On May 10, 1942 a Nazi officer gave the order to round up the Jews and they were taken to a wooded park close to the centre of the village. Photographs – ‘Vasilishok’ – the park where Jews were slaughtered, (left) and the Jewish memorial (right). In one of the most shocking incidents of the Holocaust in Belarus, over 2,000 men, women and children were shot dead in plain sight of the village. I spoke to the last surviving witness of these traumatic events, a Catholic woman who still bears the scars of what she saw as a 10-year-old child. After 80 years she still can’t shake off the devastating memory of the murders and the image of a young Jewish child with plaited hair lying on a cart piled high with the dead. Photographs – An old shed owned by a Jewish family in ‘Vasilishok’ village, a typical Belarusian farm, and Holocaust eye witness Teresa Ginel-Gulbatzky. There are glimpses of the town’s Jewish history including a deserted synagogue, a few old houses and the local park. But you have to look hard for evidence of this once busy Jewish settlement. Walk through the quiet park and you’ll find yourself treading on top of the burial pits where the bodies of the Jews were dumped. In the far corner there’s a memorial erected and tended by the villagers. It’s a sight to send shockwaves through your bones… Read the story of Belarus and the Jews during World War Two How to Visit: Belarus can be reached by direct flights from the UK to Minsk or over the border by car from Lithuania. The villages of Radun and Vasilishki are about 2-3 hours drive from the southern Lithuanian border crossing. Leave plenty of time to clear border control as it’s renowned for being a slow process, if you’re arriving by car. There is hotel accommodation in nearby Lida, an interesting historic city with a fortified castle. Biķernieki Forest – ‘Murder in the Woods’ – Riga, Latvia Riga had a large Jewish population before World War Two. When the Nazis arrived in 1941, they banned Jews from public places, forced them to wear a yellow star, and stopped them from using sidewalks. By November 1941, around 29,602 Jews from Riga and its environs were imprisoned in a ghetto on the edge of the city centre. But they were not to stay there for long. Most were massacred in the Rumbula Forest by the German Einsatzgruppe on 29 November and 8 December 1941. About 25,000 Jews were exterminated including 8,000 children aged 10 or younger. Photographs – The Jewish massacre site at the Biķernieki Forest and memorials. Another wave of atrocities took place in early 1942 after 11,000 “German State Jews” from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia were moved to the now empty Riga Ghetto. They were taken en masse to the the Biķernieki Forest not far from Riga city centre where they were machine-gunned and killed in the woods. It’s shocking to walk amongst the mass graves and witness the raised mounds where the bodies were dumped. In October, 1944 the Russian army liberated Riga but its was too late for the Jewish community. Almost all of Latvia’s Jews had been murdered by the Nazis. Where to Visit: The Biķernieki Forest is a short car or bus ride from Riga city centre in Latvia. It is located not far from the Riga Motor Museum. The Jewish Ghetto – Chania, Crete Old Chania in Crete is a tourist magnet with its maze of narrow alleyways and meandering, medieval street pattern. One of its most vibrant areas is the Jewish Quarter, once the home of the town’s Jews. The Jews called it ‘Ovreaki’ but today the name has completely disappeared from Chania’s modern street maps. With the arrival of the Nazis in 1941, there was a massive clampdown on the Jewish population. The Jews lived under Nazi occupation for three years, fearing for their future. On May 31, 1944, their worst fears were realised. Megaphone announcements ordered anybody with Jewish identity papers to bring a single suitcase of belongings and report to the street outside their house. Families living on in the Jewish Quarter were herded down to the harbour. Others were pushed through a narrow passage into a small open space where trucks were waiting to load them up. They were taken to the Ayias prison near Chania and their houses and possessions were plundered. German soldiers entered Etz Hayyim Synagogue and removed all its religious artefacts whilst the Jewish cemetery was destroyed. A few days later, 265 of the Jews were transported by trucks to Heraklion where they were loaded onto a ship called the Tanais. They were to be taken to the Greek mainland from where they would be transported by train to Auschwitz. A British submarine spotted the ship off the island of Santorini and, seeing its enemy flag, torpedoed it. Everyone on board was killed and the Jewish community in Chania was completely wiped out in this tragic incident. Today the Etz Hayyim Synagogue stands in the same place, surrounded by a dense maze of alleyways and streets which radiate down to Chania’s Old Harbour. Read the full story of the Jewish Ghetto in Chania on my Crete blog feature Where to Visit: Chania is a popular Cretan holiday resort with many flights from UK airports. The Jewish Quarter’s maze of streets is a highlight of any visit. It’s also possible to join a tour of the old synagogue. Daugavpils – Massacre of the Jews Photographs: The old Jewish quarter today and in its heyday (left and top right) and the Daugavpils Citadel today. Daugavpils is Latvia’s second city, once known as ‘Dvinsk’, famous as a military stronghold, reflected in its star-shaped fortifications and almost impregnable citadel dating from Napoleonic times. The city once boasted a large Jewish community, making up around 50% of its population. Many Jews worked in commerce, industry and textiles – and there were 48 synagogues. It was also home to the artist Mark Rothko and his family before they emigrated to the USA in the early 1930s. He was one of the lucky escapees. In 1941 the Nazis occupied Latvia and it wasn’t long before they started their mass extermination of the Jews. Photographs: Dvinsk ghetto was established in the fortress (left) and the Jewish Holocaust memorial today (right). The Nazis established the Daugavpils/Dvinsk Ghetto and 14,000 Jews from the local area were herded into the old fortress. In early November 1941, the Germans killed most of the remaining Jews in the Daugavpils ghetto. Many of the ghetto inhabitants were shot in the Mežciems woods on the right bank of the river behind the fortress. It’s shocking to discover that this site of mass killings was in plain sight of the local neighbourhood. Tragically, less than 100 Jews survived and many of these died of disease or hunger. Outside the prison there is a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in Daugavpils. It’s one of the few nods to the erased history of the Jews in Daugavpils. Read the full story of Daugavpils and the Jews during World War Two Where to Visit: Daugavpils is tucked away in the far eastern corner of Latvia, close to the Lithuanian border. It’s approximately 3-4 hours drive from Riga. I’d recommend hiring a car as public transport by bus/train is slow. Today you can still see the buildings of the old fortress and some of the areas where the Jews were incarcerated. Please be cautious on your visit as this part of the fortress is now a high security prison with armed guards. Buchenwald’s Death Camp – Germany Photographs: Prisoners liberated by the Allies from Buchenwald at the end of World War Two c/o Imperial War Museum. Nothing prepares you for your first trip to a concentration camp. Mine was a trip to Buchenwald in Germany where I vowed not to take any photographs at the time because it was such an overwhelming experience. It’s a decision I regret because it’s crucial that we never forget to share the extent of the atrocities committed here. The name Buchenwald is synonymous with one of the cruellest regimes of any Nazi concentration camp. By the end of the Second World War, Buchenwald had become the largest concentration camp in the German Reich. It was established in July 1937 when the SS cleared a forest area near Weimar in Germany to build a new concentration camp to house Jews, political opponents, and other “strangers to the community”. Photographs – Buchenwald barracks (left) and the crematorium after liberation (right) c/o Wiener Holocaust Library Collections. The Nazis deported people to Buchenwald from all over Europe, reaching a peak of 280,000 inmates imprisoned in the main concentration camp and its 139 sub camps. The scale was that of an ‘industrial death machine’. More than 56,000 died at Buchenwald as the result of torture, medical experiments and disease, many of them Jews. When the Americans liberated Buchenwald in April 1945, the commander of the Allied Forces, Dwight D. Eisenhower declared that: “Nothing has ever shocked me as much as that sight.” Today, a visit to the camp remains one of the most shocking that I can recall on my many Holocaust journeys. How to Visit: Buchenwald Concentration Camp is located 10 kilometres north west of the town of Weimar in Germany. The number 6 bus from Weimar train station runs hourly to Buchenwald. There’s also easy car access. Admission is free. The “Jerusalem of the North” – Vilnius, Lithuania Photographs: The former entrance to the Jewish Ghetto in Vilnius (left) and the Jewish Quarter today (right). It’s shocking how genocide and mass extermination can wipe out the complete history of a group of people. Vilnius was once one of Europe’s biggest centres of Jewish culture and learning. Before the Holocaust there were over 110,000 Jews living in the city, almost half the city’s population. Vilnius was known as ‘the Jerusalem of the North’. But after 1940, life changed dramatically with the invasion of the Nazis. Thousands of Jews were murdered and sent to their deaths. Today there are barely 2,000 Jews living in the city and much of their history has been swept away. However, it’s still easy to find some notable Jewish sites. A good starting point is the Big and Little Jewish ghettos where you can follow the Jewish heritage trail. Dotted along its route are reminders of the Jewish past including street signs in Hebrew, the old Jewish library and the ruins of the former Great Synagogue. Piecing these fragments of history together provides a fascinating insight into the lives of a lost community, and raises troubling questions about Latvia’s “collaboration” with the Nazis. Photographs: Zydu Street in Vilnius, the Jewish Quarter today and the Gaon statue. The Big Ghetto in Vilnius operated from 1941 to 1943 with around 29,000 Jews living there. Nearly all of them were sent to Paneriai woods outside the city where they were executed. A smaller ghetto was created in the Stiklių quarter of the city centre where 11,000 Jews were herded into a small area until it was liquidated. Lithuania lost around 95% of its Jewish population during the Holocaust, more than any other European country. Read my guide to Vilnius including the history and sights of the Jewish ghetto How to Visit: There are direct flights to Vilnius from several British airports including London Heathrow and Leeds. The Big Ghetto entrance is at 18 Rūdnininkų Street – it’s easily spotted because there’s a memorial plaque with a street plan of the ghetto. There are Jewish tours if you want to explore the hidden sights and key locations. The Memorial Museum of the Holocaust in Vilnius is a ‘must see’ site for Jewish history. The former site of the Great Synagogue that once dominated the Jewish quarter is worth a look for its newly discovered archaeological finds. Photographs – Old photographs Jewish residents of Vilnius in late 1930s (left and right) and the site of the former Great Synagogue (pictured centre). Leave a Reply	<urn:uuid:90afe48c-4b11-451d-81e4-822ebb9bf424>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-14", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945030.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20230323065609-20230323095609-00127.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9659611582756042, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.015625, "token_count": 5067, "url": "https://tammytourguide.wordpress.com/2023/01/25/the-holocaust-europes-darkest-days/" }	The Holocaust continues to cast a long shadow over Europe’s history after 80 years. Over six million Jews died in some of the most brutal and sustained atrocities ever inflicted on a civilian population. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an opportunity to recall why it’s crucial to revisit this dark period in history during World War Two. Here are 10 Holocaust sites which I’d recommend from my travels which are hard to erase from the memory. The words “we must never forget’ continue to resonate strongly in today’s troubled times… Dachau Concentration Camp – “Cradle of Terror” – Germany Dachau Concentration Camp was Germany’s ‘cradle of terror’ during World War Two, serving as a ‘school of violence’ for the Nazis. It was Germany’s first concentration camp, a prototype of what was to follow over the next decade, a precursor to the Holocaust. Dachau camp was established in March 1933 by the National Socialist government in Germany under Chancellor Adolf Hitler. It was located in the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory in this small town, north of Munich. Around 188,000 prisoners were incarcerated at Dachau between 1933 and 1945. It’s estimated that at least 30,000 died here – that’s every 5th prisoner. Heinrich Himmler described it as “the first concentration camp for political prisoners”, but it was much more than that. It was part of the Nazis machinery of oppression and, ultimately, a key part of their Final Solution. Dachau was an experiment in terror and subjugation, a model for camps that would be built across Germany and Poland, including Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen, Auschwitz and Belsen. The terror regime started here. Today it’s a chilling reminder of what happens when rampant political violence gathers momentum resulting in unspeakable atrocities. Read the full story – The Bitter Truth about Dachau Concentration Camp Where to Visit: Dachau Camp is located in Dachau, about 10 miles north-west of Munich. From Munich city centre, take the S2 suburban train to Dachau Bahnhof which takes around 15 minutes. The Dachau bus stop is straight ahead of you. There’s also a direct bus from Munch – number 726 – to the Dachau Concentration Camp site. A good way of returning to the train station is to walk the Path	of Remembrance along the old railway track which features memorials along its route. The “Holocaust Hiding House” – Riga, Latvia The Žanis Lipke House is located on an ordinary street in Riga in a quiet neighbourhood called Kipsala but its story is far from ordinary. During World War Two the house provided refuge for Riga’s Jews who faced almost certain death if they stayed in the city. The Lipke House had a hidden bunker, a safe refuge from the tumultuous world beyond its doors. Sometimes its inhabitants spent months in the secret ‘bunker’, waiting for the right moment to be smuggled out of Latvia during World War Two. It’s a story of astonishing courage, resilience and hope, but the room’s inhabitants lived with the constant fear of being discovered. The Lipke family were responsible for saving dozens of lives whilst taking huge personal risks, even though they weren’t Jewish themselves. Photographs: The Lipke family in the 1940s, the secret hiding place and Žanis Lipke with his wife Johanna © Žaņa Lipkes memoriāls, Riga. Žanis Lipke worked at Riga Docks and had a strong humanitarian streak. This was born out of his memories of witnessing a major ‘liquidation’ exercise when 10,000 Jews from the Riga ghetto were brutally killed by the Nazis. Lipke is said to have watched in horror as the dead bodies of Jewish men, women and children were tossed into the street. He is reported to have told his son: ‘”Look carefully, my boy, and never forget”. At first Žanis found safe houses and cellars where Jewish workers could hide in different areas of Riga but this strategy soon became too dangerous.. Žanis decided on a new tactic. He would ‘smuggle’ the Jewish escapees to his own house in Kipsala not far from Riga Old Town. He was to save dozens of Jewish lives. Read the full story of the Zanis Lipke Holocaust Hiding House and the Riga Ghetto How to Visit: The Žanis Lipke House is located close to Riga Old Town on the other side of the Daugava river. It’s a 20 minute walk over the ‘Vansu Tilts’ bridge to Kipsala Island. The house is on Mazais Balasta Street. Entrance is free. ‘A Bitter Truth’ – The Jewish Museum, Berlin The Judisches Museum in Berlin is not like any ordinary museum stuffed with artefacts and historic memorabilia. It’s more of an immersive experience which takes you on an emotionally challenging journey into the lives of the Jewish community in 1940s Germany. From the moment you arrive at Daniel Libskind’s remarkable building, you enter into a different world which is at times disorientating, uncomfortable and confusing. The building’s titanium-zinc façade makes it impossible to orientate your eyes and decipher where each floor begins from the outside. Once inside, you feel like you’re walking at a tilting angle due to the zigzagging layout, sloping walkways, angled walls and bare concrete ‘voids’. It’s almost like being stuck inside an Expressionist film with architecture designed to disarm you. The dark lighting and occasional flashes of light add to the air of disorientation. The exhibits bring to life the harrowing stories of the Holocaust with a stark style of presentation that is devastating in the extreme. One of the museum’s most poignant spaces is “The Memory Void”, a powerful sculptural gallery with hundreds of iron plates cut out to resemble the faces of people. How to Visit: The Jewish Museum is located on Lindenstrabe to the south of Berlin city centre not far from the old Templehof airport. The museum is open daily 10:00-19:00. Admission to its main collection is free of charge. Behind the museum is an expansive garden and the “Garden of Exile’ sculpture walk with brilliant views. Another important site in Berlin city centre is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe which comprises 2,711 concrete blocks arranged in a grid pattern, commemorating victims of the Holocaust. Anne Frank’s House – The Secret Annexe – Amsterdam Photographs – Anne Frank and the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam c/o the Anne Frank House Collection. If there’s one iconic site that everybody has heard of it’s the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam which has become a touchstone for discussion of the Holocaust. Anne was born into a Jewish family who lived in an old canal-side house in Amsterdam. When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, the Jews in the city were singled out for persecution. In July 1942, the Frank family decided to go into hiding in a series of rooms to the rear of their house. They were followed by friends from the Van Pels family a week later. Later, a revolving book case was added to provide a secret door to what became known as the “Secret Annexe”. Anne – who was 12 year old at the time – started writing her diary which has become one of the most remarkable accounts of life under Nazi occupation. After two years, police officers discovered the eight people in hiding and they were arrested along with two of their helpers on 4 August 1944. There are several theories that the family may have been betrayed. The family were arrested, and deported to their deaths in concentration and death camps. Anne, her mother, father and sister were sent by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the infamous concentration camp. Extract from Anne Frank’s Diary “Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. “People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.” Photo courtesy and copyright of the Anne Frank Stichting Amsterdam Collection. Two months later, Anne and her sister were transported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where Anne died of typhus. She was just 15 years old. Of the eight people in hiding, Otto Frank was the only one to survive the Second World War. “Anne Frank’s Diaries” also survived and today they are perhaps the single most powerful piece of testimony from the Holocaust. Where to Visit: Anne Frank’s House is located on Prisengracht in central Amsterdam, Holland. The House can only be visited with a ticket bought online for a specific time slot. I’ve found it almost impossible to get a ticket in the past so I’d advise booking early if you’re travelling to Amsterdam. You can also undertake a virtual tour of the Secret Annexe Heart of Darkness – Radun and Vasilishki – Belarus Belarus lay at the centre of major political fault lines in the dark heart of Europe during World War Two. It was here that the battle for domination of European between Hitler and Stalin played out. Belarus’ killing fields were some of the bloodiest in Europe. By the end of the war, half the population of Belarus had been killed or moved away. Almost the entire Jewish population of the country was annihilated during World War Two. You don’t have to travel far to discover one of Belarus’ many Jewish massacre sites. Some lie next to roadsides, close to villages and small towns – they pop up like ghostly apparitions of once vibrant, destroyed communities. At Radun, close to the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, there’s a roadside museum to the Jewish community with large memorial stones honouring those who died during the Holocaust. Most of the larger graves are accompanied by smaller stones placed as a tribute by travellers or family members who have returned from overseas to pay their respects. Not far away, you’ll discover Vasilishki, a sleepy rural town which was once a bustling ‘shtetl’ (or small town) where Jews lived and worked peacefully side by side with the local Catholic community. Life changed completely when Nazi troops drove into Vasilishki in 1941. The Germans occupied the town and turned their attentions to suppressing its Jewish community with fierce brutality. On May 10, 1942 a Nazi officer gave the order to round up the Jews and they were taken to a wooded park close to the centre of the village. Photographs – ‘Vasilishok’ – the park where Jews were slaughtered, (left) and the Jewish memorial (right). In one of the most shocking incidents of the Holocaust in Belarus, over 2,000 men, women and children were shot dead in plain sight of the village. I spoke to the last surviving witness of these traumatic events, a Catholic woman who still bears the scars of what she saw as a 10-year-old child. After 80 years she still can’t shake off the devastating memory of the murders and the image of a young Jewish child with plaited hair lying on a cart piled high with the dead. Photographs – An old shed owned by a Jewish family in ‘Vasilishok’ village, a typical Belarusian farm, and Holocaust eye witness Teresa Ginel-Gulbatzky. There are glimpses of the town’s Jewish history including a deserted synagogue, a few old houses and the local park. But you have to look hard for evidence of this once busy Jewish settlement. Walk through the quiet park and you’ll find yourself treading on top of the burial pits where the bodies of the Jews were dumped. In the far corner there’s a memorial erected and tended by the villagers. It’s a sight to send shockwaves through your bones… Read the story of Belarus and the Jews during World War Two How to Visit: Belarus can be reached by direct flights from the UK to Minsk or over the border by car from Lithuania. The villages of Radun and Vasilishki are about 2-3 hours drive from the southern Lithuanian border crossing. Leave plenty of time to clear border control as it’s renowned for being a slow process, if you’re arriving by car. There is hotel accommodation in nearby Lida, an interesting historic city with a fortified castle. Biķernieki Forest – ‘Murder in the Woods’ – Riga, Latvia Riga had a large Jewish population before World War Two. When the Nazis arrived in 1941, they banned Jews from public places, forced them to wear a yellow star, and stopped them from using sidewalks. By November 1941, around 29,602 Jews from Riga and its environs were imprisoned in a ghetto on the edge of the city centre. But they were not to stay there for long. Most were massacred in the Rumbula Forest by the German Einsatzgruppe on 29 November and 8 December 1941. About 25,000 Jews were exterminated including 8,000 children aged 10 or younger. Photographs – The Jewish massacre site at the Biķernieki Forest and memorials. Another wave of atrocities took place in early 1942 after 11,000 “German State Jews” from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia were moved to the now empty Riga Ghetto. They were taken en masse to the the Biķernieki Forest not far from Riga city centre where they were machine-gunned and killed in the woods. It’s shocking to walk amongst the mass graves and witness the raised mounds where the bodies were dumped. In October, 1944 the Russian army liberated Riga but its was too late for the Jewish community. Almost all of Latvia’s Jews had been murdered by the Nazis. Where to Visit: The Biķernieki Forest is a short car or bus ride from Riga city centre in Latvia. It is located not far from the Riga Motor Museum. The Jewish Ghetto – Chania, Crete Old Chania in Crete is a tourist magnet with its maze of narrow alleyways and meandering, medieval street pattern. One of its most vibrant areas is the Jewish Quarter, once the home of the town’s Jews. The Jews called it ‘Ovreaki’ but today the name has completely disappeared from Chania’s modern street maps. With the arrival of the Nazis in 1941, there was a massive clampdown on the Jewish population. The Jews lived under Nazi occupation for three years, fearing for their future. On May 31, 1944, their worst fears were realised. Megaphone announcements ordered anybody with Jewish identity papers to bring a single suitcase of belongings and report to the street outside their house. Families living on in the Jewish Quarter were herded down to the harbour. Others were pushed through a narrow passage into a small open space where trucks were waiting to load them up. They were taken to the Ayias prison near Chania and their houses and possessions were plundered. German soldiers entered Etz Hayyim Synagogue and removed all its religious artefacts whilst the Jewish cemetery was destroyed. A few days later, 265 of the Jews were transported by trucks to Heraklion where they were loaded onto a ship called the Tanais. They were to be taken to the Greek mainland from where they would be transported by train to Auschwitz. A British submarine spotted the ship off the island of Santorini and, seeing its enemy flag, torpedoed it. Everyone on board was killed and the Jewish community in Chania was completely wiped out in this tragic incident. Today the Etz Hayyim Synagogue stands in the same place, surrounded by a dense maze of alleyways and streets which radiate down to Chania’s Old Harbour. Read the full story of the Jewish Ghetto in Chania on my Crete blog feature Where to Visit: Chania is a popular Cretan holiday resort with many flights from UK airports. The Jewish Quarter’s maze of streets is a highlight of any visit. It’s also possible to join a tour of the old synagogue. Daugavpils – Massacre of the Jews Photographs: The old Jewish quarter today and in its heyday (left and top right) and the Daugavpils Citadel today. Daugavpils is Latvia’s second city, once known as ‘Dvinsk’, famous as a military stronghold, reflected in its star-shaped fortifications and almost impregnable citadel dating from Napoleonic times. The city once boasted a large Jewish community, making up around 50% of its population. Many Jews worked in commerce, industry and textiles – and there were 48 synagogues. It was also home to the artist Mark Rothko and his family before they emigrated to the USA in the early 1930s. He was one of the lucky escapees. In 1941 the Nazis occupied Latvia and it wasn’t long before they started their mass extermination of the Jews. Photographs: Dvinsk ghetto was established in the fortress (left) and the Jewish Holocaust memorial today (right). The Nazis established the Daugavpils/Dvinsk Ghetto and 14,000 Jews from the local area were herded into the old fortress. In early November 1941, the Germans killed most of the remaining Jews in the Daugavpils ghetto. Many of the ghetto inhabitants were shot in the Mežciems woods on the right bank of the river behind the fortress. It’s shocking to discover that this site of mass killings was in plain sight of the local neighbourhood. Tragically, less than 100 Jews survived and many of these died of disease or hunger. Outside the prison there is a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in Daugavpils. It’s one of the few nods to the erased history of the Jews in Daugavpils. Read the full story of Daugavpils and the Jews during World War Two Where to Visit: Daugavpils is tucked away in the far eastern corner of Latvia, close to the Lithuanian border. It’s approximately 3-4 hours drive from Riga. I’d recommend hiring a car as public transport by bus/train is slow. Today you can still see the buildings of the old fortress and some of the areas where the Jews were incarcerated. Please be cautious on your visit as this part of the fortress is now a high security prison with armed guards. Buchenwald’s Death Camp – Germany Photographs: Prisoners liberated by the Allies from Buchenwald at the end of World War Two c/o Imperial War Museum. Nothing prepares you for your first trip to a concentration camp. Mine was a trip to Buchenwald in Germany where I vowed not to take any photographs at the time because it was such an overwhelming experience. It’s a decision I regret because it’s crucial that we never forget to share the extent of the atrocities committed here. The name Buchenwald is synonymous with one of the cruellest regimes of any Nazi concentration camp. By the end of the Second World War, Buchenwald had become the largest concentration camp in the German Reich. It was established in July 1937 when the SS cleared a forest area near Weimar in Germany to build a new concentration camp to house
If you’re an eighth grader who wants to take algebra, can you even take the class? The answer to that question, it turns out, depends a lot on two things: how your school identifies students for advanced math, and where you live. According to a new nationally representative survey released Tuesday, 65% of U.S. principals said their elementary or middle school offered algebra in eighth grade, but only to certain students. Meanwhile, just 20% of principals said their school offered the class in eighth grade and that any student could take it. But that picture differed by state. In California, nearly half of principals said their school offered algebra only to certain eighth graders. But in Florida, more than 80% of principals said the class was restricted. In both states, 18% of principals said any eighth grader could take the class, similar to the national rate. The findings, based on surveys conducted last spring by the RAND Corporation, shed light on the uneven access students have to advanced math classes in middle school, which can have lasting effects on their higher education and job prospects. Algebra is often considered a gateway class. Eighth graders who take the course can more easily reach calculus by 12th grade — which can set students up for challenging math classes in college and career paths in science and engineering fields. “The kids that aren’t in algebra by eighth grade, they can do that still,” said Julia Kaufman, a senior policy researcher at RAND, and the lead author of the report, “but they would have to do something special to get there,” such as doubling up on math or taking a summer class. The report also details the extent to which students are separated based on their perceived math abilities, starting as young as elementary school. More than 40% of elementary school principals told RAND researchers that their school grouped kids based on their math levels, mostly within the classroom. But by middle school, nearly 70% of principals said they grouped students in math. Most commonly, students were put into separate math classes on honors or career prep tracks, the report found. “The amount of achievement-level grouping — that it does start within classrooms in K-5 schools and that by middle school, students are typically grouped by achievement level more often than they’re not in their math classes — that’s something new,” Kaufman said. Become a Chalkbeat sponsor The findings come as parents and school leaders across the country engage in fierce debates over whether students should be able to take algebra before high school, and if so, what support students need to do well in the class. Notably, San Francisco Unified schools, which attracted national attention for a policy that prevented students from taking algebra until ninth grade, are poised to bring algebra back to middle schools following parent pushback. School officials there put the policy in place 10 years ago to help prepare more Black and Latino students and students from low-income families to pass algebra and access higher-level math classes — a goal that hasn’t panned out. The new survey data doesn’t look at whether tracking helps or hurts students’ math outcomes. And there are other factors that could affect whether students can access higher-level math classes, the report notes, such as differing teacher certification rules, school funding levels, and state policies. California’s state math guidelines encourage students to take algebra in ninth grade, for example, while New York schools are supposed to offer high school math to eighth graders who want to take it. But Kaufman says the report does suggest that schools should be looking at the criteria they use to group students in math, and whether it could be fueling racial or socioeconomic disparities. “We’re not giving a recommendation that nobody should be tracked,” Kaufman said. “But if you are grouping students, I think this report calls for you to consider whether the way students are grouped, and how, is biased. Are a lot of students of color, for example, in the lower track? What’s happening there?” Schools try various methods to expand algebra access Nationally, white and Asian American students are more likely than their Black and Hispanic classmates to enroll in and pass algebra in eighth grade, the latest federal data shows. Historically, students from low-income families have had less access to algebra in eighth grade, too. In Philadelphia, many students are blocked from the city’s most selective high school because their middle schools don’t offer algebra. Making algebra more accessible is part of the superintendent’s curriculum overhaul. School districts like Chicago have taken steps to expand access to algebra in eighth grade, such as offering the class online and covering costs for educators to get algebra teaching credentials. Historically, fewer students in the city’s predominantly Black and low-income neighborhoods have been able to take the class before high school. The RAND survey found that principals of more-affluent schools were much more likely than leaders of higher-poverty schools to say they considered parent or guardian requests to place students into advanced math classes. That could shortchange kids who don’t have a parent who can step in and do that kind of advocacy, Kaufman noted. Become a Chalkbeat sponsor The report urges schools to look at multiple data points to place students into higher-level math classes, and to consider experimenting with the cutoff scores used to identify which students can handle the harder math coursework. In Oklahoma, Union Public Schools is trying that, The Hechinger Report recently reported. The district, which serves parts of Tulsa and the city’s southeast suburbs, used to offer a pre-algebra placement test in fifth grade, just one time. But after school officials realized that was mostly funneling kids from elementary schools in whiter and wealthier neighborhoods into the advanced middle and high school math classes, they made changes. The district now allows students to take the fifth-grade placement test multiple times, and teachers can recommend promising students regardless of their score. That’s helped diversify advanced math classes, particularly for Hispanic students. Union Public Schools also added math tutoring starting in third grade — the kind of support that the RAND report says can be crucial for student success, but that many struggling students aren’t getting. More than three-quarters of middle school principals told the RAND researchers that less than half of their struggling students participated in math support options offered by their school, such as tutoring, double-dose math classes, or a summer math program for rising middle schoolers. That could point to the need for schools to universally screen kids for extra math help, or do more to make sure students and parents know about what help is offered. Schools may also need to change how the help is offered, such as moving after-school tutoring to during the school day or providing transportation so more kids can attend. Those are crucial steps, Kaufman said, at a time when many kids are struggling to close math gaps that cropped up when school was remote or disrupted in other ways by the pandemic. “I know tutoring is happening in a lot of places, it’s one of the priorities of the White House right now,” she said. But if tutoring is mostly offered to kids and parents who volunteer, “then the tutoring is not going to reach the kids who need it the most.” Kalyn Belsha is a senior national education reporter based in Chicago. Contact her at <email-pii>.	<urn:uuid:4773c062-1948-4e2b-a64c-6d6538ca460b>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475238.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301093751-20240301123751-00569.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9659045338630676, "pii_count": 1, "score": 2.625, "token_count": 1569, "url": "https://www.chalkbeat.org/2024/02/07/eighth-grade-algebra-access-math-tracking-rand-report/" }	If you’re an eighth grader who wants to take algebra, can you even take the class? The answer to that question, it turns out, depends a lot on two things: how your school identifies students for advanced math, and where you live. According to a new nationally representative survey released Tuesday, 65% of U.S. principals said their elementary or middle school offered algebra in eighth grade, but only to certain students. Meanwhile, just 20% of principals said their school offered the class in eighth grade and that any student could take it. But that picture differed by state. In California, nearly half of principals said their school offered algebra only to certain eighth graders. But in Florida, more than 80% of principals said the class was restricted. In both states, 18% of principals said any eighth grader could take the class, similar to the national rate. The findings, based on surveys conducted last spring by the RAND Corporation, shed light on the uneven access students have to advanced math classes in middle school, which can have lasting effects on their higher education and job prospects. Algebra is often considered a gateway class. Eighth graders who take the course can more easily reach calculus by 12th grade — which can set students up for challenging math classes in college and career paths in science and engineering fields. “The kids that aren’t in algebra by eighth grade, they can do that still,” said Julia Kaufman, a senior policy researcher at RAND, and the lead author of the report, “but they would have to do something special to get there,” such as doubling up on math or taking a summer class. The report also details the extent to which students are separated based on their perceived math abilities, starting as young as elementary school. More than 40% of elementary school principals told RAND researchers that their school grouped kids based on their math levels, mostly within the classroom. But by middle school, nearly 70% of principals said they grouped students in math. Most commonly, students were put into separate math classes on honors or career prep tracks, the report found. “The amount of achievement-level grouping — that it does start within classrooms in K-5 schools and that by middle school, students are typically grouped by achievement level more often than they’re not in their math classes — that’s something new,” Kaufman said. Become a Chalkbeat sponsor The findings come as parents and school leaders across the country engage in fierce debates over whether students should be able	to take algebra before high school, and if so, what support students need to do well in the class. Notably, San Francisco Unified schools, which attracted national attention for a policy that prevented students from taking algebra until ninth grade, are poised to bring algebra back to middle schools following parent pushback. School officials there put the policy in place 10 years ago to help prepare more Black and Latino students and students from low-income families to pass algebra and access higher-level math classes — a goal that hasn’t panned out. The new survey data doesn’t look at whether tracking helps or hurts students’ math outcomes. And there are other factors that could affect whether students can access higher-level math classes, the report notes, such as differing teacher certification rules, school funding levels, and state policies. California’s state math guidelines encourage students to take algebra in ninth grade, for example, while New York schools are supposed to offer high school math to eighth graders who want to take it. But Kaufman says the report does suggest that schools should be looking at the criteria they use to group students in math, and whether it could be fueling racial or socioeconomic disparities. “We’re not giving a recommendation that nobody should be tracked,” Kaufman said. “But if you are grouping students, I think this report calls for you to consider whether the way students are grouped, and how, is biased. Are a lot of students of color, for example, in the lower track? What’s happening there?” Schools try various methods to expand algebra access Nationally, white and Asian American students are more likely than their Black and Hispanic classmates to enroll in and pass algebra in eighth grade, the latest federal data shows. Historically, students from low-income families have had less access to algebra in eighth grade, too. In Philadelphia, many students are blocked from the city’s most selective high school because their middle schools don’t offer algebra. Making algebra more accessible is part of the superintendent’s curriculum overhaul. School districts like Chicago have taken steps to expand access to algebra in eighth grade, such as offering the class online and covering costs for educators to get algebra teaching credentials. Historically, fewer students in the city’s predominantly Black and low-income neighborhoods have been able to take the class before high school. The RAND survey found that principals of more-affluent schools were much more likely than leaders of higher-poverty schools to say they considered parent or guardian requests to place students into advanced math classes. That could shortchange kids who don’t have a parent who can step in and do that kind of advocacy, Kaufman noted. Become a Chalkbeat sponsor The report urges schools to look at multiple data points to place students into higher-level math classes, and to consider experimenting with the cutoff scores used to identify which students can handle the harder math coursework. In Oklahoma, Union Public Schools is trying that, The Hechinger Report recently reported. The district, which serves parts of Tulsa and the city’s southeast suburbs, used to offer a pre-algebra placement test in fifth grade, just one time. But after school officials realized that was mostly funneling kids from elementary schools in whiter and wealthier neighborhoods into the advanced middle and high school math classes, they made changes. The district now allows students to take the fifth-grade placement test multiple times, and teachers can recommend promising students regardless of their score. That’s helped diversify advanced math classes, particularly for Hispanic students. Union Public Schools also added math tutoring starting in third grade — the kind of support that the RAND report says can be crucial for student success, but that many struggling students aren’t getting. More than three-quarters of middle school principals told the RAND researchers that less than half of their struggling students participated in math support options offered by their school, such as tutoring, double-dose math classes, or a summer math program for rising middle schoolers. That could point to the need for schools to universally screen kids for extra math help, or do more to make sure students and parents know about what help is offered. Schools may also need to change how the help is offered, such as moving after-school tutoring to during the school day or providing transportation so more kids can attend. Those are crucial steps, Kaufman said, at a time when many kids are struggling to close math gaps that cropped up when school was remote or disrupted in other ways by the pandemic. “I know tutoring is happening in a lot of places, it’s one of the priorities of the White House right now,” she said. But if tutoring is mostly offered to kids and parents who volunteer, “then the tutoring is not going to reach the kids who need it the most.” Kalyn Belsha is a senior national education reporter based in Chicago. Contact her at <email-pii>.
Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Greener newsletter. Our limited newsletter series guides you on how to minimize your personal role in the climate crisis — and reduce your eco-anxiety. A tough, bell-shaped fungus that grows on the rotting bark of trees has been used as a fire starter for centuries, earning it the nickname “tinder fungus.” Now, researchers are taking a closer look at the molecular structure of this oddly powerful organism — and they’ve found that it could hold the secrets to replacing some types of plastics. Parts of the fungus, formally called Fomes fomentarius, were found to have similar structural strength to plywood or leather but at a lower weight, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. “F. fomentarius fruiting bodies are ingeniously lightweight biological designs, simple in composition but efficient in performance,” the study noted. “Growing the material using simple ingredients is an alternative solution to overcome the cost, time, mass production, and sustainability of how we make and consume materials in the future.” What makes F. fomentarius so strong Humans have long used F. fomentarius — also sometimes called “hoof fungus” because of its visual resemblance to a horse’s hoof — harvested in the wild to feed fires. It’s also been used to create some clothing items, including hats. But the fungus has only recently piqued the interest of the scientific community, according to the study. Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland sought to analyze the internal structure of F. fomentarius more in depth, getting a glimpse of the microstructures that give the fungus its uniquely strong yet lightweight consistency. What they found was extremely promising, said study coauthor Dr. Pezhman Mohammadi, a senior scientist at VTT. The fungus has structural integrity similar to certain grades of plastic and could be used to replace shock-absorbing materials used in things like football helmets and other sporting equipment; heat and sound insulators; and even consumer product parts, such as headset parts, Mohammadi said via email. F. fomentarius “has a very stiff and hard protective outer layer, has softer spongy mid-layer, and a strong and tough inner layer each (of which) could outperform a different class of man-made and natural materials,” Mohammadi added. Potential use of F. fomentarius The researchers are not suggesting that tinder fungus should be harvested from the wild and funneled into the industrial process. That wouldn’t be economically viable, Mohammadi noted, and F. fomentarius takes seven to 10 years to grow to a significant size. The fungus, which is very common across the Northern Hemisphere, also plays a crucial role in its ecosystem, blooming on the bark of rotting beech and birch trees to aid the decomposition process. But researchers have made promising steps toward growing the fungus or a similar species in a lab environment, Mohammadi said. “With the advances in industrial biotechnology, we forecast the production of Metric Tons in a matter of weeks in contrast to wild-type mushrooms that take years to grow,” Mohammadi wrote in an email. “For example in our research institute, we have 1000-liter pilot scale bioreactors where this could be carried out. “However, like any starting technology, it would take some years of R&D to be realized fully.”	<urn:uuid:bde4cc5a-474c-4982-ae7f-a510cd12c373>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947475238.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20240301093751-20240301123751-00036.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9357775449752808, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3, "token_count": 753, "url": "https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/22/world/fungus-replace-plastics-study-scn/index.html" }	Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Greener newsletter. Our limited newsletter series guides you on how to minimize your personal role in the climate crisis — and reduce your eco-anxiety. A tough, bell-shaped fungus that grows on the rotting bark of trees has been used as a fire starter for centuries, earning it the nickname “tinder fungus.” Now, researchers are taking a closer look at the molecular structure of this oddly powerful organism — and they’ve found that it could hold the secrets to replacing some types of plastics. Parts of the fungus, formally called Fomes fomentarius, were found to have similar structural strength to plywood or leather but at a lower weight, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. “F. fomentarius fruiting bodies are ingeniously lightweight biological designs, simple in composition but efficient in performance,” the study noted. “Growing the material using simple ingredients is an alternative solution to overcome the cost, time, mass production, and sustainability of how we make and consume materials in the future.” What makes F. fomentarius so strong Humans have long used F. fomentarius — also sometimes called “hoof fungus” because of its visual resemblance to a horse’s hoof — harvested in the wild to feed fires. It’s also been used to create some clothing items, including hats. But the fungus has only recently piqued the interest of the scientific community, according to the study. Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland sought to analyze the internal structure of F. fomentarius more in depth, getting a glimpse of the microstructures that give the fungus its uniquely strong yet lightweight consistency. What they found was extremely promising, said study coauthor Dr. Pezhman Mohammadi, a senior scientist at VTT. The fungus has structural integrity similar to certain grades of plastic and could be used to replace shock-absorbing materials used in things like football helmets and other sporting equipment; heat and sound insulators; and even consumer product parts, such as headset parts, Mohammadi said via email. F. fomentarius “has a very stiff and hard protective outer layer, has softer spongy mid-layer, and a strong and tough inner layer each (of which) could outperform a different class of man-made and natural materials,” Mohammadi added. Potential use of F. fomentarius The researchers are not suggesting that tinder fungus should be harvested from the wild and funneled into the industrial process. That	wouldn’t be economically viable, Mohammadi noted, and F. fomentarius takes seven to 10 years to grow to a significant size. The fungus, which is very common across the Northern Hemisphere, also plays a crucial role in its ecosystem, blooming on the bark of rotting beech and birch trees to aid the decomposition process. But researchers have made promising steps toward growing the fungus or a similar species in a lab environment, Mohammadi said. “With the advances in industrial biotechnology, we forecast the production of Metric Tons in a matter of weeks in contrast to wild-type mushrooms that take years to grow,” Mohammadi wrote in an email. “For example in our research institute, we have 1000-liter pilot scale bioreactors where this could be carried out. “However, like any starting technology, it would take some years of R&D to be realized fully.”
How often do you need a COVID booster shot? Yearly, new data suggests. Healthy people should get annual COVID-19 boosters to prevent widespread outbreaks, suggests a new study from Yale University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Yearly shots provide just enough frequency to prevent huge outbreaks while not putting an undue burden on people. "There seems to be an inflection point" at about a year, said senior author Jeffrey Townsend, a biostatistician and evolutionary biologist at the Yale School of Public Health. “Delaying boosting beyond that point rapidly increases the risk of an infection." Though federal officials have suggested annual shots, this study is the first to examine the long-term outcomes from a booster schedule and the first to show that boosters will be especially effective at intervals of no more than a year. The study, published this month, focused on people with healthy immune systems. Townsend and his colleagues are starting work on a similar study looking at the optimal vaccine interval for people with weakened immunity from cancer treatment and other health problems. What the study found: Annual shots prevent 75% of infections The researchers modeled antibody levels against the virus that causes COVID-19 if someone was boosted with a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine every six months, one year, 18 months, two years or three years over a six-year time span. Boosting twice a year reduced infections by more than 93%, the team found, but Townsend said it's not realistic to ask people to get vaccinated that often. Annual shots prevented 75% of infections, while waiting six more months reduced the rate of protection to just 55%. Shots every three years prevented just 24% of infections, the study found. "Delaying the administration of updated boosters has bleak repercussions," it concluded. Boosters won't prevent all infections For healthy people, "annual boosting really makes a difference," said Alex Dornburg, an expert in bioinformatics at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and a co-author of the study. Roughly 3 in 10 people will get infected with COVID-19 even with an annual shot, Dornburg said. But 9 in 10 will be infected without such updates. Not getting boosted triples the risk for infection over six years, co-author Hayley Hassler of Yale said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and most infectious disease experts encourage people of all ages to get boosters. The booster has to keep evolving, too The virus continues to evolve, "so we need to continually evolve the booster and keep it updated to the most prevalent variant," Hassler said. Over time, people will lose the ability to respond effectively to the virus without boosters or reinfections, Townsend said. The latest booster is directed at both the original coronavirus and the BA.4 and BA.5. Although these are not the most common variants anymore, the researchers said, the new booster is close enough to provide a benefit. LATEST:People who haven't had COVID will likely catch XBB.1.5 – and many will get reinfected, experts say Getting vaccinated vs. being infected The COVID-19 vaccines have side effects; they can make people feel miserable for a day or two. But an infection can be much worse, Dornburg said. In his own case, he felt terrible for two days after his first round of shots. When he caught COVID-19, though, his lungs hurt for weeks and he was winded climbing a single flight of stairs. "It was awful," he said. "That calibrated me a little bit differently." Contracting COVID-19 does provide protection against future infections, but like the vaccine, the protection fades over time, at roughly the same pace, Townsend said. And it's better not to get infected at all. "You can't end up in the hospital for an infection you didn't get," Townsend said. In another study published Wednesday, researchers from the World Health Organization examined 26 earlier papers and concluded that people who are vaccinated or infected remain better protected against severe disease a year later compared with those who are unvaccinated and never infected. A year after someone is both vaccinated and infected, they have a 95% reduced risk of getting severe COVID-19 or needing to be hospitalized, the study showed. Someone infected a year ago but not vaccinated had a 75% reduced risk. Getting infected and vaccined reduces the chance of reinfection a year later by 42%. Someone who was infected but not vaccinated had a 25% lower chance of reinfection. When will we have better vaccines? Unfortunately, said Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, the federal government has lost its momentum on vaccine development. "We need durable vaccines that would last multiple years against all variants," said Topol, who was not involved in the new research. "We're not getting the traction we need on these science projects. There's not the will, the resources, the priority." That means if a worse variant arises at some point, the U.S. "will have to be reactive instead of having all this ahead of time – and that would be really sad because we know the path to getting ahead of the virus and we're not doing it," he said. Topol believes nasal vaccines are needed to prevent more infections. Even if a nasal vaccine has to be given more often than shots, people won't mind as much. "I'm excited about it. I haven't seen anything to negate it," he said. "I'd be happy to take a spray every few months to prevent infection." Contact Karen Weintraub at <email-pii>. Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.	<urn:uuid:4abcf6ea-1ccb-4538-8078-1ce0e8a37d20>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-14", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943589.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321002050-20230321032050-00629.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9663576483726501, "pii_count": 1, "score": 3.09375, "token_count": 1247, "url": "https://www.statesman.com/story/news/health/2023/01/20/annual-covid-booster-shots/11079349002/" }	How often do you need a COVID booster shot? Yearly, new data suggests. Healthy people should get annual COVID-19 boosters to prevent widespread outbreaks, suggests a new study from Yale University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Yearly shots provide just enough frequency to prevent huge outbreaks while not putting an undue burden on people. "There seems to be an inflection point" at about a year, said senior author Jeffrey Townsend, a biostatistician and evolutionary biologist at the Yale School of Public Health. “Delaying boosting beyond that point rapidly increases the risk of an infection." Though federal officials have suggested annual shots, this study is the first to examine the long-term outcomes from a booster schedule and the first to show that boosters will be especially effective at intervals of no more than a year. The study, published this month, focused on people with healthy immune systems. Townsend and his colleagues are starting work on a similar study looking at the optimal vaccine interval for people with weakened immunity from cancer treatment and other health problems. What the study found: Annual shots prevent 75% of infections The researchers modeled antibody levels against the virus that causes COVID-19 if someone was boosted with a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine every six months, one year, 18 months, two years or three years over a six-year time span. Boosting twice a year reduced infections by more than 93%, the team found, but Townsend said it's not realistic to ask people to get vaccinated that often. Annual shots prevented 75% of infections, while waiting six more months reduced the rate of protection to just 55%. Shots every three years prevented just 24% of infections, the study found. "Delaying the administration of updated boosters has bleak repercussions," it concluded. Boosters won't prevent all infections For healthy people, "annual boosting really makes a difference," said Alex Dornburg, an expert in bioinformatics at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and a co-author of the study. Roughly 3 in 10 people will get infected with COVID-19 even with an annual shot, Dornburg said. But 9 in 10 will be infected without such updates. Not getting boosted triples the risk for infection over six years, co-author Hayley Hassler of Yale said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and most infectious disease experts encourage people of all ages to get boosters.	The booster has to keep evolving, too The virus continues to evolve, "so we need to continually evolve the booster and keep it updated to the most prevalent variant," Hassler said. Over time, people will lose the ability to respond effectively to the virus without boosters or reinfections, Townsend said. The latest booster is directed at both the original coronavirus and the BA.4 and BA.5. Although these are not the most common variants anymore, the researchers said, the new booster is close enough to provide a benefit. LATEST:People who haven't had COVID will likely catch XBB.1.5 – and many will get reinfected, experts say Getting vaccinated vs. being infected The COVID-19 vaccines have side effects; they can make people feel miserable for a day or two. But an infection can be much worse, Dornburg said. In his own case, he felt terrible for two days after his first round of shots. When he caught COVID-19, though, his lungs hurt for weeks and he was winded climbing a single flight of stairs. "It was awful," he said. "That calibrated me a little bit differently." Contracting COVID-19 does provide protection against future infections, but like the vaccine, the protection fades over time, at roughly the same pace, Townsend said. And it's better not to get infected at all. "You can't end up in the hospital for an infection you didn't get," Townsend said. In another study published Wednesday, researchers from the World Health Organization examined 26 earlier papers and concluded that people who are vaccinated or infected remain better protected against severe disease a year later compared with those who are unvaccinated and never infected. A year after someone is both vaccinated and infected, they have a 95% reduced risk of getting severe COVID-19 or needing to be hospitalized, the study showed. Someone infected a year ago but not vaccinated had a 75% reduced risk. Getting infected and vaccined reduces the chance of reinfection a year later by 42%. Someone who was infected but not vaccinated had a 25% lower chance of reinfection. When will we have better vaccines? Unfortunately, said Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, the federal government has lost its momentum on vaccine development. "We need durable vaccines that would last multiple years against all variants," said Topol, who was not involved in the new research. "We're not getting the traction we need on these science projects. There's not the will, the resources, the priority." That means if a worse variant arises at some point, the U.S. "will have to be reactive instead of having all this ahead of time – and that would be really sad because we know the path to getting ahead of the virus and we're not doing it," he said. Topol believes nasal vaccines are needed to prevent more infections. Even if a nasal vaccine has to be given more often than shots, people won't mind as much. "I'm excited about it. I haven't seen anything to negate it," he said. "I'd be happy to take a spray every few months to prevent infection." Contact Karen Weintraub at <email-pii>. Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
Ireland may be fortunate as it can avoid many of the extremes of climate change already happening elsewhere on the planet and more likely in the future, but that should not be cause for complacency. The country is experiencing heating unseen in the past 100,000 years or more — 17 of the 20 warmest years in Ireland’s history have occurred since 1990. And it brings the risk of radically changing our climate later this century, making it unrecognisable to the relatively benign one we have today. There can be no sugar-coating the findings of 23 Irish climate and energy experts, who have drawn up Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA). It looks at where the country stands in the face of a worsening crisis that is so evident in recent storms and floods, which were exacerbated by global warming. It is frank on knowledge gaps; unclear paths to the Holy Grail of climate neutrality; and weak implementation of Government policy on the critical fronts of reducing emissions and adapting for inevitable negative changes. But it’s far from being a doom-laden document. It sets out considerable benefits and opportunities from collective action; not just less nasty weather but improved economic development prospects, less air pollution and stopping nature loss. It focuses on solutions, explaining what climate cliches such as “societal transformation” and “just transition” really mean for different key players and provides tools that can help achieve such outcomes. The big “if” is providing there are rapid transformative actions across every sector of the economy that are reinforced by societal buy-in. “The future climate is in our collective hands,” it says. Halting warming globally, and in Ireland, will require rapidly reaching at least net-zero carbon dioxide and substantially cutting other greenhouse gas emissions. Every action matters as with every additional increment of warming, the impact on Ireland will increase substantially. Achieving net-zero emissions, preferably before 2050, should be our North Star. Put simply, that means balancing the amount of greenhouse gases we emit with the amount we remove or store. This is critical to stabilising our climate. For Ireland, it offers the prospect of reducing temperature rise and intensive rainfall relatively quickly. The analysis was commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency and conducted by academics and representatives of government departments and State agencies, a who’s who of Irish climate science. It is modelled on the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change approach, where leading climate scientists assess progress and likely scenarios. The ICCA localises its global assessments. Essentially, it says this is hard scientific evidence by evaluating more than 2,600 research papers applying to Ireland. Its four volumes encompass: - What the science says globally and how it applies to Ireland? In short, we are warming in line with global patterns, which is no cause for comfort; - How to cut emissions and achieve a climate-neutral Ireland? It notes big gaps where ways forward are unclear, especially in terms of agriculture and land use; - What is required to adapt for inevitable impacts especially increased flooding and more intense storms? It says adaptation planning is patchy with major cities vulnerable to flooding, storm surge and sea-level rise; - How to achieve “a climate-neutral, climate resilient, and sustainable Ireland”? This looks at realising benefits, opportunities and synergies if the country moves quickly. There are particularly worrying findings, such as that adaptation is “too slow and fragmented”. We are not adequately prepared for storms, floods and droughts likely coming around the corner. Ireland’s energy system is heavily dependent on fossil fuels when a “net-zero” power supply system is critical to other sectors decarbonising through electrification. There are well-established “no-regret options” that need to happen now, which can get us most of the way to net zero CO2 emissions, it finds. Beyond that, there are “future energy choices” relating to the scale and magnitude of technologies to help get us all the way. No-regret options include demand reduction (through energy efficiency and reduced consumption), electrification (electric vehicles and heat pumps), deployment of market-ready renewables (wind energy and solar) and low-carbon heating options (district heating), while future choices include hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy and electro fuels. Renewables can increasingly provide our future energy needs but will need to be complemented with CO2 removals — expensive and unproven — to achieve a net-zero energy system in hard-to-abate sectors. The elephant in the room, however, is the political and public disconnect between understanding climate science and taking appropriate action. The Irish public demonstrates a strong understanding of and support for climate action, yet there is a gap between the desire for action and realising change, it finds. The Irish news media is a primary source of information for people to learn about climate change “but is struggling to cover climate change to the extent that would fulfil its traditional roles of informing the public, acting as a watchdog, and holding authorities to account”, it concludes. It evaluates how to catalyse change by overcoming inertia and motivating individuals and organisations to act. “The collective action of individuals is one of the more effective ways for society to change policy and can enable the required systems transformations.” The ICCA underlines rewards that will come from rapid and sustained action while building on progress in train. “The potential for a faster, wider and deeper transformation offers the opportunity to enable a sustainable and resilient future, for a prosperous Ireland in a changing world,” it says. The Government claims its climate action plan, out for public consultation, is among the most ambitious in the world. The ICCA provides a timely mechanism to test that view, whereby its findings and projections should be cross-checked against this plan to ensure it is sufficiently robust and transformative. Evaluation of both documents suggests the answer to that question is in the negative. There is much to be done before the Cabinet signs off on its blueprint to counter an inevitably turbulent climate coming to our doorstep.	<urn:uuid:c14650c9-954e-46f2-8cff-312641f70306>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474700.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20240228080245-20240228110245-00394.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9340843558311462, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.40625, "token_count": 1268, "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/climate-crisis/2024/01/25/experts-offer-no-sugar-coating-of-big-climate-change-challenge-awaiting-ireland/" }	Ireland may be fortunate as it can avoid many of the extremes of climate change already happening elsewhere on the planet and more likely in the future, but that should not be cause for complacency. The country is experiencing heating unseen in the past 100,000 years or more — 17 of the 20 warmest years in Ireland’s history have occurred since 1990. And it brings the risk of radically changing our climate later this century, making it unrecognisable to the relatively benign one we have today. There can be no sugar-coating the findings of 23 Irish climate and energy experts, who have drawn up Ireland’s Climate Change Assessment (ICCA). It looks at where the country stands in the face of a worsening crisis that is so evident in recent storms and floods, which were exacerbated by global warming. It is frank on knowledge gaps; unclear paths to the Holy Grail of climate neutrality; and weak implementation of Government policy on the critical fronts of reducing emissions and adapting for inevitable negative changes. But it’s far from being a doom-laden document. It sets out considerable benefits and opportunities from collective action; not just less nasty weather but improved economic development prospects, less air pollution and stopping nature loss. It focuses on solutions, explaining what climate cliches such as “societal transformation” and “just transition” really mean for different key players and provides tools that can help achieve such outcomes. The big “if” is providing there are rapid transformative actions across every sector of the economy that are reinforced by societal buy-in. “The future climate is in our collective hands,” it says. Halting warming globally, and in Ireland, will require rapidly reaching at least net-zero carbon dioxide and substantially cutting other greenhouse gas emissions. Every action matters as with every additional increment of warming, the impact on Ireland will increase substantially. Achieving net-zero emissions, preferably before 2050, should be our North Star. Put simply, that means balancing the amount of greenhouse gases we emit with the amount we remove or store. This is critical to stabilising our climate. For Ireland, it offers the prospect of reducing temperature rise and intensive rainfall relatively quickly. The analysis was commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency and conducted by academics and representatives of government departments and State agencies, a who’s who of Irish climate science. It is modelled on the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change approach, where leading climate scientists assess progress and likely scenarios. The ICCA localises its global	assessments. Essentially, it says this is hard scientific evidence by evaluating more than 2,600 research papers applying to Ireland. Its four volumes encompass: - What the science says globally and how it applies to Ireland? In short, we are warming in line with global patterns, which is no cause for comfort; - How to cut emissions and achieve a climate-neutral Ireland? It notes big gaps where ways forward are unclear, especially in terms of agriculture and land use; - What is required to adapt for inevitable impacts especially increased flooding and more intense storms? It says adaptation planning is patchy with major cities vulnerable to flooding, storm surge and sea-level rise; - How to achieve “a climate-neutral, climate resilient, and sustainable Ireland”? This looks at realising benefits, opportunities and synergies if the country moves quickly. There are particularly worrying findings, such as that adaptation is “too slow and fragmented”. We are not adequately prepared for storms, floods and droughts likely coming around the corner. Ireland’s energy system is heavily dependent on fossil fuels when a “net-zero” power supply system is critical to other sectors decarbonising through electrification. There are well-established “no-regret options” that need to happen now, which can get us most of the way to net zero CO2 emissions, it finds. Beyond that, there are “future energy choices” relating to the scale and magnitude of technologies to help get us all the way. No-regret options include demand reduction (through energy efficiency and reduced consumption), electrification (electric vehicles and heat pumps), deployment of market-ready renewables (wind energy and solar) and low-carbon heating options (district heating), while future choices include hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy and electro fuels. Renewables can increasingly provide our future energy needs but will need to be complemented with CO2 removals — expensive and unproven — to achieve a net-zero energy system in hard-to-abate sectors. The elephant in the room, however, is the political and public disconnect between understanding climate science and taking appropriate action. The Irish public demonstrates a strong understanding of and support for climate action, yet there is a gap between the desire for action and realising change, it finds. The Irish news media is a primary source of information for people to learn about climate change “but is struggling to cover climate change to the extent that would fulfil its traditional roles of informing the public, acting as a watchdog, and holding authorities to account”, it concludes. It evaluates how to catalyse change by overcoming inertia and motivating individuals and organisations to act. “The collective action of individuals is one of the more effective ways for society to change policy and can enable the required systems transformations.” The ICCA underlines rewards that will come from rapid and sustained action while building on progress in train. “The potential for a faster, wider and deeper transformation offers the opportunity to enable a sustainable and resilient future, for a prosperous Ireland in a changing world,” it says. The Government claims its climate action plan, out for public consultation, is among the most ambitious in the world. The ICCA provides a timely mechanism to test that view, whereby its findings and projections should be cross-checked against this plan to ensure it is sufficiently robust and transformative. Evaluation of both documents suggests the answer to that question is in the negative. There is much to be done before the Cabinet signs off on its blueprint to counter an inevitably turbulent climate coming to our doorstep.
We know about extinct species from prehistory through fossils. What constitutes a fossil is known as a “fossil record.” These records include preserved remains, corporeal impressions and any biological trace of formerly living things from the past. Examples of fossil types are bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes. These fossils are used to provide as replete a depiction of the complete living being as possible. However, many fossil records are incomplete due to the elements of time and climate wearing them down. Bones, impressions and shell fragments are devoid of more detailed characteristics, like plumage or skin texture. They also do not always tell us about how the animal behaved in their natural environment. This is why artistic renderings of these species have been a valuable resource for understanding the latter in conjunction with the fossil records. Prehistoric art helps us compose a larger picture about extinct species and their relationship with other species, including early human civilization. These works of art reveal many things about animals, such as how climate and culture has impacted their existence. In the previous post, I wrote about how furniture conservator Bennett Bacon discovered a common motif among Ice Age cave art that revealed the behaviors and life cycles of native fauna, including extinct species like the auroch, the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. Prehistoric and ancient cave paintings have also helped modern day researchers distinguish the mobility of extinct megafauna. An example is Aboriginal rock paintings showing Procoptodon goliah, the largest known species of kangaroo, striding and hunched over on its hind legs, a trait that is markedly distinct from extant species of kangaroo. I also had a recent discussion with artist, educator and marine naturalist Richard Dolan, which got me thinking about the important responsibilities that artists take on when they depict the natural world. During our conversation Dolan said something incredibly poignant regarding why he started incorporating found objects into his artwork representing humpback whales: “it’s not the kind of art people want hanging in their homes, but it’s the kind of art that the whales are calling for.” We are dangerously close to a day when some species of whales face the prospect of extinction due to our actions. Unfortunately, throughout the history of art there is a fair share of artwork portraying animals that are no longer with us. One of these animals is the dodo, a large flightless bird endemic to the island of Mauritius, that went extinct in the mid-1660s. The painting shown above features a depiction of a dodo bird in the center. It is attributed to Ustad Mansur, a seventeenth century artist from the Mughal Empire. Since the dodo existed in a time before photography, and fossil records do not provide complete details about its appearance, the appearance of the dodo that is known to us today comes from seventeenth century art and literature. Many of these descriptions vary in accuracy (both in notating its physical and behavioral characteristics) because only a few were actually created while looking at a living bird. Mansur’s dodo bird is the largest figure in the center of a field of other birds, which include the blue-crowned hanging parrot (upper left) western tragopan (upper right), bar-headed goose (lower left) and painted sandgrouse (lower right). Scholars consider this image to be one of the most precise representations of the dodo bird since it was derived from observing a living specimen when two live birds were brought to India in the 1600s. Mansur’s painting is one of the rare colored images of the dodo in existence. Hopefully more recent naturalist themed art will not have to be contextualized in a manner similar to Mansur’s dodo bird painting. Like Dolan, who portrays the various threats whale populations face today, other contemporary artists have employed astute observational measures to raise our awareness and empathetic responses to endangered species. One of today’s endangered species are coral reefs. Yes, corals are actually animals, and they are teetering on the verge of irreversible calamity due to global water temperatures rising and toxins being introduced into their habitat. Most of these factors are human induced such as coral mining, agricultural and urban runoff, pollution, over fishing and blast fishing. Coral reefs are experience widespread bleaching, where they turn white as a response to environmental stress. Although bleaching does not immediately kill corals, it significantly compromises their overall structure and puts them at increased risk of death. It is estimated that over 50% of the world’s coral reefs could be destroyed by the 2030s. In response to the dire situation corals are experiencing, artists Margaret Wertheim and Christine Wertheim started the Crochet Coral Reef project. What began as an art installation intended to raise consciousness towards ecological conservation, has become one of the largest collaborative art projects in the history of art. The Crochet Coral Reef is an educational endeavor that is beneficial to helping us learn about environmental issues, while also honing participant’s skills in critical thinking, math, science and of course, fine art. Through roving workshops, the Wertheims facilitate conversation and insights about marine biology and prompt close observations of the impact the Anthropocene has on corals. Some of the materials that are used to crochet species of coral are the very materials that have put them on the brink of extinction, such as plastic trash. The beauty of the crotchet reef is juxtaposed with the harsh reality that our collective culture is pushing extraordinary lifeforms into oblivion. Participants and viewers are asked to reflect on these issues and realize that there are no immediate solutions, but that ecological conservation and prevention of accelerated climate change is a long and labor intensive process that is essential for not only the corals’ survival, but our own existence as well. The Wertheims assert that multidisciplinary, cooperative endeavors reveal, “what can we humans do when we work together, not ignoring ecological problems but also not capitulating to fantasies that rescue is around the corner from some sudden technological solution.” Creative collaboration is a direct action that needs to be consistently and widely applied in order to repair our damaged Earth. The arts give us the resources to shrewdly portray the fragility of our world. By contrasting the beauty of natural science with expressions of devastation, environmentally conscious art makes us acutely aware of how our behaviors can be the difference between extinction and the vitality of life. References, Notes, Suggested Reading: Brinkhof, Tim. “Cave paintings reveal what extinct animals may have looked like,” Big Think, 10 August 2022. https://bigthink.com/the-past/cave-paintings-australia-megafauna/ I look forward to watching the video. I chose extinction-threatened bird species to do a series of paintings in the pandemic years. One of my favourite artists is Franz Marc. Why you think he incorportated animals in his art? LikeLiked by 1 person That’s a really profound and poignant subject for a series during an ongoing pandemic, which really signifies how we reflect, connect and relate in times of natural disaster. I think for Marc, animals represented a representational subject matter that he considered more spiritually innocent than humanity. He has noted that his objective was to express the natural balance between animals and their environment. He also expressed an interest in pantheism. Both would explain his subjective incorporation of animals in his art. Thanks for reading my blog and for the great dialogue, Eric! LikeLiked by 1 person	<urn:uuid:e495cede-44a3-4414-8943-49717902e6dd>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-14", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945433.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20230326044821-20230326074821-00322.warc.gz", "int_score": 4, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9602039456367493, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.875, "token_count": 1582, "url": "https://theartsandeducation.wordpress.com/2023/01/26/art-conservators/" }	We know about extinct species from prehistory through fossils. What constitutes a fossil is known as a “fossil record.” These records include preserved remains, corporeal impressions and any biological trace of formerly living things from the past. Examples of fossil types are bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes. These fossils are used to provide as replete a depiction of the complete living being as possible. However, many fossil records are incomplete due to the elements of time and climate wearing them down. Bones, impressions and shell fragments are devoid of more detailed characteristics, like plumage or skin texture. They also do not always tell us about how the animal behaved in their natural environment. This is why artistic renderings of these species have been a valuable resource for understanding the latter in conjunction with the fossil records. Prehistoric art helps us compose a larger picture about extinct species and their relationship with other species, including early human civilization. These works of art reveal many things about animals, such as how climate and culture has impacted their existence. In the previous post, I wrote about how furniture conservator Bennett Bacon discovered a common motif among Ice Age cave art that revealed the behaviors and life cycles of native fauna, including extinct species like the auroch, the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. Prehistoric and ancient cave paintings have also helped modern day researchers distinguish the mobility of extinct megafauna. An example is Aboriginal rock paintings showing Procoptodon goliah, the largest known species of kangaroo, striding and hunched over on its hind legs, a trait that is markedly distinct from extant species of kangaroo. I also had a recent discussion with artist, educator and marine naturalist Richard Dolan, which got me thinking about the important responsibilities that artists take on when they depict the natural world. During our conversation Dolan said something incredibly poignant regarding why he started incorporating found objects into his artwork representing humpback whales: “it’s not the kind of art people want hanging in their homes, but it’s the kind of art that the whales are calling for.” We are dangerously close to a day when some species of whales face the prospect of extinction due to our actions. Unfortunately, throughout the history of art there is a fair share of artwork portraying animals that are no longer with us. One of these animals is the dodo, a large flightless bird endemic to the island of Mauritius, that went extinct in the mid-1660s. The painting shown	above features a depiction of a dodo bird in the center. It is attributed to Ustad Mansur, a seventeenth century artist from the Mughal Empire. Since the dodo existed in a time before photography, and fossil records do not provide complete details about its appearance, the appearance of the dodo that is known to us today comes from seventeenth century art and literature. Many of these descriptions vary in accuracy (both in notating its physical and behavioral characteristics) because only a few were actually created while looking at a living bird. Mansur’s dodo bird is the largest figure in the center of a field of other birds, which include the blue-crowned hanging parrot (upper left) western tragopan (upper right), bar-headed goose (lower left) and painted sandgrouse (lower right). Scholars consider this image to be one of the most precise representations of the dodo bird since it was derived from observing a living specimen when two live birds were brought to India in the 1600s. Mansur’s painting is one of the rare colored images of the dodo in existence. Hopefully more recent naturalist themed art will not have to be contextualized in a manner similar to Mansur’s dodo bird painting. Like Dolan, who portrays the various threats whale populations face today, other contemporary artists have employed astute observational measures to raise our awareness and empathetic responses to endangered species. One of today’s endangered species are coral reefs. Yes, corals are actually animals, and they are teetering on the verge of irreversible calamity due to global water temperatures rising and toxins being introduced into their habitat. Most of these factors are human induced such as coral mining, agricultural and urban runoff, pollution, over fishing and blast fishing. Coral reefs are experience widespread bleaching, where they turn white as a response to environmental stress. Although bleaching does not immediately kill corals, it significantly compromises their overall structure and puts them at increased risk of death. It is estimated that over 50% of the world’s coral reefs could be destroyed by the 2030s. In response to the dire situation corals are experiencing, artists Margaret Wertheim and Christine Wertheim started the Crochet Coral Reef project. What began as an art installation intended to raise consciousness towards ecological conservation, has become one of the largest collaborative art projects in the history of art. The Crochet Coral Reef is an educational endeavor that is beneficial to helping us learn about environmental issues, while also honing participant’s skills in critical thinking, math, science and of course, fine art. Through roving workshops, the Wertheims facilitate conversation and insights about marine biology and prompt close observations of the impact the Anthropocene has on corals. Some of the materials that are used to crochet species of coral are the very materials that have put them on the brink of extinction, such as plastic trash. The beauty of the crotchet reef is juxtaposed with the harsh reality that our collective culture is pushing extraordinary lifeforms into oblivion. Participants and viewers are asked to reflect on these issues and realize that there are no immediate solutions, but that ecological conservation and prevention of accelerated climate change is a long and labor intensive process that is essential for not only the corals’ survival, but our own existence as well. The Wertheims assert that multidisciplinary, cooperative endeavors reveal, “what can we humans do when we work together, not ignoring ecological problems but also not capitulating to fantasies that rescue is around the corner from some sudden technological solution.” Creative collaboration is a direct action that needs to be consistently and widely applied in order to repair our damaged Earth. The arts give us the resources to shrewdly portray the fragility of our world. By contrasting the beauty of natural science with expressions of devastation, environmentally conscious art makes us acutely aware of how our behaviors can be the difference between extinction and the vitality of life. References, Notes, Suggested Reading: Brinkhof, Tim. “Cave paintings reveal what extinct animals may have looked like,” Big Think, 10 August 2022. https://bigthink.com/the-past/cave-paintings-australia-megafauna/ I look forward to watching the video. I chose extinction-threatened bird species to do a series of paintings in the pandemic years. One of my favourite artists is Franz Marc. Why you think he incorportated animals in his art? LikeLiked by 1 person That’s a really profound and poignant subject for a series during an ongoing pandemic, which really signifies how we reflect, connect and relate in times of natural disaster. I think for Marc, animals represented a representational subject matter that he considered more spiritually innocent than humanity. He has noted that his objective was to express the natural balance between animals and their environment. He also expressed an interest in pantheism. Both would explain his subjective incorporation of animals in his art. Thanks for reading my blog and for the great dialogue, Eric! LikeLiked by 1 person
Heat wave redux brings "oppressive" conditions to 70 million people The heat wave that just won't quit is bringing dangerously hot conditions from the Southern Plains to parts of the Mississippi River Valley, Gulf Coast, and increasingly, the Southwest, through the weekend. The big picture: Heat alerts are in effect for about 70 million people from Georgia to Kansas, as well as an area in Arizona and southeastern California. - The National Weather Service is predicting "oppressive heat" underneath the persistent heat dome across the South Central U.S. - The NWS warns of "extremely dangerous" peak heat indices of above 110°F across the Gulf Coastal states from this weekend into next week, posing major health risks. - "A few locations could see a heat index approaching or exceeding 120°F," the NWS stated. What's next: Computer models show that the heat dome currently locking hot, humid air in place across the South-Central states will shift westward with time, pushing temperatures higher from Phoenix into California's Central Valley region. - Phoenix, which set numerous all-time heat records in July, is already back to highs exceeding 110°F for the foreseeable future, through late next week at least, per NWS forecasts. - The city reached a high of 111°F on Wednesday, which begins a new string of days with high temperatures of 110°F or higher. - The city already broke its all-time record stream of days with a high of 110°F or higher during 31 straight days. This beat the old record by 13 days. - It is possible that Phoenix will set a record high for the month of August, as will a number of other communities in the Southwest. - Scientists have long known that climate change makes heat extremes more severe, longer lasting and more likely to occur, but the rise of attribution research has enabled more definitive statements to be made. What they're saying: The NWS is warning about the heat wave's longevity, which is especially problematic since many areas have been experiencing similar conditions for about one to three months. - "The heat will be most persistent in the south-central U.S., where it may last through the end of next week with no relief," the NWS Weather Prediction Center stated in a Tweet. - It also highlighted the Southwest as an area of expanding and intensifying heat. Threat level: One side effect of the heat wave and below average Southwest monsoon is the development of drought conditions in parts of Arizona and New Mexico. - In addition, drought conditions are forecast to expand in Texas. Extreme heat is the country's biggest weather-related killer in a typical year, but it is often a silent one since heat-related deaths can be difficult to classify on death certificates. - One recent study estimated the about 60,000 people died in Europe as a result of last year's heat waves, illustrating the potential for large numbers of fatalities, especially for those without air conditioning access and who have preexisting medical conditions. What's next: Projections from the NWS Climate Prediction Center show the warmer than average conditions across the southern tier of the U.S. are likely to continue through at least the end of August.	<urn:uuid:68a96d78-c32c-4db5-90a9-eadc48b2efed>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-40", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510810.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20231001073649-20231001103649-00615.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9487379193305969, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.984375, "token_count": 667, "url": "https://www.axios.com/2023/08/03/heat-wave-gulf-coast-texas-arizona" }	Heat wave redux brings "oppressive" conditions to 70 million people The heat wave that just won't quit is bringing dangerously hot conditions from the Southern Plains to parts of the Mississippi River Valley, Gulf Coast, and increasingly, the Southwest, through the weekend. The big picture: Heat alerts are in effect for about 70 million people from Georgia to Kansas, as well as an area in Arizona and southeastern California. - The National Weather Service is predicting "oppressive heat" underneath the persistent heat dome across the South Central U.S. - The NWS warns of "extremely dangerous" peak heat indices of above 110°F across the Gulf Coastal states from this weekend into next week, posing major health risks. - "A few locations could see a heat index approaching or exceeding 120°F," the NWS stated. What's next: Computer models show that the heat dome currently locking hot, humid air in place across the South-Central states will shift westward with time, pushing temperatures higher from Phoenix into California's Central Valley region. - Phoenix, which set numerous all-time heat records in July, is already back to highs exceeding 110°F for the foreseeable future, through late next week at least, per NWS forecasts. - The city reached a high of 111°F on Wednesday, which begins a new string of days with high temperatures of 110°F or higher. - The city already broke its all-time record stream of days with a high of 110°F or higher during 31 straight days. This beat the old record by 13 days. - It is possible that Phoenix will set a record high for the month of August, as will a number of other communities in the Southwest. - Scientists have long known that climate change makes heat extremes more severe, longer lasting and more likely to occur, but the rise of attribution research has enabled more definitive statements to be made. What they're saying: The NWS is warning about the heat wave's longevity, which is especially problematic since many areas have been experiencing similar conditions for about one to three months. - "The heat will be most persistent in the south-central U.S., where it may last through the end of next week with no relief," the NWS Weather Prediction Center stated in a Tweet. - It also highlighted the Southwest as an area of expanding and intensifying heat. Threat level: One side effect of the	heat wave and below average Southwest monsoon is the development of drought conditions in parts of Arizona and New Mexico. - In addition, drought conditions are forecast to expand in Texas. Extreme heat is the country's biggest weather-related killer in a typical year, but it is often a silent one since heat-related deaths can be difficult to classify on death certificates. - One recent study estimated the about 60,000 people died in Europe as a result of last year's heat waves, illustrating the potential for large numbers of fatalities, especially for those without air conditioning access and who have preexisting medical conditions. What's next: Projections from the NWS Climate Prediction Center show the warmer than average conditions across the southern tier of the U.S. are likely to continue through at least the end of August.
Heat wave affects 45 million people from Southwest to Miss. Valley The big picture: The high-pressure area aloft, or heat dome, responsible for this event is moving out of Mexico, parking itself over Texas this week. - This is causing the spread of dangerously hot and humid conditions to the Southwest all the way to the Mississippi Valley. - Records are likely to be broken again in Texas, in particular, where daytime high temperatures will soar well into the triple digits. - Heat indices could once again top 120°F in Texas on Monday, NWS forecasts show. Threat level: The prospect of Texas’ largest cities seeing near or record highs temperatures on consecutive days could mean an even bigger test of the state’s electrical grid than has occurred so far during this heat wave. - The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the grid, issued another weather watch for this week, indicating a heightened awareness of energy demand and supply issues. - ERCOT is forecasting the possibility of setting a new peak in electricity demand record this week, only days after a record was set on June 19th. - Already during this heat wave, more than 30 monthly and all-time temperature records have been set or tied in Texas; it is possible that the state record high of 120°F will be threatened. - Del Rio, Texas has seen 8-straight record days through June 25, the NWS stated. Between the lines: Extreme heat is the top weather-related killer in the U.S. during a typical year, and the long duration of this event is increasing the risks since many areas continue to see overnight lows failing to drop below the low 80s. - This prevents people from getting overnight relief, and can be a big factor in causing heat-related illnesses. - The NWS warned in a forecast discussion Monday morning that heat indices could exceed 120°F at times in South Texas this week. - "Temperature records are in danger of being broken during this significant heat wave," forecasters wrote. Context: Climate change is causing heat waves to be more intense, longer-lasting and more likely to occur. - Studies in recent years have shown that some extreme heat events would not have occurred in the absence of human-caused climate change. - Scientists have estimated that the extreme heat in Texas is at least five times more likely to occur now than in a preindustrial climate. What they’re saying: “With oppressive heat across the Southern U.S. not going anywhere soon, it's CRUCIAL to practice heat safety no matter where you are," the NWS said Sunday afternoon.	<urn:uuid:1467ed14-1185-4782-aa7e-ed22ab856709>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-50", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100229.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20231130161920-20231130191920-00887.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9517782330513, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.203125, "token_count": 549, "url": "https://www.axios.com/2023/06/26/heat-wave-weather-nws-warnings-texas" }	Heat wave affects 45 million people from Southwest to Miss. Valley The big picture: The high-pressure area aloft, or heat dome, responsible for this event is moving out of Mexico, parking itself over Texas this week. - This is causing the spread of dangerously hot and humid conditions to the Southwest all the way to the Mississippi Valley. - Records are likely to be broken again in Texas, in particular, where daytime high temperatures will soar well into the triple digits. - Heat indices could once again top 120°F in Texas on Monday, NWS forecasts show. Threat level: The prospect of Texas’ largest cities seeing near or record highs temperatures on consecutive days could mean an even bigger test of the state’s electrical grid than has occurred so far during this heat wave. - The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the grid, issued another weather watch for this week, indicating a heightened awareness of energy demand and supply issues. - ERCOT is forecasting the possibility of setting a new peak in electricity demand record this week, only days after a record was set on June 19th. - Already during this heat wave, more than 30 monthly and all-time temperature records have been set or tied in Texas; it is possible that the state record high of 120°F will be threatened. - Del Rio, Texas has seen 8-straight record days through June 25, the NWS stated. Between the lines: Extreme heat is the top weather-related killer in the U.S. during a typical year, and the long duration of this event is increasing the risks since many areas continue to see overnight lows failing to drop below the low 80s. - This prevents people from getting overnight relief, and can be a big factor in causing heat-related illnesses. - The NWS warned in a forecast discussion Monday morning that heat indices could exceed 120°F at times in South Texas this week. - "Temperature records are in danger of being broken during this significant heat wave," forecasters wrote. Context: Climate change is causing heat waves to be more intense, longer-lasting and more likely to occur. - Studies in recent years have shown that some extreme heat events would not have occurred in the absence of human-caused climate change. - Scientists have estimated that the extreme heat in Texas is at least five times more likely to occur now than in a preindustrial climate. What they’re saying: “With	oppressive heat across the Southern U.S. not going anywhere soon, it's CRUCIAL to practice heat safety no matter where you are," the NWS said Sunday afternoon.
AI's scariest mystery Why it matters: This may be the scariest aspect of today's AI boom — and it's common knowledge among AI's builders, though not widely understood by everyone else. - "It is not at all clear — not even to the scientists and programmers who build them — how or why the generative language and image models work," Palantir CEO Alex Karp wrote recently in The New York Times. What's happening: For decades, we've used computer systems that, given the same input, provide the same output. - Generative AI systems, by contrast, aim to spin out multiple possibilities from a single prompt. - You can easily end up with different answers to the same question. The element of randomness in generative AI operates on a scale — involving up to trillions of variables — that makes it challenging to dissect how the technology arrives at a particular answer. - Sure, ultimately it's all math. But that's like saying the human body is all atoms. It's true! When you need to solve a problem in a reasonable span of time, though, it doesn't always help. Driving the news: Four researchers published a paper Thursday showing that users can defeat "guardrails" meant to bar AI systems from, for instance, explaining "how to make a bomb." - The major chatbots, like ChatGPT, Bing and Bard, won't answer that question when asked directly. But they'll go into great detail if you append some additional code to the prompt. - "It is possible that the very nature of deep learning models makes such threats inevitable," the researchers wrote. If you can't predict exactly how the system will respond to a new prompt, you can't build guardrails that will hold. Between the lines: Since AI developers can't easily explain the systems' behavior, their field today operates as much by oral tradition and shared tricks as by hard science. - "It’s part of the lore of neural nets that — in some sense — so long as the setup one has is 'roughly right,'" mathematician Stephen Wolfram wrote in February. "[I]t's usually possible to home in on details just by doing sufficient training," he added, "without ever really needing to 'understand at an engineering level' quite how the neural net has ended up configuring itself." Of note: These systems can be tuned to be relatively more or less random — to provide wider or narrower variation in their responses. - Developers call this setting their model's "temperature." - Temperature control, Wolfram wrote, is where the "voodoo" kicks in: - "For some reason — that maybe one day we’ll have a scientific-style understanding of — if we always pick the highest-ranked word, we’ll typically get a very 'flat' essay, that never seems to 'show any creativity' (and even sometimes repeats word for word). But if sometimes (at random) we pick lower-ranked words, we get a 'more interesting' essay." The other side: Some experts maintain that "we don't understand AI" is a self-serving myth. - "The blackboxness of neural networks is vastly exaggerated," Princeton computer scientist Arvind Narayanan tweeted earlier this year. "We have fantastic tools to reverse engineer them. The barriers are cultural (building things is seen as cooler than understanding) and political (funding for companies vs. for research on societal impact)." - Other critics argue that the "we don't know how it works" claim is a dodge that helps AI companies avoid accountability. What to watch: It's still an open question whether AI makers will be able, over time, to provide deeper and better answers for why and how their systems work. - But the more companies build AI that can legibly document its choices and decision paths, the more likely we are to get those answers.	<urn:uuid:4a9bbbf9-4483-4799-9987-702bb9e3305a>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474671.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227053544-20240227083544-00133.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.957741916179657, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.84375, "token_count": 816, "url": "https://www.axios.com/2023/07/30/how-artificial-intelligence-works-unknowns" }	AI's scariest mystery Why it matters: This may be the scariest aspect of today's AI boom — and it's common knowledge among AI's builders, though not widely understood by everyone else. - "It is not at all clear — not even to the scientists and programmers who build them — how or why the generative language and image models work," Palantir CEO Alex Karp wrote recently in The New York Times. What's happening: For decades, we've used computer systems that, given the same input, provide the same output. - Generative AI systems, by contrast, aim to spin out multiple possibilities from a single prompt. - You can easily end up with different answers to the same question. The element of randomness in generative AI operates on a scale — involving up to trillions of variables — that makes it challenging to dissect how the technology arrives at a particular answer. - Sure, ultimately it's all math. But that's like saying the human body is all atoms. It's true! When you need to solve a problem in a reasonable span of time, though, it doesn't always help. Driving the news: Four researchers published a paper Thursday showing that users can defeat "guardrails" meant to bar AI systems from, for instance, explaining "how to make a bomb." - The major chatbots, like ChatGPT, Bing and Bard, won't answer that question when asked directly. But they'll go into great detail if you append some additional code to the prompt. - "It is possible that the very nature of deep learning models makes such threats inevitable," the researchers wrote. If you can't predict exactly how the system will respond to a new prompt, you can't build guardrails that will hold. Between the lines: Since AI developers can't easily explain the systems' behavior, their field today operates as much by oral tradition and shared tricks as by hard science. - "It’s part of the lore of neural nets that — in some sense — so long as the setup one has is 'roughly right,'" mathematician Stephen Wolfram wrote in February. "[I]t's usually possible to home in on details just by doing sufficient training," he added, "without ever really needing to 'understand at an engineering level' quite how the neural net has ended up configuring itself." Of note: These systems can be tuned to be relatively more or less random — to provide wider or narrower variation in their responses. - Developers call this setting	their model's "temperature." - Temperature control, Wolfram wrote, is where the "voodoo" kicks in: - "For some reason — that maybe one day we’ll have a scientific-style understanding of — if we always pick the highest-ranked word, we’ll typically get a very 'flat' essay, that never seems to 'show any creativity' (and even sometimes repeats word for word). But if sometimes (at random) we pick lower-ranked words, we get a 'more interesting' essay." The other side: Some experts maintain that "we don't understand AI" is a self-serving myth. - "The blackboxness of neural networks is vastly exaggerated," Princeton computer scientist Arvind Narayanan tweeted earlier this year. "We have fantastic tools to reverse engineer them. The barriers are cultural (building things is seen as cooler than understanding) and political (funding for companies vs. for research on societal impact)." - Other critics argue that the "we don't know how it works" claim is a dodge that helps AI companies avoid accountability. What to watch: It's still an open question whether AI makers will be able, over time, to provide deeper and better answers for why and how their systems work. - But the more companies build AI that can legibly document its choices and decision paths, the more likely we are to get those answers.
“I got a letter from LBJ, It said, ‘This is your lucky day...’” -- “Lyndon Johnson Told A Nation,” by Tom Paxton, 1965 March 29, 2023, will be marked as the 50th anniversary of U.S. troops returning home from the Vietnam War. The date is also recognized annually as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. This article seeks to provide a basic understanding of a key component of this tragic, controversial war: The draft, and those who faced the possibility of being drafted. When I graduated from Salt Lake City’s East High School in 1964, very few young men in my class gave the draft much thought, even though the draft had been in effect since World War II. Little did we know that in a few months, thanks to the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, many of us would be giving it serious consideration. Just like other young men our age would do for the next nine years. Yes, the Vietnam War became an important part of our lives because of the draft. An article written by a draftee, Ron Schroeder, in a recent edition of “The VVA Veteran” magazine tells us, “1.8 million men were drafted, 648,500 served in Vietnam.” It goes on to say, “Of the more than 58,000 American deaths in the war, just over 30 percent (17,571) were draftees.” Many more were wounded, and thousands now suffer from the ill effects of Agent Orange. It was commonly thought by young men who were draft eligible that, if you were drafted, you would be sent to Vietnam. It was also said that draftees would have to serve in a combat unit. This was not always true. Others talked about what appeared to be controversial decisions associated with the draft. However, it could also be that it was just the luck of the draw. The word “karma” was very popular during the war. Deferments were a major way that potential draftees could avoid military service. The most popular of these were college deferments. Some say that this is why enrollment in postsecondary programs spiked during the war. Others add that this was the most unfair part of the draft system, because those who could not afford to go to college stood a greater chance of being drafted. Some young men who did not want to be dratted fled the U.S. to foreign countries. Canada, being close, and English-speaking, was a popular destination. Others were jailed. Many of them burned their draft cards, and marched in the streets in protest. They often shouted, “Hell no! We won’t go!” Hundreds of thousands of those who evaded the draft were later pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. It has been said that many members of today’s military, all of whom are volunteers, might not want to serve with a draftee, primarily because they do not see someone who is forced to serve becoming the dedicated type of warrior the military needs. This was definitely not the case in Vietnam. Most draftees served in the Army. They were integrated with volunteers from day one. I have kept in touch with four members of my Army unit in Vietnam for 55 years. Three were drafted, and two of us volunteered. We were assigned to serve in Long Binh, Vietnam, during 1967-1968. This was two years before Ron Schroeder served there. The only differences between us was that, in those days, draftees had a US designation before their serial numbers, and volunteers had an RA designation before theirs. Also, in the Army, draftees served for two years, and volunteers served for three. That’s it. To this day, my Vietnam buddies are the finest soldiers I have ever met. We remain Best Friends Forever (BFF). Currently, the drums of war are silent, but they may not remain so for long. If there is another catastrophic war, it may be necessary to rely on the draft again. We can only hope that those who are called to arms do as well as those who served during the Vietnam War. A 1970s bumper sticker said it best, “All gave some, and some gave all.” Luciano S. Martinez, Murray, is a retired Utah educator, a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.	<urn:uuid:a0c15cd8-24c8-4907-849d-7cdad882a2cc>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-23", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224656788.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20230609164851-20230609194851-00050.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9896656274795532, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.796875, "token_count": 948, "url": "https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2023/03/27/luciano-s-martinez-vietnam-draft/" }	“I got a letter from LBJ, It said, ‘This is your lucky day...’” -- “Lyndon Johnson Told A Nation,” by Tom Paxton, 1965 March 29, 2023, will be marked as the 50th anniversary of U.S. troops returning home from the Vietnam War. The date is also recognized annually as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. This article seeks to provide a basic understanding of a key component of this tragic, controversial war: The draft, and those who faced the possibility of being drafted. When I graduated from Salt Lake City’s East High School in 1964, very few young men in my class gave the draft much thought, even though the draft had been in effect since World War II. Little did we know that in a few months, thanks to the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, many of us would be giving it serious consideration. Just like other young men our age would do for the next nine years. Yes, the Vietnam War became an important part of our lives because of the draft. An article written by a draftee, Ron Schroeder, in a recent edition of “The VVA Veteran” magazine tells us, “1.8 million men were drafted, 648,500 served in Vietnam.” It goes on to say, “Of the more than 58,000 American deaths in the war, just over 30 percent (17,571) were draftees.” Many more were wounded, and thousands now suffer from the ill effects of Agent Orange. It was commonly thought by young men who were draft eligible that, if you were drafted, you would be sent to Vietnam. It was also said that draftees would have to serve in a combat unit. This was not always true. Others talked about what appeared to be controversial decisions associated with the draft. However, it could also be that it was just the luck of the draw. The word “karma” was very popular during the war. Deferments were a major way that potential draftees could avoid military service. The most popular of these were college deferments. Some say that this is why enrollment in postsecondary programs spiked during the war. Others add that this was the most unfair part of the draft system, because those who could not afford to go to college stood a greater chance of being drafted. Some young men who did not want to be dratted	fled the U.S. to foreign countries. Canada, being close, and English-speaking, was a popular destination. Others were jailed. Many of them burned their draft cards, and marched in the streets in protest. They often shouted, “Hell no! We won’t go!” Hundreds of thousands of those who evaded the draft were later pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. It has been said that many members of today’s military, all of whom are volunteers, might not want to serve with a draftee, primarily because they do not see someone who is forced to serve becoming the dedicated type of warrior the military needs. This was definitely not the case in Vietnam. Most draftees served in the Army. They were integrated with volunteers from day one. I have kept in touch with four members of my Army unit in Vietnam for 55 years. Three were drafted, and two of us volunteered. We were assigned to serve in Long Binh, Vietnam, during 1967-1968. This was two years before Ron Schroeder served there. The only differences between us was that, in those days, draftees had a US designation before their serial numbers, and volunteers had an RA designation before theirs. Also, in the Army, draftees served for two years, and volunteers served for three. That’s it. To this day, my Vietnam buddies are the finest soldiers I have ever met. We remain Best Friends Forever (BFF). Currently, the drums of war are silent, but they may not remain so for long. If there is another catastrophic war, it may be necessary to rely on the draft again. We can only hope that those who are called to arms do as well as those who served during the Vietnam War. A 1970s bumper sticker said it best, “All gave some, and some gave all.” Luciano S. Martinez, Murray, is a retired Utah educator, a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
Some of the “forever chemicals” that scientists have linked to various health risks were found at five locations along the Mississippi River in Louisiana at levels well above the EPA’s most recent guidance, according to a new report. The chemicals, classified under the umbrella of PFAS, or per- and poly-fluorinated substances, were found in samples of Mississippi River water this summer, stretching from Pointe Coupée Parish to St. James Parish, according to a report produced by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans — an advocacy group that focuses on the needs of the urban water sector. PFAS chemicals, of which there are more than 9,000 varieties, are ubiquitous in the United States and around the world. The synthetic chemicals, which have been widely used in consumer products like non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers and plastic containers — and in various industries like aeronautics, construction and electronics – tend to break down very slowly, hence the “forever chemical” moniker. A National Toxicology review found that both PFOS and PFOA are “presumed to be” immune hazards to humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PFAS may be linked to, among other things, increased cholesterol levels and a heightened risk of testicular or kidney cancer. High levels of exposure to PFBA was linked to thyroid and liver impacts in animals. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has seemingly struggled to catch up with regulating the emerging contaminants. It issued new advisories on the chemicals in June, lowering its recommendations from 70 parts per trillion (ppt) to 0.02 ppt for PFOS and 0.004 ppt for PFOA, both of which are interim standards. Some of the highest readings the Water Collaborative documented were levels of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) that exceeded, in one instance, the EPA’s new health advisory limits in water by more than 26,000%. The Water Collaborative’s study did not assign blame to any one industry, company or source of PFAS. But Rebecca Malpass, policy and research director of the Water Collaborative, would eventually like to see greater regulation of the contaminants. “We’re not just doing the study and moving on — we’re going to use this information to help community members advocate for themselves, build solutions, and work on policy changes,” she said. “Setting standards and requiring testing” would be one goal, she said during a press conference on Friday. While there are some options available for consumers to filter PFAS out of their drinking water, the technology available to water utilities is considerably expensive. One water utility in Cape Fear, North Carolina, however, is operating with granular activated carbon filters in an effort to filter out PFAS. Federal regulations may help persuade other utilities to pursue filtering at scale, Malpass said. The Water Collaborative sampled Mississippi River surface water at 31 locations in nine parishes from June 26, 2022 through July 2, 2022. The group also tested soil samples along the river. Approximately two thirds of Louisianians get their drinking water from ground sources like aquifers or wells. Others rely on surface water, including from the Mississippi River. In the absence of a general scientific consensus about the hazards of any given PFAS concentration, states have enacted a patchwork of their own regulations. According to data compiled last year, approximately thirty states, including Louisiana, lack regulations altogether, while the rest have adopted standards that can vary widely. For instance, California has a drinking water standard of 5.1 ppt standard for PFOA, while, at the other end of the spectrum, Nevada’s guidance for perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) is 667,000 ppt. Companies that produce a lot of PFAS chemicals, like 3M, based in Minnesota, have faced increased scrutiny and pressure, including from investors, to reform their manufacturing practices in order to reduce or eliminate their PFAS output. The company pledged last year to eliminate all PFAS output by the year 2025. The state of California sued 3M and DuPont last year over the “staggering” clean-up costs associated with the PFAS chemicals the state claims they’ve placed in the environment. The 2019 movie Dark Waters was inspired by a case involving the chemical PFOA, manufactured from a Teflon plant in West Virginia. DuPont and its spinoff Chemours Co. ultimately agreed to settle for $671 million the thousands of lawsuits stemming from the plant’s contamination that allegedly had been linked to six different diseases, including kidney and testicular cancers. The companies did not admit fault as part of the settlement. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) have both tested for PFAS, but in different capacities. Greg Langley, a spokesman for LDEQ, told The Lens that the agency has not done a “systematic survey for PFOS/PFOA” in the state, and as such, does not have a statewide database. But the agency does test for PFAS “as part of screening at remediation sites when we suspect PFOS was handled there,” he said. “LDEQ is aware there are many sources of PFOS/PFOA, and it’s a national problem,” Langley said. “We are closely following EPA’s rulemaking process concerning PFAS/PFOS. Right now there is only a risk number, not an enforceable standard.” LDH shared a dataset with The Lens that contains thousands of entries for PFAS testing the agency has conducted throughout the state – for both “treated” water test results and “untreated” water test results – starting in June 2019 and extending through November 2022. The vast majority of the entries in the dataset documented no signs of PFAS, per the EPA’s standards for minimum reporting levels, but some areas – including some that rely on the Mississippi River for their drinking water – tested positive. Surface water treatment plants in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. John and Ascension Parishes tested positive for at least one type of PFAS chemical, according to the data. The highest reading from that bunch, which were included in the treated dataset, came from New Orleans, which clocked in at 4.3 ng/l of PFOA. “Water systems that had test results for PFOS/PFOA above the new Interim Health Advisories for PFOS/PFOA were notified of that in June of 2022,” Kevin Litten, interim press secretary for LDH, told The Lens on Monday. “LDH will continue to sample water systems for PFAS compounds and provide guidance as needed.” The Water Collaborative’s findings are generally consistent with the concentration levels that researchers have observed elsewhere in the country, namely in the Great Lakes, Christina Remucal, associate professor and director of the water science and engineering laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told The Lens. One recent study published in the journal Environmental Research found elevated concentrations of PFAS in freshwater fish, especially those in the Great Lakes. Other research has documented PFAS in the region’s rainwater. A complicating factor at the moment in terms of evaluating the risks of PFAS concentrations is that the EPA has yet to publish maximum contaminant levels for certain PFAS chemicals, Remucal said. The EPA said it would produce proposed rules for PFOS and PFOA by the end of 2022. “The old [advisory] of 70 parts per trillion was too high – I think everyone thought that was way too high,” Remucal told The Lens. “And I think the new one kind of swung a little bit in the opposite direction.” The agency, though, says it’s working hard to produce a proposed regulation that, if finalized, would have some teeth for enforcement. The “EPA’s goal is to propose a PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) in the coming weeks,” the agency conveyed to The Lens on Tuesday in a statement. The proposed rule is currently pending interagency review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which is part of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). For the time being, researchers would benefit from more data with which to work, Remucal said, and it’s in that context that the Water Collaborative’s report is providing an essential service. “Because PFAS are not regulated at the federal level, there hasn’t been as much testing as there needs to be. So finding out where we have hotspots and where we don’t is really important,” she said. “It’s hard to get people to test,” she said, adding that if utilities “don’t have to test, they won’t.” Therefore, “anything that’s making people more aware is really important,” she said. This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an editorially independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism in partnership with Report For America and the Society of Environmental Journalists, funded by the Walton Family Foundation. The Water Collaborative also receives funding from the Walton Family Foundation. Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the location of the lead photograph in the story.	<urn:uuid:999167c1-9e63-4406-95d1-c7e5ce9e600c>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-06", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764500368.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20230207004322-20230207034322-00568.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9618328809738159, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.84375, "token_count": 2027, "url": "https://thelensnola.org/2023/01/25/forever-chemicals-detected-at-five-locations-in-lower-mississippi-river/" }	Some of the “forever chemicals” that scientists have linked to various health risks were found at five locations along the Mississippi River in Louisiana at levels well above the EPA’s most recent guidance, according to a new report. The chemicals, classified under the umbrella of PFAS, or per- and poly-fluorinated substances, were found in samples of Mississippi River water this summer, stretching from Pointe Coupée Parish to St. James Parish, according to a report produced by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans — an advocacy group that focuses on the needs of the urban water sector. PFAS chemicals, of which there are more than 9,000 varieties, are ubiquitous in the United States and around the world. The synthetic chemicals, which have been widely used in consumer products like non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers and plastic containers — and in various industries like aeronautics, construction and electronics – tend to break down very slowly, hence the “forever chemical” moniker. A National Toxicology review found that both PFOS and PFOA are “presumed to be” immune hazards to humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, PFAS may be linked to, among other things, increased cholesterol levels and a heightened risk of testicular or kidney cancer. High levels of exposure to PFBA was linked to thyroid and liver impacts in animals. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has seemingly struggled to catch up with regulating the emerging contaminants. It issued new advisories on the chemicals in June, lowering its recommendations from 70 parts per trillion (ppt) to 0.02 ppt for PFOS and 0.004 ppt for PFOA, both of which are interim standards. Some of the highest readings the Water Collaborative documented were levels of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) that exceeded, in one instance, the EPA’s new health advisory limits in water by more than 26,000%. The Water Collaborative’s study did not assign blame to any one industry, company or source of PFAS. But Rebecca Malpass, policy and research director of the Water Collaborative, would eventually like to see greater regulation of the contaminants. “We’re not just doing the study and moving on — we’re going to use this information to help community members advocate for themselves, build solutions, and work on policy changes,” she said. “Setting standards and requiring testing” would be one goal, she said during	a press conference on Friday. While there are some options available for consumers to filter PFAS out of their drinking water, the technology available to water utilities is considerably expensive. One water utility in Cape Fear, North Carolina, however, is operating with granular activated carbon filters in an effort to filter out PFAS. Federal regulations may help persuade other utilities to pursue filtering at scale, Malpass said. The Water Collaborative sampled Mississippi River surface water at 31 locations in nine parishes from June 26, 2022 through July 2, 2022. The group also tested soil samples along the river. Approximately two thirds of Louisianians get their drinking water from ground sources like aquifers or wells. Others rely on surface water, including from the Mississippi River. In the absence of a general scientific consensus about the hazards of any given PFAS concentration, states have enacted a patchwork of their own regulations. According to data compiled last year, approximately thirty states, including Louisiana, lack regulations altogether, while the rest have adopted standards that can vary widely. For instance, California has a drinking water standard of 5.1 ppt standard for PFOA, while, at the other end of the spectrum, Nevada’s guidance for perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) is 667,000 ppt. Companies that produce a lot of PFAS chemicals, like 3M, based in Minnesota, have faced increased scrutiny and pressure, including from investors, to reform their manufacturing practices in order to reduce or eliminate their PFAS output. The company pledged last year to eliminate all PFAS output by the year 2025. The state of California sued 3M and DuPont last year over the “staggering” clean-up costs associated with the PFAS chemicals the state claims they’ve placed in the environment. The 2019 movie Dark Waters was inspired by a case involving the chemical PFOA, manufactured from a Teflon plant in West Virginia. DuPont and its spinoff Chemours Co. ultimately agreed to settle for $671 million the thousands of lawsuits stemming from the plant’s contamination that allegedly had been linked to six different diseases, including kidney and testicular cancers. The companies did not admit fault as part of the settlement. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) have both tested for PFAS, but in different capacities. Greg Langley, a spokesman for LDEQ, told The Lens that the agency has not done a “systematic survey for PFOS/PFOA” in the state, and as such, does not have a statewide database. But the agency does test for PFAS “as part of screening at remediation sites when we suspect PFOS was handled there,” he said. “LDEQ is aware there are many sources of PFOS/PFOA, and it’s a national problem,” Langley said. “We are closely following EPA’s rulemaking process concerning PFAS/PFOS. Right now there is only a risk number, not an enforceable standard.” LDH shared a dataset with The Lens that contains thousands of entries for PFAS testing the agency has conducted throughout the state – for both “treated” water test results and “untreated” water test results – starting in June 2019 and extending through November 2022. The vast majority of the entries in the dataset documented no signs of PFAS, per the EPA’s standards for minimum reporting levels, but some areas – including some that rely on the Mississippi River for their drinking water – tested positive. Surface water treatment plants in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. John and Ascension Parishes tested positive for at least one type of PFAS chemical, according to the data. The highest reading from that bunch, which were included in the treated dataset, came from New Orleans, which clocked in at 4.3 ng/l of PFOA. “Water systems that had test results for PFOS/PFOA above the new Interim Health Advisories for PFOS/PFOA were notified of that in June of 2022,” Kevin Litten, interim press secretary for LDH, told The Lens on Monday. “LDH will continue to sample water systems for PFAS compounds and provide guidance as needed.” The Water Collaborative’s findings are generally consistent with the concentration levels that researchers have observed elsewhere in the country, namely in the Great Lakes, Christina Remucal, associate professor and director of the water science and engineering laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told The Lens. One recent study published in the journal Environmental Research found elevated concentrations of PFAS in freshwater fish, especially those in the Great Lakes. Other research has documented PFAS in the region’s rainwater. A complicating factor at the moment in terms of evaluating the risks of PFAS concentrations is that the EPA has yet to publish maximum contaminant levels for certain PFAS chemicals, Remucal said. The EPA said it would produce proposed rules for PFOS and PFOA by the end of 2022. “The old [advisory] of 70 parts per trillion was too high – I think everyone thought that was way too high,” Remucal told The Lens. “And I think the new one kind of swung a little bit in the opposite direction.” The agency, though, says it’s working hard to produce a proposed regulation that, if finalized, would have some teeth for enforcement. The “EPA’s goal is to propose a PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) in the coming weeks,” the agency conveyed to The Lens on Tuesday in a statement. The proposed rule is currently pending interagency review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which is part of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). For the time being, researchers would benefit from more data with which to work, Remucal said, and it’s in that context that the Water Collaborative’s report is providing an essential service. “Because PFAS are not regulated at the federal level, there hasn’t been as much testing as there needs to be. So finding out where we have hotspots and where we don’t is really important,” she said. “It’s hard to get people to test,” she said, adding that if utilities “don’t have to test, they won’t.” Therefore, “anything that’s making people more aware is really important,” she said. This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an editorially independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism in partnership with Report For America and the Society of Environmental Journalists, funded by the Walton Family Foundation. The Water Collaborative also receives funding from the Walton Family Foundation. Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the location of the lead photograph in the story.
I have featured this series over the last ten years on a regular basis for new readers who might have joined the blog. Our bodies are are greatest asset. It has a long road ahead of if from birth, through the teen years, work life, parenthood, middle age and then into our 70s and beyond. At every stage of our life healthy nutrition is essential to help the body develop and remain as disease free as possible. I appreciate that many of you may have read this series before three years ago, but I hope it will be a reminder of how amazing our bodies are, and simply eating the right foods, exercising moderately and not doing anything too reckless…will go a long way to enjoying later life to the full. In this first series of posts I am going to be exploring the brain and its functions. Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and other related conditions are rarely out of the headlines and it is probably everyone’s worst fear. There is a genetic link to some forms of dementia,but it is not as common as lifestyle related deterioration of the brain. Even though we are living longer, dementia is not an automatic progression and understanding how this amazing organ works and what it requires to be health, is vital. Part One: Brain introduction and anatomy How the brain from conception through life How the brain develops. We are hard wired and from the moment of conception there will be enforced changes to the structure and function of our brains. Whilst the process of development is beyond our control, there is still a powerful external influence on how well that programming is carried out. Before birth the health, nutrition, environment and lifestyle choices of the mother can impact both the rate of brain development and the health of the brain cells. After birth during the formative years up to age 15, environment, nutrition and stimulation of those brain cells is critical and if they do not receive sufficient amounts of all of these there is a chance that irreversible damage will occur. The development of the brain does not follow a straight upward line it comes in waves with certain parts of the brain achieving full function at different times. There is however a sequence that every brain will follow. At conception the sperm and the egg form a single cell combining to form the genetic blueprint. Over 60% of our genes are committed to forming our brain which is after all the control centre for all our other functions. Around three to four weeks into development a thin layer of cells form in the embryo, which then fold and fuse to form a liquid filled tube. This minute start is vital as it is the first stage in the development of the brain and spinal cord. This is followed by the production of nerve cells called neurons. At around 14 weeks with millions of cells in place a change occurs as they begin to migrate to specific parts of the neural network and the inbuilt GPS usually sends them to the correct address. Some do however get lost or damaged in transit and die off. Rarely however, some do reach the wrong destination and form incorrect connections and this coding error can lead to certain disorders such as autism or epilepsy, slower physical and mental development and in some cases more severe mental health issues. At 20 weeks about half the existing cells are shed and those that remain are organised into compartments within the brain that govern virtually every automatic function in our bodies and also our senses and skills. At birth we have around 100 billion brain cells and we begin the next stage in our development. Most of the connections between the neurons are barely formed and will need to be strengthened by the time we reach the age of three. A baby has most of the senses working at birth such as sight, smell, hearing and the ability to respond to touch. Immediately with that first breath the brain kicks into overdrive and forms trillions of connections and pathways enabling learning. As with the early development of the brain, it is vital that the environment, nutrition and stimulation are available to enable the brain to process and learn from experience. These experiences trigger the electrical activity necessary to enable the brain to develop connections and grow. These connections are called synapses. The connections are formed by each neuron putting out a long tentacle like fibre called an axon. The neuron uses the axon to send messages to other neurons. The messages are sent as electrical signals and picked up by thousands of short, hair like fibres called dendrites (also produced by the neurons). Each neuron is able to connect up with thousands of other neurons. It is then that ‘practice makes perfect’ comes into play as repeated experiences, sights, smells or movements form well-worn paths within the brain that we remember for a lifetime. By age two our brains have developed trillions of these pathways and although they continue to form throughout our lifetime they have reached their highest density. Our higher functioning ability is usually operational by age three and we begin to think for ourselves, use language effectively and have developed personality traits. After three years old we continue to absorb knowledge and experience like a sponge and the constant practice etches the functions into the brain. If that absorption ceases for some reason and we stop practicing certain functions, we can lose them completely as the brain discards little used pathways in favour of more travelled routes. This pruning process and strengthening of the connections in the brain is most active in the teen years. The prefrontal cortex is the last to mature and it involves the control of impulses and decision-making. Anyone who has had children going through this phase will have a clear understanding of the ‘challenges’ that arise during this phase! This powerful surge in the brain is accompanied by the added influx of hormones which results in a chemical and electrical ‘perfect storm’. There is a strong element of voluntary change at this stage of the development of the brain. It is around this age that we start making choices about what we eat, the amount of exercise we take, to take up smoking or drinking alcohol and to stop formal education. All these elements will affect the few years left of brain development we have left and therefore our mental capacity. The brain continues to defrag the mainframe and the strongest connections survive. By our early 20s our brain development is matured into a powerful and functioning organ with approximately 500 trillion pathways. At around 30 years old the physical changes will wind down in the brain and this is where even more of a voluntary contribution to growth, experience and maintenance is required to keep the pathways clear of debris such as plaque so that they continue to function efficiently. This phase lasts for the next 35 or 40 years. The brain cells are active and we contribute to their health by diet, stimulation and avoiding lifestyle choices that kill them off. Such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, not taking exercise, eating a diet rich in components that block our arteries and blood flow to the brain……you get the idea. After 65 years old there is a natural dying off of cells in certain parts of the brain. This does not mean that you will lose all your mental capacity, but little things will begin to make an impact on your daily functioning. For example brain cells lost from the Hippocampus where we process memories will result in forgetfulness. Then you find you have morphed into your mother… and hopefully will still have most of your marbles into your 90s! You are NOT destined to develop full blown dementia and you can make sure that you support your brain function by eating a healthy balanced diet, getting plenty of oxygen and regular exercise, reducing stress and interacting with others and events to stimulate the pathways to remain open. More so than at any other time in the lifespan of your brain, the voluntary choices and changes you make to your way of life will bring huge benefits. ©sally cronin Just Food for Health 1998 – 2023 Next week a closer look at Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia in general. A little bit about me nutritionally. . About Sally Cronin I am a qualified nutritional therapist with twenty-four years experience working with clients in Ireland and the UK as well as being a health consultant on radio in Spain. Although I write a lot of fiction, I actually wrote my first two books on health, the first one, Size Matters, a weight loss programme 21 years ago, based on my own weight loss of 154lbs. My first clinic was in Ireland, the Cronin Diet Advisory Centre and my second book, Just Food for Health was written as my client’s workbook. Since then I have written a men’s health manual, and anti-aging programme, articles for magazines, radio programmes and posts here on Smorgasbord. Thanks reading and I hope you will join me again next week…Sally.	<urn:uuid:e51948fd-3438-4079-9766-26ab81121ad6>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-06", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764499710.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20230129080341-20230129110341-00743.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9567333459854126, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.625, "token_count": 1787, "url": "https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2023/01/12/smorgasbord-health-column-2023-the-body-our-greatest-asset-the-brain-development-from-conception-to-old-age-by-sally-cronin/" }	I have featured this series over the last ten years on a regular basis for new readers who might have joined the blog. Our bodies are are greatest asset. It has a long road ahead of if from birth, through the teen years, work life, parenthood, middle age and then into our 70s and beyond. At every stage of our life healthy nutrition is essential to help the body develop and remain as disease free as possible. I appreciate that many of you may have read this series before three years ago, but I hope it will be a reminder of how amazing our bodies are, and simply eating the right foods, exercising moderately and not doing anything too reckless…will go a long way to enjoying later life to the full. In this first series of posts I am going to be exploring the brain and its functions. Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and other related conditions are rarely out of the headlines and it is probably everyone’s worst fear. There is a genetic link to some forms of dementia,but it is not as common as lifestyle related deterioration of the brain. Even though we are living longer, dementia is not an automatic progression and understanding how this amazing organ works and what it requires to be health, is vital. Part One: Brain introduction and anatomy How the brain from conception through life How the brain develops. We are hard wired and from the moment of conception there will be enforced changes to the structure and function of our brains. Whilst the process of development is beyond our control, there is still a powerful external influence on how well that programming is carried out. Before birth the health, nutrition, environment and lifestyle choices of the mother can impact both the rate of brain development and the health of the brain cells. After birth during the formative years up to age 15, environment, nutrition and stimulation of those brain cells is critical and if they do not receive sufficient amounts of all of these there is a chance that irreversible damage will occur. The development of the brain does not follow a straight upward line it comes in waves with certain parts of the brain achieving full function at different times. There is however a sequence that every brain will follow. At conception the sperm and the egg form a single cell combining to form the genetic blueprint. Over 60% of our genes are committed to forming our brain which is after all the control centre for all our other functions. Around three to four weeks into development a thin layer of cells form in the embryo, which then fold and fuse to form a liquid filled tube	. This minute start is vital as it is the first stage in the development of the brain and spinal cord. This is followed by the production of nerve cells called neurons. At around 14 weeks with millions of cells in place a change occurs as they begin to migrate to specific parts of the neural network and the inbuilt GPS usually sends them to the correct address. Some do however get lost or damaged in transit and die off. Rarely however, some do reach the wrong destination and form incorrect connections and this coding error can lead to certain disorders such as autism or epilepsy, slower physical and mental development and in some cases more severe mental health issues. At 20 weeks about half the existing cells are shed and those that remain are organised into compartments within the brain that govern virtually every automatic function in our bodies and also our senses and skills. At birth we have around 100 billion brain cells and we begin the next stage in our development. Most of the connections between the neurons are barely formed and will need to be strengthened by the time we reach the age of three. A baby has most of the senses working at birth such as sight, smell, hearing and the ability to respond to touch. Immediately with that first breath the brain kicks into overdrive and forms trillions of connections and pathways enabling learning. As with the early development of the brain, it is vital that the environment, nutrition and stimulation are available to enable the brain to process and learn from experience. These experiences trigger the electrical activity necessary to enable the brain to develop connections and grow. These connections are called synapses. The connections are formed by each neuron putting out a long tentacle like fibre called an axon. The neuron uses the axon to send messages to other neurons. The messages are sent as electrical signals and picked up by thousands of short, hair like fibres called dendrites (also produced by the neurons). Each neuron is able to connect up with thousands of other neurons. It is then that ‘practice makes perfect’ comes into play as repeated experiences, sights, smells or movements form well-worn paths within the brain that we remember for a lifetime. By age two our brains have developed trillions of these pathways and although they continue to form throughout our lifetime they have reached their highest density. Our higher functioning ability is usually operational by age three and we begin to think for ourselves, use language effectively and have developed personality traits. After three years old we continue to absorb knowledge and experience like a sponge and the constant practice etches the functions into the brain. If that absorption ceases for some reason and we stop practicing certain functions, we can lose them completely as the brain discards little used pathways in favour of more travelled routes. This pruning process and strengthening of the connections in the brain is most active in the teen years. The prefrontal cortex is the last to mature and it involves the control of impulses and decision-making. Anyone who has had children going through this phase will have a clear understanding of the ‘challenges’ that arise during this phase! This powerful surge in the brain is accompanied by the added influx of hormones which results in a chemical and electrical ‘perfect storm’. There is a strong element of voluntary change at this stage of the development of the brain. It is around this age that we start making choices about what we eat, the amount of exercise we take, to take up smoking or drinking alcohol and to stop formal education. All these elements will affect the few years left of brain development we have left and therefore our mental capacity. The brain continues to defrag the mainframe and the strongest connections survive. By our early 20s our brain development is matured into a powerful and functioning organ with approximately 500 trillion pathways. At around 30 years old the physical changes will wind down in the brain and this is where even more of a voluntary contribution to growth, experience and maintenance is required to keep the pathways clear of debris such as plaque so that they continue to function efficiently. This phase lasts for the next 35 or 40 years. The brain cells are active and we contribute to their health by diet, stimulation and avoiding lifestyle choices that kill them off. Such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, not taking exercise, eating a diet rich in components that block our arteries and blood flow to the brain……you get the idea. After 65 years old there is a natural dying off of cells in certain parts of the brain. This does not mean that you will lose all your mental capacity, but little things will begin to make an impact on your daily functioning. For example brain cells lost from the Hippocampus where we process memories will result in forgetfulness. Then you find you have morphed into your mother… and hopefully will still have most of your marbles into your 90s! You are NOT destined to develop full blown dementia and you can make sure that you support your brain function by eating a healthy balanced diet, getting plenty of oxygen and regular exercise, reducing stress and interacting with others and events to stimulate the pathways to remain open. More so than at any other time in the lifespan of your brain, the voluntary choices and changes you make to your way of life will bring huge benefits. ©sally cronin Just Food for Health 1998 – 2023 Next week a closer look at Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia in general. A little bit about me nutritionally. . About Sally Cronin I am a qualified nutritional therapist with twenty-four years experience working with clients in Ireland and the UK as well as being a health consultant on radio in Spain. Although I write a lot of fiction, I actually wrote my first two books on health, the first one, Size Matters, a weight loss programme 21 years ago, based on my own weight loss of 154lbs. My first clinic was in Ireland, the Cronin Diet Advisory Centre and my second book, Just Food for Health was written as my client’s workbook. Since then I have written a men’s health manual, and anti-aging programme, articles for magazines, radio programmes and posts here on Smorgasbord. Thanks reading and I hope you will join me again next week…Sally.
At least four locally transmitted cases of malaria were detected in Florida and Texas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Malaria was considered eliminated in the U.S. in 1951, and no locally acquired cases have been reported in 20 years. We’ve rounded up how experts are interpreting this resurgence. - Scientists have worried that longer and warmer summers lead to more favorable conditions for malaria-infected mosquitoes, in part because heat speeds up the time it takes for parasites to mature inside mosquitoes. “So not only are these mosquitoes living longer, but they’re potentially becoming infectious sooner,” Oliver Brady, an associate professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,” told CNN. The exact impact of climate change on the recent uptick in cases, though, is an open question, NPR reports. - The new cases underscore the need for policymakers to ensure that the U.S. has sophisticated surveillance systems in place to detect cases more quickly, Dyann F. Wirth, an infectious disease professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told Politico Pulse. “If you miss a malaria case, it could have a serious consequence for the patient, not to mention for transmission,” Wirth said. - Stopping a larger spread of malaria in the U.S. is “simple but not easy,” Wired reports. “Simple, because it requires only that people not bring the infection into the country.” But it’s not easy to control human movement, and thousands enter the U.S. from places where malaria is endemic, “whether as tourists, economic migrants, or asylum seekers and refugees.” - No, this isn’t Bill Gates’ fault. Conspiracy theories posted to social media claimed that the Florida and Texas cases were linked to an initiative backed by Gates that involved releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. But that biotech company doesn’t work with the kind of mosquitoes that transmit malaria. And the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation doesn’t finance any such projects in the U.S., an Associated Press fact check found. Most U.S. malaria cases are diagnosed after a person travels to a country where malaria is common and then returns home, according to the CDC. The locally transmitted cases happen after those infected humans are bit by domestic mosquitos, who then carry the virus and infect other people. Globally, the number of malaria cases has risen in recent years, from 232 million in 2019 to 247 million in 2021, according to the World Health Organization. There were an estimated 619,000 deaths linked to malaria in 2021.	<urn:uuid:3f051db6-6eed-4bba-877a-5a39f71923a8>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-40", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506669.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20230924191454-20230924221454-00490.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9411988854408264, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.4375, "token_count": 566, "url": "https://www.semafor.com/article/07/05/2023/what-it-means-malaria-cases-detected-in-the-us" }	At least four locally transmitted cases of malaria were detected in Florida and Texas, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Malaria was considered eliminated in the U.S. in 1951, and no locally acquired cases have been reported in 20 years. We’ve rounded up how experts are interpreting this resurgence. - Scientists have worried that longer and warmer summers lead to more favorable conditions for malaria-infected mosquitoes, in part because heat speeds up the time it takes for parasites to mature inside mosquitoes. “So not only are these mosquitoes living longer, but they’re potentially becoming infectious sooner,” Oliver Brady, an associate professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,” told CNN. The exact impact of climate change on the recent uptick in cases, though, is an open question, NPR reports. - The new cases underscore the need for policymakers to ensure that the U.S. has sophisticated surveillance systems in place to detect cases more quickly, Dyann F. Wirth, an infectious disease professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told Politico Pulse. “If you miss a malaria case, it could have a serious consequence for the patient, not to mention for transmission,” Wirth said. - Stopping a larger spread of malaria in the U.S. is “simple but not easy,” Wired reports. “Simple, because it requires only that people not bring the infection into the country.” But it’s not easy to control human movement, and thousands enter the U.S. from places where malaria is endemic, “whether as tourists, economic migrants, or asylum seekers and refugees.” - No, this isn’t Bill Gates’ fault. Conspiracy theories posted to social media claimed that the Florida and Texas cases were linked to an initiative backed by Gates that involved releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in the U.S. But that biotech company doesn’t work with the kind of mosquitoes that transmit malaria. And the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation doesn’t finance any such projects in the U.S., an Associated Press fact check found. Most U.S. malaria cases are diagnosed after a person travels to a country where malaria is common and then returns home, according to the CDC. The locally transmitted cases happen after those infected humans are bit by domestic mosquitos, who then carry the virus and infect other people. Globally, the number of malaria cases has risen in recent years, from 232 million in 2019 to 247	million in 2021, according to the World Health Organization. There were an estimated 619,000 deaths linked to malaria in 2021.
Ask Rowan Reid which is the best species of tree to plant and he'll give a wry smile and a surprising answer. "I'm not really sure." Four decades as a forester and a lifetime of planting farm forestry trees might not have answered that simple question. But they have reaffirmed one long-realised fact: timber is an increasingly scarce and valuable commodity worldwide, especially the eco-friendly plantation timbers Mr Reid grows on his farm. "When people come here, they've never seen a forest like this, because there is a person who has been involved in the management of those trees while they grow," he said. There are 70 species spaced across the 40-hectare property at Bambra in south-west Victoria. When Mr Reid arrived in 1987, it was a denuded dairy farm, almost bereft of vegetation. Now it's a lush world of natives and exotics and a drawcard for tour groups, especially farmers keen to integrate tree growing and timber production into their enterprise. Beneath the canopy, sheep graze contentedly on the rich pasture, proof that agriforestry can co-exist with livestock production. The trees have flourished and so has the biodiversity. The towering eucalypts planted in the late 1980s are gradually being felled and replaced by an emerging understorey of rare rainforest trees and premium timber varieties such as Australian red cedar. For agriforestry to succeed, Rowan Reid continually stresses the need for careful maintenance. Trees need to be carefully established and then later systematically pruned of low branches to a height of 6 metres. The end goal is a long, straight log, free of knots and blemishes, that will yield stable, valuable timber. "Maintenance is essential. What we need to do is to have a campaign and a program that supports active management of forests on farms and stop this notion that it's just plant, walk away and let nature take its course," Mr Reid said On a gentle slope beside a stream, Mr Reid recently harvested the fruits of his foresight. He has grown and milled much of the timber being used to build his architect-designed house, including a 35-year-old mountain ash eucalypt with a girth of more than 80 centimetres. Using his portable sawmill, he has sawn the timber into stair treads. His pine trees have supplied much of the framing timber. His abundance of fine timber has been a blessing at a time when Australia's construction industry has seen a severe shortage of building timbers. "This has been a great opportunity that I had standing trees that I could convert for this purpose, and I think it's going to save us a lot of money," Mr Reid said. Growing timber for the future was Mr Reid's aim when he started the Otway Agriforestry Network in 1987. His neighbour, sheep farmer Andrew Stewart, also began revegetating his family's property at that time. "Rowan has been a real catalyst about stimulating ideas about agriforestry," Mr Stewart said. "He's got this wonderful combination of combining the scientific theory and the practice and making it happen in a living classroom on his property." The Stewart family quickly realised that plantation-grown trees could provide far more than shelter and shade for stock. "At that stage, we were addressing the issues that we had here, which was erosion, salting, exposure, all those sorts of things," Jill Stewart said. Andrew, Jill and Andrew's brother Hugh began planting trees all over their property. "The creek lines and the drainage lines, the salt-affected areas, [we] planted those out as well, planted out the water-logged areas, the remnant vegetation areas," Andrew Stewart said. "We hooked all those up into a web of connected trees across the farm for wildlife corridors and for shade and shelter for the stock." Three decades on the Otway Agriforestry group has grown to 200 members and its collective foresight and hard work have transformed the landscape in every direction. The group can measure how much carbon the trees are sequestering using GPS tags on each tree that can be scanned using a smartphone app. That, along with the growing value of these timber trees, is an emerging market. "We're still producing the same amount of agricultural production as in prime lambs and wool now with 18 to 20 per cent tree cover compared to when we had 3 per cent tree cover," Mr Stewart said. Andrew and Jill were recently named as national Landcare winners for their farm revegetation efforts. They've also established a flourishing native wildflower business on a once barren, exposed hillside and have plans to establish another plot to meet the surging demand. Like the Stewarts, Rowan Reid talks of planting trees now and carefully tending them for future generations to come. "Use the time you have as a landholder as an opportunity to flip it into a new opportunity for the next generation. "It's really exciting when you do that." Watch ABC TV's Landline at 12:30pm on Sunday or on ABC iview.	<urn:uuid:e21267be-7c47-410a-aac7-00a7730e34e6>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474674.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227085429-20240227115429-00438.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9721751809120178, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.53125, "token_count": 1082, "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-26/forestry-timber-from-eco-friendly-plantations-yield-rewards/102015876" }	Ask Rowan Reid which is the best species of tree to plant and he'll give a wry smile and a surprising answer. "I'm not really sure." Four decades as a forester and a lifetime of planting farm forestry trees might not have answered that simple question. But they have reaffirmed one long-realised fact: timber is an increasingly scarce and valuable commodity worldwide, especially the eco-friendly plantation timbers Mr Reid grows on his farm. "When people come here, they've never seen a forest like this, because there is a person who has been involved in the management of those trees while they grow," he said. There are 70 species spaced across the 40-hectare property at Bambra in south-west Victoria. When Mr Reid arrived in 1987, it was a denuded dairy farm, almost bereft of vegetation. Now it's a lush world of natives and exotics and a drawcard for tour groups, especially farmers keen to integrate tree growing and timber production into their enterprise. Beneath the canopy, sheep graze contentedly on the rich pasture, proof that agriforestry can co-exist with livestock production. The trees have flourished and so has the biodiversity. The towering eucalypts planted in the late 1980s are gradually being felled and replaced by an emerging understorey of rare rainforest trees and premium timber varieties such as Australian red cedar. For agriforestry to succeed, Rowan Reid continually stresses the need for careful maintenance. Trees need to be carefully established and then later systematically pruned of low branches to a height of 6 metres. The end goal is a long, straight log, free of knots and blemishes, that will yield stable, valuable timber. "Maintenance is essential. What we need to do is to have a campaign and a program that supports active management of forests on farms and stop this notion that it's just plant, walk away and let nature take its course," Mr Reid said On a gentle slope beside a stream, Mr Reid recently harvested the fruits of his foresight. He has grown and milled much of the timber being used to build his architect-designed house, including a 35-year-old mountain ash eucalypt with a girth of more than 80 centimetres. Using his portable sawmill, he has sawn the timber into stair treads. His pine trees have supplied much of the framing timber. His abundance of fine timber	has been a blessing at a time when Australia's construction industry has seen a severe shortage of building timbers. "This has been a great opportunity that I had standing trees that I could convert for this purpose, and I think it's going to save us a lot of money," Mr Reid said. Growing timber for the future was Mr Reid's aim when he started the Otway Agriforestry Network in 1987. His neighbour, sheep farmer Andrew Stewart, also began revegetating his family's property at that time. "Rowan has been a real catalyst about stimulating ideas about agriforestry," Mr Stewart said. "He's got this wonderful combination of combining the scientific theory and the practice and making it happen in a living classroom on his property." The Stewart family quickly realised that plantation-grown trees could provide far more than shelter and shade for stock. "At that stage, we were addressing the issues that we had here, which was erosion, salting, exposure, all those sorts of things," Jill Stewart said. Andrew, Jill and Andrew's brother Hugh began planting trees all over their property. "The creek lines and the drainage lines, the salt-affected areas, [we] planted those out as well, planted out the water-logged areas, the remnant vegetation areas," Andrew Stewart said. "We hooked all those up into a web of connected trees across the farm for wildlife corridors and for shade and shelter for the stock." Three decades on the Otway Agriforestry group has grown to 200 members and its collective foresight and hard work have transformed the landscape in every direction. The group can measure how much carbon the trees are sequestering using GPS tags on each tree that can be scanned using a smartphone app. That, along with the growing value of these timber trees, is an emerging market. "We're still producing the same amount of agricultural production as in prime lambs and wool now with 18 to 20 per cent tree cover compared to when we had 3 per cent tree cover," Mr Stewart said. Andrew and Jill were recently named as national Landcare winners for their farm revegetation efforts. They've also established a flourishing native wildflower business on a once barren, exposed hillside and have plans to establish another plot to meet the surging demand. Like the Stewarts, Rowan Reid talks of planting trees now and carefully tending them for future generations to come. "Use the time you have as a landholder as an opportunity to flip it into a new opportunity for the next generation. "It's really exciting when you do that." Watch ABC TV's Landline at 12:30pm on Sunday or on ABC iview.
Proving a photo is fake is one thing. Proving it isn’t is another But, for the reporting of war crimes, it matters That truth is the first casualty of war is an old aphorism. One recent instance is the proliferation of images and videos of things that did not happen, in wars such as those currently going on in Ukraine and Syria. Some of these are outright fakes. Others are manipulated versions of honestly recorded material. Last year a doctored video appeared of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, apparently telling Ukrainian soldiers to surrender. The proliferation of such fakes has, though, led to a second, more subtle approach to lying with images. This is to use their ubiquity to cast doubt on the veracity of inconvenient pictures that are real. Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, for example, the Associated Press released a video of doctors failing to revive a young girl who had been hit in the shelling of Mariupol. The footage soon appeared on Russian television with the word “fake” stamped on it. Since it is hard to prove a negative (ie, that material has not been doctored), such evidence may thus be challenged, possibly even in court, and allegations of crimes based on that evidence may, as a result, not stick. Ways to establish the authenticity of digital imagery would therefore be valuable. And one is now available. “Glass-to-glass” warning systems create special software “ecosystems” within which pictures and video can be taken, stored and transmitted in a way that alerts viewers to alterations, no matter when and where those changes are introduced in an image’s journey from lens to screen. A plate of hash One such system has been developed by eyeWitness to Atrocities, a charity based in London. The app at its core does two things. First, when a photo or video is taken by a phone fitted with that app, it records the time and location of the event, as reported by hard-to-deny electronic witnesses such as GPS satellites and nearby mobile-phone towers and Wi-Fi networks. This is known as the controlled capture of metadata, and is more secure than collecting such metadata from the phone itself, because a phone’s time and location settings can be changed. Second, the app reads the image’s entire digital sequence (the zeros and ones which represent it) and uses a standard mathematical formula to calculate an alphanumeric value, known as a hash, unique to that picture. All this done, it then puts the metadata and the hash into a file called a proof bundle that is separate from the image and sends an encrypted copy of the image and its proof bundle to a special server. Wendy Betts, director of eyeWitness to Atrocities, describes this server as a digital evidence locker. If an image’s authenticity needs to be verified, it suffices to rescan its digital sequence, recalculate its hash, and then ask the repository whether or not it contains an identical hash. If even a single pixel of the image has been altered, the recalculated hash will not match the original. If it does match, then the image has not been retouched. As an additional service, roughly 80 lawyers, each working for the charity without pay for a few hours a week, review the incoming images. They package those which seem to record abuses into dossiers that are then sent to prosecuting authorities including Europol (a law-enforcement agency of the European Union), the International Criminal Court and Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor-General. Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor-general himself, is a fan of the eyeWitness system—and not just because it provides the security of authenticity that courts require. He also likes the fact that it helps overcome a second obstacle to his efforts: witnesses’ fear of being found out. In areas of Ukraine that are occupied by Russia, this is a serious risk. Were soldiers manning a checkpoint, for example, to discover on someone’s phone video evidence collected by that person of war crimes, the consequences could be severe. To make this less likely to happen, the app’s icon does not reveal its purpose. Moreover, if it is then tapped by a probing official and an incorrect passcode entered, that opens the phone’s normal photo gallery. Maryna Slobodianiuk, lead investigator at Truth Hounds, a human-rights group in Kyiv, says of the evidence of attacks she has collected using eyeWitness: “Even if I will be captured…no one will reach it.” The first version of eyeWitness’s system, available gratis, was released in 2015, so most of the bugs have been dealt with. Uptake in Ukraine has soared over the past year. Ms Betts says that of the 40,000 submissions received in 2022 which her team considers relevant for investigations, more than 27,000 were sent from Ukraine. Police officers and journalists are particularly eager users. So are analysts at the Ukrainian Healthcare Centre, a think-tank in Kyiv that employs the app to gather evidence of attacks on medical facilities. Nor is eyeWitness the only provider of glass-to-glass services. The Guardian Project, in Valhalla, New York, has released a smartphone app called ProofMode. Like eyeWitness, ProofMode combines controlled-capture metadata and the image’s hash into a proof bundle. Instead of operating the receiving server itself, though, ProofMode uses repositories run by other firms, such as Google, which log them in the fashion of a notary. Viewers of an image taken with ProofMode can upload it to a Guardian Project website that recalculates its hash and checks the repositories for a match. If it fails to find one, the image is declared altered. Soon, the Guardian Project will add a new feature, Synchrony. This will link an image’s location and time-of-capture to OpenStreetMap, an online cartography of the world, and also to a detailed geographical record of the world’s weather over the past few years (which one, has yet to be decided). That will make it easy to check for inconsistencies between the place and time someone claims a picture was taken, and the local landscape and the weather conditions on that day. The idea, says Nathan Freitas, the Guardian Project’s founder, is to “sync images to the real world as it was”. He hopes to link to other databases, as well—including those that record when and where street protests have happened. A third operator, Truepic, of La Jolla, California, is taking a more commercial approach. Charities pay nothing to use its software, but companies that employ it to keep an eye on things like supply chains, progress at construction sites, compliance with loan terms, and the whereabouts and condition of expensive kit, must stump up. Truepic provides two services. One scans smartphones for malware designed to facilitate the falsification of metadata. The other spots so-called rebroadcasting attacks, in which a doctored image is photographed to create a new picture, which thereby lacks traces of tampering in its code. Mounir Ibrahim, once a member of America’s diplomatic corps (he served, inter alia, in Damascus, a hotbed of photographic deception), and now head of public affairs at Truepic, is cagey about how this is done. But the trick, he notes, is to look for clues that all of an image’s pixels have recorded a uniformly flat surface. In 2021 Truepic joined forces with Adobe, ARM, the BBC, Intel and Microsoft to form the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). This is trying to create a set of image-authentication technological standards for makers of hardware and software. The aim is to eliminate the need to fuss with special apps. Instead, the coalition wants metadata capture, hashing and the transmission of data to repositories to take place behind the scenes and without royalties. If C2PA’s standards were widely adopted, even web browsers would be able to check an online repository of hashes and put a warning on images with no match. Eventually, hashes might be distributed automatically across blockchain ledgers. The Starling Lab, based at Stanford University, is running trials of such a system. Hurdles, however, remain. Jonathan Dotan, the Starling Lab’s founding director, points to one in particular. The technology could potentially allow authoritarian regimes to identify devices, and thus people, who have taken damning pictures. Researchers, he says, must first find a way to make such tracing impossible. Transparency is all very well, but even the good guys recognise that, sometimes, too much of it can be too much of a good thing. ■ Curious about the world? To enjoy our mind-expanding science coverage, sign up to Simply Science, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter. This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "What is truth?" From the January 14th 2023 edition Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition Brain scanning suggests activity patterns cluster with ideology Soon, game players will able to pick things up—and feel the bullets, when they are hit Micro LEDS produce sharper digital displays	<urn:uuid:39852ec2-c6e1-496b-b6f7-f793974b699f>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-06", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764500095.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20230204075436-20230204105436-00368.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9521172642707825, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.53125, "token_count": 1964, "url": "https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/01/09/proving-a-photo-is-fake-is-one-thing-proving-it-isnt-is-another" }	Proving a photo is fake is one thing. Proving it isn’t is another But, for the reporting of war crimes, it matters That truth is the first casualty of war is an old aphorism. One recent instance is the proliferation of images and videos of things that did not happen, in wars such as those currently going on in Ukraine and Syria. Some of these are outright fakes. Others are manipulated versions of honestly recorded material. Last year a doctored video appeared of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, apparently telling Ukrainian soldiers to surrender. The proliferation of such fakes has, though, led to a second, more subtle approach to lying with images. This is to use their ubiquity to cast doubt on the veracity of inconvenient pictures that are real. Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, for example, the Associated Press released a video of doctors failing to revive a young girl who had been hit in the shelling of Mariupol. The footage soon appeared on Russian television with the word “fake” stamped on it. Since it is hard to prove a negative (ie, that material has not been doctored), such evidence may thus be challenged, possibly even in court, and allegations of crimes based on that evidence may, as a result, not stick. Ways to establish the authenticity of digital imagery would therefore be valuable. And one is now available. “Glass-to-glass” warning systems create special software “ecosystems” within which pictures and video can be taken, stored and transmitted in a way that alerts viewers to alterations, no matter when and where those changes are introduced in an image’s journey from lens to screen. A plate of hash One such system has been developed by eyeWitness to Atrocities, a charity based in London. The app at its core does two things. First, when a photo or video is taken by a phone fitted with that app, it records the time and location of the event, as reported by hard-to-deny electronic witnesses such as GPS satellites and nearby mobile-phone towers and Wi-Fi networks. This is known as the controlled capture of metadata, and is more secure than collecting such metadata from the phone itself, because a phone’s time and location settings can be changed. Second, the app reads the image’s entire digital sequence (the zeros and ones which represent it) and uses a standard mathematical formula to calculate an alphanumeric value, known as a hash, unique to that picture	. All this done, it then puts the metadata and the hash into a file called a proof bundle that is separate from the image and sends an encrypted copy of the image and its proof bundle to a special server. Wendy Betts, director of eyeWitness to Atrocities, describes this server as a digital evidence locker. If an image’s authenticity needs to be verified, it suffices to rescan its digital sequence, recalculate its hash, and then ask the repository whether or not it contains an identical hash. If even a single pixel of the image has been altered, the recalculated hash will not match the original. If it does match, then the image has not been retouched. As an additional service, roughly 80 lawyers, each working for the charity without pay for a few hours a week, review the incoming images. They package those which seem to record abuses into dossiers that are then sent to prosecuting authorities including Europol (a law-enforcement agency of the European Union), the International Criminal Court and Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor-General. Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor-general himself, is a fan of the eyeWitness system—and not just because it provides the security of authenticity that courts require. He also likes the fact that it helps overcome a second obstacle to his efforts: witnesses’ fear of being found out. In areas of Ukraine that are occupied by Russia, this is a serious risk. Were soldiers manning a checkpoint, for example, to discover on someone’s phone video evidence collected by that person of war crimes, the consequences could be severe. To make this less likely to happen, the app’s icon does not reveal its purpose. Moreover, if it is then tapped by a probing official and an incorrect passcode entered, that opens the phone’s normal photo gallery. Maryna Slobodianiuk, lead investigator at Truth Hounds, a human-rights group in Kyiv, says of the evidence of attacks she has collected using eyeWitness: “Even if I will be captured…no one will reach it.” The first version of eyeWitness’s system, available gratis, was released in 2015, so most of the bugs have been dealt with. Uptake in Ukraine has soared over the past year. Ms Betts says that of the 40,000 submissions received in 2022 which her team considers relevant for investigations, more than 27,000 were sent from Ukraine. Police officers and journalists are particularly eager users. So are analysts at the Ukrainian Healthcare Centre, a think-tank in Kyiv that employs the app to gather evidence of attacks on medical facilities. Nor is eyeWitness the only provider of glass-to-glass services. The Guardian Project, in Valhalla, New York, has released a smartphone app called ProofMode. Like eyeWitness, ProofMode combines controlled-capture metadata and the image’s hash into a proof bundle. Instead of operating the receiving server itself, though, ProofMode uses repositories run by other firms, such as Google, which log them in the fashion of a notary. Viewers of an image taken with ProofMode can upload it to a Guardian Project website that recalculates its hash and checks the repositories for a match. If it fails to find one, the image is declared altered. Soon, the Guardian Project will add a new feature, Synchrony. This will link an image’s location and time-of-capture to OpenStreetMap, an online cartography of the world, and also to a detailed geographical record of the world’s weather over the past few years (which one, has yet to be decided). That will make it easy to check for inconsistencies between the place and time someone claims a picture was taken, and the local landscape and the weather conditions on that day. The idea, says Nathan Freitas, the Guardian Project’s founder, is to “sync images to the real world as it was”. He hopes to link to other databases, as well—including those that record when and where street protests have happened. A third operator, Truepic, of La Jolla, California, is taking a more commercial approach. Charities pay nothing to use its software, but companies that employ it to keep an eye on things like supply chains, progress at construction sites, compliance with loan terms, and the whereabouts and condition of expensive kit, must stump up. Truepic provides two services. One scans smartphones for malware designed to facilitate the falsification of metadata. The other spots so-called rebroadcasting attacks, in which a doctored image is photographed to create a new picture, which thereby lacks traces of tampering in its code. Mounir Ibrahim, once a member of America’s diplomatic corps (he served, inter alia, in Damascus, a hotbed of photographic deception), and now head of public affairs at Truepic, is cagey about how this is done. But the trick, he notes, is to look for clues that all of an image’s pixels have recorded a uniformly flat surface. In 2021 Truepic joined forces with Adobe, ARM, the BBC, Intel and Microsoft to form the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). This is trying to create a set of image-authentication technological standards for makers of hardware and software. The aim is to eliminate the need to fuss with special apps. Instead, the coalition wants metadata capture, hashing and the transmission of data to repositories to take place behind the scenes and without royalties. If C2PA’s standards were widely adopted, even web browsers would be able to check an online repository of hashes and put a warning on images with no match. Eventually, hashes might be distributed automatically across blockchain ledgers. The Starling Lab, based at Stanford University, is running trials of such a system. Hurdles, however, remain. Jonathan Dotan, the Starling Lab’s founding director, points to one in particular. The technology could potentially allow authoritarian regimes to identify devices, and thus people, who have taken damning pictures. Researchers, he says, must first find a way to make such tracing impossible. Transparency is all very well, but even the good guys recognise that, sometimes, too much of it can be too much of a good thing. ■ Curious about the world? To enjoy our mind-expanding science coverage, sign up to Simply Science, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter. This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "What is truth?" From the January 14th 2023 edition Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition Brain scanning suggests activity patterns cluster with ideology Soon, game players will able to pick things up—and feel the bullets, when they are hit Micro LEDS produce sharper digital displays
The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Friday more aggressive air quality standards for particulate matter, pollutants small enough to be inhaled and cause respiratory illness and other disease. The agency’s new rules would help clean the nation’s air and bring it more in line with the past decade of research on the harmful effects of particulate matter. “Neither an individual’s skin color nor the wealth of their ZIP code should determine whether they have clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, or healthy environments in which their children can play,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in May, the Washington Informer reported. But health advocates say the agency’s proposed change isn’t strong enough to protect the public. “It seems to me pretty clear that this probably doesn’t go far enough,” said Matt Altman, an asthma specialist at the University of Washington who has studied the effects of air pollution on children with the asthma. The EPA’s rule comes as asthma and other chronic diseases, particularly respiratory ones, are steadily rising. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S., and asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in children. “Particulate matter is widespread and we know that it’s deadly. The science is very clear,” said Laura Kate Bender, national assistant vice president of Healthy Air at American Lung Association. This is the first time in a decade that the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter will be changed, since in 2020 federal regulators under the Trump administration opted to keep rules from 2013 (a decision that drew criticism and lawsuits). By law, the EPA’s air quality standards must be reviewed every five years. Many are touting this latest development as a win for the public. Particulate matter refers to tiny particles that float through the air and can be breathed in, residue from dusty manufacturing sites and burns, as well as other sources. Two types of particulate matter are of significant concern to the EPA: particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less, called PM10, and those 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5). Both have been shown to cause short-term and long-term harm, and are especially risky for pregnant people, babies and children, older adults, and people with lung or heart disease. Fine particles, those 2.5 microns or less, are especially dangerous, and can increase chances of premature death, heart attacks, and strokes. People who live in low-income communities and people of color are disproportionately affected by particulate-matter-laden air, a result of neighborhoods located near major polluters, like factories, ports, and highways. Much of the debate around these air quality rules comes down to two numbers that dictate how many bits of pollution can be in a cubic meter of air. One number sets an annual average for how much particulate pollution can be in the air, and another sets a higher, 24-hour average, which accounts for spikes and lulls. Both of these numbers are used by federal authorities to monitor air quality, send out alerts, and crack down on major polluters. Because the air quality standards are governed by the Clean Air Act, the EPA is legally required to act based narrowly on up-to-date scientific evidence — whatever is in the best interest of public health. The current standard, from 2013, says there can be up to 12 micrograms of fine particulate matter (the smaller particles) per cubic meter on an average day, annually. Both the EPA and its independent panel of scientific advisers, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, as well as many health and environmental groups, agreed that number must drop to protect people’s health. The EPA suggests 9 to 10 micrograms per cubic meter in its proposal. But the consensus ends there. The American Lung Association and other groups are pushing for a maximum of 8 micrograms of fine particles as the annual standard. Further, the EPA’s proposed policy suggests keeping the same standards otherwise. That means, in a 24-hour span, there could be up to 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air for fine particles, and 150 micrograms per cubic meter for larger particles. Critics argue that is much too high, noting that 25 to 30 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter in a day was the range recommended by the independent advisory group in a report last year. Things could still change. In a fact sheet released Friday, the EPA suggested it is considering the lower levels pushed by interest groups, and is soliciting feedback. Altman’s research into children’s asthma attacks in urban areas suggests even a few days at 25 micrograms of fine particles could have deleterious effects on some vulnerable groups. “Potentially levels even below 25 could be harmful,” he said. “Lower is needed. Exactly how low, I guess to be determined.” His study on children with nonviral asthma pointed to PM2.5 as a major driver of inflammation in children’s airways — meaning the particles could be driving cellular changes that would make many asthma therapies ineffective. “In a perfect world, we just decrease the exposure, but as we see in the EPA guidelines, you can’t just do that,” he said. The EPA will receive public comments for 60 days before finalizing its new rules, so the standards could still change. Pushback from industry groups that find the standards heavy-handed is expected. The EPA’s own report estimated it would cost upward of $65 billion each year in the 2020s to meet Clean Air Act amendment rules, but it also said that economic benefits would far outweigh those costs. Standard changes could “result in as many as 4,200 avoided premature deaths and 270,000 avoided lost workdays in 2032,” according to EPA estimates. The draft policy also includes a new proposal, which would amend air quality monitoring data and criteria to account for how close at-risk populations are to the sources of fine particulate matter pollution. Research has shown great disparities in air quality across the nation, even during the pandemic lockdowns, when fewer cars were on the roads. The new standards, while a step in the right direction, won’t apply evenly to all places because they are regional averages, said Gaige Kerr, a research scientist who studies air quality at George Washington University. “Unfortunately, many of the areas where concentrations fall above this average of 9-10 ug/m3 are marginalized, racialized, and minoritized communities,” he said. “The fact that these communities still are disproportionately exposed, despite decades of macro-level progress across the U.S. thanks to the Clean Air Act and its amendments, suggests that more targeted interventions are needed to specifically ratchet down concentrations in the most overburdened communities.” In its annual “State of the Air” report, the American Lung Association found Americans experienced more days of “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality between 2019 and 2021 than at any other time in the past two decades. “We keep seeing with emerging science that this pollutant is dangerous in more ways and at lower levels than previously thought,” Bender said. Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Create a display name to comment This name will appear with your comment	<urn:uuid:51a56c99-183d-42d3-815b-d900b62e06f0>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-06", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764500154.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20230204205328-20230204235328-00160.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9517077803611755, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.390625, "token_count": 1580, "url": "https://www.statnews.com/2023/01/06/epa-tightens-air-quality-standards-respiratory-diseases/" }	The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Friday more aggressive air quality standards for particulate matter, pollutants small enough to be inhaled and cause respiratory illness and other disease. The agency’s new rules would help clean the nation’s air and bring it more in line with the past decade of research on the harmful effects of particulate matter. “Neither an individual’s skin color nor the wealth of their ZIP code should determine whether they have clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, or healthy environments in which their children can play,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in May, the Washington Informer reported. But health advocates say the agency’s proposed change isn’t strong enough to protect the public. “It seems to me pretty clear that this probably doesn’t go far enough,” said Matt Altman, an asthma specialist at the University of Washington who has studied the effects of air pollution on children with the asthma. The EPA’s rule comes as asthma and other chronic diseases, particularly respiratory ones, are steadily rising. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S., and asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in children. “Particulate matter is widespread and we know that it’s deadly. The science is very clear,” said Laura Kate Bender, national assistant vice president of Healthy Air at American Lung Association. This is the first time in a decade that the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter will be changed, since in 2020 federal regulators under the Trump administration opted to keep rules from 2013 (a decision that drew criticism and lawsuits). By law, the EPA’s air quality standards must be reviewed every five years. Many are touting this latest development as a win for the public. Particulate matter refers to tiny particles that float through the air and can be breathed in, residue from dusty manufacturing sites and burns, as well as other sources. Two types of particulate matter are of significant concern to the EPA: particles with a diameter of 10 microns or less, called PM10, and those 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5). Both have been shown to cause short-term and long-term harm, and are especially risky for pregnant people, babies and children, older adults, and people with lung or heart disease. Fine particles, those 2.5 microns or less, are especially dangerous, and can increase chances of premature death, heart attacks, and strokes. People who live in low-income communities and people of color are disproportionately	affected by particulate-matter-laden air, a result of neighborhoods located near major polluters, like factories, ports, and highways. Much of the debate around these air quality rules comes down to two numbers that dictate how many bits of pollution can be in a cubic meter of air. One number sets an annual average for how much particulate pollution can be in the air, and another sets a higher, 24-hour average, which accounts for spikes and lulls. Both of these numbers are used by federal authorities to monitor air quality, send out alerts, and crack down on major polluters. Because the air quality standards are governed by the Clean Air Act, the EPA is legally required to act based narrowly on up-to-date scientific evidence — whatever is in the best interest of public health. The current standard, from 2013, says there can be up to 12 micrograms of fine particulate matter (the smaller particles) per cubic meter on an average day, annually. Both the EPA and its independent panel of scientific advisers, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, as well as many health and environmental groups, agreed that number must drop to protect people’s health. The EPA suggests 9 to 10 micrograms per cubic meter in its proposal. But the consensus ends there. The American Lung Association and other groups are pushing for a maximum of 8 micrograms of fine particles as the annual standard. Further, the EPA’s proposed policy suggests keeping the same standards otherwise. That means, in a 24-hour span, there could be up to 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air for fine particles, and 150 micrograms per cubic meter for larger particles. Critics argue that is much too high, noting that 25 to 30 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter in a day was the range recommended by the independent advisory group in a report last year. Things could still change. In a fact sheet released Friday, the EPA suggested it is considering the lower levels pushed by interest groups, and is soliciting feedback. Altman’s research into children’s asthma attacks in urban areas suggests even a few days at 25 micrograms of fine particles could have deleterious effects on some vulnerable groups. “Potentially levels even below 25 could be harmful,” he said. “Lower is needed. Exactly how low, I guess to be determined.” His study on children with nonviral asthma pointed to PM2.5 as a major driver of inflammation in children’s airways — meaning the particles could be driving cellular changes that would make many asthma therapies ineffective. “In a perfect world, we just decrease the exposure, but as we see in the EPA guidelines, you can’t just do that,” he said. The EPA will receive public comments for 60 days before finalizing its new rules, so the standards could still change. Pushback from industry groups that find the standards heavy-handed is expected. The EPA’s own report estimated it would cost upward of $65 billion each year in the 2020s to meet Clean Air Act amendment rules, but it also said that economic benefits would far outweigh those costs. Standard changes could “result in as many as 4,200 avoided premature deaths and 270,000 avoided lost workdays in 2032,” according to EPA estimates. The draft policy also includes a new proposal, which would amend air quality monitoring data and criteria to account for how close at-risk populations are to the sources of fine particulate matter pollution. Research has shown great disparities in air quality across the nation, even during the pandemic lockdowns, when fewer cars were on the roads. The new standards, while a step in the right direction, won’t apply evenly to all places because they are regional averages, said Gaige Kerr, a research scientist who studies air quality at George Washington University. “Unfortunately, many of the areas where concentrations fall above this average of 9-10 ug/m3 are marginalized, racialized, and minoritized communities,” he said. “The fact that these communities still are disproportionately exposed, despite decades of macro-level progress across the U.S. thanks to the Clean Air Act and its amendments, suggests that more targeted interventions are needed to specifically ratchet down concentrations in the most overburdened communities.” In its annual “State of the Air” report, the American Lung Association found Americans experienced more days of “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality between 2019 and 2021 than at any other time in the past two decades. “We keep seeing with emerging science that this pollutant is dangerous in more ways and at lower levels than previously thought,” Bender said. Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Create a display name to comment This name will appear with your comment
More than any other dish, capirotada is a dessert that is identified as the most traditional of Mexican cuisine during the Lent season. Many Hispanics have memories of their grandmothers or their mothers preparing this dessert, which is usually eaten between Ash Wednesday and Easter. It is a bread pudding bathed in a sweet liquid, which can be made with milk or water, sweetened with sugar or piloncillo and other ingredients such as cinnamon, and then baked with nuts, peanuts, raisins, and cheese. Pilar Zazueta, historian at the University of Texas at Austin, said that this is a dessert with influences from Arab and Spanish culture. Mexican elements were later added, and the Catholic church gave it religious meaning. “In this dish, the bread represents the body of Christ (as bread in the Eucharist), the sweet honey represents the blood of Christ (as wine in the Eucharist), the raisins and nuts the nails of the cross, the cinnamon sticks represent the wood of the cross, and the cheese represents the shroud,” Zazueta said. Zazueta explained that in Spain the capirotada was not a dessert, but a pudding made with chicken, almonds, and aromatic herbs. But the dish had a cultural adaptation in Mexico during the colonial times, in the 16th and 17th centuries. “Mexico has the climate to produce sugar cane, not so Spain,” Zazueta said. “Sugar and piloncillo were cheaper in Mexico, and that’s why it began to be used in recipes.” Capirotada is served hot or cold, depending on the consumer, and can be accompanied with coffee, milk, or hot chocolate. In Dallas, you can buy capirotada on Fridays during Lent in most Mexican restaurants that offer Lent dishes, like El Ranchito, at 610 Jefferson Blvd., or Mexico Lindo, at 7515 E. Grand Ave., both in Dallas. 5 bread rolls (birotes or teleras) cut into thick slices (around 1-inch wide) 4 cups water or milk 2 cups piloncillo or brown sugar 2 cinnamon sticks 3 whole cloves Nuts, raisins, and/or unsalted peanuts Fresh cheese or cotija cheese Sweet colored sprinkles Heat oven to 350 F. Fry the bread on both sides. You can use lard or butter or simply toast the bread without any fat. Set aside. Heat the water or milk and add the piloncillo or brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Let it boil for 7-10 minutes, then remove it from the heat. In an baking dish, place a layer of bread, bathe it with a little of the sweet liquid, and add raisins, nuts, and/or peanuts and cheese to taste. A layer of bread is placed again and then another layer of the other ingredients, and so on. In the end, the remaining liquid is poured over the bread. Bake for 30 minutes or until the liquid is consumed and the bread has a pudding consistency. It can be served hot or cold. In the end, you can add colored sprinkles to garnish. Source: Alejandrino Fernández, head chef at El Ranchito restaurant in Oak Cliff	<urn:uuid:7b515a91-576d-44e3-91ba-e4d36f2e73a0>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-14", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296945218.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20230323225049-20230324015049-00292.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9390512108802795, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.359375, "token_count": 711, "url": "https://www.dallasnews.com/food/2023/03/15/how-capirotada-became-the-quintessential-mexican-dessert-for-lent/" }	More than any other dish, capirotada is a dessert that is identified as the most traditional of Mexican cuisine during the Lent season. Many Hispanics have memories of their grandmothers or their mothers preparing this dessert, which is usually eaten between Ash Wednesday and Easter. It is a bread pudding bathed in a sweet liquid, which can be made with milk or water, sweetened with sugar or piloncillo and other ingredients such as cinnamon, and then baked with nuts, peanuts, raisins, and cheese. Pilar Zazueta, historian at the University of Texas at Austin, said that this is a dessert with influences from Arab and Spanish culture. Mexican elements were later added, and the Catholic church gave it religious meaning. “In this dish, the bread represents the body of Christ (as bread in the Eucharist), the sweet honey represents the blood of Christ (as wine in the Eucharist), the raisins and nuts the nails of the cross, the cinnamon sticks represent the wood of the cross, and the cheese represents the shroud,” Zazueta said. Zazueta explained that in Spain the capirotada was not a dessert, but a pudding made with chicken, almonds, and aromatic herbs. But the dish had a cultural adaptation in Mexico during the colonial times, in the 16th and 17th centuries. “Mexico has the climate to produce sugar cane, not so Spain,” Zazueta said. “Sugar and piloncillo were cheaper in Mexico, and that’s why it began to be used in recipes.” Capirotada is served hot or cold, depending on the consumer, and can be accompanied with coffee, milk, or hot chocolate. In Dallas, you can buy capirotada on Fridays during Lent in most Mexican restaurants that offer Lent dishes, like El Ranchito, at 610 Jefferson Blvd., or Mexico Lindo, at 7515 E. Grand Ave., both in Dallas. 5 bread rolls (birotes or teleras) cut into thick slices (around 1-inch wide) 4 cups water or milk 2 cups piloncillo or brown sugar 2 cinnamon sticks 3 whole cloves Nuts, raisins, and/or unsalted peanuts Fresh cheese or cotija cheese Sweet colored sprinkles Heat oven to 350 F. Fry the bread on both sides. You can use lard or	butter or simply toast the bread without any fat. Set aside. Heat the water or milk and add the piloncillo or brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Let it boil for 7-10 minutes, then remove it from the heat. In an baking dish, place a layer of bread, bathe it with a little of the sweet liquid, and add raisins, nuts, and/or peanuts and cheese to taste. A layer of bread is placed again and then another layer of the other ingredients, and so on. In the end, the remaining liquid is poured over the bread. Bake for 30 minutes or until the liquid is consumed and the bread has a pudding consistency. It can be served hot or cold. In the end, you can add colored sprinkles to garnish. Source: Alejandrino Fernández, head chef at El Ranchito restaurant in Oak Cliff
Training, library, other efforts are helping change the mindset on mental health One’s mental health is often not as prioritized as the physical body, yet they are closely connected. Taking care of one’s emotions, thoughts, and mental well-being is just as crucial as getting your yearly physical. However, many individuals with mental conditions are reluctant to seek help due to stigma, lack of access, and misinformation, unfortunately leading to delayed treatment, which develops into a crisis. Health care leaders and policymakers at every level are becoming increasingly aware that communities need support to combat untreated mental illness and promote wellness and prevention. Emergence Health Network, in partnership with the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, has developed the Mental Health Learning Library (MHLL). It provides foundational behavioral health education support free of charge for community members and local professionals. The training team offers the newest, most relevant evidence-based, and evidence-informed training modules. In addition, efforts are focused on accommodating anyone, anywhere, in Spanish and English, and multiple learning styles (in person, virtual or blended). “We're open to anybody in the community, whoever is interested in learning, and allow us to prepare them with the tools they need to help those in need to advance stigma reduction” said Luis Chavarria, Emergence Health Network director of training. “Part of our effort with the support of the Health Foundation has been to find ways to promote this type of education and higher learning to professionals in the area.” Whether it is a comprehensive Mental Health First Aid course or targeted training on suicide prevention, grief management, or stress reduction, MHLL assists in recognizing signs and symptoms of behavioral health concerns and how to seek out appropriate services. “The video demonstrations showing correct or incorrect ways to respond to a person experiencing a mental health challenge and addictions was most helpful,” said a recent participant attending one of the Mental Health First Aid training sessions. “It helped me see the situation from an outsider’s point of view instead of being in it so that when I encounter these types of situations, I can have a better perspective and plan on how to respond appropriately.” The Mental Health Learning Library team has trained more than 10,000 participants in the area, such as law enforcement officers, social services professionals, educators, students and community members. The Paso del Norte Health Foundation’s mission of improving the community’s overall health includes the mental well-being of the region. The Health Foundation looks to support frontline organizations, such as the Emergence Health Network and the Mental Health Learning Library, with the resources they need to make a positive impact in the community related to mental illness and ensure access to services for those most in need. To learn more about the Mental Health Learning Library, visit https://emergencehealthnetwork.org/mental-health/ or bit.ly/3ZDebyd. Sandra Day is associate program officer for the Paso del Norte Health Foundation. She may be reached at 915-218-2617 and <email-pii>.	<urn:uuid:6867a50f-0869-4a03-9073-57f2f30e03f8>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-06", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764499819.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20230130133622-20230130163622-00244.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9502822160720825, "pii_count": 1, "score": 2.75, "token_count": 642, "url": "https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/life/wellness/2023/01/24/el-paso-training-library-are-helping-change-mindset-on-mental-health/69837609007/" }	Training, library, other efforts are helping change the mindset on mental health One’s mental health is often not as prioritized as the physical body, yet they are closely connected. Taking care of one’s emotions, thoughts, and mental well-being is just as crucial as getting your yearly physical. However, many individuals with mental conditions are reluctant to seek help due to stigma, lack of access, and misinformation, unfortunately leading to delayed treatment, which develops into a crisis. Health care leaders and policymakers at every level are becoming increasingly aware that communities need support to combat untreated mental illness and promote wellness and prevention. Emergence Health Network, in partnership with the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, has developed the Mental Health Learning Library (MHLL). It provides foundational behavioral health education support free of charge for community members and local professionals. The training team offers the newest, most relevant evidence-based, and evidence-informed training modules. In addition, efforts are focused on accommodating anyone, anywhere, in Spanish and English, and multiple learning styles (in person, virtual or blended). “We're open to anybody in the community, whoever is interested in learning, and allow us to prepare them with the tools they need to help those in need to advance stigma reduction” said Luis Chavarria, Emergence Health Network director of training. “Part of our effort with the support of the Health Foundation has been to find ways to promote this type of education and higher learning to professionals in the area.” Whether it is a comprehensive Mental Health First Aid course or targeted training on suicide prevention, grief management, or stress reduction, MHLL assists in recognizing signs and symptoms of behavioral health concerns and how to seek out appropriate services. “The video demonstrations showing correct or incorrect ways to respond to a person experiencing a mental health challenge and addictions was most helpful,” said a recent participant attending one of the Mental Health First Aid training sessions. “It helped me see the situation from an outsider’s point of view instead of being in it so that when I encounter these types of situations, I can have a better perspective and plan on how to respond appropriately.” The Mental Health Learning Library team has trained more than 10,000 participants in the area, such as law enforcement officers, social services professionals, educators, students and community members. The Paso del Norte Health Foundation’s mission of improving the community’s overall health includes the mental well-being of the region. The Health Foundation looks to support frontline organizations, such as the Emergence Health Network and the Mental Health Learning Library	, with the resources they need to make a positive impact in the community related to mental illness and ensure access to services for those most in need. To learn more about the Mental Health Learning Library, visit https://emergencehealthnetwork.org/mental-health/ or bit.ly/3ZDebyd. Sandra Day is associate program officer for the Paso del Norte Health Foundation. She may be reached at 915-218-2617 and <email-pii>.
How tech companies are trying to balance child safety and privacy ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: How can a website tell for certain that a visitor is over 18 or 21? In several states, lawmakers have told tech companies, figure it out. The goal is to restrict kids' access to social networks and porn sites. Right now it's easy to lie and get around age limits. The catch is stricter verification systems raise privacy concerns. Emma Roth of The Verge has been writing about the wave of new laws and the effort to balance child safety with privacy. She's here for our All Tech Considered segment. Welcome. EMMA ROTH: Hi. Thank you for having me. SHAPIRO: Lots of websites make you check a box that says, yes, I'm old enough to continue. But some states have already changed this policy, right? What's going on? ROTH: Right. So in three states right now - Utah, Arkansas and Louisiana - there are already age verification tools in place for people to access social media sites or porn sites. In Louisiana and Utah, they have laws that aim to block users under the age of 18 from viewing porn, and in Arkansas, they require social media companies to implement age verification that blocks users under 18. SHAPIRO: So this is already in place in Louisiana. What does it look like there? ROTH: Yeah. So they are using something called AllpassTrust. What this system is is that you kind of upload a government ID to it, and the website will then check that and see if you're of age. And you'll either be let into the site or not depending on how old you are. SHAPIRO: What other age verification options are on the table right now? ROTH: So far, people have come up with ways maybe to use a credit card or a government ID to verify your age. However, this might exclude some adults, especially those with lower incomes, as they might not have access to a credit card or a government-issued ID. There's also something called face-based age detection, and this uses facial analysis to estimate the ages of users, so this will require access to a device's camera. Another possibility is an inferential age verification system that essentially guesses your age based on your browsing history or your activity on a platform. SHAPIRO: How accurate is that? ROTH: Well, that's the thing. It's going to be more difficult to kind of assess someone's age based on that information. And it could result in false positives that somebody is under 18, or it could even imply that someone's over the age of 18 when they're not. SHAPIRO: Are there also privacy implications for that? ROTH: There is. I mean, anything that involves giving away your government ID or a credit card - it always poses the risk of that information being hacked or leaked. SHAPIRO: These are two important competing values - privacy concerns and child safety. Is there any consensus, even an emerging sense of how to balance these two things? ROTH: Right now there honestly isn't. When it comes to privacy advocates and civil liberties lawyers, they both are in agreement that there's kind of no sound way to implement age verification at this time. And a lot of lawmakers are kind of rushing into this, but we really don't have a sense of what we can do yet to safely implement these methods. SHAPIRO: Do you think this marks a larger shift in the way policymakers are thinking about access to the internet and who can go where with what rules? ROTH: With this - with the introduction of these age verification methods, there's a chance that the internet could become more closed than ever, and the internet may never be the same with these methods put in place. SHAPIRO: That's Emma Roth, reporter at The Verge. Thank you so much. ROTH: Yeah, thank you. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.	<urn:uuid:20f090ac-a552-4c78-8137-e43fedc60f5a>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-23", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224656675.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20230609100535-20230609130535-00075.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.960130512714386, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.703125, "token_count": 837, "url": "https://www.delawarepublic.org/2023-05-22/how-tech-companies-are-trying-to-balance-child-safety-and-privacy" }	How tech companies are trying to balance child safety and privacy ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: How can a website tell for certain that a visitor is over 18 or 21? In several states, lawmakers have told tech companies, figure it out. The goal is to restrict kids' access to social networks and porn sites. Right now it's easy to lie and get around age limits. The catch is stricter verification systems raise privacy concerns. Emma Roth of The Verge has been writing about the wave of new laws and the effort to balance child safety with privacy. She's here for our All Tech Considered segment. Welcome. EMMA ROTH: Hi. Thank you for having me. SHAPIRO: Lots of websites make you check a box that says, yes, I'm old enough to continue. But some states have already changed this policy, right? What's going on? ROTH: Right. So in three states right now - Utah, Arkansas and Louisiana - there are already age verification tools in place for people to access social media sites or porn sites. In Louisiana and Utah, they have laws that aim to block users under the age of 18 from viewing porn, and in Arkansas, they require social media companies to implement age verification that blocks users under 18. SHAPIRO: So this is already in place in Louisiana. What does it look like there? ROTH: Yeah. So they are using something called AllpassTrust. What this system is is that you kind of upload a government ID to it, and the website will then check that and see if you're of age. And you'll either be let into the site or not depending on how old you are. SHAPIRO: What other age verification options are on the table right now? ROTH: So far, people have come up with ways maybe to use a credit card or a government ID to verify your age. However, this might exclude some adults, especially those with lower incomes, as they might not have access to a credit card or a government-issued ID. There's also something called face-based age detection, and this uses facial analysis to estimate the ages of users, so this will require access to a device's camera. Another possibility is an inferential age verification system that essentially guesses your age based on your browsing history or your activity on a platform. SHAPIRO: How accurate is that? ROTH: Well, that's the thing. It's going to be more	difficult to kind of assess someone's age based on that information. And it could result in false positives that somebody is under 18, or it could even imply that someone's over the age of 18 when they're not. SHAPIRO: Are there also privacy implications for that? ROTH: There is. I mean, anything that involves giving away your government ID or a credit card - it always poses the risk of that information being hacked or leaked. SHAPIRO: These are two important competing values - privacy concerns and child safety. Is there any consensus, even an emerging sense of how to balance these two things? ROTH: Right now there honestly isn't. When it comes to privacy advocates and civil liberties lawyers, they both are in agreement that there's kind of no sound way to implement age verification at this time. And a lot of lawmakers are kind of rushing into this, but we really don't have a sense of what we can do yet to safely implement these methods. SHAPIRO: Do you think this marks a larger shift in the way policymakers are thinking about access to the internet and who can go where with what rules? ROTH: With this - with the introduction of these age verification methods, there's a chance that the internet could become more closed than ever, and the internet may never be the same with these methods put in place. SHAPIRO: That's Emma Roth, reporter at The Verge. Thank you so much. ROTH: Yeah, thank you. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
Updated, June 20: An earlier version of this article, with a different headline, did not include a comment from the publisher of the Into Reading curriculum. After initial publication, representatives of the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), provided additional information about the program used in New York, which differs in some ways from an earlier version. In an effort to boost dismal reading scores, the New York City school system recently announced that all elementary schools in the district—the nation’s largest—need to adopt one of three approved literacy curricula. But the most popular choice so far is also the least effective. About half of the city’s 32 sub-districts need to start using one of the new curricula this coming fall, while the other half will change over next year. That hurried pace and the infringement on principals’ traditional freedom of choice has fueled opposition. But the opposition also reflects an attachment to what has been the prevailing approach to teaching reading for the past 20 years. That approach is called “balanced literacy,” and New York City has long been one of its strongholds. One of the most charismatic—and polarizing—leaders of the balanced literacy movement, Lucy Calkins, is based at Columbia Teachers College. A 2019 survey showed that at least 48% of elementary schools in the city used Calkins’ curriculum, making it by far the most popular choice. Media coverage in both the New York Times and Chalkbeat have portrayed the three approved curricula—Wit & Wisdom, EL Education, and Into Reading—as being of equal quality. Wit & Wisdom doesn’t have its own phonics component and therefore needs to be paired with another approved foundational reading skills program. The other two curricula cover phonics more systematically than balanced literacy does—and all three curricula purport to cover reading comprehension effectively. In the case of EL Education and Wit & Wisdom, that’s true. Both are among six curricula that have been identified by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as being effective at building the kind of knowledge that enables students to understand complex text. (I serve on the board of StandardsWork, a nonprofit that is the parent organization of the Knowledge Matters Campaign; I receive no compensation from either organization and have no financial interest in them.) These knowledge-building curricula delve deeply into specific topics—including topics from social studies and science—rather than focusing on isolated comprehension skills like “making inferences.” They also give all students in a classroom access to complex, grade-level-or-above text, often through teacher read-alouds and class discussion. And they have students read and write about the topics covered in the curriculum. Into Reading, on the other hand, is different. New York City might have chosen it because it got high ratings from an organization called EdReports—including high ratings for “building knowledge.” I have reviewed three modules of Into Reading that were made available to me by its publisher after this post initially appeared, so I now have a general idea of what the curriculum is like. Several individuals who work in the field of education and have more extensive experience with the curriculum than I do—and whose judgment I trust—have confirmed my impression that it suffers from many of the same problems that traditional reading textbooks have long displayed. These days, many teachers who use those textbooks, called basal readers, may consider themselves “balanced literacy” practitioners, because that term is used so broadly. But the origins of the balanced literacy movement lie in opposition to the basal readers, and movement leaders like Calkins still hold them in contempt. They say the reading selections are low-quality and the curricula are overly “scripted.” In contrast, balanced literacy, at least in its pure form, relies on “authentic” children’s literature—the kind of books you can find in a bookstore—and allows teachers a great deal of autonomy. And yet, in a bastion of balanced literacy—New York City—13 of the 15 subdistricts that have already chosen one of the approved curricula have opted for Into Reading, which is essentially a basal reader. Why the Most Popular Choice Falls Short I spoke with one educator in Tennessee whose district has been using Into Reading for three years. Her name is Donna Kanipe, and she’s a former fourth-grade teacher in Hamblin County who is now an instructional coach for the district. Kanipe told me that the quality of the texts in Into Reading is somewhat better than in most basal readers, but otherwise she sees little difference. After this post initially appeared, I was contacted by HMH, the publisher of Into Reading. In addition to giving me access to three modules of the curriculum, they told me that the version of Into Reading that will be used in New York City differs from the version being used in Tennessee, although the extent of the difference is not clear to me. I have incorporated information provided by HMH below. Based on her experience, Kanipe sees a number of problems with Into Reading: - The curriculum puts comprehension skills in the foreground rather than the content of the texts, making it hard for students to grasp the meaning of the stories. For example, Kanipe told me, on the first day of a module, the teacher reads a story aloud all the way through, but on subsequent days the focus is on isolated pages that supposedly enable students to practice a skill like “determining cause and effect.” Most of the assessments that come with the curriculum also focus on skills. (According to HMH, after the first read-through, students are supposed to engage in “close readings of the text [that] focus on the application of a reading skill selected for its usefulness in deeper comprehension and understanding of that particular text.”) - The modules center on “themes” that are mostly broad and superficial. The first module in fourth grade, for example, is on “What Makes You Who You Are,” and the first modules at lower grade levels have a similar focus. The fourth-grade texts for that module include a story about a “superhero squirrel” whose cynical personality changes and another about “a mouse in Africa.” By contrast, the other two city-approved curricula have topics that are specific and meaty. EL Education, for example, has modules on birds, frogs, and the American Revolution. Wit & Wisdom covers topics like the five senses, the American West, and outer space. - Rather than having the teacher read aloud texts that are more complex than those students could read on their own—to build the knowledge and vocabulary that fuels comprehension—Into Reading only includes texts at the low end or in the middle of grade level, at least at fourth grade. By the end of the year, those texts are at the high end of grade level. But, says Kanipe, most teachers never get all the way through the units. (According to HMH, all text selections in the student book are intended to be read by students themselves, not the teacher. ) - As with most basal readers, Into Reading is overstuffed. Teachers can’t possibly cover all the material, and they may not always make the best choices. - The curriculum restricts students to reading books at their individual reading levels, which may be well below their grade level. Generally, the tests used to assign those levels are unreliable, and the books are on random topics that students may know little or nothing about. In an effective knowledge-building curriculum, students read books on topics connected to the curriculum and are not restricted to a particular level. (In the New York version of Into Reading, according to HMH, the leveled text component is optional—and in both the New York and Tennessee versions, students are expected to read the grade-level text in the student textbook. HMH also says it provides a list of leveled readers that are “tied to the content themes of each module.”) - There are few writing assignments, and most are on topics unconnected to the texts students have read. The final writing task in a module is supposed to require students to demonstrate their knowledge of its content—although it’s not clear that always happens. For the unit on “What Makes You Who You Are,” for instance, the assignment is to write “a personal narrative about a time that you grew and learned.” (The curriculum also has a separate writing component, and HMH representatives said the texts it includes are usually related to the theme of the module. That was true of two of the three modules I was given access to.) Kanipe says that with the help of an outside partner organization, she and other educators in the district are trying to modify the curriculum so that it focuses more on the content of the texts. Teachers are discarding the questions in the teachers’ guide, which might ask students to do something like determine cause and effect, and coming up with more general ones that engage students in analyzing the text as a whole—Why did the author say it that way?” or “What do you think is important?” That revamping takes time, though, and not all teachers have been willing to invest the effort. “If we had gone with a different curriculum,” Kanipe says, “then maybe we wouldn’t have to do all this work now.” Even teachers who voted to adopt the curriculum are dissatisfied with it, she adds. Of course, teachers also need to do some work—and receive good training and support—in order to effectively implement a knowledge-building curriculum like EL or Wit & Wisdom. But the curriculum itself provides richer content and better guidance in how to teach it. Why Might Educators Choose Into Reading? I asked Kanipe why she thought teachers in her district had opted for Into Reading rather than a knowledge-building curriculum like Wit & Wisdom, which was also under consideration. One reason, she said, is that they liked the leveled readers that came with the curriculum. “That’s how we were all taught to teach reading,” she observed—dividing students into low, medium, and high groups. That may also be why so many subdistrict leaders in New York have chosen Into Reading. If there’s one thing that basal readers and balanced literacy have in common, it’s leveled reading—along with an emphasis on isolated comprehension skills. They may feel that the devil they know is safer than they devil they don’t—or what they think is a devil. A knowledge-building literacy curriculum is radically different from what educators are used to, and many are understandably wary. Often they worry the texts will be too hard for children, and the topics won’t interest them. But I’ve spoken with many teachers who have found, once they tried the new approach, that kids enjoy the challenge and are more engaged than ever. And they’ve seen their students’ vocabularies—and eventually their scores on reading tests—improve. It's unfortunate, to say the least, that so many New York City schools are making a choice that could lead to failure for many students down the road. Better phonics instruction is crucial, but unless a curriculum is also building knowledge and vocabulary, it provides only a short-term benefit. As grade levels go up, comprehension becomes more important than the ability to decipher individual words. And comprehension depends far more on knowledge than on abstract skills. That’s something a previous top New York City education official learned the hard way. Twenty years ago, then-chancellor Joel Klein decreed that all of the city’s elementary schools were to adopt Lucy Calkins’ balanced literacy curriculum. He later said it was the only decision he made as chancellor that he came to regret—and not because the curriculum lacked a good phonics component. Under pressure from the federal government, the city supplemented the curriculum with a phonics program, and reading scores did improve at lower grade levels. But they didn’t rise at eighth grade, and—as Klein told me when I interviewed him some years ago—that led him to a realization: to equip kids to understand more complex text, it’s crucial to build knowledge in the elementary grades in a way that Calkins’ curriculum—and many others, including Into Reading—do not. Perhaps current education officials in New York might want to reflect on Klein’s experience. As they say, those who don’t remember the past are doomed to repeat it.	<urn:uuid:2630dd4b-e633-4666-a7d6-dba713eee219>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-40", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506669.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20230924191454-20230924221454-00047.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9616077542304993, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.59375, "token_count": 2639, "url": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2023/06/10/most-nyc-schools-are-choosing-the-wrong-literacy-curriculum/" }	Updated, June 20: An earlier version of this article, with a different headline, did not include a comment from the publisher of the Into Reading curriculum. After initial publication, representatives of the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), provided additional information about the program used in New York, which differs in some ways from an earlier version. In an effort to boost dismal reading scores, the New York City school system recently announced that all elementary schools in the district—the nation’s largest—need to adopt one of three approved literacy curricula. But the most popular choice so far is also the least effective. About half of the city’s 32 sub-districts need to start using one of the new curricula this coming fall, while the other half will change over next year. That hurried pace and the infringement on principals’ traditional freedom of choice has fueled opposition. But the opposition also reflects an attachment to what has been the prevailing approach to teaching reading for the past 20 years. That approach is called “balanced literacy,” and New York City has long been one of its strongholds. One of the most charismatic—and polarizing—leaders of the balanced literacy movement, Lucy Calkins, is based at Columbia Teachers College. A 2019 survey showed that at least 48% of elementary schools in the city used Calkins’ curriculum, making it by far the most popular choice. Media coverage in both the New York Times and Chalkbeat have portrayed the three approved curricula—Wit & Wisdom, EL Education, and Into Reading—as being of equal quality. Wit & Wisdom doesn’t have its own phonics component and therefore needs to be paired with another approved foundational reading skills program. The other two curricula cover phonics more systematically than balanced literacy does—and all three curricula purport to cover reading comprehension effectively. In the case of EL Education and Wit & Wisdom, that’s true. Both are among six curricula that have been identified by the Knowledge Matters Campaign as being effective at building the kind of knowledge that enables students to understand complex text. (I serve on the board of StandardsWork, a nonprofit that is the parent organization of the Knowledge Matters Campaign; I receive no compensation from either organization and have no financial interest in them.) These knowledge-building curricula delve deeply into specific topics—including topics from social studies and science—rather than focusing on isolated comprehension skills like “making inferences.” They also give all students in	a classroom access to complex, grade-level-or-above text, often through teacher read-alouds and class discussion. And they have students read and write about the topics covered in the curriculum. Into Reading, on the other hand, is different. New York City might have chosen it because it got high ratings from an organization called EdReports—including high ratings for “building knowledge.” I have reviewed three modules of Into Reading that were made available to me by its publisher after this post initially appeared, so I now have a general idea of what the curriculum is like. Several individuals who work in the field of education and have more extensive experience with the curriculum than I do—and whose judgment I trust—have confirmed my impression that it suffers from many of the same problems that traditional reading textbooks have long displayed. These days, many teachers who use those textbooks, called basal readers, may consider themselves “balanced literacy” practitioners, because that term is used so broadly. But the origins of the balanced literacy movement lie in opposition to the basal readers, and movement leaders like Calkins still hold them in contempt. They say the reading selections are low-quality and the curricula are overly “scripted.” In contrast, balanced literacy, at least in its pure form, relies on “authentic” children’s literature—the kind of books you can find in a bookstore—and allows teachers a great deal of autonomy. And yet, in a bastion of balanced literacy—New York City—13 of the 15 subdistricts that have already chosen one of the approved curricula have opted for Into Reading, which is essentially a basal reader. Why the Most Popular Choice Falls Short I spoke with one educator in Tennessee whose district has been using Into Reading for three years. Her name is Donna Kanipe, and she’s a former fourth-grade teacher in Hamblin County who is now an instructional coach for the district. Kanipe told me that the quality of the texts in Into Reading is somewhat better than in most basal readers, but otherwise she sees little difference. After this post initially appeared, I was contacted by HMH, the publisher of Into Reading. In addition to giving me access to three modules of the curriculum, they told me that the version of Into Reading that will be used in New York City differs from the version being used in Tennessee, although the extent of the difference is not clear to me. I have incorporated information provided by HMH below. Based on her experience, Kanipe sees a number of problems with Into Reading: - The curriculum puts comprehension skills in the foreground rather than the content of the texts, making it hard for students to grasp the meaning of the stories. For example, Kanipe told me, on the first day of a module, the teacher reads a story aloud all the way through, but on subsequent days the focus is on isolated pages that supposedly enable students to practice a skill like “determining cause and effect.” Most of the assessments that come with the curriculum also focus on skills. (According to HMH, after the first read-through, students are supposed to engage in “close readings of the text [that] focus on the application of a reading skill selected for its usefulness in deeper comprehension and understanding of that particular text.”) - The modules center on “themes” that are mostly broad and superficial. The first module in fourth grade, for example, is on “What Makes You Who You Are,” and the first modules at lower grade levels have a similar focus. The fourth-grade texts for that module include a story about a “superhero squirrel” whose cynical personality changes and another about “a mouse in Africa.” By contrast, the other two city-approved curricula have topics that are specific and meaty. EL Education, for example, has modules on birds, frogs, and the American Revolution. Wit & Wisdom covers topics like the five senses, the American West, and outer space. - Rather than having the teacher read aloud texts that are more complex than those students could read on their own—to build the knowledge and vocabulary that fuels comprehension—Into Reading only includes texts at the low end or in the middle of grade level, at least at fourth grade. By the end of the year, those texts are at the high end of grade level. But, says Kanipe, most teachers never get all the way through the units. (According to HMH, all text selections in the student book are intended to be read by students themselves, not the teacher. ) - As with most basal readers, Into Reading is overstuffed. Teachers can’t possibly cover all the material, and they may not always make the best choices. - The curriculum restricts students to reading books at their individual reading levels, which may be well below their grade level. Generally, the tests used to assign those levels are unreliable, and the books are on random topics that students may know little or nothing about. In an effective knowledge-building curriculum, students read books on topics connected to the curriculum and are not restricted to a particular level. (In the New York version of Into Reading, according to HMH, the leveled text component is optional—and in both the New York and Tennessee versions, students are expected to read the grade-level text in the student textbook. HMH also says it provides a list of leveled readers that are “tied to the content themes of each module.”) - There are few writing assignments, and most are on topics unconnected to the texts students have read. The final writing task in a module is supposed to require students to demonstrate their knowledge of its content—although it’s not clear that always happens. For the unit on “What Makes You Who You Are,” for instance, the assignment is to write “a personal narrative about a time that you grew and learned.” (The curriculum also has a separate writing component, and HMH representatives said the texts it includes are usually related to the theme of the module. That was true of two of the three modules I was given access to.) Kanipe says that with the help of an outside partner organization, she and other educators in the district are trying to modify the curriculum so that it focuses more on the content of the texts. Teachers are discarding the questions in the teachers’ guide, which might ask students to do something like determine cause and effect, and coming up with more general ones that engage students in analyzing the text as a whole—Why did the author say it that way?” or “What do you think is important?” That revamping takes time, though, and not all teachers have been willing to invest the effort. “If we had gone with a different curriculum,” Kanipe says, “then maybe we wouldn’t have to do all this work now.” Even teachers who voted to adopt the curriculum are dissatisfied with it, she adds. Of course, teachers also need to do some work—and receive good training and support—in order to effectively implement a knowledge-building curriculum like EL or Wit & Wisdom. But the curriculum itself provides richer content and better guidance in how to teach it. Why Might Educators Choose Into Reading? I asked Kanipe why she thought teachers in her district had opted for Into Reading rather than a knowledge-building curriculum like Wit & Wisdom, which was also under consideration. One reason, she said, is that they liked the leveled readers that came with the curriculum. “That’s how we were all taught to teach reading,” she observed—dividing students into low, medium, and high groups. That may also be why so many subdistrict leaders in New York have chosen Into Reading. If there’s one thing that basal readers and balanced literacy have in common, it’s leveled reading—along with an emphasis on isolated comprehension skills. They may feel that the devil they know is safer than they devil they don’t—or what they think is a devil. A knowledge-building literacy curriculum is radically different from what educators are used to, and many are understandably wary. Often they worry the texts will be too hard for children, and the topics won’t interest them. But I’ve spoken with many teachers who have found, once they tried the new approach, that kids enjoy the challenge and are more engaged than ever. And they’ve seen their students’ vocabularies—and eventually their scores on reading tests—improve. It's unfortunate, to say the least, that so many New York City schools are making a choice that could lead to failure for many students down the road. Better phonics instruction is crucial, but unless a curriculum is also building knowledge and vocabulary, it provides only a short-term benefit. As grade levels go up, comprehension becomes more important than the ability to decipher individual words. And comprehension depends far more on knowledge than on abstract skills. That’s something a previous top New York City education official learned the hard way. Twenty years ago, then-chancellor Joel Klein decreed that all of the city’s elementary schools were to adopt Lucy Calkins’ balanced literacy curriculum. He later said it was the only decision he made as chancellor that he came to regret—and not because the curriculum lacked a good phonics component. Under pressure from the federal government, the city supplemented the curriculum with a phonics program, and reading scores did improve at lower grade levels. But they didn’t rise at eighth grade, and—as Klein told me when I interviewed him some years ago—that led him to a realization: to equip kids to understand more complex text, it’s crucial to build knowledge in the elementary grades in a way that Calkins’ curriculum—and many others, including Into Reading—do not. Perhaps current education officials in New York might want to reflect on Klein’s experience. As they say, those who don’t remember the past are doomed to repeat it.
The pill, so ubiquitous it goes by one name, has long been synonymous with women's liberation and sexual freedom. But there's also a rising disquiet, especially online, about its effect on women's bodies. On TikTok, young women divulge their hormone horror stories to tens of thousands of viewers. In private Facebook groups, they swap the names of their prescriptions like old friends — Brenda, Yaz, Diane, it goes on — and compare notes on the severity of their side effects. Over on YouTube, a study analysed videos about contraception posted between 2019 and 2021 and found they were "primarily about the discontinuation of hormonal birth control". Prescriptions and consumption of the pill have steadily decreased in several western European countries over the past decade — a phenomenon labelled pillenmüdigkeit or "pill fatigue" in German — according to a study published this year. Many of these women have moved on to other contraceptives, including long-acting reversible options, known as LARCs, like intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants and injections. Back home, however, the research suggests a different reality. While use of the pill has declined marginally over time as longer-lasting and more reliable options have come onto the market, it remains Australia's most popular contraceptive. "The pill is a very popular option still," says Dr Clare Boerma, the medical director at Family Planning, who attributes much of its enduring appeal to its longevity and widespread use. Often, she says, "It's the first thing that comes to people's minds when they're thinking about starting a contraceptive." More than 60 years after the pill first hit shelves, what do history and science tell us about its future in the lives of Australian women? Australia's embrace of the pill In 1961, Australia became only the second country in the world to have access to the oral contraceptive pill. The pill in question was called Anovlar and its arrival on Australian shores was a bombshell. "Prior to the pill, there weren't really very many options for contraception and the options that were available were pretty unreliable," says Dr Bryony Mcneill, a senior lecturer in medical science at Deakin University. Such options included condoms, diaphragms, spermicides, sponges and natural (and often crude) methods like withdrawal and fertility tracking. Crucially, most required the cooperation of a male partner. "To have the pill available made a huge difference for women in particular and families to be able to plan when they wanted to get pregnant and separate sex from [having] children, which beforehand you couldn't really do," Mcneill says. But the revolution didn't happen immediately. To get the pill, much like today, you needed a prescription — and conservative doctors were hesitant to give out scripts at all, let alone to unmarried women. It was also expensive, incurring a 27.5 per cent luxury tax. It wasn't until 1972, during Gough Whitlam's first 10 days in office, that the luxury tax was scrapped and the pill was added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, bringing costs down to about $1 a month. Five years later, the first-ever national health survey found 20 per cent of women of reproductive age (18 to 49 years old) had taken the pill in the two days before being interviewed. This was likely an underestimation given women at the time were only expected to take the pill three weeks out of every month. It was most popular with women aged 20-24 (35.4 per cent) and 25-29 (29.1 per cent). These early pills had much higher doses of hormones than we're used to today, and consequently more side effects. They were removed from sale in 1988 and replaced with lower-dose versions. By 1995, two-thirds of Australian women of reproductive age were using some form of birth control, with 40 per cent opting for the pill, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Because it was so revolutionary to have access to contraception at all, Mcneill says early on many women were happy to overlook the physical downsides. "People are now becoming more aware of those … and having the agency to look for better options that suit them," she says. How the pill works Contraceptive pills, and other hormonal birth controls, release artificial hormones that mimic those produced when an egg is growing, tricking the brain into no longer sending egg-production signals to the ovary. At the same time, they thicken the mucus in the cervix, which stops the sperm from getting through, and alter how the uterus lining develops, making it harder for an embryo to implant. "In a normal menstrual cycle, you've got two phases: in the first half of the cycle you're preparing for that embryo or fertilisation, and the second half is sort of nourishing it for a pregnancy," Dr Mcneill says. "So by taking the pill you kind of obliterate this natural cycle and sort of switch everything off." The most common form of the pill contains oestrogen and progestogen (known as the combined oral contraceptive pill). Also available is the progestogen-only pill — commonly called the "mini-pill" — which can be prescribed when people are unable to take the combined oestrogen. It works by thickening the cervical mucus and most women's periods will continue while using it. Many people also use the pill for reasons other than birth control: to manage acne, heavy periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and conditions like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Some side effects have been well documented, including breast tenderness, bloating, headaches and nausea. While rare, there are also more serious health risks, including strokes, myocardial infarction, and blood clots. Because the pill is taken orally, the hormones have to travel around the entire body, which increases the risk of clots. This is less of a risk with localised contraceptives, like IUDs. "The thing about the pill is we have incredible safety data over decades and decades, so in fact, we know exactly what the minor risks and potential side effects are," says Dr Catriona Melville, director of clinical excellence at MSI Australia, the reproductive health service formerly known as Marie Stopes International. "I certainly wouldn't want to paint something like the pill as the enemy." The pill is still popular National data on contraceptive use in Australia is patchy, but a report by Family Planning collating Medicare data and national surveys found the pill and condoms remained the most popular form of birth control in 2018, while the use of LARCs had seen "small but consistent" increases over the decade to 2015. While Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule data shows a decrease in prescriptions for the pill, many of the newer oral contraceptives are not listed and therefore not captured. Even among the younger generation, the pill remains popular. In a 2021 study of thousands of Australian high-school students, 40 per cent of female respondents reported using the pill in their last sexual encounter, trailing condoms (47 per cent) but well in front of implants (11 per cent) and IUDs (3.7 per cent). A small 2019 study tried to understand why women aged between 18 and 24 chose certain contraceptives. From 20 interviews, the researchers found some women felt they were persuaded away from LARCs by their doctor, while others were afraid of having something inserted into their body. "Misinformation about certain methods of contraception, particularly IUDs, was quite common among participants," the study read. Is social media to blame? When the pill was first introduced to Australia, information was hard to come by. Not only was advertising of it banned, but any public discussion of pre-marital sex, contraception or abortion was considered taboo. Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2010, feminist scholar Anne Summers recalled visiting the doctor with her boyfriend in 1966 and being asked: "Are you married?" "In those days before family planning clinics or women's health services, before telephone helplines or listings in the front of the phone book, before there were books about sex, before there was any information really, we relied on rumour," she wrote. "The word would go round, and we'd flock to the medico who we'd heard would not give us a hard time for daring to ask for a script." Today, most doctors offer reliable information and will freely prescribe the pill, but the sharing of information between women that's existed since the pill's beginnings has reached a new scale in the social media age. "If you go right back to the beginning, this was absolute freedom … it was mind-blowing when the pill was introduced," Dr Melville says. "But there's this strange sort of theory now that people are being forced to be on the pill." In one oft-repeated TikTok format, women hold up comically large sheets of paper with lines and lines of tiny text. The on-screen caption provides explanations: be kind to your girl, they say, because this is the list of side-effects packaged into boxes of the pill. While not entirely accurate — the leaflets also include details about what the pill should be used for and how to take it, alongside a list of rare, but terrifying, potential side effects — the meaning behind the video trend is clear: for a long time, women's bodies have borne the brunt of avoiding unwanted pregnancies and, judging by the comments, many aren't happy about it. In other cases, the discourse is more concerning. In one TikTok video, a self-described "menstrual health educator" tells her audience that "birth control is a Group 1 carcinogen and has been shown to cause cancer in humans". The video has been liked more than 41,000 times. While the pill has been associated with a slightly increased risk for breast cancer and a transient risk for cervical cancer while it's being used, it's also been shown to reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer. According to the Cancer Council: "On balance, the strong evidence of reduced lifetime risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer outweighs the transient risks associated with breast and cervical cancer." While Dr Melville believes social media has played a role in "villianising" hormonal methods — after all, it's where many people go for information — she is hesitant to put too much stock in trends. "People who don't like the pill, or have had issues with it, it's the same as anything in life, they will be more vocal," she says. "Whereas the people that do love the pill and have been on it for 20 years tend not to complain." Giving up hormones A particularly pervasive piece of misinformation is the belief that your body needs a break from hormonal birth control. According to doctors, there's no evidence to support this and stopping and starting may actually prolong adverse side effects, which usually subside within three months of taking a birth control method. Dr Melville says this anti-hormone sentiment is particularly common among younger women, some of whom have ditched hormonal birth control completely in favour of fertility awareness apps. "And the unfortunate problem with that is I'm mostly seeing those people because they've had an unplanned pregnancy," she says. Apps like Natural Cycles — which is the first to be cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration to market itself as contraception — Clue, Kindara and Flo use menstrual cycle information, daily body temperature checks and an algorithm to predict fertile periods. The idea is that by avoiding sex during these times, it's possible to avoid pregnancy. "There is quite a lot of belief that using a calendar method, for example, by itself is very efficacious — and it's not," Dr Melville says. "Natural family planning can be if you put in lots of other data, like your basal body temperature and your cervical mucus, but that's quite time-consuming and arduous." In her clinic, Dr Boerma has also seen people coming in to reduce their hormone dose or give them up completely. "Hormones are bad and 'no hormones' is good is a bit too simplistic, but certainly some people do seem to be more sensitive than others to hormones," she says. The copper IUD — a small device placed inside the uterus that is toxic to the sperm and egg, preventing fertilisation — is the only available non-hormonal, long-acting option on the market. It lasts for five or 10 years, depending on the device, but can cause heavier and longer periods in some women. By comparison, the Mirena hormonal IUD can help manage heavy or painful periods. "For some people, hormonal contraceptives are really beneficial," Dr Boerma says. "Sometimes people look at it in a bit of a black and white way; we've heard bad things and we want to avoid something that's bad, But often it's much more nuanced and complex." What strikes Dr Boerma is the shift in attitudes over time. "It's seen as a burden, taking a hormonal contraception, rather than the liberation it once was," she says. "People are doing their own research, and trying to be more informed themselves, which is understandable and a good thing — but it does set a different landscape."Loading... Does the pill have a future? When advising women on birth control, Dr Melville follows this calculation to find the perfect option: the lowest doses of hormones, with the fewest side effects and the highest efficacy. Long-acting contraceptives are more likely to fulfil the final criteria, because they're not reliant on users remembering to take them or doing so correctly. "With perfect use, short-acting methods like the pill are really good," Dr Melville says. "But we know that there's perfect use, and then there's real-life use." Despite this, Australians have been slow to embrace LARCs. In a submission to last year's Senate inquiry into reproductive health, Family Planning NSW wrote that Australia's uptake rate is "well below comparable developed countries across the world", with only about 12-15 per cent of Australian women choosing IUDs, implants or injections. This is a problem, according to Dr Nicole Higgins, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). "LARCs are much more user-friendly, they've got lower risks, they've got lower side effects," she says. "From a public health perspective, from a personal perspective, they're much better options for women." Does this make the oral contraceptive pill obsolete? Dr Melville doesn't think so. There are currently plans to increase access to it by allowing pill refills to be provided over the counter in some states. "The pill has a lot to be commended for and I don't think it will ever disappear," she says.	<urn:uuid:7b511aba-f641-4c96-8305-5156e1f57570>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947474688.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20240227220707-20240228010707-00735.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9697329998016357, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.53125, "token_count": 3093, "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-31/pill-liberation-to-burden-australian-women-contraceptive/103191234" }	The pill, so ubiquitous it goes by one name, has long been synonymous with women's liberation and sexual freedom. But there's also a rising disquiet, especially online, about its effect on women's bodies. On TikTok, young women divulge their hormone horror stories to tens of thousands of viewers. In private Facebook groups, they swap the names of their prescriptions like old friends — Brenda, Yaz, Diane, it goes on — and compare notes on the severity of their side effects. Over on YouTube, a study analysed videos about contraception posted between 2019 and 2021 and found they were "primarily about the discontinuation of hormonal birth control". Prescriptions and consumption of the pill have steadily decreased in several western European countries over the past decade — a phenomenon labelled pillenmüdigkeit or "pill fatigue" in German — according to a study published this year. Many of these women have moved on to other contraceptives, including long-acting reversible options, known as LARCs, like intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants and injections. Back home, however, the research suggests a different reality. While use of the pill has declined marginally over time as longer-lasting and more reliable options have come onto the market, it remains Australia's most popular contraceptive. "The pill is a very popular option still," says Dr Clare Boerma, the medical director at Family Planning, who attributes much of its enduring appeal to its longevity and widespread use. Often, she says, "It's the first thing that comes to people's minds when they're thinking about starting a contraceptive." More than 60 years after the pill first hit shelves, what do history and science tell us about its future in the lives of Australian women? Australia's embrace of the pill In 1961, Australia became only the second country in the world to have access to the oral contraceptive pill. The pill in question was called Anovlar and its arrival on Australian shores was a bombshell. "Prior to the pill, there weren't really very many options for contraception and the options that were available were pretty unreliable," says Dr Bryony Mcneill, a senior lecturer in medical science at Deakin University. Such options included condoms, diaphragms, spermicides, sponges and natural (and often crude) methods like withdrawal and fertility tracking. Crucially, most required the cooperation of a male partner. "To have the pill available made a huge difference for	women in particular and families to be able to plan when they wanted to get pregnant and separate sex from [having] children, which beforehand you couldn't really do," Mcneill says. But the revolution didn't happen immediately. To get the pill, much like today, you needed a prescription — and conservative doctors were hesitant to give out scripts at all, let alone to unmarried women. It was also expensive, incurring a 27.5 per cent luxury tax. It wasn't until 1972, during Gough Whitlam's first 10 days in office, that the luxury tax was scrapped and the pill was added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, bringing costs down to about $1 a month. Five years later, the first-ever national health survey found 20 per cent of women of reproductive age (18 to 49 years old) had taken the pill in the two days before being interviewed. This was likely an underestimation given women at the time were only expected to take the pill three weeks out of every month. It was most popular with women aged 20-24 (35.4 per cent) and 25-29 (29.1 per cent). These early pills had much higher doses of hormones than we're used to today, and consequently more side effects. They were removed from sale in 1988 and replaced with lower-dose versions. By 1995, two-thirds of Australian women of reproductive age were using some form of birth control, with 40 per cent opting for the pill, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Because it was so revolutionary to have access to contraception at all, Mcneill says early on many women were happy to overlook the physical downsides. "People are now becoming more aware of those … and having the agency to look for better options that suit them," she says. How the pill works Contraceptive pills, and other hormonal birth controls, release artificial hormones that mimic those produced when an egg is growing, tricking the brain into no longer sending egg-production signals to the ovary. At the same time, they thicken the mucus in the cervix, which stops the sperm from getting through, and alter how the uterus lining develops, making it harder for an embryo to implant. "In a normal menstrual cycle, you've got two phases: in the first half of the cycle you're preparing for that embryo or fertilisation, and the second half is sort of nourishing it for a pregnancy," Dr Mcneill says. "So by taking the pill you kind of obliterate this natural cycle and sort of switch everything off." The most common form of the pill contains oestrogen and progestogen (known as the combined oral contraceptive pill). Also available is the progestogen-only pill — commonly called the "mini-pill" — which can be prescribed when people are unable to take the combined oestrogen. It works by thickening the cervical mucus and most women's periods will continue while using it. Many people also use the pill for reasons other than birth control: to manage acne, heavy periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and conditions like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Some side effects have been well documented, including breast tenderness, bloating, headaches and nausea. While rare, there are also more serious health risks, including strokes, myocardial infarction, and blood clots. Because the pill is taken orally, the hormones have to travel around the entire body, which increases the risk of clots. This is less of a risk with localised contraceptives, like IUDs. "The thing about the pill is we have incredible safety data over decades and decades, so in fact, we know exactly what the minor risks and potential side effects are," says Dr Catriona Melville, director of clinical excellence at MSI Australia, the reproductive health service formerly known as Marie Stopes International. "I certainly wouldn't want to paint something like the pill as the enemy." The pill is still popular National data on contraceptive use in Australia is patchy, but a report by Family Planning collating Medicare data and national surveys found the pill and condoms remained the most popular form of birth control in 2018, while the use of LARCs had seen "small but consistent" increases over the decade to 2015. While Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule data shows a decrease in prescriptions for the pill, many of the newer oral contraceptives are not listed and therefore not captured. Even among the younger generation, the pill remains popular. In a 2021 study of thousands of Australian high-school students, 40 per cent of female respondents reported using the pill in their last sexual encounter, trailing condoms (47 per cent) but well in front of implants (11 per cent) and IUDs (3.7 per cent). A small 2019 study tried to understand why women aged between 18 and 24 chose certain contraceptives. From 20 interviews, the researchers found some women felt they were persuaded away from LARCs by their doctor, while others were afraid of having something inserted into their body. "Misinformation about certain methods of contraception, particularly IUDs, was quite common among participants," the study read. Is social media to blame? When the pill was first introduced to Australia, information was hard to come by. Not only was advertising of it banned, but any public discussion of pre-marital sex, contraception or abortion was considered taboo. Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2010, feminist scholar Anne Summers recalled visiting the doctor with her boyfriend in 1966 and being asked: "Are you married?" "In those days before family planning clinics or women's health services, before telephone helplines or listings in the front of the phone book, before there were books about sex, before there was any information really, we relied on rumour," she wrote. "The word would go round, and we'd flock to the medico who we'd heard would not give us a hard time for daring to ask for a script." Today, most doctors offer reliable information and will freely prescribe the pill, but the sharing of information between women that's existed since the pill's beginnings has reached a new scale in the social media age. "If you go right back to the beginning, this was absolute freedom … it was mind-blowing when the pill was introduced," Dr Melville says. "But there's this strange sort of theory now that people are being forced to be on the pill." In one oft-repeated TikTok format, women hold up comically large sheets of paper with lines and lines of tiny text. The on-screen caption provides explanations: be kind to your girl, they say, because this is the list of side-effects packaged into boxes of the pill. While not entirely accurate — the leaflets also include details about what the pill should be used for and how to take it, alongside a list of rare, but terrifying, potential side effects — the meaning behind the video trend is clear: for a long time, women's bodies have borne the brunt of avoiding unwanted pregnancies and, judging by the comments, many aren't happy about it. In other cases, the discourse is more concerning. In one TikTok video, a self-described "menstrual health educator" tells her audience that "birth control is a Group 1 carcinogen and has been shown to cause cancer in humans". The video has been liked more than 41,000 times. While the pill has been associated with a slightly increased risk for breast cancer and a transient risk for cervical cancer while it's being used, it's also been shown to reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer. According to the Cancer Council: "On balance, the strong evidence of reduced lifetime risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer outweighs the transient risks associated with breast and cervical cancer." While Dr Melville believes social media has played a role in "villianising" hormonal methods — after all, it's where many people go for information — she is hesitant to put too much stock in trends. "People who don't like the pill, or have had issues with it, it's the same as anything in life, they will be more vocal," she says. "Whereas the people that do love the pill and have been on it for 20 years tend not to complain." Giving up hormones A particularly pervasive piece of misinformation is the belief that your body needs a break from hormonal birth control. According to doctors, there's no evidence to support this and stopping and starting may actually prolong adverse side effects, which usually subside within three months of taking a birth control method. Dr Melville says this anti-hormone sentiment is particularly common among younger women, some of whom have ditched hormonal birth control completely in favour of fertility awareness apps. "And the unfortunate problem with that is I'm mostly seeing those people because they've had an unplanned pregnancy," she says. Apps like Natural Cycles — which is the first to be cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration to market itself as contraception — Clue, Kindara and Flo use menstrual cycle information, daily body temperature checks and an algorithm to predict fertile periods. The idea is that by avoiding sex during these times, it's possible to avoid pregnancy. "There is quite a lot of belief that using a calendar method, for example, by itself is very efficacious — and it's not," Dr Melville says. "Natural family planning can be if you put in lots of other data, like your basal body temperature and your cervical mucus, but that's quite time-consuming and arduous." In her clinic, Dr Boerma has also seen people coming in to reduce their hormone dose or give them up completely. "Hormones are bad and 'no hormones' is good is a bit too simplistic, but certainly some people do seem to be more sensitive than others to hormones," she says. The copper IUD — a small device placed inside the uterus that is toxic to the sperm and egg, preventing fertilisation — is the only available non-hormonal, long-acting option on the market. It lasts for five or 10 years, depending on the device, but can cause heavier and longer periods in some women. By comparison, the Mirena hormonal IUD can help manage heavy or painful periods. "For some people, hormonal contraceptives are really beneficial," Dr Boerma says. "Sometimes people look at it in a bit of a black and white way; we've heard bad things and we want to avoid something that's bad, But often it's much more nuanced and complex." What strikes Dr Boerma is the shift in attitudes over time. "It's seen as a burden, taking a hormonal contraception, rather than the liberation it once was," she says. "People are doing their own research, and trying to be more informed themselves, which is understandable and a good thing — but it does set a different landscape."Loading... Does the pill have a future? When advising women on birth control, Dr Melville follows this calculation to find the perfect option: the lowest doses of hormones, with the fewest side effects and the highest efficacy. Long-acting contraceptives are more likely to fulfil the final criteria, because they're not reliant on users remembering to take them or doing so correctly. "With perfect use, short-acting methods like the pill are really good," Dr Melville says. "But we know that there's perfect use, and then there's real-life use." Despite this, Australians have been slow to embrace LARCs. In a submission to last year's Senate inquiry into reproductive health, Family Planning NSW wrote that Australia's uptake rate is "well below comparable developed countries across the world", with only about 12-15 per cent of Australian women choosing IUDs, implants or injections. This is a problem, according to Dr Nicole Higgins, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). "LARCs are much more user-friendly, they've got lower risks, they've got lower side effects," she says. "From a public health perspective, from a personal perspective, they're much better options for women." Does this make the oral contraceptive pill obsolete? Dr Melville doesn't think so. There are currently plans to increase access to it by allowing pill refills to be provided over the counter in some states. "The pill has a lot to be commended for and I don't think it will ever disappear," she says.
20230111. #SephardicMaritimeRoutes and #ArtificialIntelligence. We are starting our research of Sephardic Maritime Routes by integrating traditional documents, ancient and current maps and nautical charts, current satellite imagery, photos and new Artificial Intelligence tools. #OpenAI and #ChatGPT generated this AI response today after asking about this topic: “” The Sephardic Jews were a Jewish community that originated in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and later dispersed to other parts of the world. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, many Sephardic Jews were forced to flee the Iberian Peninsula due to the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions. They established communities in various places such as the Ottoman Empire, Italy, the Netherlands, and the Americas. These Sephardic Jews used a variety of maritime routes to reach these destinations. Some of the most notable routes included: - The Mediterranean Sea: Sephardic Jews traveled by boat to places such as the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans), Italy, and North Africa. - The Atlantic Ocean: Sephardic Jews also established communities in the Netherlands and the Americas. They would have used ships to travel across the Atlantic Ocean to reach these places. - The Caribbean Sea: Many Sephardic Jews also settled in the Caribbean, particularly in Dutch colonies like Curaçao and Suriname, they would have taken ships across the Caribbean Sea. It is important to note that this was a long and dangerous journey, many people died on the sea or were captured by pirates or slave traders, this Sephardim communities have been formed from the individuals who reach their destination . “” – ChatGPT 20230111 We will continue adding new references to these maritime routes and keep track of AI progress. This model is using Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF). Ref. https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/ #ChatGPT #DrLepervanche_AI #GeoSefarad_AI #ArtificialIntelligence This is the topic of our new Story Map that we are developing in 2023. We will collect and integrate all new information in “Rutas Marítimas de Sefardíes. #SephardicMaritimeRoutes“. See progress in this link https://arcg.is/0uK04v #GlobalStoryMaps 20230129. #SephardicMaritimeRoutes. We are back in Spain and we started to organize the information and maps that we already have. For this specific research we are going to use Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT to explore their suggestions based on our questions. We will contrast this AI answer with documents, articles, and our collaborators and experts. Please, feel free to comment, contrast, and add new references. I will add our simplified #DrJoseMaps to track our journey. This is our initial map of Ports in Spain that have been already identified as being used by Sephardic Jews to abandon Sefarad after the expulsion of 1492. See our first @ChatGPT_AI response about #SephardicMaritimeRoutes posted a few weeks ago. Let’s begin our maritime journey. Let’s see what we discover using AI tools, ancient and modern maps, and nautical charts. Let’s also see if we can fix errors found in ChatGPT and other AI tools. This new response is about the ports used. “”The ports used by Sephardic Jews to exit Spain in 1492 were primarily located along the Mediterranean coast, including cities such as Valencia, Barcelona, and Granada. Many also left from the port of Cadiz, located on the southern coast of Spain. They also fled to the border towns such as Melilla and Ceuta. The majority of Sephardic Jews left Spain for other parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Ottoman Empire.”” We will start with these ports and Ceuta y Melilla.#OpenAI #ChatGPT #DrLepervanche_AI #SephardicMaritimeRoutes #GeoSefarad_AI Reblogged this on Global Story Maps – GeoLandmarks and commented: #SephardicMaritimeRoutes and #ArtificialIntelligence. We are starting our research of Sephardic Maritime Routes by integrating traditional documents, ancient and current maps and nautical charts, current satellite imagery, photos and new Artificial Intelligence tools. #OpenAI and #ChatGPT generated responses.	<urn:uuid:38a10347-0628-4185-8188-3bf55803bedd>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-14", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296949701.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20230401032604-20230401062604-00689.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9350430965423584, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.375, "token_count": 975, "url": "https://europeanjewishquarters.wordpress.com/2023/01/29/sephardic-maritime-routes-and-artificial-intelligence-added-to-global-story-maps/" }	20230111. #SephardicMaritimeRoutes and #ArtificialIntelligence. We are starting our research of Sephardic Maritime Routes by integrating traditional documents, ancient and current maps and nautical charts, current satellite imagery, photos and new Artificial Intelligence tools. #OpenAI and #ChatGPT generated this AI response today after asking about this topic: “” The Sephardic Jews were a Jewish community that originated in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and later dispersed to other parts of the world. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, many Sephardic Jews were forced to flee the Iberian Peninsula due to the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions. They established communities in various places such as the Ottoman Empire, Italy, the Netherlands, and the Americas. These Sephardic Jews used a variety of maritime routes to reach these destinations. Some of the most notable routes included: - The Mediterranean Sea: Sephardic Jews traveled by boat to places such as the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans), Italy, and North Africa. - The Atlantic Ocean: Sephardic Jews also established communities in the Netherlands and the Americas. They would have used ships to travel across the Atlantic Ocean to reach these places. - The Caribbean Sea: Many Sephardic Jews also settled in the Caribbean, particularly in Dutch colonies like Curaçao and Suriname, they would have taken ships across the Caribbean Sea. It is important to note that this was a long and dangerous journey, many people died on the sea or were captured by pirates or slave traders, this Sephardim communities have been formed from the individuals who reach their destination . “” – ChatGPT 20230111 We will continue adding new references to these maritime routes and keep track of AI progress. This model is using Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF). Ref. https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/ #ChatGPT #DrLepervanche_AI #GeoSefarad_AI #ArtificialIntelligence This is the topic of our new Story Map that we are developing in 2023. We will collect and integrate all new information in “Rutas Marítimas de Sefardíes. #SephardicMaritimeRoutes“. See progress in this link https://arcg.is/0uK04v #GlobalStoryMaps 20230129.	#SephardicMaritimeRoutes. We are back in Spain and we started to organize the information and maps that we already have. For this specific research we are going to use Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT to explore their suggestions based on our questions. We will contrast this AI answer with documents, articles, and our collaborators and experts. Please, feel free to comment, contrast, and add new references. I will add our simplified #DrJoseMaps to track our journey. This is our initial map of Ports in Spain that have been already identified as being used by Sephardic Jews to abandon Sefarad after the expulsion of 1492. See our first @ChatGPT_AI response about #SephardicMaritimeRoutes posted a few weeks ago. Let’s begin our maritime journey. Let’s see what we discover using AI tools, ancient and modern maps, and nautical charts. Let’s also see if we can fix errors found in ChatGPT and other AI tools. This new response is about the ports used. “”The ports used by Sephardic Jews to exit Spain in 1492 were primarily located along the Mediterranean coast, including cities such as Valencia, Barcelona, and Granada. Many also left from the port of Cadiz, located on the southern coast of Spain. They also fled to the border towns such as Melilla and Ceuta. The majority of Sephardic Jews left Spain for other parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Ottoman Empire.”” We will start with these ports and Ceuta y Melilla.#OpenAI #ChatGPT #DrLepervanche_AI #SephardicMaritimeRoutes #GeoSefarad_AI Reblogged this on Global Story Maps – GeoLandmarks and commented: #SephardicMaritimeRoutes and #ArtificialIntelligence. We are starting our research of Sephardic Maritime Routes by integrating traditional documents, ancient and current maps and nautical charts, current satellite imagery, photos and new Artificial Intelligence tools. #OpenAI and #ChatGPT generated responses.
Utah’s wetlands are crucial in times of drought and times of flooding, but they haven’t always received the appreciation and attention they need. At Ogden Bay Waterfowl Management Area on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, manager Rich Hansen is busy bracing for the deluge of snowmelt. He is clearing logs and debris from intakes. He is flooding the parking lots duck hunters typically use in the fall. His water control structures are wide open so all the Weber River’s runoff can disperse across the bay’s 19,000 acres of wetlands, instead of ending up in people’s basements. “These wetlands are so, so crucial to flood water attenuation and just dispersing the water once it gets out here,” Hansen said while a chorus of songbirds and shorebirds chirped nearby. He is happy to see the surge. At this time last year, following a nearly bone-dry winter, the Weber River only trickled at 60 cubic feet per second, Hansen said. After this season’s record-setting snowpack, however, it currently is gushing at 3,870 cubic feet per second. That’s almost four times the volume of its median flow. After it slows and filters through Ogden Bay’s wetlands, it ripples to the Great Salt Lake. A vast expanse that was dry lakebed only months ago has water again. It’s only a few inches deep, but it is keeping down a source of toxic dust for the people living on the Wasatch Front. And it is luring millions of shorebirds, ducks and other waterfowl on their spring migration. “We know that it’s not enough to save the Great Salt Lake,” said Coryna Hebert, Utah biologist for Ducks Unlimited. “It simply has averted an ecological catastrophe we were on the brink of [at] this time last year.” The Great Salt Lake has sunk to record lows the past two years in a row, bottoming out at an all-time low of 4,188.5 feet above sea level in November. Its brine flies were all but wiped out. Salinity concentrations were so high the lake’s brine shrimp were on the verge of collapse as well. Both critters are keystones of the food web millions of migrating birds depend on each year. After a record-breaking winter, however, the lake’s elevation is up more than 3.5 feet from its record low. “It buys us a little bit extra time,” Hebert said, “to implement some of these measures we need to start saving water and reversing the slow trend of the lake declining every year.” A major component of restoring the lake’s health and resiliency is restoring its wetlands. Wetlands provide diverse habitat for wildlife and improve water quality for the lake, while helping recharge groundwater and mitigating flood damage in nearby communities. But Ogden Bay was dangerously close to losing its wetlands with this spring’s runoff. A three-mile levee built in 1937 to create the management area has long been neglected and left to erode. The earthen structure was originally 21 feet wide, but sections are currently as narrow as 7 feet. “With the flows we’re experiencing, the dike would wash out and managers would lose all control of the water to Ogden Bay,” Hansen said. “We would have thousands of acres go dry later in the summer.” Ducks Unlimited is using part of a $1 million federal North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant to help restore Ogden Bay’s levee by hauling in boulders to shore up the structure and return it to its original footprint. The Great Salt Lake’s wetlands are controlled by dikes and levees The Great Salt Lake is home to about one-third of Utah’s vegetated wetlands, according to the Utah Geological Survey. Many of those ecological expanses are heavily engineered and carefully managed. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built dikes and levees at Ogden Bay, Bear River Bay and Farmington Bay in an effort to stave off mass bird die-offs caused by avian botulism. The toxin comes from bacteria that thrive in the stagnant water left after the lake rises in the spring and recedes in the summer, leaving warm, stagnant pools. Bugs consume and concentrate the bacteria. Birds eat the bugs and become infected. The disease slowly paralyzes them, causing them to drown. “These dikes all allow managers to manage and manipulate the water,” Hansen said, “and keep it ... constantly moving.” Engineered wetlands have also helped biologists get control over phragmites, an invasive water-sucking reed that first popped up in the Great Salt Lake’s wetlands following the floods of the 1980s. It has since ravaged the landscape, choking out native species and wildlife habitat. “Successfully managing phragmites,” Hebert said, “like removing a big stand, often takes like three to five years of many different treatments of herbicides grazing, cutting, mowing, sometimes burning. I mean, it’s really hard to get rid of.” At controlled wetlands like Ogden Bay, managers can drain certain areas dry to spray the weeds or corral cows to eat them. Or they can open the floodgates and try to smother the plants. “We’ve opened up probably 12,000 acres that were phragmites 10 years ago,” Hansen said. “So we don’t want to lose the progress we’ve gained.” Subscribe To Open Lands Newsletter Get the latest news by subscribing to our Open Lands newsletter. Enter your email below to receive more stories like these right to your inbox. And with climate change, aridification and a growing population in the West, wetlands are rapidly being lost to drought and development. That makes the Great Salt Lake’s wetlands vital for supporting birds and preventing endangered species listings. “The best wetlands we have in the West are these managed wetlands,” said Ryan Sabalow, a Ducks Unlimited spokesperson. “Because we have so few of them, you kind of have to make sure they run perfectly.” Are wetlands across Utah disappearing? Utah’s resource managers don’t have good data on how much of the state’s wetlands have been lost in recent decades. Although they create highly a productive habitat, prevent flooding and keep the environment healthy, humans have long seen them as a boggy, buggy nuisance. “Generally as a society, we have viewed wetlands as wastelands across North America,” said Karin Kettenring, a professor of wetland ecology at Utah State University. “So there’s always been this push to fill and drain wetlands.” In just the 14 years since Kettenring relocated to Utah, she said she has watched development encroach along the periphery of the Great Salt Lake, in zones that would have helped absorb the rapid runoff potentially coming this spring. She also has seen development pop up along the historic floodplain of the Logan River, a tributary of the Great Salt Lake basin. “It’s both at the end of the line at Great Salt Lake,” Kettenring said, “but also recognizing that wetlands upstream are important in helping slow the flow throughout the whole watershed.” Utahns and other communities in the West have manipulated rivers and waterways for flood control over more than a century using dams, dikes and reservoirs. But as the Great Salt Lake flooding of the 1980s shows, or the Weber County floods of 2011, or the flooding of Logan and Box Elder County in 2017, these solutions don’t always work. “Some would like to have complete control,” Kettenring said, “and completely hard-engineer the system, which tends to be a much more expensive and not necessarily better approach.” All the damage to homes and infrastructure left by recent floods isn’t exactly cheap, either. Still, Kettenring said, she sees value in the engineering done on the Great Salt Lake’s wetlands, especially with all the dams, diversions, farms and developments in the lake’s watershed. “Without fundamentally changing how we use our water upstream,” Kettenering said, “it’s a logical response. I don’t see any way we could have wetlands without them as this point.” And the professor is hopeful with the attention, alarm and investment the lake has received from policymakers and legislators, a similar enthusiasm for protecting wetlands will follow. “I do have some level of optimism,” Kettenring said. “There’s a lot more awareness of the role of the Great Salt Lake. To me, that includes the wetlands. You can’t really separate the lake from the wetlands.”	<urn:uuid:b7615c9f-860c-4d90-af43-7d92502eaada>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-40", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233506429.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20230922234442-20230923024442-00516.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9465633630752563, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.78125, "token_count": 1915, "url": "https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2023/04/21/great-salt-lake-wetland-managers/" }	Utah’s wetlands are crucial in times of drought and times of flooding, but they haven’t always received the appreciation and attention they need. At Ogden Bay Waterfowl Management Area on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, manager Rich Hansen is busy bracing for the deluge of snowmelt. He is clearing logs and debris from intakes. He is flooding the parking lots duck hunters typically use in the fall. His water control structures are wide open so all the Weber River’s runoff can disperse across the bay’s 19,000 acres of wetlands, instead of ending up in people’s basements. “These wetlands are so, so crucial to flood water attenuation and just dispersing the water once it gets out here,” Hansen said while a chorus of songbirds and shorebirds chirped nearby. He is happy to see the surge. At this time last year, following a nearly bone-dry winter, the Weber River only trickled at 60 cubic feet per second, Hansen said. After this season’s record-setting snowpack, however, it currently is gushing at 3,870 cubic feet per second. That’s almost four times the volume of its median flow. After it slows and filters through Ogden Bay’s wetlands, it ripples to the Great Salt Lake. A vast expanse that was dry lakebed only months ago has water again. It’s only a few inches deep, but it is keeping down a source of toxic dust for the people living on the Wasatch Front. And it is luring millions of shorebirds, ducks and other waterfowl on their spring migration. “We know that it’s not enough to save the Great Salt Lake,” said Coryna Hebert, Utah biologist for Ducks Unlimited. “It simply has averted an ecological catastrophe we were on the brink of [at] this time last year.” The Great Salt Lake has sunk to record lows the past two years in a row, bottoming out at an all-time low of 4,188.5 feet above sea level in November. Its brine flies were all but wiped out. Salinity concentrations were so high the lake’s brine shrimp were on the verge of collapse as well. Both critters are keystones of the food web millions of migrating birds depend on each year. After a record-breaking winter, however, the lake’s elevation is up more than 3.5 feet from its record low. “It buys us a little bit	extra time,” Hebert said, “to implement some of these measures we need to start saving water and reversing the slow trend of the lake declining every year.” A major component of restoring the lake’s health and resiliency is restoring its wetlands. Wetlands provide diverse habitat for wildlife and improve water quality for the lake, while helping recharge groundwater and mitigating flood damage in nearby communities. But Ogden Bay was dangerously close to losing its wetlands with this spring’s runoff. A three-mile levee built in 1937 to create the management area has long been neglected and left to erode. The earthen structure was originally 21 feet wide, but sections are currently as narrow as 7 feet. “With the flows we’re experiencing, the dike would wash out and managers would lose all control of the water to Ogden Bay,” Hansen said. “We would have thousands of acres go dry later in the summer.” Ducks Unlimited is using part of a $1 million federal North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant to help restore Ogden Bay’s levee by hauling in boulders to shore up the structure and return it to its original footprint. The Great Salt Lake’s wetlands are controlled by dikes and levees The Great Salt Lake is home to about one-third of Utah’s vegetated wetlands, according to the Utah Geological Survey. Many of those ecological expanses are heavily engineered and carefully managed. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built dikes and levees at Ogden Bay, Bear River Bay and Farmington Bay in an effort to stave off mass bird die-offs caused by avian botulism. The toxin comes from bacteria that thrive in the stagnant water left after the lake rises in the spring and recedes in the summer, leaving warm, stagnant pools. Bugs consume and concentrate the bacteria. Birds eat the bugs and become infected. The disease slowly paralyzes them, causing them to drown. “These dikes all allow managers to manage and manipulate the water,” Hansen said, “and keep it ... constantly moving.” Engineered wetlands have also helped biologists get control over phragmites, an invasive water-sucking reed that first popped up in the Great Salt Lake’s wetlands following the floods of the 1980s. It has since ravaged the landscape, choking out native species and wildlife habitat. “Successfully managing phragmites,” Hebert said, “like removing a big stand, often takes like three to five years of many different treatments of herbicides grazing, cutting, mowing, sometimes burning. I mean, it’s really hard to get rid of.” At controlled wetlands like Ogden Bay, managers can drain certain areas dry to spray the weeds or corral cows to eat them. Or they can open the floodgates and try to smother the plants. “We’ve opened up probably 12,000 acres that were phragmites 10 years ago,” Hansen said. “So we don’t want to lose the progress we’ve gained.” Subscribe To Open Lands Newsletter Get the latest news by subscribing to our Open Lands newsletter. Enter your email below to receive more stories like these right to your inbox. And with climate change, aridification and a growing population in the West, wetlands are rapidly being lost to drought and development. That makes the Great Salt Lake’s wetlands vital for supporting birds and preventing endangered species listings. “The best wetlands we have in the West are these managed wetlands,” said Ryan Sabalow, a Ducks Unlimited spokesperson. “Because we have so few of them, you kind of have to make sure they run perfectly.” Are wetlands across Utah disappearing? Utah’s resource managers don’t have good data on how much of the state’s wetlands have been lost in recent decades. Although they create highly a productive habitat, prevent flooding and keep the environment healthy, humans have long seen them as a boggy, buggy nuisance. “Generally as a society, we have viewed wetlands as wastelands across North America,” said Karin Kettenring, a professor of wetland ecology at Utah State University. “So there’s always been this push to fill and drain wetlands.” In just the 14 years since Kettenring relocated to Utah, she said she has watched development encroach along the periphery of the Great Salt Lake, in zones that would have helped absorb the rapid runoff potentially coming this spring. She also has seen development pop up along the historic floodplain of the Logan River, a tributary of the Great Salt Lake basin. “It’s both at the end of the line at Great Salt Lake,” Kettenring said, “but also recognizing that wetlands upstream are important in helping slow the flow throughout the whole watershed.” Utahns and other communities in the West have manipulated rivers and waterways for flood control over more than a century using dams, dikes and reservoirs. But as the Great Salt Lake flooding of the 1980s shows, or the Weber County floods of 2011, or the flooding of Logan and Box Elder County in 2017, these solutions don’t always work. “Some would like to have complete control,” Kettenring said, “and completely hard-engineer the system, which tends to be a much more expensive and not necessarily better approach.” All the damage to homes and infrastructure left by recent floods isn’t exactly cheap, either. Still, Kettenring said, she sees value in the engineering done on the Great Salt Lake’s wetlands, especially with all the dams, diversions, farms and developments in the lake’s watershed. “Without fundamentally changing how we use our water upstream,” Kettenering said, “it’s a logical response. I don’t see any way we could have wetlands without them as this point.” And the professor is hopeful with the attention, alarm and investment the lake has received from policymakers and legislators, a similar enthusiasm for protecting wetlands will follow. “I do have some level of optimism,” Kettenring said. “There’s a lot more awareness of the role of the Great Salt Lake. To me, that includes the wetlands. You can’t really separate the lake from the wetlands.”
What does the science say about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? Since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began three years ago, its origin has been a topic of much scientific — and political — debate. Two main theories exist: The virus spilled over from an animal into people, most likely in a market in Wuhan, China, or the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology and spread due to some type of laboratory accident. The Wall Street Journal added to that debate this week when they reported that the U.S. Department of Energy has shifted its stance on the origin of COVID. It now concludes, with "low confidence," that the pandemic most likely arose from a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China. The agency based its conclusion on classified evidence that isn't available to the public. According to the federal government, "low confidence" means "the information used in the analysis is scant, questionable, fragmented, or that solid analytical conclusions cannot be inferred from the information." And at this point, the U.S. intelligence community still has no consensus about the origin of SARS-CoV-2. Four of the eight intelligence agencies lean toward a natural origin for the virus, with "low confidence," while two of them — the DOE and the Federal Bureau of Investigation — support a lab origin, with the latter having "moderate confidence" about its conclusion. But it's a theory that the agencies are definitely bringing into the public eye. On Tuesday, FBI director Christopher A. Wray reiterated his belief that COVID-19 "most likely" sprang from "a potential lab incident" in Wuhan, China. But at the end of the day, the origin of the pandemic is also a scientific question. Virologists who study pandemic origins are much less divided than the U.S. intelligence community. They say there is "very convincing" data and "overwhelming evidence" pointing to an animal origin. In particular, scientists published two extensive, peer-reviewedpapers in Science in July 2022, offering the strongest evidence to date that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in animals at a market in Wuhan, China. Specifically, they conclude that the coronavirus most likely jumped from a caged wild animal into people at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where a huge COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019. Virologist Angela Rasmussen, who contributed to one of the Science papers, says the DOE's "low confident" conclusion doesn't "negate the affirmative evidence for zoonotic [or animal] origin nor do they add any new information in support of lab origin." "Many other [news] outlets are presenting this as new conclusive proof that the lab origin hypothesis is equally as plausible as the zoonotic origin hypothesis," Rasmussen wrote in an email to NPR, "and that is a misrepresentation of the evidence for either." So just what is the scientific evidence that the pandemic began at the seafood market? Neither of the Science papers provide the smoking gun — that is, an animal infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus at a market. But they come close. They providephotographic evidence of wild animals such as raccoon dogs and a red fox, which can be infected with and shed SARS-CoV-2, sitting in cages in the market in late 2019. What's more, the caged animals are shown in or near a stall where scientists found SARS-CoV-2 virus on a number of surfaces, including on cages, carts and machines that process animals after they are slaughtered at the market. The data in the 2022 studies paints an incredibly detailed picture of the early days of the pandemic. Photographic and genetic data pinpoint a specific stall at the market where the coronavirus likely was transmitted from an animal into people. And agenetic analysis estimates the time, within weeks, when not just one but two spillovers occurred. It calculates that the coronavirus jumped into people once in late November or early December and then again few weeks later. At this exact same time, a huge COVID outbreak occurred at the market. Hundreds of people, working and shopping at the market, were likely infected. That outbreak is the first documented one of the pandemic, and it then spilled over into the community, as one of the Science papers shows. At the same time, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention found two variants of the coronavirus inside the market. And an independent study, led by virologists at the University of California, San Diego, suggests these two variants didn't evolve in people, because throughout the entire pandemic, scientists have never detected a variant linking the two together. Altogether, the new studies suggest that, most likely, the two variants evolved inside animals. Evolutionary biologist Michael Worobey helped lead two of the studies and has been at the forefront of the search for the origins of the pandemic. He has spent his career tracking down the origins of pandemics, including the origin of HIV and the 1918 flu. Back in May 2021, Worobey signeda letter calling for an investigation into the lab-leak theory. But then, through his own investigation, he quickly found data supporting an animal origin. When the studies were first published online, NPR spoke to Worobey, who's at the University of Arizona, to understand what the data tells us about the origin of SARS-CoV-2; how, he believes, the data may shift the debate about the lab-leak theory; and the significance of photos taken five years before the pandemic. Here are key points from the conversation, which has been edited for clarity and length. Live animals that are susceptible to COVID-19 were in the market in December 2019 It's clear-cut these wild, live animals, including raccoon dogs and red foxes, were in the market. We have photographic evidence from December 2019. A concerned customer evidently took these photos and videos of the market on Dec. 3 and posted them on Weibo [because it was illegal to sell certain live animals]. The photos were promptly scrubbed. But a CNN reporter had communicated directly with the person who took the photos. I was able to get in touch with this reporter, and they passed on those photos from the source. So we don't completely verify the photos. Live susceptible animals were held in a stall where SARS-CoV-2 was later detected on a machine that processed animals in the market We analyzed a leaked report from the Chinese CDC detailing the results of this environmental sampling. Virtually all of the findings in the report matched what was in the World Health Organization's report. But there was some extra information in the leaked report. For example, there was information not just on which stalls had virus in them — or had samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 — but also how many samples in a given stall yielded positive results. We found out that one stall actually had five positive samples — five surfaces in that stall had virus on them. And even better, in that particular stall, the samples were very animal-y. For example, scientists found virus on a feather/hair remover, a cart of the sort that we see in photographs that are used for transporting cages and, best of all, a metal cage in a back room. So now we know that when the national public health authorities shut down the market and then sampled the surfaces there, one of the surfaces positive for SARS-CoV-2 was a metal cage in a back room. What's even weirder — it turns out that one of the co-authors of the study, Eddie Holmes, had been taken to the Huanan market several years before the pandemic and shown raccoon dogs in one of the stalls. He was told, "This is the kind of place that has the ingredients for cross-species transmission of dangerous pathogens." So he clicks photos of the raccoon dogs. In one photo, the raccoon dogs are in a cage stacked on top of a cage with some birds in it. And at the end of our sleuth work, we checked the GPS coordinates on his camera, and we find that he took the photo at the same stall, where five samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. So we connected all sorts of bizarre kinds of data. Together the data are telling a strong story. Earliest known cases of COVID-19, even those not directly related to individuals who had been in the market, radiate out from the market With a virus, such as SARS-CoV-2, that causes no symptoms or mild symptoms in most people, you don't have any chance of linking all the early cases to the site where the outbreak started. Because the virus is going to quickly spread to people outside of wherever it started. And yet, from the clinical observations in Wuhan, around half of the earliest known COVID cases were people directly linked to the seafood market. And the other cases, which aren't linked through epidemiological data, have an even closer geographical association to the market. That's what we show in our paper. It's absurd how strong the geographical association is [to the market]. NPR: Absurd? How? In the sense that the seafood market is so clearly bull's-eye center of this outbreak? Yes. How could anyone not be moved, at least somewhat, by that data and then not take this idea [of an animal origin] seriously, especially given the other things we've found in these studies? That I don't understand. The virus jumped into people right before the outbreak in the market For example, our new genetic analysis tells us that this virus was not around for very long when the cases occurred at the market. For example, the earliest known patient at the market had an onset of symptoms on Dec. 10, 2019. And we can estimate that at that point in time, there were only about 10 people infected with the virus in the world and probably fewer than 70. So if the pandemic didn't start at the market, one of the first five or 10 people infected in the world was at the market. And how do you explain that? You have to remember: Wuhan is a city of 11 million people. And the Huanan market is only 1 of 4 places in Wuhan that sold live animals susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, such as raccoon dogs. It's highly unlikely that the first COVID-19 outbreak would occur at the market if there weren't a source of the virus there Step back and think, "Where is the first cluster of a new respiratory infection going to appear in this city?" It could appear at a market. But it could also appear at a school, a university or a meatpacking plant. NPR: Or a biotech conference? Yes. In Washington state, SARS-CoV-2 first appeared in a man who had traveled back from China. In Germany, it was at an auto-parts supplier. There are thousands, perhaps 10,000, other places at least as likely, or even more likely, to be the place where a new pathogen shows up. And yet, in Wuhan, the first cluster of cases happens to be one of the four places that sells live animals, out of 10,000 other places. If you're not surprised by that, then I don't think you're understanding the unlikelihood that that presents. NPR: So what is the likelihood of that coincidence happening — that the first cluster of cases occurs at a market that sells animals known to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, but the virus didn't actually come from the market? I would put the odds at 1 in 10,000. But it's interesting. We do have one analysis where we show essentially that the chance of having this pattern of cases [clustered around the market] is 1 in 10 million [if the market isn't a source of the virus]. We consider that strong evidence in science. The analyses that we've done are telling a very strong story. The evidence is amongst the best we have for any emerging virus. It's important to note we haven't found a related virus from the intermediate host. But we have a bunch of other evidence. And the data zeroing in on the Huanan market, to me, is as compelling as the data that indicated to John Snow that the water pump was poisoning people who used it. [John Snow was a doctor in London who helped launch the field of outbreak investigations by figuring out the source of a cholera outbreak in the city in the mid-19th century.] Making these findings brought tears Sometimes you have these rare moments where you're maybe the only person on Earth who has access to this kind of crucial information. As I just started to figure out that there were more cases around the market than you can expect randomly — I felt that way. And no exaggeration, that moment — those kinds of moments — bring a tear to your eye. Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.	<urn:uuid:37e38e7f-a4b1-4e0b-941f-c973d980a613>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2024-10", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2024-10/segments/1707947476409.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20240304002142-20240304032142-00858.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9699856638908386, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.15625, "token_count": 2753, "url": "https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-from-npr/news-from-npr/2023-02-28/what-does-the-science-say-about-the-origin-of-the-sars-cov-2-pandemic" }	What does the science say about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? Since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began three years ago, its origin has been a topic of much scientific — and political — debate. Two main theories exist: The virus spilled over from an animal into people, most likely in a market in Wuhan, China, or the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology and spread due to some type of laboratory accident. The Wall Street Journal added to that debate this week when they reported that the U.S. Department of Energy has shifted its stance on the origin of COVID. It now concludes, with "low confidence," that the pandemic most likely arose from a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China. The agency based its conclusion on classified evidence that isn't available to the public. According to the federal government, "low confidence" means "the information used in the analysis is scant, questionable, fragmented, or that solid analytical conclusions cannot be inferred from the information." And at this point, the U.S. intelligence community still has no consensus about the origin of SARS-CoV-2. Four of the eight intelligence agencies lean toward a natural origin for the virus, with "low confidence," while two of them — the DOE and the Federal Bureau of Investigation — support a lab origin, with the latter having "moderate confidence" about its conclusion. But it's a theory that the agencies are definitely bringing into the public eye. On Tuesday, FBI director Christopher A. Wray reiterated his belief that COVID-19 "most likely" sprang from "a potential lab incident" in Wuhan, China. But at the end of the day, the origin of the pandemic is also a scientific question. Virologists who study pandemic origins are much less divided than the U.S. intelligence community. They say there is "very convincing" data and "overwhelming evidence" pointing to an animal origin. In particular, scientists published two extensive, peer-reviewedpapers in Science in July 2022, offering the strongest evidence to date that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in animals at a market in Wuhan, China. Specifically, they conclude that the coronavirus most likely jumped from a caged wild animal into people at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where a huge COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019. Virologist Angela Rasmussen, who contributed to one of the Science papers, says the DOE's "low confident" conclusion doesn't	"negate the affirmative evidence for zoonotic [or animal] origin nor do they add any new information in support of lab origin." "Many other [news] outlets are presenting this as new conclusive proof that the lab origin hypothesis is equally as plausible as the zoonotic origin hypothesis," Rasmussen wrote in an email to NPR, "and that is a misrepresentation of the evidence for either." So just what is the scientific evidence that the pandemic began at the seafood market? Neither of the Science papers provide the smoking gun — that is, an animal infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus at a market. But they come close. They providephotographic evidence of wild animals such as raccoon dogs and a red fox, which can be infected with and shed SARS-CoV-2, sitting in cages in the market in late 2019. What's more, the caged animals are shown in or near a stall where scientists found SARS-CoV-2 virus on a number of surfaces, including on cages, carts and machines that process animals after they are slaughtered at the market. The data in the 2022 studies paints an incredibly detailed picture of the early days of the pandemic. Photographic and genetic data pinpoint a specific stall at the market where the coronavirus likely was transmitted from an animal into people. And agenetic analysis estimates the time, within weeks, when not just one but two spillovers occurred. It calculates that the coronavirus jumped into people once in late November or early December and then again few weeks later. At this exact same time, a huge COVID outbreak occurred at the market. Hundreds of people, working and shopping at the market, were likely infected. That outbreak is the first documented one of the pandemic, and it then spilled over into the community, as one of the Science papers shows. At the same time, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention found two variants of the coronavirus inside the market. And an independent study, led by virologists at the University of California, San Diego, suggests these two variants didn't evolve in people, because throughout the entire pandemic, scientists have never detected a variant linking the two together. Altogether, the new studies suggest that, most likely, the two variants evolved inside animals. Evolutionary biologist Michael Worobey helped lead two of the studies and has been at the forefront of the search for the origins of the pandemic. He has spent his career tracking down the origins of pandemics, including the origin of HIV and the 1918 flu. Back in May 2021, Worobey signeda letter calling for an investigation into the lab-leak theory. But then, through his own investigation, he quickly found data supporting an animal origin. When the studies were first published online, NPR spoke to Worobey, who's at the University of Arizona, to understand what the data tells us about the origin of SARS-CoV-2; how, he believes, the data may shift the debate about the lab-leak theory; and the significance of photos taken five years before the pandemic. Here are key points from the conversation, which has been edited for clarity and length. Live animals that are susceptible to COVID-19 were in the market in December 2019 It's clear-cut these wild, live animals, including raccoon dogs and red foxes, were in the market. We have photographic evidence from December 2019. A concerned customer evidently took these photos and videos of the market on Dec. 3 and posted them on Weibo [because it was illegal to sell certain live animals]. The photos were promptly scrubbed. But a CNN reporter had communicated directly with the person who took the photos. I was able to get in touch with this reporter, and they passed on those photos from the source. So we don't completely verify the photos. Live susceptible animals were held in a stall where SARS-CoV-2 was later detected on a machine that processed animals in the market We analyzed a leaked report from the Chinese CDC detailing the results of this environmental sampling. Virtually all of the findings in the report matched what was in the World Health Organization's report. But there was some extra information in the leaked report. For example, there was information not just on which stalls had virus in them — or had samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 — but also how many samples in a given stall yielded positive results. We found out that one stall actually had five positive samples — five surfaces in that stall had virus on them. And even better, in that particular stall, the samples were very animal-y. For example, scientists found virus on a feather/hair remover, a cart of the sort that we see in photographs that are used for transporting cages and, best of all, a metal cage in a back room. So now we know that when the national public health authorities shut down the market and then sampled the surfaces there, one of the surfaces positive for SARS-CoV-2 was a metal cage in a back room. What's even weirder — it turns out that one of the co-authors of the study, Eddie Holmes, had been taken to the Huanan market several years before the pandemic and shown raccoon dogs in one of the stalls. He was told, "This is the kind of place that has the ingredients for cross-species transmission of dangerous pathogens." So he clicks photos of the raccoon dogs. In one photo, the raccoon dogs are in a cage stacked on top of a cage with some birds in it. And at the end of our sleuth work, we checked the GPS coordinates on his camera, and we find that he took the photo at the same stall, where five samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. So we connected all sorts of bizarre kinds of data. Together the data are telling a strong story. Earliest known cases of COVID-19, even those not directly related to individuals who had been in the market, radiate out from the market With a virus, such as SARS-CoV-2, that causes no symptoms or mild symptoms in most people, you don't have any chance of linking all the early cases to the site where the outbreak started. Because the virus is going to quickly spread to people outside of wherever it started. And yet, from the clinical observations in Wuhan, around half of the earliest known COVID cases were people directly linked to the seafood market. And the other cases, which aren't linked through epidemiological data, have an even closer geographical association to the market. That's what we show in our paper. It's absurd how strong the geographical association is [to the market]. NPR: Absurd? How? In the sense that the seafood market is so clearly bull's-eye center of this outbreak? Yes. How could anyone not be moved, at least somewhat, by that data and then not take this idea [of an animal origin] seriously, especially given the other things we've found in these studies? That I don't understand. The virus jumped into people right before the outbreak in the market For example, our new genetic analysis tells us that this virus was not around for very long when the cases occurred at the market. For example, the earliest known patient at the market had an onset of symptoms on Dec. 10, 2019. And we can estimate that at that point in time, there were only about 10 people infected with the virus in the world and probably fewer than 70. So if the pandemic didn't start at the market, one of the first five or 10 people infected in the world was at the market. And how do you explain that? You have to remember: Wuhan is a city of 11 million people. And the Huanan market is only 1 of 4 places in Wuhan that sold live animals susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, such as raccoon dogs. It's highly unlikely that the first COVID-19 outbreak would occur at the market if there weren't a source of the virus there Step back and think, "Where is the first cluster of a new respiratory infection going to appear in this city?" It could appear at a market. But it could also appear at a school, a university or a meatpacking plant. NPR: Or a biotech conference? Yes. In Washington state, SARS-CoV-2 first appeared in a man who had traveled back from China. In Germany, it was at an auto-parts supplier. There are thousands, perhaps 10,000, other places at least as likely, or even more likely, to be the place where a new pathogen shows up. And yet, in Wuhan, the first cluster of cases happens to be one of the four places that sells live animals, out of 10,000 other places. If you're not surprised by that, then I don't think you're understanding the unlikelihood that that presents. NPR: So what is the likelihood of that coincidence happening — that the first cluster of cases occurs at a market that sells animals known to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, but the virus didn't actually come from the market? I would put the odds at 1 in 10,000. But it's interesting. We do have one analysis where we show essentially that the chance of having this pattern of cases [clustered around the market] is 1 in 10 million [if the market isn't a source of the virus]. We consider that strong evidence in science. The analyses that we've done are telling a very strong story. The evidence is amongst the best we have for any emerging virus. It's important to note we haven't found a related virus from the intermediate host. But we have a bunch of other evidence. And the data zeroing in on the Huanan market, to me, is as compelling as the data that indicated to John Snow that the water pump was poisoning people who used it. [John Snow was a doctor in London who helped launch the field of outbreak investigations by figuring out the source of a cholera outbreak in the city in the mid-19th century.] Making these findings brought tears Sometimes you have these rare moments where you're maybe the only person on Earth who has access to this kind of crucial information. As I just started to figure out that there were more cases around the market than you can expect randomly — I felt that way. And no exaggeration, that moment — those kinds of moments — bring a tear to your eye. Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Interior invests in bison restoration on tribal lands Federal officials will spend $25 million to grow and conserve bison herds on tribal lands. A recent order from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland also calls to integrate Indigenous knowledge in efforts to restore bison across the U.S. Tens of millions of bison, which are also called buffalo, once roamed North America. But the species was hunted to near extinction in the late 1800s. Today, wild bison number in the tens of thousands nationwide, including about 20,000 managed by tribes. Jason Baldes works for the National Wildlife Federation and lives on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Bison restoration began there about seven years ago, and the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes now manage over 100 animals. Baldes said this most recent announcement is a step in the right direction for Indigenous communities nationwide. “There's a lot of benefits to having buffalo back on the ground in our communities around education and academics,” he said. “They’re a keystone species, so that should be reason enough to restore them to the landscape because it benefits the grasses, the birds, the insects.” He said herds also provide food for tribal members and maintain the cultural identity of Indigenous communities. “This is a project and an effort that rights a wrong, and it's part of healing for us as Native people,” Baldes said. “It helps when other people understand that.” The money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and will go toward building new herds, transferring more bison from federal to tribal lands and creating new bison management agreements with tribes. The Interior Department currently manages about 11,000 animals across 12 states. Baldes said Haaland’s announcement and Interior’s investment fails to meet the need for bison restoration on tribal grasslands across the country, but that he’s optimistic about future partnerships. He also said much of the land in the West has been prioritized for agriculture, rather than wildlife, and that land-use systems need to be updated so that bison aren’t treated “like cattle.” This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana, KUNC in Colorado, KUNM in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Copyright 2023 Wyoming Public Radio. To see more, visit Wyoming Public Radio.	<urn:uuid:a46e886d-c02d-4cfc-b90b-0a3a2e9ef812>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-14", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296943625.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20230321033306-20230321063306-00427.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9499368667602539, "pii_count": 0, "score": 3.15625, "token_count": 568, "url": "https://www.aspenpublicradio.org/government/2023-03-09/interior-invests-in-bison-restoration-on-tribal-lands" }	Interior invests in bison restoration on tribal lands Federal officials will spend $25 million to grow and conserve bison herds on tribal lands. A recent order from Interior Secretary Deb Haaland also calls to integrate Indigenous knowledge in efforts to restore bison across the U.S. Tens of millions of bison, which are also called buffalo, once roamed North America. But the species was hunted to near extinction in the late 1800s. Today, wild bison number in the tens of thousands nationwide, including about 20,000 managed by tribes. Jason Baldes works for the National Wildlife Federation and lives on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Bison restoration began there about seven years ago, and the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes now manage over 100 animals. Baldes said this most recent announcement is a step in the right direction for Indigenous communities nationwide. “There's a lot of benefits to having buffalo back on the ground in our communities around education and academics,” he said. “They’re a keystone species, so that should be reason enough to restore them to the landscape because it benefits the grasses, the birds, the insects.” He said herds also provide food for tribal members and maintain the cultural identity of Indigenous communities. “This is a project and an effort that rights a wrong, and it's part of healing for us as Native people,” Baldes said. “It helps when other people understand that.” The money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and will go toward building new herds, transferring more bison from federal to tribal lands and creating new bison management agreements with tribes. The Interior Department currently manages about 11,000 animals across 12 states. Baldes said Haaland’s announcement and Interior’s investment fails to meet the need for bison restoration on tribal grasslands across the country, but that he’s optimistic about future partnerships. He also said much of the land in the West has been prioritized for agriculture, rather than wildlife, and that land-use systems need to be updated so that bison aren’t treated “like cattle.” This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana, KUNC in Colorado, KUNM in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region.	Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Copyright 2023 Wyoming Public Radio. To see more, visit Wyoming Public Radio.
'What does it mean to be Irish in this country?' In Worcester, a question amid celebrations as St. Patrick's Day nears On a wintry Saturday afternoon, snow colored everything white, but inside the Irish Festival, held March 4, turned the hall of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church into a sea of green. Along with the color, came noise: friends laughing and having a gab. The Belfast Cowboys played traditional songs about shipwrecks, such as "The Irish Rover," the perils of drinking too much, as in "Whiskey in the Jar-O" and impressionable young lads hauled off to the British penal colony of Van Diemen's Land, like the youth falsely accused of theft described in "Black Velvet Band. Among those at the festivities were author and activist Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, of Worcester, his daughter, Grace Sliwoski, also of Worcester, and her son, Theo, 6, and Fiona, 4, who were primed to participate in performances by the McInerney School of Irish Dance. Asked about his Irish heritage, Worcester activist Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, who along with his wife, Claire, helped found Saints Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worker, told this story: "My great-grandfather, Patrick John Duffy, came in 1881 to the U.S. That was a tough time in Ireland, because of the potato famine, and general poverty," Schaeffer-Duffy said, referring to the mass starvation that began with a blighted potato crop, and which lasted about 1845 to 1849. "He, like many Irish, worked in England and sent money home to the family." A time of hardship It was a time of British rule in Ireland, and anti-Irish prejudice. While in a pub with friends, Schaeffer-Duffy said, "Several young English people came in, and started taunting them. My great-grandfather was tall, 6-foot-3, with blazing red hair. He picked up a guy, and put him down on the potbelly stove." A brawl ensued, and the police were fetched. "When the police were close, it would be very serious for the Irish, so they fled, sleeping under haystacks to avoid the police." Making their way to the port city of Liverpool, Duffy stowed aboard a ship, and found himself bound for America. "The captain was sympathetic, and decided not to charge the stowaway," Schaeffer-Duffy said. Eventually, the young man ended up in Massachusetts. He met a young woman, also from Ireland, and they married. They would settle in Uxbridge, start a family and make a life for themselves. More:Erin Giftstore is a drop of green in the city with its Irish origins More:We persist: A first-generation Irish-American's take on St. Patrick's Day Schaeffer-Duffy grew up in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and went to College of the Holy Cross, where he studied religion. He and his wife, Claire, work at SS Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worker in Worcester. Part of the Catholic Worker movement, the agency assists homeless men and women and holds peace vigils. Claire is also a journalist who writes for Catholic publications, including the National Catholic Reporter, the Jesuit magazine, America, and Commonweal. A cultural identity With March comes an array of festivities marking Irish Heritage Month, and in particular, St. Patrick's Day on March 17. The Irish Festival is organized by the local chapter of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians and Ladys Ancient Order of the Hibernians, and it's a prelude to the annual St. Patrick's Day parade. It's a time to celebrate all things Irish, with green hats, green beads, and maybe green beer, along with songs, from ancient rhymes to hits by Ireland's celebrated rock artists, such as Thin Lizzy, U2, and Van Morrison. More:Exploring Worcester's Irish Roots More:Shamrockin' in the streets: Thousands turn out for Worcester County St. Patrick’s Parade More:Last Call: Author Robert McMaster takes readers across an ocean But there is a serious side. Songs of rebellion, such as "The Foggy Dew" and "Come Out, Ye Black and Tans," recall the 1916 uprising, also called the Easter Rising, against centuries of British rule. St. Patrick's Day celebrations link the past with the present, and for many of Irish descent, including in the Worcester's Irish-American community, this means honoring and debating what it means to be Irish-American. For Schaeffer-Duffy, his principles and world view are informed by his Irish and Catholic heritage, and the struggles of his ancestors. "We've been in thousands of demonstrations," said Schaeffer-Duffy. "We've been to 18 war zones." Schaeffer-Duffy said, "I've worked with the homeless in the inner city here and in Washington, D.C." Schaeffer-Duffy was imprisoned for three months in Georgia on Jan. 27, 2003, during annual protests against the Fort Benning's School of the Americas, now known as Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. Protestors, including actor Martin Sheen, have stated that Latin American graduates use techniques that violate human rights, and which they use in their own countries. Seeking justice, peace The Schaeffer-Duffys formed a Catholic Worker Peace Team with other Catholic Workers from around the U.S. to join activists meeting in San Diego in 2018. The occasion: protesting the border wall constructed on orders of then-President Donald Trump. "We went into Tijuana for several days to meet with migrants," Schaeffer-Duffy said. They have traveled to Dublin for the trial of the so-called Pitstop Ploughshares, a group of Catholic Worker protesters who opposed U.S. military planes landing at Ireland's Shannon Airport during the Iraqi war. They have also met in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, with Mairead Maguire. Maguire was the 1976 co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in a nonviolent resolution to Northern Ireland's sectarian and ethnic conflict known as "The Troubles." 'A soft spot for Worcester' Before traveling to the U.S. in the 1990s, Brian Clancy recalled, "Myself and a friend of mine were never a mile from cowshite in our lives." Through a friend's persuasion, they found themselves in the Bronx. "I never got such a shock. We were so sheltered, it's astounding." A history and English teacher living in his hometown of Cloneen, in County Tipperary, Clancy spent several years in the U.S., including in Worcester, where he lived about 14 months, working contracting jobs. More:The day Clark University 'Experienced' Jimi Hendrix, live in concert When they couldn't find work, two friends, including poet and painter Tony Gahan, urged them to come to Worcester. "We got a train up to South Station. Tony collected us. We were thinking, we're right outside Boston," Clancy said with a laugh. "I said, 'Where are you after taking me?'" Clancy and his friends found work, along with others from Ireland seeking similar opportunities. "I was working in construction," said Clancy, who recalled living in the Lincoln Street area, near Bell Pond. "We were basically, like, stacked up, like mackerel, like sardines, in those three-deckers." Later, Clancy would live and work in Brighton, and venture to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in Canada, and to Australia, before returning to Ireland. "I love Worcester. I still style myself as a bit of an Irish-American, as I had a soft spot for Worcester." One ethnicity, many cultures Even working among Irish-Americans, Clancy found differences to navigate. "In Kelley Square, I went to work for an Irish painter. This guy said to me, 'I'll meet you there, and I'll bring you a coffee.' I said, 'I don't drink coffee.' He said, 'You do now, you're in America. The place runs on gasoline and coffee.'" Clancy told of driving to a job in Leominster, driving several miles in the wrong direction. "They had great craic, those young guys, working for the older guys." Clancy said, "Compared to Brighton, it's like Christmas every day, with so many Irish in Brighton. The Worcester Irish were closer, because there were fewer of them. They were very welcoming. There were a lot of barbecues." 'Ireland has changed' Clancy, who spoke via Zoom, notes that present-day Ireland is a modern nation, one that has attracted U.S. corporations, and with a highly-educated population. Despite historical links to the Catholic Church, it has become increasingly secular, with many observers citing the sex abuse crisis as a major factor. Clancy said, "Some Irish-Americans have a quaint interpretation of what Ireland is. It's an historical interpretation. Definitely, Ireland has changed. I think it takes a while for the external perception to change, of the history, the trauma." In Ireland, Clancy said, the Irish tend to mark St. Patrick's Day in a low-key way. It's a public holiday, and many enjoy a day off to take a drive with their families to a picturesque place, or to dine out, rather than loud parties or queuing up in Irish-themed pubs. Clancy thinks for Irish people and those of Irish descent living outside Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is a way to connect. "I think the Americans tend to celebrate those holidays squarely, whereas we are not inclined to do it," Clancy said. As Irish-Americans examine their heritage, Clancy said they can still explore their ancestors' traditions in Ireland. "If you want a nice, friendly, authentic experience, go to the less-trodden paths," Clancy said. "Go into an old bar, maybe. The countryside is safe, and accessible. Just go to the countryside, and get that experience." A family's history Beth O'Leary Anish of Auburn grew up in Worcester, and channeled her fascination with Ireland and her Irish heritage into a vocation. A professor of English at Rhode Island Community College, Anish said her paternal grandfather emigrated from County Kerry in the 1880s. Many people on her father's side of the family had a role in founding St. John's Church,the Catholic church that would serve much of Worcester's Irish community. "I was interested since I was a little kid. We did a family tree project at Gates Lane School. I had one living grandmother at the time. I loved asking her about it. Just since I was little, I loved to talk about and think about my Irish heritage." That love led Anish to study at Boston College, to participate in the college's offerings on Irish studies. Anish first went to Ireland in 2000. "I write about Irish-American literature in my academic work, so I have been over three for three different conferences, at least," said Anish. Anish has attended the American Conference for Irish Studies, as well as the Global Irish Diaspora Congress. "I went to their first meeting in Dublin," Anish said. Novels offer insights As a doctoral candidate, Anish said, "I ended up turning part of my dissertation into a book that came out last year." In the novels of Irish-American writers in the post-World War II era, Anish found a striking theme. "What kept me coming back to them is that these authors were trying to figure who the Irish were in America, after a few generations in, and getting a little worried about their peers forgetting their immigrant roots and more humble, working-class roots," Anish said. "The revelation to me is that even reading literature of 70 years ago, echoes the same concerns I see now," Anish said. "What does it mean to be Irish in this country, when we have been here for many generations?" For Anish, the dilemma resonates in a personal way. "The reason I ended up zeroing in on that time period is that it reminded me of my parents. They graduated high school in the early 1940s. So it struck me: 'Oh, these were all the formative things my parents grew up on.'" For Catholic Irish-Americans, Anish said this could mean a complex relationship with the Catholic Church. There were papal encyclicals extolling the fair treatment of workers. At the same time, church leaders did not warm to the socialism, a political movement to which many labor rights leaders gravitated. "So, they had to walk a line there," Anish said. 'Irish America is not one thing' In her family's experience, as well as in the novels of the time, Anish said the pain of prejudice and discrimination still cast a shadow. "My mother talked about an uncle in one of the mills in Blackstone Valley, who was passed over for promotions all the time because he was Catholic," Anish said. "These things were very much still present in their minds, and were in these books." Irish-Americans would end up along a broad spectrum of political ideas, some in conflict. "There have always been Irish people on the liberal side of those arguments, and the conservative side. There were labor activities, and Irish on the management side who tried to quash those unions," Anish said. "The fascinating thing to me for those earliest times, is Irish America is not one thing." More:Fiddler's Green an oasis of Irish heritage, culture More:Listen Up: Five contemporary Irish pop acts worth knowing Anish noted, "It's Catholic, and Protestant. It's liberal, and conservative, beyond generalizations, even different races and colors. Seeing how complex the reality of what Irish America is, compared to the overriding narrative." With that narrative, Anish said, come enduring stereotypes. Ever-pervasive is the image of Irish people as alcoholics. Anish recalled talking with a class. "Something one of my students said is, 'Oh yeah, I'm Irish, and we drink a ton on St. Patrick's Day.' That is her proving how Irish her family is." Anish said, "I haven't done a formal study of this, but I have been collecting memes, of awful, awful stereotypes." Anish said. "My father was the most sober person I know, and he hated alcohol, actually, and my mother was also very sober, but the daughter of an alcoholic, and grew up hating it. I have alcoholics in my own family, but people who were the polar opposite of that."	<urn:uuid:ce1ed308-aa93-46bb-bf49-cd8ead3d13da>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-14", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-14/segments/1679296948965.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20230329085436-20230329115436-00619.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.9812971353530884, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.796875, "token_count": 3134, "url": "https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/lifestyle/2023/03/16/st-patricks-day-nears-worcesters-irish-explore-a-complex-heritage/69964360007/" }	'What does it mean to be Irish in this country?' In Worcester, a question amid celebrations as St. Patrick's Day nears On a wintry Saturday afternoon, snow colored everything white, but inside the Irish Festival, held March 4, turned the hall of St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church into a sea of green. Along with the color, came noise: friends laughing and having a gab. The Belfast Cowboys played traditional songs about shipwrecks, such as "The Irish Rover," the perils of drinking too much, as in "Whiskey in the Jar-O" and impressionable young lads hauled off to the British penal colony of Van Diemen's Land, like the youth falsely accused of theft described in "Black Velvet Band. Among those at the festivities were author and activist Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, of Worcester, his daughter, Grace Sliwoski, also of Worcester, and her son, Theo, 6, and Fiona, 4, who were primed to participate in performances by the McInerney School of Irish Dance. Asked about his Irish heritage, Worcester activist Scott Schaeffer-Duffy, who along with his wife, Claire, helped found Saints Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worker, told this story: "My great-grandfather, Patrick John Duffy, came in 1881 to the U.S. That was a tough time in Ireland, because of the potato famine, and general poverty," Schaeffer-Duffy said, referring to the mass starvation that began with a blighted potato crop, and which lasted about 1845 to 1849. "He, like many Irish, worked in England and sent money home to the family." A time of hardship It was a time of British rule in Ireland, and anti-Irish prejudice. While in a pub with friends, Schaeffer-Duffy said, "Several young English people came in, and started taunting them. My great-grandfather was tall, 6-foot-3, with blazing red hair. He picked up a guy, and put him down on the potbelly stove." A brawl ensued, and the police were fetched. "When the police were close, it would be very serious for the Irish, so they fled, sleeping under haystacks to avoid the police." Making their way to the port city of Liverpool, Duffy stowed aboard a ship, and found himself bound for America. "	The captain was sympathetic, and decided not to charge the stowaway," Schaeffer-Duffy said. Eventually, the young man ended up in Massachusetts. He met a young woman, also from Ireland, and they married. They would settle in Uxbridge, start a family and make a life for themselves. More:Erin Giftstore is a drop of green in the city with its Irish origins More:We persist: A first-generation Irish-American's take on St. Patrick's Day Schaeffer-Duffy grew up in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and went to College of the Holy Cross, where he studied religion. He and his wife, Claire, work at SS Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worker in Worcester. Part of the Catholic Worker movement, the agency assists homeless men and women and holds peace vigils. Claire is also a journalist who writes for Catholic publications, including the National Catholic Reporter, the Jesuit magazine, America, and Commonweal. A cultural identity With March comes an array of festivities marking Irish Heritage Month, and in particular, St. Patrick's Day on March 17. The Irish Festival is organized by the local chapter of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians and Ladys Ancient Order of the Hibernians, and it's a prelude to the annual St. Patrick's Day parade. It's a time to celebrate all things Irish, with green hats, green beads, and maybe green beer, along with songs, from ancient rhymes to hits by Ireland's celebrated rock artists, such as Thin Lizzy, U2, and Van Morrison. More:Exploring Worcester's Irish Roots More:Shamrockin' in the streets: Thousands turn out for Worcester County St. Patrick’s Parade More:Last Call: Author Robert McMaster takes readers across an ocean But there is a serious side. Songs of rebellion, such as "The Foggy Dew" and "Come Out, Ye Black and Tans," recall the 1916 uprising, also called the Easter Rising, against centuries of British rule. St. Patrick's Day celebrations link the past with the present, and for many of Irish descent, including in the Worcester's Irish-American community, this means honoring and debating what it means to be Irish-American. For Schaeffer-Duffy, his principles and world view are informed by his Irish and Catholic heritage, and the struggles of his ancestors. "We've been in thousands of demonstrations," said Schaeffer-Duffy. "We've been to 18 war zones." Schaeffer-Duffy said, "I've worked with the homeless in the inner city here and in Washington, D.C." Schaeffer-Duffy was imprisoned for three months in Georgia on Jan. 27, 2003, during annual protests against the Fort Benning's School of the Americas, now known as Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. Protestors, including actor Martin Sheen, have stated that Latin American graduates use techniques that violate human rights, and which they use in their own countries. Seeking justice, peace The Schaeffer-Duffys formed a Catholic Worker Peace Team with other Catholic Workers from around the U.S. to join activists meeting in San Diego in 2018. The occasion: protesting the border wall constructed on orders of then-President Donald Trump. "We went into Tijuana for several days to meet with migrants," Schaeffer-Duffy said. They have traveled to Dublin for the trial of the so-called Pitstop Ploughshares, a group of Catholic Worker protesters who opposed U.S. military planes landing at Ireland's Shannon Airport during the Iraqi war. They have also met in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, with Mairead Maguire. Maguire was the 1976 co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in a nonviolent resolution to Northern Ireland's sectarian and ethnic conflict known as "The Troubles." 'A soft spot for Worcester' Before traveling to the U.S. in the 1990s, Brian Clancy recalled, "Myself and a friend of mine were never a mile from cowshite in our lives." Through a friend's persuasion, they found themselves in the Bronx. "I never got such a shock. We were so sheltered, it's astounding." A history and English teacher living in his hometown of Cloneen, in County Tipperary, Clancy spent several years in the U.S., including in Worcester, where he lived about 14 months, working contracting jobs. More:The day Clark University 'Experienced' Jimi Hendrix, live in concert When they couldn't find work, two friends, including poet and painter Tony Gahan, urged them to come to Worcester. "We got a train up to South Station. Tony collected us. We were thinking, we're right outside Boston," Clancy said with a laugh. "I said, 'Where are you after taking me?'" Clancy and his friends found work, along with others from Ireland seeking similar opportunities. "I was working in construction," said Clancy, who recalled living in the Lincoln Street area, near Bell Pond. "We were basically, like, stacked up, like mackerel, like sardines, in those three-deckers." Later, Clancy would live and work in Brighton, and venture to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in Canada, and to Australia, before returning to Ireland. "I love Worcester. I still style myself as a bit of an Irish-American, as I had a soft spot for Worcester." One ethnicity, many cultures Even working among Irish-Americans, Clancy found differences to navigate. "In Kelley Square, I went to work for an Irish painter. This guy said to me, 'I'll meet you there, and I'll bring you a coffee.' I said, 'I don't drink coffee.' He said, 'You do now, you're in America. The place runs on gasoline and coffee.'" Clancy told of driving to a job in Leominster, driving several miles in the wrong direction. "They had great craic, those young guys, working for the older guys." Clancy said, "Compared to Brighton, it's like Christmas every day, with so many Irish in Brighton. The Worcester Irish were closer, because there were fewer of them. They were very welcoming. There were a lot of barbecues." 'Ireland has changed' Clancy, who spoke via Zoom, notes that present-day Ireland is a modern nation, one that has attracted U.S. corporations, and with a highly-educated population. Despite historical links to the Catholic Church, it has become increasingly secular, with many observers citing the sex abuse crisis as a major factor. Clancy said, "Some Irish-Americans have a quaint interpretation of what Ireland is. It's an historical interpretation. Definitely, Ireland has changed. I think it takes a while for the external perception to change, of the history, the trauma." In Ireland, Clancy said, the Irish tend to mark St. Patrick's Day in a low-key way. It's a public holiday, and many enjoy a day off to take a drive with their families to a picturesque place, or to dine out, rather than loud parties or queuing up in Irish-themed pubs. Clancy thinks for Irish people and those of Irish descent living outside Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is a way to connect. "I think the Americans tend to celebrate those holidays squarely, whereas we are not inclined to do it," Clancy said. As Irish-Americans examine their heritage, Clancy said they can still explore their ancestors' traditions in Ireland. "If you want a nice, friendly, authentic experience, go to the less-trodden paths," Clancy said. "Go into an old bar, maybe. The countryside is safe, and accessible. Just go to the countryside, and get that experience." A family's history Beth O'Leary Anish of Auburn grew up in Worcester, and channeled her fascination with Ireland and her Irish heritage into a vocation. A professor of English at Rhode Island Community College, Anish said her paternal grandfather emigrated from County Kerry in the 1880s. Many people on her father's side of the family had a role in founding St. John's Church,the Catholic church that would serve much of Worcester's Irish community. "I was interested since I was a little kid. We did a family tree project at Gates Lane School. I had one living grandmother at the time. I loved asking her about it. Just since I was little, I loved to talk about and think about my Irish heritage." That love led Anish to study at Boston College, to participate in the college's offerings on Irish studies. Anish first went to Ireland in 2000. "I write about Irish-American literature in my academic work, so I have been over three for three different conferences, at least," said Anish. Anish has attended the American Conference for Irish Studies, as well as the Global Irish Diaspora Congress. "I went to their first meeting in Dublin," Anish said. Novels offer insights As a doctoral candidate, Anish said, "I ended up turning part of my dissertation into a book that came out last year." In the novels of Irish-American writers in the post-World War II era, Anish found a striking theme. "What kept me coming back to them is that these authors were trying to figure who the Irish were in America, after a few generations in, and getting a little worried about their peers forgetting their immigrant roots and more humble, working-class roots," Anish said. "The revelation to me is that even reading literature of 70 years ago, echoes the same concerns I see now," Anish said. "What does it mean to be Irish in this country, when we have been here for many generations?" For Anish, the dilemma resonates in a personal way. "The reason I ended up zeroing in on that time period is that it reminded me of my parents. They graduated high school in the early 1940s. So it struck me: 'Oh, these were all the formative things my parents grew up on.'" For Catholic Irish-Americans, Anish said this could mean a complex relationship with the Catholic Church. There were papal encyclicals extolling the fair treatment of workers. At the same time, church leaders did not warm to the socialism, a political movement to which many labor rights leaders gravitated. "So, they had to walk a line there," Anish said. 'Irish America is not one thing' In her family's experience, as well as in the novels of the time, Anish said the pain of prejudice and discrimination still cast a shadow. "My mother talked about an uncle in one of the mills in Blackstone Valley, who was passed over for promotions all the time because he was Catholic," Anish said. "These things were very much still present in their minds, and were in these books." Irish-Americans would end up along a broad spectrum of political ideas, some in conflict. "There have always been Irish people on the liberal side of those arguments, and the conservative side. There were labor activities, and Irish on the management side who tried to quash those unions," Anish said. "The fascinating thing to me for those earliest times, is Irish America is not one thing." More:Fiddler's Green an oasis of Irish heritage, culture More:Listen Up: Five contemporary Irish pop acts worth knowing Anish noted, "It's Catholic, and Protestant. It's liberal, and conservative, beyond generalizations, even different races and colors. Seeing how complex the reality of what Irish America is, compared to the overriding narrative." With that narrative, Anish said, come enduring stereotypes. Ever-pervasive is the image of Irish people as alcoholics. Anish recalled talking with a class. "Something one of my students said is, 'Oh yeah, I'm Irish, and we drink a ton on St. Patrick's Day.' That is her proving how Irish her family is." Anish said, "I haven't done a formal study of this, but I have been collecting memes, of awful, awful stereotypes." Anish said. "My father was the most sober person I know, and he hated alcohol, actually, and my mother was also very sober, but the daughter of an alcoholic, and grew up hating it. I have alcoholics in my own family, but people who were the polar opposite of that."
Right whale calf dangerously entangled off North Carolina. Seen free of gear last year off Massachusetts One step forward, two steps back. That is the ongoing plight of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, put into sharp focus this month as scientists reported a juvenile female's dangerous entanglement even as her mother bore a new calf. With the North Atlantic right whale calving season now peaking in warmer waters off Georgia, marine scientists are eagerly counting each new addition to the population, since each one represents hope for moving the species further away from the precipice of extinction. So it is no small measure of disheartenment that comes with the severe entanglement of a 4-year-old female identified in the North Atlantic right whale catalog as #4904. She is the daughter of a whale named Spindle, estimated to be at least 41 years old and recently seen off Georgia with her 10th known calf. Spindle's daughter was first spotted Jan. 8 off the coast of North Carolina by an aerial survey team from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, "heavily entangled" in fishing gear. Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the young whale has sustained severe injuries as a result and they fear she may not survive. "There were several wraps of line around the mouth and tail, with additional line trailing behind the whale," the agency reported, also detailing "numerous wounds across her body and whale lice on her head." While all whales may have lice, a large number of them on an individual indicates a failing animal. The juvenile was last seen in Massachusetts Bay in May 2022, and was not entangled at that time. "It's discouraging and frustrating to see yet another North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing gear," said Gib Brogan, fisheries campaign manager at Oceana, an advocacy group that works to protect and restore the oceans by pressing for improved ocean management policies affecting fisheries, seafood, habitat protection and pollution. "This entanglement is the result of continued mismanagement of this risk. Anywhere that whales and rope intersect, deadly entanglements can occur." Brogan and other advocates for the whales said the federal government needs "to adopt proven safeguards that will eliminate entanglement risk in times and places where right whales swim." The entangled juvenile's struggle, scientists say, highlights the need to accelerate transition to ropeless or “on-demand” fishing gear. That effort is already well underway in Massachusetts, where conservation methods the fishing community has adopted and is continuing to incorporate have been a help to the whales. The Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association noted that Massachusetts commercial lobstermen have already helped to reduce risk to right whales by 92%. Over the last five years, the association has collaborated with the Massachusetts Lobster Foundation, and Ketcham Trap of New Bedford to develop weaker red and candy cane rope that will break at 1,700 pounds. According to the organization, commercial lobstermen in Massachusetts have been fishing with the weakened rope for four years now without many issues. The association is continuing to work with Ketcham Trap on the gear. The Massachusetts Environmental Trust's Drive For A Better Environment program has provided money to further Massachusetts commercial lobstermen’s conservation efforts on behalf of right whales and all whale species. Every loss is a tragic one for North Atlantic right whales For the North Atlantic right whale population, every loss of an individual is a significant one, though there is added concern whenever a female is lost. According to a report released in the fall by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, only about 340 of the animals — plus or minus seven — remained during 2021. Of those, only about 72 of them are reproductively active females. Charles "Stormy" Mayo, director of the right whale ecology program at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, has pointed out that this equates to very low calving rates. Adding to the concern is that females who are giving birth are doing so at greater intervals. Instead of a calving interval of three years, the trend is now closer to six to 10 years. Right whales gestate for a little longer than a year, but they don't actually reach reproductive age until they are about 10 years old. That becomes troublesome, as well, when the whales are likely to die as a result of entanglement and vessel strike injuries before they can reach that age. Philip Hamilton, senior scientist and interim chairman of the Kraus Marine Mammal Conservation program at the New England Aquarium, said the situation with Spindle, her new calf, and her entangled daughter highlights the whales' position between opposite ends of a spectrum, from hope to setback. Spindle, he said, is the most productive mother known, having birthed at least 10 calves in her lifetime, but the possibility of losing even one of her calves, especially a female, has a significant negative impact on recovery of the species. Reproductive females may produce more than 20 progeny, including calves and all related to them, according to Hamilton. If she survives to reproductive age, Spindle's daughter could increase the population by 6 percent. New calves born, but not enough At this point in the year, the calving season is around its peak. So far, said Mayo, "we've had 11 calves that have been born." Sadly, though, one of the newborns has died. The male calf was seen alive on Jan. 3, but was found dead on Jan. 7 near Morehead City, North Carolina, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The calf, about two weeks old, appeared underweight and in poor health. It is not known what happened to his mother, but scientists said calves cannot survive very long separated from their mothers. The calf is the 93rd whale to be added to the ongoing database of Unusual Mortality Events that the species has suffered since 2017. According to the New England Aquarium, there are about the same number of new calves now as there were at this time last year. But scientists say those numbers are not enough to sustain the species. By comparison, an average of 23 calves were born annually in the 2000s. That number has not been seen since 2009. “We are hoping for many more calves throughout the remainder of the calving season, and that these newborns can make it safely to their feeding grounds up north,” Hamilton said. “Amid ongoing threats from fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes, right whales are still doing their part by calving year after year, even later in life as in the case of Spindle.” The right whale Spindle has become a grandmother since first observed in 1982 First observed in 1982, Spindle had her last calf in 2019 — the now entangled juvenile — before giving birth to a new baby this season. Prior to that, she birthed eight calves including Vega (Catalog #2904) and Champagne (Catalog #3904). Champagne made Spindle a grandmother in 2021. Spindle has had one minor documented entanglement in her life, but her family members have had 12 known entanglements, according to the New England Aquarium. Champagne has experienced at least four entanglements, the last of which left significant scars. Aquarium research shows that more than 86 percent of right whales have been entangled at least once, some as many as nine times. One whale who has captured attention with her chronic entanglements is Snow Cone. The approximately 17-year-old whale was seen in September south of Nantucket, on her way south, struggling with her fifth entanglement. Scientists, who noted the severe deterioration of her health, feared she was dying. Hurricane Fiona made it unsafe for a team from the Center for Coastal Studies to go to Snow Cone's assistance. She has not been seen since. Massachusetts works to promote preservation of North Atlantic Right Whales With an eye toward continuing to raise awareness about the plight of the North Atlantic right whale and promote their preservation, the state Legislature earlier this month declared April 24 as Right Whale Day in Massachusetts. State Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, was the lead sponsor of the bill, Bill H.3869, that establishes the annual event. "Our official state marine mammal, the North Atlantic right whale, is at risk of extinction. Building awareness of their plight will help promote protection efforts and establishing this annual Right Whale Day is an important step in this process," he said. Gain access to premium Cape Cod Times content bysubscribing.	<urn:uuid:9ce12da3-73a7-4f8e-a592-c9fa746c56a4>	{ "dump": "CC-MAIN-2023-06", "file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-06/segments/1674764499710.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20230129080341-20230129110341-00445.warc.gz", "int_score": 3, "language": "en", "language_score": 0.966394305229187, "pii_count": 0, "score": 2.640625, "token_count": 1770, "url": "https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/news/environment/2023/01/19/right-whale-calf-known-massachusetts-seen-entangled-north-carolina/69804107007/" }	Right whale calf dangerously entangled off North Carolina. Seen free of gear last year off Massachusetts One step forward, two steps back. That is the ongoing plight of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, put into sharp focus this month as scientists reported a juvenile female's dangerous entanglement even as her mother bore a new calf. With the North Atlantic right whale calving season now peaking in warmer waters off Georgia, marine scientists are eagerly counting each new addition to the population, since each one represents hope for moving the species further away from the precipice of extinction. So it is no small measure of disheartenment that comes with the severe entanglement of a 4-year-old female identified in the North Atlantic right whale catalog as #4904. She is the daughter of a whale named Spindle, estimated to be at least 41 years old and recently seen off Georgia with her 10th known calf. Spindle's daughter was first spotted Jan. 8 off the coast of North Carolina by an aerial survey team from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, "heavily entangled" in fishing gear. Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the young whale has sustained severe injuries as a result and they fear she may not survive. "There were several wraps of line around the mouth and tail, with additional line trailing behind the whale," the agency reported, also detailing "numerous wounds across her body and whale lice on her head." While all whales may have lice, a large number of them on an individual indicates a failing animal. The juvenile was last seen in Massachusetts Bay in May 2022, and was not entangled at that time. "It's discouraging and frustrating to see yet another North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing gear," said Gib Brogan, fisheries campaign manager at Oceana, an advocacy group that works to protect and restore the oceans by pressing for improved ocean management policies affecting fisheries, seafood, habitat protection and pollution. "This entanglement is the result of continued mismanagement of this risk. Anywhere that whales and rope intersect, deadly entanglements can occur." Brogan and other advocates for the whales said the federal government needs "to adopt proven safeguards that will eliminate entanglement risk in times and places where right whales swim." The entangled juvenile's struggle, scientists say, highlights the need to accelerate transition to ropeless or “on-demand” fishing gear. That effort is already	well underway in Massachusetts, where conservation methods the fishing community has adopted and is continuing to incorporate have been a help to the whales. The Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association noted that Massachusetts commercial lobstermen have already helped to reduce risk to right whales by 92%. Over the last five years, the association has collaborated with the Massachusetts Lobster Foundation, and Ketcham Trap of New Bedford to develop weaker red and candy cane rope that will break at 1,700 pounds. According to the organization, commercial lobstermen in Massachusetts have been fishing with the weakened rope for four years now without many issues. The association is continuing to work with Ketcham Trap on the gear. The Massachusetts Environmental Trust's Drive For A Better Environment program has provided money to further Massachusetts commercial lobstermen’s conservation efforts on behalf of right whales and all whale species. Every loss is a tragic one for North Atlantic right whales For the North Atlantic right whale population, every loss of an individual is a significant one, though there is added concern whenever a female is lost. According to a report released in the fall by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, only about 340 of the animals — plus or minus seven — remained during 2021. Of those, only about 72 of them are reproductively active females. Charles "Stormy" Mayo, director of the right whale ecology program at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, has pointed out that this equates to very low calving rates. Adding to the concern is that females who are giving birth are doing so at greater intervals. Instead of a calving interval of three years, the trend is now closer to six to 10 years. Right whales gestate for a little longer than a year, but they don't actually reach reproductive age until they are about 10 years old. That becomes troublesome, as well, when the whales are likely to die as a result of entanglement and vessel strike injuries before they can reach that age. Philip Hamilton, senior scientist and interim chairman of the Kraus Marine Mammal Conservation program at the New England Aquarium, said the situation with Spindle, her new calf, and her entangled daughter highlights the whales' position between opposite ends of a spectrum, from hope to setback. Spindle, he said, is the most productive mother known, having birthed at least 10 calves in her lifetime, but the possibility of losing even one of her calves, especially a female, has a significant negative impact on recovery of the species. Reproductive females may produce more than 20 progeny, including calves and all related to them, according to Hamilton. If she survives to reproductive age, Spindle's daughter could increase the population by 6 percent. New calves born, but not enough At this point in the year, the calving season is around its peak. So far, said Mayo, "we've had 11 calves that have been born." Sadly, though, one of the newborns has died. The male calf was seen alive on Jan. 3, but was found dead on Jan. 7 near Morehead City, North Carolina, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The calf, about two weeks old, appeared underweight and in poor health. It is not known what happened to his mother, but scientists said calves cannot survive very long separated from their mothers. The calf is the 93rd whale to be added to the ongoing database of Unusual Mortality Events that the species has suffered since 2017. According to the New England Aquarium, there are about the same number of new calves now as there were at this time last year. But scientists say those numbers are not enough to sustain the species. By comparison, an average of 23 calves were born annually in the 2000s. That number has not been seen since 2009. “We are hoping for many more calves throughout the remainder of the calving season, and that these newborns can make it safely to their feeding grounds up north,” Hamilton said. “Amid ongoing threats from fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes, right whales are still doing their part by calving year after year, even later in life as in the case of Spindle.” The right whale Spindle has become a grandmother since first observed in 1982 First observed in 1982, Spindle had her last calf in 2019 — the now entangled juvenile — before giving birth to a new baby this season. Prior to that, she birthed eight calves including Vega (Catalog #2904) and Champagne (Catalog #3904). Champagne made Spindle a grandmother in 2021. Spindle has had one minor documented entanglement in her life, but her family members have had 12 known entanglements, according to the New England Aquarium. Champagne has experienced at least four entanglements, the last of which left significant scars. Aquarium research shows that more than 86 percent of right whales have been entangled at least once, some as many as nine times. One whale who has captured attention with her chronic entanglements is Snow Cone. The approximately 17-year-old whale was seen in September south of Nantucket, on her way south, struggling with her fifth entanglement. Scientists, who noted the severe deterioration of her health, feared she was dying. Hurricane Fiona made it unsafe for a team from the Center for Coastal Studies to go to Snow Cone's assistance. She has not been seen since. Massachusetts works to promote preservation of North Atlantic Right Whales With an eye toward continuing to raise awareness about the plight of the North Atlantic right whale and promote their preservation, the state Legislature earlier this month declared April 24 as Right Whale Day in Massachusetts. State Rep. Josh Cutler, D-Duxbury, was the lead sponsor of the bill, Bill H.3869, that establishes the annual event. "Our official state marine mammal, the North Atlantic right whale, is at risk of extinction. Building awareness of their plight will help promote protection efforts and establishing this annual Right Whale Day is an important step in this process," he said. Gain access to premium Cape Cod Times content bysubscribing.